𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 (𝖽𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖿𝗈𝗒 𝗑 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋)

chapter thirty-nine

We flew into the Astronomy tower, searching for people or signs of a fight. We saw neither, so we dismounted our brooms.

"Go fetch Severus," Dumbledore said to Harry and I. "Tell him what has happened and bring him to me. Do nothing else, speak to nobody else, and do not remove the cloak. I'll stay here."

Harry and I obeyed and ran to the door that led into Hogwarts. We stopped however, as we heard footsteps from the other side. I brought Harry against the wall, making sure we were still under the cloak.

The door burst open and Draco and Star entered, both looking terrified and sick, but they held their wands high.

"Good evening," Dumbledore said calmly.

I looked at Draco again. He was breathing heavily and his face was absent of colour. His eyes were wide and he was shaking, but he was pretending to be brave. Next to him, Star genuinely looked angry and ready to attack, but she appeared just as sick as Draco.

"Who else is here?" Star demanded.

"A question I may ask the two of you. Or are you acting alone?" Dumbledore asked. His voice was steady, despite the fact that he nearly died not even ten minutes ago.

"No," Star answered. "I've got backup. There are Death Eaters here in your school tonight."

"Well. Very good indeed. You found a war to let them in, did you?"

"Yeah," Star said proudly. "Right under your nose and you never realised!"

"Ingenious. Forgive me, but where are they now? You seem unsupported."

"They met some of your guards. They're having a fight down below. They won't be long, we just came on ahead. We have a job to do."

"Well, then, you must get on and do it."

Draco shook harder, but he moved closer to Star, holding up his wand.

"Draco, you are not a killer."

"How do you know?" he cried childishly. His face flushed red at his own question. "You don't know what I'm capable of," Draco added with some force. "You don't know what I've done!"

"Yes, I do. I know that you have been trying to kill me all year. Forgive me, but they have been feeble attempts. To be honest, I wonder whether your heart was actually in this or not."

"It has been in it!" Star interjected. "We've been working on it all year, and tonight--"

The two paused as someone yelled from downstairs.

"Somebody is putting up a good fight," Dumbledore said calmly, as if he were talking to an old friend rather than someone who was about to kill him. "How did you manage to bring the Death Eaters into my school?"

Neither of the Malfoys spoke. Both were standing still, listening to the fight below. They were terrified.

"Perhaps you should get on with the job alone. What if my guards stopped your backup? And you don't really need help, I don't have my wand with me." Dumbledore stopped and leaned against the railing to rest a bit.

Draco and Star just stared at Dumbledore.

"Are you afraid to act until they join you?"

"We're not afraid!" Draco yelled, sounding quite scared.

"You're the one who should be scared," Star added.

"Why? I don't believe either of you will kill me. While we wait for your friends, why don't you tell me how you smuggled them in?"