Chapter Thirty

Blaise stood silently, staring at the tall door before him.

Last year, when Blaise Zabini made a stop in the restrooms on the fourth floor, he would never have guessed that it would eventually turn his fortunes. That it would lead him to finally receiving a mission – and the Dark Mark – from the Dark Lord. Saving Graham Montague from the u-bend of a toilet that day had granted him his wish.

A few months ago, when the Dark Lord had asked him to find a way for his Death Eaters to infiltrate the school, his mind immediately went back to the story that Graham had told him. The other boy told him that while trapped inside the cabinet, he could occasionally hear goings-on at Hogwarts, as well as at Borgin and Burkes.

Blaise had concluded that there must be a connection between the two places, that there must be a counterpart to the cabinet. After the Dark Lord outlined his request he'd gone to the dusty shop, and after a rather dirty and distasteful search, he finally found the Vanishing Cabinet's counterpart.

Borgin's cooperation had been bought with a death threat, one that Blaise hadn't felt the least bit of regret at issuing, especially after the man had tried to blackmail him for sex in return for not selling the cabinet.

Repairing the cabinet proved difficult, and he was a bit embarrassed that it had taken him so long to do so, but he allowed that embarrassment to fade away when his efforts finally proved successful.

He had immediately sent word to the Dark Lord and was notified in return to be prepared to provide assistance to the group of Death Eater's that would be entering the school that very night.

Now, he watched as the ornate handle of the cabinet turned, ticking as it released from its catch. The cabinet door opened slowly, emitting an opaque black smoke that heralded the arrival of the group of Death Eaters.

Bellatrix Lestrange was the first to emerge, a sickly sweet, mad smile gracing her face.

Fenrir Greyback followed in her wake, and Blaise hid his distaste at the appearance of the werewolf. He disliked that he had to be subjected to the inhuman Death Eater's presence, but he did acknowledge that the wolf probably had his uses.

The other five Death Eater's had apparently chosen to hide their identities, as evidenced by the masks and dark cloaks they wore. Blaise, thinking it a smart choice, pulled his own cloak and mask from a small satchel he'd brought with him and donned it quickly.

"Potter had a few of his stupid little friends patrolling the corridor directly outside this room," Blaise said. "I don't think that they will prove to be a problem, but I have Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder to aid in our infiltration."

"Very good Zabini," Bellatrix said with a nod.

0o0

The days were getting warmer as spring approached, but the nights still retained the crisp chillness of winter. She pulled her cloak closer, before pointing her wand at the crackling fireplace.

"Incentiuis." The fire snapped and popped as it obeyed her command to build higher. The temperature of the tiny room immediately warmed and became more comfortable.

Rolanda Hooch rubbed her gritty eyes with the edge of her robe sleeve, their usual yellow, almost golden tone was dulled from lack of sleep. She yawned, the joints in her back popping as she stretched tired muscles.

She was so exhausted.

It was the nightmares. A faceless evil threatened her life every single night she closed her eyes. For months she'd often woke from the night terrors gasping for breath and sweat dampened, her sheets twisted around her form.

She consoled herself with the fact that if she was getting less sleep, at least the brooms were looking better than ever. She smiled a bit at that thought, before dipping her rag back into the tin of broom polish at her elbow. Her hands ached a bit from the rigorous polishing that the Comet 260 before her was receiving, but still, she continued.

She began to hum as she lost herself in her mindless, soothing task and so was unprepared when the frosty chill of the Imperius settled on her skin.

The rag dropped from her limp hand to land on the table forgotten as she stood, her eyes empty of all emotion as she walked from the room.

Numbly, she crossed the school grounds, the hem of her robes dragged through the cold, wet grass and slapped back against her ankles to muddy her skin, and yet she paid this no mind.

Soon she stood at the school gates. She tapped her wand against the padlock the chains that secured the wrought iron snaking away to fall down against the ground. She stood to the side, her eyes were unseeing as the the crowd of darkly robed and masked people moved past her.

Rolanda paid them no mind – not even as one of the dark figures raised their wand, shooting the Dark Mark high into the sky, illuminating the clouds with its sickly green light – as the second part of the compulsion that controlled her snapped into place within her.

Pansy. Get to Pansy.

0o0

Draco held Taryn's hand as they walked side by side along the shore of the lake. It had rained at some point earlier and the smell of wet earth perfumed the air. The dark lake mirrored the sky, and the sound of the water hitting against the rocks calmed Draco with its natural melody.

When Taryn had suggested the walk, he'd been only too happy to agree. Anxiety, which built steadily aided by the events of the day, had churned in his gut almost like the burn of indigestion.

Draco couldn't believe Dumbledore's gall. The man had basically tried to rape his mind, and didn't seem repentant in the least. He hadn't even been concerned that he'd been caught. He thought himself so different from Voldemort, when the fact was that he was just as manipulative. The only benefit that Draco could see from siding with him is that he didn't think that Dumbledore would murder him where he stood. At least with Voldemort he knew where he stood. He was expendable, and the Dark Lord didn't try to hide it.

Dumbledore tried to hide his lack of regard for Draco's safety behind a pair of half-moon glasses and a set of twinkling eyes, but he didn't fool him in the least. He wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially since Taryn trusted him so, but it was bloody hard just to be civil in the man's presence.

"I think Chase took our 'reveal' rather well," Taryn said quietly, breaking into Draco's thoughts.

Draco snorted. "You mean after you had to Silencio his scream and after he hyperventilated for five minutes? Well, I guess we can call it a success that he didn't fire call the St. Mungo's Psych ward and have us picked up."

All joking aside, he agreed with Taryn. Chase had taken the news better than expected, and Draco was glad that they had someone trustworthy that knew their secret. He hadn't indicated as much to Taryn, but he was glad that she had someone to turn to if something should happen to him. It had often worried him that if he was killed, that Taryn wouldn't have anyone. That she would never be able to reveal who she really was to anyone else. True friends were rare, and he was pleased that they hadn't lost Chase once the knowledge of their true natures was revealed to the other boy.

Of course, there could be no mention of Dumbledore. The old man would use any and all information given to him to his own advantage, and the advantage of his few 'chosen' ones.

"I'm glad that we told him. I feel better knowing–" Draco's voice broke off as a sudden pain slammed into his body.

He doubled over, his legs buckling under him. His hand broke free of Taryn's, and his knees sank into wet earth as waves of pain rippled throughout his body with the Dark Mark at its center. Simultaneously a surge of nausea hit his stomach as the pain seemed to merge with the low buzz of power that flowed and ebbed over his skin building into a full body sting.

"Draco! What's wrong?!" Alarm laced Taryn's voice as she sank down next to him, heedless the the mud that now caked both their clothes.

He swallowed, pushing back the threat of bitter bile. He drew in a harsh intake of air. When he spoke his voice was raspy, thick with pain. "I don't know. The Mark...It just flared to life."

"Do you...do you think its him? Is Voldemort calling you?" Taryn asked. She stood and held out her hand, helping Draco to stand once more.

The pain had begun to ebb away and Draco was able to think more clearly. His brow crinkled. "I don't think so. It feels...different. It's always painful when he calls but it isn't this painful. This feels just short of the Cruciatus, but I don't think that it's a summons. It feels more like a warning. I think someone is here."

Taryn wasn't looking at him, her gaze landing somewhere over his shoulder. Her eyes were widening in horror at what she saw. "I think you're right," she said quietly.

Draco turned to look toward the castle beyond them. The green skull and snake mark, the mark of the Dark Lord, lit up the sky over the castle, hovering like a malevolent beacon.

Draco knew then that he had ran out of time. Whatever 'protection' Dumbledore had in place had failed and he was back to square one. Any Death Eater that Voldemort trusted enough to send here was sure to know of the task he had assigned to Draco. If he and Taryn were going to live beyond this night he was going to have to kill Dumbledore.

0o0

"You're lucky that its so close to the end of term. The prices for rooms are cheaper now that the holidays are over," Rosmerta said. She set a cold bottle of butterbeer and a bowl of stew in front of the slender young woman. "So, what brings you to our little village?" She asked, her voice colored with curiosity and a fair amount of suspicion.

It was odd to have strangers visit the village so near to the end of the school year, and especially during these trying times. Rosmerta could tell that the girl was American, judging by the accent, but it wasn't that slight Texas drawl that made her stand out.

It was those eyes. Those large grey eyes, surrounded by lush dark lashes. They were a bit startling in contrast to her light brown skin and the coils of black hair that sprung around her face like a kinky-curly halo. Rosmerta was sure that she would never forget this face, but of course she would be wrong. She wouldn't know about the befuddlement spells weaved into the yellow diamond pendant the girl wore, which would render the girl's face – as well as what they discussed – a blur when she was later questioned.

"I'm just passing through as a favor to a friend," the girl said, neatly evading Rosmerta's rather obvious question.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your stay. It's too bad that you choose to visit during this time of conflict. Hogsmeade is a nice village, but really the draw is the school. You won't get to tour at all I'm afraid, what with You-Know-Who and his minions about. It's almost caused us to all but shut down here. Without the students I doubt that I would even still be in business," Rosmerta said. She eyed the girl sitting at her bar for a few seconds, obviously waiting for a reply. When no reply came, she snorted, and rounded the bar to cross the room.

Rosmerta was closing the shades across the inn's front windows when she saw it. The Dark Mark blazoned across the twilight sky. Her gasp of horror was stifled, when a flash of movement caught her eye.

It was Harry Potter standing over Dumbledore's crumpled form.

In Rosmerta's rush to leave the room, she didn't notice the girl touch her necklace and quietly follow her.

0o0

Ava followed the innkeeper – confident that the Xanthous stone around her neck would keep her presence hidden – dodging the many puddles of water that littered the street.

Her eyes widened as she took in the Dark Mark, hovering above the castle, and partially filtered by dark clouds. She steeled herself against the thread of fear that curled in her belly. She'd known when she volunteered that this was a possibility, that she would encounter Death Eaters while completing this favor for Grandfather.

Nothing was going according to plan! This was supposed to be as easy pie. Apparate as close as she could to the school, use the stone to monitor the boy's welfare, and then report back to Grandfather with the news the teenager was just fine.

Her unfamiliarity with Scottish weather had worked against her. She hadn't realized that the storm would be so severe. The cold heavy drops of water had forced her to take shelter in the Inn. As soon as she smelled the rich stew cooking, her stomach had sealed the deal. She'd decided that she might as well eat as she waited out the storm, but by the time the storm ended it was very near dark.

The Xanthous stone was powerful, but there were far too many variables weighed against using it after nightfall. Ava had heard stories about the Forbidden Forest and knew better than to try to approach the castle that way. Also, she was sure that the Headmaster, if the rumors were true, had Aurors guarding the perimeter of the school. It would be better to try in the morning. In the end, Ava had decided to err on the side of caution, and booked a room for the evening.

Ava had been on the verge of sleepily making her way upstairs to her bed when the Innkeeper's frightened gasp had startled her into alertness. Something instinctive had told her to follow the woman, and so she'd thrown her damp cloak around her shoulders and followed her into the damp night.

She certainly hadn't expected to find Harry Potter standing over the crumpled form of Albus Dumbledore.

"I saw you Apparate as I was pulling the shades across the front windows! Thank goodness, thank goodness, I couldn't think what to - but what's wrong with Albus?" Rosmerta asked, panting, her voice faint as she tried to draw in a full breath.

"He's hurt," said Harry. "Madam Rosmerta, can he come into the Three Broomsticks while I go up to the school and get help for him?'

"You can't go up there alone! Don't you realize - haven't you seen -?" The woman's voice trailed off as she tried to work past the fright that showed on her face.

"If you help me support him," said Harry, obviously not listening to her, "I think we can get him inside -"

"What has happened?" asked Dumbledore. "Rosmerta, what's wrong?"

"The - the Dark Mark, Albus." the woman said, pointing toward the sky where the mark hung above the school: the blazing green skull with a serpent tongue, the mark Death Eaters left behind whenever they had entered a building ...wherever they had murdered ...

"When did it appear?" asked Dumbledore, and his hand clenching on Harry's shoulder as he struggled to his feet.

"Must have been minutes ago, it wasn't there when I put the cat out out back, but when I went to close the blinds-"

"We need to return to the castle at once," said Dumbledore. "Rosmerta," and though he staggered a little, he seemed wholly in command of the situation, "we need transport –brooms–"

"I've got a couple behind the bar," Rosmerta said, looking very frightened. "Shall I run and fetch–?"

"No, Harry can do it."

Harry raised his wand at once. "Accio Rosmerta's brooms."

A second later Ava heard a loud bang as the front door of the pub burst open; two brooms had shot out into the street and were racing each other to Harry's side, where they stopped dead, quivering slightly, at waist height.

"Rosmerta, please send a message to the Ministry," said Dumbledore, as he mounted the broom nearest him. "It might be that nobody within Hogwarts has yet realized anything is wrong ... Harry, put on your Invisibility Cloak."

Harry pulled a silvery cloak out of his pocket and threw it over himself before mounting his broom; Madam Rosmerta was already tottering back towards her pub as Harry and Dumbledore kicked off from the ground and rose up into the air.

Ava knew that she had to act quickly. This might be her only shot at getting inside the castle covertly. She couldn't just leave. Not when she knew that Draco might – was probably – in trouble.

She clutched the Xanthous stone in one hand, using it to lend power to her Propero spell. She took one huge lungful of air before taking off in a burst of speed, her eyes fixed on the flying brooms in front of her.

"Adspiro," she gasped, her lungs filling with blessed clean air, as her feet flew over the dark, twisting lane that led to the school gates. She knew that she had to make it inside the school grounds at the exact moment the headmaster and Harry did to avoid slamming into whatever enchantments the man had placed on the school.

Ava felt the harsh tingle of a barrier play over her body as she passed through the gates. She followed them to the castle ramparts where they dismounted.

Ava and looked around. The ramparts were deserted, an iron door just to their left was closed tightly. She could see no signs of a struggle, of a fight to the death, of a body, but the stone around her neck pulsed and she knew that Draco was somewhere nearby.

"What does it mean?' Harry asked Dumbledore, his form still hidden under the cloak, "Was the Mark real? Has someone definitely been kill– Professor?"

In the dim green glow from the Mark Ava saw Dumbledore clutching at his chest with a blackened hand.

"Go and wake Severus," said Dumbledore faintly but clearly. "Tell him what has happened and bring him to me. Do nothing else, speak to nobody else and do not remove your Cloak. I shall wait here."

"But–"

"You swore to obey me, Harry. Go!"

Ava heard the heavy iron ring on the closed door to her lift lift as the boy hurried to follow his headmaster's orders. He stopped abruptly, something causing him to pause, and step back if the sound of his footsteps were any indication.

Suddenly, the door burst open and two figures erupted through it one shouting: "Expelliarmus!"

Then, by the light of the Mark, she saw Dumbledore's wand flying in an arc over the edge of the ramparts. Dumbledore stood against the stone, very white in the face, but showing no other sign of panic or distress.

Ava knew exactly who the disarmer was as the stone heated against her skin even before Dumbledore's, "Good evening, Draco. I see that you have Miss Granger with you," the old man said, motioning toward the pale faced auburn haired girl that stood behind the boy.

Draco stepped forward, glancing around quickly to check that they were alone. His eyes fell upon the second broom. "Who else is here?" he asked.

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

Ava saw Draco's pale eyes shift back to Dumbledore in the greenish glare of the Mark.

"This isn't my doing, old man," he said. "This is a result of your shoddy 'protections'. There are Death Eaters here in your school tonight."

"We didn't..." the girl began, staring at the Headmaster in horror. She visibly swallowed. "How could you believe that we..."

"Well, well," said Dumbledore, as though the girl hadn't spoken, his eyes trained on Draco, "Very good indeed. You found a way to let them in, did you?"

"No," said Draco. "You have Zabini to thank for that feat. If you weren't so bloody concerned about your precious "golden" boy, maybe you'd have been paying better attention. All that shit about your being Headmaster for a reason was just that. Bullshit. Great fucking protection you set in place," he said, the sarcasm clear in his voice.

"So, you've thrown your lot back with the Death Eaters?" said Dumbledore. 'Yet...forgive me...where are they now? You seem unsupported."

"They met some of your guard, They're having a fight down below. They won't be long...I came on ahead. Because of your ineptitude, I now have to complete the job I accepted."

"Draco, no. You can't..." the girl – Taryn said. "We can just leave."

"Well, then, you must get on and do it, my dear boy,' said Dumbledore interrupted.

Ava could hear the sounds of the Death Eaters' distant fight, and in front of her, Draco did nothing but stare at Albus Dumbledore who, incredibly, smiled.

"Draco...Draco, you are not a killer," Dumbledore said softly.

"How do you fucking know?" said Draco at once. "You don't know what I'm capable of."

"I have some idea," said Dumbledore mildly. "I haven't forgotten about the Hospital Wing, not to mention that you almost killed Katie Bell. Forgive me, Draco, but your attempt was feeble... so feeble, to be honest, that I wonder whether your heart was really in it..."

Somewhere in the depths of the castle below Taryn heard a muffled yell. Draco stiffened and glanced over his shoulder.

Taryn grasped his arm. "Draco, come on. We can just leave. No one ever has to know–"

"No," Draco said. "We can't. He obviously never trusted us. I knew it was a bad idea to go to him. He doesn't give a shit about you or me. Don't you see? I have to kill him. Its the only way that you and I are going to get out of here alive. Those Death Eater's are right behind us. They saw us coming this way. If I don't kill him they will kill us. We can't count on the Order to help us. He probably never told them that we were on their side."

"Perhaps you ought to get on with the job," suggested Dumbledore. 'What if your back-up has been thwarted by my guard? As you have realized, there are members of the Order of the Phoenix here tonight, too. And after all, you don't really need help ... I have no wand at the moment ... I cannot defend myself."

Draco merely stared at him.

"I see," said Dumbledore kindly, when Draco neither moved nor spoke. "You are afraid to act until they join you."

"I'm not afraid!" snarled Draco, though he still made no move to hurt Dumbledore. "It's you who should be scared!"

"But why? I don't think you will kill me, Draco. You don't want to kill me. Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe...so tell me, while we wait for your friends...how did Mr. Zabini get them in here? It seems to have taken him a long time to work out how to do it."

Draco's arm trembled and took several deep breaths, glaring at Dumbledore, his wand pointing directly at the latter's heart.

"Somebody is putting up a good fight,' said Dumbledore conversationally, as another booming crash sounded. "But you were saying...yes, Blaise Zabini has managed to introduce Death Eaters into my school which, I admit, I thought impossible ... how did he do it?"

Draco said nothing: he was still listening to whatever was happening below, before turning back to Dumbledore. "He was only too happy to blab to whoever passed that he fixed that Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement."

"Aaaah." Dumbledore's sigh was half a groan. He closed his eyes for a moment. "That was clever...there is a pair, I take it?"

"Apparently the other's in Borgin and Burkes," said Draco.

"Very good," murmured Dumbledore. "So the Death Eaters were able to pass from Borgin and Burkes into the school...a clever plan, a very clever plan...and, right under my nose."

"Did you have protection on the school at all?" Draco sneered. "I fucking knew not to trust you!"

Ava saw Dumbledore's feet slide a little on the floor as he struggled to remain upright. "But as for being about to kill me, Draco, you and Miss Granger have had several long minutes now. We are quite alone. I am more defenseless than you can have dreamed of finding me, and still you have not acted..."

Draco's mouth contorted involuntarily, as though he had tasted something very bitter. The struggle was clear on his face.

"There is little time, one way or another,' said Dumbledore. "So let us discuss your options, Draco."

"My options!" said Draco loudly. "I'm standing here with a wand – about to kill you–"

"My dear boy, let us have no more pretense about that. If you were going to kill me, you would have done it when you first Disarmed me, you would not have stopped for this pleasant chat about ways and means. You don't really want to kill me. Hermione would never forgive you, not to mention, the situation regarding your mother..."

"If you've hurt my mother," Draco began, his face suddenly as white as Dumbledore's.

"You needn't concern yourself about your mother's welfare. I did promise that she would be safe," Dumbledore said.

"I have to do it! He'll kill Taryn! He'll find my Mother and have her murdered!"

"I appreciate the difficulty of your position," said Dumbledore. "Why else do you think I accepted your bargain? I had very little to gain by agreeing to your proposal. I knew that you would have been murdered if Lord Voldemort realized that I suspected you. I do care about what happens to you. To you both."

Draco laughed bitterly. "Really? That's why you tried to use Legilimency against me? You know that if he were able to break into my mind he'd have known that I was working for you too."

"I regret that," said Dumbledore. "But now at last we can speak plainly to each other...no harm has been done, you haven't hurt anyone. I can help you, Draco."

"No, you can't,' said Draco, his wand hand shaking very badly indeed. "Nobody can. He told me to do it or he'll kill me. I've got no choice."

"Stay on right side, Draco, and we can hide you and Taryn more completely than you can possibly imagine. Draco...you are not a killer..." He turned his attention toward the girl. "Hermione. You know this isn't the way. You love him for a reason...please."

The girl bit her lip, her face screwing with torment. She turned to Draco. "Please, Draco. Listen to him. We don't have to do this. We can just..."

Draco did not speak. His mouth was open, his wand hand still trembling. Ava saw him begin to lower his hand–

But suddenly footsteps were thundering up the stairs and a second later the couple were buffeted out of the way as four people in black robes burst through the door on to the ramparts. Ava's hand clenched around her wand as she gazed upon four strangers: it seemed the Death Eaters had won the fight below.

A lumpy-looking man with an odd lopsided leer gave a wheezy giggle.

"Dumbledore cornered!" he said, and he turned to a stocky little woman who looked as though she could be his sister and who was grinning eagerly. "Dumbledore wandless, Dumbledore alone! Well done, Draco, well done!"

"Good evening, Amycus," said Dumbledore calmly, as though welcoming the man to a tea party. "And you've brought Alecto too...charming..."

The woman gave an angry little titter. "Think your little jokes'll help you on your death bed, then?' she jeered.

"Jokes? No, no, these are manners," replied Dumbledore.

"Do it," said the stranger standing nearest to Ava, a big, rangy man with matted grey hair and whiskers, whose black Death Eater's robes looked uncomfortably tight. He had a voice like none that Ava had ever heard: a rasping bark of a voice. She could smell a powerful mixture of dirt, sweat and, unmistakeably, of blood coming from him. His filthy hands had long yellowish nails.

"Is that you, Fenrir?" asked Dumbledore.

"That's right," rasped the disgustingly dirty man. "Pleased to see me, Dumbledore?"

"No, I cannot say that I am..."

Fenrir Greyback grinned, showing pointed teeth. Blood trickled down his chin and he licked his lips slowly, obscenely. "But you know how much I like kids, Dumbledore."

"Am I to take it that you are attacking even without the full moon now? This is most unusual...you have developed a taste for human flesh that cannot be satisfied once a month?"

"That's right," said Greyback. "Shocks you, that, does it, Dumbledore? Frightens you?"

"Well, I cannot pretend it does not disgust me a little," said Dumbledore. "And, yes, I am a little shocked that Voldemort allowed you, of all people, into the school where his young operatives live..."

"I wouldn't want to miss a trip to Hogwarts, Dumbledore," rasped Greyback. "Not when there are throats to be ripped out...delicious, delicious ..." He eyed the girl standing next to Draco, chuckling at the snarl the teenager emitted. "Don't worry baby Malfoy. I'll leave your bird alone. I had a...snack on the way up here."

He raised a yellow fingernail and picked at his front teeth, as he turned to leer at Dumbledore. "I could do you for afters, Dumbledore..."

"No," said the fourth Death Eater sharply. He had a heavy, brutal-looking face. "We've got orders. Draco's got to do it. Now, Draco, and quickly."

Draco drew in a deep breath, his face settling into resolved lines as he stared into Dumbledore's face, which was even paler, and rather lower than usual, as he had slid so far down the rampart wall.

"He's not long for this world anyway, if you ask me!" said the lopsided man, to the accompaniment of his sister's wheezing giggles. "Look at him-what's happened to you, then, Dumby?"

"Oh, weaker resistance, slower reflexes, Amycus," said Dumbledore. "Old age, in short...one day, perhaps, it will happen to you...if you are lucky..."

"What's that mean, then, what's that mean?" yelled the Death Eater, suddenly violent. "Always the same, weren't yeh, Dumby, talking and doing nothing, nothing, I don't even know why the Dark Lord's bothering to kill yeh! Come on, Draco, do it!"

But at that moment, there were renewed sounds of scuffling from below and a voice shouted, "They've blocked the stairs – Reducto! REDUCTO!"

So these four had not eliminated all opposition, Ava though, but merely broken through the fight to the top of the Tower, and, by the sound of it, created a barrier behind them–

"Now, Draco, quickly!" said the brutal-faced man angrily.

Draco's hand was shaking so badly that he could barely aim.

"I'll do it," snarled Greyback, moving towards Dumbledore with his hands outstretched, his teeth bared.

"I said no!" shouted the brutal-faced man; there was a flash of light and the werewolf was blasted out of the way; he hit the ramparts and staggered, looking furious. Ava's heart was hammering so hard it seemed impossible that nobody could hear her standing there.

"Draco, do it, or stand aside so one of us–" screeched the woman, but at that precise moment the door to the ramparts burst open once more and there stood a man, his black hair blowing across his face in the wind, his wand clutched in his hand as his black eyes swept the scene, from Dumbledore slumped against the wall, to the four Death Eaters, the enraged werewolf, and Draco and Taryn.

"We've got a problem, Snape," said the lumpy Amycus, addressing the man who'd just stepped on the ramparts, though his eyes and wand never strayed from Dumbledore, "the boy doesn't seem able–"

But Dumbledore had spoken Snape's name, quite softly, pleadingly "Severus..."

Snape said nothing, but walked forwards and pushed Draco roughly out of the way. The three Death Eaters fell back without a word. Even the werewolf seemed cowed.

Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face.

"Severus... please..."

Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore. "Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light shot from the end of Snape's wand and hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest. Dumbledore was blasted into the air: for a split second he seemed to hang suspended beneath the shining skull, and then he fell slowly backwards, like a great rag doll, over the battlements and out of sight.

"We need to get out of here, quickly," said Snape, turning toward Draco and Taryn.

He forced him through the door ahead of the rest; Greyback and the squat brother and sister followed, the latter both panting excitedly.

As they vanished through the door, Ava quickly followed behind them. She heard footsteps behind her – she'd almost forgotten that Harry had been hidden the entire time – and managed to duck as Petrificus Totalus was shouted behind her.

The Death Eater in front of her buckled as though hit in the back with something solid and fell to the ground, rigid as a waxwork, but he had barely hit the floor as Ava jumped over him, frantic to remain both ahead of Harry and just behind the fleeing Death Eaters.

She leapt the last few steps of the spiral staircase and stopped where she landed, her wand raised.

The dimly lit corridor was full of dust; half the ceiling seemed to have fallen in; and a battle was raging before her, but even as she attempted to make out who were fighting whom, she heard the hated voice shout, "It's over, time to go!" and saw Snape disappearing around the corner at the far end of the corridor; he and Draco seemed to have forced their way through the fight unscathed.

She heard as Harry, who was still behind her, got caught in a tussle with the werewolf, Fenrir. She wanted to help him, but she couldn't lose Draco.

She skidded around the corner, her boots slippery with blood against the stone. Was it possible that they had already entered that cabinet, or had the someone made steps to secure it, to prevent the Death Eaters retreating that way?

She could hear nothing but his own pounding feet, her own hammering heart as she sprinted along the next empty corridor, the Xanthous stone pulsing against her skin as it led the way. She skidded around another corner and just managed to dodge a curse flew past her; covering her head against a suit of armor that exploded.

She saw the brother and sister running down the marble staircase ahead and aimed jinxes at them. She wanted to use the Propero spell once more, but the Stone had limited reserves and they would need them. She leapt over a pile of crumbled stone, hearing more shouts and screams; other people within the castle seemed to have awoken...

She ran as fast as she could, hoping to overtake the brother and sister and close in on Snape and Draco, who must surely have reached the grounds by now. She burst through a tapestry at the bottom of the staircase and out into a corridor where a number of bewildered and pajama-clad teenagers stood.

Ava lurched around two boys aside as she sprinted toward the landing and down the remainder of the marble staircase. The oak front doors had been blasted open, there were smears of blood on the flagstones, and several terrified students stood huddled against the walls, one or two still cowering with their arms over their faces. A giant hourglass had been hit by a curse, and the rubies within were still falling, with a loud rattle, onto the flagstones below.

Ava flew across the entrance hall and out into the dark grounds: She could just make out three figures racing across the lawn, heading for the gates beyond which they could Disapparate.

A flash of light in the distance that momentarily silhouetted his quarry. She did not know what it was but continued to run, not yet near enough to get a good aim with a charm–

There was another flash, shouts, and retaliatory jets of light. Someone else was trying to keep the Death Eater's from escaping.

"Stupefy!" Ava heard Harry cry behind her, but he missed; the jet of red light soared past Snape's head; Snape shouted, "Run, Draco!" before turning back to engage Harry.

"Impedimenta!" Ava called, thanking her lucky stars as the charm hit the couple before they could reach the gates.

Ava allowed the concealing spell around her to fade as the couple struggled to their feet. "I'm here to help– "

"Stupify!" Taryn yelled, aiming her wand at the unknown woman in front of them.

Ava easily blocked the spell. "Stop! Please! I've been sent here by Kieve to help you."

"Why should we believe you?" Draco asked, blood trailing from a cut on his forehead. "You could be anyone..."

"Just touch my hand..." Ava said, sliding her wand into her pocket.

"Don't do it Draco," Taryn said, eying the woman. "We don't know who she is."

Draco knew that it was probably the height of folly, but he reached out to clasp the woman's hand.

His blood seemed to thrum in his veins in recognition. This was...family. "Who are you?" He asked hoarsely.

"Grab her hand," Ava said, nodding toward Taryn. She grasped her necklace with her free hand. "This necklace will act as a portkey. Once we are away I will explain everything."

Draco didn't think, he just grabbed Taryn's hand and let the portkey rip them away from the school grounds.

0o0

They landed on a wide open plain. With nothing in the distance for what seemed like miles.

Draco pulled his hand from the woman's, now taking a good look at her. His eyes took in the dusky brown skin, and curly hair but stopped on the big grey eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked once more, his wand raising to point squarely at the woman.

Ava smiled. "Wow, is that any way to greet your great-great-niece?"

Draco's eyes widened in shock.

(¯`·._.· THIS CONCLUDES PART ONE OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF BIRTHRIGHT ·._.·´¯)