Chapter Forty Three

528 28 58
                                        

A/N: I'm starting to realize how chaotic my life is. Sorry for the late update, I accidentally stabbed myself in the ankle with a scythe. It's not bad or anything and I didn't need stitches or anything like that, but I do have a fun story now.

Don't worry, it's not the first time I accidentally stabbed myself. The first time was with a spear. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong universe.

Anyway, on to the chapter!

McGonagall arrived after a while. Annabeth didn't know how long. She'd been standing there, listening to the phoenix, for what seemed like a few minutes, but it could have been hours. It was just so hauntingly beautiful.

"Molly and Arthur are on their way," McGonagall said, breaking the trance the music had put everyone in. They all looked at her now. "Harry, Annabeth, what happened? According to Hagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he—when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some—"

"Snape killed Dumbledore," Harry said.

McGonagall stared at Harry for just a moment before swaying on the spot. Madam Pomfrey ran forward hurriedly and conjured a chair, which she pushed beneath McGonagall just as the old woman collapsed into it.

"Snape," McGonagall repeated faintly. "We all wondered... but he trusted... always... Snape... I can't believe it..."

"Snape was a highly skilled occlumens," Lupin said harshly. "We always knew that."

"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!" Tonks whispered. "I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snape that we didn't..."

"He always hinted that he had an ironclad reason for trusting Snape," McGonagall said, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. "I mean... with Snape's history... of course people were bound to wonder... but Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape's repentance was absolutely genuine... wouldn't hear a word against him!"

"Looks like he was wrong," Annabeth muttered.

"I'd love to know what Snape told him to convince him," Tonks said.

"I know," Harry said. Everyone looked at him. "Snape passed Voldemort the information that made Voldemort hunt down my mum and dad. Then Snape told Dumbledore he hadn't realized what he was doing, he was really sorry he'd done it, sorry that they were dead."

Everyone stared at him. From her bed, Vera whistled softly under her breath.

"And Dumbledore believed that?" Lupin said incredulously. "Dumbledore believed Snape was sorry James was dead? Snape hated James..."

"And he didn't think my mother was worth a damn either," Harry said. "Because she was muggleborn... 'mudblood,' he called her..."

They were quiet for a moment.

"This is all my fault," McGonagall said quietly. "My fault. I sent Filius to fetch Snape tonight, I actually sent for him to come and help us! If I hadn't alerted Snape to what was going on, he might never have joined forces with the Death Eaters. I don't think he knew they were there before Filius told him, I don't think he knew they were coming."

"It isn't your fault, Minerva," Lupin said firmly. "We all wanted more help, we were glad to think Snape was on his way..."

"So when he arrived at the fight, he joined in on the Death Eaters' side?" Harry asked, anger rising in his voice.

"I don't know exactly how it happened," McGonagall said. She was staring into space, as if reliving the battle of just an hour ago. "It's all so confusing... Dumbledore had told us that he would be leaving the school for a few hours and that we were to patrol the corridors just in case... Remus, Bill, and Nymphadora were to join us... and so we patrolled. All seemed quiet. Every secret passageway out of the school was covered, we knew nobody could fly in. There were powerful enchantments on every entrance to the castle. I still don't know how the Death Eaters can possibly have entered..."

Annabeth Chase and Things Are Getting IntenseWhere stories live. Discover now