After Christmas, I avoided the other Order members as much as I could. This was partly on purpose, partly because I was busy. Especially at the Ministry, cleaning up after Fudge and keeping Scrimgeour happy. This wasn't exactly my ideal situation, but it was distracting so I wasn't complaining.

I was walking down the corridor at the end of the day noticing that clouds were gathering outside, and by the time I reached my office, I had to light several more candles as it had gotten so dark.

Storm is coming, I thought to myself absently as I sat down at my desk and organised homework I had to mark.

It wasn't long before I heard shouting and heavy footsteps rushing by my door. I stood up instantly, my senses engaged as I half jogged to the door, wrenching it open and peering outside.

I spotted a bunch of people in dark robes, faces covered running down the corridor.

Death Eaters?! Surely not in Hogwarts? How would they get in?

I couldn't think who else they would be and without another thought I started running after them, hearing my office door slamming behind me.

I skidded to a halt outside the door that led to the astronomy tower. I knew the Death Eaters had gone this way and my suspicions were confirmed as I saw there was something with the door - a spell had been cast over it. It was shimmering ever so slightly and I recognised the type of magic it was instantly, having seen it throughout my childhood. I spun around as I heard someone running and watched Remus come charging up from behind me heading straight towards it.

"Remus - No- " I shouted at him but, it was too late, he had run straight into the barrier and was flung backwards hitting the wall of the hallway behind us.

I hurried over to him, offering my hand for him to take and pulling him up once he had taken it.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"Yes - they've blocked the door!" He gasped holding his side.

I turned to it once again "It's dark magic," I said.

I saw Remus side glance at me "Can you break it?" He asked quietly after hesitation. He knew that I knew quite a bit about the dark arts which was probably the only thing my father had ever inadvertently taught me that was actually useful to me. Remus also knew that I was very reluctant to actually use what I knew.

Yells and a huge crash came from down the hallway and I turned my head to see Dora and a huge Death Eater duelling. The Death Eater was sending hexes everywhere causing the walls to crumble as they were hit.

I took in a breath and looked at Remus "I can try," I said. I didn't know what else to do. Remus gave me a knowing look and nodded at me before running off to help the fight.

I stepped forward to the doorway and held my hand up close to it. I could instantly feel the dark magic speaking deeply to me as though it was trying to communicate with my soul, its corruptive nature trying to pull me towards it, promising me the things my heart ached for.

I closed my eyes briefly while I emptied my mind and grabbed a hold of my emotions pushing them deep down so that it couldn't manipulate them. I opened my eyes and thought about what to do next. Most dark magic wanted a sacrifice, most of the time it was predictably something of value to the person trying to break it or it was that primitive it required blood. Figuring I would try the latter first, I looked around on the floor and spotted a sharp piece of stone that had come off the wall. I bent down and grabbed it as another huge crash echoed up the hallway. I stood up and I paused to watch Remus and Dora struggling with the Death Eater down the end of the hallway.

Feeling torn between helping them or breaking this curse, I reluctantly turned away from the fight and proceeded to slit open my palm with the stone. White hot pain was sent up my arm as I lifted my hand up to the door again, offering it my blood which was now dripping down my wrist and staining my robes. I hesitated before taking in a breath and stepping forward to touch my hand on the barrier. It jolted my hand slightly as the barrier welcomed the sacrifice and I let out the breath I didn't know I had been holding. With my free and uninjured hand I raised my wand, pointing it at my hand against the door and started to chant an incantation I thought would most likely work. Aperta et Grata, Aperta et Grata, Aperta et Grata

I knew it had worked when I fell slightly off balance and stumbled forward as the barrier vanished. Before I could call Remus and Dora, Severus came sprinting out of nowhere, flew straight past me and vanished through the door. I wasn't even sure if he had seen me or not and, frowning I sped off after him, the door slamming behind me.

"Draco, do it or stand aside so one of us —" screeched a woman's voice as I raced up the stairs.

"Severus!" I shouted as I sprinted up the stairs.

Someone huge grabbed the top of my arm and practically dragged me to the top of the stairs yanking my wand out of my hand as we went. I looked around and came face to face with who I could only assume was Fenrir Greyback. The stench of dirt and blood assaulted my nose as he sniffed my neck "She smells like fresh blood!" he said practically drooling.

"Get your hands off me," I snarled at him.

"Leave her Greyback - you know who her father is!" Severus said looking over at us dangerously.

Fenrir growled but lifted his head away from my face. His grip on my arm, however, did not relent.

"What is going on Severus?" I asked him quickly as I looked around, shocked to see Dumbledore slumped against the wall. I counted four people in Death Eaters robes that I did not know, and Draco who was paler than I'd ever seen him and trembling all over. What was Draco doing up here? I thought to myself as panic started to creep into my chest.

Severus clutched at his wand in his hand as he ignored me and looked around at the scene also. I tried to wrench my arm out of Fenrir's grip but he was just too strong.

"We've got a problem, Snape," said one of the death eaters, "the boy doesn't seem able —"

But then came a quiet, soft voice from my left.

"Severus . . ."

I turned my gaze away from Severus as I stopped struggling and, even though I knew that the person speaking was Dumbledore, I had never heard him sound like he was pleading.

My mind froze and I swallowed as I looked back at Severus who said nothing, but walked forward and pushed Draco roughly out of the way. The three Death Eaters fell back without a word. Even Fenrir seemed cowed as I felt him shift slightly as he held me.

I watched as Severus gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was a look of revulsion and hatred etched on his face. I had never seen him look like that at anyone. Not Sirius or even James for that matter.

"Severus . . . please . . ." Dumbledore almost whispered.

Severus raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light shot from the end of Severus' wand and hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest. Dumbledore was blasted into the air and then fell slowly backward, over the battlements and out of sight.

I felt as though all the air had been pushed out of my lungs as I stared at Severus unable to speak. He grabbed Draco and pushed him in front of him towards the exit and I felt Fenrir let go of my arm and as I slowly turned, I saw him throw my wand over the edge of the stairs.

"Severus-!" I gasped at him as he looked back at me. "What have you done?"

He looked into my eyes for a beat, his dark eyes hiding something I couldn't decipher and before I knew what was happening he raised his wand at me. Pain exploded in my chest and felt myself fall backwards before everything went black.

*

I'm not sure how long I was unconscious but I awoke taking shallow breaths as the pain subsided in my chest.

It took a few moments to remember what had happened and as images of Severus pointing his wand at Dumbledore and murdering him flooded my brain, I staggered to my feet. The castle beyond the door seemed eerily quiet and I scanned the floor for my wand.

Once I located it, I gingerly bent down to pick it up, my body protesting at the movement. I opened the door and stepped into the wrecked hallway, I looked down and I saw the extent of dried blood covering my left hand and down one side of my dark green robes. Maybe I lost more blood than I originally anticipated I thought as my head spun horribly.

I somehow reached the hospital wing and pushing open the doors, I immediately spotted Neville lying in a bed closet to the entry. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Dora, and Remus were gathered around another bed near the far end of the ward and, at the sound of the doors opening, they all looked up.

Remus practically ran over to me and hugged me tight.

"Thank God" he said into my shoulder.

He let me go and peered into my face and said "Are you alright?"

"I'm ok." I said my voice was slightly shaking.

I held onto his arms to steady myself but looked behind him and over at the bed where someone was lying.

Remus followed my gaze as I let go of him and started to walk over to the bed. Bill Weasley was lying unconscious, although his face was slashed up so badly that I hardly recognised him. Madam Pomfrey was dabbing at his wounds with some harsh-smelling green ointment.

"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" I heard Harry ask her as I continued to gaze at Bill.

"No charm will work on these," said Madam Pomfrey. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."

"Werewolf?" I repeated frowning.

"Greyback." Dora muttered quietly to me.

"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron, who was gazing down into his brother's face. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a — a real — ?"

He looked uncertainly at Remus.

"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," said Remus who was now standing next to me, glancing at me as though he needed to make sure I wasn't going to collapse, "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. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state —"

Dumbledore…

I frowned and opened my mouth to speak but Ginny spoke "Ron — Dumbledore's dead,"

How long was I out? I thought to myself. Was everyone aware?

I looked around at her, my frown deepening as Remus cried out "No!"

I looked up at Remus who was looking wildly from Ginny to Harry, as though hoping Harry might contradict her, but when Harry did not, he collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face.

I gazed sadly at Remus, feeling his grief and unable to form words to comfort him. I saw Harry turn away from him exchanging looks with his friends that confirmed what Ginny had said.

"How did he die?" whispered Dora. "How did it happen?"

"Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was. . . . Dumbledore was weak, but I think he realised it was a trap. We heard footsteps running up the stairs and he immobilised me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak — and then Malfoy came through the door and disarmed him, then more Death Eaters arrived — and then Snape, then Professor Megera— and Snape did it. The Avada Kedavra." Harry stopped apparently not being able to go on.

I stared at Harry, I hadn't known he had been there. The whole situation was so messed up. I thought about Severus as Madam Pomfrey burst into tears. Where was he now and how, how could he do something like this?

Somewhere out in the darkness, phoenix song came floating into the ward, echoing across the grounds and through the castle windows. I didn't know how long we all stood there, listening, but it seemed to ease the pain a little to listen to the sound of mourning.

Before long, Minerva McGonagall entered the ward bearing marks of the recent battle: grazes on her face and her robes were ripped.

"Molly and Arthur are on their way," she said, turning to look at Bill briefly before turning to Harry "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," said Harry.

She stared at him for a moment and then she looked across at Remus and I. I slowly nodded my aching head and she swayed alarmingly; Madam Pomfrey ran forward, conjuring a chair and pushed it under Minerva.

"Snape," repeated Minerva faintly, falling into the chair. "We all wondered . . . but he trusted . . . always . . . Snape . . . I can't believe it. . . ."

"Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumens," said Remus, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "We always knew that."

I turned to look at him as Dora whispered

"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side! - I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snape that we didn't. . . ."

The more I heard his name the angrier I was getting. I had known Severus for years. He was Lily's best friend. Our best friend. I always trusted him, even if I didn't like what he did half the time. Even when Lily grew apart from him, I always gave him the benefit of the doubt. How could I have been so blind? Sirius had been right all along - he couldn't be trusted. My heart stabbed painfully thinking about Sirius and I blinked slowly to stop tears from forming.

"He always hinted that he had an ironclad reason for trusting Snape," muttered Minerva, now dabbing at the corners of her leaking 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 Dora.

"I know," said Harry, we all turned to look at him. "Snape passed Voldemort the information that made Voldemort hunt down my mum and dad. Then Snape told Dumbledore he hadn't realized what he was doing, he was really sorry he'd done it, sorry that they were dead."

Once again I stared at him dumbfounded. My face fell. Was this true?

"And Dumbledore believed that?" said Remus incredulously.

"Dumbledore believed Severus was sorry James was dead? He hated James. . . ." I said my voice was still shaking.

"And he didn't think my mother was worth a damn either," said Harry looking at me, "because she was Muggle-born. . . . 'Mudblood,' he called her. . . ."

I knew how Harry knew this and I looked up at Remus who seemed to be lost in horrified shock, trying to digest the monstrous truth of what had happened.

I wasn't so sure that Severus had felt the same way he did about Lily that he felt about James. He always had a soft spot for Lily, even when she stopped talking to him. But obviously he can't have thought she was worth much if he had passed Voldemort information about them.

Suddenly, with another sharp tug at my heart, I understood how Sirius must have felt when he realised Peter had betrayed the Potters' and did not know who he could trust anymore.

"This is all my fault," said Minerva suddenly. She looked disoriented, twisting her handkerchief in her hands. "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. . . ."

"We all thought he was on our side," I muttered.

"So when he arrived at the fight, he joined in on the Death Eaters' side?" asked Harry looking from Minerva to Remus and I.

"I don't know exactly how it happened," said Minerva distractedly. "It's all so confusing. . . . Dumbledore had told us that he would be leaving the school for a few hours and that we were to patrol the corridors just in case . . . Remus, Bill, and Nymphadora were to join us . . . and so we patrolled. All seemed quiet. Every secret passageway out of the school was covered. We knew nobody could fly in. There were powerful enchantments on every entrance into the castle. I still don't know how the Death Eaters can possibly have entered. . . ."

"I do," said Harry, and he explained about Draco and the pair of Vanishing Cabinets and the magical pathway they formed. "So they got in through the Room of Requirement."

Once again my heart jolted.

Harry had been right. Draco was behind this.

I looked up at Remus who looked just as devastated as I'm sure I did "Draco…" I mouthed and he nodded sadly. Neither of us had believed Harry when he had confided in us.

"So if Ron was watching the Room of Requirement with Ginny and Neville," said Harry, turning to Hermione, "were you — ?"

"Outside Snape's office, yes," whispered Hermione, her eyes sparkling with tears, "with Luna. We hung around for ages outside it and nothing happened. . . . We didn't know what was going on upstairs, Ron had taken the map. . . . It was nearly midnight when Professor Flitwick came sprinting down into the dungeons. He was shouting about Death Eaters in the castle, he just burst his way into Snape's office and we heard him saying that Snape had to go back with him and help and then we heard a loud thump and Snape came hurtling out of his room and he saw us and he said Professor Flitwick had collapsed and that we should go and take care of him while he went to help fight the Death Eaters — so we went into his office to see if we could help Professor Flitwick and found him unconscious on the floor . . . and oh, it's so obvious now, Snape must have Stupefied Flitwick, but we didn't realise, Harry, we didn't realise, we just let Snape go!"

"It's not your fault," I said firmly, willing my voice to stop shaking as she looked at me sadly. "Hermione, had you not gotten out of the way, he probably would have attacked you and Luna."

"So then he came upstairs," said Harry, "and he found the place where you were all fighting. . . ."

"We were in trouble, we were losing," said Dora in a low voice. "Gibbon was down, but the rest of the Death Eaters seemed ready to fight to the death. Neville had been hurt, Bill had been savaged by Greyback . . . It was all dark . . . curses flying everywhere . . . The Malfoy boy had vanished, he must have slipped past, up the stairs … then more of them ran after him, but one of them blocked the stair behind them with some kind of curse. . . . Neville ran at it and got thrown up into the air — and then Snape was there, and then he wasn't — I saw him run straight through the cursed barrier as though it wasn't there!"

"He was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. . . . I just assumed that he was in a hurry to chase after the Death Eaters who'd escaped up to the tower. . . He must have known a spell we didn't." whispered Minerva.

Figuring I might as well tell my side of the events, sensing that I was going bound to be asked where I was anyway.

"It was dark magic, Minerva," I said weakly, "I presume you needed a dark mark to get through."

I glanced at Remus before saying "I managed to break the curse just as Severus got there." Minerva looked up at me, a slight frown on her face as her eyes lingered on my bloody arm and robes. She opened her mouth as though she was going to say something, thought better and closed it again. I took this opportunity to continue "I ran up after him but I got held up by Greyback who took my wand. I didn't know what Severus was about to do - I couldn't stop him. Severus cursed me and I -." I sighed with frustration running through my body. I felt Remus grip my shoulder, letting me know that it wasn't my fault. I took comfort in the fact he was by my side throughout this.

There was a pause before Harry spoke again. Madam Pomfrey bustled around me trying to look at my injured hand. I tried to bat her away but for a nurse, she was strong. She began to put something on the cut in my hand and it started to sting.

"— so what happened when he came back down?" Harry said after watching Madam Pomfrey fussing.

"Well, the big Death Eater had just fired off a hex that caused half the ceiling to fall in," said Remus. "We ran forward — and then Snape and the boy emerged out of the dust — obviously, none of us attacked them —"

"We just let them pass," said Dora in a hollow voice. "We thought they were being chased by the Death Eaters — and next thing, the other Death Eaters and Greyback were back and we were fighting again — I thought I heard Snape shout something, but I don't know what —"

"He shouted, 'It's over,'" said Harry. "He'd done what he'd meant to do."

Silence fell. I bowed my head a sharp pain shooting through my neck as I listened to Fawkes's lament which was still echoing over the dark grounds outside.

The doors of the hospital wing burst open, making everyone jump and I lifted my head to watch Mr. and Mrs. Weasley striding up the ward, Fleur just behind them looking terrified.

"Molly — Arthur —" said Minerva, jumping up and hurrying to greet them. "I am so sorry —"

"Bill," whispered Molly, darting past Minerva as she caught sight of Bill's mangled face. "Oh, Bill!"

Remus, Dora and I all moved away from the bed hastily and retreated so that Molly and Arthur could get nearer to the bed. Molly bent over her son and pressed her lips to his bloody forehead.

"You said Greyback attacked him?" Arthur asked nobody in particular distractedly. "But he hadn't transformed? So what does that mean? What will happen to Bill?"

"We don't yet know," said Minerva, looking helplessly at Remus.

"There will probably be some contamination, Arthur," said Remus. "It is an odd case, possibly unique. . . . We don't know what his behaviour might be like when he awakens. . . ."

I felt so sorry for them as I watched Molly take the ointment from the bedside table and began dabbing at Bill's wounds.

"And Dumbledore . . ." said Arthur. "Minerva, is it true . . . Is he really . . . ?"

Minerva nodded.

"Dumbledore gone," whispered Arthur looking at his wife, but Molly had eyes only for Bill and she began to sob, tears falling onto Bill's mutilated face.

"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!"

"And what do you mean by zat?" Came Fleur's voice came suddenly and loudly. "What do you mean, 'e was going to be married?'"

Molly raised her tear-stained face, looking startled.

"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?" demanded Fleur. "You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"

"No, that's not what I —" Molly stuttered, "but I thought perhaps — given how — how he —"

"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you hoped?" said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. "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 fiercely, pushing Molly aside and snatching the ointment from her.

Molly fell back against Arthur and watched Fleur mopping up Bill's wounds with a most curious expression upon her face. Nobody said anything; I slowly moved my head to glance at Remus, but he had frozen and was staring at the floor.

"Our Great-Auntie Muriel," said Molly after a long 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."

"Thank you," said Fleur stiffly. "I am sure zat will be lovely."

And then, both women were crying and hugging each other.

I frowned as I watched them hugging. I had never quite understood this type of emotional dynamic but it seemed nice - almost pleasant however, a thousand miles away from what I was used to. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

"You see!" said a strained voice from my left. I turned to see Dora glaring up at Remus. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"

"It's different," said Remus, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely —"

"But I don't care either, I don't care!" said Dora, seizing the front of Remus' robes and shaking them. "I've told you a million times. . . ."

And suddenly something clicked in my mind. I closed my eyes briefly and felt a smile tug at my lips.

"And I've told you a million times," Remus continued, refusing to meet her eyes, 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 shoulder as she patted her on the back.

"I am not being ridiculous," said Remus steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."

"But she wants you," I said looking up at him.

"And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so." Arthur added gesturing sadly at his son, lying between them.

"She can't marry me," Remus spat bitterly side glancing at me "What would people think?"

"Yeah, you're right Remus," I said sarcastically, raising my eyebrows. "I'm sure being married to you would have people judging a lot more than they would judge someone married to an alleged mass murderer." I smiled grimly as I continued to look up at him. He met my eyes briefly giving me a tiny grin despite himself which vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"This is . . . not the moment to discuss it," he said, avoiding everybody's eyes as he looked around distractedly. "Dumbledore is dead. . . ."

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," said Minerva curtly, just as the hospital doors opened again and Hagrid walked in, still crying.

"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 at once and turning to look at the group around Bill's bed. "I shall have to see the Ministry when they get here. Meghana, do you mind meeting them with me?" She turned to look at me as she spoke my name and I nodded.

"Hagrid, please tell the Heads of Houses — Slughorn can represent Slytherin — that I want to see them in my office forthwith. I would like you to join us too."

As Hagrid nodded, turned, and shuffled out of the room again, she looked down at Harry. "Before I meet them I would like a quick word with you, Harry. If you'll come with me. . . "

I reached down and gripped Remus' hand briefly and his gaze met mine. He nodded and gripped my hand back. I let go of his hand and made my way to the door as Harry stood up, murmured "See you in a bit" to his friends, and followed us down the ward.

The corridors outside were deserted and the only sound was the distant phoenix song. It was several minutes before we arrived at Dumbledore's, rather Minerva's office now, and silently ascended the stairs.

Once inside, both Minerva and I stood, glancing at the new portrait of Dumbledore sleeping peacefully in a chair. I looked at Minerva who had an odd expression on her face as though she was trying to compose herself. She spun around to face Harry.

"I want to know what you and Professor Dumbledore were doing this evening when you left the school." She said, I turned to look at Harry also, also curious about what they were doing.

"I can't tell you that, Professor," said Harry.

"Harry, it might be important," she said.

"It is," said Harry, "very, but he didn't want me to tell anyone."

I glanced at Minerva who was now glared at Harry.

"Minerva…" I said softly.

"Potter," she snapped ignoring me "in the light of Professor Dumbledore's death, I think you must see that the situation has changed somewhat -"

"I don't think so," I looked back at Harry who was shrugging. "Professor Dumbledore never told me to stop following his orders if he died."

"But -"

"There's one thing you should know before the Ministry gets here, though. Madam Rosmerta's under the Imperius Curse, she was helping Malfoy and the Death Eaters, that's how the necklace and the poisoned mead -"

I frowned, how did I miss this? I thought angrily to myself.

"Rosmerta?" said Minerva incredulously, but before she could go on, there was a knock on the door behind them and Pomona Sprout, Filius Flitwick and Horace Slughorn traipsed into the room, followed by Hagrid, who was still weeping copiously and trembling with grief.

"Snape!" Cried Horace, who looked the most shaken, pale and sweating. "Snape! I taught him! I thought I knew him!"

"So did I, Horace," I sighed as he looked at me sadly.

"I want to talk about what happens to Hogwarts before the Minister gets here," Minerva said quickly. "Personally, I am not convinced that the school should reopen next year. The death of the Headmaster at the hands of one of our colleagues is a terrible stain upon Hogwarts' history. It is horrible."

"I am sure Dumbledore would have wanted the school to remain open," said Pomona. "I feel that if a single pupil wants to come, then the school ought to remain open for that pupil."

"I don't think it's a matter of whether or not the reputation of the school is ruined, I think it's whether parents will feel safe to send the students back," I said.

"I agree,' said Minerva. 'And in any case, it is not true to say that Dumbledore never envisaged a situation in which Hogwarts might close. When the Chamber of Secrets reopened he considered the closure of the school - and I must say that Professor Dumbledore's murder is more disturbing to me than that…"

"We must consult the governors," said Filius "We must follow the established procedures. A decision should not be made hastily."

"Well, I'm stayin','' said Hagrid, loudly "It's me home, it's bin me home since I was thirteen. An' if there's kids who wan' me ter teach 'em, I'll do it. But … I dunno … Hogwarts without Dumbledore …"

He was right. I had never known Hogwarts without Dumbledore and I supposed the same would ring true for many people.

"Very well," said Minerva, glancing out of the window at the grounds, checking to see whether the Minister was approaching, "then I must agree with Filius that the right thing to do is to consult the governors, who will take the final decision."

While I was lost in my own thoughts, I vaguely heard plans for the students leaving and Dumbledore's funeral.

"He's coming," said Professor McGonagall suddenly, gazing down into the grounds bringing me out of my pensive. "The Minister … and by the looks of it, he's brought a delegation …" she looked nervously at me and shook my head slightly, a silent way to tell her not to worry.

"Can I leave, Professor?" Harry said at once.

She nodded and opened the door for him to leave, which he did quickly.

The meeting with the Minister, Pius Thicknesse and other people from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement lasted for hours. We concluded on agreeing that Dumbledore was to be laid to rest at Hogwarts and that the students would leave after the funeral.

Dawn had started to break as I opened my office door and stepped inside. I closed the door and lent my body up against it, closing my eyes and rubbing my face with both hands. And then, all at once, the events of the last few hours hit me. My body ached and I sank to the floor resting my head on my knees. Severus wasn't exactly my best friend anymore but he was a constant in my life and I enjoyed his company most of the time. I still couldn't wrap my head around what I had seen him do. It wasn't as though I was ignorant as to what he may or may not have done as a Death Eater but Dumbledore trusted him, implicitly. But then again who was even trustworthy anymore? And what the fuck was I supposed to do now?