Where Your Loyalties Lie

Chapter Sixty-Eight: When Nightmares Become Reality

Walls crumbled down around me. Booms and bangs that sounded like bombs were going off all around. The air looked like fireworks from all of the spells flying through it. I dodged a spell, hiding behind a pile of bricks that used to be a wall. Breathing hard, I took a moment to recompose myself before getting up to move again. I knew it wasn't safe to stay in one place.

Continuing to dodge the spells and debris, I made it down the hallway and turned the corner. I stopped in my tracks and raised my wand at the pair in front of me. Maddie and George had their wands raised and pointing right back at me.

"How could you? How could you, Katie?" George cried.

"We have to do it, Katie! You understand, don't you? You're one of them now. You're an enemy," Maddie insisted.

My heart seemed to beat even faster. "No, it doesn't have to be this way! Please! Don't make me hurt you!"

The ceiling cracked and shuddered above, causing all of us to shield ourselves momentarily. The stone wouldn't hold up there for long. Someone had to make a move. But how could I make that choice? Hurt them or be hurt?

Kill them or be killed?

The three of us all raised our wands simultaneously.

"NO! OH PLEASE NO! NO PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME!" I screamed. My eyes flashed open and I sat up, gasping and taking in my surroundings. It wasn't real. But it could have been.

The bathroom door banged against the wall as Draco shoved it open, racing into the room half-dressed to see what was wrong.

"What's going on? What happened? Are you alright?"

I shook my head and wiped the tears off of my cheeks. "I had a nightmare. I-I had to kill them or they would've killed me!" I sobbed.

Draco sighed and moved to sit next to me on the bed, holding me tightly and letting me cry into his chest as I tried to calm down. After a few more minutes, my sobs were reduced to sniffles and Draco helped me wipe the tears away from my face.

A knock at the door caused us to look up. I took a deep breath and called out, "Come in!"

The door creaked open to reveal Dad standing there. "The Dark Lord is here. He wishes to speak to Draco. All Death Eaters are required to be present."

Draco tensed up behind me. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Alright. We'll get dressed and be right down." Dad nodded and exited the room so we could get ready.

By the time we had made it to the dining room, the rest of the Death Eaters were already seated and waiting. Draco and I took our usual seats next to his parents. A few moments later, You-Know-Who rose from his seat and began to speak.

"I have gathered all of you here today so that you may learn a lesson," he informed us. "Draco, please come forward."

I felt Draco's hand slip from my own and heard his chair scuffle against the floor as he stood up to walk to the front of the room. This wasn't happening. It was another nightmare. It had to be! Right? But it wasn't a nightmare. I was wide awake and about to witness my biggest fear become reality.

"Sir!" I cried out, standing up from my seat. Everyone's head whipped around to stare at me. Draco looked at me in horror, begging me with his eyes to sit back down. I looked away from him and to the man I was addressing. The Dark Lord's icy stare made me falter for a moment, but I had to do something! "My lord, if I may, the mission was completed. Dumbledore is dead and Draco helped a lot with the success of that plan even if he wasn't the one to actually kill the headmaster," I insisted.