CHAPTER FIFTEEN
battle of the astronomy tower
⋆. ────────── ꕥ ────────── .⋆
They had come out of nowhere. June, Alaska and Cedric were heading back to their chambers, their superiors taking over the night shift when it happened.
At first, June recognized her laugh. That terrible laugh. That torturous laugh. Instantly, a shiver went up her spine. If she was here, the others where here too. June did not question how she got into Hogwarts, she did not have time for that.
And then she appeared and stopped laughing when she saw the trio.
"Well, well, well," Bellatrix Lestrange said, her black eyes fixed on June. "Hello, dear cousin. Did you miss me?"
"Guys, get all the students in their common room," June said, not looking back at Alaska and Cedric. "Let the others know we happened."
"We won't leave you," Alaska said. "That's literally the first thing they taught us."
There was no time to argue. Bellatrix had already fired off a spell and the three of them jumped away to avoid it.
"Stupify!" June yelled.
It was chaos everywhere. June did not know where to look first. She could only hope all the students were safe and sound in their dorms.
"Confringo!" an all too familiar voice called and June turned her head to see Mabel, Luna, Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Neville storming down the stairs and into the battle.
"What are you doing?" June yelled, ducking to avoid a spell. "This is no place for students! Go back to your dorm!"
"We're here to help you!" Mabel shouted, leaping next to June. "And we're not leaving. You seem to be using our help. Tonks and the others are fighting off the Death Eaters on the other side of the castle."
"There are more?" June questioned, her voice rising a couple of octaves. "But how did they get in here?"
"That's the question," Alaska said, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "I thought you couldn't Apparate on Hogwarts Grounds."
"You can't," Cedric stated.
Ron gasped as he stared out of the window. "They put up the Dark Mark! They killed someone!"
"We can't do this alone," June breathed. "If there are as many Death Eaters as you say there are, we need backup."
"Who's going to help us?" Alaska asked desperately.
A determined expression crossed June's face, knowing exactly who to call.
"Kreacher!"
Almost immediately, the house-elf appeared in front of her, his face happy to see her, but that disappeared the moment he realized in what situation she was.
"Mistress June, are you all right?" he questioned. "Take Kreacher's arm. I'll help you out!"
"No," June said quickly. "Please, Kreacher, I need you to inform the Order and get them here. We need back up. Petrificus Totalus!" she added, seeing a Death Eater sneak up to them.
"But—" Kreacher began.
"There is no time, Kreacher!" June yelled. "Just go!"
Kreacher disappeared and June turned to the others. "We need to ensure the students' safety, that's our number one priority. Rally the professors and inform them of what is happening. If they join us, you," she looked at Mabel, Ginny, Luna, Ron, Hermione and Neville, "will be going straight to the common room, all right?"
Although no one had appointed her as leader, no one seemed to question her orders. They all nodded and split into smaller groups before heading out into different hallways.
"I have a bad feeling about this," June confessed quietly to Mabel, as they headed towards the lower floors. "How did they get into Hogwarts without us knowing?"
Mabel shrugged. "I don't know, but if you'll ask Harry, he'll probably say it was Malfoy." She frowned. "They seemed to be hating each other even more this year."
June stopped dead in her tracks as she recalled the last thing Draco had told her.
They are coming, June.
"What's wrong?" Mabel asked, stopping as well and turning around to face June.
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.
Draco what have you done?
"There is no time to waste," June said, quickening her pace. "We need to—" She stopped abruptly and pulled Mabel back, missing a spell by mere inches.
"Impedimenta!" June yelled.
The spell hit the Death Eater in the chest: he gave a piglike squeal of pain, was lifted off his feet and slammed into the opposite wall, slid down it and fell on the floor, unconscious. June kicked his wand away and summoned ropes to tie his hands and feet together before shoving him in an old closet. She then turned to Mabel.
"We're close to Gryffindor Tower, d'you think you can get back on your own?"
"But—"
"Mabel," June said sternly. "This is no place for you. Besides, the students need you. Tell them everything will be all right but that they must stay in the common room."
Mabel glared at her stubbornly before finally giving a small nod. "Fine."
"Be careful."
"I will," Mabel promised before turning around and slipping around the corner. June could only hope she'd get safely back to the common room.
The black haired woman took off in a run towards the fighting.
"June, watch out!" a voice cried.
Everything happened slowly. June twirled around, wand ready. A flash of blond curly hair leaped in front of her as Fenrir Greyback sneaked up to her. June's eyes widened in horror as she saw Liam taking the attack that was meant for her.
Liam landed with a thud on the floor and did not move.
Juniper was frozen to the bone, her hazel eyes staring at the almost dead looking body. Then, they slowly rose and fixed themselves on the werewolf, turning dark in the process. She had never felt anger like this before. Almost automatically, her wand rose and one single word was uttered as fury flowed through her veins.
"Crucio."
The spell hit Greyback straight in the chest. The werewolf howled before falling onto the ground. June had never understood how people could enjoy torturing other people. She had never thought she could enjoy it. Yet here she was: doing it to someone else. She wanted to hurt him. To make him feel all the pain that had been building up inside of her.
"June!" A hand landed onto her shoulders and June was snapped out of it. The spell was interrupted and Greyback stopped screaming and laid on the ground, recovering of what June had gone through twice now.
June's eyes darted up and met Charlie's worried blue ones.
"Charlie."
She couldn't say more. She didn't know what to say. She felt embarrassed. He had seen her at her worst. He had seen her torturing someone else. He cupped her face while his blue eyes scanned her body—looking for any possible wound.
"J-June," another voice interrupted them.
June turned around and saw let out a relieved sob when she saw Liam's open eyes. She fell down beside him and placed his head onto her lap while trying to stop the bleeding of the wound in his chest.
"J-June," he said again, staring at her.
June sobbed. "Shhh, don't talk. Spare your energy. You'll be fine, Liam, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you."
Much to her surprise, he smiled. "I-I saved y-you this time," he said. "I-I did w-well, right?"
Charlie kneeled down besides them and started to stop the bleeding as well by using some healing spells. June caressed Liam's face.
"You did very well, Liam. I am proud of you."
Liam smiled even more, his blue eyes lighting up just slightly. "T-that's enough f-for me." He swallowed, trying to muster the energy. "T-thank you, J-June. F-for everything."
"Don't say that," June sobbed, shaking her head. "You'll be fine. I promise. And I never break my promises. Never!"
Liam stared at her, taking her in. "I-it's okay, J-June."
"No, it's not!" June protested. "We just have to carry you to the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey will patch you right up. There's nothing she can't fix! Come on, Charlie, help me!"
Charlie moved swiftly. He lifted Liam off the floor and the two of them sprinted towards the hospital room.
"Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey!" he called, once they arrived. "Help!"
The matron hurried out of her office towards the bed where Charlie laid Liam on. Liam's eyes were closed and he was looking terrifyingly pale.
"I've got this covered," Madam Pomfrey said. "Give me space. Help the others!"
"But—"
"You will do me no good by being in my way!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. "The others will need you more!"
"Come on, June, he'll be all right," Charlie comforted her, pulling her away. "He's in excellent hands."
June did not remember much of what happened after. All she knew is that she somehow headed outside for some fresh air and that she almost fell over a body laying at the bottom of the Astronomy Tower. Looking down, she was met with Albus Dumbledore's blue eyes. Only now there was no life to detect in them. He laid there; his arms and legs had a strange angle. June felt numb. The man who was presumed to be one of the greatest wizards the world had ever know was dead.
Albus Dumbledore was dead.
Almost automatically, June crouched down beside him and closed his eyes. Now it almost seemed as if he was sleeping. She straightening the half-moon spectacles upon the crooked nose and wiped a tickle of blood from the mouth with her own sleeve.
Another person joined her and June looked up to see Harry gazing down at Dumbledore as well. She found herself asking him what had happened but Harry did not reply.
A crowd began to form around them, but June paid no attention to them. She stared at Harry. It was easier to stare at him than at Dumbledore. She tried to read his face, but she was too numb to do so.
A third and fourth person crouched down beside them. Charlie and Ginny.
"C'mon, June," Charlie softly said, gently grabbing her hand. June let him lead her away from the body and back into the castle. Incomprehensible voice battered her, sobs and shouts and wails stabbed the night, but Charlie and June walked on, back up the steps into the Entrance Hall.
"We're going to the hospital wing," Charlie said.
"I'm not hurt," June said. The blood on her hands and clothes was from Liam. He should know that.
"It's McGonagall's orders," Charlie said. "Everyone's up there, Ron and Hermione, Neville and Mabel, and Remus and everyone—"
Fear stirred in June's chest again. "Charlie, did someone else die?"
"No," he said, brushing a straw of dark hair out of her face. "Last I checked, Liam's okay."
They reached the hospital wing: pushing open the doors, June saw Neville laying, apparently asleep, in a bed near the door. Mabel sat besides him. Alaska and Cedric were huddled around Liam's bed. Ron, Hermione, Luna, Nymphadora, Remus, Aiden and Sirius were gathered around another bed near the far end of the ward. At the sound of the doors opening, they all looked up. Sirius let out a relieved cry before running towards her and hugging her tightly, shortly followed by Nymphadora. June, however, did not hug him back. Instead, she looked over his shoulder to see an unrecognizable face laying on Bill's pillow, so badly slashed and ripped that he looked grotesque. Madam Pomfrey was dabbing at his wounds with some harsh-smelling green ointment that she'd also used on Liam by the smell of it.
"Can't you fix them with a charm or something?" Harry asked the matron. He and Ginny had come in right after June and Charlie had.
"No charm will work on these," Madam Pomfrey said. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites." She glanced at Liam and Bill worriedly.
"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," Ron said, who was gazing down his brother's face as though he could somehow force him to mend just by staring. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a—a real—?"
He looked uncertain at Remus.
"No, I don't think Bill will be a true werewolf," Remus said. "And neither will Liam," he added, looking at June. "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 and Liam might have some wolffish characteristics from now 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 this state—"
"Ron—Dumbledore is dead," Ginny said.
"No!" Remus said, looking from June to Harry and back, as though the two of them might contradict her, but when neither one of them did not, Remus collapsed into the chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face. Sirius moved to stand next to him and comfortably laid his arm around his friend's shoulders.
Nymphadora moved even closer to June. "How did he die?" she whispered. "How did it happen?"
"Snape killed him," Harry said. "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was . . . Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realized it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilized me, I couldn't do anything. I was under the Invisibility Cloak—and then Malfoy came through the door and Disarmed him—"
Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth, and Ron groaned. Luna's mouth trembled, while June merely continued to stare numbly ahead of her. Charlie placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, though he seemed equally upset.
"—more Death Eaters arrived—and then Snape—and Snape did it. The Avada Kedavra."
Madam Pomfrey burst into tears. Nobody paid her any attention except Ginny, who whispered, "Shhh! Listen!"
Gulping, Madam Pomfrey pressed her fingers to her mouth, her eyes wide. Somewhere out in the darkness, a phoenix was singing in a way June had never heard before: a stricken lament of terrible beauty.
How long they all stood there, listening, June did not know, nor why it seemed to ease their pain a little to listen to the sound of their mourning, but it felt like a long time later that the hospital door opened again and Professor McGonagall entered the ward. Like all the rest, she bore marks of the recent battle: there were grazes on her face and her robes were ripped.
"Molly and Arthur are on their way," she said, and the spell of the music was broken: everyone roused themselves as though coming out of trances, turning again to look at Bill, or else to rub their own eyes, shake their heads. "Harry, what happened? According to Hagrid you
were with Professor Dumbledore when he—when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some—"
"Snape killed Dumbledore," Harry said, making June wince.
Professor McGonagall stared at him for a moment, then swayed alarmingly; Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to have pulled herself together, ran forwards, conjuring a chair from thin air, which she pushed under McGonagall.
"Snape," McGonagall repeated faintly, falling into the chair. "We all wondered . . . but he trusted . . . always . . . Snape . . . I can't believe it . . ."
"I honestly don't see how you are all so surprised," Sirius said.
"Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumens," Remus added, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "We always knew that."
"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!" Nymphadora whispered. "I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snape that we didn't . . ."
"He always hinted that he had an iron-clad reason for trusting Snape," Professor McGonagall muttered, 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 Snap's repentance was absolutely genuine . . . wouldn't hear a word against him!"
"I'd love to know what Snape told him to convince him," Nymphadora said.
"I know," Harry said, and they all turned to stare at him. "Snape passed Voldemort the information that made Voldemort hunt down my mum and dad. Then Snape told Dumbledore he hadn't realised what he was doing, he was really sorry he'd done it, sorry that they were dead."
"And Dumbledore believed that?" Remus said incredulously. "Dumbledore believed Snape was sorry James was dead? Snape hated James . . ."
"And he didn't think my mother was worth a damn, either," Harry said, "because she was Muggle-born . . . 'Mudblood', he called her . . ."
June lifted her eyes from Liam's body to look at Harry. Severus had told her about this. But he had also told her about his love for Lily once. Of course, he had never brought it up again. He was never one to talk about his feelings.
"This is all my fault," Professor McGonagall said suddenly. She looked disorientated, twisting her wet handkerchief in her hands. "My fault. I sent Filius to fetch Snape tonight, I actually sent for him 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 coming."
"This isn't your fault, Minerva," Remus said firmly. "We all wanted more help, we were glad to think Snape was on his way . . ."
June stumbled back. She did want to hear more bad things about the man who she had come to love like a father. She did not want to be reminded of how he betrayed them. How he betrayed her.
"June—" Charlie began worriedly, but she ignored him as she moved to the other side of the hospital wing and fell down besides Cedric, who was holding Liam's hand.
"How's he doing?"
"It was a touch and go," Cedric confessed, his voice hoarse. "When I first saw him, I thought he was dead."
"He saved me," June mumbled numbly. "If something happens to him, I'll never forgive myself."
Alaska crouched down beside her and laid her arm around June's shoulders. "He'll be fine, June. Maybe a bit knocked up, but he'll be fine."
June caressed Liam's pale cheek and hoped with all her heart that Alaska would be right.
☆ ☆ ☆
Published 26.09.2022
I hope you enjoyed it & tell me what you think of it!
Liam's the brother June never had and no one can change my mind.
Or
Liam's the son June and Cedric never thought of having.
Both seem accurate :)
I think one or two more chapters before the end of hbp & then we go to the last part of this book (imma cry)
I hope you are all doing great :)
— Laura