"I have to kill him," Malfoy said, his lip trembling. "I have to, or he's going to kill me."

"Draco," Dumbledore said gently, "what brings you here this fine evening?"

"Stop it," Malfoy said, taking a few steps closer. He walked past me, stopping. His eyes flickered to mine for a brief moment and then back to Dumbledore. "Get out of here, Steele," he said without looking at me.

"No. Put the wand down, Malfoy."

"That's not going to happen."

"Draco, you are no assassin," Dumbledore said, his voice eerily calm.

"How would you know what I am?" Draco scowled. He stepped into the light. Eyes almost purple from sleep deprivation, Malfoy looked like the living version of death.

"The mead laced with poison you sent for me, the cursed necklace you gave Katie Bell . . ."

He did all those things. I should've known earlier. I had a gut feeling the whole time, but I just never wanted to believe it.

"Forgive me, but . . ." Dumbledore trailed off, "those actions were so weak I couldn't help but wonder if your heart really was into them."

"He trusts me," Malfoy said, hands shaking, "I was chosen." He yanked up his sleeve, baring the Dark Mark. Again, Dumbledore barely seemed surprised.

"I shall make this easy for you." Dumbledore pulled out his own wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco said with a hiss, a jet or red light knocking the wand out of Dumbledore's long fingers.

I got to my feet, slowly, trying not to get Draco's attention. Slowly, I slipped my hand into my robes, pulling out my wand. I pointed it at the blond boy, finally getting his attention.

"Malfoy. Put down the wand."

"Stay out of this Elvira!" Malfoy shouted. Outside, something crashed, followed by the most menacing laugh I'd ever heard.

"They're on their way," Malfoy trembled, his face twisted into a look of fear and terror. "There's nothing you can do now."

"Once I knew a boy just like you," Dumbledore explained, unmoving. What I didn't understand was that Dumbledore could've destroyed him. He could've pushed him out of the way with a flick of his hand, but there he stood as if he wanted to give him a chance. Or he just simply wanted to die. "He was a genius, but he made all the wrong decisions. Please, Draco. Please let me help you."

"I don't want your help! Don't you understand? I lose everything if I don't go through with this." There were tears on his cheeks now. He looked completely distraught. I felt my heart aching for him for the first time in my life. Draco looked straight at me. Help me, his glistening eyes said. Slowly, I lowered my wand.

"Miss Steele," Dumbledore turned his head to me, "be prepared. Do as I say. And remember this code-it will lead you to help when you need it most. Ariana," he said the name carefully. "Don't forget this."

"But-"

"Be silent. They're coming."

The sound of footsteps came running up the stairs, the maniacal laughter getting closer. Malfoy, back to his senses, raised the wand and wiped his eyes with his free hand.

"Elvira, get out of here," he said to me. "Run. Leave this school and never come back."

"I can't do that, Malfoy." I raised my wand, ready to disarm him.

Before I could say a word, the Death Eaters were here, led by notorious Bellatrix Lestrange, whom I had my first encounter with last year in the Ministry of Magic alongside Dumbledore's Army.

"Miss Steele, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said, glancing at a cackling Lestrange, "lower your wands. I'm sure we can work this out."

I stared at him, confused. And then I saw the message in his eyes as they met mind.

Point your wand away from Draco.

So I turned, pointing it at Dumbledore. My knees shook, heart pounding. What am I doing?

"Well, well, well," Bellatrix said, coming into view. Six other people appeared behind her, cloaked in black. Bellatrix's unkempt, curly black hair bounced everywhere falling onto her face and over her pale shoulders. A raggedy black dress covered her body. Her eyes were wide as if she didn't have eyelids, rimmed with dark liner. And when she grinned wickedly, you could see half of her teeth had rotted off from her time in Azkaban. Those Dementors had left her soulless. "Look who we have here."

She snickered at Dumbledore, coming up sneakily behind Draco who looked nearly dead. "Do, it Draco," she whispered. "What are you waiting for? DO IT!" she screamed, making Malfoy flinch. My eyes burned as I stood there, wand pointed at the headmaster, who gave me a reassuring nod.

Her wide eyes fell on me.

"And who might you be?" Bellatrix slithered toward me, lips parted, her grimy teeth bared. "What are you doing here?"

My mouth opened, but no words formed. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for her to say the two words that would end my life.

"Draco!" Malfoy grimaced again. "Who is this girl and why the hell is she here?"

"Sh-she . . . she's on our side," Malfoy sputtered, his tongue tripping over his own words. "She helped me get up here."

"Is that so?" Bellatrix grinned, almost prancing around the room. She giggled like a psychopath. "Well, Draco, get on with it!"

There was another person. All heads turned to the rickety, wired stairs as the last person made their way up. When I saw his dark, shoulder length hair I nearly dropped my wand, nauseated.

Professor Snape.

Harry had been right all along. He was a Death Eater. He'd been spying and helping Malfoy this whole time. He'd known everything, and here he was, standing in front of the man who always protected him whenever Harry-or anybody for that matter-expressed his lack of trust in Snape.

Snape's dark pits for eyes scanned the his surroundings, first to Malfoy and I, and then to Dumbledore.

Bellatrix was whispering things in Draco's ears while everyone stood there. "Do it!" she screamed. Snape stood in front of Malfoy in two long strides, and pointed his own wand at the headmaster.

"Severus," Dumbledore said slowly, painfully. "Please."

His last word was pleading.

"Avada Kedavra."

A burst of green light exploded from Snape's wand, slamming into his chest and throwing him back, past the railing and over the balcony, down below. I fell to my knees, the wand slipping out of my grasp and rolling away.

Dumbledore is dead. Elvira Steele . . . Dumbledore has died because of you.

Bellatrix was screeching, jumping up and down, waving her arms. "He's dead!" she cheered. I stared at her, mortified.

He's dead.

The only man who could defeat Voldemort was dead . . . the only one who could protect this castle and the students was gone.

You could have prevented this.

I pressed my palms over my ears to shut that voice up. In puffs of black smoke, one by one the Death Eaters apparated, exploding glass as they past through the giant windows, circling Hogwarts. Bellatrix stood in the balcony where Dumbledore had fallen over, a look of triumph on her face. She cackled, her voice high pitched and screaming as she raised her wand to the sky.

"Morsmordre." An eerie green glow was cast over the castle, tinting the sky as a skull appeared, similar to the one on Draco's arm, with a snake pouring out of its mouth. I covered my eyes to protect them as objects exploded around us. Bellatrix too exploded into black smoke, spiraling outwards and entering through a different part of the castle. As more glass exploded from above us, I reached for my wand, trying to protect my eyes.

At the same time, I saw Draco lunge towards me, grabbing the wand before I could.

"You piece of-" I began to swear at him, but he reached forward and grabbed on to me. "Let me go!" I shrieked. Glass particles crashed around us. I curled up into a ball . . . and then suddenly I wasn't there anymore. We were spiraling away from the castle, around and towards the back of Hogwarts.

We crashed into the ground, rolling from the force of the landing. I landed on my back with a groan.

"What the bloody hell . . ." I sat up, stretching my aching back. Draco was coughing next to me, rolling onto all fours, his hands bleeding from the glass shards. I looked down at mine to find them the same as his. "How did we get here?" Black smoke. We had apparated.

"I'm going back inside," Malfoy said, getting up, his legs still shaky. His blond hair was disheveled, face caked with dirt from the landing.

"Don't move," I spat, frantically looking around for my wand.

"It's with me."

My head snapped up to see Malfoy holding it, his chest rising and falling heavily. I was going to fight for it. He didn't seem to care because he tossed it towards me, turning his back, ready to apparate away.

"Don't you dare move!" I shouted, my voice reaching a higher pitch. I scrambled to my feet, pointing my wand at him. Draco looked over his shoulder.

"Make me."

I lunged just as he apparated again, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. We were moving again, bursting through the windows that led into the Great Hall. Draco landed, this time on his feet. I slid off, feeling a sudden surge of nausea. I pressed my hands to my mouth. In front of us, Bellatrix Lestrange danced on the long tables, kicking silverware off and exploding the chandeliers above us.

"Protego!" I shouted, casting a shield over Malfoy and I. He ducked and I shut my eyes as glass clattered everywhere. My ears rang from the sound of metal clashing against the cold floors. The candles floating above the tables were all blown off, darkening the room.

They were destroying everything they saw.

"Stop this," I begged, tears in my eyes. "They're ruining everything." I sank to the floor, trying not to burst into sobs.

"I can't do anything."

"I don't give a damn!" I wiped at my eyes, the tears unstoppable. "You've destroyed everything!" A muffled sob escaped from my lips. "The one place of protection is gone. Destroyed. Where will everyone go now?"

Draco rubbed his face, silver eyes frightened. An explosion was heard nearby. I stood up in the debris.

Draco held out his hand. "Come with me."

"I will never."

His lips tightened into a straight line and he jumped forward, pulling me towards him. Again, we were soaring into the air, landing just in front of Hagrid's hut.

Which was completely inflamed.

"No," I whispered, horrified. I almost screamed then, Malfoy clapping his hand over my mouth.

"Shut up," he hissed. "Shut up. If they hear you they'll kill you. Dumbledore was protecting you by making it look like you were helping me. So shut up or you're going to die!"

I ripped his hand off my moth, turning around to face him, outraged. But I stopped, for behind him was someone who looked similar to Harry Potter, shouting at Snape.

"He trusted you!" Harry yelled, the veins in his neck prominent. "He trusted you and this is how you repay him?"

"Get down." Malfoy pushed me to the floor and I kicked him away. "Steele, stop it."

"Don't tell me what to do," I screeched.

"You coward!" Harry yelled. "Turn around and fight like a man!"

Snape turned, walking away, towards the inflamed hut.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry shouted. Snape spun around, muttering a counterspell that knocked Harry twenty feet back, all the breath whooshing out of his lungs. Harry writhed in pain.

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter?" Snape said between clenched teeth, walking towards his pained body. "Yes. I am the Half-Blood Prince." He talked slowly, tasting each word before he spoke it. Snape left him lying there.

"We have to help him," I said, getting up to run towards the Boy who Lived. Draco yanked me back. I toppled to the ground again. "Let me go!" I fought roughly, punching and hitting, but he latched on hard.

"Stay. Down."

"Malfoy, please, let me go." There was a darkness in his eyes, a kind I'd never seen before. It was as if the final fleck of light inside him had died. I stopped fighting. "What do I do now?"

Fire danced in 's pupils, reflecting off Hagrid's Hut. I only prayed he made it out in time.

"I don't know," he whispered. My teeth clattered from the cold, or from the fear, I didn't know. "I don't know what to do, Steele." His arms fell limply to his sides, his wand falling to the ground.