June 30th, Friday, 1996
Draco couldn't control himself all day in class. All he did was sweat, panic, and think about that night. Before supper he paced, and paced.
Hermione was all that he could think of. How could he make sure that she didn't get hurt? Then it came to him, The room of requirement.
At supper he didn't eat. He didn't talk to anyone. He just switched his gaze form the Headmaster to Hermione, a slow beat of switch... switch... switch.
He then fells a light nudge on his elbow.
He turned to see Pansy sitting beside him. When did she get there?
"From the look on your face, I'm guessing that you know about what's happening tonight," she whispered. Draco nodded. He patted her hand affectionately. Despite how annoying Pansy could be, she knew how to comfort him.
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A melancholy feeling had settled over Hermione that morning. Today just didn't feel normal. It was their last day at Hogwarts. Tomorrow she would be going home. She would be saying goodbye to Draco.
Tonight they were meeting for the last time, and she didn't know what she was going to say.
During Hermione's morning classes she thought about Horcruxes. She thought about what she could do to help harry as much as possible.
But after lunch all she could think of was Draco. She tried to catch his eye several times during the afternoon, which almost always worked because he was constantly watching her.
The long day dragged on, and on.
Finally the hour for supper arrived. She studied everyone in the hall. The whole school seemed to be depressed.
Hermione watched Draco. He seemed nervous, strangely nervous.
He get up and walked from the hall. She sighed. What was she going to do about this Slytherin boy who had her heart?
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Around 10:00 that night he hid in a classroom in the hallway that he knew to contain the entrance to Gryffindor tower.
Hermione had gone to the library, and since they couldn't be seen together, he had to resort to a desperate measure to talk to her.
Finally he saw the bushy brown hair, that he had been waiting for coming down the hallway. He grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her into the classroom.
She looked at him with an amused expression on her face, but it fell away as soon as she got a glimpse at the expression on him.
"What is it?" She whispered.
"You need to get out of here, hide, go into the room of requirement. You will be safe there." he whispered quickly.
"What? Why? Draco what's happening?" she whispered worriedly.
"Deatheaters will be attacking the school within the hour. They are going to kill him, the astronomy tower.." Draco rambled.
"No." Hermione said defiantly.
"Hermione... Please. I cant let you get hurt." He pleaded.
"Wait.." She said. "How do you know this?" Her eyes grew wide with understanding.
Before he could stop her she grabbed his left arm, and yanked the sleeve up to his elbow.
There was his Dark mark, exposed.
Hermione dropped his arm. He reached for her, but she stumbled backwards towards the door, hitting a desk as she went by.
"Hermione..." Draco pleaded. He reached for her again, but she dodged his touch, and Ran out the door.
Draco stood there for a moment, with his eyes closed. There, it was over, don't with. She knows.
But how can he keep her safe now?
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Hermione couldn't get that awful image out of her head; Draco with the Dark mark on his forearm. She felt like she was going to be sick.
She jogged down the empty, silent halls of Hogwarts, turning left and right down corridors, up and down spiraling staircases. As she ran, hot tears trickled down her cheeks.
She climbed up several more flights of stairs, and burst through the doors leading to the astronomy tower.
She stood there, letting the wind take her hair. Oh Draco. What were the deatheaters going to do?
All of her logic came back. Harry, she had to tell Harry. And with that, she was heading down to Gryffindor tower.
She burst through the doors, he eyes tearing from one side of the common room to the other. She spotted Ron talking to his girlfriend, Lavender Brown.
"Ron!" She called out to him. Lavender smiled at her, but Hermione had no time to waist.
"Ron, I need to talk to you." She said in a hurry. Trying her best to sound perfectly calm.
"Can it wait?" He asked.
"No." She said firmly.
He sighed as she lead him out of Gryffindor tower and into a classroom.
"Ron-" she said, turning on him. "Ron, we need to keep Harry safe. Someone just told me that deathearters are attacking the school tonight. We need to tell Dumbledore-"
"Hermione, calm down. Harry and Dumbldore left a couple hours ago on and errand."
"What! that's even worse. what shall we do?"
Ron bit his lip and stared at her.
"Do you think Draco will join them?"
"Yes." Hermione said. She though about Draco, and how he had been actin so funny. His father was still mad at him because he had to preform some fort of task... his father still wasn't speaking to him.
"Ron! They are going to use him! They're going to use Draco for whatever they intend to do tonight!" Don't ask how I know. W have got to warn McGonigal, and Snape."
"Right, I'll take McGonigal."
"Alright, the I'll warn Snape."
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Draco jogged up the steps to the Astronomy tower. The place where he would do it. Draco would leave here a murderer.
He walked into the tower, his hands shaking so badly that he could barely hold his wand. He had just let in the deatheaters.
He wondered where Hermione was, and whether she was safe, probably not, but he couldn't worry about that now. He had a job to do.
Draco jumped when he heard a loud crack. He looked behind him to see Dumbledore slouched on the floor. He grunted, and unsteadily dragged himself to his feet, the his eyes fell on Draco.
Draco quickly disarmed the wizard.
"Good evening Draco." Dumbledore said in a calm voice.
"Who else is here?" Draco demanded, stepping forwards.
"A question I might ask you, or are you acting alone?" Dumbledore said
"No, I have backup. There are deatheaters here in your school"
"Ingenious." Said Dumbledore. "Yet... forgive me... where are they now? You seem unsupported."
"They're having a fight down below. They wont be long... I came on ahead. I've got a job to do."
"Well the, you must get on and do it, my dear boy..." Dumbledore smiled at him. then he said "Draco, you are not a killer."
"How do you know?" Draco demanded. "You don't know what I am capable of, what I've done!"
"Oh yes I do, you almost killed Katie Bell and Ronald Weasley. You have bee desperately trying to kill me. Feeble attempts... so feeble."
"They where not feeble!" Draco growled. A long pause Dragged out between them.
"Perhaps you ought to get on with the job," suggested Dumbledore. "Unless you are afraid to act until your backup comes."
"I am not afraid," snarled Draco. "It's you who should be scared.
"But why? I don't think you will kill me, Draco. Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe. SO tell me... why are you the one who is to kill me?" asked Dumbledore.
"I don't have any options!" Draco said. "I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family."
"I can help you Draco."
"No, You cant, Nobody can!"
"What about your Muggleborn? could she help you?"
"Don't speak to me of her!"
"Come over to the right side Draco," said Dumbledore. "We can hid you. W can hid your mother. Come to the right side... you are not a killer."
Draco stared at Dumbledore. Perhaps there was another way... He began to lower his wand.
But just then the doors to the tower flew open. A Deatheater that Draco didn't recognize sauntered in.
"Dumbledore cornered!" He cried. A little witch followed in after him.
"Wandless, Alone! Well done Draco!" He said.
"Good evening Amycus," said Dumbledore. "And you've brought Alecto too... Charming..."
"Think your jokes'll help you on your death bed the?" The little witch taunted.
"These are not jokes. These are manners," said Dumbledore.
"Enough talk. Do it." Growled a voice from the back of the group.
"Is the you Fenrir?" replied Dumbledore.
"That's right. Shocks you Dumbledore?"
"Well, I cannot say that it doesn't disgust me. I am shocked that Draco invited you to a place where his friends live. Since you are known for biting children."
"I didn't invite him." Breathed Draco.
"We've got orders." Intervened Alecto. "Draco's got to do it. Now, Draco, and quickly."
Draco's hand was shaking so badly that he could barely aim.
"Let me do it." Snarled Fenrir Greyback.
"I said no!" Shouted Alecto.
"Draco do it or stand aside!" yelled Greyback.
But once again the doors to the towers flew open.
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"Hermione!" Luna called from behind her.
"There are death eaters in the castle Luna! I'm on my way to warn Snape, come!"
So together they headed down to Snape's office in the dungeons. They waited outside of the office door. Just in case there were deatheaters in there. Snape was pretending to be allied with them after all.
After 2 moments of waiting, Professor Flitwick came running down the Hallway, and into Snape's office. They heard a loud bang. The two girls jumped up, and ran into the office to investigate, but they were stopped short at the door by Snape.
"Professor Flitwick has collapsed. Stay hear and help him. The need me in the battle."
When Snape was out of sight, Hermione turned to Luna.
"You stay here with Flitwick. I'm going to follow Snape."
And with no questions asked, they parted.
Hermione quickly caught up to Snape. She stayed far enough behind him so he wouldn't notice her. Hermione Immediately knew where they were going.
"They are going to kill him in the Astronomy tower." Draco had told her.
Soon they were climbing the stairs to the tower.
Wen she opened the door she couldn't believe the scene before her. Draco had his wand pointed at Dumbledore, Deatheaters encircled them.
As soon as Hermione was seen, they seized her, by kicking her in the shins and grabbing her arms, a wand was pointed at her throat.
She yelped, causing Draco to whip around and look at her. He paled.
"We've got a problem Severus," said Amycus. "The boy doesn't seem to be able-"
"Severus..." Came a whisper from Dumbledore's direction. it made Hermione jump. He seemed to be pleading.
Snape walked up, and pushed Draco roughly away. As soon as the attention fell off of him, his eyes were on her.
"Severuse...please..."
Snape raised his wand, and pointed it at Dumbldore. "Avedava Kedavra!"
Green light shot from Snape's wand and hit Dumbldore in the chest. Dumbledore was blasted into the air, and fell backwards over the edge of the tower.
Hermione screamed. She wriggled in her capturers arms.
He pointed his wand at her temple and cried "Clamatis!"
An Eruption of sound came in her head. Screams so loud that her vision went white. She collapsed to the ground, holding her head.
"Hermione!" Draco called out to her. She could barely hear him over the commotion in her head. After a few more seconds the screaming subdued. She opened her eyes and saw Harry running towards her. He was by her side. She sat up, and grabbed his arm.
"Stay here." He ordered, and ran out of the tower in pursuit of Snape and Draco. Hermione didn't listen to him. She scrambled to her feet, and brought up the rear of the four.
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They were almost there, almost out of the school grounds. They were going to make it!
"Stupefy!" Potter.
"Run Draco!" shouted Snape.
"Cruc-" tried Harry, but Snape deflected it.
Draco was vaguely aware of Harry and Snape dueling in font of him. His focus was on the approaching figure coming up behind the duel. Hermione
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She approached the scene of the duel. Her eyes immediately fell on Draco.
He was yelling something to her, but she couldn't here it over the noise of the battle behind her, and the duel in front of her.
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"Get to safety!" He had yelled. "I love you." He had added. But she couldn't hear.
Just then, a deatheater grabbed her from behind. Just as Draco started towards her, Snape grabbed her arms, and with a loud crack, they were on the outskirts of Malfoy Manor. They had escaped.
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Hermione elbowed the guy who had grabbed his in the face, and ran over to Harry. Snape and Draco were gone, along with all of the other deatheaters.
The Battle was over, Dumbledore was dead.
They had lost.
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One more chapter until the end, then part 2. This chapter took me FOREVER to write. but I enjoyed it.
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