Blinding | Draco Malfoy

twenty one

They traveled to a seaside cave in the middle of seemingly nowhere. "This is the place, ah yes. This place has known magic." He turned around, pulling out a small knife. He cut his hand open.

"Sir!"

"In order to gain passage, payment must be made. Payment intended to weaken any intruder." Dumbledore eyed their concerned expressions. They couldn't let that get in the way of this. Sacrifices have to be made in order to defeat Voldemort, and they needed to learn that.

"You should've let me, sir." Harry sighed.

"No, Harry. Neither of you can. You blood's much more precious than mine." He wiped his blood across the rock, and it began to fall. It created an opening, and they used Lumos to see. "Voldemort will not have made it easy to discover his hiding place. He will have put certain defenses in position. Careful." He casted out a light, which shone when it got across the water. "There it is. The only question is, how do we get there?" They watched as he held his hand out over the water, and it began to bubble. A chain pulled up into his hand, and he passed it back to him as they all three began to pull on it. They pulled out a boat, then used it to cross. Once they made it to the other side, they looked at a fountain-like crystal in the middle, with a dark liquid inside.

"Do you think the Horcrux is in there, sir?" Harry asked.

"Ah, yes." He nodded as he held his hand over it, feeling and even hearing its dark power. He came to a realization. "It has to be drunk. All of it has to be drunk. You both remember the conditions on which I brought you with me? This potion might paralyze me. Might make me forget why I'm here. Might cause me so much pain that I beg for relief. You are not to indulge these requests. It's your job," He glanced between them both. "To make sure I keep drinking this potion. Even if you have to force it down my throat. Understood?"

"Why can't I drink it, sir?" Aurora asked.

"Or me?"

"Because I am much older, much cleverer, and much less valuable." He replied, grabbing the shell and scooping the potion into it. He took a drink, and he began to shake and moan in pain.

"Professor!" Harry exclaimed. He grabbed out to both of them as he stepped down to the water.

"Harry!" He cried out. It was agonizing for them to hear him in pain like that.

"Professor, can you hear me?" He asked. Dumbledore just continued to shake and groan. Aurora rushed up to the potion and scooped up more of it, handing it down to Harry.

"We need to get this over as quickly as possible." She told him as he gave her a look.

"What if it kills him?" He asked.

"You heard what he said!" She exclaimed, and he nodded, taking the shell from her. They continued passing it back and forth, Harry being the one to almost force it down his throat. There were times where he begged them to stop, but he told them he had to keep drinking. She knew it was hard for Harry, it was hard for her, too. She cared about him a lot, especially now that they'd gotten closer throughout this year. "There's only a bit left."

"Make it stop!" Dumbledore cried.

"Just one more, and I promise I'll do as you say." Harry urged him, apologizing over and over. Suddenly, he stopped, and he smiled slightly. Aurora walked down to them.

"Harry, Aurora..." He spoke fondly. He smacked his tongue a couple of times. "Water."

"Water." Harry nodded excitedly, seeing that he was okay. He rushed over to the crystal, and Aurora put her hand on Dumbledore's shoulder. What was that potion meant to be? What was it meant to do? Harry grabbed the locket in his hand. "You did it, sir."