I blinked back into reality and saw a very weak Dumbledore, and a very anxious Harry, hovering over me.

"Leah! Are you alright?"

"I think so," I frowned, sitting up slowly.

"I healed your head...with the help of Madam Rosemerta," Harry said.

"Madam...why are we here?" I looked around at the empty Three Broomsticks.

"The dark mark is over the school," he said bluntly.

"No," I whispered.

"C'mon," Harry handed me a broom. The three of us took off, flying to the school. I felt angry, so incredibly angry. I saw my hair alight out of the corner of my eye and I grit my teeth. I'm going to kick some ass tonight.

We reached the astronomy tower, the closest thing to us, and surveyed the damage. Which, so far, was nothing.

"Harry, go fetch Snape. Tell him what has happened tonight. I will wait here."

"But sir!" Harry protested.

"GO!"

Harry got partially down the stairs when the door burst open and someone shouted "expelliarmus."

My wand, as well as Dumbledore's flew out of our hands and I clenched my jaw as Draco appeared. Draco eyed the three brooms and then looked at both of us.

"Who else is here?"

"A question I might ask you. Or are you working alone tonight?" Dumbledore asked.

"No," he glanced at my hair, "I've got back up. Death Eaters are in the castle tonight."

"You little shit!" I snapped, stepping forward and Dumbledore put a hand up.

"Be still, Leah."

"How did your stupid ass figure it out?"

"You never figured it out. I did. I think that makes me a bit smarter than you?"

"Hardly," I laughed bitterly.

"Forgive me for interrupting...but you seem quite unsupported. Where are the others?"

"Fighting your guards. I came ahead, I've got a job to do," he flicked his wand and I slammed back into the wall, stuck by an invisible force.

"No!" I yelled.

Dumbledore shushed me with a wave of his hand and looked at Draco.

"Then by all means, do it, my dear boy," he said softly. My palms ignited and I began to breathe harder. I saw Harry, frozen in the shadows of the stairs and I struggled against the force holding me in place. Draco however, did nothing but stare at Dumbledore.

"Draco, you are not a killer," he said.

"You don't know what I'm capable of. You don't know what I've done!" Draco yelled.

"Yes he does, I told him," I seethed.

"Quiet, Leah!" Dumbledore snapped at me, and I fell silent. Someone yelled in the castle below and I clenched my jaw even harder.

"Someone's putting up a good fight. Perhaps you ought to get the job done."

Draco just stared at him.

"I see. You are afraid to act until they join you."

"I'm not afraid!"

"I do not think you will kill me, Draco. Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe. So tell me, while we wait, how did you get them in here?"

"The vanishing cabinet."

Dumbledore was starting to slip. As the two conversed, I tried thinking of ways to stop Draco. However, he had me trapped. I could do nothing. I can't even move my hand enough to set the bitch on fire.

"I haven't got any options! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!" I zoned back in when Draco yelled.

"I told you we could protect you," I said quietly.

"LEAH!" Dumbledore roared.

"What? I can't speak? He might kill you!" I yelled back.

"Be silent," he glared. Footsteps thundered up the stairs and the Death Eaters burst in.

"Dumbledore and Leah cornered!" Amycus cackled. Alecto, Amycus, Fenrir, and Bellatrix were in the room, smiling menacingly at us.

"Little Leah's been bested by our Draco," Bellatrix giggled.

"Hello, Bella," I said evenly.

"The Dark Lord will love me when I bring him you!" she cackled.

"Surely you realize you cannot beat her, Bella," Snape walked in.

"Why's that?" she snapped.

"She's gotten the Phoenix back," he eyed me.

"They've blocked the stairs!" someone shouted from below.

"Draco! Draco, do it!" Bellatrix yelled.

"Severus..."Dumbledore said quietly.

"Do it now!" she screamed.

"Severus!"

"Draco!"

"Avada Kedavra!" Severus shouted and I screamed.

"No! How could you? How could you, Sev?" I screamed and the force holding me back fell as Draco watched Dumbledore fall off the tower in shock. Glass broke all around me and the death eaters ran down the stairs as fire encircled me. Harry ran up to me and we took off after them. Fenrir lunged at us, but I kicked him in the chest and he flew backwards. I then set him on fire. Amycus was throwing hexes at Ginny and I threw a crucio at him. He dropped to the ground immediately and then I stunned him.

"Where did you two come from?" Ginny gasped.

"Harry, go!" I yelled, setting a random death eater aflame, assisting McGonagall.

"But..."

"KILL THEM!" I raged, setting another Death Eater on fire. He hesitated and I grabbed him, pulling him after me as I ran down the hall.

"They ran that way!" Neville pointed.

"We're on it!" I waved, sprinting down stairs.

"Harry!" Ernie MacMillan called as we rounded a corner.

"Move!" I shoved him into the wall. We ran out of the busted entrance hall doors. In the distance I saw a scuffle going on at Hagrid's and I gave an angry shout. We quickly reached the hut and Harry let out a stupefy.

"Run, Draco!" Snape yelled.

"Stupefy!" I shouted, hitting Draco, just barely. He stumbled and I reached him, grabbing him and throwing him down.

"You idiot!" I shouted, hexing Alecto as she tried to help him.

"Crucio!" I yelled and Draco began screaming. Bellatrix blasted me off of him and I landed harshly on the ground. I threw a ball of fire at her and she dodged it.

"Fight back!" Harry was yelling at Snape. I flicked my hand and the fire on Hagrid's hut went out.

"Sectumsempra!" I yelled at Bellatrix and she fell to the ground in a heap. Alecto grabbed her and apparated them out.

"Stupefy! Draco, let's go!"

"You deserve to die!" I screamed at him, my flames roaring higher. Severus slashed his wand through the air, and both Harry and I flew backwards. My ribs cracked as I hit the ground and I gasped, feeling the air leave me.

"Should we take her?" Draco asked uneasily.

"No, go!" Severus shouted. I watched in pain as they fled.

"Harry, Leah, can yeh hear me?" Hagrid asked.

"My ribs," I panted.

"I can't fix ribs...I'll help you up, c'mon," Harry said softly.

"I'm sorry about your house, Hagrid," I winced as Harry helped me stand.

"S'alright. Nothing Dumbledore can't fix."

"Hagrid...Snape killed Dumbledore," Harry said quietly.

"Don't say that. Why would yeh say that?"

"We saw it," I gripped Harry tightly as pain shot through my torso. As we made our way back to the castle, we noticed a heap on the ground.

"No," I moaned. We got closer and saw Dumbledore lying there, limbs bent at odd angles. I sobbed, which turned into a scream as my ribs stabbed me. A crowd formed behind us and Harry grabbed the locket which was on the ground next to Dumbledore.

"Leah, are you okay?" McGonagall asked.

"My ribs," she laid me down and I panted heavily. She healed my ribs and any minor cuts I had.

"Is that all?" said asked softly. I nodded and then pulled myself up to kneel next to Harry. He was reading a note that was in the locket.

"To the Dark Lord. I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B."

I fell into Harry's arms as I began to cry. It started off as silent tears, but soon grew to violent sobs that shook my entire body. He held me tightly as he shook as well, and Fang began to howl behind us.

***

"Guys...come on," Ginny whispered. She pulled Harry up and someone else took his place.

"Ariana," I whispered.

"Hey," she said quietly, her voice thick.

"I'm so sorry. I failed," I sniffled.

"No, no you didn't. It isn't you fault. Come on, sweetie," she pulled me up and we followed Harry and Ginny back to the castle.

"McGonagall ordered you and Harry to the hospital wing," she said, rubbing soothing circles on my back.

"What happened tonight?" she asked.

"I can't tell you. But it all happened for nothing. Then Snape killed Dumbledore and it's my fault. If I hadn't semi helped Draco...if he hadn't pinned me to the wall...if we hadn't gone..." I broke off with a choked back sob. We reached the hospital wing and Hermione flung herself at Harry first, then me.

"Are you two all right?"

"Fine," we nodded.

"How's Bill?" Harry asked. Bill, apparently, had been torn up by Fenrir, but was doing alright.

"Maybe Dumbledore knows how to fix him!" Ron said and I began crying again.

"What's wrong?" Lupin asked.

"He's dead," I croaked.

"What?" Lupin looked at us frantically.

"Snape killed him. We saw it," Harry said.

"This is your fault!" Lupin lashed out at me.

"I know," I said quietly.

"It is not Leah's fault!" Harry said firmly.

"There was absolutely nothing either of us could do. She may have been helping Malfoy at one point, but they didn't make any progress. Leah saved our asses tonight, so don't think that you can justify blaming her!" he continued. Ariana set me down on a cot and Lupin fell into a chair.

"I am sorry, Leah," he muttered. Fawkes began singing sadly and flew in, landing on my shoulder and nestling my neck. I stroked his feathers and stared blankly at the floor.

"Snape...we always trusted Snape," McGonagall said faintly.

"Dumbledore swore he was on our side! Leah...wasn't he?" Tonks asked.

"I thought...I thought he was but I don't know anymore," I whispered. The others began telling the story of how it all happened as I comforted Ariana.

"I barely even spoke to him this year. My dad...my own father. He's gone," she was crying slightly.

"I'm so sorry," I hugged her tightly.

"Please tell me you killed one of them."

"I slashed Bella to ribbons. Crucio'd Draco. Set a few people on fire. The Phoenix is back."

"Oh that's fantastic," she smiled weakly. The infirmary doors burst open and Molly and Arthur ran in.

"Oh, Bill!" Molly cried. Fleur followed close behind and stared at Bill, frozen.

"Oh he's song young...and he was going to be married!" Molly sobbed.

"What do you mean by zat?" Fleur snapped.

"I just..."

"Zat because 'ee 'as these scars zat I will not wish to marry him? What do I care how he looks? I'm good looking enough for ze both of us I theenk! All these scars show is zat my 'usband is brave!" Fleur ranted, shoving Molly aside to tend to Bill's wounds. The next thing I knew, the two were hugging and crying. Then, once more, the doors burst open.

"Leah!" Pansy cried, engulfing me in a tight embrace.

"Pans," I said in shock.

"Oh darling, I'm so sorry I haven't been speaking to you, but I heard you'd been fighting Snape and Draco and I was so afraid when they said you were in here!"

"It's okay," I said in a daze.

"Oh sweetie, I love you so much," she cried.

"I love you, too."

"Oh, and Ariana, come here!" she threw her arms around Ariana as well.

"I'm so sorry," she said.

"Children," McGonagall spoke up, "I believe you all should head to bed. Especially you two," she looked at Harry and I.

"First, however, I might speak to you two privately," we followed her without a word up to the headmasters office, which now, I assume, is McGonagall's.

"I need you to tell me what happened tonight."

"We can't," I said.

"Potter, Riddle, it may be important."

"Oh it is. But we're following his orders. We cannot tell a soul."

"You should know, however, that Madam Rosmerta has been under the Imperius curse. She's been helping Malfoy along the way," Harry said.

"Rosmerta?" McGonagall gasped. At that moment, there was a knock at the door and Flitwick, Hagrid, Sprout and Slughorn walked in.

"The Minister will be here shortly," a portrait announced.

"I want to talk about what happens to Hogwarts," she said quickly to the teachers.

"It should remain open," Sprout said.

"Will any of the students be here? Parents may very well want to keep their children home," Slughorn said.

"I agree," McGonagall nodded.

"Well I'm stayin'," Hagrid said.

"What about the funeral?" Harry asked.

"Well...I know Dumbledore wished to be laid to rest at Hogwarts," McGonagall said.

"Hogwarts should be Dumbledore's final resting place," Flitwick nodded.

"Absolutely," Sprout said.

"So shouldn't the students be kept until the service is over?" I asked.

"Yes...yes that sounds like a rather good idea."

"The Minister is here," McGonagall looked out the window.

"Then may we leave?" Harry asked.

"Yes, go quickly," she nodded, and Harry and I went up to Gryffindor. Harry stopped to talk to Ron and Hermione, but I crawled into his bed and fell fast asleep.

***