the other || dramione

13

'Good evening, Draco' Dumbledore said calmly. Too calmly, he wasn't stupid, he knew what was going on how could he be so calm about it? 'What brings you here on this fine spring's evening?' How could he make small talk? Was he trying to distract me, make me relax so I wouldn't do this? It wouldn't work. I wouldn't let it. No matter what anyone did nothing could stop this.

'Who else is here?' I asked, being careful to keep my voice strong and powerful. 'I heard you talking'

'I often talk aloud to myself. I find it extraordinarily useful' replied Dumbledore. His voice still as calm and reasonable as it was before. It put me on edge, but I was on edge anyway so it made little difference. Nothing could've made much difference to this. 'Have you been whispering to yourself, Draco?' he asked. What did he mean by that? I didn't reply. 'Draco... you are no assassin'

'How do you know what I am?' I countered. 'I've done things that would shock you.' Was there really any need for this? Did he really think that a few words would stop me? Surely he wasn't that stupid. What trick was he playing?

'Like cursing Katie Bell and hoping that in return she'd bear a cursed necklace to me?' Dumbledore asked, rhetorically. He knew the answer. He continued 'Replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison? Forgive me, Draco. I cannot help feeling these actions are so weak...'

Weak? What right did he have to say that? I was the one stood in front of him, wand in hand ready to kill. Two simple words was all I had to say and he's be dead.

'Your heart can't really have been in them' he finished.

'He trusts me. I was chosen' I pulled my sleeve up revealing the mark of the Death Eater on my arm. But even I knew that was a weak come back. I had just proven Dumbledore's comment.

Dumbledore's expression seemed to drop slightly. There was still a level of calm it in which made no sense in the situation but his seemed slightly disheartened. 'I shall make this easy for you then' He said, his voice remaining the same, still calm. There was no fear, no anxiety, nothing. He moved his arms away from him and I noticed the wand in his hand.

'Expelliarmus!' I spoke so quickly and the wand flew out of his hand. Dumbledore turned his head to watch the wand as it hit the ground.

'Very good. Very good' His voice was barely above a whisper now. How could any face death quietly? Had our positions been reversed I would have been screaming and shouting and fighting back. Why didn't he care?

The door a while away opened and though I should have been expected it I jumped slightly at the sound. I turned to look at the door behind me only to turn back to Dumbledore as he spoke.

'You're not alone' he commented. Talk about state the obvious. 'There are others. How?'

He seemed to genuinely not know, but he knew this castle inside out. Better than anyone. 'The vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement' I made my voice smug as if I was showing off, simply to keep my fear out of it. 'I've been mending it' A part of all this that even Hermione didn't know about.

'Let me guess, it has a sister. A twin' Dumbledore mused.

'In Borgin and Burkes. They form a passage' I replied. I had more than had enough of this conversation. I tightened my grip on the wand. We needed to stop talking, I needed to act. Now.

'Ingenious' Dumbledore replied. I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic and patronising or genuinely thought it was clever. Either way it didn't matter. 'Draco... years ago I knew a boy who made all the wrong choice. Please let me help you'

He was begging now. In a roundabout way he was begging me not to kill him. But this was the one think no one would accept. I couldn't be helped. 'I don't want your help' I told him, my voice was bordering on desperation by this point. I attempted at taking deep breaths to keep the tears out of it. 'Don't you understand? I have to do this' it was the same thing I had been repeating to Hermione for the whole year. Dumbledore wouldn't accept it as she never would.

Her face came into my mind. Her voice in my head desperately telling me to walk away, there had to be some loophole, some way out of this. I didn't have to kill Dumbledore. Except I did. No matter what anyone said that wouldn't change.

'I have to kill you' I added. I'd lost all control by this point. I knew my voice gave away everything. I didn't want to be there. I didn't want to be a Death Eater. I didn't want to kill one of the most respected wizards in the world. I didn't want to kill anyone. But I had no choice. 'or he's gonna kill me'

Even Hermione didn't know that much. At least I had never told her that much. Shed had probably worked it out herself though. I hadn't said it aloud the same way it had never been said aloud to me. It was an unspoken threat. A screaming silence.

Dumbledore was set to speak but remained silent as Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters entered the room. I stayed facing Dumbledore, my wand still pointed at him, while Dumbledore turned to Bellatrix. His expression still calm.

'Well, look what we have here' Bellatrix started. She stepped behind me, whispering in my ear, though loud enough to be heard by all 'Well done, Draco'

I didn't look at her. I didn't move at all. Bellatrix sighed slightly and stepped beside me.

'Good evening, Bellatrix' Dumbledore said, pleasantly. As if this was some friendly meeting. 'I think introductions are in order, don't you?'

The other Death Eater stood either side of me, stepping close to Dumbledore.

'Love to, Albus, but I'm afraid we're all on a bit of a tight schedule' replied Bellatrix, the tone of voice the same as always. Excited at the prospect of blood and/or death. She turned to me 'Do it' she hissed.

Greyback, one of the other Death Eaters, spoke 'He doesn't have the stomach, just like his Father'

Any other time, any other situation I would've rounded on Greyback told him where to stick it but now I couldn't deny it. I kept my eyes fixed on Dumbledore, watching his every move, though there wasn't much to see. I didn't move at all, it was like I was petrified.

'Let me finish him in my own way' Greyback added.

'No!' Bellatrix all but screamed. 'The Dark Lord was clear. The boy has to do it'

These were the only people who understood why I had to do it. Except they were there more through choice than I was. Bellatrix and Greyback enjoyed it almost as much as I hated it.

'This is your moment' Bellatrix told me. Taking a couple of steps towards me she added 'Go on, Draco'

I darted my eyes from her and then back to Dumbledore. My grip on my wand was slipping as my hand was becoming sweating. I tried to tighten it; I tried to straighten the angle at which it was pointed. I tried to open my mouth. I tried to say the curse. But I couldn't

'NOW!' Bellatrix was screaming by this point.

I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. Hermione was right. Dumbledore was right. I was no killer. I was no assassin. I couldn't do this. I felt like I was frozen and yet shaking at the same time. I could barely keep my arm straight.

'No' Snape's voice came from behind me and instantly my arm drop and I swung around to face him.

'Severus' Dumbledore said. Desperate was not the right word for the tone, it was still too calm to be desperate. And yet for Dumbledore it sounded desperate. 'Please'

In one swift movement Snape raised his wand and said 'Avada Kedavra' like it was an everyday spell. Like it was easy, like it didn't matter.

I could only watch in pure horror as Dumbledore fell backwards. I stared into the space where Dumbledore had been stood, not knowing what to think, what to feel, what to do. Snape grabbed my shoulder and pushed me in the direction of the door. On my way out I looked back to see Bellatrix casting the sign of the Death Eaters in the sky other the castle.

Dumbledore was dead. Hogwarts was going to fall apart. And it was all because I was too much of a coward to try and stop it.

The End