Aria Lestrange

the life and death of albus dumbledore

My hand was shaking as i placed the apple into the vanishing cabinet. i looked to draco who was standing beside me. This had to work. If it didn't we were dead. the 2 weeks were up. if this test run didn't work we were doomed.

i closed the vanishing cabinet door. when i opened it again the apple was gone. that didn't raise my hopes though. it had disapeared for the last few tries. i closed the door again and counted to 3. when i opened it again i breathed a sigh of releif. the apple was back. and this time there was a bite taken out of it.

I looked up to draco shaking slightly. I knew I had paled in the last few months and it had become increasingly obvious I had had quite a few late nights. It didn't take long for people to realise draco looked the same. But they didn't ask.

I felt the guilt rise up in me and looked away.

"I'm going to go for a walk. I'll see you at dinner. Let them know"
I didn't wait for his reply. Instead I turned and left the room.
I don't know how long I wandered along the same corridor directly infront of dumbledore's office. It had to have been way over 10 times.

I walked along it again and stopped outside the eagle. Suddenly it moves and a voice says "miss lestrange, come into my office" which caused me to jump. quickly standing on a stair i was taken up into the head masters office.

As soon as i get there i hear the familiar voices of two people. Dumbledore and snape.

"The dark lord has set a task to the two children" Snap tells dumbledore. "He has given them the task of reparing the vanishing cabinet. He plans on having them kill you"

"You have told me all this before severus" Dumbledore says calmly. "Which is why when the time comes you will have to kill me. Come in miss lestrange."

Quicky pushing the door open i enter the office.

"What brings you here?" Dumbledore addresses me. I hesitate. I didn't know if i could trust snape not to go tell him. Finally i descide if dumbledore trusted him so would i

"The cabinet's complete" i mumble. "I came to warn you what they have planned but it seems you already know."

"I also know you asked mcgonnigal to switch houses." Dumbledore accuses, I nod in response.

"He was staying at the manor. So was my mother. She threatened me in first year. So when she got out i made a stupid mistake and panicked. So i lied. Said i was spying on harry. I didn't tell them anything of any importance. Just a lie about dumbledores army. That he was building an army against him. When they told me i had to switch houses i did it. They threatened all of them and by being in gryffindor i was putting them all at risk" I didn't know why i was telling him all this "But professor you have to leave. They'll kill you if you don't"

He shook his head. "I'm dying anyway miss lestrange." He held up his blackened hand.

"This way is just quicker. Now you better hurry back to your common room. I suspect it will be starting in a few hours. As it is i have a few things to take care of"

Nodding i walked back to the common room oblivious to anything that was wrong.

I didn't sleep that night. I spent the whole night in the common room. The slytherin prefects knew better than to mess with the daughter of bellatrix lestrange. When finally my mark began to burn i get to my feet silently and head for the room of requirement.

I find draco already there. Moments later the cabinet's door opens and my mother and 4 other death eaters step out.

"Well done" My mother congratulates. "Next time be faster"

I nod my head in reply.

"You two to the astronomy tower and cast the dark mark" she orders

Draco and i walk to the tower in silence as we walk we cast the dark mark above the tower. By the time we get there dumbeldore is standing his wand out.

"Expelliarmus" draco yells and dumbledores wand flies from his hand.

Then we hesitated. Neither of us wanting to do the one thing we had been tasked with from the beginning.

"Goodevening draco, aria" Dumbledore was calm. Which was strange considering he knew he was about to die "What brings you here on this fine spring evening"

"Who else is here?" Draco asks. i can hear his voice breaking slightly "I heard you talking"

"i often talk aloud to myself. i find it extrordinarily useful" he says then stops giving the pretence up.

"You are no assassin" he tells us

"Youd don't know what i am" he snaps "I've done things that would shock you"

"like cursing katie bell?" dumbledore suggests

Suddenly the door below us opens.

"We are not alone...how?" dumbledore asks. oh he was good at this.

"the vanishing cabinet in the room of requirement" draco snarls "the one in borgin in burkes and that one form a passage."

"listen to me. i knew a boy that made all the wrong choices. let me help you two"

"you don't get it. we don't want your help. i have to do this. i have to kill you. if i dont he'll kill us"

""he cant kill you if your already dead" dumbledore says " Come over to the right side Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine. the same for your cousin. What is more, I can send members of the Order to your mother tonight to hide her likewise. Nobody would be surprised that you had died in your attempt to kill me -- forgive me, but Lord Voldemort probably expects it. Nor would the Death Eaters be surprised that we had captured andkilled your mother -- it is what they would do themselves, after all. Your father is safe at the moment in Azkaban...When the time comes we can protect him too. Come over to the right side, Draco...you are not a killer..."

That's when they arrive. my mothre and the otehr death eaters run up the stairs

"Kill him draco" my mother hisses she was enjoying this. "kill him"

he doesnt do anything but keeps his wand arm raised.

the door opens a second time and snape walks into the room.

"Move aside boy" snape growls finally and it's at that moment i knew what i had to do. If draco or i didn't kill him then never mind voldemort but my mother would torture us to death. I knew then why dumbledore had allowed me into his office whilst snape and him were talking

"Avada Kadavera" my wand was raised instantly as i said the words of the killing curse. Shock registered on dumbledores face. Before it went slack and he toppled back off the tower