Discovery

86.

My head was pounding. I opened my eyes carefully, surveying my surroundings. I was no longer in the hallway, but the Hospital Wing instead.

Order members were tending to the injured, and everyone had solemn looks upon their faces. Ron and Hermione hurried over to me once they saw that I was stirring, and helped me sit up.

"Did they leave?" I asked, my voice raspy.

Ron just nodded, a gloomy expression on his face.

"What's going on?" I felt my heart skip a beat. "What happened?"

My heart kept racing as I thought of my friends and family. As I thought of Fred, and Mum, and Sirius. Were they safe? Were they here at all?

"Neville and Professor Flitwick are both hurt, but Madam Pomfrey says they'll be all right." Hermione said.

"Bill got attacked by Greyback," Ron added quietly, turning around to glance at another bed nearby. "It looks bloody horrible."

I felt another pang of worry. Bill had been like a big brother to me my whole life, and the thought of losing him—or any of the Weasleys for that matter— made my head spin.

"Can I see him?" I asked.

Ron nodded, helping me stand up. He put a hand on my back to make sure I was stable before I walked slowly to the bed and sat down on a spare chair.

Lupin and Tonks stood on the other side, both looking anxiously at Bill.

And Bill...

His face was almost unrecognizable. It was slashed and ripped, and horrifying to look at. I couldn't believe Greyback was capable of doing so much damage to a person.

Just then, the sound of the doors opening echoed throughout the Hispital Wing. Everyone turned to see Harry and Ginny entering. Hermione ran toward Harry and embraced him immediately.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Lupin asked, stepping forward slightly.

"I'm fine. . . . How's Bill?"

Nobody answered.

Harry looked over Hermione's shoulder, and the color drained from his face as he saw Bill lying on the bed.

Madam Pomfrey came over and started dabbing at Bill's wounds with ointment. "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites." she said sadly.

"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," said Ron. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely 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 those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and Bill might have some wolfish 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's dead," said Ginny.

Time seemed to stop as the words came out of Ginny's mouth. Dumbledore...dead? It couldn't be...

"No!" Lupin looked wildly from Ginny to Harry. He collapsed into a chair beside the bed, his hands over his face.

"How did he die?" whispered Tonks. "How did it happen?"

"Snape killed him," said Harry. "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. I felt my hands start to tremble.

"— more Death Eaters arrived — and then Snape — Snape did it."

Silence fell upon the Hospital Wing as we each took time to process this unexpected loss. No one seemed to know what to say.

I felt hopeless. Doomed. Dumbledore was a great leader, after all. How would we win this war without him?

***

Eventually, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrived, looking terribly frightened. Fleur came as well, bursting into tears at the sight of her fiancé.

"Bill," whispered Mrs. Weasley, as she caught sight of Bill's mangled face. "Oh, Bill!"

I jumped out of the chair to make room for the Weasleys. Mrs. Weasley hurried to Bill's bedside and began stroking his hair gently. Fleur rushed to the other side, next to Lupin and Tonks.

"He's still my boy...my handsome boy..." Mrs. Weasley said quietly, tears falling down her cheeks. "He was supposed to be married too..."

"Supposed?!" Fleur snapped from the other side of the bed. "Do you think he would not weesh to marry me still?"

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, you hoped?" said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave!"

Nobody said anything. We all seemed to be awaiting an explosion from Mrs. Weasley.

"Our Great-Auntie Muriel," said Mrs. Weasley after a long pause, "has a very beautiful tiara — goblin-made — which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair."

"Thank you," said Fleur stiffly. "I am sure zat will be lovely."

Suddenly, both women were crying and hugging each other.

"You see!" said a strained voice.

I looked up to see Tonks glaring at Lupin.

"She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"

"It's different," said Lupin, 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 the front of Lupin's robes and shaking them. "I've told you a million times. . . ."

"And I've told you a million times," said Lupin, refusing to meet her 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.

"I am not being ridiculous," said Lupin steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."

"But she wants you," said Mr. Weasley, with a small smile. "And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so."

"This is . . . not the moment to discuss it," said Lupin. "Dumbledore is dead. . . ."

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," said Professor McGonagall.