UNBREAK | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 5)

[ 46 ]

"... We were chosen for this!"

Draco sneaks in front of Aine, though his wand still pointing at Dumbledore, his other free hand reaches back to hers to clasp it, silently comforting her. He pushes away the revelation of Voldemort being Aine's true and birth father from his head. His silver eyes swirl in her golden ones as he mutters a consolation to her in his mind, matching the icy fiery hatred of Aine's.

His blood boiled even more when he now knew that the Dark Lord had further leverage on Aine. Was this why she had told him that even if they had failed to carry out their mission, Voldemort won't kill them— Her? It was because she was his very own daughter. 

He shook away the disturbances, not wanting to get distracted when his target was in front of him. Draco calms his mind and redirects his focus to Dumbledore who was already meeting his eyes.

The older wizard narrowed at the two youngsters, trailing to their intertwined hands and unspoken words being said between the looks they gave each other. He understands the mission and their perseverance now. 

How brutal it was indeed... Two children who had no choice were forced to come to this.

"I shall make it easy for you..." Dumbledore said, shifting his other hand that was holding onto his wand.

Alarmed by the sudden movement, Draco had mistaken Dumbledore's intention of fighting back. Before the Headmaster could even finish his sentence, Draco disarmed him. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted, waving his Hawthorne wand as Dumbledore's Elder Wand flew out of his own grasp.

He was now weaponless but that didn't make Aine or Draco drop their guards. They know how powerful their Headmaster was even without his wand. Non-verbal and wandless magic? He was more than capable of performing it.

"Very good... Very good," Dumbledore praises the two, he only wondered what was their next move.

In a distance, somewhere in the depths of the castle, a long heavy groan erupted. Draco hitches his breath and looks over his shoulder while Aine keeps her eyes forward. Taken aback by the muffled yells, Dumbledore cocks his head to the noise. "You're not alone. There are others... How?"

"The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement," Draco answered through his clenched jaw. "We have been mending it."

A half sigh left Dumbledore's lips and he closes his eyes for a moment to piece it all together in his head. "That's very clever, though I presume it must be difficult for the two of you to mend it. Let me guess, it has a sister?" he suspected, noting the twitch in Draco's eye. He grins lightly, "A twin..!"

"In Borgin and Burkes. They form a passage!" Draco exposes and Aine squeezed his hand. He gave her a side glance and she gave him a subtle shake of her head, reminding him not to reveal too much. 

"Ingenious..." the Headmaster complimented again, commending their hard work and efforts. Surely, it wasn't an easy feat for mere two fifteen and sixteen years old kids to be doing. He was proud but upset at the same time. "Is that why the two of you tried so hard to mend it and when you see the fruits of your endeavours not growing, you resulted to using crude and reckless measures in making sure you succeed?"

"Why does it even matter?" Aine cuts in coldly, having her fair share of peaceful exchanges. They were wasting time breaking down what they'd done, almost as if informing Dumbledore of what they have been through all year with pride. However, flattery was not what they needed to hear. It wouldn't get them anywhere too.  "It still doesn't change the fact that we did it anyway."

"You know, Aine... You've always reminded me of one of my former students. Back then, I was too late to save her and when I finally had the chance to speak to her, it was already too late," Dumbledore tells her and Aine only glared at him. "You were alone, angry and in anguish..."