Chapter 31: Killing Dumbeldore
"I hate fooling McGonagall" said Krait, regretfully "She's been good to me; and she's a true member of the Order."
"And we'll tell her later" said Severus. "At first she HAS to act naturally."
"Are we going to let Harry identify us?" asked Draco.
"Harry is going to fight us and we flee temporarily…. And then sneak back in and report" said Krait. "He will denounce us firmly, and Severus will point out how the boy is contumelious and arrogant like his father and has always had, like his father, an unreasoning despite for him. Few enough but the MSHG know how well they get on these days; for isn't Severus hard on ALL of us in class?"
Draco nodded.
"And he and I have duelled; and didn't used to get on. He can mutter about betrayal and I call Hermione some less than pretty names and we stop talking – in public" he said. "How long have we to keep this pretence up?"
"As long as it takes for the Ministry to let its darker members to crawl out of the woodwork" said Krait. "Then we set people in place to quietly round them up, you make a Convolvumort broadcast and declare your name and true allegiance, he comes howling in looking for vengeance backed up by all his deatheaters, 'cos you can bet a thousand galleons to a house elf's tea towel that he'll have released them; and then we have them all lined up for the magical goblin bullets Kinat's father is having made for us to fly from our non-magical AK47 wands, and all of us dosed to our gills on Felix Felicis. With the MSHG you know, I don't even think we'll need the SAS…. I'd rather keep it a private, wizarding affair anyway. Harry goes out first and says it's him Voldemort is after, and does his not-dying bit; then we let fly."
"'Be just like Devil's Canyon back home'" quipped Draco.
"Wouldn't a wand as a lightsabre be fun?" said Krait.
"Hmm… Ignigladius?" suggested Draco.
"Sounds good… you're a decent spell designer you know Draco. I back you to do it if anyone can…. Severus is none so hot on Star Wars."
"Are you ready or are you going to chatter about films all night?" asked Severus, rather tightly.
"Given the choice I'd rather chatter about films all night" said Krait. "Did you get Able Baker Charlie up to the tower?"
Severus nodded, refusing to smile at her flippant name for the dummy that was to form the substitute body for Albus Dumbledore.
The Headmaster arrived at the tower; and the three supposed Deatheaters pulled up hoods. Hermione lurked by the dummy.
"It's not going to work" she said.
"Yes it is; so long as we all do our part" said Krait. "Everyone know what they're doing? Harry, you ready to Accio Albus under the cloak on your broom?"
"Yes" said an invisible voice hovering by the tower.
"Everyone else behind us to seem to be battling unknown foes?"
"Here" Ron's voice floated up.
Krait nodded.
"Cue Professor and troubled boy….tell him for real Draco then you can answer truth."
Draco started a rambling monologue about his fear for his mother and father and his fear for himself and how there were to be a couple of Deatheaters on the tower soon to help him.
Severus stepped forward.
"Draco…"
"Expelliarmus!" Draco cried, Dumbledore's wand flying from his hand.
Krait meanwhile was working on the dummy, making it a non living but complete human body, exactly resembling Dumbledore.
" Sectumsempra!" Severus shouted the spell, casting it at the dummy "Avocado Kedavra!" he used Draco's spell on Dumbledore, turning him a delicate shade of green, but making sure that anyone below saw a green flash "Expelliarmus" he cast on Dumbledore himself, launching the headmaster over the tower wall.
Hermione and Harry, their blood synchronised cast their spells with split second timing, Hermione switching the real professor for the dummy as he plummeted, and Harry using the summoning charm to take Dumbledore onto his broom and away.
Ron and Ginny were making enough noise downstairs to suggest a whole army of Deatheaters had broken in; and the sound of Professor Flitwick's squeaky voice rose demanding to know what was going on.
"Our cue to depart" said Severus picking up his broom. "Excuse me, Hermione… "Stupify….Sectumsempra" he cast the curse with great delicacy to produce a cut across Hermione's cheek as she lay unconscious.
As Professors Flitwick and McGonagall arrived breathless at the top, three figures streaked away on brooms with Harry in hot pursuit, screaming epithets and casting curses narrowly missing the jinking figures. McGonagall raised her own wand; but with Harry flying like a mad thing, there was too much risk that he would be hit.
The three figures reached the boundary and disappeared with loud CRACs. Harry let his broom wobble to the ground and sank down a moment; which allowed Dumbledore under the cloak to get off. Slowly Harry flew back; and went straight to the huddled figure at the base of the tower.
Had Dumbledore not been laughing with glee a few minutes before on the back of his broom, Harry would have truly believed that this was his mentor; Krait had done a good enough job that for a moment grief welled up at the sight, enough to add to his acting. He worked on not doing a wry grin at the thought that Severus would consider that good since in his opinion Harry could not act his way out of a paper bag and was the worst liar in the universe. He had to believe this body; had to make his hatred well up again; had to dwell on past humiliations.
It should be easy to be down; soon he would face death. And yet in so many ways, Harry had never been happier, surrounded by friends, old enemies among them, even Dudley! And of course Ginny… he should never have let her get close perhaps; but Krait had a point too, seize the day, live for the moment, be happy.
He thought firmly of his parents, who died for him and for others; and that helped the well of grief to form.
He was crying softly when McGonagall reached him and looked in horror on the body.
"Professor!" she cried.
"There's not even a spark of life" said Harry dully "I looked… I used my wand."
McGonagall swayed.
"Oh Merlin! Albus…. Harry what happened?"
"I saw Professor Dumbledore talking with someone going to the tower… I thought it looked like Draco." Said Harry "And… and I heard something about Deatheaters coming. So – so I told Ron and Hermione to go up there and I went up on my broom….and there were three cloaked figures there, Draco was one of them I'm sure, he'd pulled his hood up; the others were hooded. Draco disarmed the Professor and the others started attacking – I'm certain one of them was Snape!"
"Severus? But I thought you got on well with him now!"
"I – he's been lulling me into a false sense of security perhaps" said Harry.
McGonagall looked at him suddenly, suspiciously.
"Harry there's more to this than meets the eye" she said, pointing her wand at the body "Specialis Revelio!" she said.
Harry squirmed.
"I see" said McGonagall "You could have told me you know."
"Albus wanted to have as few people knowing as possible" said Harry "Because all of us Gryffindors are rotten liars; only I had to know to pick him up after Hermione did the switching spell."
McGonagall sighed.
"Sometimes I think Albus never quite got past being fourteen" she muttered to herself. Harry was not quite sure he had heard her aright. "So, what I am to say is that you chased the miscreants in one of your usual daring and harebrained fits and identified two of the miscreants as Draco and Severus?"
Harry nodded.
"Well, that is what you said so I can repeat your testimony with perfect truth" said McGonagall briskly. "Now run along inside and be as loud as you like; I have a few things to say for I have every expectation that Albus is lurking nearby to hear the epitaphs he gets for there's nothing so vain as a man….and I'd rather you didn't hear them."
"No ma'am" said Harry, trying not to chuckle and firmly turning it into a spurious sob.
He heard
"You Blithering Idiot Albus…" as he rapidly left the scene. Somehow he anticipated that McGonagall's comments were due to go downhill from about there and tempted as he was to try to eavesdrop he had too much respect for his housemistress' skills to ever believe he might get away with it!
-/-
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny found themselves banished to the infirmary for shock and treatment for minor wounds – Ron had been loath to hurt his little sister for verisimilitude but Ginny had had no such scruples about hurting her brother and he sported a fine black eye and singed clothing. It was all very realistic.
-/-
Dumbledore's supposed death was like a shock wave through the castle; and Flitwick went in search of Severus the moment Harry's testimony came to his ears.
Severus was in his office with Draco.
He looked up.
"Ah Filius… Peeves is making a lot of noise this evening isn't he?"
"Where have you been, Severus?" demanded Flitwick.
"Where have I been? I haven't BEEN anywhere – if you mean have I left my office recently" said Severus. "I ignored a knock on my door earlier; Draco here wasn't feeling well so I was making a potion to improve his er state of mind….those love potions the Weasley twins make are getting out of hand in my opinion. I wasn't about to leave the lad for some trivial matter… nor give Horace the chance to whine about it being him who is potions master this year. Was it important then?"
Flitwick stared.
"I never know where I am with you Severus" he squeaked "But yes, it's serious. Dumbledore's dead."
Severus stared at him.
"I'm sorry? Did you say that Dumbledore's dead? I find that hard to credit. The old man has always given the impression of being indestructible. How can this be?"
Flitwick compressed his lips.
"He was murdered – by three Deatheaters on the North Tower. Hagrid saw a green flash up there – and the dark mark has been sent up. Didn't you feel anything?"
Severus let his hand drift to his left arm.
"Dead!" he said "Are you sure? I mean…"
"I have seen his body" said Flitwick grimly "With the marks of a spell I believe you called Sectumsempra on it…."
"And as I recall when Potter stole and looked into my research half my spells at least were stolen….the hoisting charm became a favourite of his as well I know" his eyes glittered dangerously. "Potter has been relatively well balanced of late, but he is known to get almost as hysterical as if he had boiled his brain in alihotsy….perhaps Potter senior left a diary or something and the boy has been given it – in Albus' usual misguided way – as a memento."
"THAT is unworthy, Severus" said Flitwick.
-/-
The staff discussed what to do next, Severus having come along as head of house. Some of the others might look at him suspiciously but there was nothing against him, as Krait reported to Voldemort.
"They suspect, because the ubiquitous Potter was there… I see what you mean about him being a nuisance" she said "And they're wondering whether to close the school, but they've decided to keep it open until after the funeral to give the pupils the chance to say goodbye. They're burying him here at the school in a stone coffin. That idiot Scrimgeour turned up with a delegation and Hogsmeade is filling with half the wizarding community. Some parents are taking their children home regardless; and not many will come back for the summer term, though I dare say those taking OWLs and NEWTs won't want to be deprived of years of work…I suppose McGonagall will be head now."
"Wrong" hissed Voldemort "Severus will be pleased… I have enough influence now in the ministry to have HIM made headmaster!"
"Excellent!" said Krait
"There will be other staffing changes" said Voldemort "For one the muggle studies teacher."
"Charity Burbage?" asked Krait, confused "She's a nonentity."
"Wrong" said her father "She teaches that muggles are no different to people; and for that she must be punished. You must bring her to me for discipline."
Krait blinked.
"I think it'll be noticed" she said mildly.
"She will resign her teaching position and you will bring her to me" said Voldemort. "One of my people will teach in her place; as will a Deatheater take over Dark Arts class."
"Very well, father" Krait's heart was in her mouth. Charity Burbage was a kindly old soul who never hurt anyone even if she had not got a clue about muggles for real "Though personally, having lived as one, I can't see that she's particularly knowledgeable about muggles and therefore no real danger."
"Do you defy me?" he demanded.
"No father" said Krait submissively "Just wondering if some idiot with more zeal than knowledge has fed you misleading information about the silly old bat."
"She teaches TOLERANCE!" shrieked Voldemort "And that must not be allowed! Muggles are inferior! Mud blood is inferior!"
"Like Potter who is a halfblood" nodded Krait "The taint will always show I suppose until at least one generation has submerged it…"
"Just do it" said Voldemort and cut the connection.
"Dangerous to taunt him about his blood" said Severus.
"He irritated me" said Krait. "His crap about blood when he's a half blood himself – what hypocrisy! What should we do about Professor Burbage?"
"We have no choice" said Severus harshly "We have to sacrifice her for Harry and the survival of the wizarding world."
Krait stared; then she started to cry.
Severus wrapped his arms around her.
"We cannot risk discovery – for Harry's sake" he said.
"Oh Severus! Isn't it to avoid things like that happening that we are fighting?"
"It is; but to avoid them happening wholesale we may have to stand by and see them happening to the few to save the many."
"I would rather attack early" said Krait. "Surely there has to be another way?"
"If you can think of one –or others of the group can – I'd be only too happy to hear it" said Severus.
Krait nodded.
"I'll sleep on it" she said. "Albus cannot have meant that we should sacrifice his people in order to round up traitors. Harry has his demands ready to publish; he can add a demand to have the members of the Ministry legilimensed if they don't crawl out of the woodwork in time."
Severus shrugged.
"Maybe…let us hope Albus will contact us so we can ask his advice."
-/-
Albus Dumbledore was waiting in the shrieking shack when Krait went to see him; as she suspected he might be.
"Ah my dear… I suppose the ministry will give me a wonderful send off, mouth empty platitudes about what a wonderful old fellow I was and breathe a collective sigh of relief to be rid of me" he said, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Sod the Ministry…we have a problem" said Krait tersely, and outlined it.
Dumbledore beamed.
"Then give her to him" he said.
"ALBUS! You cannot mean that!" cried Krait.
"Not as such….you must get Remus to take her into hiding, and remember to take some of her hair before you go."
"Polyjuice potion? But who would do that? I think he plans to torture her!"
"I will" said Albus calmly "You blooded me when you fixed my hand…. I suspect you can reduce any pain to the point I do not feel impelled to reveal myself."
"It doesn't last long."
"Come my child, are you telling me Severus is not capable of making an extending potion to add to it?"
"He has been working on one but it's not perfected; he's not sure there aren't side effects."
"Under the circumstances I would risk that readily… to be in the presence of Tom Riddle and see if there is a subtle clue that might help Harry?"
"And then die when he's tired of playing so you can't pass it on? Talk sense, Albus."
"I know you've talked about whether the whole group could resist the killing curse cast on one….it would be an opportunity to find out" said Dumbledore calmly.
"GRYFFS!" quoth Krait "Are you DETERMINED to be self sacrificing?"
"Technically speaking I am already dead" said Dumbledore "And frankly I did wonder if being available to die for Harry might be my true end….. my continued life is an ace in the hole he does not suspect. It seems there is a way I can use it to save poor Charity. You'd do it yourself my dear if your father did not require your presence."
"Yes" said Krait "I have considerable resistance to pain. I think it's an undue risk to our ace in the hole but I can't think of anything better; and it WILL give us the data on whether we can disperse the killing curse or not. I suppose I must accept your offer."
"What I like about you, my dear, is that you are amenable to logic and do not let your emotions cloud your better judgement" said Dumbledore.
"I stand aside from my emotions; I'll let you know all about THEM after this is over" said Krait.
"Oh dear, I fear you've been taking lessons from Minerva" said Dumbledore.
"THOSE lessons I didn't need" said Krait dryly "And Harry will never forgive you either if you do this and die, let alone forgiving me….if you die, I'll bloody well kill you, all right?"
A/N Able Baker Charlie are the first three letters used in the American radio discipline; the international code now is alpha bravo charlie. Anyone brought up on the Richard Scarry books will however be familiar with the mouse baker, Able Baker Charlie.