Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter are NOT mine!
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Golden Locket and the Dark Mark
HarryPOV
"It's all right, Professor, it's all right! Nothing's happening to you, you're safe—"
"It's all my fault, all my fault…please, make it stop! I know I did wrong, oh please make it stop and I'll never, never again…"
"This will make it stop, Professor, I swear!"
"Don't hurt them! Don't hurt them, please, please, it's my fault! Hurt me instead…"
Every part of Harry shook, and the hatred he felt for himself with each second that passed as he kept forcing Dumbledore to drink the horrible potion from the goblet in his hands, pouring it down the old man's throat when it was clearly causing his headmaster unbearable pain. He wanted nothing more than to throw the goblet away and comfort the aged wizard, reassure him that everything was all right and that whatever the potion was making him feel or relive, it wasn't real. However, Dumbledore's voice and urgency had been clear as day before he began drinking the potion, ordering Harry to do whatever it took to make sure that he drank all of it. Therefore, forcing down the turmoil he felt in his stomach, Harry once again stood to his feet and scooped more of the horrid liquid into the goblet, bringing it back to Dumbledore.
I wish we didn't have to come here! The though blazed through Harry's mind fiercely and in the back of it, his loathing for Voldemort only grew to new lengths. Earlier on, Dumbledore had brought Harry along with him to a gigantic, towering cliff that stood at the foot of the ocean, where salt water sprayed the air with icy mist, glittering like crystals against the black rocks and boulders underneath the light of the moon above. The chill seeped through Harry's very bones, and from there, both he and Dumbledore had made their way alongside the bottom of the cliff against the outcrop of dark rock, searching for the entrance to a hidden cave where Voldemort had taken his victims to do who knows what to them when he was a child. Dumbledore was sure that this location held significance to dark lord, and would be a very likely place for him to leave one of his Horcruxes.
After having to swim through a narrow fissure in the cliff, they soon found themselves standing in a huge antechamber that hid the true entrance to where Voldemort was likely to hid his powerful dark object. Unfortunately, after some careful reasoning and deducing, it was made clear by Dumbledore that the only way for them to proceed through the entrance was to offer a sacrifice. A blood sacrifice, with the goal to weaken any intruder who came upon the cave. Before Harry could stop him, Dumbledore cut himself and used his blood to open the wall, allowing them to venture onward into the darkness. And it was there that they came upon the cave, where the ceiling was so far upward that it fell out of sight, and there was a lake before them that held water so still it was as though they were looking at a mirror. Standing in the middle of this large lake was an island made of stone, set in the very middle, where a faint, greenish glow was emitting, the only source of light besides the ones from Harry and Dumbledore's wands.
It took some time, but the two of them managed to make their way around about half of the width of the lake, and Dumbledore discovered a boat, hidden beneath the shadowy depths of the water. When he was able to bring it to the surface, he and Harry sailed across towards the stone island. With Harry glancing back at the water, goosebumps rising on his flesh and a feeling of foreboding settling inside his heart, warning him not to touch the water. Finally, when they reached the island, they discovered a stone basin perched on a pedestal, very much like the Pensieve back at Hogwarts, only this one was bigger in size, and contained an emerald green colored potion that was source of the eerie glow. Harry watched on as his Professor tried different ways to bypass the potion, since he was confident that the Horcrux they sought was inside of it. However, nothing seemed to work, and after staring at it for a long time, Dumbledore concluded that this potion had to be drunk in order for them to actually get to the Horcrux.
Of course, Harry instantly objected when Dumbledore declared that he would be the one to drink the potion. The potion was sure to incapacitate him in some way, make him delirious, weaken him slowly, or cause terrible pain, and therefore prevent him from taking Voldemort's treasure. It was then that Dumbledore reminded Harry of the promise he made to do anything the headmaster ordered while they were out together on the mission, and he had Harry swear to keep making him drink the potion, no matter what it did to him.
Now, Harry wished more than ever he hadn't made that promise, because seeing his mentor hurting so much made his stomach ache, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could bear to see it. He continued gathering the foul drink into the goblet and returned to Dumbledore's weak, trembling, curled form on the ground, having to force him to keep on taking it. With every trip back and forth, Dumbledore's cries got worse and worse, to a point where his agonized scream of "KILL ME!" reverberated throughout the cave, echoing against the walls. Not sure what else to do, Harry just kept repeating that it would all be okay, and would be over soon. Then, after what had to be his twelfth time going back to the basin, he carefully poured the last of the potion into Dumbledore's mouth, and with a deep, shuddering gasp, the older wizard fell forward onto the ground.
"No!" Harry exclaimed, dropping the goblet and hurrying to roll Dumbledore over, his heart hammering against his chest and his insides going cold. "Professor! No, no, sir, you said it wasn't poison! Rennervate! Sir, please! Rennervate!"
Just then, Dumbledore's eyes slowly flickered open, and Harry felt instantly relieved, his body practically sagging.
"Sir, can you hear me?" he asked.
"Water," Dumbledore croaked shakily.
"Water, yes," Harry said, quickly picking up the goblet and rushing over to the basin. Staring into it, Harry saw that the potion was completely gone, and in its place was a gold locket on a silver chain. The brief flare of relief that Harry felt at achieving their goal was replaced by the need to help the frail man behind him, and he shoved the locket inside his pocket before holding his wand above the basin.
"Aguamenti!"
The basin immediately filled with clear water sprung from the tip of Harry's wand. Although, when he tried to scoop some of it inside the goblet, he found it blocked by an invisible barrier, preventing his hand from going any further. Harry struggled with the barrier for a moment, frustrated that he couldn't get to the water inside. He even tried to fill up the goblet, but when he tried to bring it to Dumbledore's mouth, the water vanished. Cursing softly to himself, Harry stared around wildly for a few seconds before his eyes landed on the lake. His brain was quick to put a halt on his thoughts, remembering what exactly Harry discovered was lurking in the water during the boat ride to the island. He knew the danger that lied beneath the surface, what it was that Voldemort had guarding his Horcrux.
But there's no other way.
Ignoring the warning his senses were trying to shout at him, Harry hastily made his way over to the edge of the lake and, with one swift movement, scooped some of the icy water into the goblet. He tried to move back over towards Dumbledore as fast as he could, but in the blink of an eye, a pale, clammy hand shot out of the lake and grasped Harry's free wrist tightly. Grunting, Harry managed to push forward enough to bring the goblet to Dumbledore, splashing it clumsily over his lips before the hand started pulling him roughly backwards. His heart shooting up into his throat, Harry turned around to see that the hand belong to an Inferi—a cursed corpse made to serve Voldemort via dark magic. The face of the Inferi was ghostly white, with matching, sightless eyes, dripping wet rages clinging to its skeletal frame, making a horrible, gurgling noise as though it were choking on the water in its lungs. Staring around wildly, Harry could see that there were more of the Inferi coming out of the darkness, slowly breaching the lake's surface and climbing up onto the island.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry shouted in a panic. The Inferi holding him dropped to the ground and Harry gripped his wand tightly in his hand, continuing to use any spell that he could think of. Swiping his wand through the air, he was able to take down many of the Inferi, but it seemed like the more he defeated, even more arrived to take their place. The closer they got, the more Harry's fear gripped him. If he didn't think of something fast, he would find himself being carried or dragged into the lake, where he would drown and become one of the cursed bodies that inhabited the water.
Just as Harry was about to continued on with curses he knew, all of a sudden, the gloom of the dark cave became ablaze with a scarlet orange light that came out of nowhere. The Inferi, so close to achieving their pray, immediately recoiled back, their thin hands attempting to shield their faces from the light as well as the heat that enveloped around them. Harry whipped his head around and was stunned to see that Professor Dumbledore was back on his feet, albeit shakily, and was creating a ring of fire around the island from the tip of his wand. Harry quickly stumbled back over to his side, and then the two of them made their way back over towards the boat, the ring of fire following them. Once it was safe, they climbed into the small boat, which instantly set off back towards the bank of the lake, while the Inferi slowly slipped back into the safety of the cold water from whence they came.
"I'm sorry, Professor," Harry panted, still trembling all over. "The fire—I forgot—they were coming at me, and I just panicked, I didn't think—"
"It's all right, Harry," Dumbledore said, and Harry's stomach churned at how quiet and weak he sounded. The minute the boat reached the bank, Harry jumped out so he could assist Dumbledore. The poor man was so very pale, and his breathing was labored enough to cause Harry great concern.
"I'm weak," Dumbledore mumbled.
"It'll be all right, sir," Harry reassured him. "I'll get us out of here, just lean on me."
It felt like forever and a day to get back around the lake to the entrance, but they finally made it, and Harry continued to lead Dumbledore through the outer cave and back into the icy water from the crevice of the cliff.
"I'll get us out, sir, don't worry," Harry said.
"I'm not worried, Harry," Dumbledore murmured. "I'm with you."
Eventually, Harry was able to haul Dumbledore out of the water once they were outside again, and, wasting no time, he gripped Dumbledore's arm then Apparated them away from the dreaded place, for once welcoming the deeply uncomfortable sensation of being squeezed through a tube. All that Harry could think about was getting back to Hogsmeade as soon as possible so he could fetch help for Dumbledore, because the older man's silence was troubling, and Harry was anxious that he was in more pain than he was letting on. A few seconds later, their feet slammed back onto solid ground, and Harry took in a breath as they appeared back in the main square of the village. All was quiet, with nearly every window in the surrounding buildings and houses extinguished, and while it was significantly warmer here than it was at the cave, the slight breeze that drifted by still brought a shiver due to Harry's drenched clothes. Adjusting himself so he was supporting most of Dumbledore's weight, Harry started moving them forward through the square.
"Sir, are you all right?" Harry asked, hoping to hear an answer.
"I've been better," Dumbledore replied, trying to smile. "That potion…was no health drink…"
"Don't worry, you'll be okay," Harry said, swallowing thickly. "We'll get you back up to the castle to see Madame Pomfrey, she'll be able to help you."
"No," Dumbledore objected, shaking his head. "It is…Professor Snape, whom I need. But, I…I don't think I can move…very fast, yet…"
"Right, I'll just—I'll knock on a door, find a place you can stay while I go up to get some help—"
"Albus!"
Harry looked up to see Madame Rosmerta running towards them, her hair in a messy bun and her high heeled slippers clicking against the cobblestone street. She was pulling on her night robe as she approached, her eyes wide.
"I saw you Apparate up from my bedroom window!" she panted heavily when she reached them, placing her hand over her heart. "Thank goodness, thank goodness, I wasn't sure what—Albus? What's wrong? What's happened?"
"He's hurt," Harry explained, gently lifting Dumbledore's arm from around his neck. "Madame Rosmerta, can he come into the Three Broomsticks while I go up to the school to get help for him?"
"The school?" Madame Rosmerta gasped, her eyes somehow growing even wider. "But you can't—don't you know—?"
"Could you help me support him? We can get him inside faster so I can—"
"You can't go up there, it's too dangerous!"
"Rosmerta, what's wrong?" Dumbledore asked.
"The—the Dark Mark, Albus! It's above the school!" Madame Rosmerta exclaimed, pointing up towards the sky. Her words caused a feeling of absolute dread to spread through Harry's body like wildfire and he followed Madame Rosmerta's finger in the direction of the castle in the distance. There, glittering like emerald jewels in the clouds, was a gigantic skull, with a snake protruding from it's mouth like a tongue, hovering above the Astronomy tower with an ominous glow. The mere sight of it nearly sent Harry staggering to the ground in a petrified state. The Dark Mark was above the school…Death Eaters send it into the sky whenever they enter a building…whenever they kill…
"How long ago did it appear?" Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes fixed on the mark and his hand clenched on Harry's shoulder.
"It must have been only minutes, it wasn't there when I put the cat out, but by the time I got back up to my room, I saw it!" Madame Rosmerta replied fearfully.
"We need to return to the castle at once," Dumbledore said urgently. "Rosmerta, we need transport. Do you have any brooms to spare?"
Within the next couple of minutes, two brooms came zooming out of the front door of the Three Broomsticks and down the street, coming to a stop right in front of Harry and Dumbledore. Both of whom immediately got on. Dumbledore instructed Madame Rosmerta to contact the ministry to inform them of what has happened, and then told Harry to put on his Invisibility Cloak, to which Harry complied without question. In the next moment, the two of them were taking off into the sky, shooting towards Hogwarts. All throughout the ride, Harry's mind and heart was racing as horrible thoughts entered his mind. Death Eaters had gone into the castle, and they might still be there. He had told his friends to keep a look out for anything suspicious, had told them to leave the safety of the tower and patrol the corridors in case Malfoy was up to anything. The dread only grew inside his stomach at the thought of any of his friends being the reason why the Dark Mark was cast. If that had happened, it would be all his fault…he put them directly in the Death Eater's path. His thoughts immediately went to Mia and he had to grip the broom handle tighter to keep himself from falling off.
She'll be okay, he told himself. They'll all be okay—I gave them Felix Felicis, they'll be all right!
Harry and Dumbledore approached the borders to the school grounds, at which time the latter waved his wand through the air right before they passed through over the gates. Harry had a strong suspicion that Dumbledore must have removed the protections he put in place in order for them to fly through. With great haste they flew up towards the Astronomy tower, slowing down and soon coming to a complete halt once they passed the ramparts. After dismounting from the brooms, Harry looked around any sign of a struggle or—in the worst case scenario—a body. However, none could be found, for the ramparts were completely deserted. A part of Harry was immensely relieved at this, for he feared he would be arriving to see someone he knew spread out lifeless on the tower, but there was another part that was on alert almost instantly.
"What does it mean?" Harry asked aloud. "The mark is here, but no one's—Professor?"
Dumbledore was clutching at his chest with his blackened hand, taking in a few deep breaths and leaning up against the wall.
"Listen to me, Harry," he said faintly. "I need you to go and wake Severus. Tell him about what has happened and bring him straight to me, do you understand? Do not speak to anyone else, and do not take off your cloak."
"But—"
"You swore to obey me, Harry. Go!"
Despite his need to stay with Dumbledore, Harry knew that he had to listen and do what he was told. He walked over towards the door that led to the spiral staircase which would take him into the castle, but just then, there was the sound of running footsteps on the other side and he stepped back, taking his wand out of his pocket as he did so. Before he could even blink, the door burst open and he barely had the time to make out a glimpse of blonde hair and black robes before the person who came charging through yelled "Expelliarmus!"
All at once, Harry felt his arms and legs snap together, becoming completely rigid and frozen as his body stiffened like a plank of wood. Against his will, his body fell back until it was propped up against the wall behind him, and he found himself unable to speak at all. Panic clutched at his chest before it was replaced by confusion. How did this happen? The intruder had used the Disarming Spell, not the Full-Body Locker curse. It was only when Harry looked over towards Dumbledore and saw his wand flying through the air over the ramparts that realization dawned on him—Dumbledore had wordlessly immobilized him to keep him out of sight and quiet, losing his only way of defending himself in the process. With his heart thumping rapidly in his chest, Harry turned his attention back to the person who had come through the door to the tower, and saw that it was none other than Malfoy.
"Good evening, Draco," Dumbledore greeted pleasantly, standing up to his full height.
"Who else is here?" Malfoy demanded, his eyes darting all around.
"A question I might ask you," Dumbledore replied, with a tilt of the head. "Or are you acting alone?"
"I have backup," Malfoy said, bringing his eyes back to Dumbledore. "There are Death Eaters in your school tonight."
"Well, well," Dumbledore mused. "Very good indeed. You found a way to let them in, did you?"
"Yes," Malfoy confirmed, panting and tightening his grip on his wand. "Right under your nose, and you never realized!"
Harry wanted nothing more than to break free of the bind he was under and blast Malfoy into the wall of the tower, but it was no use. No matter how much his mind screamed at his limbs to move, they would not listen. He was stuck, watching Dumbledore be completely at Malfoy's mercy and he could do nothing but listen as they spoke with one another. Dumbledore stared at Malfoy as though he were seeing right through him to his very soul, claiming that Malfoy was not a killer. Malfoy retaliated angrily at that, stating that the old man had no idea what he has done. However, it seemed as though Dumbledore knew exactly what Malfoy has done—sneaking the cursed necklace into Katie Bell's hands, hoping that it would be delivered to it's intended target, and poisoning the mead which nearly took Ron's life. These feeble attempts at assassination were made by Malfoy…because he had been assigned a mission to kill Dumbledore. As they continued to talk, Dumbledore deduced that Katie had received the necklace from Madame Rosmerta, who Malfoy had placed under the Imperious Curse. It was also Madame Rosmerta who had poisoned the mead before sending it off to Slughorn, believing it was to be Dumbledore's Christmas gift, and Malfoy knew that Filch would never think to check a bottle that had come from Madame Rosmerta.
At some point during the conversation, there was a loud bang that seemed to come from down below in the depths of the castle, followed by even louder crashing noises. Malfoy stiffened, glancing over his shoulder.
"It sounds as though someone is putting up a good fight," Dumbledore noted. "But tell me, Draco, how is it that you managed to sneak the Death Eaters here?"
"The Vanishing Cabinet, in the Room of Requirement," Malfoy answered. "The one that no one has used for years. I've been mending it."
"I see," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "I understand, now. It's part of a pair, isn't it? There is another?"
"They create a passage," Malfoy confirmed. "The one here, and the other in Borgin and Burkes. And you had no idea!"
"Very clever, indeed," Dumbledore mused, closing his eyes for a moment. Harry could see him lean a little against the ramparts, his face even paler in the light of the moon. "Although Draco, I had known for a long while now what you have been up to."
"Then why didn't you try to stop me?" Malfoy demanded harshly.
"I tried, Draco. Professor Snape has been keeping watch over you all year on my orders—"
"You are a fool if you believe that! He wasn't following your orders, he only promised my mother—he's a double agent! He's never worked for you! He's been offering to help me so many times, just wanting the glory all for himself. I haven't told him what I had been doing in the Room of Requirement. By the time he wakes tomorrow, he won't be the Dark Lord's favorite anymore! He'll be nothing compared to me!"
"So, you given Death Eaters access to the castle," Dumbledore said, inching down lower on the wall as he spoke, softly. "I am sure you are in communication with Rosmerta, and she told you when I left, and when I had returned. And you decided to spring a trap for me, placing the Dark Mark above this tower, knowing I would come straight here to see if anyone was killed."
"Someone was," Malfoy told him, his voice going an octave higher and his words turning Harry's blood into ice. "One of yours. I stepped over the body on my way here…I was meant to be waiting for you, but your Order got in the way."
"Yes, they tend to do that," Dumbledore agreed with a small nod. "Forgive me, Draco, but you have now had several minutes to complete your task and kill me, but yet you have not. I am defenseless, in perfect position, but you have not made to act on this opportunity. As I have said before, you are not a killer. You have options."
"Options?!" Malfoy spat out, his eyes narrowing and his wand shaking terribly in his hand. "I haven't got any options, you stupid old man! Don't you understand? I have to kill you! He'll kill me and my family if I don't!"
"I appreciate the difficulty of your situation," Dumbledore said gently. "Why do you think I have not confronted you before now? I know the position you have been put in, and the consequences that would befall you, and your loved ones if you failed, or if I made it known of my suspicions of you. I can help you, Draco."
"You can't…no one can…"
"You will be protected, you have my word. We can hide you better than you could possibly imagine, and can go to fetch your mother tonight. Your father is safe for now in Azkaban, but when the time comes, we can protect him too. As far as anyone would be concerned, you died in your attempt to kill me, and your parents were captured by the Order. You must realize now, that Voldemort probably expected for you to loose your life to complete this mission, so he would be none the wiser. Come to the right side…do the right thing."
Malfoy simply stood there, staring at Dumbledore with wide eyes, his hand still shaking, and looking positively torn. As Harry watched, he could have sworn that he saw Malfoy lower his wand just a fraction, with something akin to hope flickering in his eyes. However, at that moment, there was the sound of footsteps storming up the spiral staircase and within the next few seconds, the door burst open once again, with four people in black robes coming through. There were three men and one woman, and it was no question as to who they were, for the man standing closest to Harry had his sleeves rolled up, displaying the Dark Mark clearly on his left arm.
"Well now!" one of the men said, grinning wickedly. "What have we here? The great Albus Dumbledore, without his wand, and cornered!"
"Excellent work, Draco," the woman praised. She bore enough of a resemblance to the first man who had spoken to imply that they were related, somehow.
"Good evening, Amycus," Dumbledore greeted. "And Alecto. Is that you, Fenrir?"
"That's right," rasped one of the other men, his devilish smile revealing long, sharpened, yellow teeth that was stained with something that look horribly like blood. "Pleased to see me, Albus? I must say, I couldn't refuse an invitation to come to Hogwarts. With so many young kids, their throats open and waiting…it was delicious temptation."
"Enough of this wasteful chatter!" the last man snapped impatiently, his pale blue eyes piercing even in the surrounding night. "We don't have time for this! Draco, do it, and do it fast!"
"He hasn't got the stomach for it," Fenrir barked in distaste. "A coward, just like his father."
By this time, Malfoy appeared to be borderline ill, his face white, and the trambling in his hand beginning to spread through the rest of his body. The blue-eyed Death Eater ordered him again to do it and get it over with, but still, Malfoy didn't seem to find it in himself to move. Before anything else could be said or done, the sound of more footsteps reached their ears, and Harry looked over towards the door to the tower in time to see another person come through.
It was Snape. For a brief minute he stood there in the doorway, his black eyes surveying the scene in front of him, taking in the forms of everyone present, from Dumbledore slumped against the wall, to the frightened Malfoy, and to the Death Eaters.
"We've got a problem, Snape," Amycus stated. "The boy doesn't seem able—"
"Severus…"
The faint, pleading tone of Dumbledore seemed to cut through the air like a knife, silencing everyone. Harry's eyes swerved back to the headmaster, fear gripping him from head to foot. The weakened man brought his now dim blue eyes up to face those of Snape's. All was quiet as Snape slowly stepped forward, using one hand to push Malfoy out of the way while the Death Eaters backed up. The hatred, loathing and disgust on his face spoke volumes, and the knuckles on the hand that was holding his wand were stark white.
"Severus…please…"
Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore's heart.
"Avada Kedavra!"
MiaPOV
"Mia, get down!"
Without hesitation, Mia obeyed the command and dropped right down to the ground, narrowly missing the jet of green light that went soaring over her head. She rolled over once and then jumped right back up to her feet, glaring over at the Death Eater who had thrown the curse her way.
"Impedimenta!" she yelled. The Death Eater was forced to slow his movements until he came to a complete stop, and then Mia finished him off by sending him soaring through the air, colliding with the opposite wall. There was barely even a second to breath before Mia then hurried forward to assist Neville, who was facing off against another Death Eater. When she was mere feet away, there was a sudden burst of bright purple light, and Neville was blasted backwards, rolling along the floor and landing against a bit of debris from the collapsed ceiling.
"Neville!" Mia exclaimed, hurriedly running over to him. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," he told her, but the way he was clutching his stomach and the way he was dragging himself upright said otherwise. "Go help the others."
"But Nev—"
"They need all the help they can get, I'll be fine! Go!"
Mia was briefly conflicted about leaving him, but the fierce determination in his eyes was enough to convince her that would be okay. Thinking quickly, she reached into her pocket for one of her leftover Dungbombs from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and thrust it into Neville's palm, hissing at him to keep it just in case and to stay out of sight if he cannot rejoin the fight. Then, she was off once again, her heart in a terrible frenzy and her breathing labored. She located the nearest Death Eater and then engaged him in a fight, their movements swift and different colors spells erupting from their wands. She didn't have time to look around to see how everyone else was faring—she could only hope that her friends were okay. With every curse and jinx that her opponent threw at her, it miraculously managed to miss every single time. They fought one another for a little while longer before Mia was able to aim a perfectly cast stunning spell, hitting the man in the chest and sending him tumbling backwards. After taking a few deep breaths, Mia suddenly heard a loud voice shout over all of the chaos and noise of battle. She whipped around to see that Snape had come through the door that led up to the Astronomy tower, and he was towing Malfoy along with his. The two of them were moving quickly down the corridor, with Malfoy glancing over his shoulder repeatedly, his expression terrified and death-like.
Are they being chased? Mia knew that some Death Eaters were able to make their way up the staircase, but unfortunately, neither she, Neville, or anyone from the Order or the D.A was able to go through after them. Some sort of barrier had been put in place, refusing them entrance, and they didn't have time to figure out a way around it before they were under attack again. Mia began making her way forward again, but stopped in her tracks when she saw another figure come through the door—a tall, bulky man wearing Death Eater attire, with the Dark Mark displayed openly on his arm. He had mangled gray hair and beard, with bone-chilling yellow eyes and long, filthy fingernails. Seeing him sent a lightning bolt of terror straight through Mia's heart. She recognized this man—this beast—from when the fighting had just broken out, when they encountered the Death Eaters in the corridor.
He's the one…the one who attacked…
After doing a quick glance around, the eyes of the beast fell upon Mia, and the malicious grin that came over his face was enough to make her stomach drop.
"Hello, pretty," he said, licking his lips obscenely. He started heading towards her, but before Mia could even raise her wand, there was a loud growling sound, following by aggressive barking, and then in the next moment, Sirius—in his animagus form—came barreling out of nowhere, his white teeth flashing as he attacked the beastly man, latching onto his arm and tackling him to the ground. The man yelled out in surprise and pain, and then he struggled with Sirius for a minute until he was able to throw the large dog off of him. Thankfully, Sirius was able to land mostly on his paws only a few feet away, and then he transformed back into a man, a look or pure anger on his face.
"Not today, Greyback!"
"Black!"
The two immediately locked themselves into a duel, and just as Mia was about to step in and help, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a female Death Eater try to get the upper hand on Ron, who back was currently turned as he was facing off against his own opponent. Moving fast, Mia flicked her wand and casted the Full Body-Bind curse, stopping the woman instantly. However, in doing so, she let herself be distracted from the danger that came at her from the left hand side.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Mia didn't know who it was that shouted the curse, but all she knew was that she only caught a bare glimpse of green before she felt her body being slammed into, taking her back down to the ground behind a huge piece of debris. There was a familiar cry of "STUPEFY!" and Mia looked up to see Harry standing back to his feet, his entire aura screaming pure fury, his eyes made of nothing but fire.
"Harry," Mia gasped.
"Are you all right?" he asked her, the blaze in his eyes softening for precious few seconds as he looked down at her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Harry, what—"
Before she even had a chance to finish her sentence, Mia blinked and Harry was already taking off down the corridor, forcing his way through the commotion and fighting off anyone who got in his way. He looked like a man on a mission, and by the time Mia collected herself long enough to call after him, he was already rounding the corner and falling out of sight. Once Harry was gone, any remaining Death Eaters that was still fighting was able to get the upper hand on their opponents long enough to make their getaway and rush through the corridor to disappear and retreat. Even Greyback was able to dodge a hex aimed at him by Sirius in order to lift the man with his bare hands and toss him away from him, making Sirius skid across the floor, and Mia heard the sound of a sickening crack. In the blink of an eye, the corridor was void of any Death Eaters, and the noise had dimmed down dramatically. There were some groans and grunts from Order members, and there was still a thin veil of dust floating in the air. Coughing slightly, Mia stood to her feet and then went over to Sirius, who was gripping his right leg with a pained expression.
"Sirius, are you okay?" Mia asked, kneeling down to his level.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," he replied. "Landed on my knee pretty hard, though. Are you hurt?"
"No, no, I'm okay," Mia said, looking over her shoulder. "I think…I think it might be over. All the Death Eaters ran, they're gone."
"Sirius!"
"Over here!" Mia called out as she helped Sirius straighten up into a sitting position.
"Are you both okay?" Remus asked as he came over towards them and bent down.
"I'm all right, but Sirius may have fractured his knee," Mia answered.
"Then it's off to the hospital wing for you, Padfoot."
"Don't get your knickers in a twist Moony, I'm fine—"
"You are not fine, you're a stubborn, injured mule."
"And you're an unbearable mother hen with an unhealthy chocolate obsession. Who's the one with the most issues, here?"
Remus, however, was not taking no for an answer in this situation. Despite the grumbling from his friend, Remus was able to haul him up from the floor and swung his arm over his shoulder so that Sirius could lean on him. Hissing quietly at the pain that was sure to be shooting through his knee and leg, Sirius gripped onto Remus' robes tightly and then they all began walking around the rubble that coated the floor.
"Remus, where's-where's Bill?" Mia whispered, her voice betraying the worry that was taking hold of her heart. Her mind flashed back to when she and everyone else first ran into the Death Eaters, and Greyback instantly went for Bill. How that wretched monster—even without the full moon—practically mauled the eldest Weasley son like an animal.
"Tonks is rushing him up to the hospital right now," Remus said gravely. "He needs her more than the rest of us right now."
"Will he be all right?" Sirius asked.
"I honestly don't know," Remus sighed. "Greyback attacked when he was out of his werewolf form…who knows what the side effects might be."
Mia swallowed thickly at this, praying that Bill would be all right. If something were to happen, or he didn't survive his injuries, she couldn't imagine what that would do to his family.
"I need to go and look for Harry," Mia told them when they joined up with everyone else.
"Harry?" Sirius repeated, his eyes wide and his posture rigid. "He was here?!"
"He was," Neville spoke up as he was being helped to his feet by Ron. "He ran after Snape and Malfoy."
"Damn it, we need to find him," Sirius said, but when he tried to take a step forward, he nearly crumbled, letting out an even more obscene curse under his breath.
"I will find him, you guys need to get to the hospital wing, now," Mia stated, glaring around at them all.
"But Mia—"
"Ron, you and Ginny need to go and be with Bill," Mia cut in. "I promise, I'll be back with Harry soon."
With that being said, Mia immediately took off, rounding the corner and racing down the corridor as fast as her feet would take her. While she descended the many levels of the castle, she ran into several confused and terrified students who had been awoken from their slumber from the all the racket that was going on. During this time she spent running through the castle, Mia kept her eyes and ears out for Harry, her fear and worry for him rising to dangerous heights. He had run off to chase after Snape and Malfoy for some reason, and he was followed shortly after by deadly dark wizards, all of whom would love a chance at attacking the Boy Who Lived. If Harry somehow managed to avoid them all without getting hurt or captured, Mia wasn't sure if she was going to hug him or punch him. She ran through several floors with no luck at all at finding him, and at some point, Mia ended up running into Hermione and Luna on the second floor, the two girls carrying an unconscious Professor Flitwick between them.
"Hermione! Luna!" Mia exclaimed as she came to a stop in front of them. "Are you guys all right? What happened?"
"Mia, I'm so sorry," Hermione fretted. "We were standing guard outside of Snape's office, like you said, and then Flitwick came, Snape said that he fell and hurt himself, then he just left so quickly…"
"As long as you two are okay," Mia panted in relief. "Listen, everyone is meeting up in the hospital wing, you guys head on up."
"Where are you going?!" Hermione called after her as Mia took off again.
"To find my idiot of a boyfriend!" Mia yelled back over her shoulder as she started running down the steps. When she reached the ground floor, she faltered for a moment at the doors to the Great Hall, a gasp leaving her lips when she looked inside to see that the huge, grand window that stood behind the teachers table at the other end had been completely shattered, bits of glass scattered everywhere on the ground and on the house tables. All of the floating candles had been extinguished, leaving the room in almost complete darkness and it gave the usually bright, cheerful and welcoming place a terrible, ominous and foreboding look. Moving her gaze away from it, Mia continued making her way across the Entrance Hall, passing many frightened Hufflepuffs and nearly losing her balance on the sparkling ruby gems that has burst out of the destroyed Gryffindor hourglass. She finally came running out through the open doors, going down the small flight of stone stairs to step into the main courtyard, her eyes darting around, hoping to find some trace of Harry anywhere.
Almost immediately, her sight landed on a crowd that was gathered around at the foot of the Astronomy tower, a mix of teachers and students alike. She could just make out Hagrid's large form standing near the back, his dark silhouette easily noticeable. Hoping that maybe the gamekeeper had seen Harry, Mia started hurrying over towards him. The closer she got to the crowd, the more she could make out the sounds of crying, and distraught sounds coming from most of the people there. When she reached them, she suddenly realized that they were all staring at something, and in the back of her mind, she knew that something was wrong…very wrong. She glanced over at Hagrid, seeing his stricken, devastated face in the green light of the Dark Mark, and his glistening eyes was enough to confirm her suspicions. Mia silently weaved her way in between the many people who were gathered, inching her way closer to the front, so she could see what was going in. Once she did move to the front, she truly wished that she hadn't. Her breath seemed to die in her throat, her eyes widened to the size of saucers, and unconditional horror plowed its way through her with the strength of a wrecking ball.
Harry was on his knees in the grass, his back facing her, and his entire body shaking horribly, his breathing labored and his wand clutched tightly in his hand. He was kneeling beside someone on the ground, someone who was spread eagled and so very still. Their eyes were closed, with a sort of serine, relaxed expression on their features, as though they were taking a long overdue nap. Their silver hair and beard was a bit windswept, their blue robes ruffl0de and wrinkled, and the half-moon glasses perched on their nose was slightly askew. Everything inside of Mia was screaming at her that it couldn't be true, but somehow, deep down, she understood and knew what she was seeing in front of her.
Albus Dumbledore was dead.
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Hi everyone. I know, this was basically a summary of what happened in the book with my own usual flare, and it was a little difficult to write. I knew that whether from Harry or Mia's point of view, the same events would unfold with very little changes, and so I did the best that I could. I am planning on posting this chapter along with the following one after, so that way you guys can have two new chapters to read. I'm so very excited, I am so, so close to being done with the sixth book! After so many agonizing slow updates, it's almost time to start the seventh and last story in this series. But anyway, I do hope that you all enjoyed this chapter regardless, and please leave me a review to tell me your thoughts!