Rivals | D.M

68. The Lightening-Struck Tower

A/N Please note that all writing in italics has been taken from Chapter 27 of the Half-Blood Prince and belongs to JK Rowling. I have however altered it to first person, as well as added/altered a few bits and pieces to correlate with this book.

Please remember that this is purely for entertainment purposes and this is still an alternative universe- happy reading!

Draco's POV

My thoughts were knuckled down, held tight in the small space in the back of my mind. The only thing rattling in my head was the fact that I had successfully managed to sneak a number of Death Eaters into Hogwarts via a pair of Vanishing Cabinets.

"Those little prats are watching the outside corridor Malfoy, who did you tell?!" Amycus Carrow yelled, his patchy skin growing blotchy with rage.

Ignoring him, I peered out of the room. Catching a pair of feet slip around a corridor, I instantly grabbed a packet of Peruvian instant darkness powder out of my trouser pocket. Rolling my eyes at the Carrow twins incessant bickering, I quickly pushed my arm out in front of Greyback who was on the very urge of uttering a curse, his wand pointing in the direction of our eavesdroppers. I nodded towards the powder now in my hands and didn't wait for anyone's approval before I rushed out of the room and threw the powder in the corridor, causing a granulated darkness to fill every nook in the corridor. I didn't wait for the others to follow, instead I ran in the direction of the Astronomy tower.

After hearing the heavy footsteps of what I assumed was Yaxley, the Carrows, Greyback, Rowle and Gibbon, I led them to the Astronomy Tower, quickly pushing that niggling memory of my one and only date with Aster to the very back of my head.

I watched in an almost delusional state as Yaxley placed a cursed barrier at the Towers only entrance, in order to prevent anyone except a Death Eater from passing through. Gulping back my ragged breaths, I watched in disbelief as Gibbon fired the Dark Mark out of an open window, the black smoke, a snake coiling around the tower and into the sky. I left the Death Eaters fending to various curses been thrown at them from the courtyard.

Mere moments later I had arrived at the top of the tower to find Professor Dumbledore standing idly in the middle of the room. Quite sure I heard voices, I looked around the room to find it empty. Instantly, with no opportunity for my thoughts to slip, I disarmed Dumbledore.

"Who else is here?" I ordered, watching as Dumbledore's wand clattered to one side.

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

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

I caught Dumbledore's eye and knew that Potter must still be lurking. So the headmaster was trying to make me, a Slytherin Prince look like a broken soul- a scared little boy, forced into his position, as if he had no choice. 

"Well, well," said Dumbledore. I wasn't sure if his tone was condescending. "Very good indeed. You found a way to let them in, did you?"

"Yeah, right under your nose and you never realised"  I was panting now, trying to keep the adrenaline in my blood pumping so I could pull this off. 

"Ingenious...Yet...Forgive me...where are they now? You seem unsupported". 

"They met some of your guards. They're having a fight down below. They won't be long...I came on ahead- I've got a job to do" I managed to spit out, my mouth suddenly feeling as dry as sand.

"Well then, you must get on and do it, my dear boy" 

There was silence, I stood imprisoned within my own body, my occlumency was slipping, my panic seeping through the cracks.