Lily stood in the hospital wing. Her cuts and scrapes had been healed, but Bill was in serious trouble, and almost everyone was here. Harry had been seen running through the halls, but Ginny had gone to find him.
The day had started peaceably enough. James, herself, Remus, Tonks, Bill, and some teachers were patrolling the corridors when Ron, Ginny, and Neville had run into them and said that they had seen Malfoy coming out of the Room of Requirement, and he had used Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder to keep them from following him. Minutes later, the Order had found the Death Eaters heading toward the Astronomy Tower.
A fight had broken out. At one point, one of the Death Eaters had run up to the tower, but he was quickly back. The skirmish had been brief and fierce. Neville had been hurt, but not seriously. Bill had been attacked by Greyback. A huge blonde Death Eater had started firing killing curses left and right. Luckily, none of them had been hit, only one other Death Eater. At some point, Flitwick had been sent to get Severus, which Lily thought was a mistake. How could he keep his cover if he fought on their side? But there hadn't been time to argue; they were losing.
Then most of the Death Eaters ran up the stairs, blocking them behind them. The big blonde Death Eater was still firing off jinx and curses. No one could get through the barrier. Then, Severus arrived, and he ran through it as if it wasn't there. Remus tried to follow but was thrown back just like before.
After that, the blonde accidentally collapsed part of the ceiling. This broke the barrier, but before anyone could head up there, Severus and Malfoy ran past. Lily thought he was concentrating on protecting the kid. This was around the time Harry had been seen sprinting through the halls. Unfortunately, Lily had no time to follow him, or stop him, or figure out why he hadn't been there before when his friends were, or why he was there now. Then the Death Eater's were in full retreat, for some reason. They had chased them for a while, but it was too late.
Finally, they broke off the chase. McGonagall sent everyone to the hospital wing and went to contact Arthur and Molly. After they got there, Hermione and Luna arrived eventually, and Ginny went looking for Harry, and it was over.
They were now discussing why the Death Eater's were there and why they left.
"They either left because they had accomplished what they had set out to do, or because they knew they couldn't do what they wanted to do and thought it best to retreat," said James.
"What could they have possibly done on the Astronomy tower?" Tonks asked.
"Why did they go up to the Astronomy tower to begin with?" Remus replied.
The doors opened, and they all turned to look. Harry and Ginny walked in, and Lily could immediately tell that something had gone very wrong. She quickly crossed the room and hugged her son. James followed, looking anxious.
"Are you alright, Harry?" He asked.
"I'm fine. How's Bill?"
Lily did not know how to answer that question. How was Bill? His case was unique. Nobody else seemed to know what to say either. As one, they all turned to look at his bed. His face was grotesquely scarred.
"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" Harry asked Madam Pomfrey.
"No charm will work on these," she said, from where she was dabbing awful smelling, green ointment on Bill's face. "I've tried everything I know, but there's just no cure for werewolf bites."
"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron, staring at his brother. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a... a real..."
"No, I don't think Bill will be a full werewolf," Remus replied, "but that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and... and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on."
"Dumbledore might know something that'd work though," Ron said. Lily doubted it, but selfishly decided to let Dumbledore break that news. "Where is he?" Ron continued. "Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state."
"Ron," said Ginny, and there was something in her voice that sent ice down Lily's back. "Dumbledore's dead."
For a moment, Ginny's words didn't register at all. It couldn't be. It simply wasn't possible. Dumbledore was dead. Albus Dumbledore was dead! Lily suddenly felt like the floor was falling out from under her, or maybe the room was spinning around her. She dropped into the nearest chair, feeling nothing but shock.
As if from a great distance, she could hear voices around her. "How did he die?" Tonks whispered. "How did it happen?"
"Snape killed him."
Well, that wasn't true. That was ridiculous. And if this wasn't true, then maybe Dumbledore was still alive. "No," she said in a quiet tone that still managed to cut through the room.
"Mum," Harry's voice held the slightest hint of exasperation. "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was. Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realized it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilized me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility cloak. And then Malfoy came through the door and disarmed him. More Death Eaters arrived... and then Snape... and Snape did it. The Avada Kedavra."
Lily felt James hand on her shoulder, but it didn't matter. It wasn't true. Harry was mistaken. He had always hated Severus, had always jumped at the chance to blame him for every little thing. She knew Severus, knew him better than anyone else in the entire world. He couldn't have done this.
Then a sound reached them, beautiful and heartbreaking. The stricken lament of a phoenix who had just lost his master. Fawkes.
Dumbledore was dead.
Harry was right about that, maybe he was right about... no.
Lily let out a sob, but no tears came. James knelt by her side, his hand moving from her shoulder to her knee and tightening there.
"Arthur and Molly are on their way," came McGonagall's voice. She must have entered the room at some point. "Harry, what happened? According to Hagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he... when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some..."
"Snape killed Dumbledore," Harry repeated.
Lily's head snapped up at the words, the horrible words that still didn't make sense. McGonagall was the closest thing Severus had to a friend besides her. If she believed...
McGonagall swayed alarmingly. Lily could see the belief in her eyes and felt her own heart crack. "Snape," McGonagall said, faintly, falling into the chair Madam Pomfrey conjured for her. "We all wondered... but he trusted... always... Snape... I can't believe it..."
"Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumens," said Remus, harshly. Lily didn't miss that he called him 'Snape' rather than 'Severus.' "We always knew that."
They were all against her, and her unspoken, weakening denial. Even James' silent support spoke of acceptance.
"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!" whispered Tonks. "I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snape we didn't..."
Dumbledore did know something they didn't, and Lily knew it too. Severus loved her, and... and she had refused him, driven him away after a mistake, married his hated adversary. How could she expect him to continue to love her when she didn't reciprocate?
But, no. It didn't matter if Severus still loved her romantically. They were friends, and that was reciprocated. They had mended things between them; they were friends, best friends, these past years since her recovery, and that was real.
Wasn't it?
"He always hinted that he had an ironclad reason for trusting Snape," McGonagall was saying, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. "I mean... with Snape's history... of course people were bound to wonder... but Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape's repentance was absolutely genuine... Wouldn't hear a word against him."
"I'd love to know what Snape told him to convince him," said Tonks.
"I know," said Harry. Lily looked quickly at him. She felt James tense at her side.
"What do you know, Harry?" He asked quietly and a little hoarsely. Lily knew that he was getting no pleasure from all the talk (evidence?) about Severus being a traitor. They had worked through it, made a shaky truce, respected each other. Right?
Harry wouldn't look at them. "Snape passed Voldemort the information that made Voldemort hunt down you two. Then Snape told Dumbledore he hadn't realized what he was doing, he was really sorry he'd done it, sorry you were... 'dead.'"
James relaxed next to her. Lily knew that he didn't want to explain the complicated true circumstances. It was important it stayed a secret because... well, what did it matter now? Maybe it did, maybe it made all the difference. Lily couldn't make sense of it. The last time Severus had gone to the Death Eaters, it had hurt, but she had expected it. Now she knew the reasons he did, surely, they didn't apply anymore? Nothing was making sense.
"And Dumbledore believed that?" said Remus, looking incredulously at James. "Snape hated James!"
"Don't look at me," James said, waving one hand in a helpless gesture, "I know as much about it as you do."
It was not the first time James had lied to his friends. Did lies really come that easy? What was the difference between big ones and little ones really? They all bred catastrophe.
"And I bet he didn't think Mum was worth a thing either," said Harry, "because she's Muggle-born... 'Mudblood' he called her..."
Lily's cracked heart shattered. Not because of the Mudblood thing; that was over and done with and they were both to blame. But... Lily had never doubted that her friendship with Severus at school had been genuine. She still didn't. She would never have thought she'd doubt the friendship they shared since she awoke, and they'd fixed things. But... what if he had moved on more than she thought he had? What if these last years hadn't been real? Maybe she meant nothing to him.
She got to her feet and paced the room, her arms wrapped tightly around her, as if she would fly apart if she didn't hold herself together.
"This is my fault," said McGonagall. "My fault. I sent Filius to fetch Snape tonight, I actually sent for him to come and help us! If I hadn't alerted Snape to what was going on, he might never have joined forces with the Death Eaters. I don't think he knew they were there before Filius told him. I don't think he knew they were coming."
"It isn't your fault, Minerva," said Remus, firmly, "We all wanted more help, we were glad to think Snape was on his way..."
"So, when he arrived at the fight, he joined in on the Death Eaters' side?" Harry asked. He sounded eager, like he couldn't wait for more evidence of his adversary's treachery.
"No," said James, "He just ran past."
"I don't know exactly how it happened," said McGonagall. What followed was a long conversation of swapped stories as the Order and the DA told what they had done, and Harry explained how the Death Eaters had gotten into the school in the first place.
Lily didn't listen to any of it. She felt like a cold stone had settled into her stomach. Even Wormtail's betrayal had not felt like this.
She could deny it all she wanted. It wouldn't change the truth. Severus had betrayed them. Betrayed her. She knew she could trust Harry on this, despite his hatred of her fr... of Snape. As Fudge had said once, he often had an unbelievable story at the end of the year, and they were always accurate. First 'Sirius is innocent,' then 'Voldemort is back,' and now 'Severus Snape is a traitor.' Somehow, that was the most unbelievable of them all.
The doors burst open. Everyone jumped. Molly, Arthur, and Fleur entered, looking terrified.
"Arthur, Molly," said McGonagall, jumping up and hurrying to greet them. "I am so sorry."
"Bill," Molly whispered, darting to his side, "Oh, Bill!"
Remus and Tonks hastily retreated so the Weasley's could get nearer the bed. "You said Greyback attacked him?" Arthur asked. "But he hadn't transformed? So, what does that mean? What will happen to Bill?"
"We don't know yet," said McGonagall.
"There will probably be some contamination, Arthur," Remus said, "It is an odd case, possibly unique... We don't know what his behavior might be like when he awakens..."
Molly took the ointment from Madam Pomfrey and began dabbing at Bill's wounds.
"And Dumbledore..." said Arthur. Lily rubbed at her head, suddenly feeling a headache coming on. News travelled fast. "Minerva, is it true? Is he really..."
Professor McGonagall nodded.
"Dumbledore gone," whispered Arthur.
Molly was still focused on Bill. "Of course, it doesn't matter how he looks... It's not r, really important... but he was a very handsome little b, boy. Always very handsome... and he was g, going to be married."
Lily shook herself out of her misery, forcing herself to truly pay attention. Shoving her pain aside, glad of a distraction. She knew Fleur well enough to know that wouldn't go over very well, and sure enough...
"And what do you mean by zat?" She demanded, loudly, "What do you mean, ' 'e was going to be married?'"
"Well... only that..." Molly stammered.
"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore? You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"
Lily glanced at Remus. She knew Molly knew the details of his situation, but she doubted that had been what she meant.
"No, that's not what I..." Molly began.
"Because 'e will!" Fleur interrupted, drawing herself up and throwing back her hair. "It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!"
"Well, yes, I'm sure," said Molly, "but I thought perhaps... given how... how he..."
"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you hoped?" Fleur was smart; Lily was sure that she had hit the nail on the head. Somehow, despite spending most of the summer at the burrow, it didn't seem that Fleur and Molly had gotten to know each other at all. "What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" She added, snatching the ointment from Molly and taking over mopping up Bill's wounds. Lily almost wished he could have been awake for this.
Nobody said anything. Lily wondered if or when Molly was going to explode. "Our Great-Auntie Muriel," said Molly, after a pause, "Has a very beautiful tiara, goblin-made, which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair."
Lily recognized a peace offering when she saw one. Apparently, so did Fleur. "Thank you," she said, "I am sure zat will be lovely."
Then they were both sobbing and hugging each other.
Well, Lily thought, that's one family drama solved.
"You see!" Tonks cried in a strained voice, glaring at Remus. Oh, there goes another one. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"
Remus looked a little like he wanted to be anywhere else. "It's different," he said, "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely..."
"But I don't care either, I don't care!" said Tonks, seizing the front of Remus' robes and shaking them. Honestly, Lily was surprised it had taken this long for her to snap. Though, she could have had this argument before in private. "I've told you a million times..."
"And I've told you a million times," said Remus, staring at the floor, "that I am too old for you, too poor, too dangerous..."
"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus," said Molly over Fleur's back.
"Here, here," said James with a ghost of a grin.
"I am not being ridiculous," said Remus, "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole..."
"She deserves someone she loves, and who loves her back," said Lily, "and that's you."
"After all Remus," Arthur put in, "young and whole men do not necessarily remain so." He gestured sadly at Bill.
"This is..." Remus looked around as if for help.
"Don't look at me," said James, with an actual smile this time, although his eyes were serious, "You know my opinion on this matter. Honestly, Remus, I don't see why you're denying your and her happiness over your furry little problem."
"This is... not the moment to discuss it," said Remus, avoiding everyone's eyes. "Dumbledore is dead..."
"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," said McGonagall.
At that moment, Hagrid entered the room, shaking with tears. "I've... I've done it, Professor," he choked. "M, moved him. Professor Sprout's got the kids back in bed. Professor Flitwick's lyin' down, but he says he'll be all righ' in a jiffy, an' Professor Slughorn says the Ministry's bin informed."
"Thank you, Hagrid," said Professor McGonagall, standing up. "I shall have to see the Ministry when they get here. Hagrid, please tell the heads of Houses, Slughorn can represent Slytherin..." Lily shuddered. "...that I would like to see them in my office forthwith. I would like you to join us too."
Hagrid nodded and left. McGonagall turned to Harry. "Before I meet them I would like a quick word with you, Harry. If you'll come with me..."
Harry stood, muttered "see you in a bit," and left. The group sat in relative silence after that. The drama had passed, and the mourning began.