Chronophobia | Draco Malfoy

IX ~ Fallen Warrior

Someone was screaming. It was dark outside, Katherine was studying with Alissa, Callista, Mae and Rhianna, and someone was screaming.
"What's going on?" Callista muttered, grabbing her wand.
Katherine picked her wand up from the library floor. "Let's go check it out."
The five girls crept out of the library and into the corrido. And then the lights went out and everything was pitch black.
"Lumos," Katherine whispered, but nothing happened.
Callista frowned, uttering several other spells that provided light. But nothing worked. Then someone brushed past Katherine and she gripped the persons arm. She instantly recognised it, the muscles popping from his biceps and triceps, that arm that had so many times been wrapped around her.
"Draco?" she whispered.
His voice was panicked. "Kate, you have to go. Get to safety. Something is happening and I don't want to see you get hurt."
Her fingers trembled. "What's going on?"
"I . . . I don't know."
A voice to her left whispered, "Come on, Draco. Leave your girlfriend behind."
She didn't recognise the voice, and soon Draco was wrenched from her fingertips. Katherine reached out blindly in front of her.
"Mae? Rhianna? Anyone?"
A hand seized her. It was rough and calloused, and definitely not one she recognised. Another arm wrapped around her waist and she tried to scream but she found she couldn't. Someone must have cast a muffling charm on her. She was dragged away, and she heard Mae calling her name. Finally, a door opened and light spilled in. Her eyes widened when she recognised her capturer. It was a Death Eater she recognised as Dolohov. He was big and blonde and smiling nastily.
"You're the one involved with young Draco," he laughed.
She squirmed in his grip. "Let me go."
"No. If he fails, we punish you."
Katherine stopped. "What? He's one of you?"
"Of course. He's been a loyal Death Eater all along."
Katherine screamed with anger and kicked out as hard as she could, conveniently hitting Dolohov in the . . . the place you don't want to be hit.
Sprinting out of the room, she realised the darkness was gone and she ran up the stairwell to find her friends.
But who she found was not who she expecting. Sienna bumped into her, her face bloody and bruised.
"Your son of a bitch boyfriend blasted me down the corridor," she yelled.
Katherine scowled. "I'm sorry, Princess, I'll sympathise once we're safe."
"Come on," she growled, "and keep your wand handy."
The two girls ran through the castle, occasionally knocking Death Eaters out of the way. They ran towards the Astronomy Tower, where they found the other girls.
"The Order are here," Rhianna shouted, her beautiful face scratched and grimy.
A death eater grabbed at Mae, but Callista yelled, "Relashio!" and the Death Eater reeled back and released Mae.
"Thanks," she shouted over all the yelling.
And then there was an explosion and the five girls were knocked back. Dolohov was back and furious. He lunged at Katherine who ducked and rolled under him. He whipped out his wand, sending hex after hex at her, but she managed to block them.
"Crucio!" he shouted. "Crucio! Crucio!"
Each girl was engaged with their own Death Eater, and they managed to throw them back only to find another one. Katherine whipped out her wand when she noticed Draco running up the stairs. She sprinted after him, winding her way up to the Astronomy Tower. He finally stopped running. Katherine panted, then she stopped when she realised who Draco's wand was pointing at. Dumbledore.
"Good evening, Draco," Dumbledore smiled.
Katherine couldn't move and she stayed hidden in the shadows. Draco talked for a while, talked about all he had done. How he cursed Katie Bell, poisoned some mead intended for Dumbledore, fixed the vanishing cabinet. Katherine felt a sliver of breath vanish with each deed he proclaimed so proudly.
But then she heard a scream, a scream that had her hurling herself back down the stairs. Mae was being pushed to the edge of the tower by Dolohov. Her wand had been knocked out of her hand and she was cowering under him. Katherine couldn't reach her friend quite in time to save her.
"Avarda Kedarvra!"
There was a blur of movement, a flash of green, and Mae's scream.  And Sienna was dead before she hit the floor, her heart beating one last time to save her best friend.