Demigods at Hogwarts 2 (Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince)

Chapter 23

Annabeth POV

I knew what it looked like in theory, but as I'd found over my years of fighting monsters, theory was very different to reality, and books could only prepare you so far. When a cyclops swung his huge club, ready to pulverise you, you weren't thinking of the exploits of Odysseus. When you charged onto the battlefield, it wasn't the honour and glory of Achilles that you pondered, it was survival, of you and your friends.

Surrounded by an aura of poison green, the dark mark was scarred across the sky. A death banner over the school, rising high above the astronomy tower.

Everyone else noticed it too, looking up at the sky, some with horror etched on their faces, others with cruel triumph. Their grins made me want to tear them apart, make them know they were wrong to attack the castle, but I couldn't afford that distraction.

I had expected a second wave of attackers, but I had to work out how to act now it was upon us. In the split second between my realisation and the recommencing of the battle, I decided my course of action. Running across the grass, I caught Percy's shoulder and whispered to him.

"I'm going up there, hopefully with Nico, join me if you can."

Percy nodded and I headed for Nico, who was manipulating the shadows around the Death Eaters, distracting them and allowing the wizards' curses to land. I approached him, invisible but not unnoticed.

"Do you think you can get us up to that tower, Nico?"

"Of course. Is it advisable for us to leave this battle?" he asked, wrapping his shadows around one of the Death Eaters and bringing them to the floor, allowing Neville to knock them out.

"We have to find out what's going on up there," I said, hoping my urgency would bleed into my voice, and that the son of Hades would understand that we needed to move quickly.

"All right."

Nico reached out to grab my arm, finding it despite not being able to see me. Just before I disappeared, I noticed Draco running back into the forest, toward the labyrinth entrance. Before I could say anything, Nico and I were dragged into the shadows.

I've never been a fan of shadow travelling, especially not since Tartarus, but it was a means to an end. The terrible sensation of having the darkness rip at me would end soon, the pinpricks on my skin would fade, and I would be able to look around once more.

We landed in the Astronomy Tower. Nico was almost invisible in the night, a ghost made of shadow, so neither of us were in danger of being seen. There was, however, danger before us.

Bellatrix Lestrange, a woman I recognised from both the newspapers and her place on the Black family tree, stood there, along with a couple of other people whom I did not recognise, but could identify as Death Eaters. Dumbledore had arrived, but something was wrong.

The Headmaster leaned against the railing of the tower, looking calmly at his assailants. Harry was nowhere to be seen, but I didn't think Dumbledore would allow him to be in harm's way, so I quashed my fear for the boy. Instead, I looked over at Nico, who was watching Dumbledore. I rarely saw Nico look anything less than neutral or very, very, angry, but he just seemed slightly sad. There may have been something else hidden in his gaze, but although I counted myself one of his closest friends, I could never quite get a handle on him.

Nico POV

Dumbledore was going to die. I'd seen that his time was coming to an end, but before me it seemed more terrifying. Logically I knew that all humans died, as did all demigods. That was the fact of life everyone dealt with, the great equaliser, and my domain. The silver-haired headmaster had always seemed almost unkillable to me, as if he were a god in disguise, not a mere mortal walking this earth with the rest of us. Even the most powerful of us died, no one except the gods lived forever.

Annabeth was invisible beside me, but I knew her well enough to know she was taking stock of the scene before us, trying to work out where the power lay. As if the scene couldn't get any more complicated, Draco Malfoy appeared at the top of the staircase, his wand drawn.

"Dear Draco, you're a little late to this reunion, I hope you weren't delayed by the Order," Dumbledore said, no rush evident on his face.

"It wasn't the Order, it was those stupid students who branded themselves Dumbledore's Army." Draco scowled, but from my vantage point, I could see his wand trembling.

"I am sorry to hear that they caused you so much trouble in following your orders."

"How would you know about any of that?"

"Severus Snape has told me quite a lot, he works for me, you see."

"No he doesn't," Draco spat, "that's all an act."

Dumbledore just smiled.

"Are you sure you want to do this, you cannot go back on a murder. I could help you, you know. I can make sure that you aren't found, that no one in your family is."

"You can't, this is the only way. You will die. You are one old man."

Dumbledore bowed his head, not in defeat though.

"You are no killer, Draco."

"How would you know that?"

"You keep putting it off. Do it or choose against it."

As Dumbledore spoke, Snape walked onto the roof, his cape swirling around him as he strode. Dumbledore looked up at him, swept his eyes downward, to where I was sure Harry must be, I could feel the horcrux after all, and over to Annabeth and I. Seemingly satisfied, he looked up at Snape again.

"Severus, please."

"Avada kedavra."

The headmaster toppled over, leaving the tower filled with the two of us, Harry, and five Death Eaters including Snape and Draco.