Dream Girl

SEVENTEEN - PARIAH

Draco looked at his watch, noticing it was almost 9pm. He was hiding at the bottom of the stairs to the Astronomy Tower, trying to gather as much courage as he could. Only a few more minutes and the most cruel and ruthless Death Eaters would enter the school. He was silently praying that Theo would hold to his word and protect Alora. He couldn't imagine what Greyback would do if he'd find her. Draco knew that the werewolf especially enjoyed picking young and innocent witches as their victims. Exactly someone like his Alora. No! Theo was reliable. He could count on him. He cared for Alora as well after all.

Sudden commotion pulled him out of his thoughts. He was almost positive he heard voices. That had to be Dumbledore. Draco quickly pulled out his wand and as silently as possible climbed the stairs.

He was about half way when he heard a loud bang from somewhere in the castle. That had to be them. They were here. With the last deep exhale he overcame the last few steps and opened the door slowly, entering the viewing platform of the Astronomy Tower.

There he was. Dumbledore looked surprisingly...bad. He stood there slightly hunched over with an exhausted expression on his face. He seemed like he was in pain. Draco felt conflicted all of the sudden. He felt sorry for the old man but on the other hand it would make it easier to overpower him.

Draco knew that Dumbledore was one of the most, if not the most, powerful wizard of all time. It was clear that Voldemort gave him this task as a form of punishment. Draco was supposed to suffer for his father's failures. Voldemort believed that Draco would fail thus he would have reason to kill him and his parents. But when he saw Dumbledore vulnerable like this, he felt the first shreds of hope, so he raised up his wand, gripping it tightly, pointing right at the old man's chest.

Dumbledore let out a small, almost amused breath. "Good evening, Draco."

Draco had this weird feeling that the headmaster knew he was coming and also that they weren't alone. He quickly glanced around but saw no one. "Who else is here? I've heard you talking."

"I was just talking to myself," Dumbledore straightened up, walking slowly towards him.

Draco, to his own disappointment, noticed that his hand, which was holding his wand, started to tremble. All the confidence and hope he had just a moment ago was long gone.

"Draco," he addressed him with his usual calm and soothing voice. "You are not an assassin."

"You don't know me, you don't know who I am!" Draco retorted, tears already prickling in his eyes again. He tried to act tough but Dumbledore was right. He couldn't picture himself casting the killing curse and took the professor's life. He couldn't picture himself taking anybody's life.

"I know you had this task the whole year and did nothing about it. You had more than enough opportunities but this simply isn't who you are."

"But I have to do this! I have to kill you or he will kill me. He will kill HER!" Draco shouted desperately. He was picturing Alora. Her chocolate eyes, her cute dimples and beautiful freckles. He was doing this for her. For them!

"I should make this easier for you then," Dumbledore almost whispered and raised his hands slowly.

Draco immediately panicked. "Expelliarmus."

Dumbledore's wand flew from his hand, landing just a few feet away. "Good, very good," the headmaster praised him.

Another loud bang came from the castle, followed by quick footsteps.

"How?" Dumbledore asked with a hint of admiration in his voice.

"The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement, I was able to fix it."

"It has a sister, doesn't it? They can form a passageway."

Draco nodded. "In Borgin and Burkes at Knockturn Alley."

"Ingenious."

Draco didn't get it. Why was the old man praising him? Why was he sounding like he was proud of him? He made it extremely difficult for him to kill him. The headmaster was right in front of him, weekend, disarmed and helpless. But Draco still couldn't make himself do it. The words never got past his tongue and even if he would be able to say it, he was sure it would never work. The intention wasn't simply there.

"Ah, look what we have here."

Draco flicked his head towards the new incomers. The Death Eaters were here. His aunt went straight to him to whisper words of appreciation to him. They were all here. That was a good sign. No loose werewolf in the castle.

They immediately started bickering. Some of them were encouraging him to do it and some of them were already doubting that he was able to do so. There were several wands pointing at Dumbledore now. Seconds became minutes and Draco's hand was now visibly shaking. The voices around him started to be too much, shouting against each other impatiently.

"I will do it myself."

"No!"

"Do it!

"Do it, now!"

All of them stopped suddenly when Snape slowly walked in front of Draco. Draco felt a wave of relief washed over him. Up until now he wasn't sure if he could trust him or not. But now he found out he was really glad that he was here right now. He didn't feel alone anymore.

"Severus," Dumbledore was watching the other professor with hopeful eyes. "Please."

The next moment will be engraved into his memory for eternity. The flash of a wicked green light, the cold two words sounding from Snape's mouth, Dumbledor's falling body, Bellatrix's victorious laughter.

The next thing Draco registered was someone's hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of the tower. Snape was squeezing the fabric on his jacket, dragging him forcefully down the stairs and through the castle. But Draco was barely noticing his surroundings. He was in shock. Dumbledore was dead. The task was finished but not by him. His destiny was unsure. The destiny of his family was unsure. Will he still be punished or was the fact that he disarmed Dumbledore and fixed the cabinet enough? He wasn't sure and he was terrified.

Draco only watched with horror as his aunt destroyed the Great Hall with one powerful spell. The hall when he was just this morning sitting with his friends, listening to them joking around and laughing whilst he was stealing glances towards the Hufflepuff table. He only watched her as next she set Hagrid's hut on fire. The hut of the friendly half giant that he was forced to hate his whole life with no reason whatsoever.

"Snape!"

Draco looked back in panic at the sudden shout. His eyes flew wide open when he noticed Potter stumbling behind them. He quickly took a few steps back towards him. He didn't know why, maybe to warn him, ask him what the heck he was doing, running like crazy against the odds. He really didn't know why, hated him after all.

"Run! Snape barked at him, pushing him back to the forest.

Draco hesitated for a moment but quickly decided it would be better if he just listened. He was in too much trouble without trying to help Potter. So he ran until he was out of the protection barrier. He looked back towards the castle, thinking of everything and everyone he was leaving behind. He swallowed the urge to run back and instead he apparated away. He wanted to stay so badly, but he couldn't.

He was a pariah now.