"C'mere Harry. . .Emma. . "
"No."
"Yeh can' stay here, Harry, Emma. . . . Come on, now. . . ."
"No."
I did not want to leave Dumbledore's side, I did not want tomove anywhere. Hagrid's hand on my shoulder was trembling.Then another voice said, "Princess, come on."
A much warmer hand had enclosed my shoulder and waspulling me upward. I obeyed its pressure without really thinkingabout it. Only as I walked blindly back through the crowd did I realize, from a trace of minty scent on the air, that it was Draco who was leading me back into the castle. Harry and Ginny were a few meters ahead of us.
Incomprehensible voicesbattered me, sobs and shouts and wails stabbed the night, but Me, Draco, Harry and Ginny walked on, back up the steps into the entrancehall. Faces swam on the edges of my vision, people were peering at me, whispering, wondering, and Gryffindor rubies glistened onthe floor like drops of blood as we made our way toward themarble staircase.
"We're going to the hospital wing," said Ginny.
"we're not hurt," said Harry.
"It's McGonagall's orders," said Draco, pulling me closer. "Everyone's up there,Anderson. . .Nicholas and Ryan and Astoria and everyone —"
Fear stirred in my chest again: I had forgotten the inertfigures we had left behind.
"Draco, who else is dead?"
"Don't worry, none of us."
"But the Dark Mark — Malfoy you said you stepped over a body —"
"He stepped over Bill, but it's all right, he's alive." said Ginny
There was something in her voice, however, that I knewboded ill.
"Are you sure?" asked Harry
"Of course I'm sure . . . he's a — a bit of a mess, that's all. Greyback attacked him. Madam Pomfrey says he won't — won't lookthe same anymore. . . ."
Ginny's voice trembled a little.
"We don't really know what the aftereffects will be — I mean,Greyback being a werewolf, but not transformed at the time."
"But the others . . . There were other bodies on the ground. . . ."
"Neville and Professor Flitwick are both hurt, but Madam Pomfrey says they'll be all right. And a Death Eater's dead, he got hit bya Killing Curse that huge blond one was firing off everywhere — Anderson--"
"What happened to Zoe?" I asked sharply
"Nothing worse than last year. Much better actually."
We had reached the hospital wing. Pushing open the doors, Isaw Neville lying, apparently asleep, in a bed near the door. Zoe was wincing as she tried moving her bandaged hands. Nicholas, Zoe, Astoria, Ryan, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Tonks, and Lupin were gathered aroundanother bed near the far end of the ward.
At the sound of the doorsopening, they all looked up. Hermione ran to Harry and me and hugged us; Lupin moved forward too, looking anxious."Are you all right, Harry, Emma?"
"we're fine. . . . How's Bill?" I asked
Nobody answered.
I looked over Hermione's shoulder andsaw an unrecognizable face lying on Bill's pillow, so badly slashedand ripped that he looked grotesque. Madam Pomfrey was dabbingat his wounds with some harsh-smelling green ointment.
I remembered how Snape had mended Draco's Sectumsempra woundsso easily with his wand.
"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" I asked thematron.
"No charm will work on these," said Madam Pomfrey. "I've triedeverything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."
"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron, who was gazing down into his brother's face as though he could somehow forcehim to mend just by staring. "Greyback hadn't transformed, sosurely Bill won't be a — a real — ?"
He looked uncertainly at Lupin.
"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," said Lupin,"but that does not mean that there won't be some contamination.Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully,and — and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics fromnow on."
"Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though,"Ron said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in thisstate —"
"Ron — Dumbledore's dead," said Ginny.
"No!" Lupin looked wildly from Ginny to Harry to me to Draco, as thoughhoping one of us might contradict her, but when Harry or I or Draco did not,Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over hisface.
I had never seen Lupin lose control before; I felt asthough I was intruding upon something private, indecent. I turned away and caught Zoe's eye instead, exchanging in silence alook that confirmed what Ginny had said.
"How did he die?" whispered Ryan. "How did it happen?"
"Snape killed him," said Harry. "we were there, we were it. We arrivedback on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was.. . . Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realized it wasa trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilized me and Emma, I couldn't do anything, I was under the InvisibilityCloak — and then Malfoy came through the door and disarmedhim —"
Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth and Ron groaned.Luna's mouth trembled. They all glared at Draco. Nicholas stared at him as though he had never seen him before, Astoria and Ryan were looking stunned, Zoe couldn't seem to make any move or sound.
"— more Death Eaters arrived —Malfoy couldn't kill him, he refused to-- and then Snape — and Snapedid it. The Avada Kedavra."
Harry couldn't go on.Madam Pomfrey burst into tears. Nobody paid her any attention except Ginny, who whispered, "Shh! Listen!"
Gulping, Madam Pomfrey pressed her fingers to her mouth, hereyes wide. Somewhere out in the darkness, a phoenix was singingin a way I had never heard before: a stricken lament of terrible beauty. And I felt, as we had felt about phoenix songbefore, that the music was inside me, not without: It was my owngrief turned magically to song that echoed across the grounds andthrough the castle windows.
" Why did you agree?" asked Nicholas, staring at Draco.
"He threatened to kill me mother" said Draco, taking in a shaking breath "and me and. . .Emma."
"He has to kill Emma anyway!" said Ron.
"Voldemort lied to him about the prophecy," I said "he made him believe only one of us needed to die."
"So you were willing to let Harry die?" asked Hermione
"What would you do!" I exclaimed, tears of fury rolling down my face "if someone threatened your mother? If someone threatened the person you--you--"
"Love." whispered Draco, pulling me closer.
I brushed the tears out of my eyes, "don't judge him" I said "you don't know what you'll do because you weren't in his situation. Be thankful you weren't"
Silence fell the song continued.
How long we all stood there, listening, I did not know, norwhy it seemed to ease our pain a little to listen to the sound of our mourning, but it felt like a long time later that the hospitaldoor opened again and Professor McGonagall entered the ward.
Like all the rest, she bore marks of the recent battle: There weregrazes on her face and her robes were ripped.
"Molly and Arthur are on their way," she said, and the spell ofthe music was broken: Everyone roused themselves as though coming out of trances, turning again to look at Bill, or else to rub theirown eyes, shake their heads.
"Harry, Emma, what happened? According toHagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he — when ithappened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some —"
"Snape killed Dumbledore,"I said.
She stared at him for a moment, then swayed alarmingly;Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to have pulled herself together, ranforward, conjuring a chair from thin air, which she pushed underMcGonagall.
"Snape," repeated McGonagall faintly, falling into the chair."We all wondered . . . but he trusted . . . always . . . Snape . . . Ican't believe it. . . ."
"Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumens," said Lupin, hisvoice uncharacteristically harsh. "We always knew that."
"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!" whispered Tonks."I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snapethat we didn't. . . ."
"He always hinted that he had an ironclad reason for trustingSnape," muttered Professor McGonagall, now dabbing at the corners of her leaking eyes with a tartan-edged handkerchief. "I mean. . . with Snape's history . . . of course people were bound to wonder . . . but Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape's repentancewas absolutely genuine. . . . Wouldn't hear a word against him!"
"I'd love to know what Snape told him to convince him," saidTonks.
"We know," I said, and they all turned to look at him. "Snapepassed Voldemort the information that made Voldemort huntdown our mum and dad. Then Snape told Dumbledore he hadn'trealized what he was doing, he was really sorry he'd done it, sorrythat they were dead."
They all stared at me.
"And Dumbledore believed that?" said Lupin incredulously."Dumbledore believed Snape was sorry James was dead? Snapehated James. . . ."
"And he didn't think our mother was worth a damn either," I said, "because she was Muggle-born. . . . 'Mudblood,' he calledher. . . ."
Nobody asked how I knew this. All of them seemed to belost in horrified shock, trying to digest the monstrous truth of whathad happened.
"This is all my fault," said Professor McGonagall suddenly. Shelooked disoriented, twisting her wet handkerchief in her hands."My fault. I sent Filius to fetch Snape tonight, I actually sent forhim to come and help us! If I hadn't alerted Snape to what was going on, he might never have joined forces with the Death Eaters. I don't think he knew they were there before Filius told him, I don'tthink he knew they were coming."
"It isn't your fault, Minerva," said Lupin firmly. "We all wantedmore help, we were glad to think Snape was on his way. . . ."
"So when he arrived at the fight, he joined in on the DeathEaters' side?" asked Harry, I wanted every detail of Snape's duplicity and infamy, feverishly collecting more reasons to hate him,to swear vengeance.
"I don't know exactly how it happened," said Professor McGonagall distractedly. "It's all so confusing. . . . Dumbledore had told usthat he would be leaving the school for a few hours and that wewere to patrol the corridors just in case . . . Remus, Bill, andNymphadora were to join us . . . and so we patrolled. All seemedquiet. Every secret passageway out of the school was covered. Weknew nobody could fly in. There were powerful enchantments onevery entrance into the castle. I still don't know how the DeathEaters can possibly have entered. . . ."
"I do," said Draco, and he explained, briefly, about the pair ofVanishing Cabinets and the magical pathway they formed. And wha "Sothey got in through the Room of Requirement."
Almost against his will Harry glanced from Ron to Hermione, bothof whom looked devastated.
"I messed up, Harry," said Ron bleakly. "We thought Malfoy must be in the Room of Requirement, so me,Ginny, and Neville went to keep watch on it . . . but Malfoy gotpast us."
"He came out of the room about an hour after we started keeping watch," said Ginny. "He was on his own, clutching thatawful shriveled arm —"
"My Hand of Glory," said Draco. "Gives light only to the holder,remember?"
"Anyway," Ginny went on, "you must have been checkingwhether the coast was clear to let the Death Eaters out, because themoment he saw us he threw something into the air and it all wentpitch-black —"
"— Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder," said Draco bitterly.
"We tried everything, Lumos, Incendio," said Ginny. "Nothingwould penetrate the darkness; all we could do was grope our wayout of the corridor again, and meanwhile we could hear peoplerushing past us. Obviously you, Malfoy could see because of that handthing and was guiding them, but we didn't dare use any curses oranything in case we hit each other, and by the time we'd reached acorridor that was light, they'd gone."
"Luckily," said Lupin hoarsely, "Ron, Ginny, and Neville raninto us almost immediately and told us what had happened. Wefound the Death Eaters minutes later, heading in the direction ofthe Astronomy Tower. Draco, you obviously hadn't expected more people to be on the watch; he seemed to have exhausted his supply ofDarkness Powder, at any rate. A fight broke out, they scattered andwe gave chase. One of them, Gibbon, broke away and headed upthe tower stairs —"
"To set off the Mark?" asked Harry.
"He must have done, yes, we had arranged that beforethey left the Room of Requirement," said Draco. "But I don't think Gibbon liked the idea of waiting up there alone for Dumbledore,because he came running back downstairs to rejoin the fight andwas hit by a Killing Curse that just missed me."
"So if Ron was watching the Room of Requirement with Ginnyand Neville," said Harry, turning to Hermione and Zoe, "were you — ?"
"Outside Snape's office, yes," whispered Zoe, her eyessparkling with tears, "with Lovegood. We hung around for ages outsideit and nothing happened. . . . We didn't know what was going onupstairs, Zoe had the Map. . . . It was nearly midnight whenProfessor Flitwick came sprinting down into the dungeons.
"He wasshouting about Death Eaters in the castle, I don't think he reallyregistered that Luna and I were there at all, he just burst his wayinto Snape's office and we heard him saying that Snape had to goback with him and help and then we heard a loud thump and Snapecame hurtling out of his room and he saw us and — and —"
"What?" I urged her.
"I was so stupid, Emma!" said Hermione in a high-pitched whisper. "He said Professor Flitwick had collapsed and that we shouldgo and take care of him while he — while he went to help fight theDeath Eaters —"
She covered her face in shame and continued totalk into her fingers, so that her voice was muffled.
"We went intohis office to see if we could help Professor Flitwick and found himunconscious on the floor . . . and oh, it's so obvious now, Snapemust have Stupefied Flitwick, but we didn't realize, Emma, wedidn't realize, we just let Snape go!"
"It's not your fault," said Lupin firmly. "Hermione, had you notobeyed Snape and got out of the way, he probably would havekilled you, Zoe and Luna."
"So then he came upstairs," said Harry,I was watching Snape running up the marble staircase in his mind's eye, his black robesbillowing behind him as ever, pulling his wand from under hiscloak as he ascended, "and he found the place where you were allfighting. . . ."
"We were in trouble, we were losing," said Tonks in a low voice."Even after the extra support, Emma managed to help me give. Gibbon was down, but the rest of the Death Eaters seemed readyto fight to the death. Neville had been hurt, Bill had been savagedby Greyback . . . It was all dark . . . curses flying everywhere . . . Malfoy had vanished, he must have slipped past, up thestairs . . . then more of them ran after him, but one of themblocked the stair behind them with some kind of curse. . . . Nevilleran at it and got thrown up into the air —"
"None of us could break through," said Ryan, "and that massiveDeath Eater was still firing off jinxes all over the place, they werebouncing off the walls and barely missing us. . . ."
"And then Snape was there," said Tonks, "and then he wasn't —"
"I saw him running toward us, but that huge Death Eater's jinxjust missed me right afterward and I ducked and lost track ofthings," said Astoria.
"I saw him run straight through the cursed barrier as though itwasn't there," said Lupin. "I tried to follow him, but was thrownback just like Neville. . . ."
"He must have known a spell we didn't," whispered McGonagall. "After all — he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.. . . I just assumed that he was in a hurry to chase after the DeathEaters who'd escaped up to the tower. . . ."
"He was," said Harry savagely, "but to help them, not to stopthem . . . and I'll bet you had to have a Dark Mark to get throughthat barrier — so what happened when he came back down?"
"Well, the big Death Eater had just fired off a hex that causedhalf the ceiling to fall in, and also broke the curse blocking thestairs," said Lupin. "We all ran forward — those of us who werestill standing anyway — and then Snape emerged outof the dust — obviously, none of us attacked them —"
"We just let him pass," said Tonks in a hollow voice. "Wethought he were being chased by the Death Eaters — and nextthing, the other Death Eaters and Greyback were back and we werefighting again — I thought I heard Snape shout something, but Idon't know what —"
"He shouted, 'It's over,' " said Draco. "He'd done what he'dmeant to do."
We all fell silent. Fawkes's lament was still echoing over thedark grounds outside. As the music reverberated upon the air, unbidden, unwelcome thoughts slunk into my mind. . . .
Hadthey taken Dumbledore's body from the foot of the tower yet?What would happen to it next? Where would it rest?
I clenched my fists tightly in my pockets. I could feel the small cold lump ofthe fake Horcrux against the knuckles of my right hand.The doors of the hospital wing burst open, making us alljump: Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were striding up the ward, Fleur justbehind them, her beautiful face terrified.
"Molly — Arthur —" said Professor McGonagall, jumping upand hurrying to greet them. "I am so sorry —"
"Bill," whispered Mrs. Weasley, darting past Professor McGonagall as she caught sight of Bill's mangled face. "Oh, Bill !"
Lupin and Tonks had got up hastily and retreated so that Mr.and Mrs. Weasley could get nearer to the bed. Mrs. Weasley bentover her son and pressed her lips to his bloody forehead.
"You said Greyback attacked him?" Mr. Weasley asked ProfessorMcGonagall distractedly. "But he hadn't transformed? So whatdoes that mean? What will happen to Bill?"
"We don't yet know," said Professor McGonagall, looking helplessly at Lupin.
"There will probably be some contamination, Arthur," saidLupin. "It is an odd case, possibly unique. . . . We don't know whathis behavior might be like when he awakens. . . ."
Mrs. Weasley took the nasty-smelling ointment from MadamPomfrey and began dabbing at Bill's wounds.
"And Dumbledore . . ." said Mr. Weasley. "Minerva, is it true. . . Is he really . . . ?"
As Professor McGonagall nodded, I felt Ginny move beside me and looked at her. Her slightly narrowed eyes were fixed uponFleur, who was gazing down at Bill with a frozen expression on herface.
"Dumbledore gone," whispered Mr. Weasley, but Mrs. Weasleyhad eyes only for her eldest son; she began to sob, tears falling ontoBill's mutilated face.
"Of course, it doesn't matter how he looks. . . . It's not r-reallyimportant . . . but he was a very handsome little b-boy . . . alwaysvery handsome . . . and he was g-going to be married!"
"And what do you mean by zat?" said Fleur suddenly and loudly."What do you mean, ' 'e was going to be married?' "
Mrs. Weasley raised her tear-stained face, looking startled.
"Well — only that —"
"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?" demandedFleur.
"You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"
"No, that's not what I —"
"Because 'e will!" said Fleur, drawing herself up to her full heightand throwing back her long mane of silver hair. "It would takemore zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!"
"Well, yes, I'm sure," said Mrs. Weasley, "but I thought perhaps — given how — how he —"
"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, youhoped?" said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care how helooks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All thesescars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" sheadded fiercely, pushing Mrs. Weasley aside and snatching the ointment from her.
Mrs. Weasley fell back against her husband and watched Fleurmopping up Bill's wounds with a most curious expression upon herface. Nobody said anything; Harry did not dare move. Like everybody else, he was waiting for the explosion.
"Our Great-Auntie Muriel," said Mrs. Weasley after a longpause, "has a very beautiful tiara — goblin-made — which I amsure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is veryfond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair."
"Thank you," said Fleur stiffly. "I am sure zat will be lovely."
And then, I did not quite see how it happened, bothwomen were crying and hugging each other. Completely bewildered, wondering whether the world had gone mad, I turnedaround: Ron, Ryan, Harry, Nicholas and Draco looked as stunned as I felt and Zoe, Astoria, Ginny and Hermionewere exchanging startled looks.
"You see!" said a strained voice. Tonks was glaring at Lupin. "Shestill wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn'tcare!"
"It's different," said Lupin, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely —"
"But I don't care either, I don't care!" said Tonks, seizing thefront of Lupin's robes and shaking them. "I've told you a milliontimes. . . ."
And the meaning of Tonks's Patronus and her mouse-coloredhair, and the reason she had come running to find Dumbledorewhen she had heard a rumor someone had been attacked by Greyback, all suddenly became clear to me; it had not been Siriusthat Tonks had fallen in love with after all.
"And I've told you a million times," said Lupin, refusing to meether eyes, staring at the floor, "that I am too old for you, too poor. . . too dangerous. . . ."
"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus," said Mrs. Weasley over Fleur's shoulder as she patted her onthe back.
"I am not being ridiculous," said Lupin steadily. "Tonks deservessomebody young and whole."
"But she wants you," said Mr. Weasley, with a small smile. "Andafter all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remainso."
He gestured sadly at his son, lying between them.
"This is . . . not the moment to discuss it," said Lupin, avoidingeverybody's eyes as he looked around distractedly. "Dumbledore isdead. . . ."
"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to thinkthat there was a little more love in the world," said ProfessorMcGonagall curtly, just as the hospital doors opened again andHagrid walked in.
The little of his face that was not obscured by hair or beard wassoaking and swollen; he was shaking with tears, a vast, spottedhandkerchief in his hand.
"I've . . . I've done it, Professor," he choked. "M-moved him.Professor Sprout's got the kids back in bed. Professor Flitwick's lyin'down, but he says he'll be all righ' in a jiffy, an' Professor Slughornsays the Ministry's bin informed."
"Thank you, Hagrid," said Professor McGonagall, standing upat once and turning to look at the group around Bill's bed. "I shallhave to see the Ministry when they get here. Hagrid, please tell theHeads of Houses — Slughorn can represent Slytherin — that Iwant to see them in my office forthwith. I would like you to join ustoo."
As Hagrid nodded, turned, and shuffled out of the room again,she looked down at Harry and me. "Before I meet them I would like aquick word with you, Harry, Emma. If you'll come with me. . . ."
Harry and I stood up, the last thing I heard was Mr Weasly saying "we will need severe protection for you, Mr Malfoy--"
We followed Professor McGonagall back downthe ward. The corridors outside were deserted and the only soundwas the distant phoenix song.
It was several minutes before I became aware that they were not heading for Professor McGonagall's office, but for Dumbledore's, and another few seconds beforehe realized that of course, she had been deputy headmistress. . . .
Apparently she was now headmistress . . . so the room behind thegargoyle was now hers.In silence they ascended the moving spiral staircase and enteredthe circular office.
I did not know what I had expected: that theroom would be draped in black, perhaps, or even that Dumbledore's body might be lying there. In fact, it looked almost exactly as it had done when me, Harry and Dumbledore had left it mere hours previously:
The silver instruments whirring and puffing on their spindlelegged tables, Gryffindor's sword in its glass case gleaming in themoonlight, the Sorting Hat on a shelf behind the desk. ButFawkes's perch stood empty, he was still crying his lament to thegrounds. And a new portrait had joined the ranks of the dead headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts: Dumbledore was slumbering in a golden frame over the desk, his half-moon spectaclesperched upon his crooked nose, looking peaceful and untroubled.
After glancing once at this portrait, Professor McGonagall madean odd movement as though steeling herself, then rounded thedesk to look at Harry and me, her face taut and lined.
"Harry,Emma," she said, "I would like to know what you and ProfessorDumbledore were doing this evening when you left the school."
"We can't tell you that, Professor,"I said. I had expected thequestion and had my answer ready. It had been here, in this veryroom, that Dumbledore had told me that we were to confide thecontents of their lessons to nobody but Zoe,Ron and Hermione.
"Emma, it might be important," said Professor McGonagall.
"It is," said Harry, "very, but he didn't want me to tell anyone."
Professor McGonagall glared at us.
"Potters" — I registered the renewed use of our surname — "in the light of ProfessorDumbledore's death, I think you must see that the situation haschanged somewhat —"
"I don't think so," I said, shrugging. "Professor Dumbledore never told us to stop following his orders if he died."
"But —"
"There's one thing you should know before the Ministry gets here, though." I said "Madam Rosmerta's under the Imperius Curse, shewas helping Draco and the Death Eaters, that's how the necklaceand the poisoned mead —"
"Rosmerta?" said Professor McGonagall incredulously, but before she could go on, there was a knock on the door behind themand Professors Sprout, Flitwick, and Slughorn traipsed into theroom, followed by Hagrid, who was still weeping copiously, hishuge frame trembling with grief.
"Snape!" ejaculated Slughorn, who looked the most shaken, paleand sweating. "Snape! I taught him! I thought I knew him!"
But before any of them could respond to this, a sharp voicespoke from high on the wall: A sallow-faced wizard with a shortblack fringe had just walked back into his empty canvas.
"Minerva, the Minister will be here within seconds, he has justDisapparated from the Ministry."
"Thank you, Everard," said Professor McGonagall, and sheturned quickly to her teachers.
"I want to talk about what happens to Hogwarts before he getshere," she said quickly. "Personally, I am not convinced that theschool should reopen next year. The death of the headmaster at thehands of one of our colleagues is a terrible stain upon Hogwarts'shistory. It is horrible."
"I am sure Dumbledore would have wanted the school to remain open," said Professor Sprout. "I feel that if a single pupilwants to come, then the school ought to remain open for thatpupil."
"But will we have a single pupil after this?" said Slughorn, nowdabbing his sweating brow with a silken handkerchief. "Parents will want to keep their children at home and I can't say I blame them.Personally, I don't think we're in more danger at Hogwarts than weare anywhere else, but you can't expect mothers to think like that.They'll want to keep their families together, it's only natural."
"I agree," said Professor McGonagall. "And in any case, it is nottrue to say that Dumbledore never envisaged a situation in whichHogwarts might close. When the Chamber of Secrets reopened heconsidered the closure of the school — and I must say that Professor Dumbledore's murder is more disturbing to me than theidea of Slytherin's monster living undetected in the bowels of thecastle. . . ."
"We must consult the governors," said Professor Flitwick in hissqueaky little voice; he had a large bruise on his forehead butseemed otherwise unscathed by his collapse in Snape's office. "Wemust follow the established procedures. A decision should not bemade hastily."
"Hagrid, you haven't said anything," said Professor McGonagall."What are your views, ought Hogwarts to remain open?"
Hagrid, who had been weeping silently into his large, spottedhandkerchief throughout this conversation, now raised puffy redeyes and croaked, "I dunno, Professor . . . that's fer the Heads ofHouse an' the headmistress ter decide . . ."
"Professor Dumbledore always valued your views," said Professor McGonagall kindly, "and so do I."
"Well, I'm stayin'," said Hagrid, fat tears still leaking out of thecorners of his eyes and trickling down into his tangled beard. "It'sme home, it's bin me home since I was thirteen. An' if there'skids who wan' me ter teach 'em, I'll do it. But . . . I dunno . . . Hogwarts without Dumbledore . . ." He gulped and disappearedbehind his handkerchief once more, and there was silence.
Hagrid's words had struck me to the core. Home. The lines of the prophecy came into my mind- "one made to protect the world, another made to protect the place she calls home. . ." I had to protect Hogwarts, it's students, it's history. I had to protect my home.
"Very well," said Professor McGonagall, glancing out of the window at the grounds, checking to see whether the Minister was yetapproaching, "then I must agree with Filius that the right thing todo is to consult the governors, who will make the final decision."Now, as to getting students home . . . there is an argument fordoing it sooner rather than later. We could arrange for the Hogwarts Express to come tomorrow if necessary —"
"What about Dumbledore's funeral?" said Harry, speaking atlast.
"Well . . ." said Professor McGonagall, losing a little of herbriskness as her voice shook. "I — I know that it was Dumbledore's wish to be laid to rest here, at Hogwarts —"
"Then that's what'll happen, isn't it?" I said fiercely.
"If the Ministry thinks it appropriate," said Professor McGonagall. "No other headmaster or headmistress has ever been —"
"No other headmaster or headmistress ever gave more to thisschool," growled Hagrid.
"Hogwarts should be Dumbledore's final resting place," saidProfessor Flitwick.
"Absolutely," said Professor Sprout.
"And in that case,"I said, "you shouldn't send the studentshome until the funeral's over. They'll want to say —"The last word caught in my throat, but Professor Sprout completed the sentence for me.
"Good-bye."
I nodded.
"Well said," squeaked Professor Flitwick. "Well said indeed! Our students should pay tribute, it is fitting. We can arrange transporthome afterward."
"Seconded," barked Professor Sprout.
"I suppose . . . yes . . ." said Slughorn in a rather agitated voice,while Hagrid let out a strangled sob of assent.
"He's coming," said Professor McGonagall suddenly, gazingdown into the grounds. "The Minister . . . and by the looks of it,he's brought a delegation . . ."
"Can we leave, Professor?" said Harry at once.
We had no desire at all to see, or be interrogated by, RufusScrimgeour tonight.
"You may," said Professor McGonagall. "And quickly."
She strode toward the door and held it open for me. I speddown the spiral staircase and off along the deserted corridor; Harry had left his Invisibility Cloak at the top of the Astronomy Tower,but it did not matter; there was nobody in the corridors to see me pass, not even Filch, Mrs. Norris, or Peeves.
I did not meet another soul until I turned into the passage leading to the Slytherin common room.
"Is it true?" whispered the door as I approached ir. "It isreally true? Dumbledore — dead?"
"Yes,"I said.
It let out a wail and, without waiting for the password, swungforward to admit me.As I had suspected it would be, the common room wasjam-packed. The room fell silent as I climbed through the hole.
He saw Pansy and Astoria sitting in a group nearby: Thismeant that the dormitory must be empty, or nearly so. Without speaking to anybody, without making eye contact at all, I walked straight across the room and through the door to the boys'dormitories.
As I had hoped, Zoe was waiting for me, still fully dressed, sitting on her bed. I sat down on my own four-poster and for amoment, we simply stared at each other.
"They're talking about closing the school," I said.
"Lupin said they would," said Zoe.
There was a pause.
"So?" said Zoe in a very low voice, as though she thought the furniture might be listening in. "Did you find one? Did you get it?A — a Horcrux?"
I shook my head. All that had taken place around that blacklake seemed like an old nightmare now; had it really happened, andonly hours ago?
"You didn't get it?" said Zoe, looking crestfallen. "It wasn'tthere?"
"No,"I said. "Someone had already taken it and left a fakein its place."
"Already taken — ?"
Wordlessly, I pulled the fake locket from my pocket,opened it, and passed it to Zoe. The full story could wait. . . . Itdid not matter tonight . . . nothing mattered except the end, theend of their pointless adventure, the end of Dumbledore's life. . . .
"R.A.B.," whispered Zoe, "but who was that?"
"Don't know,"I said, lying back on my bed fully clothed andstaring blankly upwards. I felt no curiosity at all about R.A.B.: I doubted that I would ever feel fully curious again.
As I lay there, I became aware suddenly that the grounds were silent. Fawkeshad stopped singing.
And I knew, without knowing how I knew it, that thephoenix had gone, had left Hogwarts for good, just as Dumbledorehad left the school, had left the world . . . had left me.