November Snow

f i f t y - s i x

"Right, you're asking a sixteen-year-old boy to finish his work." I sneered "Killing Harry Potter."

"No, Harry Potter is our final destination for the Dark Lord." She said "We're just simply... clearing the way."

"What do you mean--"

Oh no, I knew exactly what they meant. The only person who would stand in the way between Voldemort and Harry, the only person who could create obstacles for the Dark wizard, also the only one who could save Harry. Albus Dumbledore. They wanted to get rid of Albus Dumbledore. And Draco was going to get his hands bloody. I had to stop him.

With all my will power and strength I gathered from sitting down and resting, I lunged forward and snatched Lestrange's arched wand as she was arguing with Greyback and the other two Death Eaters. I sprinted towards the staircase while they were still in shock and turned around, screaming at the top of my lungs the first incantation that popped up in my head.

"Confringo!"

A burst of flame erupted from the tip of the wand and struck where they were standing. Taking the time, I sprinted up the long stone stairs, praying that I made it on time, that Draco hadn't done anything, that Dumbledore was still there. My legs were burning, sweat rolled down my face and got caught in my eye, but I couldn't give up just yet. I had to try.

"Draco!" I screamed, hoping he would hear me from down here "Don't--"

"Crucio!"

An excrutiating pain shot through my body and all my muscles gave up as I screamed out in agony. I dropped down and couldn't get myself up again. It was getting harder to breath. I felt Lestrange snatching her wand back from my loose grip. I could feel Greyback's large and sweaty hand grabbing the back of my collar and lifting me up. I could hear them hissing, sneering at me angrily. My vision went blur, but I didn't faint.

"You are lucky we are not allowed to kill you." Lestrange hissed "Or else you would be a motionless piece of meat on the ground by now."

"Yeah?" I whispered "Try me."

"Come on." Lestrange said "He's taking too long."

Greyback threw me onto his broad shoulder and carried me like a sack of meat up the stairs. Lestrange was leading the group, Greyback kept his eyes on me even though I wouldn't be able to escape one more time, and the other two covered the back. It didn't take long for us to reach the top of the tower. There they were, Draco and Dumbledore, standing face to face. They all turned to look at us and Greyback threw me down to the wooden floor with a loud thud.

Draco watched me being thrown down painfully, his face shown guilt and I could actually see that mental battle he was going through inside his head. His wand was lowering, he was backing down. 

"Well now, look what we have here. Dumbledore. Wandless and alone. Cornered in his own castle." Lestrange said "Well done, Draco."

"Good evening, Bellatrix." Dumbledore said calmly "I think introductions are in order."

"Love to, Albus. But I'm afraid we're on a bit of a tight schedule." She said, then turned to Draco "Do it."

"No..." I whispered, only to have the Cruciatus curse hitting me again and I screamed in immensive pain.

"Don't hurt her!" He shouted "You promised you wouldn't hurt her as long as I do this."

"Then do it!" Lestrange urged him. 

Draco's wand raised again, pointing at Dumbledore. The Headmaster calmly watched him, and he hesitated.

"He doesn't have the stomach, like his father." Greyback said "Let me finish him. In my own way."

"No, the Dark Lord was clear. The boy has to do it." Lestrange said "Draco, now!"

"No." Said a deep, dark voice I found familiar.

Snape had come, but I didn't know if it was a good thing. He had this dark look on his face. I know you might say, he's Snape and he's always dark, but no, I knew him, I had never seen him that dark before. He merely looked down at me, and instead of meeting my eyes, he turned away to face Dumbledore. 

"Severus..." Dumbledore said.

"Well, look who's here. Hogwarts own Defense against the Dark Arts teacher." Lestrange said "Come to see the slaughter?"

"Severus... Please." Dumbledore pleaded.

"I had my word. I made a vow..." Snape said darkly.

The rest of a blur. All I heard was the incantation of the Killing Curse, then I propped myself up to see Dumbledore disappearing over the balcony of the Astronomy tower. A scream stuck in my throat, I found myself having trouble breathing again with that weight on my chest. Lestrange ran to the balcony where Dumbledore once stood calmly and alive, and she conjured the Dark Mark on the dark starless night. 

"Why?" I looked up at Draco "After all those efforts of me trying to prove your innocence, why must you prove me wrong? I thought you cared."

"I don't care about anything. I don't care about you." He sneered "Your stupid teenage crush means nothing compare to what the Dark Lord can give me."

"I thought you were different." I whimpered.

"Well this is me." He said.

My vision went blurry again. My head began to pound against my skull. With all the strength I had left, I muttered three words as loud as I could so he would hear me.

"I hate you." A teardrop ran down my cheek.

And I slipped into darkness.

-----

I woke up to the silence between my three close friends, Harry, Hermione and Ron. They were staring eerie at each other as if they knew they were getting in much more trouble than they ever had. They noticed me moving and moved closer to my bed in the hospital wings. That's right, I knew where I was, I had been here so many times I would never mistaken it again.

"You're alright, Nov?" Ron asked.

"Of course she's not, she's been hit by the Cruciatus Curse." Hermione said.

"I'm fine, really." Then I turned to Harry "Harry, I'm so sorry."

"As long as you're fine, that enough for us." Harry said "Hermione, Ron, can I have a moment with her?"

Hermione and Ron left and walked to the other side of the room. Harry scooted closer.

"Look, we're--"

"Harry, if you're telling me your plans, I don't want to hear it." I said "Voldemort doesn't only want you. For some reasons, he wants me too. Soon or later, he will come for me, and he will attempt to read my mind to find out where you are and what are you trying to do. I shouldn't know anything, just in case I couldn't stop him from entering my mind."

"Okay." He nodded "We're not coming back to Hogwarts next year."

"I figured that one out." I said "Good luck. Stay alive."

"Thanks." He stood up.

"And Harry?" I said, he turned back to look at me "One day, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, if there's something happened to me, keep doing what you're doing and do not stop to go looking for me, alright? Keep going forward and do not go after me. Can you do that?"

"Nov, how can I--"

"Can you do that? And I'm not asking for a favor." I gave him a stern look "Tell me you can. Promise me you will."

He looked at me for a moment.

"I promise."

"Thank you, Harry."