The exciting middle part.

"Where is Harry?" Kurt glared at Professor McGonagall, then at Hermione, "I'm being dead serious, where is he?"

"I have no idea," Hermione shrugged.

"Nobody knows?" Kurt looked at each of them, searching for an answer but none came.

"He and Ron had their History of Magic rewrite," Hermione recalled suddenly, "but only Ron came back."

"I hope they passed this time," Tracey smiled sweetly, "I don't want to be helping them through it next year."

"Amen to that," Hermione agreed.

"People," Kurt called for their attention, "we've lost the chosen one."

"Don't be melodramatic," Professor McGonagall chided.

"He's probably doing what he's most famous for," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Living?" Tracey and Kurt chorused with matching furrowed brows.

"With his girlfriend," Hermione clarified.

"In the library getting a-" Tracey was cut short by the call of Neville's alarm. She squared her shoulders and faced Professor McGonagall, "send the non-pureblood prefects with the juniors."

Professor McGonagall held her wand to her throat and her voice echoed into every room and down every corridor in the castle, and through every acre of the school grounds, "All junior students are to report to Gryffindor Towers with the following Prefects:" she listed every prefect with whom the Death Eaters would never associate, leaving Kurt's name out of the roll call. She cleared her throat, "All senior students to the Slytherin Dungeon with the remainder of the Prefects."

Kurt was caught unawares when Tracey pulled him and Hermione into a deep hug, "I hope you live to see me outperform you academically."

"I don't desire immortality," Kurt kissed her on the cheek.

She rolled her eyes, "Get over yourself."

"Take good care of the children," Kurt held her at arm's length, "that's your responsibility now."

"Do I have to say the line all the time?"

"How will the children know they are cared for if you don't?"

Hermione shook her head, "no, you don't have to say it." she threw her arm over Kurt's shoulder, "but you do have to do it, things at Hogwarts are set to change for the worst."

"Thomas and his little friends will need me watching out for them," Tracey nodded, "this is our war now."

"Yes," Kurt hugged her tightly so she wouldn't see the tears welling up in his eyes, what they implied was too much more than he was willing to share at present.

They exited the deputy headmistress' office; Kurt and Hermione walked briskly to the castle's entrance hall where they found Finn, Ginny, Lisa, Luna, Mandy, Neville and Ron waiting for them. Kurt waited anxiously but Harry Potter did not materialise, "Does anyone know where Harry Potter is?"

The group shook their heads, "he didn't make it to our lunch appointment in the libr-" she stopped and glared at Kurt, "no."

"Was it handjob o'clock?" Mandy teased her best friend.

Lisa shook her head, "I hardly think now is the time for that."

"We're about to face mortal danger," Mandy countered, "I'd rather die happy and laughing than appropriate."

"I'd like to die in eighty or so years, after a lifetime with you," Neville nudged her playfully.

"You two are gross," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Focus," Lisa pulled all their attention, "where is Harry?"

"When was the last time anyone saw him?" Kurt pointed the question at Ron.

"I was with him after our History of Magic rewrite," Ron announced, "we were walking back to the common room and he was right behind me but when I got to the Fat Lady he was gone." The boy crossed his arm, "which was quite rude of him because I was telling him a very interesting story about-"

"Not now Ronald," Hermione glared at the red-haired boy.

"Right," he nodded his agreement, "sorry."

"Professor Dumbledore is also gone," Kurt chewed his lip, "You don't think he and Harry have run off somewhere, do you?"

"It might have to do with Horcruxes," Neville shrugged.

"But Harry would need an indemnity form to leave school grounds," Kurt shook his head, anger burning at his mentor and friend's stupidity.

"Didn't you take him off school grounds without an indemnity form?" Lisa quirked a curious brow, "That time you went to Andromeda's."

"I'm not an employee of this school," Kurt rolled his eyes, "the school isn't liable if something were to happen to him while he was with me off campus."

"Okay, sliding right past that," Hermione rolled her eyes, "where could they have gone?"

"and why would they leave me."

"Because someone has to be in charge here," Neville spoke pointedly.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid."

"Kurt," Hermione snapped him out of his admonishment of the headmaster.

"Very well," Kurt rolled his eyes, "we'll catch him up when he gets back…"

~0~

Harry:

Professor Dumbledore walked into the near empty Three Broomsticks Inn; this put Harry on edge, he had come to the conclusion that this place was central to the plot to assassinate the headmaster and it simply didn't sit well with him that the man would casually stroll into the establishment as if it meant nothing. He had to remind himself that Madame Rosmerta had been a pawn in a larger game, the same way Kurt kept reminding him that Draco was a child in a difficult situation, and that neither held any ill will toward him or the Headmaster. Dumbledore spoke to her as if they were old friends, she served them each a shot of fire whiskey and the headmaster raised his, "Altera Maximum."

Harry raised his glass, "Al-"

The headmaster cut him off and shook his head, "only I say it."

"Sorry," Harry blushed, embarrassed by his lack of culture.

"Rosmerta," the headmaster smiled as she produced two broomsticks from under the bar.

"I want these back," Her tone was severe, "or I'll have to change the name to 'Just the one broomstick'."

Harry chuckled at the joke, "not as catchy."

"That is right Harry Potter," she nodded, "now, Hogwarts needs you."

They exited the pub, each of them holding a broomstick in hand. The dark mark still hovered menacingly over the astronomy tower, Harry's heart started racing as he mounted his loaner broomstick and kicked off the ground. Professor Dumbledore sat side-saddle on his broom as they zoomed over the village of Hogsmead toward the danger, loosely following the path he had walked many times toward whatever evil Lord Voldemort had unleashed upon Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft.

"Harry," Dumbledore spoke to him, "it is even more important that you listen to me now, that you follow my every instruction."

"Yes Professor."

"I mean it Harry," the man's voice frightened harry for a moment. The tone was forceful do everything exactly as I say or things will go horribly wrong."

"Yes Professor," Harry nodded, "now is not the time to be foolhardy or bravery."

"Wisdom and restraint in the face of adversity takes great courage," the man smiled sadly, "There is still so much for you to learn, I sometimes forget how young you are."

"Not so young," Harry smiled encouragingly, "I'll reach my magical majority in July."

"And your life will only just be beginning," Dumbledore chuckled.

"Summon your cloak as soon as we cross onto Hogwarts grounds," Dumbledore instructed him as they landed on the dirt path in front of the ornate iron gate that stood between them and the castle. The headmaster placed his hand over the baroque ironwork of the gate, the charms on the gate were deactivated and it opened, it shut once they were through and the shielding charms returned to their station.

Harry concentrated on where he had left his invisibility cloak, hoping Neville hadn't borrowed it again, "Venir." Nothing happened, he thought harder of the cloak and the spot in his chest where he kept it and tried again, "Venir!" To his relief, the spell was a success and the cloak appeared in his hands.

"The castle will be on lock down," the headmaster nodded to himself, "you'll be safest with me, but it is of the utmost importance that you promise to stay hidden and take no action regardless of what is about to happen."

"I promise," Harry nodded.

"Cover yourself and the broom completely," Harry did as told, draping himself completely with his invisibility cloak. Professor Dumbledore nodded his approval once he and his loaner broom had completely disappeared, "Remain silent and stay close to the edge of the room."

They kicked off the ground toward the Astronomy tower, Harry was afraid that the Death Eaters would know that he was there because of how fast his heart was beating- it sounded like a drumline in his ears. He hoped his friends were safe but simultaneously he also hoped that he would find Kurt waiting for them somehow; they needed Kurt now more than ever, to protect them. When they touched down on the seventh floor of the Astronomy tower there was a solitary figure waiting for them and it was not Kurt Hummel.

"Draco," the headmaster was not surprised, it took Harry a moment to remember that neither was he. The whole year he had suspected that Draco was up to something, Kurt had told him flat out that it would come to this, he had attacked Draco because of the event of this summer evening- Harry also knew how it would end, by Draco's hand or another. He scanned the tower for anyone else as he moved toward the entrance but there was no sign of Kurt or any of the Death Eaters. The headmaster looked at Draco with kind eyes and Harry's stomach knotted, "I thought you would have company."

"They're watching the door," Draco countered, pointing his wand at the headmaster, "ensuring that Potter and his friends don't meddle."

"I see," he nodded his head, "why not use your friends? Why risk bringing criminals like your aunt, I assume, to Hogwarts?"

"They are all weak and can't be trusted," Draco's voice was shaking, "I needed real power, Bellatrix brought that with her."

"Is that so?"

"I have Greyback on my side!"

"You would bring that monster into a school?" Dumbledore's voice boomed and Harry took a step back, the railing stopping him from falling to his death. He gathered himself and spoke softly once more, "that was foolish of you, you should be very careful when it comes to Fenrir Greyback."

"I didn't know she'd bring him," Draco admitted, "but they need to be sure it is done."

"They know you won't do it," the man smiled softly, "you are no assassin."

"I will do it," Draco countered indignantly, "Expelliarmus."

The headmaster's wand flew out of his hand, "Very good."

"I was chosen for this," Draco grinned, "he flashed his forearm and the dark mark."

"That won't come off," the Professor sounded very disappointed, it will fade but it will never be gone. He let out a defeated sigh, "a permanent reminder for a task you could not commit to."

"I'm committed!"

"Are you?"

"Yes!"

"The academic year is over," the man gestured to the spring evening, "the whole year and you've tried twice to do this… poison and a cursed necklace are not the actions of a true assassin." He stepped forward and Draco raised his wand, "you spent so much time restoring that vanishing cabinet when you could have walked into my office at any moment and pointed your wand at me, ended my life then." It was the first time that Professor Dumbledore had addressed what was going to happen here tonight, "Don't do this Draco, it will haunt you forever."

"You don't understand," tears streaked Draco's face, "He'll kill me, he'll kill my mother."

Professor Dumbledore shook his head, "will you be able to live the life that follows this action."

"It's what I have to do," the blond haired boy proclaimed.

"Then we must be quick," Professor Dumbledore spoke with the utmost haste, "The aurors will be here soon, that dark mark has called a lot of attention to the school."

"Wait!"

"There is no more time Draco!"

"Give me a moment," he snapped, "I need to gather my thoughts."

"Or purge the doubt which incapsulates you at this very moment?"

"I know what I have to do."

"But can you do it?"

"My mother's life depends on it," Draco shook his head, "my father's in Azkaban, our reputation is in the toilet, most of our assets have been frozen… I have to do this."

"Then do it," the elderly wizard urged him, "do it now, before the aurors arrive and take you to Azkaban."

"I… the thing is… my-" Draco lowered his wand, "what am I going to do?"

The sound of footsteps on the stairs shocked everyone, someone had been listening to their exchange from below the stone flooring and inside the mechanism of the tower. Harry wasn't surprised to see that it was Professor Snape who appeared, with his wand in hand and a blank expression on his face. Harry was not surprised when relief washed over the headmaster's body, they all knew that Snape had made the unbreakable vow to complete Draco's task for him- Kurt would be pleased that the children, in this case Draco, were safe.

"Do you remember what we discussed Draco?" the man's monotone drone had never comforted Harry like it was in this moment, "let me help you."

"Stay out of this," Draco spat at his head of house, "I have to be the one."

The potions master stepped up to Draco and held a single finger to his lips, he pointed his wand at Professor Dumbledore. The elderly man's body did not react but he simply whispered, "Severus, please."

Harry was shocked that it didn't work; Professor Snape began to shake where he stood and a single tear fell down his cheek, "I can't. You've asked too much." He took a deep breath and for the first time ever Harry heard emotion in the man's voice, "this was too far for her, her son, Draco's innocence. This is too far for me." He shook his head, "I can't do it, I won't do it."

~0~

Kurt had been watching quietly from the shadows of the Astronomy Tower's rafters, he had watched the headmaster talk Draco down and had smiled when his cousin had lowered his wand. Relief had flooded his system when Professor Snape had appeared to take Draco's place but that hadn't lasted long as the potions master had broken down in tears.

"I won't do it," Professor Snape sobbed. He hiccupped and fell to his knees, his sobs replaced by the desperate croak of asphyxiation. Kurt watched silently as the double agent died for his beliefs, died for his own innocence, died for breaking an unbreakable vow; Draco gaped in silence as their Head of House slowly suffocated.

When Professor Snape fell over and stopped moving, his body silent, Draco crumbled to his knees and began to sob violently, "What am I going to do now?"

Kurt jumped down from the rafters with a whispered incantation, he touched down softly beside Draco. He placed his hand gently on the boy's head, stroking his fair hair, and felt him still, "everything is going to be fine, you're going to be fine. Narcissa is safe, you don't have to worry about anything. I'll take care of everything, I'll take care of you."

He stepped forward, and the headmaster looked at him. The elderly man nodded his head, "thank you Kurt."

"I'm so sorry," Kurt lifted his bone coloured wand and pointed it at his mentor. Tears welled up in his eyes but Kurt powered through, "Avada Kedavra." There was a flash of green light and the headmaster fell over backward and over the barrier, Kurt gasped at the unintended consequence of his actions. The tears filling his eyes tried to escape but Kurt kept wiping them away before they could fall, his heartbeat loud in his ears, "I'm so sorry."

"Kurt?" Draco looked up him, his wet face glistening in the moonlight.

Kurt kneeled in front of his cousin, beside his Head of House's corps, and took his face in his hands, "You killed Professor Dumbledore, I wasn't here."

"What?" the boy tried to shake him off but Kurt held on tightly, "let me go."

"You killed Professor Dumbledore, I was never here."

"What about Professor Snape?"

"He was a casualty," Kurt spoke calmly, "that's all you say."

"I killed Professor Dumbledore," Draco agreed, "Professor Snape was a casualty but I did what I had to."

"Yes," Kurt nodded, wiping the other boy's face with his sleeve, "exactly."

"Everything is fine, I'm going to be fine, my mother is safe," Draco got to his feet, "I don't have to worry about anything, you took care of everything, you took care of me." Kurt turned away from him but Draco placed a hand on his shoulder, "Thank you."

Kurt turned back to see the boy retreating from him, Kurt waved his wand over his head and a violent wind filled the Astronomy tower, blowing Harry Potter's invisibility cloak off the shocked teen. He stood with his wand in hand and tears streaming down his face, "You have to go after him."

~0~

Harry:

He couldn't believe his eyes, he had prepared himself for the Headmaster's death and the hand Kurt might play in the event but he had never dreamed that he would witness the event. He couldn't believe he had just stood there and done nothing for the duration of three attempts on Professor Dumbledore's life, was he a coward for doing as he was told? Was this what the sorting hat had meant when it had said that he would be great in Slytherin? Were he, Draco and Kurt cut from the same cloth? He was brought back to the moment when Kurt blew his invisibility cloak off.

"You have to go after him."

"What?" Harry's mind was somehow simultaneously racing and foggy, a combination that even he knew to be dangerous.

"Go after Draco," Kurt repeated calmly.

Harry's mind was stuck in the flash of green light, "but you killed Dumbledore."

"No, Draco killed Professor Dumbledore," Kurt corrected, "And Harry Potter would chase him in an emotional rage, want him to be held accountable for his actions." He let out a tired sigh, "and I would chase Harry Potter."

"How could you…" Harry swallowed loudly, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine when you're chasing Draco Malfoy!" Kurt snapped, "could you do that much for me?"

Harry nodded and called out loudly for his rival, "Malfoy." He took off in a slow run, descending the stairs as Kurt called out for him to stop, "Malfoy."

The entrance to the Astronomy tower was abandoned and Harry could see him with a group of Death Eaters moving toward the other end of the corridor, heading toward the rear exit of the castle. Harry called out for the boy once more but he didn't respond, he pursued the group- making as much noise as he could as he did so; wanting the students to know that this awful night would soon be over, just as soon as he completed this fool's errand.

Ahead of the group he was pursuing a student appeared from a tributary corridor, skidding to a stop directly in the Death Eater's path with a wand in hand. Before Harry could see who it was, a Death Eater with phosphorus blond hair raised his wand and there was a flash of green light- The body fell. For a moment the world was still and silent as Harry tried to process what had happened; he had watched Professor Dumbledore die and now one of his peers had been murdered. Fenrir stepped toward the body and the silence was shattered by a piercing scream.

The scream filled the corridor and every window in the vicinity shattered into a million, million tiny fragments. Harry covered his eyes as broken glass flew all around him, cutting the bare skin on his hands, neck and face. The scream continued to echo down the corridor but Harry lowered his arms to see the source, it was Kurt and he was moving past Harry at the speed of light. It took him a split second to decide to follow the boy, counting the faces of Hermione, Ron and management as they stood over the body. He tried to see who was missing as he got closer to the group, who had they not called? Too tall to be Luna, but then she appeared behind Neville. Harry knew Kurt would have lost it for any of his children but knew it was Finn because his face was the only one he couldn't see.

This was supposed to be easy. He had watched Professor Dumbledore die, had forced his inner Gryffindor to remain still despite every part of him crying out to stop Draco and Snape. He was going to chase the Death Eaters from the castle grounds because Harry suspected that Voldemort wanted to finish him off himself- He needed to prove to himself that he could do what he had failed to do at Godric's Hollow and again in the Graveyard. This was supposed to be an easy mission but some reckless vessel of evil had raised his wand, not to stun or disarm but to kill.

"Kurt," He called out after his friend but the boy did not falter, Bellatrix turned back to face them with a wicked grin on her face. A plume of blue flames appeared in front of Kurt, turning the night into day, and every student on the corridor readied their wand. Bellatrix raised her wand and deflected the flames, Kurt was on top of them with absolute ease and casting out of both of his wands. Harry pointed his wand at Draco, as was expected of him, "Flipendo."

Draco was thrown across the corridor, away from the thick of the spell casting. Bellatrix turned to him, "Draco, go! Tell the Dark Lord what you have done for him today!" Draco lay there on the ground staring at what was happening, Bellatrix roared, "Go!"

Harry watched the boy scramble to his feet and run out the back of the castle, he turned to help his friends because he knew that just because they had the Death Eaters outnumbered did not ensure victory; they had the numbers but they were not as well practiced. Kurt was hard to keep track of, he seemed to have melted into a shadow and was fighting every Death Eater at once- probably an effort to distribute his anger more equally, not wanting to kill again today.

Harry was about to follow suit when Bellatrix looked him dead in the eye and grinned, "I killed Sirius Black."

Harry's vision darkened and all his nerve endings caught on fire, the sounds of his peers struggling against dark wizards faded away and he was left alone with his anger. He tried to think of the future he had to live for but his mind wouldn't focus on anything but those words- she killed Sirius. Harry's arm rose before he could stop himself, "Stupify."

Bellatrix raised her arm and deflected the spell with ease, "Do you know any other spells?"

"Accelus."

She deflected this spell with as much ease, "Come on now."

"Sectum Sempra," Harry was getting frustrated by how glib she was being.

"Harry," she tilted her head in disappointment, "whatever are they teaching you here at Hogwarts?"

"Reducto."

"Saying your spell out loud tells me what you're using and when," she shook her head, "I would think Severus would have taught you that much."

"It didn't stop me from killing him," Harry growled from between gritted teeth, "I didn't know it would push Draco over the edge but it felt so good."

"Harry Potter?" she cackled with glee.

"You're next on my list," Harry smirked, "then I'm coming for him." She grew more manic in her joy, "Bombarda."

Harry blasted the ground from under her, he came at her with speed. An alarm sounded once more and he saw her read the room she cleared her throat and turned into a pillar of black smoke, the spell failed five feet down the corridor but she had escaped Harry.

"Boys!" she called out to her fellow Death Eaters, "let's go." The Death Eaters disengaged and started running toward the castle exit, "see you soon Harry Potter!"

His peers moved to pursue but Kurt held them back, "that's enough for today, let the aurors take care of them."

~0~

Kurt stepped back from where he'd been holding back Ron and Mandy, he walked over to kneel next to Finn's body. His brother had a goofy and shocked expression frozen on his face, if Kurt hadn't seen the curse for himself he might have thought he'd been petrified again. He patted his brother's cheeks down and his face relaxed into a neutral expression, he shut the larger boy's eyes before pulling his body into a limp hug, "Ninety-Six, Fuck it! No way I'll kick the bucket."

"What?"

"It's what he said to me," Kurt sobbed, "when I chastised him for not going into hiding… it's ninety-seven, Finn never broke a promise."

Hermione reached out to him, "Kurt-"

"My brother's dead an no one will care because the Headmaster is dead," he sobbed loudly, "my brother is dead… what am I going to tell his mother? How will I explain this Harley and Velma?" Kurt was shaking violently, "How am I supposed to protect anyone if I can't protect my own brother?"

"Don't say that," Hermione's voice was soft, she rubbed his back in small interlocking circles.

"I clearly am incapable of protecting the people I love," He laid Finn on the ground and got to his feet. He hugged himself and started to walk away, "someone ring the alarm and let everyone know that the castle is safe once more."

Kurt didn't turn back to look at any of his friends, he walked past the dead Death Eater and navigated down the corridors by muscle memory till he came to the barrels that stood at the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. Kurt didn't even try to guess at the knocking pattern of the week, he pointed his wand at the barrels and blasted his way in. Walking through the Hufflepuff common room as if it were his own till he came to the Quidditch Captain's room.

Kurt opened the door and threw himself on the bed; he had failed to protect Finn just like he had failed Cedric, and now he'd have to pack up another dead Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain's room.

Hope you like it, Reviews are love.