My head was throbbing uncontrollably when I regained consciousness. I was still in that wretched broom closet but there was silence around me. Either the battle had ended or it was the silence before a storm.

I stumbled to get out, spotting my wand near the door and I grasped it tightly. When I finally managed to get out, everything was a horrible mess. The school looked like a warzone.

Recalling that Bill had been there when Draco forced me to stay hidden, I frantically searched for him in the debris.

The blood and slashes on the floor wrenched at my heart, not knowing whether Bill had survived or not.

Besides an unnerving feeling of dread was bothering me nevertheless, hinting that someone had died.

I hope it isn't Bill. I pray it isn't anyone from my family, or friends, or the students, or... I just hope everyone is safe...

"Kat!" I halted at the sound of someone calling me and shakily turned to see Fleur. "We were all so worried, Bill keep asking about you..."

"Bill... How is Bill? Is he okay? He's not hurt, right?"

Fleur gently held me and shushed me as if I was a troubled little girl, "Come, everyone iz at 'ze hospital wing."

I noticed that she didn't answer my questions and her features were drawn in a worried look. But I followed her to the hospital wing, my eyes sweeping around the castle that had faced so much destruction.

When I stepped into the hospital, my vision was blocked as two redheads rushed to hug me. Fred and George... They had come with the Order too.

But their words had drowned into a background noise as all I wanted right then was to find out where was Bill and if he was doing alright or not.

"We thought they took you!"

"Where were you, we searched the castle twice!"

"Guys, I... I'll explain later," I spoke up before they could start freaking out about my arms that were now covered with red bandages. "But first tell me, where's Bill?"

"Bill, well..." They exchanged a glance and I felt my blood run cold at the unnerving pause.

But then I heard Mum crying in the distance and my heart sank.

"My child, my handsome boy, why..."

"What happened!" I demanded, holding onto Fleur, hoping she would tell me why Mum was crying. Bill can't be dead, right? He can't... 

But why were they not telling me anything?

"Greyback scratched Bill's face," Fred spoke up at last, his eyes flickering in concern, "Madam Pomfrey says the wound would heal with silver and dittany but the scars will be permanent."

"And when we found Bill, he was hurt but constantly asking about you," George added, "by the way, what happened to your arms?"

"Greyback," I mumbled, knowing that word would be enough explanation, "Bill saved me or else I would have been minced meat by now."

They took me to Madam Pomfrey who had just stabilized Bill. She was worried to see the state of my arms as well as she got to work, healing the wounds with a mixture of silver and dittany.

Mum was hysterical and it certainly didn't help that I was hurt too. She got anxious all over again for me, cursing the vicious werewolf for hurting her children.

But I had not yet heard the worst part. Ginny came to me and I realized that something terrible had happened as Harry was nowhere to be seen.

Before I could ask her, she sat down next to me and whispered, "Professor Dumbledore died in the battle."

Wait, what?

"You hear that sound?" I focused as she told me, a haunting tune echoing in the castle grounds, "It's Fawkes, his phoenix, mourning for him."

Oh...

Oh no, that can't be possible!

Professor Dumbledore can't die... He can't. If he died then there would be no one stopping Voldemort from taking over the wizarding world.

Harry was the Chosen One, yes, but he was still just a boy.

Dumbledore was the only one Voldemort feared. His death meant he would have nothing to fear anymore.

"Tell me everything," I breathed but I really didn't have to ask her as soon enough the scenes of the battle began to unfold in front of me.

I was seeing it as a vision and it chilled me to realize that I had seen a glimpse of that vision months earlier.

Draco standing at the astronomy tower, showing his Dark Mark. His face was deathly pale and tears were streaming down his face.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The jet of green light struck Professor Dumbledore who fell off the tower. But Draco wasn't the one who said that curse.

It was...

"Professor Snape betrayed us," Ginny concluded, her voice heavy with sorrow, "he killed Professor Dumbledore and went with the Death Eaters. He was working for them all along or perhaps he changed sides at the last minute."

What?

The voice I heard in my vision was Snape... But why would he kill Dumbledore, the only man who trusted him?

Nothing made sense anymore.

"They're going to hold his funeral tomorrow. Harry has been very disturbed since as he saw everything but couldn't help," she whispered, squeezing my hand gently, "I'm going to find him now."

She left but my mind was now a muddle of worrisome thoughts. We had lost a very valuable member of the Order and the Wizarding community. It certainly didn't help that a war was upon us.

After Ginny's departure, I couldn't stay there and do nothing so I decided to find Bill.

I had to see him or else I would keep getting anxious for him.

Bill was in the isolated corner of the hospital wing and both mum and dad were with him. Fleur was there too as I approached and heard them talking. They had stopped seeing me enter and Fleur gave me a slight smile though I could see tears in her eyes.

She was applying silver and dittany on Bill's face.

"I... I wanted to see Bill," I mumbled, feeling awkward all of a sudden as if I had walked in at the wrong time.

Mum nodded and took Dad out but Fleur stayed. It felt as if something had happened between them but Mum looked relatively calmer by then.

Bill was awake and as I stepped closer, his eyes met mine. His face was scratched from the left side, deep gashes starting from his cheekbone and going down to his neck.

"Hey," I spoke up, trying to hold the tears back.

"Thank God... You're alright..." He coughed as he tried to speak and Fleur looked at him in concern but he nodded, telling her that he was okay.

If it hadn't been for me being attacked by Greyback, Bill wouldn't be so badly injured.

He seemed to have guessed what I was thinking as his eyes flickered and he beckoned me to come closer.

"Don't... It's not your... Fault."

Fleur's eyes softened too and she patted my shoulder gently. "Bill was so worried, 'e cares a lot for you."

The tears I was trying to hold back escaped and I wanted to hug Bill tightly to express how grateful I was for him. He didn't even think twice before taking on such a deadly opponent as Greyback to keep me safe.

I might not be a Weasley by blood but they were my family. The way they cared for me and looked out for me proved that.

Bill had lifted his hand and patted my head, "It's okay... All that matters is that... You're safe now. Don't cry, Kat. I'll be... Alright."

***