Surprising turn - a turn for the better? Or into madness ... (Draco Ff)

Chapter 40 ~ Death is permanent damage

Victoria's Pov.

My Death Eater cloak hung heavily on my body.
With brisk steps I walked down the corridors, stopped in front of the Room of Requirement and paused for a moment.
I paced up and down the cold stone wall three times.
When the door appeared, I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one had followed me and finally entered.
I pushed my way through the clutter and stopped in front of the disappearance cabinet.
With a jerk I tore the white sheet from the closet and cast the spell.
"Harmonia Nectere Passus," I heard my voice echo around the room and took a deep breath.
I opened the door slightly and saw black smoke coming out of the vanishing cabinet.
I took a few steps back and then they were already standing in front of me.
Fenir Greyback, the Carrows and my mother.
"Follow me." She instructed herself and pushed open the door leading out of the Room of Requirement with a strong jerk.
But we did not go unnoticed.
The first students got in our way.
Among them I recognized some members of Dumbledore's army trying with all their might to stop us.
The Death Eaters dueled with the students and I tried by all means to get through the fighting crowd unnoticed.
I ducked a few curses away and skillfully dodged the combatants.
A few moments later, I arrived at the Astronomy Tower and hastily ran up the stairs leading to the observation deck.
Halfway down I could make out Dumbledore's voice.
"Ah I see, Draco.  They're afraid to do anything before she gets to them.” the Headmaster spoke so gently to Draco, even though he could probably already guess that he was going to die.
"I'm not afraid!" young Malfoy growled at him and I could tell from his voice that he was desperate.
"You're the one who should be afraid!"
I closed my eyes briefly and then stepped onto the viewing platform.
There was tension in the air and the wind caressed my hair lightly.
The sun had finally set and the sky was gloomy
It was a night like no other.
“Ah, Viktoria, finally they are coming to us.
I was wondering when it would be." I heard the cautious voice of Albus Dumbledore and saw him smile faintly at me.
I saw how much Draco was struggling with himself.
"I heard you talk.  Who else is up here?" young Malfoy spoke in a shaky voice, stepping closer to Dumbledore.
"I talk to myself a lot," the Headmaster replied with a small smile before turning serious again.
"Have you ever listened to yourself?" the old wizard took a step towards Draco.
His gray hair blew in the wind, his wrinkled face was full of last hope and his blue robe clung tightly to his frail body.
"You're not a murderer, don't!" he tried to change the ice prince's mind with the most honest tone I had ever heard from him.
But Draco continued to grip his wand tightly and point it at Dumbledore's heart.
His face must have been twisted with fear, uncertainty and pain, but I could only see the back of his blond head because I was still standing at the stairwell.
"I will do it!  You don't know what I'm capable of!" young Malfoy yelled at him.
"Well, about tonight.  Makes me wonder how this could have happened... They knew I had dropped out of school?
But of course!” he touched his forehead briefly and then focused fully on Draco again.
I felt like a shadow.
A shadow that would step in at the right opportunity.
"Draco, I knew a boy a long time ago who took a completely wrong path.
Don't make the same mistake.
Draco I know that deep down you are a good person.
It's not too late to do the right thing." Draco's grip loosened slightly and he lowered his wand slightly.
Then, however, shook his head and concentrated on his task again.
"Let me help you," Dumbledore continued, and I saw Draco's knuckles turn white as he gripped his wand tighter and held it a little higher.
"I don't want your help!  Do not you understand?
I have no choice!  I have to kill you, otherwise he will kill me..", I heard the Ice Prince's voice break the silence and noticed how towards the end it started to break off.
He narrowed his eyes to hold back tears.
Not wanting to appear weak to Dumbledore, he aimed his wand at his face.
"Draco, lower your wand.  It's rude to point your wand at someone's face,” the old, wise man said in a peaceful voice.
"You still value pleasantries now that I'm about to kill you?" the Slytherin Ice Prince challenged, taking a step closer to Dumbledore.
"I don't think you will, Draco." He paused and slid a few inches down the parapet.
"You have no idea, I won't back down!" Young Malfoy interrupted, frowning.
Dumbledore took a deep breath and started to speak again.
"You put a spell on Katie Bell to bring me a cursed necklace and you switched a bottle of mead for a poisoned one.
Forgive me, Draco, but you can hardly have put your heart into it given such feeble attempts,” Dumbledore finished, leaning on the railing.
He talked convincingly to Draco, but young Malfoy immediately retaliated.
"He trusts me, I've been chosen." At that, he revealed the dark one that was perched on his left forearm.
Dumbledore seemed to have briefly lost his composure as he eyed Draco's forearm in shock, but quickly composed himself and tried to cover up the momentary shock as best he could.
"If that's so, I want to make it easy for you." He raised his arms and held his wand tightly in his right hand.
I drew my wand, pointed it at Dumbledore's chest, and stepped up to Draco, who immediately disarmed the Headmaster.
His wand landed on the floor and rolled inches away from his master.
"Very good, very good," Dumbledore complimented Draco, and there was the sound of a door opening and closing again.
"So there are others coming, you are not alone," the powerful wizard concluded.
"How did you do that?  Let's hear it."
“The vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement.
We fixed it!” Draco explained, glancing at me briefly and glancing at the door again and again.
"Let me guess.  There is a second piece.  A match.” the old professor guessed, hitting the mark.
"By Borgin & Burkes, they form a transition," Draco continued while I eyed Dumbledore with suspicion.
"Brilliant.", the aforementioned marveled, but didn't take his eyes off the young Malfoy.
"Kill him now, Draco." I tried to nudge him a little, expecting the other Death Eaters to appear at any moment.
He began to tremble and was about to reach for mine with his free hand when Greyback, the Carrows, and my mother entered the astronomy tower, causing Draco to quickly pull his hand away.
"Well done, Draco," my mother whispered to the Ice Prince, who pulled himself together and looked at Dumbledore in disgust.
"Good evening, Bellatrix, we should introduce ourselves," Dumbledore said gently, trying to hide his fear, which he managed relatively well.
"I'd love to, Albus, but time is a little tight!" she hissed, amused, but relatively serious by her standards.
As serious as she could be.
"Do it!" my mother ordered Draco, who immediately started shaking even more.
"He doesn't have the guts.  Just like his father.  Let Viktoria do it, she would do it without batting an eyelid.
After all she's done for the Dark Lord!” Greyback scoffed, baring his teeth.
Draco's gaze slid to me and I could see how confused he was.
After what Fenir Greyback just said, I saw in his eyes that he knew I had lied to him.
He knew I had been keeping something from him and now Greyback had dropped the bombshell.
It wouldn't be long before Draco found out how much blood was on my hands.
"No!  The Dark Lord insists the boy do it!” my mother snapped hysterically at the werewolf, then turned to face Draco.
"This is your big moment.
Do it Draco.  Now!” she urged him.
"Don't do it!" Snape's chilled voice faded from her stinging one and Draco lowered his wand in relief.
I also lowered my wand, no longer aiming it at Dumbledore's chest.
"Severus?!" the Headmaster gasped in surprise.
The former Potions professor strode towards Dumbledore, wand raised, aiming it squarely at his chest.
"Severus... Please," Albus Dumbledore pleaded, but Snape showed no emotion and spoke in a cool, monotonous voice, "Avada Kedavra."
There was a brief flash of green before Dumbledore's lifeless body fell over the parapet.
It was over...