Hex Me or Kiss Me Book One

Lost Hope

It had not happened .... It could not have happened.

"Get out of here quickly," said Snape.

Harry watched in frozen horror as Snape grabbed Draco by the scruff of the neck and forced him through the door. The other Death Eaters followed quickly behind.

"Draco!" Harry cried out automatically, realising he could move.

He threw his Invisibility Cloak off and pushed off from the wall.

"Petrificus Totalus!" he yelled, aiming his wand for the last Death Eater leaving. The man fell to the ground and Harry scrambled over him.

He sprinted down the dark staircase, moving as fast as he possibly could. He couldn't bring himself to believe that Dumbledore was dead, but he could hardly let himself think about anything at all besides Snape and having to get to him.

He finally reached the end of the stairs. All around him was chaos. There were spells firing all over the place, people running around, shouts, and yelling. He looked around, trying to find Snape in the dark, trying to look for Draco.

"It's over! Time to go!" Harry heard Snape yell, as he and a struggling Draco disappeared at the far end of the corridor.

Harry flung himself forward. He had to get to Draco. It wasn't even about Snape anymore, although, in his mind, getting to Snape would solve everything. He just had to get to Draco. Harry was confused beyond belief, but he couldn't let Snape take Draco wherever it was he was running to.

As Harry ran down the corridor, one of the Death Eaters flung themselves at him. It was the werewolf, Fenrir. Harry fell backwards under his weight and felt his hot, disgusting breath at his throat.

"Petrificus Totalus!" he yelled again, and he felt Fenrir collapse.

He shoved the man off of him with all his might and got quickly to his feet again. He ducked down and continued running, a roaring in his ears. He could feel himself slipping and sliding in what could only be blood, but there was no time to stop and look.

All around him were people fighting and firing off hexes. Harry could see Ginny in front of him, dodging hexes thrown at her by the Death Eater, Amycus. Harry flung a hex at him and continued forward, not having any time to stop. He saw Professor McGonagall, Tonks and Neville, but he couldn't stop for them either. He couldn't hear anything they were saying to him. He had to get to Snape and Draco. Harry looked around wildly, trying to see a flash of that blond hair.

"Snape and Malfoy ..."

Harry snapped his head around to look at Neville who was talking to him.

"What?!" asked Harry madly.

"Snape had Malfoy ... I saw them run past ..." Neville said.

Harry took off without another word, feeling like he was going to pass out.

He aimed another jinx at a large blond Death Eater who seemed to be causing most of the trouble. The Death Eater howled with pain and stumbled along behind the brother and sister Death Eaters.

Where had Snape taken Draco? He'd had such an immense head start. Could he have already reached the cabinet in the Room of Requirement? Harry's stomach dropped at that thought. Perhaps the Order members had thought to secure it. He looked around wildly and spotted a bloody footprint on the floor that showed at least one of the Death Eaters was heading towards the front doors. Perhaps the cabinet was blocked off -- A Death Eater fired a curse at him as he skidded around the corner. Harry dove out of the way and tried to fire a hex of his own, but he only managed to hit a painting. He spun around quickly and flew down a shortcut, hoping to pass the brother and sister and close in on Snape, who surely must have reached the grounds by now.