Darker Shadows (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 42- The Astronomy Tower (Ava)

Chapter 42 (Ava)

I looked in through the library window, but all I could see was darkness. I tried to push the door open but it wouldn’t budge. If it was locked, surely Draco wouldn’t be in there. I took a deep breath and turned around, trying to figure out where to go next in the castle. I’d already looked in various unused classrooms and the girls’ toilets where he had hidden before. I hadn’t wanted to go anywhere near the Room of Requirement for fear of a Death Eater catching me. How on earth would I help Harry if I was trapped with the Death Eaters?

A faint green light coming from the window caught my eye and I ran towards it to see what it was.

Just as I got to the window, my heart stopped. There, in the sky above the towers of the castle was a glowing green skull with a serpent tongue- the Dark Mark.

I shivered and pulled away from the window, not wanting to look at the mark for a second longer. The Death Eaters were here. How on earth could I stop them?

I started to race through the corridors, my heart pounding. They had to be somewhere. So did Draco. Were they going to be together?

Where were Harry and Dumbledore?

I stopped for a moment to catch my breath, and tried to think logically about the situation. Where could I go to see if there was anything going on outside the castle? The Astronomy Tower. The thought struck me and I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it before. I would be able to see everything from there.

I was off again, sprinting down the corridor towards the steps to the Astronomy Tower. As I made my way up them, I lost my footing and reached out for the banister. I caught myself just in time and stood up straighter, taking a deep breath. Come on.

When I got to the top of the steps, I froze.

Lit up by the green from the Dark Mark, I could see Draco holding his wand- pointing it at someone. I knew who it was without needing to look.

Dumbledore.

“I’m standing here with a wand- I’m about to kill you-” Draco shouted.

“No!” I cried out, running forwards before I could think about it, “You’re not about to kill him, please, Draco.”

Draco turned to look at me, keeping his wand pointed at Dumbledore’s chest. His eyes widened when he saw me, and he shook his head,

“No- no… Ava you- you weren’t meant to come here tonight. I was meant to be doing this alone. I was protecting you from this- from them.”

I stepped towards him,

“You were in no way protecting me, Draco. The moment I heard that you hadn’t gone to your dormitory yet, I ran to find you. I am not letting you kill Dumbledore.”