Unexpected | Bill Weasley

~42~ Death Eaters In The Castle

And so, that night, we patrolled the castle. It was very quiet. I knew that all the secret passageways were covered. I kept my wand out the entire time. Everything was fine for a few hours, until I heard voices and footsteps running. I was patrolling with Remus.

"What-?"

Ron, Ginny and Neville ran into us, looking frightened.

"What are you doing?" I yelled. "It's past past curfew!"

They panted and gasped.

"Death Eaters!" choked out Ginny.

"Malfoy with them." said Ron, bending over to catch his breath.

"They're in the castle!" screeched Neville.

"Death Eaters?!" Remus asked.

"They came in from the Room of Requirement." explained Ron. "Malfoy was leading them!"

We ran through the castle, and found the Death Eaters running towards the Astronomy Tower. The Death Eater's ran when they saw us, but we hurried after them.

"STUPEFY!" I yelled, but my jinx missed, hitting a wall instead.

Bill, Tonks, Sirius, Minnie and Filius came running.

"Filius go fetch Severus!" Minnie shouted.

Filius rushed off while the others joined the fight. A Death Eater, Gibbon, broke away and ran up the Tower stairs. After a couple minutes, Gibbon came running down, and was hit by a Killing Curse that had just missed Remus.

Alecto Carrow stepped in front of me. "Well, hello there pretty." she cackled.

She shot a Killing Curse at me but I blocked it. I managed to knock Alecto down and I turned to see Bill laying on the floor, with a pool of blood around him and Greyback was standing above him.

"BILL!" I screamed

I shot a curse at Greyback and he was knocked aside. I saw Draco running in the distance.

"DRACO!" I yelled.

Draco looked back at me and gave me a sad look, before turning away, stepping over Bill, and running up the stairs.

I turned to Bill and knelt down beside him. I felt for a pulse. He wasn't dead. But he was so badly slashed and ripped, his face was unrecognizable.

A large, blonde Death Eater was firing of curses everywhere. Amycus and Alecto Carrow and Greyback rushed up the stairs. Amycus turned and waved his wand towards the end of the stairs.

Neville ran at it, but was thrown backward. I ran at it too, but I was also thrown backwards. I landed heavily on my back and groaned. I got up and saw Snape running towards us, then he ran up the stairs. Remus tried to follow, but he was thrown back just like Neville and I.

He's going to stop the Death Eaters. He has to be. He's going to save Draco from the Death Eaters.

Tonks was fighting the large blonde Death Eater, while Remus got up and fought another one. I pulled myself off the ground just as Draco and Snape running passed. We all saw them run, and we let them go.

Snape's getting Draco to safety. They must be being chased by the Death Eaters.

I heard Snape yell something, but I couldn't hear what he said.

Greyback, Alecto and Amycus were running back down, and I saw Harry running down too.

"Harry!" I yelled.

Greyback jumped on top of Harry and I raised my wand and yelled "Petrificus Totalus!" and Greback collapsed. Harry pushed Greyback off and continued running.

I turned back to the Death Eater I was fighting. Then the Death Eaters, one by one, started running away.

I rushed back to Bill. "SOMEONE HELPE ME GET BILL TO THE HOSPITAL WING!"

Remus and Sirius rushed forward.

"You go help the others." said Sirius, as he and Remus lifted Bill up.

I went to help Neville and I took him to the Hospital Wing. When I helped Neville into a bed, I went to Bill's bed. Tonks, Ron, Luna and Hermione came in.

"Where's Ginny?" I asked.

"McGonagall told her to get Harry." said Luna.

Poppy started dabbing Bill with a harsh-smelling green ointment. The door's opened and Harry and Ginny walked in. Hermione rushed forwards to hug Harry. Remus walked forward too.

"Are you all right, Harry?" he asked.

"I'm fine.....how's Bill?"

None of us answered.

"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" Harry asked Poppy.

"No charm will work on these," said Poppy. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."

I took the ointment from Poppy and started dabbing it on his wounds myself.

"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron, who was gazing down into his brother's face as though he could somehow force him to mend just by staring. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a — a real —?"

He looked at Remus.

"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," said Remus, "but that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and — and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on."

"Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," Ron said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state."

"Ron — Dumbledore's dead," said Ginny.