Redamancy || Draco Malfoy

HBP // 20

The sound of utter chaos shook the school.

I, of course, had woken up.

The bed in which Draco had previously been lying on was empty.

I rushed out of the hospital wing to see students of all the houses running out of their dormitories, still cladded in their pyjamas.

The Slytherins were talking to the Gryffindors in urgent whispers, the Ravenclaws were asking the Gryffindors about what had happened, the Hufflepuffs were crying and in utter shock, while the Slytherins comforted them.

I had never seen such unity in Hogwarts before, and I knew, deep in my heart, what had happened.

"Oh, Merlin," I heard Pansy before I even saw her. "You were nowhere to be found! I was so afraid!"

She wrapped me in a bone-crushing hug, before Blaise came over too, a frown on his face.

"We need to go. Courtyard, now."

On the way, we found Daphne and Marcus too.

"Where's Draco?" Marcus asked seriously, brows furrowed.

I only shook my head, signalling that I didn't know.

A small crowd had gathered below the Astronomy Tower.

"Is it true?" Daphne questioned a Ravenclaw, voice breaking. "What they said?"

The boy nodded solemnly.

I pushed my way through the crowd, a soft gasp escaping my lips.

For there Albus Dumbledore lay, eyes closed, almost like he was only asleep. But it was midnight, and he was lying on the grounds of Hogwarts.

Pansy let out a small sob, eyes wide. Marcus wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on top of hers.

"This isn't happening." Blaise muttered under his breath, his grip on me growing tighter by the second.

And all of a sudden, the sea of students parted.

I turned, watching Harry Potter stumble through the crowd, eyes red. He reached our Headmaster on the cobblestones, and fell to his knees. My younger sister went up to place him in her embrace.

And it was then, that the whole of Hogwarts knew. Our Headmaster was gone.

And we grieved.

Professor McGonagall slowly raised her wand, the tip glowing softly. A lone wand was joined by the rest of us, a tribute to Albus Dumbledore.

And the whole of Hogwarts was silent.

I mulled over everything.

Albus Dumbledore had been the greatest wizard in our history. A man who had lived to see two dark wizards rise to power. He had accomplished so many things. Locking Gellert Grindelwald away in Azkaban was one of his finest works.

And despite all of his greatness, Albus Dumbledore had remained a role model to many of us. He taught with passion and humility, and when he became Headmaster, he led the school with great pride and warmth.

And Hogwarts would never be the same again.

When all of our wands had been lowered, and plans were made to bury Professor Dumbledore, Marcus sighed. He was troubled.

"I don't understand," He murmured as the five of us returned to our dorms. "How could the Death Eaters have infiltrated Hogwarts? I mean, who did it?"

But none of us responded. There was no need to reply.

We all knew, in our hearts.

There was only one person who had been missing when we found the Headmaster.