Chapter 45 – The Flight of the Prince
"Professor we've got to get you to a safe place," Lizzie said in a panic, but wanted to charge up to the castle to see who might be hurt... or worse.
Dumbledore sat down on an outdoor bench along the street for a moment and looked up at the sky.
"We've got to get to the castle," he said weakly. Rosemerta ran up to them a moment later.
"I saw you apparate," she said breathlessly.
"How long has it been there?" Lizzie asked.
"Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes," she said.
"Rosemerta, dear, do you have brooms?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes," Rosemerta said, and hurried inside to bring out two shabby broomsticks.
"Can you fly like this?" Lizzie asked while she helped Dumbledore up. He nodded with a determined demeanor. Lizzie stepped back as he took off and sped after him a moment later.
They landed on the astronomy tower and Dumbledore nearly keeled over when he dismounted the broom.
"Lizzie, get Severus, wake him, I need Severus, nobody else," he demanded.
"No..." she whispered under her breath. He was too weak; she couldn't see him making it without Poppy, and Snape was the last person she wanted to 'wake.'
"Lizzie, get Severus, trust me," he pled.
Lizzie was partway down the stairs when she heard steps and ducked into the area just beneath the top of the astronomy tower. She could see Dumbledore overhead, he looked down at her wide-eyed as the sound of the steps approached nearer. He subtly indicated for her not to make a sound.
Lizzie heard the creak of footsteps above her as Dumbledore said, "Good evening, Draco." Her heart skipped several beats in anticipation. She moved to get a better look at Malfoy. He was obviously shaking in his skin.
"What brings you here, Draco?" Dumbledore asked.
"I heard you talking to someone, is she here? I saw her by your office earlier," Draco said hurriedly.
"I'm alone, Draco... but you're not, are you?" Dumbledore asked.
"I'm not, no, there are death eaters here tonight. Bypassed your barriers...right under your nose," Draco said with satisfaction.
"How?" Dumbledore asked.
"The vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement. It has a sister at Borgin and Berks," Draco said with a sneer. Lizzie felt her insides churn.
"They're downstairs fighting off your Phoenix people," he added.
"Is the dark mark here because somebody died?" Dumbledore asked.
"Not initially. It was to lure you back. But someone is dead below. I think one of Arthur Weasley's sons but didn't get a good look," Draco jabbed. Lizzie swallowed back a scream at the thought. Dumbledore froze for a moment, and she saw him glance down at her subtly.
"How did you know I left the castle?" Dumbledore asked. Draco said nothing but pointed his wand offensively.
"Rosemerta, has she been under the imperius? Azalea swore she was involved based on what she could gather from Katie Bell. You had her hand off the necklace? You had her send Slughorn the poisoned wine?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes," Draco admitted. "Azalea should have been taken more seriously I reckon," he hissed.
"Draco, she is always taken seriously. I've known about your task for quite some time. I want to help you. I didn't want to put you in danger," Dumbledore said.
"Help..." he scoffed. "She offered me help too. You mean to say you discounted her suspicions so you could help me, I don't believe that" he laughed.
"Gas lighting Azalea is no easy feat. She's been suspicious of you since your father watched Voldemort murder Cedric Diggory in front of her. Since she was imprisoned in your home. Making her believe she was overly paranoid about your involvement is regrettable. But it was entirely to ensure that your family remained unharmed. We can help you and your parents if you simply come over to the right side of this," Dumbledore said.
Lizzie felt a harsh stab in her back at the sentiment.
"Even she wanted to help you, even she knows you are no assassin," Dumbledore reasoned.
Draco disarmed him unexpectedly and his wand went flying. "Yeah, and why would she want to do that?" He hissed.
"Because she understands the situation. She grew up in a similar dynamic... she's controlled by him in more ways than anyone realizes. She finds herself unable to judge what he's made anyone do, especially none she knows doesn't want to do it," Dumbledore said with a strong gaze.
"How do you know what I want?" He spat.
"Because you've found me in a weaker state than you realize. I'm disarmed and have no intention of hurting you. But you have not killed me. Forgive me, Draco, but I think he hoped you would die in your endeavor to further punish your father. Whatever he promised to give you was a lie," Dumbledore reasoned.
Draco still shook and trembled while a series of fast footsteps climbed the tower stairs. Greyback, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, and Rowle entered and circled the perimeter. Dumbledore shot a subtle look down at Lizzie while Greyback inhaled deeply.
"He's not alone," Greyback growled and looked around. Fear struck Draco's face like a bolt of lightning.
"I'm alone," Dumbledore reassured.
"The Potter girl is here, I could smell that one from a mile away," he growled again with sickening satisfaction.
"If that is the case then she could easily be a mile away," Dumbledore interjected.
"Funny Albus, but she's here," he hissed. Draco looked at him with pure terror radiating off his body.
Lizzie felt a hand come around the back of her and pull her further into the shadows. She swallowed the urge to scream given the present company but heard a familiar voice in her ear whisper as quietly as possible.
"Do not say a word or make a noise, Azalea," Snape hissed in her ear. Lizzie trembled with both fear and anger. "Promise me that," he pled, and shook her slightly. She nodded weakly and he ran a hand into the inside of her jacket pocket to pull the cloak and handed it to her to put on.
Lizzie heard him walk up the steps and meet the other death eaters. Her heart hammered like a war drum. She desperately hoped she was only right about Draco and that Snape would come through.
"No, Fenrir, she isn't. I checked below," Snape drawled. Greyback growled and continued to look around.
"We have a problem, Severus, the boy can't seem to do it," Amycus said. Snape pointed his wand at Dumbledore who sunk a couple inches on the railing he leaned against for support.
"Severus... please..." Dumbledore pled, and a moment later, with a blinding flash of green light from the end of Snape's wand, Dumbledore flew into the air like a limp ragdoll, over the railing, and disappeared as he fell. Lizzie fought a scream and listened in shock to them all run down the tower stairs.
With a surge of boiling rage, Lizzie ripped off the cloak and ran down after them. At the base of the tower, she saw some of the others battling the death eaters that couldn't get past the Order members. Ron and Ginny were missing every jinx cast by a large blonde death eater. Snape had gestured for them to leave and follow him. They appeared to be headed for the front entry hall with Malfoy and the others.
When Lizzie rounded the corridor, she came within inches of Greyback who shoved her hard backwards and pinned her down to the floor. "No!" Remus screamed from a higher stairwell and shot several hexes that Greyback deflected. Lizzie couldn't move her arms and he breathed her in down her neckline. His thoughts made her want her want to vomit. "Remus!" She screamed at the top of her lungs when he licked up the side of her face. Lizzie struggled furiously until he was zapped by something from behind.
"She belongs to the dark lord!" Snape roared and he peeled himself off of her reluctantly and bounded off ahead of them.
Lizzie recovered herself and ran furiously with a fierce stitch in her side, she blasted whoever she had a clear shot of and ignored Remus who called after her. She stunned Alecto as they neared the courtyard, and Amycus by the bridge. Snape and Malfoy had since broken out into a hard run for the main gates.
Lizzie wouldn't catch up to them on her own feet, so she transformed and bounded after them down the hillside. The sound of the doe charging drew Snape's attention, and he froze with a wide-eyed expression when he watched Lizzie transform back into herself several meters away from them.
"Snape! He trusted you!" She roared in fury.
"Draco, run!" He ordered, and Draco took a both wary and somewhat longing look at Lizzie before running off.
Lizzie shot several spells at him, but he parried each. "Fight back! You fucking coward!" She screamed.
"Don't you DARE call me a coward!" He roared back at her enraged.
"Crucio," she hissed but he blocked it.
"Avada -" she started, but he launched her backwards and she hit the ground hard.
"I thought I told you that weren't stupid, Azalea," he snapped.
She got up as he turned around to leave. "Sectumsepra," she yelled, and he shot her back with a whip-like motion that made her scream in pain.
He approached her curled up body aggressively, crouched down next to her, and seized her jaw in a grip tight enough to snap it in half. "You dare use my own spells against me?" He growled. His eyes were completely black in rage. "Like your arrogant good for nothing father. He couldn't protect you then, can't protect you now," he spat harshly and noticed the recognition in her eyes. "Yes, Azalea, I'm the Half Blood Prince," he sneered. She shook violently with hatred.
"Kill me then, like you killed him," she mumbled with pure disdain in her face. He back handed her hard across the face in response and kicked her wand away.
Lizzie's ears rang from the blow, but the echo of footsteps could be heard running down the hillside. The commotion had awoken Norbert and she saw the rest of the death eaters take off running as he stood and towered over Hagrid's hut. The flames from his assault didn't scathe anyone, but protected Lizzie from being snatched up and dragged along with them for delivery. She curled up and found herself completely unable to move from the shock of the last several minutes.
Hagrid bounded heavily down the hillside and saw her curled up in a ball on the ground. "Lizzie?" he said and sunk to his knees to scoop her up.
"He killed him," she sobbed, and shook violently.
"What ya mean, who?" Hagrid demanded.
"Dumbledore...Snape killed... Dumbledore," she said breathlessly. Hagrid paused in shock and shook his head.
"I will bring you up to Pomphrey," he said, completely dismissing her last statement.
Back up at the castle, Lizzie pushed on Hagrid's chest to put her down when she saw a group of students gathered around what she already knew to be Dumbledore's body. She pushed slowly through the crowd past Ginny, Dean, Seamus, and dozens of others.
When she saw his body still and sprawled on the ground of the courtyard, Lizzie sunk to her knees next to him unable to comprehend the way she actually felt. It didn't feel real. The mission they just embarked on felt ages ago, and she impulsively pushed strands of silver hair out of his face with shaking hands.
As much anger as she harbored for him, she still felt an empty place growing rapidly where his presence was. Lizzie pulled the locket from her pocket and noticed for the first time that there was no serpent in the shape of an 'S' on the front. When she touched it there nothing of the sort that the ring had done in Dumbledore's office. It suddenly dawned on her why the girl in the water gave it back.
Lizzie opened the locket and pulled out a note. With the light from the many wands lit behind her, she could make out in small script:
To the Dark Lord,
I know I will be dead long before you read this, but it is I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real horcrux and intend to destroy it. I do this in the hope that when you meet your true foe you will be mortal once more.
RAB
Tears welled in Lizzie's eyes, and she broke down in an intense amount of pain and hopelessness. She felt arms wrap tightly around her when Seamus moved forward to kneel beside her. She cried for several minutes in his arms before remembering what Draco said about someone being dead.
Lizzie wiped her face abruptly and stood up. Seamus helped steady her and looked worried, but she took off for the hospital wing as quickly as possible. She grabbed at Ginny's arm in passing and she followed close behind.
Lizzie couldn't see through a crowd of people around the bed, but Remus caught sight of her and tapped someone on the shoulder immediately.
Lizzie saw Charlie stand up and broke down into a fresh wave of tears from the relief. He pulled her in for a tight hug. "It's alright. Nobody is dead. Bill was mauled by Greyback. He's alive but in bad shape," he whispered. Fleur and Molly were now by his side tending to the wounds.
Lizzie wiped tears off her swollen face and looked around at the room. Everyone seemed to anticipate something from her.
"Dumbledore is gone," she said just above a whisper. Remus shot her a horrified look. "Snape killed him," she added hoarsely.
The room was silent and stared at her in disbelief for several moments. "He's dead?" Minerva asked and clutched her heart.
"Draco was ordered to do it, but Snape carried it through..." Lizzie clarified. They all looked between themselves in both shock and remorse for not believing her sooner.
"Malfoy got the death eaters in through the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement, there's a sister at Borgin and Berkes. Rosemerta has been under the imperious... gave Katie the necklace and sent Slughorn the wine..." she explained.
"Dumbledore knew the whole time. He was hoping to help Draco over to our side. Apparently, he thought Snape was on board with that... they both shut down and gas lit all of my suspicions to protect Malfoy. I admit part of me wanted to help Draco too, but I can't believe Dumbledore was willing to at all our expense. Ron and Katie almost died. Bill almost died. The castle was attacked. Dumbledore is gone... leaves the Order in chaos... now they've got Snape who Dumbledore told nearly everything and no longer has any reason to hide anything," Lizzie ranted. Remus looked extremely apprehensive and buried his head in his hands.
"Dumbledore always said he had a solid reason for trusting Severus," McGonagall whispered. Remus rubbed his face furiously.
"Yeah. Anyone know the reason? Because I do," Lizzie bellowed sarcastically. Ron and Hermione exchanged half frightened looks at Lizzie's rising anger.
"His reason was that Snape was the one who told Voldemort about the prophecy. Overheard Trelawney make it at the Hogs Head. Fortunately, he only heard half of it. According to Dumbledore, Snape was saddled with a lot of guilt for condemning us. For being the reason my family is dead. Pettigrew wouldn't have even had the chance to betray them if not for Snape," Lizzie said bitterly. "If anyone's wondering how I got out detention with the slimy git, it was because I destroyed his office and nearly killed him yesterday after finding that out. Had I known this was coming, I bloody would have," she ranted furiously.
"And Albus believed that? Severus hated James," Remus said indignantly.
"What were you and Dumbledore off to tonight, Lizzie?" McGonagall asked.
"I can't say. Not now anyway... but it wasn't worth a damn anyway," she grumbled.
"Poppy, I will need some help later... but please tend to Bill, mine can wait," she admitted, and clutched her hand.
"We've got to coordinate a train home for students... need to consult the governors about keeping the school open..." McGonagall rambled.
"We should have a funeral, shouldn't we?" Lizzie asked sadly, tears welling at the thought.
"Yes, honey, we should have a funeral," she agreed and headed off to speak to the heads of house.