Love is greater than our cause

Chapter 62: Afterlife

1997

Albus POV:

My body was drained and weak from what I had just endured. Merlin it was so real, as if I was there again. The liquid I had been forced to drink brought me briefly back to a memory from 1899, a memory I think of every day. The memory of the day Gellert left, my sister dead and my brother tortured. I thought I was there, really there, I'm sure Harry must have been scared out of his mind but he held me in his arms like the caring boy he is.

'We need to get you to the hospital wing sir,' he stated calmly though I could sense he was still very frightened, 'To Madam Pomfrey,'

I painfully managed to sit on the block of stone at the astronomy tower with Harry's support and knew what I would have to do. I was beyond the point of return and I had intelligence that any minute now, Draco would arrive to kill me. 'No,' I croaked, Harry looking me dead in the eye, 'Severus...Severus is who I need,' I cupped Harry's face with my hand, as he looked at me as though I was insane, 'Wake him...tell him what happened...speak to no one else,' I said in short steps as I knew I couldn't and didn't have the time to explain the details. Harry still looked skeptical but I assured him, 'Severus...Harry,'

As Harry walked away to do what I had asked, we heard people entering the room. He turned back to me with uncertainty and I hoped everything would play out as I had planned it to or it would be pointless. But my first priority is to protect Harry. Bringing myself to stand I told him 'Hide yourself below, Harry.....don't speak or be seen by anyone else without my permission.....it is imperative you stay below,'

Harry now seemed very doubtful but I needed him to listen to me, 'Harry, do as I say,' he still stood there without the plans to move, 'Trust me,' I begged him, 'Trust me,'

He finally saw my urgency and hid himself below the structure in the centre of the room. My heart beat quicker and quicker as I wondered what it would be like do die, what will happen to me? What will be my final moments? There was no time to dwell on it as Draco appeared from the stairs, his wand already pointing at me.

'Good evening Draco,' I greeted him as if nothing were happening at all, 'What brings you here on this fine, spring evening?' I walked slowly to match him as he came closer to me around the structure where Harry was hiding under.

'Who else is here,' Draco demanded, trying to assert dominance and fear but it faltered as I heard the terror in his own voice, 'I heard you talking,'

I immediately responded so as to removed suspicion of Harry's whereabouts, 'Oh, I often talk aloud to myself,' I excused, 'I find it extraordinary useful,' I continued to speak to buy myself time until Severus arrived, 'Have you been whispering to yourself Draco?'

Draco seemed taken aback by this as there was a long pause to which he just stared blankly at me, wand still raised.

'Draco,' I called, 'you are no assassin,'

'How do you know what I am?' He replied hurriedly, 'I've done things that would shock you,' he tried to strike fear again but clearly he underestimates my knowledge as I know exactly what he's been up to.

'Oh, like cursing Katie Bell and hoping in return she was bear a cursed necklace to me? Like replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison?' I listed, 'Forgive me, Draco, but I can't help feeling that these actions are so weak your heart can't really have been in them-'

'He trusts me!' He shouted desperately, 'I was chosen!' He dramatically drew back his sleeve to show the dark mark had been etched upon his arm to symbolise his initiation of becoming a death eater.

I just looked at him as I had already guessed this and tried to get more time for myself, 'I shall make it easy for you,' I pretended to lift my wand to spell him so he instantly said.