Lumos

19| The Blond Boy

Harry and Dumbledore were in the Astronomy Tower. And the, just like that, they were gone.

I sat up, squinting at their names through the dark. They had vanished. Poof. Disappeared.

Nonexistent.

Or at least, they weren't in Hogwarts anymore. Then, I saw Draco's name move. His footsteps were pacing across the room. He paced for two minutes, and went to the Slytherin Common Room, continuing to pace. I watched him, unsure if I should go or not. I should've gone. But instead I sat there, staring at his name.

Draco Malfoy.

I should have said something to Dumbledore.

Throwing off my covers, I stood up, the feeling of the cold floor uncomfortable beneath my feet. I tucked the map under my pillow, snatching my wand off the bed. I should have said something.

I looked out the window at the night sky. The fog was getting thicker. I took five minutes to change into a fresh pair of robes and walked down the stairs into the common room.

Draco was sitting, dressed as well. His elbows rested on his knees as he leaned forward, staring into the empty fireplace.

"What are you doing?" I asked softly. He turned in the chair, his eyes meeting mine.

"I'm thinking."

"Draco, can I ask you a question?" He shook his head, but I continued anyways. "Is today the day you make your decision?"

His long fingers wrapped around the armrests as he pushed himself up with a humorless laugh. Malfoy walked towards me, setting the same hands on my shoulders at an arms length. His eyes were glazed over as if he wasn't in his right mind.

"What decision? It's done, Steele. In an hour, these silent halls will be chaotic." He raised a hand, pressing it to my cheek. "Oh, innocent Steele. You put your faith in the wrong person."

I grabbed his cold wrist, an icy chill running up my spine. I felt fear in my body, in every part of me, my blood turning cold.

"We can still destroy the Cabinet," I tried. "It's the only entrance. We can stop them still."

"It's too late."

"It's not." I pushed his hand, backing away. "I'm going to destroy it myself."

And then I took off, running pushing open the door and running into the cold corridor. My boots clacked against the ground as I ran, the sound of Draco's running footsteps close behind.

"Stop!" he shouted.

I continued my attempt to destroy the Cabinet. I was smaller, faster. I ran up the stairs as fast as I could possibly, barely making it up before Malfoy shouted, "Stupefy!" I was expecting this. Whipping out my wand fast enough, I blocked the spell. I was breathless, my throat dry a stitch in my side.

I was there. I walked back and forth three times.

I'm desperate. Show yourself to me. I have to protect this school. I am protecting this school. OPEN!

The door appeared. I reached forward to push it open.

"Elvira Steele, don't touch that door." I turned around, eyes wide.

Draco Malfoy stood in front of me, his steely gaze fixed on my face. He held his hawthorn wand, and I held my pine wood one.

"Move, Steele."

"Never."

"They're probably already inside," Malfoy said, glancing at his watch. "If you open that door, they'll kill you."

"You're bluffing. They're not in there."

"I don't know if they're there myself," Draco said, holding out a hand. "Step away, Steele."

"I can't let this happen." My eyes burned. "I thought you would do the right thing."

"Did you think I would destroy it? Did you possibly think I was that stupid?" His eyes were watery all of a sudden, voice cracking. "You can't trust me. No one can."

Something broke inside the room, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand. It was too late.

What do I do now? I thought frantically, looking around for something I could use to help me, desperate.

Dumbledore.

I could warn Dumbledore.

"Locomoter Mortis!" A jet of purple light burst from the front of my wand, hitting Malfoy square in the chest. His legs locked together, causing him to drop to the ground. I spun around, running towards the Astronomy Tower, where I'd last seen Dumbledore on the map.

Everything was a frenzy. I panted as I climbed towards the topmost tower, trying to reach there faster than Draco or his fellow Death Eaters could. When I reached the top of the steps, I heard someone talk.

"We have company," came the headmaster's voice. I turned around the giant mechanisms there, seeing Dumbledore was back . . . all this happening in two hours, give or take.

"It's someone here?" I asked the headmaster, who shook his head. "Not anymore."

It was probably Harry, who Dumbledore had disappeared with some time ago. Probably to find that Horcrux, like Harry had mentioned a few days ago.

"There's . . . There's something I have to tell you," I said, pinching the stitch in my side.

"Go on," he ushered with his hand. He looked weak . . . almost frail. Dumbledore never looked weak, even though he was probably older than Merlin.

"Draco Malfoy let the Death Eaters in," I finally gasped out. Tears of panic formed in my eyes. "They're in the castle."

"Really?" Dumbledore asked, not looking very surprised. "How is that possible?"

"The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. He'd been repairing it all year, and it connects to the one in Borgin and Burkes."

"You seem to have known of this for a while, Miss Steele."

"I . . ." I trailed off, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. "I did."

"But you didn't share this information with anyone, correct?" Dumbledore's grey beard suddenly seemed white. There were dark circles under his eyes.

"I thought he would make the right choice," I wiped at my eyes. "Now it's my fault. I could've stopped this."

"I don't blame you," Dumbledore shook his head. "Even the darkest people can change. You thought there was a chance."

"Not him. I learned that tonight. I knew it from when we were younger," I said to him, "but I was a fool to look past it. He's on his way here now, looking for me. I don't know what to do. It feels like I've betrayed everyone."

"Miss Steele," Dumbledore said calmly, "there is something you think that will make up for this, but you're not saying it."

I swallowed, turning the next few words over and over in my head before I spoke them. "There's something I want to do that can protect these people I put in danger," I said softly.

"I know what it is. But the real question is will you be able to carry everything out? Will you last long enough?"

"I believe I can if I try. If it means to help defeat the Dark Lord, I will risk my life."

"Then, my dear," he said with a sad smile, "I can't stop you. Do what you must, Miss Steele."

Before I could say anymore, Draco Malfoy burst into the room, pointing his wand at Dumbledore's heart. I stumbled back, tripping over a loose floorboard, and landed on the ground with a thud. Draco's lip was trembling, the hawthorn wand shaking in his hand.

"Malfoy-"

"Stay down, Elvira," he said, voice shaking with emotion, "I have to do this. I have to kill him."