Chapter 18

(A/N: Yay, YOU GUYS DID IT!! Extra long chapter…with a cliffie JUST FOR YOU!!. Tee hee. Enjoy.)

Bella's POV

"Bella?" A voice said, disbelieving and confused.

"Professor?" I asked, forcing myself to stop coughing.

"What are you doing here?" Dumbledore asked, sounding slightly angry.

I coughed once more, then explained Alice's vision.

He nodded. "Still…You should not have come. It is too dangerous. Why did you think I did not bring Harry or you in the first place?" He sighed. "I suppose we'd better hurry though. Come along. But first, do I have your word that you will comply any instructions I give you? That is my only condition for you coming."

I sighed. It would be useless to refuse. "Yes, you have my word."

He nodded then went further into the cave.

I inspected the cave quickly. There was a large, black lake…just as Alice had first seen. I realized that Dumbledore had been standing near a boat that was floating on the glassy lake.

"We have to cross the lake?" I asked. "Is it safe?"

"I believe so. Voldemort would not want to kill the person who came here…"

I stared at him disbelievingly. "Um, sir…"

He saw and chuckled. "Let me rephrase. He would not want to kill them immediately. He would want to discover why they were so intent upon crossing the lake … Hm."

The boat looked small, like it was built for only one person.

"Will the boat hold the two of us?" I asked.

"Voldemort would not have cared for weight, but instead the amount of magical power…I believe he enchanted it so it would only carry one wizard or witch."

"But then—?"

"I do not think you would count, Bella," he told me. "You, although just barely of age and vastly more powerful than others of your age, most likely will not count because you are so young. After all, Voldemort would not expect an eighteen year old witch to make it this far." He chuckled. "Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth. Now, you first, and be careful not to touch the water."

I complied, and as soon as the old professor sat in the boat, it began moving forward towards the island in the middle of the lake.

Glancing down at the water, I gasped. "Inferi!" There were hundreds of unmoving Inferi beneath the water. Inferi were dead bodies that Dark Wizards reanimate to obey their bidding. It was very Dark magic—the kind that Voldemort used often.

Dumbledore nodded. "That is why it does up well not to touch the water."

When the boat touched the small island, we got out and I looked at the stone basin Alice had described. Inside was a glowing liquid that looked oddly familiar, like I'd seen it before…maybe in Potions class…? Anyways, the locket was lying in the potion.

Dumbledore looked at, then reached out to touch it. Before I could protest, his hand was stopped by an invisible physical barrier an inch from the liquid.

"That is the Horcrux? The locket?" I asked, wanting to be sure.

"Yes…but we'll have to get rid of the potion first. But how to do it…It cannot be penetrated by hand, Vanished, parted, scooped up, or siphoned away, nor can it be Transfigured, Charmed, or otherwise made to change its nature…" He paused and conjured a crystal goblet from mid air. "I conclude that it must be drunk."

"What?" I exclaimed. "It could kill you!"

"Remember what I said? Voldemort would not want to kill the person immediately. I do not know what the effects of the potion might be, but you must be sure I keep drinking it."

"But—"

"You gave me your word, Bella."

I sighed. "I will do it."

He nodded, then, surprisingly, was able to dip the goblet into the potion and fill it with the potion. He drained the goblet.

"Professor? How do you feel?" I asked.

He shook his head and refilled the goblet before downing it again. He drained five goblets in this fashion, before he staggered weakly.

"Professor? Are you alright?" I asked, truly worried.

He looked as if he was deeply asleep, but twitching as if dreaming.

I grasped the goblet and refilled it guiltily.

"Professor, can you hear me?"

"Please….Please….Don't make me…I don't want to…" I'd never heard him this afraid, save when McGonagall was poisoned. But this was a thousand times scarier.

I didn't know what to do.

"…Please….don't want to….please….want to stop…." He moaned, delusional.

"You have to drink this, Professor, sir. You told me….Come on, keep drinking…"

Filled with self-loathing, I forced myself to force feed Dumbledore the potion.

As soon as the basin was empty, Dumbledore sank to his knees, still as if he were having a nightmare.

"No…don't hurt them….no, please….all my fault…no…."

Suddenly, he was panting for water. "Water…water…" he groaned, flinging himself to the edge of the lake.

"No!" I exclaimed, trying to drag him back, but it was too late. He'd touched the water, and the Inferi had woken.

I dragged him back just before an Inferi grabbed Dumbledore's wrist. The water was no longer calm—pale corpses were rising from the lake, coming to the island, toward us.

Inferi hate light and fire. Fire…

"Incendio!" I exclaimed.

Fire erupted from the tip of my wand, illuminating the entire cave. The fire forced them back, off the island.

Quickly as I could I scooped the locket from the basin and stored it in one of my robe pockets.

Still keeping the Inferi at bay, I saw Dumbledore beginning to stand.

"Sir, are you alright?" I asked, my eyes still on the reanimated corpses.

"Yes. Weak, but alive…" he said faintly.

I helped him walk to the edge of the water, to the boat. The Inferi sank below the surface of the water, and I allowed the fire to be extinguished.

I helped Dumbledore into the boat and we crossed the lake. The Inferi did not move again.

Dumbledore was pale. As Pale as the Inferi and the Cullens.

"The protection was well-designed…One alone could not have done it…you did very well…very well, Bella…"

When the boat stopped, I knew something was wrong. I got out quickly. Dumbledore was almost paler than the Inferi, and was still weak from the potion. Then he collapsed, hardly even conscious, still in the small boat.

"Sir?" I asked, more worried than ever. "Are you alright? Professor?"

And that was when I heard a deafening explosion

I looked up and saw the newcomer…

Shit. I'm screwed.