Three brooms had shot out into the street and were racing each other to Harry’s side, where they stopped dead, quivering slightly at waist height.
“Rosrta, please send a ssage to the Ministry,” said Dumbledore, as he mounted the broom nearest him. “Evan, Harry, put on your Invisibility Cloaks, we need to move quickly!”
Evan, like Harry, pulled his Cloak out of his pocket and threw it over himself before mounting his broom.
He didn’t think he actually needed it, but for tonight’s plan to go smoothly, and to let the enemy believe Dumbledore was alone, it was best if he acted as though he weren’t there. At the very least, the Death Eaters needed to believe Dumbledore was returning to the school by himself.
Madam Rosrta was already tottering back toward her pub as the three of them kicked off from the ground and rose up into the air.
The three broomsticks streaked toward the castle. Dumbledore’s long silver hair and beard stread behind him on the night air. The Dark Mark floated above the castle too, that terrifying skull expanding like a poisonous bubble.
Inside Hogwarts, the plan was already unfolding as intended.
After their departure, Draco Malfoy had finally succeeded in fully repairing the Vanishing Cabinet. He summoned the Death Eaters and werewolves, allowing them into Hogwarts.
Dumbledore had known this would happen. He had learned everything from Snape, from Draco’s strange behavior all term, and from Evan’s warnings.
That’s why he chose to take Evan and Harry to Azkaban tonight.
Dumbledore wanted to bring everything to a close, to prepare the way and create more favorable conditions after his departure.
In other words, he wanted Voldemort to think he was really dead; killed by a Death Eater, preferably by Draco Malfoy.
That had been Voldemort’s assignnt for Draco, and Draco was indeed the most fitting one to carry it out. But he was too young, not yet truly corrupted, and could not bear the weight of such a sin.
So, Dumbledore chose Snape.
Having Snape kill him would at least help gain Voldemort’s full trust. As for the guilt of murdering Dumbledore… Snape had already endured so much; for the sake of a higher cause, he would make the right choice, even if it was terribly hard!
Evan flew behind Harry, heading toward the castle, his mind spinning with all these tangled thoughts. He had pieced together the full sequence of events; and then, his thoughts turned to Hermione and Elaine. He wondered how they were, and whether they knew that the Dark Mark had appeared above the school.
He believed that Dumbledore had made perfect preparations, but if sothing unexpected happened…
As Evan began to worry, Harry was just as full of unease.
He didn’t know the full plan or its background. One thing after another tonight had been more unexpected than the last: Azkaban, the evil god, Herpo the Foul, the Kraken, the magic of the Twin Serpent Staff, death, the fact that Dumbledore was about to leave… and now, the Dark Mark above the castle. Had soone already died?!
And what would happen next?!
As the three of them flew over the dark, twisting lane down which they had walked earlier, Evan and Harry heard, over the whistling of the night air in their ears, Dumbledore muttering in so strange language again. They thought they understood why as they felt their brooms shudder when they flew over the boundary wall into the grounds: Dumbledore was undoing the enchantnts he himself had set around the castle so they could enter at speed.
The ramparts were deserted. The door to the spiral staircase that led back into the castle was closed. There was no sign of a struggle, of a fight to the death, of a body.
Above them, the Dark Mark was glittering directly above the Astronomy Tower, the highest of the castle.
That ant soone had summoned it there.
Dumbledore did not hesitate and flew directly to the Astronomy Tower.
Evan and Harry followed close behind; and then, Evan heard a harsh, guttural howl! The sound ca from near Gryffindor Tower. It resembled a wolf’s howl, but not quite. It sounded more like soone mimicking a wolf with a rough and unpleasant voice.
It was shrill and terrifying, and laced with the scent of blood.
“Co out, Evan Mason!” a man bellowed, his voice echoing through the quiet night and waking the entire castle.
This ti, Evan clearly recognized the voice: Fenrir Greyback, the fearso werewolf!
He had co to Hogwarts tonight too, and he was prowling the castle, looking for Evan.
He didn’t seem to care about Malfoy’s plan. He ca here to seek revenge on Evan, and hatred blinded his eyes.
Maybe he was the one who cast the Dark Mark.
After all, if Malfoy had successfully smuggled the Death Eaters into the castle, their smartest move would’ve been to ambush Dumbledore in his office, not to conjure a Dark Mark over the castle and start howling, alerting everyone to their presence.
What was the benefit of doing that? It was very detrintal to their plan to kill Dumbledore.
From that alone, it was clear; Fenrir Greyback was a complete idiot.
Presumably, both Evan and the Death Eaters would have the sa opinion on this point.
But there was no doubt that he was an extrely dangerous idiot, a mad dog.
Moreover, Greyback was terrifying enough to be a real threat. If he broke into the common room, the consequences…
This werewolf was much more terrible than other Death Eaters. Really a headache!
Evan had planned to stay by Dumbledore’s side, to witness that final mont. But now, it seed he couldn’t ignore Greyback.
Hoping that it was not too late, he turned his broom and flew toward Gryffindor Tower.
“Take care of the professor, Harry. I need to deal with a problem first.”
Before Harry could answer, Evan had already left, so he followed Dumbledore to the Astronomy Tower; and now the green skull with its serpent’s tongue was glinting evilly above them.
“Professor, Evan… is it the real Mark? Has soone definitely been — Professor?” Harry stopped. In the dim green glow of the Dark Mark, he saw Dumbledore clutching at his chest with his blackened hand, a look of pain etched across his face.
“Don’t worry about Evan, he will take care of it. I don’t have ti, Harry, go and wake Severus,” said Dumbledore faintly but clearly. “Tell him what has happened and bring him to . Do nothing else, speak to nobody else, and do not remove your cloak. I shall wait here.”
Harry hesitated for a second, and hurried over to the door leading to the spiral staircase, but his hand had only just closed upon the iron ring of the door when he heard running footsteps on the other side.
He looked around at Dumbledore, who gestured him to retreat.
Harry backed away, drawing his wand as he did so.
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