When Fire Meets Gasoline | Wizarding World

chapter twenty-six | tragedies on the astronomy tower

"This is it, Draco."

"Yeah, it is."

"Months of preparing and now we're almost done."

"Mary, please stop talking."

After spending the majority of the day, with breaks in between, prepping for tonight in the Room of Requirement, Draco and Mary felt like they were ready for what was to come next.

Well, almost ready.

It was after dinner, where it was finally nightfall, when the two cast the Dark Mark over the Astronomy Tower before heading back for the Room of Requirement. The corridors were somewhat empty, with a few students lingering by the walls. Once they reached the seventh floor, they entered inside, though they took their time getting to the Vanishing Cabinet. However, it seemed like they were standing in front of it in no time.

Draco and Mary eyed each other and nodded before he opened the cabinet. A rush of cold air blew in their faces, and when a black mist made its way out of the cabinet, that was when Draco spun on his feet and headed back out, followed by Mary.

Their feet became quicker by the minute as they went towards the Astronomy Tower. By the time they entered inside and were close to the spiral staircase it was when they slowed down. But their hearts were going faster with their wands out and ascending the stairs. They thought an extra voice was there. But sure enough, at the top, stood Dumbledore himself, yet he was alone.

"Good evening, Draco. Good evening, Mary," he greeted them, not sounding surprised. "What brings you two here this evening?"

"Who else is here?" Draco asked. "We heard you talking.

"I often talk aloud to myself. I find it extraordinarily useful." He paused, eyeing the two students. "You two are not assassins, you know."

"How do you know what we are?" Draco spat out.

"We've done things that would shock you," Mary added, though her voice became shaky.

"Like cursing Katie Bell and hoping that in return she'd bear a cursed necklace to me? Replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison, hurting Ronald Weasley and William Scamander in the process? Forgive me, you two, but I cannot help feeling these actions are so weak, especially coming from, what I would say, skilled students like you two."

"Which is why he trusted us to do this! We were chosen!" Draco rolled up his left sleeve, revealing the Dark Mark. "And once we do this, Mary will get hers."

Mary gripped her wand tighter, keeping it pointed at Dumbledore.

"Then I shall make it easy for you." He slowly drew his wand out.

Before Mary could disarm him, Draco beat her to it. "Expelliarmus!"

Dumbledore watched as his wand flew out of his hand. "Very good. Very good." There was a slight pause when the doors below opened and then closed again. "You're not alone. There are others. How?"

"The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement," Draco replied. "We've been mending it."

"Let me guess. It has a sister. A twin."

Mary nodded. "In Borgin and Burkes. They form a passage."

Dumbledore merely stared at the two. "Years ago, I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices. Please, let me help you two."

"We don't want your help!" Draco snapped. "Don't you understand? We have to do this. We have to kill you. Or he's going to kill us." The boy was whimpering, a few tears falling down his face as he turned towards Mary.