As Night Falls (Third Book in the Things Not Seen Series) *Completed*

Chapter 15

Christina stood with a sudden pain in her stomach. She couldn't believe it. The man that she had relied on, the man that was like family to her, dead. There was no way it could be real. But it was. It was over. Dumbledore was now just a cold lifelesss body lying on the Astronomy Tower floor. She stood motionless. It was as if all of her muscles had been removed. She was so far into her trance that she barely noticed Draco screaming at her to move. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the dark hallway that they had entered through. Standing in the hallway was Bellatrix holding up a farmiliar figure by its hair.

Aria was dangling by her hair about a foot off the ground. She was crying from the searing pain in her head. "Aria. What are you doing here?" asked Christina.

Aria didn't respond. The only audible sound was her sobs as Bellatrix tightened her grip on Aria's pony tail. "I caught her sneaking around. She was looking for you Christina."

"Put her down."

"You did not keep your promise Christina."

"I don't care. Put her down!"

"Or what?!"

"Let her go."

"As you wish." With that, Bellatrix dropped Aria onto the cold floor and watched as Aria groped for her wand that was lying a few yards away from her.

Christina dropped down by Aria's side and looked her in the eyes to say "You shouldn't be here."

"Christina, what's going on?"

"It's dangerous Aria. I didn't want you to get pulled into this. Dumbledore is dead."

"You killed him?" she asked in complete horror.

"No. Voldemort ordered me to do it but Snape..." she began but was soon pulled back by her mother.

"Do not reveal this to her. She is too ignorant. She will tell everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if the secret were out by the end of the night."

"Don't get too upset mother." she said with a mocking tone.

Bellatrix grasped her daughter's throat and lifted her up in the air. Christina grabbed at her mother's hands but she wouldn't budge. After a moment of choking, Christina reached into her pocket and dug for her knife. She pulled it out and threw it in front of her. A deatheater easily fell to the ground drowning in his own blood. Bellatrix, startled, dropped Christina to the floor and looked down at the dying man lying on the cold marble tiles.

"You should learn to handle your temper mother." Christina said coolly.

Bellatrix once again rushed at her daughter but was held back by another one of the deatheaters. Draco held onto Christina's arm to keep her from attacking her mother and the group set off once again. All except for Aria who waited until they had left. She ran back onto the Astronomy Tower and ran to Dumbledore's side.

Another figure appeared on top of the tower and she looked up to greet Harry who seemed to be driving himself insane trying to deal with the loss of the Headmaster. He sat down and cried for a moment and suddenly his sadness turned to anger as he began screaming "He trusted him! He betrayed him!" Aria tried to comfort Harry. She put her arm around his shoulder but he threw her arm off and pushed her away.

Harry grabbed his wand and got to his feet storming off in the direction that Christina had left but Aria caught him before he left. "What can you do Harry? They'll kill you too. Just stop."

"No. They have to pay for this. And how can you do nothing? Your sister tried to kill him."

"Let it go Harry."

Harry paused for a moment to think but ran off into the hallway finally coming to a decision. Aria looked down at the floor. She curled up and cried because all that she was sure of was that this was going to be the start of a new kind of war.