“Professor, can you hear me?�

He was standing in a graveyard, surrounded by a group of people wearing hoods; he supposed they were Death Eaters. Voldemort was in the centre. His red eyes were blazing with fire, and the tips of his long fingers were pressed together as he surveyed the scene around him with a smile. Dumbledore nodded at Voldemort.

“Nice seeing you again, Tom.�

But Voldemort’s face was different: it no longer held any trace of youth. Dumbledore was usually able to find the innocence hidden within the hatred of Voldemort’s face, the human side of the Dark Lord, but there was nothing there — nothing but inhuman malice filled the lines of Voldemort’s face and shined through his eyes. For the first time ever when facing his former student, Dumbledore felt unnerved.

Voldemort snapped his fingers and Dumbledore’s wand vibrated violently in his right hand. Dumbledore jerked slightly at the sudden movement, but he did not raise a finger to stop Voldemort, not wanting to make him angrier than he already was.

“I could say the same.� Voldemort’s voice was pure fire, and Dumbledore felt himself shiver involuntarily.

Dumbledore didn’t say anything. He felt weak, watching Voldemort walk around the circle of Death Eaters – or, at least, that’s what Dumbledore thought they were. Dumbledore felt sick as he watched Voldemort touch one of the hooded figures and pull down the hood.

It was Minerva McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall’s eyes were wide and frightened. She was looking at Dumbledore with terror, as though she knew this situation was only going to get worse. Dumbledore found himself wondering which wizards or witches were under the other cloaks.

And then something even more terrible happened: Dumbledore felt himself being brought to his knees by Voldemort. He was utterly powerless; he could do nothing to strike back. He tried to use his wand, but it was oddly useless. It felt much lighter, limp, by his side. Dumbledore looked down and realised that his wand was black, as though it had died.

It struck him: he was powerless to Voldemort. He could do nothing to stop Voldemort from killing the people around him. It was all over.

Voldemort walked towards Dumbledore and placed one of his long fingers to the end of Dumbledore’s now-useless wand. Dumbledore’s eyes widened as his wand turned bright green.

Voldemort laughed softly and pulled his finger back. He grinned at Dumbledore.

“Kill her,� he said, pointing at Professor McGonagall.

Dumbledore felt his chest tighten, constricting his breathing. He could not imagine having to point his wand at anyone and utter those dreaded words, let alone at Minerva McGonagall.

“I don’t want…don’t make me…� he whispered in horror.

Voldemort laughed and used his own wand to force Dumbledore’s upward. He directed Dumbledore’s wand to point at Professor McGonagall and, without anyone uttering a word, Dumbledore’s wand emitted a flash of bright green light that hit Professor McGonagall square in the chest. She fell onto her back, hitting the ground dead. A shiver worked its way over the group of the remaining hooded figures.

“You see, Dumbledore?� Voldemort whispered. “You will do what I want. I control you; I control your wand.�

Dumbledore’s eyes widened and he found himself shivering with nervous apprehension. He didn’t want to think about who else was under the remaining cloaks.

Voldemort threw back the cloak of the next person to reveal James Potter. Dumbledore found himself taken aback. Voldemort saw the look of shock cross Dumbledore’s face.

“Yes,� Voldemort’s snake-like voice murmured. “Why don’t you kill James Potter? Why don’t you betray him once more; don’t you want to hear him scream in pain? Don’t you want to see the life wiped from his body? Don’t you want to see how he died those sixteen years ago?�

James’ eyes were wide, watching Dumbledore intently. Dumbledore looked back into those hazel eyes that he hadn’t seen for so many years and felt his soul fill with dread. He couldn’t do this; he couldn’t kill James Potter.

Voldemort sensed his foe’s hesitation and his smile widened into an insane grin. He raised his own wand and used it to manipulate Dumbledore’s to emit the Killing Curse once again. Dumbledore’s wand, still glowing bright green, sent out another curse that hit James and sent its victim flying backwards.

Dumbledore’s eyes blazed with fire, but he was powerless to stop Voldemort. Voldemort now lowered the cloaks of the next three victims. Dumbledore barely had time to look at their faces before they were illuminated with green light and Dumbledore’s wand was sending the Killing Curse at them.

“Don’t like…want to stop…� Dumbledore moaned. He was so horrified by the scene unfolding in front of him that he was unable to string the words together more coherently.

“You…you can’t stop, Professor. You’ve got to keep drinking, remember? You told me you had to keep drinking. Here…�

Dumbledore suddenly found himself feeling much weaker, much less able to stop Voldemort from killing the people under the cloaks. He had never felt so powerless, so unable, to save someone.

The thought scared him.

Three more figures fell to the ground. Dumbledore recognised them as Lily Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin.

“No…� he groaned. Voldemort raised Dumbledore’s wand again and shot spells at the next members of the circle. “I don’t want to…I don’t want to…let me go…�

“It’s all right, Professor. It’s all right, I’m here…�

“How does it feel?� Voldemort asked as more people from the circle fell to the ground dead. “How does it feel to see the people you love die around you? Can’t you see that now? Can’t you see what a fool you are?�

“Make it stop, make it stop,� Dumbledore begged.

“Yes…yes, this’ll make it stop.�

“Admit it!� Voldemort demanded. “Admit it now! Admit that you are wrong! Cower before me and recognise the strength of the Dark side!�

Dumbledore screamed as more people he recognised dropped dead around him. Madam Rosmerta. Hagrid. Kingsley Shacklebolt. Arthur Weasley.

“No, no, no…no…I can’t…I can’t, don’t make me, I don’t want to!� Dumbledore yelled in desperation. He was losing to the Dark Lord; he could not keep doing this. He couldn’t prevent them from dying.

“It’s all right, Professor, it’s all right! Nothing’s happening to you, you’re safe, it isn’t real, I swear it isn’t real – take this, now, take this…�

It was so real to him. He could see the life leaving their bodies, hear their screams echoing over and over again in his mind. He could feel them reaching out to him one last time, begging him to save them. But he couldn’t do it.

“It’s all my fault, all my fault,� Dumbledore cried. He dropped to his knees at Voldemort’s feet, sobbing, as his love-filled heart was broken over and over again. His compassion, his kindness fell victim to Voldemort’s abuse and manipulation. Voldemort was using Dumbledore’s wand to kill more people in the circle, but Dumbledore couldn’t see who they were anymore. They were now only nameless victims to him.

“Please make it stop, I know I did wrong, oh, please, make it stop and I’ll never, never again…� he whispered to no one. He didn’t want Voldemort to hear him like this, hear him begging for mercy. He did not want mercy for himself, only for Voldemort’s helpless victims.

“This will make it stop, Professor.�

Voldemort laughed maniacally and threw back the cloaks of the last three figures. Dumbledore looked up and felt his heart sink as he recognised them.

“Don’t hurt them, don’t hurt them, please, please, it’s my fault, hurt me instead!� Dumbledore begged. He didn’t even mind that Voldemort could hear him now; all he knew was that he could not allow Voldemort to kill the three innocent teenagers.

“Here, drink this, drink this, you’ll be all right.�

Dumbledore couldn’t bear it. Voldemort knelt down beside him and grasped Dumbledore’s hand in his. He aimed the wand at two of the three and, in a flash of green light, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley fell to the ground dead.

Voldemort laughed and stood up, leaving Dumbledore cowering on the ground, screaming in agony. Voldemort only laughed harder and turned his attention to the last remaining member of the circle:

Harry Potter.

“Now, now, Dumbledore,� Voldemort said silkily. “I will show some mercy; I will not kill anyone else here tonight.�

Dumbledore looked up in utter disbelief at Voldemort’s remark. Voldemort laughed coldly and handed Dumbledore’s wand back to him.

“You will.�

“Please, please, please, no!� Dumbledore begged, tears falling down his face. “Not that, not that, I’ll do anything!�

Harry Potter’s bright green eyes were blank as they looked at Dumbledore. He was as innocent as when he had to experience loss for the first time, so fragile, so like a child, though he was close to becoming a man. Dumbledore felt the tears slipping into his long beard as he understood what Voldemort was going to make him do.

He owed it to Harry Potter to protect him from Voldemort. Dumbledore would do whatever was in his power to fulfill this duty, even if it meant killing the teenager himself. He could not let Voldemort touch him.

Dumbledore raised his wand, hating himself for what he was about to do, and muttered the dreaded curse The flash of green light hit Harry, illuminating his eyes for a second, before the life was sucked out of them and their brightness faded into disillusionment.

“No more, please, no more,� Dumbledore begged as he looked at Harry’s lifeless form.

Voldemort slowly took Dumbledore’s wand from the ground and placed the tip of it to his own wand. He muttered a few words that were incoherent to Dumbledore and then replaced the wand on the ground.

A strange scarlet mist hovered over the graveyard. Footsteps were emerging from the distance, surrounding him as they came closer. Suddenly, the figures were thrown into light. They were his victims — the ones Dumbledore’s wand had killed. They were white, but had a pale scarlet glow to them: the mark of Lord Voldemort.

“We’re nearly there, Professor, drink this, drink this…�

Dumbledore screamed as they came closer to him, hatred blazing from their eyes. Their stares alone were enough to cause him pain. Dumbledore’s scream became louder as they came closer; Voldemort was shaking with laughter.

“I want to die! I want to die! Make it stop, make it stop, I want to die!� Dumbledore shouted. He could not stand the look in their eyes. The feeling of betrayal as their saddened glances came closer to him was enough to cause him severe physical pain.

“Drink this, Professor, drink this.�

The victims came closer and, all at once, they stared at Dumbledore. They offered him their sadness, their pain, and Dumbledore could no longer take it.

“KILL ME!� he screamed.

“This – this one will. Just drink this…it’ll be over…all over!�

The victims touched Dumbledore all at once and Dumbledore found himself overcome with sadness, grief, and despair. He felt the last of his life leave him as he gave a great, rattling gasp, and fell to the ground, lifeless.