Little White Lies | Book 4

Chapter 24: Farewell, To The Wise One

"Come on, we need to get you to the Hospital Wing, sir." I told Professor Dumbledore, once we were back in the Astronomy Tower. Harry and I helped him sit down, and he shook his head. "Severus. Severus is who I need. Wake him, you two. Speak to him, and no one else." He told us. We nodded, and headed towards the exit.

Suddenly, we heard people entering. I frowned, and turned back to the Headmaster, who was pushing himself to his feet. "Hide yourselves below. Do not speak or be seen by anyone. Whatever happens will perish if you stay below." Neither of us moved. "Do as I say. Trust me." Harry looked at me, and nodded, before we both ran down the stairs, and hid as someone began going up.

We watched above us, as the person pointed their wand at Dumbledore. "Good evening, Draco." He said calmly. I felt my heart jolt. One, because he had his wand out, and two, Harry automatically looked angry when he saw him. Then, as if we were still going out, he wrapped a protective arm around my waist. As he did this, I continued to listen.

"What brings you here on this fine evening?" Malfoy didn't reply to his question, but instead snapped at him. "Who else is here? I heard talking!" Dumbledore merely smiled. "Oh, I've been talking out loud to myself. I find it extraordinarily useful. Do you ever talk to yourself, Draco?" Malfoy slowly moved closer to him, not lowering his wand.

"Draco, you are no assassin." The Headmaster told him. "How do you know what I am? I've done things that would shock you!" He barked. "Oh, like cursing Katie Bell in hopes that she'd return to me a cursed necklace? By replacing a bottle of Mead with one laced with poison? Cursing young Riley Winters in attempt to lead her to suffering a slow, and painful death? Forgive me, Draco. I can't help feeling that these actions so weak. Face it, Draco, your heart couldn't have been in them."

"He trusts me!" He cried, jerking up the sleeve on his left arm, revealing his tattoo of the Dark Mark. "I was chosen!" By the sound of his voice, I knew he was crying. "I shall make this easy for you," Dumbledore told him, allowing himself to be Disarmed. I whipped out my wand, pointing it through the floorboards. Harry followed my actions. I wanted to kill this boy so badly.

Suddenly, we heard a door open, and slam shut. "You're not alone. There are others." The Headmaster observed. "How?" He asked. "The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. I've been mending it." Malfoy replied smugly. "Let me guess; it has a sister. A twin."

"Borgin and Burke's. They form a passage." Harry pulled me further into the shadows with him, keeping is arm around me. "Ingenious!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "Draco, years ago, I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices. Please let me help you." Malfoy began trembling, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I don't want your help! Don't you understand? I have to kill you, or he's gonna kill me." He added the last part in a whisper.

That was when Bellatrix walked up the stairs, followed by Fenrir Greyback, and a few others. "Good evening, Bellatrix. I think introductions are in order, don't you?" I didn't understand how Dumbledore was so calm at a time like this. "Love to, Albus, but I'm afraid we're on a bit of a tight schedule!" She sneered in reply. "Do it!" She then hissed at Malfoy. Harry began moving again, pulling me along with him.

"He doesn't have the guts, just like his father." Greyback taunted. "Let me finish him in my own way." Suddenly, I saw someone in the corner of my eye. I turned, only to see Snape pointing his wand at us. Slowly, we lowered them, as he pressed a finger to his lips. Then, he walked up the stairs, just as I thought Malfoy was actually going to do something. "No," He said in a low tone. Everything went silent. Dumbledore looked down at us, then back at Snape.

"Severus," He said in a pleading tone. "Please." He only hesitated for a moment, before raising his wand, and shouting, "Avada Kedavera!" A green light hit the elderly man, sending him off the tower. I clapped a hand over my mouth, and whimpered, while Harry let out a small gasp. We were both completely frozen in shock, as the others left.

"We have to fight back. We can't just let them take him away from us. Come on." I finally said, taking his hand. With that, we darted off in the direction the Death Eaters were going. We stopped outside, looking around for them. "There!" Harry shouted, pointing towards the Forbidden Forest. Sure enough, I could see Bellatrix laughing, as she skipped into the trees.

We chased them all the way to Hagrid's Hut. "SNAPE! HE TRUSTED YOU!" Harry screamed, as we continued to run. Just as we reached the bottom of the hill, Bellatrix set Hagrid's entire house on fire. She cackled loudly, before turning around, and attempting to Stun me, while Harry tried fighting Snape. "Reducto!" I shouted, pointing my wand at her. She blocked my spell, before running off with Malfoy. I chased them, screaming at the top of my lungs. "YOU FILTHY COWARDS! FIGHT ME YOU DISGUSTING RATS! COME ON!"

Bellatrix stopped, and casually walked towards me. "Sounds like fun! You and I, girl to girl!" I glared at her. "Tell me when the girl shoes up, you mutt." Her amused expression hardened at that. "CRUCIO!" She screamed. She may have been fast, but I was faster. I blocked the spell. "Stupefy!" She giggled, blocking as fast as I did. "Avada Kedavera!" I ducked, just before the green bolt of light could hit me. "CRUCIO!" I roared. She must've been shocked by my choice of spells, because she didn't dodge, or block it.

I watched as her body hit the ground, and grinned as she screamed in pain. It was nearly laughable to me that she was laying on the ground, squirming, and writhing in pain. I couldn't stop.

"RILEY! STOP! STOP IT!" Harry's voice screamed at me. I ignored him, and chuckled as Bellatrix began pleading me to listen to him. Suddenly, my body hit the ground, and something heavy landed on me. That was when I realized what I had done. Bellatrix quickly ran off, crying for help, and I just watched. After she was gone, I began to cry.

"I'm just like him, aren't I?" I sobbed, as Harry helped me sit up. "Like who?" He asked gently. "Like my dad! When I tortured her, I smiled when she cried, and I laughed when she pleaded me to stop! I loved every second of it!" He sighed, and pulled me into his arms. "You're not like him. You're far from it, love, so far from it. You just wanted power over her. She did a lot of brutal things to you, and all you wanted was revenge. Everyone wants revenge, Riley. I know I do. I want revenge for a lot of things."

I pulled away from him, holding onto his shoulders. "I'm so sorry for what I did. I'm a horrible, horrible person, and you don't deserve someone like me. All I do is ruin everything. You were so good to me, and in return, I fell in love with someone who wants me dead, and now I sort of want me dead too. I just-" He cut me off, by pressing a kiss to my lips, which I gladly returned. "I never stopped loving you, Riley. I never will. Just like everyone else, you made a mistake. But, if I ever hear you say you want yourself dead again, I'll hex you into next week."

My heart finally rose from the pit of my stomach, and was beating happily in my chest once again. The world around me was completely shut out, as I cupped his face in my hands, and kissed him once again.

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When we made our way back to the castle, I noticed a crowd of teachers and students standing around something. Both of us knew it was Dumbledore's body. We carefully made our way through the crowd, hand in hand, and kneeled down in front of the wisest man I've ever known. Like always, he looked so peaceful, as though there was never a worry in the world.

Tears streamed down the side of my face, as I rested a hand over his heart, which was no longer beating. Harry put his hand over mine, and hugged me with his other arm. I turned my head, crying into the crook of his neck, while he did the same into my shoulder.

That night, I won someone I love back, but lost someone I really cared about. All I had left, was hope. Hope that I didn't lose Harry again. But for now, all I could do, was say farewell to the wise one.