XXXXXX

For some reason, the day just dragged along very slowly as classes seemed much longer than usual. Things just felt weird to him, he couldn't explain why. Another strange thing was every time Harry walked through the crowded hall to get to his next lesson he would see Percy going through as well, giving him a dirty look when they crossed paths. He always got the feeling Percy didn't like him much but he wouldn't have guessed the young ministry worker actually hated him.

When he saw Ron he mentioned nothing of Percy and Harry wondered if his older brother even visited him when he was in the infirmary. Ron wasn't in the best of moods at the moment and Harry guessed that his mind was still on seeing with sister with Malfoy at breakfast.

Even DADA class today was different as Snape seemed completely distracted. He didn't even insult Neville when he failed to properly execute a complex stunning spell. Harry continued thinking over these things as he ate when it was finally time for dinner. When everyone else was heading up when they finished he remembered that he didn't have a lesson with Snape tonight.

He figured that he would try to spend time with Ron, try to calm him down about what happened today with Malfoy if he wanted to talk about it but out of the corner of his eye saw Dumbledore approaching him.

"Harry." He cheerfully greeted.

"Professor." Harry smiled back.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you about a few things."

"Alright. Is anything wrong?"

"No, not at all. Meet me at my office in an hour, and Harry could you bring your invisibility cloak?"

His brows furrowed for a second at the request but agreed. An hour later, Harry appeared in front of the door of Dumbledore's office with cloak in hand like he had been asked. He prepared to knock but the door opened and the elder wizard smiled as he walked out into the hall to join him.

"Right on time. Why don't we start walking?"

The two began heading down the hallway and Harry brought up his first question.

"Sir, why was Percy Weasley here today?"

"Ministry business."

"That's what he told me. What kind of business?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I assume to see how things were going. On the minister's behalf."

"You don't think the ministry will try to interfere with the way things run around here will they?"

"Oh no, it's nothing like that. It was just a courtesy extended by them. I don't mind, really."

The two them reached the staircase and Dumbledore took a step up as Harry followed him. As they continued their way up, he then realized they were going up to the Astronomy Tower.

"What are we doing?"

"Walking and chatting." Dumbledore answered.

"A strange day indeed." Harry then mumbled to himself as he looked down at his cloak and wondered just why he was asked to bring it.

"How are things going with Professor Snape?" Dumbledore then asked.

"Just fine. He's taught me a lot of useful spells."

"Good."

"He cancelled our lesson tonight though. Do you know why?"

"His role." The old wizard sighed. "The role he plays for our side. It takes a toll on him sometimes. It's understandable, he is human after all."

It was hard to think of Snape that way, he was always so cold and so emotionless that sometimes Harry forget that even he had to feel things like every other person did. The two of them reached the top of the tower and Dumbledore smiled as he slowly took a seat on the floor, looking up at the bright starts. Harry took a seat as well, looking towards the sky…it certainly was a beautiful night.

Back downstairs however, Percy was looking towards the large clock before him. He then looked to his left and saw Snape walking towards him, a hardened expression on his face. The two of them the wordlessly looked upon the large wall that was often bare without the door. Snape then nodded to him when the door appeared and they entered the room, making their way towards the cabinet.

After a few more seconds of waiting, Percy opened it as black smoke poured out of it and out came a woman, followed by four other men.

Bellatrix glanced around and smiled sadistically.

XXXXXX

"Do you trust Snape?"

Up on the Astronomy Tower, Dumbledore and Harry continued to sit and watch the sky when the old wizard started up the conversation again. Harry looked at him and shrugged.

"Do you?"

"Of course."

"Then I do too."

"I hope so, Harry. And that's something I've been meaning to tell you. You may not like him, but just trust him."

Harry nodded before asking;

"Sir, how come you were never able to beat Voldemort? You're a great wizard, surely you could have stopped him."

He had seen for himself their duel at the ministry and knew it was easier said than done, but still. Dumbledore had kept up with Voldemort, he had just as much chance at killing him than Harry did, maybe more so.

"I've tried Harry, believe me. But in the end, I couldn't. Because it was not me who was meant to stop him."

"It really will have to be me?"

"Yes." Dumbledore answered sadly. "It's a great burden, I know. But as no one can stop Voldemort other than yourself it works the other way as well. No one can stop you other than the Dark Lord."

Harry nodded a little as Dumbledore then looked at his hands, at the cloak.

"May I see that?"

He carefully handed over the invisibility cloak as Dumbledore took it and looked it over. Harry then stopped paying attention as Dumbledore then took out his wand and had it pointed towards him.

"Petrificus totalis."

Harry then froze up as he slowly toppled to the side. What the hell was going on? What was he doing? Dumbledore was then on his feet and threw the cloak over his body.

"Any wizard can be beaten, no matter how bizarre their powers may seem." Dumbledore began. "You can stop the Dark Lord. Just follow your heart, Harry. And you'll never go wrong."

Dumbledore then turned around when he heard footsteps from behind him and Percy had his wand out and yelled out;

'Expelliarmus!'

His wand flew from his hand and into Percy's. The younger man then smiled evilly as he narrowed his eyes at the older wizard and pocketed the wand.

"Dumbledore." He snarled. "I heard you talking to someone. Who's up here with you?"

"No one, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore smiled. "I'm here alone. I often find that stargazing make me sleepy."

Harry could only look on from where he was immobilized and hidden on the floor. What the hell was Percy doing? His eyes then widened when he saw Bellatrix and several Death Eaters appear behind him, their wands drawn.

"Why are you doing this, Percy?" Dumbledore asked.

"I am doing what I was taught to, respecting my superiors and helping them maintain their authority. I would have thought that you would understand. Wasn't that the whole point of appointing me Head Boy?"

"Don't you see what pain you will bring to your family?"

"You dare mention my family?" Percy spat, his voice raising. "After what you've done!?"

"Come now, my boy-"

"You put my family on the wrong side and always put them in danger, too!" Percy cried, his eyes screwing up in anger as he glared at his one-time idol. "I thought that it was Potter that was the culprit, but it wasn't at all, it was always you!"

"Surely you don't believe that?" Dumbledore asked softly. "It's not true at all."

"Isn't it?" he shouted. "They all believed him and rejected me!"

"How will what you're doing solve anything?"

"Enough!" Bellatrix then screamed.

Harry continued to helplessly look on. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Percy couldn't be a Death Eater, but here was with them all, his wand drawn on Dumbledore. Then his heart skipped a beat when he suddenly saw Snape come upon them with his wand drawn. He never thought he'd be happy to see him, but he certainly was now.

"Severus." Dumbledore greeted.

Snape didn't say a word as Bellatrix was glaring at him now. All the other Death Eaters including Percy had their wands still on Dumbledore. Snape merely continued to stare at the headmaster. He then slowly lifted his wand and pointed it towards him.

'What are you doing!?' Harry tried to yell. 'Snape, help him!'

"Severus." Dumbledore said again before smiling. "Please."

A few more seconds went by as Snape gave him a look of regret before saying;

'Avada Kedvera!'

'No!'

Harry couldn't believe what he had just heard or just watched. Dumbledore had just been hit by the killing curse and had fallen backwards, falling off the tower. From where he was, he could hear the sickening sound of his body hitting the ground…Dumbledore was dead and he was killed by a man he trusted. Snape had betrayed him.

He was in such a state of shock that he hadn't realized they had all left and that his body was free to move again. Harry started kicking until the cloak was off him and he stumbled to his feet before collapsing against the wall. He looked around widely, looking for Dumbledore's killer.

"Snape!"

Downstairs, the Death Eaters or namely Bellatrix was causing chaos. She was using her wand to destroy anything in sight as she screamed and chanted. They made their way through the great hall and Bellatrix ran across one of the long tables, kicking all the plates and utensils along the way before turning around and firing a curse at the stage which caused a massive explosion.

Harry was running after them, muscles still uncoordinated but he didn't care. They made their way out of the main door and were heading down the hill when they finally heard his voice.

"Snape!"

Snape finally stopped when he heard him and slowly turned back around to see Harry rushing towards him, tripping over his own feet.

"He trusted you!"

He was then before him and lifted his wand before yelling out a curse that was easily blocked. Harry sent out another, then another but was blocked again and again. The strange thing was, Snape didn't send back a curse of his own.

"Fight back!" Harry yelled, nearly out of breath. "You coward, fight back!"

'Crucio!'

Harry then yelled out as his body hit the ground and went through an incredible amount of pain. Bellatrix had hit him with the unforgivable but Snape quickly made her take it off of him.

"No! He is for the Dark Lord."

Bellatrix glared at him for a moment but turned away and continued her exit from the school grounds. Snape looked back at Harry one last time before going along with them. Harry was laying on the ground, gasping for air trying to get his breathing back to normal. He didn't know how long...minutes later he finally got up and saw that Snape, Bellatrix, Percy, and the other Death Eaters were gone. He then looked up and saw the dark mark in the sky, hovering over Hogwarts.

He slowly walked around to where Dumbledore had fallen and saw that many of the students were out in their pajamas, woken up by the havoc Bellatrix had caused. He pushed through them until he finally came across the headmaster and dropped to his knees beside his body.

His eyes began to fill with tears as Hermione came over next to him and embraced him, crying on his shoulder. Most of them were now crying, Minerva included as she looked up at the mark, the last thing she wanted to see right now.

Taking out her wand, she raised it up in the air and a small light flashed from it. Ron and Ginny looked at her before looking at each other and mimicking her action. Luna did the same, as did Neville and Seamus, Susan Bones and Lavender Brown. Even a few Slytherin students pointed their wands in the air and soon the whole crowd had their wands raised.

Slowly, the mark began to dissipates from the air as they all mourned their fallen headmaster.