Chapter 47: Some Vials Are Not for Potions

My conversation with Draco plagued my thoughts for days. I already wrote to my father about its every little detail. He replied saying he will definitely look into it and is preparing Narcissa Malfoy's escape if and when Draco decides to back out or if his plan would go terribly wrong. I'm still hoping for Draco's salvation. I am wishing that he would finally see the error in his ways. I consulted Professor Dumbledore about the situation but he dismissed it saying that he got it under control.

Nikki skidded as she ran to Ianthé on the marble staircase, "I have some news for you."

Ianthé stopped climbing the staircase, "What is it?"

"Malfoy. He's in the hospital wing. Word is that Harry Potter attacked him with some Dark spell inside the boys' bathroom!"

Ianthé sprinted to the corridor going to the hospital wing.

She finally found a pale Draco surrounded by his fellow Slytherins.

"Draco, what happened?"

"It's the work of that Potter!" Pansy Parkinson screeched, "I didn't know he's got some Dark magic up his sleeve!"

"But will Draco be okay?"

"Snape got to him and healed his wounds, but Pomfrey insisted that Draco should stay here for a while. Potter's got detention from Snape to last him a lifetime! And a lot of house points too!"

Ianthé sat down on an empty chair near Draco's bed. She smoothened his hair and adjusted his blanket.

Pansy scowled at what Ianthé did, but Blaise was wise enough to prevent her from sniping at the latter.

"We'd better head back," Blaise discreetly pulled Pansy and mentioned to Crabbe and Goyle. Another Slytherin named Theodor Nott was also there.

"You guys go ahead. I'll be with you in a few minutes."

Blaise nodded at Ianthé and he left with the others. Pansy was obviously violently reacting from it all but Blaise had her arm.

"What really happened there, Draco? Tell me the truth," Ianthé asked in a soothing voice.

"He found me talking to Moaning Myrtle about my…. frustrations. I guess I reacted badly. I almost hit him with the Cruciatus Curse but he got to me first."

Ianthé sighed, "You shouldn't have done that… I mean, he might be of great help to you…."

Draco scoffed, "Him? The Dark Lord can read him like an open book in the library. Do you really think he could hide my hesitancy inside his head?"

"But still… Draco, are you still going through with your plans?"

"I don't want to… but I have to…"

Ianthé looked at him, "You must decide, Draco, before it's too late. I promise to take care of your mother. Your father, I reckon, will be safer in Azkaban. I mean, he will obviously be heavily guarded by Aurors there…"

"What if I failed to do it?"

Ianthé pulled a small tightly-sealed envelope, "Here. Take this."

"Floo powder?"

Ianthé shook her head, "It's Instant Darkness Powder. You should bring your Hand of Glory with you if you plan to use this…"

Draco slowly got up and hugged Ianthé tightly, "Thank you."

A day after the big Quidditch victory of the Gryffindors against my House, news spread that Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were dating. I still monitor Draco's moves and he seemed to be more relaxed that he had ever been. I guessed that he already made a decision. Little did I know, he had made the wrong one and still chose to go down the path he had started.

"Come in," the elderly headmaster motioned Ianthé to enter his office.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?"

"Ah yes, dear child. Sit," he conjured a soft chair for Ianthé.

"You told me in your letter that I should bring two vials that are used in Potions class."

The headmaster nodded, "I will embark on a journey and I will leave you two pieces of my memory… just in case…"

Ianthé got the two vials from her pocket, "To whom I shall give it to?"

"You will give it to Harry Potter, if and when the right time comes…" Dumbledore put a silvery string-like fluid in one vial. He did the same thing to the next.

"How do I know if the right time comes?"

The kind headmaster smiled, "Oh, you will know. Trust me, child, you will."

"But…."

"Why you?"

Ianthé nodded.

"You have proved yourself worthy time and time again. However, only a selected few know about your family's true allegiance. I gather to it that your father wants to officially join the Order?"

"All of us, sir."

"Including you?"

Ianthé nodded, "And my fiancé and his entire family."

"I fully entrust you with the two most precious memories I have. They are very detrimental to Harry."

"Why is he involved in all of this, sir?"

"That I cannot discuss with you, but," Dumbledore lifted his index finger, "you will have to trust me on that."

Ianthé nodded, "Anything else, sir?"

"Yes. Do you fully trust my judgement?"

"Of course, sir."

"What about my unwavering trust towards Professor Snape?"

Ianthé looked at the ceiling, trying to find the right words to say, "It's like my trust for Draco Malfoy, sir. You trust Professor Snape until he has proven you wrong."

The headmaster smiled serenely, "You really belong to Ravenclaw for your brilliant mind, but sometimes, I think the sorting hat should have placed you in Gryffindor for your courage…"

Ianthé shook her head, "More of Slytherin for my cunning, sir…"

The headmaster laughed a little, "I guess it is time for you to head back. Take good care of this for me, would you?" He handed the two vials back to Ianthé.

"I will, sir. Good night," Ianthé walked out of the headmaster's office.

I hid the two vials in one thick sock I had for winter. I didn't tell Nikki about it because I knew it was the right thing to do. I was merely just a messenger. Whatever Harry Potter's role is in this war, I swore to myself that I will help him by any means necessary.

"I saw Luna going out of the common room, clutching that fake Galleon the DA used last year!" Nikki whispered to Ianthé.

"Grab your wand," Ianthé quickly wore her dressing gown and grabbed her own wand.

"Why?"

"We need to be ready, just in case. I just have a bad feeling about tonight…. A very bad feeling…"

Nikki nodded and put on a thick jumper.

They proceeded to the common room.

"Did you hear something?" Nikki sensed the thick dangerous air.

"Yeah… Wands out."

Nikki slowly opened the portrait door.

There were second years and third years who were waiting outside.

"There's some shouting out there!" a second year boy squeaked.

Ianthé led them inside, "Go to your dormitories and lock the doors. Do not go out until I say so, okay?"

The younger students nodded.

Nikki let out a scream.

"What is it?"

Nikki stood near the window, pointing at something in the sky, "The….. Dark… Mark…"

Ianthé ran to the window. She gasped at what she saw. There was a Dark Mark on the Astronomy Tower.

"It can't be… He could not have done this!"

"Who?"

Ianthé shook her head, "Wait here. I'll just get my Grubanthian fire."

She went back to her dormitory. Some of the girls were already awake.

"What happened?" Padma Patil asked her.

"Someone set off the Dark Mark at the Astronomy Tower…"

Some of the girls gasped and panicked.

"Wake up Cho Chang since she's the seventh year prefects. Also the boys. Guard the doors to the younger years' dormitories!" Ianthé rummaged through her trunk and found the wooden box that she was looking for.
Padma Patil took out her wand and followed Ianthé outside.

Nikki looked shocked at the window, "Some people are already fighting the Death Eaters. I don't know how they got here! They suddenly went out to the grounds! Ianthé, I saw red hair fighting downstairs."

"Weasley red?"

Nikki fearfully nodded.

Ianthé peered into the window pane. There was a green light from the Astronomy Tower; different from the one illuminated the Dark Mark. A figure seemed to have fallen from the tower to the rafters below.

"It's the Killing Curse…" Ianthé said weakly.

"Somebody was killed and fell from there?"

Ianthé nodded.

They were pacing the common room as Cho Chang went there.

"Is everything all right?"

Ianthé shook her head, "Somebody was killed in the Astronomy Tower. But it was too dark…"

Cho nodded.

"Luna went out about half an hour ago…"

Cho had her hand on her mouth, "The DA…"

"Do you still have the coins?"

Cho shook her head, "I binned mine and Marrietta's…"

Ianthé muttered a curse under her breath.

The fighting suddenly stopped.

Nikki peered out the window, "The Death Eaters have already escaped. There are some bodies lying down there. I saw someone lying in a poll of blood…"

Ianthé opened the portrait door and sprinted out to see what was really happening.

"Occulere," she pointed her wand on the top of her head. A cold sensation trickled from the top of her head to her toes.

She sprinted outside to the direction of the Astronomy Tower.

Some students were already there. They seemed to be crowding around a body lying on the ground.

Hagrid, together with Harry Potter, stoically walked towards the body. Hagrid howled as soon as he saw the body.

Ianthé walked towards the crowd and saw the purple spangled robes of the dead body.

The memory of meeting the headmaster flashed before her eyes. She knew. Dumbledore is dead. Draco had finally succeeded in the task the Dark Lord has given him.

Ianthé walked in a trance back to the Ravenclaw common room. She removed the Disillusionment Charm she placed on herself.

"What happened?" Nikki asked her.

Ianthé just walked towards the couch and sat sloppily, "D-d-dum…."

She breathed in deeply, "Dumbledore's dead…."

Thick tears fell from her eyes. Nikki sat down beside her and hugged her tightly.

"I should be relieved because he and his family will not be killed. But at what cost? At whose cost?"

No one inside the castle could not sleep anymore that night.