Demigoddess in a Wizarding World: Half-Blood

13

It was a short moment before Dumbledore made any sort of move after throwing the ghastly looking potion back. The older man's breath hitched, his eyes wide and frantic, his face dark. He began to whimper and shake and he fell to his knees, scrambling away from the bowl.

"Professor!" Harry went to catch him before Dumbledore could fall into the water. "Professor, can you hear me?" Dumbledore's breathing was erratic and his black fingers gripped his temple tightly, shuddering. Harry turned on his heel and scrambled up to the bowl, grabbing the shell cup and dipping it into the potion. The black liquid did not spill from the cup even when Harry stumbled toward a still whimpering Dumbledore. Dumbledore did not speak as Harry brought the cup to his lips and tipped it back slowly, but sputtered and gagged, trying to keep it down. He let out a cry of fear and pain, and the sound rang in Harry's ears as he once again scooped the potion and brought it over to Dumbledore.

He shook his head, his eyes squinted and dark, but Harry could see the pleading in them. "N-no...no." Was all he could say. Harry felt a sharp pain in his chest as he forced the cup against Dumbledore's lips.

Harry did this twice more before Dumbledore brought a shaking hand to Harry's shoulder, keeping him at arm's length. Harry pushes forward, edging the drink to Dumbledore's mouth. "You have to keep drinking, like you said. Remember?" Harry begged him to take the potion and Dumbledore opened his mouth slightly, tears streaming down his face. Hardy brought the cup back once the contents had been downed, giving Dumbledore a moment to cough.

Harry must've gone back and forth ten more times. "Stop, stop." Dumbledore pleaded and cried.

Harry's face scrunched painfully. He pushed the drinking into Dumbledore's mouth. "It will stop. It will stop, but only if you keep drinking."

Dumbledore shook his head frantically as Harry returned with another cup-full. "Please, please, don't make me." Harry tipped the potion back and once again scooped more in.

"I'm sorry sir," Harry needed him to understand that it was physically paining him to do this. But he knew it didn't matter. They were close. They needed to continue.

"Kill me. Kill me!" Dumbledore ordered Harry.

Harry forced the shell into his mouth, "No!"

As Harry went back for another cup, he heard Dumbledore mutter helplessly. "It's my fault. It's all my fault. It's my fault."

"Just one more, sir. One more, and then I promise..." Harry watched as Dumbledore's glassy eyes closed tightly and the potion slipped down his throat. "I promise I'll do what you say!"

Dumbledore cried, shaking his head, over and over again repeating: no, please, kill me. "Sir, please. Please." After a second, Dumbledore opened his mouth shakily, accepting the potion. Harry placed his hand behind his professor's head so the weak man would not tumble backwards as he took yet another drink. This was the last, though.

Dumbledore has stopped the whimpering and crying and begging to look at Harry with wide, glassy eyes, his mouth agape. He smacked his lips slowly. "Harry, water." Harry nodded quickly. "Water."

Harry sprinted to the top and pulled out his wand. Before he could fill the bowl, his eyes found a necklace—no, a locket. A gold locket with a silver chain lie at the bottom of the crystal bowl. He grabbed it carefully, smearing potion across the front. "You did it, sir," he said proudly with a wide smile.

"Water," Dumbledore said again weakly. Harry repeated it and nodded, pointing his wand at the bowl.

"Aguamenti," he cast and the bowl filled with beautiful, clear water. Harry gingerly dipped the shell into the water and brought it out, frowning when the shell came out completely empty and dry. He did it once more. And again. And one last time before turning around to stare at the lake around them. Do not, a voice whispered to him. Harry, however, ignored that voice and stepped toward the edge of the lake, his wandlight illuminating nothing but blackness. He crouched and as he moved to dip the shell into the lake, the light Dumbledore has casted fell beneath the surface.