dislike ↠ draco malfoy

twenty-eight

"Draco, you are not a killer."

"How do you know?" Draco shot back. "You don't know what I'm capable of! You don't know what I've done!"

"Oh, yes, I do," Dumbledore said. "You nearly killed Katie Bell. You have been trying, with increasing desperation, to kill me all year. Forgive me, Draco, but they have been feeble attempts... So feeble, to be honest, that I have to wonder whether your heart has really been in it."

"It has been in it!" Draco said defiantly, although his voice was wavering slightly. "I've been working all year, and tonight—"

There were shouts and signs of commotion down below. My heart beated rapidly in my chest. Draco was glancing down, looking distraught.

"I see, you are afraid to act until they join you," Dumbledore said.

"I am not afraid!" Draco exclaimed. He jabbed his wand toward Dumbledore. "It's you who should be afraid!"

"But why? I don't think you will kill me, Draco. Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe. So tell me, you have managed to let Death Eaters into my school, which I thought was impossible. May I ask, how did you do it?" Dumbledore inquired.

"The Vanishing Cabinet," Draco said. "In the Room of Requirement. I've been mending it."

"Very clever," Dumbledore remarked. "I take it that it has a twin?"

"In Borgin and Burkes," Draco replied coldly.

"Very good. So the Death Eaters were able to pass from Borgin and Burke's into the school to help you..that's a very clever plan, Draco," Dumbledore said calmly.

"Yeah. Yeah, it was!" Draco exclaimed confidently.

"Ah, now about tonight," Dumbledore continued, "I am a little puzzled about how it happened... you knew that I had left the school? But how course," he said, answering his own question, "Madam Rosmerta saw me leaving, she tipped you off, didn't she? She was the one who gave the necklace to Katie Bell. You put her under the Imperius Curse."

I didn't know what Dumbledore was on about. Draco put Madam Rosmerta under the Imperius curse?

"That's right," Draco confirmed. "But you said you were just going for a drink, you'd be back..."

"Well, I certainly did have a drink... and I came back... after a fashion. So you decided to spring a trap for me?"

"We decided to put the Dark Mark over the tower and get you to hurry up here, to see who'd been killed. And it worked!" Draco said.

There was the sound of fighting down below.

"There is little time, one way or another," Dumbledore said. "So let us discuss your options, Draco."

"My options!" Draco exclaimed, his voicing raising an octave. "I'm standing here with my wand— I'm about to kill you—"

"My boy, if you were going to kill me, you would have done it when I first arrived here," Dumbledore said.

"I haven't got any options!" Draco said, his face paling. "Don't you understand? I have to do it, I have to kill you. Or he'll kill me. He'll kill my whole family!"

"I can help you, Draco," Dumbledore said calmly.

Draco's wand arm shook. "You can't help me. Nobody can. He told me to do it or he'll kill me. I haven't got a choice."

Suddenly, footsteps bounded up the stairs of the Astronomy tower. Four people in black robes emerged through the door.

"Dumbledore cornered!" A woman's voice echoed. "Dumbledore wandless, Dumbledore alone! Well done, Draco."

"Good evening, Bellatrix," Dumbledore greeted.

My eyes widened. Bellatrix Lestrange? She was supposed to be one of the worst Death Eaters.

"Good evening, Albus," Bellatrix sneered.

"Do it," said another sneering voice.

"Is that you, Fenrir?" Dumbledore inquired.

Fenrir Greyback? The werewolf?

"Yeah, that's me. Pleased to see me, Dumbledore?"

"No, I cannot say that I am," Dumbledore replied.

Greyback grinned menacingly. "You know how much I like kids, Albus."

"Am I to take it that you are attacking even without a full moon now?" Dumbledore asked. "That is most unusual. You have developed a taste for human flesh."

"That's right. Does that shock you, Dumbledore? Frighten you?"

"Well, it does disgust me a little," Dumbledore said. "I am just shocked that Draco would invite you here, into the school where all of his friends are..."

"I didn't know he was going to come—" hissed Draco.

Greyback grinned. "I wouldn't miss a trip to Hogwarts. Not when there are throats to be ripped out. Delicious... I could do yours, Dumbledore..."

"No!" Bellatrix exclaimed. "We've got orders from the Dark Lord. Draco's got to do it. Now, Draco, quickly!"

Draco's hand was shaking so badly that his wand wasn't even pointed at Dumbledore anymore. His face had turned pale white.

"Now, Draco, quickly!" another wizard hissed.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed as someone else came into the Astronomy tower. It was Professor Snape. What was he doing here?

"We've got a problem, Snape," Greyback snarled. "The boy doesn't seem able to—"

"Severus..." Dumbledore said quietly.

Snape walked forward and shoved Draco out of the way.

"Severus... please..."

Snape reached into his pocket, retrieved his wand, and aimed it at Dumbledore.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The curse shot of of Snape's wand, and in a flash of green light, hit Dumbledore in the chest. Dumbledore fell backward and tumbled over the battlements like a giant rag doll.

He was dead. And Snape had killed him.