Anyone But Me

Chapter Ninety-One

Disclaimer: There are large chunks taken from HPatHBP, specifically Ch 27 (The Lightning-Struck Tower) which I took some liberties with and CH 29 (The Phoenix Lament) for this one. As always, credit goes to JKR for creating it first.

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"Dumbledore is dead." Ginny's gentle pronouncement seemed to echo over the cacophony of noises in the crowded infirmary.

Dumbledore could not heal Bill's injuries because he was dead...

Draco had fulfilled his task. He and his mother were safe.... For now.

"No!" Lupin voiced the shared shock of everyone in attendance. His gaze wildly switched from Harry to Ginny, desperate to be let in on the joke. When neither contradicted the proclamation, he collapsed into a chair and began to sob.

"How did he die?" Tonks whispered. "How... How did it happen?"

"Snape killed him..." Harry stated coldly. Detached, he told them the details of arriving at the Astronomy Tower. "...and then Malfoy came through the door and disarmed him."

Hermione gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth to stop the sobs of grief that tore through her at the unavoidable affirmation of his involvement.

"More Death Eaters arrived... and then Snape... and then Snape did it." It was clear the words were hard for him but Harry choked the rest out. "The Avada Kedavra."

Pomfrey burst into tears and was immediately interrupted by Ginny, "Shh! Listen!"

The older witch did as she was commanded and gulped down her cries of grief. They all were rewarded by the sound of Fawkes' painful sorrow. A beautiful song that echoed over the grounds, giving voice to the occupants' heartache. Everyone held their breath and listened intently until the last note resonated deep within the castle walls.

McGonagall entered and broke the spell of the mourning phoenix had on the gathered Order members by announcing, "Molly and Arthur are on their way."

As the group awaited arrival, the new Headmistress of Hogwarts demanded answers that the rest were too afraid to ask. Harry, unsurprisingly, was the one to offer most of them and was compensated with a detailed rundown of what had happened in the castle during his absence. Ginny, Ron, Lupin, and Tonks were the main contributors... Neville and Flitwick laid a few feet away, unconscious from the various potions needed to heal their wounds.

Hermione and Luna stayed quiet for the majority of the conversation. She only spoke when Harry asked after their whereabouts during the invasion, "We were outside Snape's office, yes... We had hung around for ages and nothing happened. We didn't know what was going on upstairs, Ron had taken the map... It was nearly midnight when Professor Flitwick came sprinting down into the dungeons. He was shouting about Death Eaters in the castle, I don't think he even registered that Luna and I were there, he just burst his way into Snape's office and we heard him saying that Snape had to go back with him and help. Then we heard a loud thump and Snape came hurtling out of his room and he saw us and... and..."

"What?!?" Harry urged her to continue.

"I was so stupid!" She cried, hanging her head in shame. "He said that Flitwick had collapsed and that we should go and check on him while he...while he went to help fight the Death Eaters. We went into his office and he magicked the door shut behind us. I'm sorry, Harry... We didn't realize... We just let him go!"

"It's not your fault," Lupin said firmly from the chair he had sat in earlier. "Had you not obeyed Snape and gotten out of the way, he probably would have killed you and Luna."