Harry and I are pinned against the wall, unable to move, which confuses me beyond measure, because I know that the disarming spell can not freeze anyone no matter how powerful they are. Dumbledores's wand clatters across the floor of the tower and skids to a stop way out of his reach.
My eyes fly to the door and I would have screamed had I not been frozen.
The disarmer is Draco!
Dumbledore is shockingly calm. "Good evening, Draco."
Draco steps forwards, quickly glancing around to check that he and Dumbledore were alone. His eyes fall on the second broom.
"Who else is here?"
"A question one might ask you. Or are you acting alone?"
"No," he says. "I've got back up. There are Death Eaters here in your school tonight."
A back and forth continues and soon enough I understand. Draco got the Death Eaters in through the vanishing cabinet and his goal all year has been to kill Dumbledore. That's why he's been so stressed. But I know he would never personally want to kill Dumbledore, or anyone, except maybe Parkinson. So why? And who told him to do this?
There's silence. Harry and I stand frozen still, staring at the two of them, our ears straining to hear sounds of the Death Eaters' distant fight.
Draco mentions someone's death from the Order and I start panicking. It wasn't Tonks or Remus or any of my friends was it?
"I haven't got any options!" Draco cries, and he's suddenly as pale as Dumbledore. "I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!" Does this mean Voldemort himself cornered Draco into doing this?
"I appreciate the difficulty of your position," says Dumbledore. "Why else do you think I have not confronted you before now? Because I knew that you would have been murdered if Lord Voldemort realised that I suspected you."
Draco winces at the sound of the name.
"Trust me! I was chosen!" he pulls up his left sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark.
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If I hadn't been frozen, I would have just collapsed. My heart skips a few beats and my throat almost bursts with an unspoken gasp. My face grows hot and my ears buzz, blocking out Dumbledore's and Draco's conversation. So I'm dating a Death Eater... I can't even begin to imagine the thoughts going on in Harry's head beside me. And after everything felt like it could be okay again, what does this mean for Draco and I?
Death Eaters burst in the room and skim by Harry and I to stand around Draco.
"No" says a Death Eater sharply. He has a heavy, brutal-looking face. "We've got orders. Draco's got to do it. Now, Draco, and quickly."
But Draco's hand is shaking so badly that he can barely aim. My heart is hammering so fast that I'm shocked nobody can hear me standing here, imprisoned by Dumbledore's spell... if I could only move, I could aim a curse from under the cloak... I think the only thing keeping me conscious is the luck potion.
