Searching for the Horcrux

The next day, I told the others of my plans and the truth of Voldemort's immortality. To say they were shocked is an understatement.

"You're really going with Dumbledore to destroy them? Whoa," said Ron.

"This is all so insane and yet, there's no other way around it, is there? When're you and Dumbledore leaving?" asked Hermione.

"Tonight," I said.

"Tonight? I don't like this. The place could be booby-trapped. I should come with you," said Cedric.

"You can't. This has to be just us." I placed my hand on his lips when he tried to protest. "No arguments, Ced, that's final. You're needed here. I'm sorry, but you can't protect me this time. This is one of those times when I have to break my promise. I have to do this."

"Then promise you'll come back to me," he said, pleadingly. "And for heaven's sake, promise me you'll be careful too."

"I promise. Oh, before I go, I want you guys to have this." I reached into my pocket and I handed Cedric the remains of Felix Felicis. "All of you use this, alright?"

"What? No! You should take it!" said Hermione.

"Hermione, for once, don't argue with me!" I said, trying not to lose my temper. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I have a horrible feeling about Malfoy. I'd feel better knowing you three were okay. Please, just take it and promise me you'll watch yourselves and Malfoy."

"Alright, we will," said Ron. "Good luck, Helena."

"Keep safe," said Cedric.

"You too," I said, as Cedric kissed me once more and then I left, not knowing if I was going to return.

After grabbing my father's Cloak, I went up to Professor Dumbledore's office.

He was standing on the balcony and seemed to be in a trance. "Helena," he said. "You've come."

"Of course I did, sir."

"Before we leave, I must ask you to do some things for me. Give me your word that you will obey."

"I give you my word."

"If I tell you to run, will you run?"

"Yes, sir."

"If I tell you to hide, will you hide?"

"Yes sir."

"If I tell you to leave me behind and save yourself, will you do so?"

My breath caught in my throat. Abandon him? Never! I wanted to say no, but the look in his blue eyes told me not to. So, I choked out, "Yes, sir."

"Very well, take my arm. We're going to Apparate."

My brow wrinkled in confusion. "I thought that no one could Apparate or Disapparate on the grounds, sir."

"No one except the headmaster," he said.

I nodded and took his arm.

Apparation was definitely my least favorite way to travel besides Floo Powder. We landed on a rock in the middle of the sea, far too dangerous for Muggles to get to, even by boat or mountain climbing. There were houses on the cliffs above, so I assumed this was the place were Voldemort was taken to every year.

We got soaked instantly with the water crashing upon us. I flicked my wand. "Lumos!" and light appeared. There was a cave not to far ahead. Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and a boat appeared which took us to the mouth of the cave which was a great deal smaller than I had thought. Professor Dumbledore was muttering to himself.

"I should've known he'd do something so crude."

"What're you talking about?"

"We can't get through, yet. It requires payment."

"Payment? What payment?"

"Blood."

Before I could stop him, he took out a knife and cut his still blackened hand and some blood touched the stone, causing it to open as wide as we needed as we went inside.

An eerie sight met us. We were in the middle of a vast black lake so vast I almost couldn't see the distant banks in a cavern so high that the ceiling too was out of sight. A misty greenish light shone far away in what looked like the middle of the lake; it was reflected in the completely still water below.

"Let us walk," said Professor Dumbledore. "The water's not too deep. But be very careful and stay close to me."

I nodded and took his uninjured hand in mine as we walked in the darkness. There was no sound except for our breathing and our footsteps.

"Charming place," I said, sarcastically, as I shivered in the cold. "I assume this is the cave where Voldemort traumatized those kids?"

"Most likely," said Professor Dumbledore. He waved his wand and then I felt warmer. "Is that better?"

"Much, thank you."

We came to the middle of the lake where there was a large basin made of crystal. It contained a dark green potion and there was a rusty-looking chain sticking out of it. I tried to take it, but could not.

"Is this one of the protective charms?" I asked.

"Yes," said Professor Dumbledore. "Voldemort did not leave this place unguarded. Look at the water."

I looked to where he was pointing and failed to stop a scream from emitting when I saw them, drowned victims.

"Are they—?"

"Yes."

"And they'll—?"

"Yes."

"What do we do?"

"The potion must be drunk."

"But sir, for all we know, there's poison in there!"

"Lord Voldemort would not have wanted to kill his trespassers quickly. I do not believe there is poison in there."

"Then what is that stuff?"

"I don't know." He looked at me and both his face and tone were serious. "Helena, I must ask you to keep your word to me about my orders. The locket can only be retrieved if the potion is drunk and I shall drink it. No doubt something terrible will happen when I do, but you must keep giving me the potion no matter how much I beg or scream. You must not stop and give me water until all of the potion's gone and the locket's retrieved."

"What happens if you do die?" I asked.

"Then you must carry on for me and survive to the best of your ability. My life is of no consequence. Your life is of far greater value than mine, Helena."

"That's not true!" I said, before I could stop myself. "Don't you dare say such lies! No one's life is worth less than mine, especially not yours. Your life is of great consequence to me and always will be."

"That's very kind of you," he said. "But it is what I believe."

"Professor, I'm begging you," I said, desperately. "Please, please, don't do this. I'll drink it, please."

"Helena, I must," he said, firmly. "Remember what I told you and what you told me."

Before I could stop him, he'd drunk part of the potion and then began screaming. "No! No! Get away! Take me! Take me, instead! Stop!"

I grabbed him before he could something foolish and held him down. "Forgive me," I whispered, as I began giving him the rest of the potion.

Forcing him to keep drinking the potion was killing me inside. It broke my heart to see him in so much pain, to hear his cries about his past and his begs for me to stop giving him the potion. I wanted to stop after his first drink, but I knew better than to disobey him, even though I felt horrible inside. Finally, there was just a tiny bit left of the potion.

"Please," he begged, as a tear fell down his cheek. "No more. Please, no more. Kill me, please! Kill me!"

"It's going to be okay, sir, just finish this and then you can have some water, I promise," I said, as tears streamed down my face. "Just a bit more. Come on…"

He drank the last remains of the potion and then I grabbed the locket and placed it in his palm and closed his hand. I filled the cup with water which he quickly drank as I refilled it several times. He seemed very weak as I carefully laid him down.

"Helena," he whispered.

"Shh, don't try to talk. Save your strength, sir," I whispered. "We'll go back to Hogwarts soon and everything will be okay. Just rest. It's over."

"Behind you…" he whispered, pointing.

I turned and saw them; dozens of Inferi were rising from the lake's waters and coming towards us. "Oh, no," I whispered.

Professor Dumbledore was in no condition to fight, so I did. I raised my wand. "Petrificus Totalus!" One fell backwards, but the others kept coming. "Impedimenta! Impedimenta!" A few stumbled and some were bound with ropes, but still they came. I covered Professor Dumbledore protectively with my body as I continued my attacks. "Sectumsempra!" Several of them were destroyed, but they kept coming.

Think! Think! What's an Inferi's weakness? What? And them I remembered what it was. It was fire!

"FLAMMA AETERNA!" I shouted.

Enormous flames emerged from my wand and struck at the Inferi. A firestorm blazed through and destroyed them all. It was taking all of my concentration to keep the flames going, but soon the Inferi were gone and I collapsed to my knees, panting for breath.

"Helena," said Professor Dumbledore, as he sat up.

"Professor," I said. "How're you feeling?"

"Better, but I am still very weak. You did well. You did very, very, very well."

"Thanks. Here, lean on me." I helped him to stand and got us out of the cave. "I'll Apparate us back. Don't worry."

"I have no need to worry, Helena," he murmured. "I'm with you."

I smiled as we Apparated to Hogsmeade and then Summoned two brooms and flew back to his office.

I was horrified at what I saw. The Dark Mark was in the sky above us, students were fleeing or fighting for their lives, Death Eaters and Aurors and teachers were fighting. My heart clenched. My fears had been justified. Malfoy's plan had taken wing.

When we'd landed in the office, Professor Dumbledore turned to me and said, "Helena, get under the cloak and do not emerge. Now!"

I did as I was told and then suddenly, I was frozen in place as Malfoy came in and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

I was confused until I realized Professor Dumbledore must've frozen me with the Body-Bind Spell non-verbally to keep me safe. I could only watch as he and Malfoy talked.

"Good evening, Draco," he said.

Malfoy's eyes fell upon the second broom. "Is Potter here?" he asked.

"As you can see, Helena is not here."

"Who else is here, then?"

"A question I might ask you. Or are you acting alone?"

"Don't be stupid," he sneered. "I've got backup. There're Death Eaters tonight."

"Ah, I see. Very good indeed, you found a way to let them in?"

"Yeah, I did," he said, smugly. "And you never realized it!"

"Ingenious, yet I don't see them here. Have they abandoned you?"

"As if they'd abandon me. They're busy with some of your lot, but they won't be long. They'll be here soon enough. But I had to come here alone. I had to finish my job."

"Well, then," said Professor Dumbledore, softly. "I'm here. So, why not get on with it and finish it?"

But Malfoy didn't move. In fact, he didn't even blink.

"Draco, you are not a killer."

"How would you know?" he demanded. "You know nothing of what I'm capable of! You don't know what I've done!"

"Quite the contrary, Draco," said Professor Dumbledore. "I do know. You almost killed Katie Bell and Ronald Weasley. You've been trying to kill me with increasing desperation all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they were feeble attempts. I wonder if your heart was truly into it."

"It has been!" said Malfoy. "It's not like I've had any choice but to put everything into it, have I?"

"Hmm," said Professor Dumbledore. "If I may say this, killing is not so easy as task as one would believe. You've got to mean it and be strong enough to have no regrets. Once you cross that line, there's no turning back. Also, if I may ask, just how did you sneak all those Death Eaters into the castle?"

Malfoy gulped. "The Vanishing Cabinet in Knockturn Alley, its twin was here. Peeves had smashed it to bits, so I spent all year trying to fix it. I kept it hidden in the Room of Requirement. I got that idea from those freaks in Dumbledore Army. I thought once I fixed it, I could do my job."

"But there were times when you thought you couldn't do it, could you? Which is why you tried to send me a cursed necklace and believed Professor Slughorn would give me the poisoned mead."

"I had to do something! Besides, you never knew who was behind all that, did you?"

"As a matter of fact, I did."

My breath caught in my throat. He'd known? How could he have known? Why hadn't he said anything?

"I tried to stop you in another way rather than just confronting you. I could not speak to you in that manner because I knew even with your Occulumency, there was no way to be certain if Voldemort would enter your mind and see that I knew about your mission. I turned to other methods. Professor Snape watched over you on my orders as well as your mother's."

"You're lying! He's a double agent; he's working for Voldemort just like I am!" Malfoy shouted. "Pompus git's been trying to steal my glory and he's been questioning me every five minutes! He says he's been worried about me, but that's a lie! A blind fool could see he only cares about Potter's protection, but I don't see why!"

"Draco, calm yourself and answer me this, how long has Rosmerta been under the Imperious Curse? Only she could've given Katie the necklace."

"I only Imperiused her when I needed her to do a job. She has no clue of what she's done as I always wipe her memory afterward. But it doesn't matter." He was shaking now as he held up his Dark Mark and seemed to be on the verge of tears. "I didn't want this job. I didn't want to do this! I tried to refuse it, but he said he'd kill my parents if I didn't agree to do it. He said he'd kill us all if I failed."

"So, you agreed only to protect your family?" Professor Dumbledore murmured. "That is not the heart of a killer."

"What would you know?" Malfoy shouted. "You don't know anything about me!" He took several deep breaths. "I have to do this. It's the only way they'll be safe."

Just then, several Death Eaters, Fenrir Greyback—not completely transformed but still wolf-like—the Carrows, Narcissa Malfoy, and Professor Snape burst into the room.

"Ah, here we are at last," said Greyback. "The great Albus Dumbledore at his end and it'll be by the hands of a child! Pathetic ending, isn't it? Draco, finish the job."

But Malfoy was rigid and barely moved. He looked like he'd rather swallow poison than do his job.

"Don't hesitate, boy, do it!" Greyback growled. "Remember what the Dark Lord said he'd do if your job wasn't finished by today!"

"Don't raise your tone at my son, Fenrir," Narcissa hissed. She turned Professor Snape. "Severus, this falls to you. Remember your Vow to me, do it!"

Professor Dumbledore's eyes were pleading. "Severus, please."

Professor Snape's features were cold as he raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"

Green light flashed and then Professor Dumbledore was hit and fell out of the window and down below to the ground as the Death Eaters fled and I was able to move again.

No, no, no, no! My mind screamed. But if the spell had been undone, that meant that he was truly gone. When a witch or wizard died, their magic died with them. I didn't think. While everyone else was fighting, I just ran down to Professor Snape. My heart was aching with anger, grief and the pain of Professor Snape's betrayal.

Flamma Aeterna! I shouted in my mind and fire blew out of my wand, but he spun around and deflected it.

"You dare to strike at me, Helena?" he shouted.

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME BY MY FIRST NAME, YOU COWARD!" I shouted as I tried to hit him with spell after spell. "YOU FILTHY, LYING, MURDERING TRAITOROUS COWARD! I TRUSTED YOU!"

"Don't you dare call me a coward, Potter!" Professor Snape shouted. "I am the Half-Blood Prince and I will do as I see fit!"

No! He was the Half-Blood Prince? It couldn't be! He took advantage of my shock to send me flying to the ground before disappearing with other Death Eaters.

I got up and ran to Professor Dumbledore's body. The fighting had ceased with the disappearance of the Death Eaters and Professor Snape and a crowd had gathered around Professor Dumbledore's body and everyone was raising their wands in respect for our fallen headmaster and the greatest wizard the world had ever known.

I raised mine as well before I knelt by Professor Dumbledore's body and held his cold hand in mine. "I'm so sorry," I whispered. I couldn't help but feel guilty for this. Maybe if he hadn't been trying to save me, maybe if I hadn't ignored my instinct that said something was wrong with Professor Snape, then maybe he'd still be alive.

In his palm was the locket. I opened it and a note fell out of it. I read it with horror and felt a new wave of tears sting my eyes.

To the Dark Lord

I will be dead by the time you read this

I have discovered your secret

I have taken the real Horcrux

And I intend to destroy it

I die in the hopes you will be defeated

R.A.B.

The locket had been a fake. It'd been a fake.

Cedric, who'd come up behind me, held me tight and stroked my hair as I buried my face in his shoulder and cried. Professor Dumbledore had died trying to protect me and the Horcrux hadn't been real. It was my fault. It was all my fault.