Lost Memories

lv. war

Draco and his goons were nowhere to be found and Snape wasn't more suspicious than he usually was despite Ron's suggestions as we went towards the Dungeon.

"He keeps pacing," Ron pointed at the tiny footprints that followed Snape's dot.

"Maybe he's nervous," Hermione proposed.

"He's planning something!" Ron accused, raising his voice.

"Quiet down," I shushed him.

We were currently on the stairs towards the dungeon, watching the map.

"Oh, this is pointless!" I groaned. "There's nothing interesting."

"Fine," Ron stood up from his step and matched up the stairs. "Let's go back to the common room, we can—"

We were cut off by the sounds of screaming coming from above. The four of us looked and each other and booked it up the stairs. Looking at the map, new names popped up, including those of Death Eaters.

"What's going on?" Ginny shouted as we ran through the corridor.

"Death Eaters," I yelled, pulling her towards the Gryffindor Tower.

Tower. Death Eaters. Dumbledore.

The realization hit me of what was happening. Draco Malfoy had let in Death Eaters to murder Dumbledore.

"Go to the common room and hide!" I shouted to the group before running off towards the Astronomy Tower.

Over the shouts and cries of the students around me, I fought my way up the stairs and to the tower. I had no way of knowing who was around me because I had shoved the Map in Ginny's hands.

The tower was empty, but the echoes of everyone's bellowing could be heard. The spiral staircase seemed longer than I previously thought it was. Adrenaline raced through my body with fear at the thought that I'd been too late.

At the door, I pushed it opened to see Dumbledore laying on the ground.

"Where's Harry?" I shouted up at Dumbledore.

He didn't respond, but I was pulled from my spot and a hand clamped over my mouth. I calmed down once I realized it was Harry; we were under the Invisibility Cloak.

I pushed Harry's hand off my mouth, "someone is coming here to kill Dumbledore. We have to—"

From our spot near the door, footsteps could be heard coming close. Harry grabbed my arm and dragged me up the stairs, just in time for the door to burst open and someone shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

Harry put his hand over my mouth once more when we saw who it was: Draco Malfoy.

"Good evening, Draco," Dumbledore said, smiling at us. "What brings you out on such a fine spring evening? Or is it Summer?"

Draco stood in front of me with his wand extended. My eyes darted around the room.

"Who else is here? I heard talking," he said forcefully.

"I often talk aloud to myself," he sighed. "I find it extraordinarily useful. That which sounds sane at a whisper can seem utterly mad when said for all the world to hear. Haven't been whispering to yourself, have you?"

Draco looked at Dumbledore with uneasy eyes and said, "are you alone?"

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

"No," he said. "We've got backup. There are Death Eaters here in your school tonight."

"Well, well," said Dumbledore, as though I was showing him an ambitious homework project. "Very good indeed. You found a way to let them in, did you?"