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—AS SOON AS RIGEL APPARATED TO THE SCHOOL, HE FELT HIS HEART BREAKING AT THE SIGHT. It was destroyed. Literally. The quidditch pitch was burning down. The castle had many bricks falling down. The giants were destroying everything.
He immediately hid behind a pillar when he heard footsteps, but frowned as soon as he realized who it was. "Draco?"
Draco Malfoy turned around sharply at the voice of his cousin, his eyes widening when he noticed him. "Rigel!"
Rigel, for the first time that day, smiled as he hugged his cousin tightly. "What are you doing here, Draco?! You should go back to your manor—!"
"I can't." said Draco, looking like he did actually want to go. "Mother and Father are fighting. I can't leave them."
Rigel frowned, knowing he was right. "Stay with me, then."
His cousin nodded, looking much better.
The sound of an explosion made them pull away and jump. "What are you doing here?" asked Draco as they rushed away to hide.
"Couldn't leave Tom and Sirius." replied Rigel, not looking back. "Which reminds me: where the fuck are they?!"
"My lord's in the forbidden forest, but Rigel— they're after you!"
Rigel stopped and frowned in confusion, turning around to look at him. "What?"
"They're not after my lord or Sirius! They're after you!"
"How do you know that?"
It was now Draco's turn to frown. "My lord said so in a meeting."
"What?" Rigel asked, eyes tearing up. How did Tom hide something like this from him?
"Yes and we have to get you to safety!"
"I am not leaving them—"
Draco pointed to the battle, his own eyes tearing up. "Rigel, look! Please, let's take you to safety."
"Not until you tell me the whole truth." insisted Rigel hotly, grabbing his cousin's hand. "What else did Tom say in that meeting?"
"I— I can't—"
"Draco."
Draco sighed, knowing there was no way out of this. He flinched when another explosion happened, but started admitting everything, "The order have a spell that Dumbledore created before he died. Nobody knows the counter-curse so when it hits you, you'll have only a few minutes before you die."
"A.. a spell? What— how does he know this?"
"He had a spy in the Order, who was killed as soon as the Order found out about it. But we don't know the counter-curse, Rigel. So, please, let's take you to safety—!"
Rigel opened his mouth to argue, but realized somebody pointing his wand at Draco. "Avada Kedavra!" He shouted, killing the person immediately.
Draco was frozen to the spot.
Rigel had just saved him.
"Let's go, Draco. Let's take you to safety." muttered Rigel.
••
When Rigel was sure that Draco would be alright, he left him to find Sirius and Tom.
Rushing over the many dead bodies on the ground, Rigel finally found Sirius, who was battling their cousin— Nymphadora Tonks.
"Avada Kedavra," murmured Rigel lowly, killing her from behind.
As soon as she was dead, he hid behind a pillar, not wanting Sirius to notice him.
Sirius looked around in confusion, then shrugged and went off to fight other Order members.
Rigel breathed out a sigh of relief and rushed through the school corridors.
••
About 2 hours later, Rigel was now in the quidditch pitch, which was burning to the ground, in a duel with three Order members.
With only a few minutes, the three of them were dead on the floor.
Rigel sighed and looked at the school, which was getting destroyed more and more by the second.
It broke his heart.
This was the place he had called home for years.
This was the place Sirius had called home.
This was the place Remus had called home.
This was the place James Potter had called home.
This was the place Tom had called home.
Rigel's eyes widened. Tom!
He rushed out of the pitch, not noticing someone following him.
