The Lightning Struck Tower

Once they were back under the starry sky, Arthur heaved Dumbledore to the top of the nearest boulder and then helped him onto his feet.

Sodden and shivering, Dumbeldore's weight was still upon Arthur as he concentrated on his destination: Hogsmeade. He then closed his eyes while gripping Dumbledore's arm as tight as he could before he stepped forwards into the feeling of awful compression.

He knew it worked before he even opened his eyes: the smell of the salty sea breeze was gone.

He and Dumbledore were shivering and dripping in the middle of the dark High Street in Hogsmeade.

All Arthur saw as he blinked was a still and dark village with only a few street lamps and lit upper windows providing any light.

"We did it, Professor!" He whispered with eagerness despite the searing stitch in his chest. "We made it back! And we got the Horcrux!"

Dumbledore staggered against him and for a moment, Arthur thought that his attempt at Apparition threw him off balance. He then saw his face, which was paler and damper than ever in the distant light of a street lamp.

"Are you alright, sir?"

"I've been better." Dumbledore said weakly, though the corners of his mouth twitched. "That potion… was no health drink…."

Then, to Arthur's horror, he sank to the ground.

"Whoa! It's okay, sir, you'll be alright."

He then looked around desperately for any help, but there was no one to be seen and all he could think of was that Dumbledore needed to get to the hospital wing as soon as possible.

"You need to get to the school, sir… Madam Pomfrey…."

"No." Dumbledore said. "It is… Professor Snape whom I need… but I do not think… I can walk very far just yet…."

"Look, I'm going to know on a door, find a place you can stay and then I'll go and get Madam -"

"Severus." Dumbledore said clearly. "I need Severus…."

"Fine. But I have to leave you for a moment so I can -"

Before he could make a move, Arthur heard running footsteps.

His heart leapt as someone saw them… someone who can help. He looked to see that it was Madam Rosmerta, who scurried down the dark street towards them on high heeled, fluffy slippers, wearing a silk dressing gown embroidered with dragons.

"I saw you Apparate as I was pulling my bedroom curtains! Thank goodness, thank goodness, I couldn't think what to - but what's wrong with Albus?"

She came to a halt, panting and staring wide eyed at Dumbledore.

"He's hurt." Arthur told her. "Madam Rosmerta, he needs to go into the Three Broomsticks while I go to the school and get help for him."

"You can't go up there alone! Don't you realise - haven't you seen -?"

"What is it?" Arthur asked, worried about the scared expression on her face.

"The - the Dark Mark!"

She pointed up into the sky, in the direction of Hogwarts.

Arthur felt horror and dread flood him as he saw it: hanging in the sky above the school, a blazing green skull with a serpent tongue. The mark Death Eaters leave behind when they've entered a building… of those they have murdered.

"When did it appear?" Dumbledore asked as his hand clenched painfully on Arthur's shoulder as he struggled onto his feet.

"Must have been minutes ago, it wasn't there when I put the cat out, but when I got upstairs -"

"We need to return to the castle at once." Dumbledore said. "Rosmerta…" He staggered a little, though he was in command of the situation. "...we need transport - brooms -"

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

"No, Arthur can do it."

"Accio Rosmerta's brooms." Arthur raised his wand.

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

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

Arthur did just that, pulling his Cloak from his pocket and threw it over himself before mounting his broom.

Rosmerta was already making her way to her pub when Arthur and Dumbledore kicked off from the ground and rose up to the air.

As they sped to the castle, Arthur glanced at Dumbledore, ready to grab him if he ever fell, though the sight of the Dark Mark acted as a stimulant for the older man: he bent low over his broom, his eyes fixed upon the Mark, his long silver hair and beard flying behind him in the night air.

Arthur looked ahead at the skull as well, fear swelling up like a bubble.

How long had they been away? Did Mike, David and Chrys' luck run out already? Were any of them the reason for the Dark Mark, or was it Mary, Neville or Luna, or another member of the DA? And if it was any of them, it would be his fault as he told them to patrol the corridors.

As the two flew over the dark, twisting lane down where they had walked earlier, Arthur heard, over the whistling of the air in his ears, Dumbledore muttering in that odd language again.

He knew why as his broom shuddered for a moment as they flew over the boundary wall into the school grounds: Dumbledore undid the enchantments that he set around the castle, just so they could enter at speed.

The Dark Mark was directly above the Astronomy Tower, the highest part of the castle. Did the death occur there?

Dumbledore already crossed the crenellated ramparts and dismounted when Arthur landed next to him seconds later and looked around.

The ramparts were deserted and the door to the spiral staircase that led to the castle was closed. There wasn't a sign of a struggle, of a fight to the death, or even a body.

Arthur's mind went over various possibilities when he noticed that Dumbledore clutched his chest with his blackened hand.

"Sir?"

"Go and wake Severus." Dumbledore said faint 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, Arthur - go!"

Arthur turned and hurried over to the door to the spiral staircase, but his hand had barely closed upon the iron ring of the door when he heard footsteps on the other side running.

He looked to Dumbledore, who gestured him to retreat.

Arthur backed off, drawing his wand as he did so.

The door then burst open and someone erupted through it, shouting "Expelliarmus!"

Arthur's body suddenly became rigid and immoble before he fell back against the Tower wall, propped up like some unsteady statue, unable to move or speak.

By the light of the Mark, he saw Dumbledore's wand flying in an arc over the edge of the ramparts and he knew that it was Dumbledore who wordlessly immobilised him. And that second to perform the spell cost him a chance to defend himself.

Standing against the ramparts and very white in the face, Dumbledore showed no sign of panic or distress, merely looking at the one who disarmed him, saying "Good evening, Draco."

Draco had stepped forwards, glancing around quickly to see if he and Dumbledore were the only ones there. His eyes then fell upon the second broom.

"Who else is here?"

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

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

"No. I've got backup. There are Death Eaters here in your school tonight."

"Well, well." Dumbledore said, like Draco showed an ambitious homework project "Very good indeed. You let them in with the Vanishing Cabinet, haven't you?"

"Yeah." Draco said, panting and looking surprised. "It was right under your nose, how did you know?"

"I have my sources." Dumbledore said. "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. I - I've got a job to do."

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

There was silence.

Arthur was imprisoned within his paralysed body, staring at the two, ears straining to hear the sounds of the distant fight with the Death Eaters. And in front of him, Draco just stared at Dumbledore, who actually smiled.

"Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."

"How do you know?"

Arthur saw him flushing in the Mark's greenish light, like he realised just how childish he sounded.

"You don't know what I'm capable of." Draco said more forcefully. "You don't know what I've done!"

"Oh, yes, I do." Dumbledore replied mildly. "You almost killed Katie Bell and David Merlon. You have been trying, with increasing desperation, to kill me all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they have been feeble attempts… so feeble, to be honest, that I wonder whether your heart has been really in it…."

"It has been it!" Draco said vehemently. "I've been working on it all year, and tonight -"

In the depths of the castle, Arthur heard a muffled yell. Draco stiffened and glanced over his shoulder.

"Somebody is putting up a good fight." Dumbledore said conversationally. "But you were saying… yes, you have managed to introduce Death Eaters into my school, which, as I said, was done with Vanishing Cabinets."

Draco didn't say anything as he was listening to whatever was going on below, almost as paralysed as Arthur was.

"Perhaps you ought to get on with the job alone." Dumbledore suggested. "What if your backup has been thwarted by my guard? As you have perhaps realised, 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 simply stared at him.

"I see." Dumbledore said kindly when Draco didn't move or speak. "You are afraid to act until they join you."

"I'm not afraid!" Draco snarled, despite not making a move to hurt Dumbledore, still. "It's you who should be scared!"

"But why? I don't think you will kill me, Draco. Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe… so tell me, while we wait for your friends… how did you fix the Vanishing Cabinet? It seems to have taken you a long time to do just that."

Draco looked like he was fighting the urge to shoot or to vomit. He then gulped and took several deep breaths, glaring at Dumbledore with his wand pointed directly at the latter's heart,

Like he couldn't help himself, Draco said "The Vanishing Cabinet Montague got lost in last year, it makes a kind of passage between it and the one in Borgin and Burkes. Montague told me that when he was stuck in the Hogwarts one, he was trapped in limbo but sometimes he could hear what was going on at school, and sometimes what was going on in the shop, as if the Cabinet was travelling between them, but he couldn't make anyone hear him… in the end, he managed to Apparate out, even though he'd never passed his test. He nearly died doing it. Everyone thought it was a really good story, but I was the only one who realise there could be a way into Hogwarts through the Cabinets if I fixed the broken one."

"Very good." Dumbledore murmured. "So the Death Eaters were able to pass from Borgin and Burkes into the school to help you… a clever plan, a very clever plan… and, as you say, right under my nose, or would have been, at least…."

"Yeah." Draco said, who seemed to gain courage and comfort from the praise he just got. "Yeah, it was!"

"But there were times…" Dumbledore went on. "...weren't there, when you were not sure you would succeed in mending the Cabinet? And you resorted to crude and badly judged measures such as sending me a cursed necklace that was bound to reach the wrong hands… poisoning mead there was only the slightest chance I might drink…."

"Yeah, well, you still didn't realise who was behind that stuff, did you?" Draco sneered as Dumbledore slid down the ramparts a little, his leg losing strength,

"As a matter of fact, I did." Dumbledore said. "I was sure it was you."

"Why didn't you stop me, then?" Draco demanded.

"I tried, Draco. Professor Snape has been keeping watch over you on my orders -"

"He hasn't been doing your orders, he promised my mother -"

"Of course that is what he would tell you, Draco, but -"

"He's a double agent, you stupid old man, he isn't working for you, you just think he is!"

"We must agree to differ on that, Draco. It so happens that I trust Professor Snape -"

"Well, you're losing your grip, then!" Draco sneered. "He's been offering me plenty of help - wanting all the glory for himself - wanting a bit of the action - 'What are you doing? Did you do the necklace, that was stupid, it could have blown everything -' But I haven't told him what I've been doing in the Room of Requirement, he's going to wake up tomorrow and it'll all be over and he won't be the Dark Lord's favourite any more, he'll be nothing compared to me, nothing!"

"Very gratifying." Dumbledore replied mildly. "We all like appreciation for our own hard work, of course… but you must have had an accomplice all the same… someone in Hogsmeade, someone who was able to slip Katie the - the - aaaah…."

Dumbledore closed his eyes again, nodding, like he was about to fall asleep, though he finally realised what Arthur had concluded.

"...of course… Rosmerta. How long has she been under the Imperius Curse?"

"Got there at last, have you?" Draco taunted.

There was another yell from below, much louder than the previous one. Draco nervously looked over his shoulder again before looking back at Dumbledore, who went on.

"So poor Rosmerta was forced to lurk in her own bathroom and pass that necklace to any Hogwarts student who entered the room unaccompanied? And the poisoned mead… well, naturally, Rosmerta was able to poison it for you before she sent the bottle to Slughorn, believing that it was to be my Christmas present… yes, very neat… very neat… poor Mr Filch would not, of course, think to check a bottle of Rosmerta's… tell me, how have you been communicating with Rosmerta? I thought we had all methods of communication in and out of the school monitored."

"Enchanted coins." Draco said, like he was compelled to keep talking, though his wand hand was badly shaking. "I had one and she had the other and I could send her messages -"

"Isn't that the secret method of communication the group that called themselves Dumbledore's Army used last year?" Dumbledore asked. While his voice was light and conversational, Arthur saw him slip an inch lower down the wall as he said it.

"Yeah, I got the idea from them." Draco said with a twisted smile. "I got the idea of poisoning the mead from the Mudblood Ranger, as well, I heard her talking in the library about Filch not recognising potions…."

"Please do not use that offensive word in front of me." Dumbledore said, which made Draco give a harsh laugh.

"You care about me saying 'Mudblood' when I'm about to kill you?"

"Yes, I do." Dumbledore said. Arthur saw his feet slide a little on the floor as he struggled to remain upright. "But as for being about to kill me, Draco, you have had several long minutes now. We are quite alone. I am more defenceless than you can have dreamed of finding me, and still you have not acted…."

Draco's mouth had contorted, like he tasted something bitter.

"Now, about tonight, I am a little puzzled about how it happened… you knew that I had left the school? But of course…" He answered his own question. "Rosmerta saw me leaving, she tipped you off using your ingenious coins, I'm sure…."

"That's right." Draco said. "But she said you were going for a drink, you'd be back…."

"Well, I certainly did have a drink… and I came back… after a fashion. So you decided to spring a trap for me?"

"We decided to put the Dark Mark over the Tower and get you to hurry up here, to see who'd been killed." Draco said. "And it worked!"

"Well… yes and no…." Dumbledore said. "But am I to take it, then, that nobody has been murdered?"

"Someone's dead." Draco said, his voice going up an octave as he said it. "One of your people… I don't know who, it was dark… I stepped over the body… i was supposed to be waiting up here when you got back, only your Phoenix lot got in the way…."

"Yes, they do that." Dumbledore said.

There was a bang and shouts from below, now louder than ever. It sounded like people were fighting on the actual spiral staircase that led to the top of the Tower.

Arthur's heart thundered as he was scared to find out who had died.

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

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

"My dear boy, let us have no more pretence 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."

"I haven't got any options!" Draco said, now as white as Dumbledore. "I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!"

"I appreciate the difficulty of your position." Dumbledore said. "Why else do you think I have not confronted you before now? Because I knew that you would have been murdered if Lord Voldemort realised that I suspected you."

Draco winced at the sound of the name.

"I did not dare speak to you of the mission with which I knew you had been entrusted, in case he used Legilimency against you. But now at last we can speak plainly to each other… no harm has been done, you have hurt nobody, though you are very lucky that your unintentional victims survived… I can help you, Draco."

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

"Come over to the right side, Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine. What is more, I can send members of the Order to your mother tonight to hide her likewise, Your father is safe at the moment in Azkaban… when the time comes we can protect him too… come over to the right side, Draco… you are not a killer…."

Draco stared at Dumbledore.

"But I got this far, didn't I?" Draco said slowly. "They thought I'd die in the attempt, but I'm here… and you're in my power… I'm the one with the wand… you're at my mercy…."

"No, Draco." Dumbledore said quietly. "It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now."

Draco didn't speak. His mouth was open and his wand hand still trembled. Arthur saw that he was dropping it a fraction.

Then footsteps thundered up the stairs and a second later, Draco was shoved aside as four people in black robes burst through the door onto the ramparts. Still paralysed, Arthur's eyes stared without blinking as he gazed in terror upon the four strangers. Looks like they won the fight.

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

"Dumbedore cornered!" He said, turning to a stocky little woman, who Arthur knew had to his sister, who grinned eagerly. "Dumbledore wandless, Dumbledore alone! Well done, Draco, well done!"

"Good evening, Amycus." Dumbledore said calmly, like he welcomed him to a tea party. "And you've brought Alecto too… charming…."

Aleco gave an angry little titter.

"Think your little jokes'll help you on your deathbed, then?" She jeered.

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

"Do it." The stranger standing nearest to Arthur said. He was a big, rangy man with matted grey hair and whiskers, whose black Death Eater's robes looked too tight for him. He had the kind of voice that Arthur had never heard before: a rasping bark. He could also smell a strong mix of dirt, sweat and, much to Arthur's horror, blood. His filthy hands had long yellowish nails.

Arthur knew that this had to be Fenrir Greyback.

"Is that you, Fenrir?" Dumbledore asked.

"That's right." The evil werewolf rasped. "Pleased to see me, Dumbledore?"

"No, I cannot say that I am…."

Greyback grinned, showing his pointed teeth. Blood also 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?"

Arthur was left disgusted and horrified to now learn how Greyback is a cannibal.

"That's right. Shock's you, that, does it, Dumbledore? Frightens you?"

"Well, I cannot pretend it does not disgust me a little." Dumbledore replied. "And, yes, I am a little shocked that Draco here invited you, of all people, into the school where his friends live…."

"I didn't." Draco breathed, not looking at Greyback, not wanting to even glance at him. "I didn't know he was going to come -"

"I wouldn't want to miss a trip to Hogwarts, Dumbledore." Greyback rasped. "Not when there are throats to be ripped out… delicious, delicious…."

He then raised a yellow fingernail and picked at his front teeth, leering at Dumbledore. Arthur wished he was nowhere near this monster.

"I could do you for afters, Dumbledore…."

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

Draco showed less resolution than ever. He just looked terrified as he stared into Dumbledore's face, which was now paler and lower than usual, as he slid so far down the rampart wall.

"He's not long for this world, anyway, if you ask me!" Amycus said, to which Alecto giggled. "Look at him - what's happened to you, then, Dumby?"

"Oh, weaker resistance, slower reflexes, Amycus." Dumbledore said. "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?" Amycus yelled violently. "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!"

At that moment, there was renewed sounds of scuffling from below and a voice shouted "They've blocked the stairs - Reducto! REDUCTO!"

Arthur's heart leapt: there's still opposition. And it seems a barrier was formed.

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

But Draco's hand shook so badly he couldn't aim right.

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

"I said no!" The brutal faced man said before a flash of light formed and the werewolf was blasted out of the way; he hit the ramparts and staggered, looking furious.

"Draco, do it, or stand aside so one of us -" Alecto screeched.

But then the door to the ramparts burst open again and there stood Snape, his wand clutched in his hand as his black eyes swept the scene, from Dumbledore against the wall, to the four Death Eaters, including the enraged werewolf, and Draco.

"We've got a problem, Snap." Amycus said, his eyes and wand fixed upon Dumbledore. "The boy doesn't seem able -"

"Severus…." Dumbledore said softly, and Arthur was frightened to hear that he was pleading for the first time.

Snape didn't say a word as he walked forward and pushed Draco roughly out of the way. The three Death Eaters fell back without a word. Even Greyback seemed cowed.

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

"Severus… please…."

Snape then raised his wand and pointed it right at Dumbledore.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light shot from his wand and hit Dumbledore right in the chest.

Arthur's scream of horror and rage never left him, due to him being paralysed, being forced to watch Dumbledore be blasted into the air: for a split second, he hung suspended beneath the shining skull before he fell slowly backwards, like a great rag doll, over the battlements and out of sight.

Be prepared for Arthur entering into a rage.