The next day, Draco was back to full health, and the only thing that had changed was that there was now a large pink scar going down his chest. His hatred for Harry was also stronger, but that was to be expected, considering he nearly killed Draco.

I was in the common room, sitting at a table with Draco. Star was across from us, comparing our Herbology notes. She was barely paying attention to my papers; instead, she was mumbling quietly to herself, thinking.

"I wish that the N.E.W.T.s were this year," I said randomly.

"Why?" Draco asked, gently holding my hand in his.

"We're getting a lot of work for something that's over a year away."

"Professor Sprout has been acting like the test is next week, and I'm not even taking the Herbology exam," Draco added. "What exams are you taking, Y/n?"

"Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Herbology. I'm also taking Care of Magical Creatures. You?"

"I'm taking Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration," Draco said.

I started to answer, but someone else cut me off.

"Potter?" the person said unconfidently.

I looked around to see a small second-year standing behind me."Yes?"

"U-um," the student stammered, "your brother is waiting outside of the common room. He said that he needed to talk to you immediately."

"Thank you," I said before the second-year ran off. I turned to Draco and Star. "Well, I have no clue what's to happen, but I'll talk to you later." I gave Draco a quick kiss before leaving the common room. As I entered the hallway, I planned sentences that I could yell at Harry with.

"What were you thinking?" I shouted, reaching him. "You nearly killed Draco!"

"I know," he said. "I didn't know what the spell did. I'm sorry."

"You should apologise to him, not me."

"Now isn't the time to fight," Harry said. "Dumbledore needs to talk to us."

Without another thought, we began walking towards his office.

"Dumbledore's taking us to find one of the Horcruxes," Harry explained. We walked up the stairs to reach Dumbledore's office, and we entered once told to.

"Good evening, Y/n and Harry. I trust that you both know why I have called you here?"

"Yes, sir," I said. "Which Horcrux will we be finding?"

"Slytherin's locket," Dumbeldore said quickly. "Before we part, there is one condition the both of you must follow: you must immediately obey any command I might give without question. If I tell you to hide, flee, or leave me behind and save yourself, will you?"

Harry and I hesitated. "Yes, sir," we eventually said.

"Very good. Harry, please grab your Invisibility Cloak and meet me at the entrance hall in five minutes' time. Y/n, is there anything you must grab before we leave?"

I thought quickly and the first thing to pop into my mind was Draco. "Yes, sir. I'll meet you at the entrance hall."

Harry and I then ran out of the office and turned in different directions to reach our common rooms. As soon as I arrived, I burst into the Slytherin area.

"It's going to happen tonight," Star said quietly.

"Why tonight?" Draco whispered back angrily.

"Are you daft? You know that he wanted this to happen months ago."

Draco let out an audible sigh as I ran up to them. I hugged them both, ignoring the conversation I had just heard.

"Is something wrong?" Star asked.

"No," I lied. "Be safe. I'll see you both later." I kissed Draco, staying in his protecting arms for a moment too long before backing away from him and the table. "I have to go now."

I started running again, all the way to the entrance hall. When I arrived, panting, Harry threw his cloak over himself and me, and we followed Dumbledore out of the castle to the gate. From there, we Apparated.

My feet hit the ground and Harry took the cloak off of us. The wind nearly ripped it from his hands, blowing salty air into our faces.The sound of crashing water and darkness filled my senses. I couldn't even see the large cliff fifty feet away until Harry pointed it out.

We followed Dumbledore across the rock we were standing on. He reached the edge and jumped, landing in the freezing water with a splash. Harry and I did the same, swimming through the churning waves.

We entered a small opening on the cliff, which was short enough that we could stand. We walked out if it, shivering violently, and Dumbledore held up his wand, illuminating the antechamber we were in. He walked to one of the walls, feeling for something.

"How crude," Dumbledore said, pulling a knife out of his pocket. He then slashed his own palm, smearing the blood along the wall. An entrance appeared as Dumbledore put his wand to his cut, healing it instantly.

We walked through the entrance into a cavern. There was a lake in front of us, spanning so far I couldn't see the end. In the middle, something glowed bright green, urging us forward. We followed Dumbledore to another side of the lake, where he pulled on a chain that brought a small boat to us.

"I assume that there is something in the water to protect the Horcrux," Dumbledore explained as we entered the boat. "Be careful."

Harry and I began rowing. We reached the middle of the lake after five tiresome minutes, climbing out and dragging the boat up with us. We were on a rock with a basin in the center.

Warily, we approached it. Inside of the basin, glowing green water sat calmly. Dumbledore tried to put his hand inside of it but could not, due to an invisible barrier surrounding the basin.

"The potion is meant to be drunk. I doubt it will kill me--immediately, at least--but it will most likely restrict me from reaching the Horcrux. I am unsure of how, but the two of you must make sure I drink all of it."

I looked at Harry. He looked terrified, scared of the unknown we were sure to face with this magical liquid. "Yes, sir," he choked out.

Dumbledore conjured a goblet and lowered it into the basin, filling the cup. He then downed it in one gulp, and went back for more. After four turns, he paused, stumbling. He sounded terrified. "I don't want . . ." he panted, "don't make me."

"You can't stop, sir," I said. Harry reached for the goblet and tipped its contents into Dumbledore's mouth, ignoring his groans.

Harry and I took turns refilling the goblet and pouring it into Dumbledore's mouth as he groaned and begged us to stop. With each passing second, I hated myself more and more for inflicting this pain on Dumbledore.

By the sixth cup, the basin was half-empty, but Dumbledore was shaking and screaming so violently we had to hold him down. "Make it stop!" he cried. "Please, oh, please, I'm sorry, I know it's my fault!"

I poured the seventh glass into Dumbledore's mouth and he sank to his knees. "Don't hurt them, don't hurt them, it's my fault, hurt me instead."

"Drink this and you'll feel better," Harry coaxed, holding his shoulders so I give him more of the liquid. He screamed like his insides were on fire, but he drank the ninth and tenth glasses as if he were parched.

With one more drink, the basin would be empty, but by then, Dumbledore was on the floor, screaming and crying and pounding his fists like a child throwing a tantrum. "Make it stop!"

Finally, we emptied the basin, and Dumbledore rolled down onto the floor, coughing.

Harry and I ran to him, holding him still. "Rennervate!" Harry cried.

"Water," Dumbledore croaked.

I grabbed the goblet and tried filling it with a spell, but it emptied as soon as I tried to give it to Dumbledore. I stood up and ran to the edge of the rock, scooping the lake's water into the cup.

I clumsily handed it to Harry as I felt an icy thing grip my arm. I looked behind me to see a person, their eyes literally empty and their skin grey. More of the dead people started climbing onto the rock, so I yelled at Harry to hurry.

Harry grabbed the locket, standing up with Dumbledore and waving their wands around. Fire shot out from Dumbledore's wand, shooing the creatures away from the rock. We jumped into the boat and started rowing as quickly as we could, kicking the creatures and scaring them away with the fire.

We reached the bank of the lake and got out quickly. Dumbledore laid down, coughing weakly. We helped him out of the cave and back into the salty sea air.

"I am weak," Dumbledore said.

"We know, Professor," I answered, making sure his arm was well around my shoulder. "Harry, can we Apparate out of here?"

"Let's go to Hogsmeade," Harry said.

I agreed, and we focused harder than ever before on the Three Broomsticks. Suddenly, my feet were off and back on the ground within a second. When I looked around, I was in Hogsmeade, the sign for the Three Broomsticks high above me.

"We did it!" I said happily.

Harry and I began to celebrate, but Dumbledore slumped to the ground. Madam Rosmerta ran out of the diner and to us. "What's happened?"

"Dumbledore's hurt," Harry said, stating the obvious. "Can you stay with him while we go to Hogwarts to get Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape?

"What? You can't go to Hogwarts alone," Madam Rosmerta protested. "Haven't you seen it?"

"Seen what?" Harry asked, but he didn't need an answer. We looked at the school and saw a bright green Dark Mark above the Astronomy tower.

"Bloody hell," I said. Star and Draco's conversation quickly made sense; this is what they were talking about. The Death Eaters ambushed the school.

"Rosmerta," Dumbledore croaked. "We need brooms, now."

"Accio my brooms!" she yelled, pointing her wand at the Three Broomsticks. Two brooms flew through the door and into our hands.

"Harry, Y/n," Dumbledore said slowly, "share a broom. Use the Invisibility cloak. Thank you, Rosmerta."

"Good luck, Albus," Madam Rosmerta said, returning to her diner.