Pariah: The Other Malfoy

Chapter 65: Loss

I found myself in the Hospital Wing with the others without realising how I had gotten there. I was listening in silence as Harry told the story of what had happened, Madam Pomfrey healing up my shoulder after dealing with the more serious wounds.

He explained how Dumbledore had made him get to safety at the sound of voices. Draco had been tasked with killing him by the Dark Lord, and had disarmed him with the intention of following through. The Death Eaters were mocking him, telling him to do it, yet he hesitated. That was all it took for Snape to appear and complete the task himself before they all fled.

Silence fell after his words, nobody quite knew how to react to the revelation. My mind was going at a million miles an hour, catching up slowly to what Harry had said.

"Draco was... Snape did..." I was barely able to comprehend what was going on. It couldn't be true. My brother was sensible enough to not truly be a Death Eater, Snape was a good man. It couldn't be right, not this. It didn't make sense!

"I'm sorry, Lyra," Remus' voice was strained.

"It doesn't make sense!" I yelled angrily, Tobias placed his hand on mine, "Snape isn't a Death Eater, my brother isn't... This can't have happened! You're wrong!"

"Lyra, calm down," Remus' anger radiated off of him. He felt the same as me, complete disbelief and anger at the betrayal.

"I trusted him so entirely," my voice was quiet again, shaking, "I knew he was on our side, I thought he was on our side! I can't... I can't be wrong."

McGonagall appeared soon after, having moved the body to a safer place. They started to discuss Snape further, Remus' voice became uncharacteristically harsh. It turned out Remus had almost been hit by a Killing Curse. If he had been an inch to the left, we would be mourning him too.

Everyone was discussing what had happened. Hermione, Neville and Luna had been tricked by Snape and sent off to the other side of the school while he went to kill Dumbledore. Fleur and Mr and Mrs Weasley appeared and headed straight to Bill who had been attacked by Greyback. He was thankfully in human form, so while the scars wouldn't heal and he'd have wolfish tendencies, he wouldn't be a werewolf. Remus and Tonks walked over to me and Remus put his hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?" He asked gently, "I know... I know it was your family."

I didn't respond, the pain in my chest growing at his words. My brother, was he truly on the Dark Lord's side? Or did he have no choice but to do as he was told? I frankly feared the answer.

I swung my legs around the side of the bed, pulling my hand away from Tobias. Nobody stopped me as I left the Hospital Wing, my head in a daze, needing somewhere to sit and think. I didn't even notice as whispers surrounded me from the students in the halls, nobody was sure where to go after what had happened.

I made my way to the Black Lake, the place I always went to think. But the moment I sat down, my mind went blank and all I could do was stare across the water, a terrible pain in my chest.

All lessons were suspended, all examinations postponed. Some students were hurried away from Hogwarts by their parents over the next couple of days - the Patil twins were gone before breakfast on the morning following Dumbledore's death and Zacharias Smith was escorted from the castle by his haughty-looking father. Seamus Finnigan, on the other hand, refused point-blank to accompany his mother home; they had a shouting match in the Entrance Hall which was resolved when she agreed that he could remain behind for the funeral. 

I went down to the Great Hall that morning but didn't eat anything.

"It is nearly time," McGonagall addressed us. "Please follow your Heads of House out into the grounds. Gryffindors, after me."

We filed out from behind their benches in near silence. I glimpsed Slughorn at the head of the Slytherin column, wearing long emerald-green robes embroidered with silver. I had never seen Professor Sprout, Head of the Hufflepuffs, looking so clean; there was not a single patch on her hat, and when we reached the Entrance Hall, we found Madam Pince standing beside Filch, she in a thick black veil that fell to her knees, he in an ancient black suit and tie reeking of mothballs.

We were heading, as I saw when I stepped out on to the stone steps from the front doors, towards the lake. The warmth of the sun caressed my face as we followed Professor McGonagall in silence to the place where hundreds of chairs had been set out in rows. An aisle ran down the centre of them: there was a marble table standing at the front, all chairs facing it. It was the most beautiful summer's day.

An assortment of people had already settled into half of the chairs. Most I did not recognise, but there were a few that I did, including members of the Order of the Phoenix: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, Remus, with whom she seemed to be holding hands, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill supported by Fleur and followed by Fred and George. The castle ghosts were there too, their auras near invisible to me. Remus caught my eye and gave me slight smile, then returned to looking solemn. I sat down at the back next to Tobias.

Cornelius Fudge walked past us towards the front rows, his expression miserable, twirling his bowler hat; I next recognised who I thought to be Rita Skeeter, who had a notebook clutched in her hand; and then, with a worse jolt of fury, Dolores Umbridge, an unconvincing expression of grief upon her toadlike face. 

The staff were seated at last. I could see Scrimgeour looking grave and dignified in the front row with Professor McGonagall. I wondered whether Scrimgeour or any of these important people were really sorry that Dumbledore was dead. But then I heard a strange, screeching music and I forgot my dislike of the Ministry in looking around for the source of it. I was not the only one: many heads were turning, searching, a little alarmed.

It turned out it was the merfolk. Tobias nudged me and I turned to the front, just in time to see Hagrid placing the body on the table.

A little man had got to his feet and stood now in front of Dumbledore's body. I could not hear what he was saying. Odd words floated back to us over the hundreds of heads. "Nobility of spirit" ... "intellectual contribution" ... "greatness of heart" ... it did not mean very much.

The little man had stopped speaking at last and resumed his seat. I waited for somebody else to get to their feet; I expected speeches, probably from the Minister, but nobody moved.

Then several people screamed. Bright flames had erupted around Dumbledore's body and the table upon which it lay: higher and higher they rose, obscuring the body. White smoke spiralled into the air and made strange shapes, but next second the fire had vanished. In its place was a white marble tomb, encasing Dumbledore's body and the table on which he had rested.

There were a few more cries of shock as a shower of arrows soared through the air, but they fell far short of the crowd. It was the centaurs' tribute: I saw them turn tail and disappear back into the cool trees. Likewise, the merpeople sank slowly back into the green water and were lost from view.

I feared my return home after that. I had no idea what awaited me, or the wizarding world as a whole. Dumbledore was our main protection, with him gone, the Dark Lord could rise up as far as he wanted.

I also didn't want to see Draco or Snape ever again, yet I knew they would be there, waiting. And I knew I would have to face them both.

I said farewell to my friends, a fear building in me. Whether I returned to Hogwarts or not, I knew I wouldn't be seeing them any time soon. Tobias, if the Dark Lord did take over, would have to go into hiding being a muggleborn. I had also heard snippets of conversations between the other three, I knew they had no intention of returning. They were intending to travel, to find the other Horcruxes and make the Dark Lord mortal again.

I prayed they succeeded. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the only hope the wizarding world had.

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We're onto the final book! It's been a fun ride lads!

I'm excited to end this book - what will happen to the Malfoys as the war comes to a close?