Disclaimer: Don't own or profit. Anything not made up by JK is mine! Steal, and beware the Nundu!

Author's Notes: shorter than the last chapter, but a good place to end : ) And if the Quidditch scene in the last chapter was wrong, sorry! I wrote it from memory.

Chapter 17: Fateful Night

Harry rushed back upstairs. He found his trio (Emma, Ron, and Hermione) in the common room; Ron and Hermione were whispering to each other since Emma had fallen asleep. "Guys!" he said. "Sorry, wake up Emma," Emma popped up so quickly she almost knocked her head on his chin. "Listen, I don't have much time. Dumbledore thinks I'm grabbing my cloak. We're leaving, but Malfoy just finished doing whatever it is he has been doing,. . ."

"I know,"

"And he's going to be doing whatever tonight! Take the Felix, share some with Ginny, and call whatever other DA members will come. Use the coins– they still work, right?– and patrol the halls. I'll be back with Dumbledore as soon as I can," he said. He handed the Felix to Ron and rushed out. Hermione jumped up to her feet to get Ginny.

"Hang on," Emma said. They saw her pupils contract and take on Ginny's bright brown in the middle as she found Ginny in the dorms. Ginny rushed down a minute later.

"What's going on!" Ginny said rushing down. Hermione and Ron were dumbstruck for a minute, and then rushed telling her everything. Ron took a swig of the Felix, handed it to Hermione, who then gave it to Ginny. Ginny took a swig and handed it to Emma.

Emma shook her head. "No. It will be wasted. There isn't enough liquid luck in the world for me. Save it for whoever else comes," she said sadly and led the way out of the portrait hole. She knew it would happen tonight and nothing could calm her nerves; she just worked hard at not projecting them unto the others.

They looked shocked, but followed her out of the room. Neville and Luna met them in the entrance hall. "No one else came?" Hermione handed the Felix to Neville and Luna who took the last of it. "Okay, Luna and I will watch over Snape's office," Hermione said.

"Then the rest of us will wait outside the Room of Requirement," Emma said. Hermione gave Emma a sad smile.

"Are you okay? With this, I mean," Hermione asked.

Emma nodded. "I'm not worried about us. I . . .tell Harry . . .let's go," Emma said.

Ginny saw the grey in the center of Emma's pupil contract till there was almost no black. She knew that meant Emma and Draco were talking. 'It is happening,' Draco said.

Emma nodded. 'Whatever happens, Draco, I'm not sorry. About us.'

'Me neither.'

It wasn't long before Draco came out of the Room of Requirement. He threw a powder and the hall was flooded in darkness. "Lumos!" Everyone yelled.

"Hey! That's my hand!" Ron yelled.

"It's me, silly. Do you think a death eater would hold your hand?" Emma asked. She led him to Ginny and then they found Neville. Emma led them out of the hall.

"How?" Ginny asked.

"I could sense the three of you, and just followed Draco's trail out of the hall," Emma explained quickly. They ran into the Order (McGonagall, Bill, Tonks, Lupin).

"Death eaters are in the castle," Ron explained to them quickly. They all ran after them, and fighting started.

Emma dodged some spells, and was biding her time until she saw Draco go up to the astronomy tower. She slipped her invisibility cloak on and went up after him. Emma saw Dumbledore there, so weak and frail looking, and suppressed her gasp of surprise.

Harry is here too, she realized. Emma walked away from the door, closer to Harry, but kept the invisibility cloak on. She listened to Draco and Dumbledore talk.

"Killing you now is the only way to protect us," Draco said. "How is this what was supposed to happen . . ."

'Emma, I could do it now, and we would be safe for awhile.'

'For awhile. Being Voldemort's "favorite," though, he would give you more missions.'

Emma knew Draco couldn't do it, and was trying to see a way out of what was happening.

'Emma, I . . .I can't do this. Greyback, sure, but Dumbledore? I can't.'

Emma nodded. 'I know . . .I know.'

'This means . . .'

'I know.'

'I'm sorry. I have tried for so long to find a way of saving you, us,'

'I'm not sorry. I love you, no matter what happens after this,' Emma said.

'I love you, too,'

Emma and Harry watched Draco start to lower his wand when the others burst in. "You actually cornered him Draco! Good boy!" the pudgy one said. Emma watched as Draco tried to get out of the situation. Stalling, hoping whatever plan it was Dumbledore and Snape came up with would come into effect soon.

'Where is Snape? What is there plan?' Emma and Draco wondered.

Snape burst in. 'Finally! We can get out of this,' Emma said.

'I hope their plan took into consideration multiple death eaters here with me,' Draco pointed out. 'Did they plan on this type of confrontation?'

"Avada Kedavra" Snape said and Dumbledore flew off the tower.

"NO!" Emma and Draco shouted and Snape dragged Draco down the stairs. Emma threw off her cloak the same time as Harry, but while Harry ran down the stairs after Snape, Emma ran to the edge of the tower to look down.

"No, no, no," Emma cried. "How could this be your plan!" she screamed to the empty darkness as tears fell down her cheeks.