Disclaimer: Unfortunately, my name isn't J. K. Rowling...which means that I own nothing. While you guys read, I'll go cry in a corner about the fact that I didn't create this marvelous world and these amazing characters.

The darkness shrouding Ron, Neville and I was oppressive as it hung around us. We had tried everything from Lumos to Incendio to break through the darkness but nothing helped. This left us to grope our way along the corridor as I heard rustling footsteps passing us in the darkness.

"Damn you Draco," I muttered angrily as I heard the last of the footsteps receding.

Ron, Hermione and I met Luna and Neville in the Entrance Hall after we had escaped from the common room. We devised a plan and separated. Hermione said that Harry had mentioned that Snape probably had something to do with this plot so Hermione and Luna took off to go watch Professor Snape's office while Ron, Neville and I went to watch the Room of Requirement. We decided to not watch the Slytherin common room since the Vanishing Cabinet was in the Room of Requirement and the Vanishing Cabinet was clearing needed for whatever Harry figured would happen.

Ron, Neville and I watched the blank wall that led to the Room of Requirement for about an hour—occasionally checking the Marauders Map to make sure we weren't going to get caught. At one point, I took the map from Ron and scoured it. I saw that Tonks, Lupin and Bill were patrolling the corridors and I saw that Astoria, Blaise and Zane were sitting together in the Slytherin common room.

I shook my head as I gave the map back to Ron. "Bill's in the castle."

Ron folded the map up. "Bill's here?"

"Yeah, so are Tonks and Lupin. They're patrolling."

"Do you think Dumbledore got them to patrol?" asked Neville.

Just then, a popping sound made us all whip our heads up. The door to the Room of Requirement had appeared and Draco was standing in the doorway, clutching a shrivelled up hand that was holding a candle.

Our eyes met and while his looked fierce, I knew mine looked panicked. I could tell from his slight frown that he wished I wasn't standing in front of him and I could only guess why. I opened my mouth to say something but before I could get anything out, he raised his free hand and threw sparkling black powder in the air between us.

So while shuffling feet passed us, Ron, Neville and I were left to skim our fingers over the rough stone of the walls as we inched forward in the darkness. Finally, after the footsteps had long faded away, we managed to turn into another corridor that was brightly lit.

"Check the map," I said urgently.

Ron fumbled as he pulled out the map. "Malfoy is with a bunch of Death Eaters!"

"We have to tell someone," said Neville.

"Lupin is close by," said Ron, tucking the map away. "He's a floor below us so let's hurry!"

We took off running down the closest staircase and I almost ran smack into Lupin.

"Ginny? Ron? Neville? What are you doing out of bed?" asked Lupin, surprise and disapproval written on his face.

"Remus, it's Malfoy," Ron said hurriedly. "He somehow snuck a bunch of Death Eaters into the castle and we don't know what they're planning but it's not going to be good!"

Other adults would question how we would know this or they simply wouldn't believe us but Lupin was different. Lupin trusted our knowledge and the three of us immediately set out with him to find Bill and Tonks.

"Where are Draco and the Death Eaters, Ron?" I asked as I trotted to keep up with Lupin's rushed strides.

"They're heading towards the Astronomy Tower!"

"Then let's head that way," said Lupin, dashing into a side corridor instead of continuing down our current corridor.

"What about Bill and Tonks?" I asked.

Lupin shook his head. "They'll find us."

And Lupin was right. As we turned into the corridor leading towards the Astronomy Tower, I already saw the familiar form of Bill in a duel with a beast of a man.

"Ron, go alert Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick!" Lupin ordered.

Ron ran back down the corridor after shooting me a look while Lupin jumped into the fray.

"We have to find Tonks," I said, grasping Neville's arm.

Neville shook his head. "There isn't time Ginny. We have to help your brother and Professor Lupin!"

I nodded and I fired a jinx at the nearest Death Eater. The Death Eater retaliated but I managed to swiftly dodge it. The Death Eater and I started firing spells at each other but I was losing concentration. Part of me was duelling with the Death Eater while the other part of me was scouting for the familiar blonde head of Draco Malfoy.

The Death Eaters scattered when Lupin, Neville and I joined Bill but only one Death Eater ran up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. He came back down a couple minutes later but was immediately hit by a Killing Curse that Lupin barely managed to dodge.

I was suddenly tackled to my side and as I tried to scramble to my feat, something grabbed my elbow and pulled me up and away from the fight. Tonks had finally shown up, drawn no doubt by the shouts, and she—along with everyone else—was too busy to see me being pulled behind a tapestry.

"Ginny, it's me," Draco said, pushing me against the wall. "Are you okay?"

I jerked my arm free of his grip and shoved him as hard as I could in the chest. "What the bloody hell is going on!?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"No, I don't! I knew, I knew that helping with that Vanishing Cabinet was possibly the worst idea I have ever had. But you're my friend so what was I supposed to do!?"

"Calm down Ginny!"

"Why did you bring Death Eaters in the school? Are they here to kill Dumbledore? Maybe kill Harry? Guess what Draco, both of them aren't here!"

"Ginny, I have to go but I wanted to give you something."

"What could you possibly have to give me right now? If you haven't noticed, the Order is here trying to stop this Death Eater takeover or whatever it is and I have to help them!"

Draco pulled his thick Malfoy family crest ring from his finger, pulled my hand up from my side and laid the silver ring on my palm. He closed my fingers around it and then kissed my fingers. "You're my one and only."

And then he kissed me. It was unlike any other kiss we had ever shared. This kiss was full of his desperation and fear and his unsaid goodbyes. Because this kiss was his goodbye to me. Whatever was going down tonight, he knew that he wasn't going to see me for a while after tonight. And so I kissed him back and let my anger at Draco get translated into the kiss.

We finally broke apart after what felt like hours and my chest was heaving. Draco smirked at me as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"Be safe Ginny."

He was gone before I could tell him the same thing. I stared at the tapestry blankly for a moment before I tucked the Malfoy ring into my pocket and re-joined the fight.

It was all bright flashes, explosions of tumbling stone, dust and voices shouting out spells. It was utter chaos as I came out from behind the tapestry. Above our heads was a gaping hole which meant that all the dust came from the floor above caving in.

"Ginny!" cried Luna.

I jumped into a duel with a Death Eater near Luna and we duelled for what left like hours. I had no idea if the Felix Felicis was still in effect but even if it was, I had none of the euphoric feelings I had the last time I took it. I pushed Draco from my mind as I engaged the Death Eater in a fight.

Professor McGonagall had joined the fight but I noticed that the majority of the Death Eaters weren't around. They were either in the Astronomy Tower or they were somewhere else in the castle.

"Luna," I called, just noticing something like a shimmering clear screen over the entrance to the Astronomy Tower. "What is that shimmering thing?"

Luna ducked a spell. "I don't know. It was there when I got here."

I had just knocked out the Death Eater I had been duelling when another Death Eater fired a curse at me. I threw myself to the side, righted myself and threw a curse right back at the lumpy Death Eater.

I realized it was a male Death Eater as he giggled whenever he blocked one of my curses. I was momentarily startled when I felt familiar hands brushing against my back but then they were gone and I had to throw myself to the floor to avoid the Death Eaters curse.

"It's over, time to go!" yelled a familiar greasy voice.

Snape was with the Death Eaters!

Obviously the Death Eater duelling me wasn't done because he started throwing hex after hex at me so fast that I didn't have any time to retaliate. I was left hopping around to dodge his curses while he kept giggling.

"Crucio! Crucio! You can't dance forever, pretty—"

"Impedimenta!" yelled Harry's familiar voice. I turned as Harry's jinx hit the Death Eater square in the chest and the Death Eater was slammed into the opposite wall. I could just make out Harry in the dust floating throughout the corridor.

"Harry! Where did you come from?" I cried. Harry just shook his head and took off running the way I assumed Snape had ran.

I turned back to the fighting and took in my options. Professor McGonagall and Lupin were both battling separate Death Eaters while Ron and Hermione were duelling a Death Eater together. Tonks was fighting an enormous blonde wizard who was sending curses flying in all directions, so that they ricocheted off the walls around everyone, cracking stone and shattering the nearest windows.

The Death Eaters seemed to be trying to leave and I was confused as to the point of this attack on Hogwarts if they were trying to retreat. I used the Bat-Bogey Hex on a Death Eater who tried running past me and then I made up my mind.

I ducked after Harry, putting my head down to avoid blasts coming from the blonde Death Eater. His attacks were showering everyone with bits of wall and glass.

"Take that!" shouted Professor McGonagall.

The lumpy Death Eater that had been attacking me was running down the corridor with another Death Eater. I wanted to follow but I already knew it was no use. They already had a huge head start and I wouldn't gain anything by being repeatedly cursed by them. Not to mention that they were probably following Snape and who I guessed was Draco. No one else would have touched my back like that so I could only assume that Draco was with Snape.

Most of the other Death Eaters were gone also and even though Professor McGonagall couldn't chase them, Lupin and Tonks ran after the group. I was left in the broken corridor with Hermione, Luna, Ron and Professor McGonagall. I had no idea where Harry, Bill or Professor Flitwick got to but a couple minutes later, Tonks came running back to find us, fear written all over her face.

"What is it?" Professor McGonagall asked briskly.

"Minerva, the Dark Mark is over the Astronomy Tower."

I paled and I was sure that my face looked as stricken as Hermione's.

"Who was up in the Astronomy Tower other than the Death Eaters?" asked Professor McGonagall.

Tonks swallowed. "Bill. Bill ran up there before they cast that clear barrier that stopped us from entering. Fenrir Greyback followed him."

I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands. I looked quickly to Ron whose hands were balled into tight fists.

"Is he—?" I asked.

"I'll go look," said Tonks. "The blockage is gone."

"I'll go with you," I said, stepping forward.

Ron stopped me with a hand on my arm. "No, you aren't. Let Tonks go."

I realized that now wasn't a time to argue with Ron so I just nodded and watched Tonks creep slowly up the stairs. While Tonks was still gone, Lupin came back.

"Where's Tonks?" he asked.

"The Astronomy Tower," Hermione squeaked out.

"She said something about the Dark Mark and Bill being up there," I managed to ground out.

Without another word, Lupin dashed up the Astronomy Tower and a few minutes later, Tonks and Lupin returned. Bill was held up between Tonks and Lupin with his head lolling to the side. His face was so scratched and bloodied that I barely recognized my oldest brother.

My cry was muffled by my hands but Ron must have heard it because he rested his hand on my shoulder as Tonks and Lupin carried Bill down the corridor. "Is he—?"

"No, they wouldn't have come down with him if he was," said Hermione. "They must be taking him to the Hospital Wing."

"We should look for the injured," said McGonagall. "I know for a fact that Mr Longbottom was hurt."

Everyone scattered to look for any injured in the rubble except for Luna and I. We decided to go down and look for any injured in nearby corridors just in case a Death Eater cursed an unsuspecting student.

"Luna, let's go take a look in the Entrance Hall."

Luna agreed without asking why and we slowly made our way down to the Entrance Hall. I didn't really know why I wanted to go there but I felt a need. When we got there, a crowd of Hufflepuffs in pyjamas were crowded around. They must have guessed we had been in the fight from our battle-worn state and they started asking us questions at top speed.

"Shut up," I yelled. "Does anyone know where Harry Potter is?"

Ernie Macmillan stepped forward with his chest puffed out. It reminded me so much of Percy that I had to shake my head for a moment.

"I saw him not too long ago run out into the grounds after Snape, Malfoy and some Death Eaters."

I grabbed Luna's wrist and pulled her after me out of the giant front doors as Ernie's shouts for an explanation followed us.

"Why are you looking for Harry?" asked Luna.

"Because he has a hero complex and chased after a group of Death Eaters," I said, lengthening my strides.

I heard feet running behind us and I whipped around with my wand out. It was Ernie, Hannah Abbott and a handful of other Hufflepuffs.

"What do you want Ernie," I snarled, stuffing my wand pack into my pocket.

"We want an explanation," he said.

I grabbed Luna's hand again and we started trotting through the moonlit grounds. If I wasn't mistaken, Hagrid's hut was smoking and there was a small crowd at the base of the Astronomy Tower.

"What's going on over there?" asked Luna.

"Let's go find out."

Ernie, Hannah and the other Hufflepuffs followed Luna and I as we raced across the cool grounds. I heard crying and sniffling as we joined the crowd but I couldn't see what everyone was looking at. I elbowed people out of the way as I tried to fight the growing panic bubbling up that someone had actually died under the Dark Mark.

I broke through the front of the crowd to see the sprawled out body of Dumbledore lying on the ground. Harry was kneeling beside him, his head on Dumbledore's chest and his body shaking with sobs. I fought my own tears at the picture.

The famous Albus Dumbledore was dead. Dumbledore, who was the greatest wizard that ever lived, was dead. The man who was the founder of the Order of the Phoenix; the man who cared more for this school than any other headmaster before him; the man who always found the best in a person; the man who fought for the muggle-borns; the man who was the only wizard that Voldemort ever feared. Albus Dumbledore was dead.

Hagrid broke away from the crowd and bent down towards Harry. "C'mere Harry."

"No."

"Yeh can' stay here, Harry…come on, now…"

"No."

I don't know what made me do it but I stepped forward from the crowd and leaned down to Harry. "Harry, come on."

I reached down and took his hand in mine. He didn't protest as I pulled him up and back through the crowd around Dumbledore's body. I could hear crying and screams and shouts but I just held onto Harry's cold hand and led him back up the steps in the Entrance Hall.

"We're going to the Hospital Wing," I said.

"I'm not hurt," Harry said.

"Everyone's up there, Ron and Hermione and Lupin and everyone—"

"Ginny, who else is dead?"

"Don't worry, none of us."

"But the Dark Mark—Malfoy said he stepped over a body—"

I swallowed hard at the mention of Draco. Now was not the time to think about him or anything to do with him so I shoved him to the back of my mind. "He stepped over Bill, but it's all right, he's alive."

"Are you sure?" asked Harry. He must have picked up the tremble in my voice when I said Bill was okay. Bill was far from okay.

"Of course I'm sure…he's a-a bit of a mess, that's all. Greyback attacked him. Madam Pomfrey is probably tending to him now."

"Ginny—"

"I don't know what the after-effects will be. I mean, Greyback being a werewolf, but not transformed at the time."

"But the other…there were other bodies on the ground…"

"Neville was hurt but the others are looking around for other people who may have been injured. And a Death Eater's dead, he got hit by a Killing Curse that huge blonde one was firing off everywhere—Harry, if we hadn't had your Felix Felicis potion, I think we'd all have been killed, but everything seemed to just miss us—"

We finally reached the Hospital Wing and I pushed open the doors with my free hand. Neville was lying on a bed near the door, asleep. Ron, Hermione, Tonks, and Lupin were all gathered around another bed near the far end of the ward. At the sound of the doors opening, they all looked up.

"Are you all right, Harry?" asked Lupin as we joined the crowd around Bill's bed.

"I'm fine…how's Bill?" asked Harry.

No one answered him so he looked around Hermione to look for himself. He grimaced and balled his hands into fists. I watched as Madam Pomfrey stood over Bill, dabbing at his wounds with some harsh-smelling green ointment.

"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" Harry asked Madam Pomfrey.

"No charm will work on these," said Madam Pomfrey. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."

I felt a gentle presence beside me and turned to see that Luna had quietly joined us. She smiled sadly at me and turned to gaze down at Bill.

"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron, who was gazing down into Bill's face as though he could somehow force Bill to mend just by staring. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a-a real—?"

Ron looked uncertainly at Lupin who just sighed.

"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," said Lupin. "But that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and-and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on."

"Dumbledore might know something that'll work, though," said Ron. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state—"

"Ron—Dumbledore is dead," I said softly.

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I hope you liked this chapter. I'm not very good with fight scenes so you'll have to forgive me; I tried. Anways, please remember to review my amazing readers. Also, if you like Teen Wolf, go check out my new Teen Wolf fanfic :)