Harry Potter and Shafik

Chapter 143 Bad news

Back under the starry night, Harry dragged Dumbledore to the top of the giant boulder closest to them and helped him to his feet.Dumbledore was drenched and shivering, his weight still on Harry.Harry was focused, all his thoughts focused on his destination: Hogsmeade.He closed his eyes, clutched Dumbledore's arm tightly, and stepped into that horrible squeezing feeling all at once.

Before he opened his eyes, he knew it was a success: the sea breeze and the smell of the sea were gone.He and Dumbledore stood on the balcony of the Hogwarts headmaster's office.

"We did it, Professor!" Harry whispered with some effort.He suddenly felt a burning pain in his chest. "We succeeded! We got the Horcrux!"

Dumbledore staggered into him.At first Harry thought it was his inexperienced Apparition that knocked Dumbledore off balance, and then he saw Dumbledore's face, illuminated by a street lamp in the distance, more than ever before. All pale and lifeless.

"Sir, are you all right?"

"It's not as good as before," said Dumbledore weakly, the corners of his mouth twitching. "That potion...isn't a health drink..."

To Harry's horror, Dumbledore collapsed to the ground.

"Sir—it's all right, sir, you'll be fine soon, don't worry—"

He knew that he had to find a way to rush Dumbledore to the school hospital.

"We need to take you to the infirmary, sir... Madam Pomfrey..."

"No," said Dumbledore, "what I need... is Professor Snape... but I think... I can't walk..."

"Okay—sir, listen to me—you stay well—then I can run to Pomfrey—"

"Severus," said Dumbledore clearly, "I need Severus..."

However, before Harry could move, he heard the sound of Apparating.His heart jumped for joy: someone came to help, he turned his head and saw Hilbert and Taoist Lingxu sitting on the ground, gasping heavily, "Professor? Hill? Are you all right?" ?”

"He's hurt," Hilbert said. "Harry, can you watch them, and I'll go get some medicine in the office?"

"You can't go back alone! Harry? Harry, you go with Hilbert!" Dumbledore said.

"Go and wake Severus," said Dumbledore weakly but clearly, "tell him what happened and tell him to come to me right away. Do nothing else, don't talk to anyone Don't take off your invisibility cloak even if people speak. I'll wait here."

"But--"

"You swore to obey me, Harry - go!"

"Okay...okay, I'll go right away. Find Snape!"

Harry hurried to the door of the spiral staircase, but he had just grasped the iron knocker when he heard running footsteps on the other side of the door.He turned to look at Dumbledore, who straightened his clothes and nodded at Harry.

Dumbledore motioned for him to step back.Harry stepped back, drawing his own wand.The two of them went to the lower compartment, where there was a gap to see Dumbledore.Hilbert patted Harry on the shoulder and left for the office on the third floor.

Dumbledore stood up and walked to the left, Harry lost sight of him, and heard only two people talking in low tones and the sound of things being turned over.Then Dumbledore came back again, and there was something extra in his hand, which was his Elder Wand.

The door burst open suddenly, and a man came in, pointing his wand at Dumbledore.

"Good evening, Draco!"

"Who else is here?" Draco asked
"I was going to ask you that question. Are you acting alone?

"No," he said, "I have my back. Death Eaters broke into your school tonight."

"Very well, very well," said Dumbledore, as if Malfoy had shown him an ambitious project plan, "not bad indeed. You managed to get them in, didn't you?

"Use Bojinbok's disappearing cabinet." Draco's movements remained unchanged.

"That should be two? The other..."

"In the Room of Requirement, I found it and fixed it!"

"What an ingenious, clever idea," said Dumbledore, "but... may I ask... where are they at the moment? You seem to be alone."

"Come right on. I'll come up first myself. I—I've got a job to do."

"Okay, then you do it, my dear boy." Dumbledore said gently.

"You! You...don't resist?" Draco asked rhetorically.

silence.Harry was imprisoned under his invisibility cloak, unable to move his body.He kept his eyes on the two people in front of him, and his ears listened intently to the sounds of the Death Eaters fighting in the distance.In front of him, Draco Malfoy just stared blankly at Albus Dumbledore, who actually smiled incredulously.

"Draco, Draco, you are not a murderer."

"How do you know?" Malfoy asked immediately.

"If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it long ago."

"You don't know what I'm capable of," said Malfoy, his tone turning fierce. "You don't know what I've done!"

"Oh, of course I know," said Dumbledore kindly. "You almost killed Katie Bell and Ron Weasley. You hid in the toilet and cast the Imperius Curse on Katie so that she would curse And then you poisoned the wine and gave it to Horace so he could give it to me. You've been trying to kill me all year and you're getting more and more desperate. Forgive me for saying that, Della Coe, but what you're doing is so lame... Really, so lamely, I doubt you've put your heart into it..."

"Of course I did!" said Malfoy excitedly. "I've been working on this all year, and tonight—"

Harry heard a muffled cry from somewhere in the castle below.Malfoy froze, turning his head to look behind him.

Malfoy just stared at him blankly.

"I see," Dumbledore said gently to Malfoy, seeing that Malfoy was neither moving nor speaking, "you're scared, and you won't do anything until they come up."

Dumbledore waved the Elder Wand with his left hand, and Draco yelled "Disarm!"

"Fine, I don't have a wand at the moment . . . no way to protect myself."

"I'm not afraid!" Malfoy roared fiercely, but he still didn't hurt Dumbledore. "It should be you who is afraid!"

"Draco, I've always known what you did."

"I believe you did it," said Dumbledore.

"Then why didn't you stop me?" Malfoy asked.

"I tried, Draco. Professor Snape has been watching you on my orders—"

"He didn't obey your orders, he promised my mother—"

"Of course he would tell you that, Draco, but—"

"He's a double agent, you stupid old man, he didn't work for you at all, and you were kept in the dark!"

"Let's just disagree, Draco. I happen to trust Professor Snape a lot—"

"Hmph, you're losing control of him!" sneered Malfoy. "He keeps offering to help me—to take credit for it—to step in and do something—'What are you doing? That necklace Did you do that? Too stupid to give it all away—' But I didn't tell him what I was doing in the Room of Requirement, and when he wakes up tomorrow morning, it's all done and he won't be black again The devil's favorite, he is nothing compared to me, nothing!"

"Do you think Tom will let you go?" When Voldemort was mentioned, Draco's face changed instantly.
"You know... I had to do this! He threatened me with death if I didn't do it," Draco held up his left arm to reveal the Dark Mark. "Sometimes I want to kill Hilbert! He tricked me into being an internal response!"

"Hilbert is training you, he is saving you. Voldemort will fall, and those who follow him will be accomplices!"

Malfoy's lips twisted involuntarily, as if tasting something very bitter.

"He has always loved you, Draco, and he is your brother."

"There is not much time," said Dumbledore. "Where to go, Draco, let us discuss your options."

"My choice!" cried Malfoy, "I stand here with my wand - I'm going to kill you -"

"My dear boy, let's stop acting. If you really wanted to kill me, you would have done it after you had just unarmed me, and not stopped to talk merrily about the measures and methods."

"I have no choice!" said Malfoy, suddenly turning as pale as Dumbledore's. "I must! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!"

"I understand your situation," said Dumbledore, "otherwise why had I not seen you before? I knew that if Voldemort found out that I was suspicious of you, you would be assassinated.

Malfoy twitched in horror at the name.

"Come on the right path, Draco, we can hide you in absolute safety, safer than you can imagine. And, I can send members of the Order of the Phoenix tonight to take your mother Hide too. Your father will not be in danger if he is willing to give up Voldemort... We will protect him when the time comes... Come on the right path, Draco... You are not a murderer..."

"Many years ago, I met a child, but I didn't guide him well, Draco, you must not do this! As long as you are willing to come back, we will always welcome you."

Draco's expression gradually became surprised.

At this time, there was a sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, and in the blink of an eye, Malfoy was thrown aside, and four people in black robes broke through the door and rushed to the wall.Still unable to move, Harry stared unblinkingly at the four strangers in horror: it appeared that the Death Eaters had gained the upper hand in the struggle below.

A stout man with a crooked mouth and a strange grin on his face let out a wheezing and wheezing laugh.

"Dumbledore is cornered!" After he finished speaking, he turned to a woman, with an impatient smile on his face,
"Wow, look. Who is this? Isn't this Headmaster Dumbledore? Dumbledore has no wand, and Dumbledore is alone! Well done, Draco, well done!"

"Good evening, Bellatrix," Dumbledore said in a very calm tone, as if welcoming the man to a tea party, "You also brought a new friend... so cute... don't you want to introduce?"

The woman smirked angrily.

"You are dying, and you think these little jokes can save your life?" She sneered.

"Joke? No, no, it's polite," Dumbledore replied.

"Do it," said the stranger standing closest to Harry, a long-limbed man with matted gray hair and whiskers, his black Death Eater robes clinging uncomfortably tightly .His voice was strange, unlike anything Harry had ever heard: a hissing growl.Harry also smelled a strange, pungent smell coming from him, a mix of earth, sweat, and - no doubt - blood.He had long yellow nails on his dirty fingers.

"Hello, Fenrir!" Dumbledore smiled at him.

"Yes," said the man in a raspy voice, "pleased to see me, Dumbledore?"

"No, I can't say I'm happy..."

Fenrir Greyback grinned, showing his pointed teeth.Blood dripped down his chin, and he licked his lips slowly, sickeningly.

"Did you just finish hunting?"

"Yeah, I ate three Muggles." Fenrir rubbed his stomach and laughed.

"But you know how much I love children, Dumbledore."

"Can I understand that now you bite people even when the moon is not full? This is really strange... You have developed this habit of cannibalism, and you can't satisfy it once a month?"

"True," said Greyback, "shocked you, didn't it, Dumbledore? Scared you?"

"Well, frankly, it does make me a little sick," said Dumbledore, "and I'm a little shocked that this Draco has invited you to the school where his friends live...  ..."

"Besides, Professor Lupine is still treating fellow werewolves who are willing to return to normal."

"After you die, I will kill him."

"I wouldn't want to miss out on an errand to Hogwarts, Dumbledore," said Greyback in a raspy voice, "so many throats to rip open . . . "

As he spoke, he raised a yellow nail and picked his front teeth, grinning grimly at Dumbledore.

"Do it, Draco! Do it! Now!" Bellatrix said, clinging to Draco's ear.

"Aren't you afraid that Professor Lingxu will kill you?"

"He's already one of us!"

Harry: "!!!"

"Hahaha—he can't be one of you, he doesn't belong here, and he will leave here sooner or later, do you think they will join you?"

Bella's face turned red and white, and then she yelled at Draco. "Quick, Draco, do it!" Bellatrix said angrily.

But Malfoy was shaking too much and couldn't take aim.

"I'll do it." Greyback said viciously and moved towards Dumbledore. He opened his hands and showed his fangs.

"Okay, Draco, let's do it!"

"He has no guts, just like his father!"

Draco looked at Dumbledore mournfully, his wand trembling in his hand.

"Do not."

Harry looked back, it was Snape.

Snape stood there clutching his wand, a pair of black eyes quickly scanning the scene in front of him, from Dumbledore slumped against the wall to the four Death Eaters - including the menacing werewolf, and Malfoy.

Snape came beside Draco, ahead of Dumbledore.

But the other man said Snape's name, very softly.

"Severus..."

The sound scared him more than anything Harry had experienced all night.Dumbledore was begging, for the first time ever.

Snape didn't speak, he stepped forward and roughly pushed Malfoy aside.The three Death Eaters slipped back without a word, and even the werewolf seemed taken aback.

Snape stared at Dumbledore for a moment, deep disgust and hatred etched into the rough lines of his face.

"Severus... please."

Snape raised his wand and pointed it at Dumbledore.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A green light shot from the tip of Snape's wand, hitting Dumbledore squarely in the face.Harry's horrified scream was choked up, and he couldn't make a sound, couldn't move, and could only watch helplessly as Dumbledore was knocked into the air.Dumbledore seemed to stay on the balcony for a second, and then, like a big battered doll, slowly fell on his back, fell over the crenel of the fence and disappeared.

…………

"I finally found it, the healing potion." Hilbert wiped his sweat, and found a red potion bottle from the bottom of Taoist Lingxu's box.Then a shadow fell over the window in front of him.

Hilbert's gaze happened to meet that thing, and he was almost frightened out of his wits... The potion bottle in his hand fell to the ground and shattered.

Harry felt as if he flew out too; it didn't happen...it couldn't be...

"Get out of here, quickly!" said Snape.

He grabbed Malfoy by the nape of the neck and shoved Malfoy out the door first; Greyback and the burly Death Eater sibling followed, both panting with excitement.When they disappeared through the door, Harry realized he could move again.It wasn't magic that had him slumped against the wall in a stupor now, but fear and shock.When the murderous-looking Death Eater was the last to leave the top of the tower and was about to disappear through the doorway, he momentarily lifted the cloak.

"All petrochemical!"

The Death Eater staggered as if something hard had hit him on the back, and fell over like a wax figure.But before he touched the ground, Harry had passed him and was running down the dark stairs.

Snape and the others sprinted ahead, followed by Harry.

As they passed Hagrid's hut, Bellatrix yelled "Hagrid! Hello!"

"Snape! He trusts you so much—"

Bella: "The flames are raging!" With a bang like an explosion, a flying orange fireball flew in all directions.Hagrid's cabin was on fire.

"Go!" Snape called to the others.

Harry pointed at Snape's back and yelled, "Stunning!"

Missing, red light flew over Snape's head.Snape turned quickly and shouted, "Draco, run!" He and Harry were 20 meters away, looked at each other, and raised their wands almost simultaneously.

"Cutting out—"

"Crucio—" Harry shouted again, pointing at the figure in the firelight ahead, but Snape blocked his spell again.Harry saw him sneering.

"Speed ​​ban -" Harry growled, but Snape pulled his spell slightly, almost lazily.

"Fight back!" Harry yelled at him, "Fight back, you coward—"

"The obstacle is heavy—"

But Harry hadn't had time to finish the spell when a sudden, unbearable pain hit him and he fell to his knees on the grass.Someone was screaming, the pain was enough to kill him, Snape was going to torture him to death or drive him mad—

"No!" Snape snarled, and the pain disappeared as quickly as it had come, and Harry lay curled up on the dark grass, wand gripped tightly, gasping for breath, hearing something above his head. Snape yelled, "Have you forgotten your order? Potter belongs to the Dark Lord—let's leave him alone! Go! Go!"

"Shenfeng Wuying——" the curse was pushed away by Snape again.

"How dare you attack me with my spells, Potter? I invented them—yes! I, was, b-blood, king-son!"

Snape finished speaking slowly, then gave Harry a contemptuous look and left.

Harry fell into a coma.

"Harry! Wake up!" Harry was patted awake.I saw Hilbert knelt beside him and shouted.

"Dumbledore... was killed..."

…………

(End of this chapter)