A/N: second last chapter of this story! After this will be a short, sort of prologue chapter, and then a chapter for title suggestions for the next book. Hope you enjoy this chapter, it clears things up a bit, I hope you'll be surprised.

Harry landed at the front gates to the castle, seeing crowds of students outside, all of the, looking terrified. Teachers bustled around, trying to calm the younger ones who were crying and weeping in terror. Harry looked around in shock, eyes once again returning to the green wispy Mark hovering above the castle like some glorified death certificate.

"Harry!" Someone, a girl, screamed. He turned, seeing Hermione running towards him.

"What happened?" Harry asked urgently, Ron following closely behind the bushy haired girl.

"Death Eaters got in," Hermione said through choked breaths, her eyes full of tears that shone in the moonlight. "We don't know how. We've been looking for Draco everywhere, we can't find him."

Harry's heart sank, panic surging as he tried desperately to locate the werewolf, somewhere, anywhere.

He wasn't in the crowd. The absence of a few others caught his eye as well, noticing a lack of Dumbledore and Snape milling around in the grounds. A growl ripped its way out of his throat, realising they all had to be back in the castle. He turned and ran towards the doors without another word to Hermione or Ron, throwing them open and stepping inside.

He felt his fangs form over his bottom lip as he looked around, drawing in a deep breath to try and pick up Draco's scent. It lingered, but was stale, clearly having been there for awhile. Frustrated, he dashed up the steps and through the school, finally catching a trace of the scent, leading down a corridor that only led to one place. The Astronomy Tower.

***An hour previous***

Whisper's infected Draco's mind like a poison, a toxin that refused to leave his bloodstream, like a disease that threatened to drive him off the edge. The same voice, that low, grumble that he recognised so dear,y but could never place or pin upon a person echoed through his skull, tormenting him into bouts of misery and despair.

It was always the same thing, still the same thing. Fix the cabinet. Draco didn't want to go anywhere near that thing, that tall dark object seeming to have only been placed there to ruin his life and eat away at him.

Regrettably Draco found himself walking towards the Room Of Requirement not long after Harry left, dark thoughts swirling through his mind as the voice thrummed like the incessant beating of a drum. It was never ending, repeating over and over, driving him insane. He would fix that damn cabinets if just to get the voice to stop.

The room was just as cluttered as always, the cabinet standing tall and imposing, as if it knew what torment it was causing and was proud of it. Draco scowled at the object before turning his gaze to the numerous books piled around it, picking up one that he'd left open, and beginning from where he'd left off.

Minutes ticked by as he spoke ancient words under his breath, weaved magic with his mind, building up the connection of the cabinet with every syllable that fell past his lips. The magic flooded from him into the object as he sensed the connection becoming more and more stable, reliable.

He spoke the last incantation, taking a few steps backwards to stare at the cabinet, waiting for something to happen. The voice abruptly stopped halfway through one of the sentences, cutting off and leaving his mind totally blank, eerie and empty feeling.

"Well then?" He asked, whether to thin air, the voice or the cabinet he didn't know. "Anything at all?"

A creaking noise sounded, and he frowned in a mixture of fear and curiosity as the cabinet door swung open. As soon as he could make out the figure, he wished he hadn't asked.

Lucius Malfoy's figure was only distinguishable by the long blond hair that swept across his shoulders, his face hidden by a mask. Yet even with his face obscured, as if on instinct, Draco knew exactly who this man was, and it made his stomach turn in terror. Fear overwhelmed him, and his instincts gave in as he turned to make a dash towards the door.

He hardly got a few paces before a jinx his him square in the back, one that made it feel like his entire body was made of lead. He sank to the floor, unable to move, watching his father with his grey eyes wide. "What now?" He whispered, only just able to move his jaw and form words. "Are you going to kill me, Lucius?"

For a few moments the man simply stood, watching his son as if scrutinising him, expression hidden by the silver, skeletal mask. "No," he replied, voice deepened and changed by the mask. "Worse."

Draco watched, unable to even tremble with fear as more figures emerged from the dark cabinet. A few he recognised, but most of them were a complete mystery to him, which just ade them all the more terrifying. All wore the same dark, skeletal masks and ink coloured robes, all Death Eaters.

He felt the jinx be lifted and his body feel once again rather weightless. Instinctively he tried to scramble backwards, but realised his body wasn't responding at all.

Get up, Draco.

His father was using the imperius curse on him. Terror ripped through the werewolf like a blade, an icy feeling coursing through him from head to toe. What his father could do with that power over him, destroy everything he'd tried to build? No, he wouldn't let it happen.

No.

Get up now.

No.

You will get up, or your precious mate will die.

You couldn't kill Harry. He's more powerful than you'll ever be.

He will die, and then your mother will follow him.

Draco stopped at this, truly feeling sick now. His mother? Surely Lucius wouldn't kill her, his dear mother, his father's wife, the woman who would forever hold a special place in his heart?

You wouldn't kill her.

I would. Now get up.

Draco had never wanted to murder his own father more than he did now. Anger flooded him, red hot rage burning, fiery anger that was quickly put out by the fact that he was surrounded by upwards of fifteen Death Eaters. Lucius he could handle, the rest of them? He wasn't so sure.

Terrified and ashamed, Draco let himself submit to the curse, feeling his body react to it as he got to his feet.

He watched through his own eyes as they walked through the corridors, not in control of his own body, feeling like a Marionette, a puppet on strings. He felt sickened, weak, powerless to do anything as the Death Eaters wreaked havoc. Curses flew at unsuspecting students, teachers running to protect their students, but they were mo match to the dark wizards, Draco watching as they ran back and forth to evacuate all the students from the castle.

The Death Eaters destroyed portraits along the way, the paintings yelling and screaming as their friends who didn't have time to get to another painting were burnt and destroyed. Suits of armour fell to the marble floors with loud crashes, windows broke with the ear piercing shattering of glass. The place quickly descended into chaos, and Draco couldn't remember feeling this helpless in a long time.

Draco watched, fearful, as he realised where they were going. This corridor only led to one place; the Astronomy Tower. He used to go up there every now and again, to watch the sunset, to do homework, and even times when he fell asleep, he'd witness the sun rising over the forbidden forest. Now the place didn't hold the same familiarity, the same comfort. He briefly wondered if his father would make him jump off the edge of the tower, but as they ascended the stairwell, he knew there was more to this plan than throwing him off the edge.

As they reached the top, Draco felt the curse fall away, and his trembling resumed.

Severus Snape stood in the shadows, watching the Death Eaters in silence. Draco shot him a pleading look, but the man replied with nothing more than a cold, indifferent stare. Draco turned helplessly to the only other person in the room who might help him, seeing the old headmaster standing by the balcony.

His silvery white hair blew lightly in the breeze, his blue eyes watching the group with a mournful, yet somehow peaceful look. At seeing the only student present, Dumbledore offered a small, comforting smile. It didn't help Draco's resolve at all, the confusion only doubling his fear.

Kill him.

The voice, that same voice spoke calmly in his mind, a sinister echo that spat those two words as if the feat was as simple as breathing. Except this time, it was different. This time, he recognised the voice.

Draco turned to the man in the shadows, eyes wide, tears starting to stream from them, at a loss for words. "Y-You?" He whispered, voice cracking. Severus didn't reply, only squaring his jaw slightly, a glimmer of some sort of emotion in his eyes. "All year, it's been you?"

"Do it, Draco," was all he said, Draco shaking his head furiously in reply. All this time, it had been Severus? Taking his magic, giving him nightmares, making him fix the cabinet, driving him nearly insane and putting the Dark Mark on his arm? Trying to get him to kill Dumbledore?

"No, n-no I won't, I can't, they'll h-hate me-"

"It's either him, or the vampire scum and your mother," Lucius' voice echoed from behind him, the words swirling in Draco's mind and repeating themselves over and over.

Draco's gaze returned to Dumbledore, who was watching him with an expression Draco couldn't decipher. "It's alright," he finally spoke, words tired. "My time should have come long ago."

The tears flooded Draco's cheeks faster, his head starting to hurt. His hands shook as he pulled his wand from his back pocket, hardly able to hold it with how much he was trembling.

"I don't want to," he reiterated, voice broken and quiet.

"Then I will take you home, and you can watch as your mother dies," Lucius spat.

Draco's head started to spin, the threats forcing the words to the tip of his tongue. He closed his eyes, unable to watch. "Avada Kedavra."

He saw the green light from behind his eyelids, and he knew that the curse had hit its target.

******

Harry reached the Astronomy Tower a moment too late. He stood in shock at the scene that unravelled before him, watching as Dumbledore fell over the edge of the balcony and the Death Eaters began disappearing, melting away into darkness, taking off from all directions.

And in the middle of it all, having fallen to the ground, was a boy with silvery blond hair, unmoving.

Harry ran towards him, falling to his knees at Draco's side. Relief washed over him when he realised that Draco wasn't dead, simply passed out. He was pale, and his face shone with tears, his wand lying a few feet away from one of his outstretched hands.

It only took seconds for Harry to put the pieces together, and he sighed. He didn't know what else to do, he didn't know if he should cry, scream, panic. So he sat in silence, pulling Draco into his arms, kissing his forehead gently. He was limp like a ragdoll, breathing shallowly.

After retrieving Draco's wand, Harry left the tower, holding Draco close in his arms as he walked through the silent and empty castle. Draco's sleeve had ridden up his arm, revealing the dark mark that was spread across it. Harry remembered trailing his lips across that patch of skin once, when it was as pale as snow, unmarked by everything that had ruined both of their lives so far.

"It's going to be okay," Harry murmured, holding Draco tighter, talking even though he knew the werewolf couldn't hear him. "You're not a bad person. I love you, and I'll always protect you."

******

Remus ran a hand through his hair. It had all gone to hell so quickly, so fast that no one knew what had happened. Hermione stood beside him, crying into Ron's shoulder, the redhead himself hardly able to hold back tears. It seemed everyone was crying, a sea of mourning surrounded Remus, and he felt like he was about to collapse.

He'd gotten to Hogwarts as soon as he was told that the dark mark was hanging above the castle, Newt sending a patronus. The man himself had only gotten a glimpse of it before apparating away, and Remus had found himself arriving at the same time as dozens of Ministry wizards, all of which were now helping transport people to St Mungos.

Dumbledore's body was being moved away from where it had landed, right below the Astronomy Tower. Remus had watched him fall in disbelief and horror, and it replayed in his mind over and over. He couldn't watch as the teachers helped move his body away, turning his back. What he saw made him feel just as sick, if not more.

Harry was walking towards the crowd, a familiar figure in his arms. "No, God, please," Remus whispered, taking off into a run towards the two.

"It's fine, he's okay, he's just out cold," Harry said as the werewolf reached them, holding Draco protectively, baring his teeth. When they found out that Draco was responsible for Dumbledore's death, they would turn on him.

"What happened?" Remus asked, taking a step closer, making Harry take one backwards.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment. "I don't know. They were in the Astronomy Tower, all these Death Eaters and Dumbledore. Draco killed him."

"No," Remus' face went ghostly pale. "No, he wouldn't have-"

"He did. And if you dare lay a finger on him, I swear-"

"I wouldn't hurt him, I promise," Remus said pleadingly. "I trust him, he would never do something like this if he wasn't being forced to." Remus drew in a breath. "Please, let me take him home, I'll look after him and keep him away from everyone else. Hermione and Ron need you."

Harry watched Remus reluctantly, before taking a step closer and allowing Remus to take Draco from his arms. The man held him close, a pained look on his face. "I'll let you know as soon as he wakes up," Remus said firmly.

Harry nodded, watching as Remus walked away until he was out of the grounds, where he would have disapparated back to Grimmauld Place.

Harry let himself exhale, not even aware that he'd drawn in a breath. He felt around in his pocket for the locket, which was still there, the cold metal numbing his fingers. It made him want to retch, the fact that he had a piece of Voldemort in his pocket.

With all that had happened, it was all Harry could do to make his way towards the crowd, towards Ron and Hermione.