Chapter Text
It had all happened so fast.
The astronomy tower was dark tonight, eerie shadows brushed across the walls, it reminded Harry of dementors. Floating their way through the air with purpose, a goal in mind, a horrific, cruel, murderous goal. Although there were no dementors here the air in the room felt the same, felt as if they might as well be here, as if them suddenly appearing wouldn’t be noticed with how heavy the air already felt. The sharp stabbing claws of misery scratching its way up Harry’s throat as he tried his best to hold in his cry, a scream maybe.
It felt as if he were a first year again, with a golden snitch stuck in the back of his throat, but this time there would be no reward for coughing it up. No cheers or celebratory slap on his back from his peers.
They ran up the stairs one by one, each unique in their own way but all in ruined black robes, some torn some just unloved. Some faces were more familiar than others, especially the face of the first to enter. Draco Malfoy, his school nemesis, the cause of many petty frustrations in Harry’s life, his friends lives.. Merlin, everyone’s lives.
Harry had been watching Malfoy all year, all year and no one had listened to him. No one had believed that Malfoy was actually capable of being one of them, an actual Death Eater. A boy so nasty and cruel yet so weak. It was clear to all with eyes that Malfoy was secretly a fraud, a weak and cowardly boy. It felt as if no one had believed Harry Potter when he connected the dots, when he claimed to know Malfoy was up to something.
Harry was drowning in rage, that stupid snitch suck in his throat had become a blazing fire fuelled by his own anger. The heat quickly travelling up to his cheeks and his eyes. Surely making his face flushed and red but he couldn’t care less in this very moment.
If someone, anyone! Had listened to him when Cedric died, he could have prevented all of this, somehow. It should have been-no, it is-common knowledge by now that Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater. He should be in Azkaban, Azkaban or dead.
Harry shook his head the slightest bit, without giving himself away from his hiding place, and blinked harshly. He tried in some futile way to push death wishes from his thoughts. He felt disappointed in himself, even ashamed, for wishing such a terrible fate on someone, even someone that awful. It wasn’t him, it couldn’t be him feeling these things, wanting these things. It was the connection he had with the dark lord, with Voldemort.
Malfoy was stood in the astronomy tower, his pale features dramatically contrasted in the low light of the building. A scowl on his face, deep determination in his eyes.
His wand was pointed at Dumbledore. His hand shaking and his arm appearing as if it wanted to betray him, as if it wanted to drop the wand that was gripped tightly in his hand. Harry could hear Malfoy’s shuddering breaths, if he listened closely enough he was sure he could probably hear the sweat that was rolling down his forehead and his teeth chattering quietly between his words. Scared, he was scared.
The determined look in his eyes softened slightly, he looked more anxious than anything now. Terrified even. A shine just noticeable in his eyes, tears that hadn’t quite given in and fallen yet.
Harry wasn’t listening to what he was saying as carefully as he should have been, the adrenaline pumping through his veins and the heavy weight of anxiety made time feel both faster and slower than it truely was.
Malfoy pulled his sleeve up, no doubt revealing a dark mark to the headmaster, Harry couldn’t see it from where he was standing. He seemed proud, cocky almost, to be showing the headmaster his dark mark. The anxiety that he was showing before pushed aside, replaced with arrogance and mock cruelty.
Harry felt doubt growing in his chest, maybe Malfoy really could kill Dumbledore. Maybe he really was capable of such a thing.
Harry was standing below them, out of sight, with his wand arm pointed at Malfoy. His own hand shaking against his will, yet confident and prepared to take the next step.
Harry could see the look in Dumbledores eyes, they looked sad, sad and somehow forgiving. He heard Malfoy say something along the lines of ‘-or he’ll kill me’ and saw him start to lower his wand ever so slowly.
He could hear it now, crying, the glimmer of tears in his eyes before had finally fallen. Harry could see his platinum, almost white hair fall from behind his ear as he lowered his head shamefully and dropped his arm to his side. Tears falling from his eyes as he took a step back from where he was lingering across from Dumbledore.
Harry suddenly noticed that he’d been holding his breath, and let it out with a quiet shudder. The tension in his shoulders loosening as he lowered his own wand arm, slowly, carefully. Still ever so cautious and ready to lift it again, his wand held tightly in his hand, knuckles white around the wood.
“Draco! You stupid boy kill him!”
A shrieking voice came from the mouth of a woman Harry had recognised, Bellatrix Lestrange. Her deep black curls looked just as crazy as she did, a venom in her eyes.
“Draco there are people who can help you..” the headmaster spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper, his eyes staring at the blonde boy who only cried and shivered slightly in response. His eyes snapping quickly between the headmaster and Bellatrix. His arms crossing anxiously over his chest, he wasn’t standing tall anymore.
“Oh shut it you old fool!” The deranged woman blasted a curse in the headmasters direction, he avoided it only just. His wand was now gone, Malfoy must have thrown a successful expeliarmus is his direction at some point before he lowered his wand. Though Harry couldn’t recall when, everything seemed to be there and then not, like Harry’s memory was being erased as it all happened in front of him.
Malfoy stepped back again, clearly looking for an escape but Bellatrix and several other Death Eaters that Harry didn’t recognise were standing by the stairs, the only way down unless Malfoy planned to jump to his death off the astronomy tower.
“You are not a killer, I can see that Draco, you need to-“ Dumbledore was cut off by none other than Bellatrix again, who threw another curse in his direction, causing him to stumble to his knees. He lifted himself to his feet once more with his characteristic determination, although he looked resigned, as if he knew he would never leave this tower again.
“Never should have trusted him with this job Bellatrix, this job or any other! He’s a cowering failure of a boy just like his father!”
A Death Eater in the group spat in Malfoys direction as he muttered the insult, causing Bellatrix to laugh maniacally, her frizzy curls bouncing.
“It is all part of our Dark Lords plan, we were prepared for this, remember?”
“What do you mea-“ Malfoy started to speak before Bellatrix Lestrange let out a deafening sound that was a mix of a scream and manicial laughter before yelling loudly “DIFFINDO, EVERTE STATUM” with a few quick swishes of her wand disaster struck.
It almost felt like slow motion. Blood splattered across the wall in an uncanny straight horizontal line, it appeared as if an invisible dagger had slid smoothly across Malfoys throat only a split second before he had been thrown across the room by a similar invisible force, he was slammed through a particularly weak point in the wooden floorboards. The blonde boy, now bloodied and uncomfortably still, landed just feet from where Harry was standing.
Before Harry could even blink he heard the crazed woman scream “AVADA KEDAVRA” he peeled his eyes quickly away from Malfoy bleeding out on the floor, and saw an uncomfortably bright green light flying towards Dumbledore, striking him in the centre of his chest. The force of the spell caused the headmaster to fly off the edge of the tower. Harry couldn’t see his face but his imagination filled in the gaps. He could picture the light leaving his headmasters eyes before he fell, as much as he tried to push the thought from his head it wouldn’t budge.
The Death Eaters quickly left, their footsteps echoing down the stairs. He let out the breath he was holding and felt his panic rising as the room was suddenly quiet, all too quiet besides the whimpering noises he had only just calculated to be coming from Malfoy. He turned to look at him, flat on his back on the floor, his once characteristically tidy black shirt now crumpled and creased in places, his once well groomed hair now had the very tips of it stained red with blood. His fingers were twitching at his side, his sharp grey eyes were locked with Harry’s.
“P-Potter? w-what?-”
Red liquid stained the cracks in his lips as he spoke, his words little more than a confused gasp. It was obvious at this angle, that the diffindo had sliced right across the boys neck.
Harry starred, blank, unmoving for what felt like hours, really barely a few seconds, an erratic tapping of shoes on the tower steps caught his attention. He snapped his head around to find Professor Snape rushing through the stone archway, his robes dramatically flying behind him as he paced to Malfoy’s side.
He knocked Harry with his shoulder without so much as a glance, making him stumble, he quickly caught his feet and moved closer to Snape who was now crouched on the floor. Malfoy was clearly fading in and out of consciousness, he had blood pooling by his head. He must have hit it hard on the stone floor when he fell. Snape had his hands on his chest mumbling under his breath, the blood on the ground slowly sucking itself back into the wounds on his neck and his head. The blood returning to his body didn’t stop the dark red stains from lingering in his hair.
The scene in front of him was eerily similar to Harry and Malfoy’s recent Sectumsempra incident. He could see it in Snapes face too, frustration? Anger? The look of a tired man who had found himself dealing with this particular situation far too often lately.
Did he think I did this? No, no of course not
“D-Death Eaters”
Harry was kicking himself for stuttering and immediately tensed his shoulders and stood up straighter, trying to look bigger, brave. Although he was sure Snape would just scoff and make some comment about stupid Gryffindor attitude, had the situation been less serious.
“did you know? Did you know they were coming Professor!?” He couldn’t help the accusatory tone, something he had become all too familiar with using against Snape.
“What in Merlin’s name are you rambling about Potter!? They weren’t particularly quiet running down the stairs! Why are you even here?” But of course the question had been rhetorical.
“You knew, you had to know! I-I saw you talking to Malfoy in the halls!”
Snape glared daggers at him. Malfoy’s neck was no longer as open as it had been, although Snapes healing spells were not able to fix it completely.
He lifted the no longer bleeding but clearly unconscious Malfoy into his arms and stormed out of the tower. Harry could hear footsteps, lots of footsteps, running. He suddenly remembered, Dumbledore.
The trip to the front of the school felt longer than it ever had before, the portraits cried, shaking and some hiding. An eerie dark feeling lingered in the air, making it hard to breathe. He rushed through crowds of students and professors alike when he reached the doors.
And there he was, the great Albus Dumbledore, dead. They say the dead look peaceful, as if they’re sleeping, there is no peacefulness in this. Harry pushed and shoved his way through the crowd, in that moment uncaring of whoever was in his way. He stumbled to Dumbledore’s side, he scooped the Slytherin Locket into his hand and stuffed it in his pocket. He can’t say how long he was there, stunned by his headmasters lifeless body.. before Professor McGonagall dropped a hand to his shoulder.
“Come now Mr. Potter”
He didn’t argue. He numbly wandered through the halls, McGonagall sent him back to the Gryffindor common rooms to bed. He was sure she’d said some other things but he barely heard a thing. She’d said something about Snape, about Malfoy being sent to the hospital wing. It was all a blur. He hoped he’d wake and it would all be a dream, an awful one at that.
He stirred throughout the night, Ron and Hermione had tried to talk to him before he went to sleep, to no avail. Nightmares. Nightmares of Dumbledore flying from the astronomy tower, nightmares of Bellatrix’s unhinged laugh, Draco Malfoy in a puddle of his own blood on the floor.
In the end he got three or four hours of sleep if he was lucky.
*****
Harry awoke to noises in the common room, mumbled chatter. No doubt the rest of the Gryffindors trying to make sense of the night before. He rose out of his bed, and reached for his glasses, dragging himself out of the room after lazily changing into some everyday robes.
The common room was busy, although not as loud and boisterous as usual. Several students were packing their trunks, some already done and heading out of the common room.
“Harry, how are you feeling?”
Hermione, she had her usual concerned and caring look on her face. He wondered if he’d doomed her to a life of stress, just by being her friend.
“Fine”
“You don’t have to be fine all of the time Harry”
“Mm”
Just for a second she looked like she might roll her eyes, frustrated but wouldn’t let it show, no doubt scared to hurt his feelings. She always pitied him in a way, as much as she knew he hated it. Of course her kind caring demeanour overruled the frustration, Harry was sure that someone who didn’t know her quite as well never would have seen it at all.
“I’m sure you’ve noticed but.. it appears that McGonagall is sending us all home. Lots of students are leaving already”
“Are you?”
She was silent, a look of deep thought in her eyes. He’d already guessed the answer.
“No, no we’ve got until the end of the week”
Ron had noticed them, he walked over with a nervous look on his face. His brow furrowed slightly.
“How-“
“Fine Ron, slept fine”
He paused
“You know our beds are right next to each other right?”
Hermione gave him a warning look, Ron mumbled under his breath in response, but dropped the subject.
“Come on, we should go to the great hall for breakfast. McGonagall likely has a lot to say this morning”
Hermione was clearly trying to be strong, she led the boys to the great hall. Her anxiety was clear to them but she didn’t wear it on her sleeve for all to see. The portraits were still off this morning, many had left their frames completely, gathering who knows where. Everyone was gloomy, no one was smiling or joking between themselves and their groups as they usually would. Harry’s eyes caught a familiar group of Slytherins talking amongst themselves as they neared the great hall. They looked unnerved, it was strange seeing them without their ‘fierce’ leader. No doubt Malfoy was still in the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey. The Slytherins didn’t notice him as he walked past.
The great hall was quiet, food already lined the tables although most merely picked at it. As expected McGonagall did have a speech prepared, Harry heard it but didn’t put the most effort into really paying attention. He heard what he needed to, everyone would be catching the Hogwarts Express home by the end of the week.
Harry looked around at his friends, all nervous, picking at their food like the rest of the great hall. His thoughts lingered on the night before.
“Malfoy’s a Death Eater, he was sent to kill Dumbledore”
“Malfoy? I mean he’s a right git but a murderer? Is that where he’s gone! Run off with them!?”
Hermione shushed Ron for being so loud.
“Harry that’s quite an accusation..”
“He didn’t do it, it was Bellatrix Lestrange. She tried to kill him, she killed Dumbledore. I need to speak to Professor McGonagall, I need to tell her she has a Death Eater in the hospital wing, I-“
Hermione gently held his hand. Her brown eyes gentle and calming.
“Harry calm down”
He hasn’t noticed that he was starting to panic, his words coming out all too fast.
“I’m sure she already knows” Hermione said, shooting a concerned look in Ron’s direction. He glanced down, his blue eyes looking at nothing in particular and nodded in agreement with his friend’s statement.
“Snape found him, I heard him talking to McGonagall on the way back to the common room last night. I don’t trust him, he’s got to be protecting him”
“I know that Snape is suspicious, trust me I do, but he wasn’t there when it happened was he? You’d think that he-who-must-not-be-named would use Snape to kill Dumbledore if he really was a Death Eater.. right?”
Ron eyed Harry expectantly for a response. His face even more pale than usual today.
“Well, he’s not here this morning is he?”
Harry had clearly made a good point because neither Ron or Hermione had noticed, they both turned their heads at the same time to see that Snape in-fact was not in his usual seat with the other Professors.
Harry couldn’t help his reaction, reckless as usual, quick to jump to conclusions, quick to jump into dangerous situations.
“I need to speak to McGonagall, Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater, he’s dangerous. She has to know, it was him that cursed Katie Bell, and Ron it was him that poisoned you in Slughorns office, I heard him confess to Dumbledore. He was trying to kill him”
Hermione was now staring at the table in deep thought, her thick brown curls resting on her shoulders. Ron was playing with a piece of egg on his plate, knocking it around with his fork. His brow furrowed and lips closed in a tight line.
Harry knew they wouldn’t argue with him, breakfast was quickly over and he waited in the hall outside the entrance to the great hall for McGonagall to exit. Ron and Hermione left after some convincing, they returned to the common room to start packing their things. Classes had been discontinued for the remainder of the week.
It wasn’t long before McGonagall strode out of the hall, even in such dark times she held herself proudly. She immediately noticed Harry waiting by himself. She looked tired, composed but tired.
“Mr Potter, to what do I owe the pleasure?” She was professional as usual, but stern, and clearly slightly suspicious to see him there waiting for her.
“Professor, I wanted to speak with you, it’s Malfoy he’s-“
“Very unwell Mr. Potter”
“Yes but Professor McGonagall he’s a Death Eater, he was sent to kill Dumbledore last night, he’s got the mark”
She sighed, looking Harry up and down as if she were studying him.
“Mr Malfoy has found himself in a very precarious situation Mr Potter, you should not even know that he was there last night. Please Harry for your own sake stay out of trouble, go home”
She paused, taking a long breath in. She closed her eyes briefly, relaxed her shoulders and continued.
“He is just a boy Harry, not unlike yourself”
“But-“
“He did not choose this Mr Potter, you mustn’t speak a word of this to anyone, you must understand the danger Harry”
And with that she left, gracefully walking away. She didn’t turn around when Harry called after her and soon she was out of sight. He didn’t think twice before heading to the hospital wing. Stupid maybe, but so very Harry. He had no idea what he was even looking for, it’s not like he could waltz right in and start demanding answers from a likely still barely conscious Malfoy. Of course the lack of reason didn’t stop him.
He strode through the hallways with a faux confidence, walked past faces both completely unfamiliar and acquaintances, not stopping to speak to anyone.
He neared the hospital wing.
There, a question (or rather an accusation) of his was answered, as he got closer to the hospital wing he heard voices. Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape, doubt crept in quickly at the sound of them. He was wrong again, about Snape, he was here.
“Severus I saw it-“
“The situation is being handled between myself and the Headmistress”
“He begged for mercy, begged not to go to Azkaban”
“It is being handled”
Snape’s voice was cold, uncaring from an outsiders perspective.
Their hushed voices stopped as they separated. Harry hid around a corner quietly, back to the stone wall. He heard Snape disappear down a hallway and Madam Pomfrey enter the hospital wing once again.
They know, that should be the end of it, they’ll send him of Azkaban.
Relief washed over him like a soothing warm shower after a quidditch match, he didn’t have to worry.