"Professor," Anne said, approaching a bubbling cauldron while holding a notebook filled with scribbled notes. She gave the potion a stir with a glass rod, releasing a puff of yellowish-white smoke. "I think reducing the amounts of shrivelfig and rose petals just a bit more would improve the results."
Slughorn stepped over to her side. Anne handed him her notebook. He flipped through the pages, then stirred the potion himself. Glancing at a nearby cauldron that used slightly more of the same ingredients, he nodded.
"You're absolutely right," Slughorn said in his usual sing-song tone. "Ah, Anne, from the prestigious Roland family and so gifted in both Herbology and Potions, "
"You flatter me, Professor," Anne replied with a smile. "I've just studied magical flora in depth, which naturally led me to potion-making. And this new formula wouldn't have been published without the help of Professor Snape and you."
"A shame Severus can't even put his name on such a brilliant paper, despite having mentored someone so talented," Slughorn said, without the slightest hint of genuine regret in his voice.
"Well, Professor, it was your guidance that allowed the potion to stabilize so quickly. That's what made commercial application possible. And I heard you once taught Professor Snape as well, so in a way, you're my teacher's teacher. That makes your contribution even more significant."
"You clever thing," Slughorn chuckled, winking. He walked over to a wooden shelf. "You mentioned wanting to study the properties of Chameleon Snail shells and Graphorn horn powder. Books hardly touch those subjects. But I happen to have notes from two master potion-makers. Take a look."
"That's wonderful!" Anne said, eyes bright with admiration. "I doubt I'd find anything like this elsewhere."
Slughorn handed her the two notebooks. Anne took them carefully and slipped them into her satchel. She glanced at a small golden clock on the wall.
"Well then, my dear, time to head back," Slughorn said. "Even with Dumbledore's special permission, you'd best return early. Now, "
His words were cut short by a muffled explosion from upstairs. A second later, the door to Slughorn's office burst open.
Professor Flitwick stood there, pale and panicked. "Dumbledore's not here! There are Death Eaters in the castle! There's a Dark Mark over the Astronomy Tower!"
With that, he dashed off, presumably heading for Snape's office in the dungeons.
"Professor?" Anne turned toward Slughorn, her brow furrowed.
He looked frozen with shock, muttering, "But, how, what?"
"Professor Slughorn!" Anne stepped in front of him. "Something's clearly happened. This has to be reported to the Ministry immediately. And we need someone who understands the castle's defense enchantments!"
"Y-Yes, of course, notify the Ministry, " Slughorn stammered, finally snapping out of it. His hand shook as he raised his wand and cast a complicated spell toward a blank portrait on the wall.
"It's done… Theodore will get the message and alert the Ministry at once," he muttered.
"Dark magic…" he whispered, "We should find Severus. He teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts, he'll know the castle's protections…"
"Professor Flitwick already went to find him. I think, " Anne began, but Slughorn had already rushed out. With a sigh, Anne followed, half-afraid the old professor might collapse on the way.
The path from the first floor to the dungeons was clear, though explosions echoed continuously from above.
Slughorn burst through Snape's office door, shouting, "Severus, the castle, "
Anne followed close behind, puzzled.
Snape wasn't there. Flitwick lay unconscious on the floor, and kneeling beside him, on either side, were two people Anne hadn't expected to see.
"Anne?" Hermione cried, running to her. Anne caught her in a tight embrace.
"You two?"
Luna, looking dazed, stood up and pointed to the unconscious Flitwick. "Professor Snape went out to help. He told us to take care of Professor Flitwick."
"Severus went to help?" Slughorn said, visibly relieved. "That's excellent, "
"What are you two doing in Snape's office?" Anne asked, checking on Flitwick as she held Hermione's hand.
"D.A. operation!" Luna said cheerfully. "Harry asked us to keep an eye on Snape."
"Keep an eye on him?" Anne murmured, casting Rennervate on Flitwick.
"It doesn't work, Anne," Hermione said. "We already tried. What's going on outside? We only heard Flitwick shout that Death Eaters were in the castle."
"It's worse than that. There's a Dark Mark over the Astronomy Tower," Slughorn said, pacing in a panic. "Hogwarts isn't safe anymore, "
Hermione covered her mouth with a gasp. Anne quickly wrapped her arms around her.
"The Ministry's been notified. Help should arrive soon," Anne said reassuringly.
"Professor!" Anne turned to Slughorn. "We need to get Professor Flitwick to the infirmary."
"The hospital wing?" Slughorn blinked, then nodded. "Yes, yes! That's one of the most heavily protected areas in the whole castle…"
At the infirmary, Slughorn slumped into the nearest chair, pale as chalk.
"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked, still in her nightgown as she examined Flitwick. "I heard the commotion upstairs!"
"There are Death Eaters in the castle," Anne explained. "And a Dark Mark over the Astronomy Tower."
Madam Pomfrey's hands trembled. "What? Where's Dumbledore?"
"He left," Slughorn replied. "He must have, "
The door burst open again. Ron entered, supporting a barely-conscious Neville. Behind them came Lupin and Tonks, helping a bloodied figure.
"They've escaped," Lupin said grimly, before Slughorn could even ask.
"Anne, make a strong awakening draught," Madam Pomfrey instructed, frowning as she moved quickly to treat the wounded.
Then the doors opened again, this time, Harry and Ginny walked in. Harry glanced at Neville, then hurried to Bill's bedside. Ron, Luna, Tonks, Lupin, and Hermione huddled around.
"Are you okay, Harry?" Lupin asked anxiously.
"I'm fine... How's Bill?"
No one answered.
Harry stepped closer, and recoiled at the sight. Bill's face was slashed beyond recognition, covered in deep, ragged wounds. Madam Pomfrey was applying a foul-smelling green ointment to his injuries.
"Can't you heal him with magic?" Harry asked.
"No spell can heal wounds from a werewolf bite," Madam Pomfrey said gravely. "I've tried everything I know. None of it works."
"But he wasn't bitten during a full moon," Ron said, staring helplessly at his brother's face. "So he won't become a—a real?"
He looked uncertainly at Lupin.
"No," Lupin said, "I don't think Bill will become a true werewolf. But he will bear permanent scars... and he might develop some traits associated with them."
"Dumbledore would know what to do," Ron said. "Where is he? Bill was following his orders, Dumbledore has to take responsibility, "
"Ron," Ginny interrupted quietly, "Dumbledore's dead."
The hospital wing fell utterly silent.
"No!" Lupin shouted. Slughorn collapsed back into his chair, whispering, "It can't be…"
"It's true," Harry said. "I saw it happen."
Hermione buried her face in Anne's shoulder, sobbing. Anne bit her lip and held her tighter.
Then, from somewhere in the darkness outside, came the cry of a phoenix, mournful, haunting. Fawkes was singing his sorrow into the night. The lament echoed through the castle's corridors and towers like a dirge.
When the song ended, silence returned.
Until the door opened once more. Professor McGonagall stepped in, her robes torn, face bruised, and signs of battle all over her.
"Molly and Arthur are on their way. Aurors have arrived. Thank you, Slughorn, for alerting the Ministry. The Minister will be here in fifteen minutes."
Slughorn nodded weakly.
McGonagall turned to Harry. "Harry, what happened? Hagrid said you were with Professor Dumbledore."
"Snape killed him," Harry said.
The room fell silent once again.
"I was there," Harry went on, voice trembling. "We returned to the Astronomy Tower, the Dark Mark was up there... Dumbledore was weak, ill. I think he knew it was a trap. He froze me with a spell, I was under the Invisibility Cloak... then Malfoy came in and disarmed him, "
", More Death Eaters arrived... and then Snape, Snape cast the Killing Curse."
McGonagall stood frozen in disbelief, then began to tremble. Madam Pomfrey conjured a chair and helped her sit.
"Snape is a master Occlumens," Lupin said hoarsely. "We've always known that."
"Severus, Snape?" Slughorn gasped, even paler than before.
"But Dumbledore swore he trusted him!" Tonks whispered. "I always believed there was something about Snape that only Dumbledore understood..."
"He kept insisting Snape's remorse was real," McGonagall murmured, dabbing her eyes. "He wouldn't hear a word against him."
"I'd love to know how Snape convinced him," Tonks muttered.
"I know," Harry said quietly. "Snape was the one who told Voldemort about my parents. Then he told Dumbledore he hadn't realized what would happen, he regretted it. That's why Dumbledore trusted him."
"Dumbledore believed that?" Lupin asked in disbelief. "He trusted Snape's guilt over James' death? But Snape hated James!"
"This is my fault," McGonagall said suddenly, looking distraught. "It was me, I asked Flitwick to fetch Snape tonight. I thought he could help us. If I hadn't, if Flitwick hadn't told him, maybe Snape wouldn't have joined the Death Eaters... I don't think he knew they were here before that."
"It's not your fault, Minerva," Lupin said firmly. "We all needed help. We were glad when Snape came."
"Then when he arrived," Harry asked, "did he join the Death Eaters straightaway?"
"I don't know exactly how it all happened," said Professor McGonagall, clearly distraught. "Everything was so confusing... Dumbledore said he needed to leave the school for a short time, it wasn't the first time, so Professor Flitwick and I were patrolling the corridors just in case. Remus, Bill, and Nymphadora joined us too... we were patrolling together. Everything seemed calm. All secret passages out of the school were blocked, we knew no one could fly in, and every entrance to the castle was heavily protected by enchantments. I still don't understand how the Death Eaters got inside..."
"I do," Harry said, and he quickly explained how Malfoy had used a pair of Vanishing Cabinets to create a magical passage between Hogwarts and Borgin and Burkes. "So they slipped in through the Room of Requirement."
As he finished, Harry glanced sideways at Ron and Hermione, as if to say, See? I told you Malfoy was up to something.
"It's my fault, Harry," Ron said miserably. "We did what you said, we checked the Marauder's Map, but Malfoy wasn't on it. We figured he had to be in the Room of Requirement, so Ginny, Neville, and I staked it out... but somehow he got past us."
"We were there for an hour," said Ginny, "and then he came out, alone, holding that disgusting shriveled hand, "
"His Hand of Glory," Ron said bitterly. "Only the person holding it can see in the dark. Remember?"
"Anyway," Ginny continued, "he must have been checking to see if the coast was clear for the Death Eaters. The moment he saw us, he threw something into the air, and suddenly, everything went completely black."
"Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder," Ron groaned. "Fred and George sell it. I really need to ask them who they've been doing business with."
"We tried everything, Lumos, fire spells," said Ginny. "But nothing cut through that darkness. We had to grope our way out of the corridor, and we could hear people rushing past us. Malfoy must've been guiding them with the Hand of Glory. We couldn't risk casting spells, we might've hit each other. By the time we got to a lit hallway, they were all gone."
"Luckily," said Lupin hoarsely, "Ron, Ginny, and Neville ran straight into us and told us what had happened. Within minutes we saw the Death Eaters making their way toward the Astronomy Tower. Malfoy clearly didn't expect so many guards. He must've used up the Instant Darkness Powder quickly. Fighting broke out. The Death Eaters split up. We went after them. One of them, Gibbon, I think, broke through and ran for the tower stairs, "
"To cast the Dark Mark?" Harry asked.
"Yes, that must've been it," said Lupin. "They'd clearly planned it before leaving the Room of Requirement. But I don't think Gibbon wanted to be the one waiting up there for Dumbledore, he came back down and rejoined the fight. Then one of the Killing Curses, meant for me, struck him instead."
"Ron and Ginny were watching the Room of Requirement," Harry turned to Hermione, "so where were you?"
"Outside Snape's office," Hermione said quietly, her eyes glistening with tears. Anne didn't speak; she simply rubbed Hermione's back gently.
"Luna and I were keeping watch. We waited there for ages. Nothing happened... we had no idea what was going on upstairs. Ron had the Marauder's Map. Then Professor Flitwick burst into the dungeon corridor, shouting that Death Eaters were inside the castle. I don't think he even saw us, he ran straight into Snape's office. We heard a loud thud, and then Snape ran out. He saw us and then, then, "
"What?" Harry pressed. Anne shot him a sharp look.
"I was so stupid, Harry!" Hermione whispered in anguish. "He said Professor Flitwick had collapsed and told us to look after him, while he went to help fight the Death Eaters... We didn't question it, we let him go, "
Her voice broke as she began to sob again. Anne sighed and gently wiped away her tears.
"It's not your fault," said Lupin firmly. "Hermione, no one could've known. None of us did."
"Afterwards, we went into the office," said Luna, her voice less airy than usual. "We tried to help Professor Flitwick. We cast Rennervate, but it didn't work. Then Anne and Professor Slughorn arrived."
Harry turned to Anne, who explained, "I was with Professor Slughorn when Flitwick suddenly burst in, shouting that Death Eaters were in the castle and that the Dark Mark was over the Astronomy Tower. Then he ran off. Slughorn contacted the Ministry right away and suggested we find Professor Snape, well, he went into the office first. I saw Flitwick unconscious and said we should take him to the hospital wing."
"So Snape went upstairs?" Harry asked. "He made it to the battle?"
"We were in serious trouble," Tonks said softly. "Gibbon was down, but the others fought viciously. Neville was injured, and Bill was attacked by Fenrir Greyback... It was chaos, pitch dark, curses flying everywhere. That Malfoy boy vanished. He must've slipped up the tower stairs. More Death Eaters followed him, and one of them sealed the staircase behind them with a spell. Neville tried to follow, he got blasted into the air."
"No one could break through that barrier," said Ron. "That huge Death Eater, the one built like a troll, kept firing off curses that ricocheted off the walls and nearly hit us…"
"Then Snape appeared," said Tonks, "and then... he vanished again."
"I saw him running toward us," said Ginny. "But right then, one of the curses from that giant hit nearby. I ducked, and when I looked again, Snape was gone."
"I saw him go straight through the magical barrier like it wasn't even there," Lupin said. "I tried to follow, but it flung me into the air, just like Neville."
"He must have known a counterspell we didn't," McGonagall said quietly. "After all, he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor… I assumed he was going after the Death Eaters who'd escaped up the tower…"
"He was," said Harry furiously, "but only to help them, not stop them. I'll bet you anything only someone with the Dark Mark could pass through that barrier, so after he went upstairs, what happened next?"
"Right then," Lupin said, "that huge Death Eater cast a spell that brought half the ceiling down. But it also broke the barrier blocking the stairs. Those of us still standing ran up. Snape and that boy, Malfoy, appeared through the dust. None of us attacked them, "
"We let them pass," Tonks said in a hollow voice. "We thought they were being chased by Death Eaters… Then the others returned, Greyback too, and the fighting resumed. I think I heard Snape shout something, but I couldn't make it out, "
"He yelled, 'It's done,'" said Harry. "He meant, he'd finished what he came to do."
Silence fell over the room.
Suddenly, the doors to the hospital wing burst open, startling everyone.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stormed in, followed closely by Fleur. Her beautiful face was filled with fear.