Chapter 36: Bloodshed
“POTTER!” Snape hissed “MOVE! Now!”
Harry could only barely hear Snape over the roar of his own fury. Dumbledore was lying on the stone floor of the Great Hall, blood pouring from an open wound. Harry broke into a run, pushing past frightened students and leaving Snape’s hand to grasp at the departing sleeve of his robes.
“Dumbledore!”
Images ran past Harry’s eyes, blacks and blues and reds, and his ears filled with sounds of anger and pain, and the clinks and clashes of metallic weaponry. He dropped to his knees next to Dumbledore’s body -- there was no life left in him. He’d let out his last breath, his wounds had stopped seeping blood. He was gone.
“Harry “ yer goin’ teh get yerself killed!’
Dumbledore’s body was cast in the shadow of Hagrid’s giant figure as moved himself between Harry and the Death Eaters “ Snape was one step behind him, grasping at Harry’s wrist and ripping him from the floor.
“Fool,” he spat. “Perhaps you have no regard for your own safety, Potter, and it pains me to say it, but the rest of the world still needs you. Do try to put off any more suicidal attempts at bravery until you’ve done your duty.”
Harry would have argued back, or at least glared at him, but he couldn’t will himself to respond in any way. He was only barely aware of the violent grip on his arm as he let himself be dragged away, the realization pounding in his head
He’s gone.
Dumbledore is gone.
Gone.
He tried to gain his footing as Snape tugged him along briskly. Just outside the exit of the Great Hall he could see the distinctive figures of Ron, Hermione “ and even Siobhan “ who had stopped against the current of fleeing students. Their gazes fixated on the scene before them, their expressions painful.
And then, their eyes widened. Hermione opened her mouth to scream, but it was Lupin Harry heard shout…
“Severus!”
In that moment, Harry’s lack of sensation shattered and he felt the blood pounding through his veins again as he remembered he was in the heat of a battle. Snape let go of his wrist and spun around to find a Death Eater lunging at the pair of them “ it appeared that Snape was unarmed, and made no move to retrieve any concealed weapon as the cloaked attacker raised a pointed dagger against him.
Harry thought of the shard of glass in his pocket that he’d taken from a smashed terrarium in Flitwick’s classroom, and quickly made to reach for it “ but Lupin’s sword came down, slicing through the flesh of the Death Eater’s forearm. The man screamed and grasped hold of his wounded; his dagger fell to the ground and Snape quickly picked it up, sneering at the fallen foe.
“Harry, get out of here!” Lupin roared.
Harry glared around in frustration. Albus Dumbledore was lying dead on the ground and the Great Hall was being torn apart “ he was in the midst of it all, and he was being told to run away.
“Potter, do as you are told!”
Harry heaved a sigh of frustration and, pushing back his instinct to fight and looking away from blood soaked robes of the Headmaster, he ran.
“Goin’ somewhere, Potter?” a voice yelled viciously “ Harry felt a sharp pain in his leg and fell forward, hurting his palms as he broke his fall against the stone ground. He looked at his leg “ someone had flung a dagger at him, and it had stuck right into his flesh. He winced, and tried to stand back up, but there was a swish of black before his face and he was apprehended, held down by a Death Eater.
‘You’re goin’ to the Dark Lord, you ar’” the voice growled in his ear, dragging him across the broken stone as Harry struggled and tried to break free of this grasp. It was no use unless he could get himself to his feet “ and the dagger was still planted firmly in his leg.
Lupin caught sight of them, and striking down another attacker, turned and ran for Harry and the Death Eater.
“Harry!” he yelled, causing Snape, Charlie and Tonks all to turn around.
“REMUS!” Charlie yelled “ but it was too late… Lupin’s face contorted in pain, and he fell “ two arrows sticking from his back. Charlie rushed to his side. “Tell me they weren’t weren’t silver… tell me they weren’t bloody silver… Tonks, I need your help!”
“But -- Harry!”
“I’ll get him,” Snape growled.
Harry kicked and fought “ the Death Eater couldn’t get a proper hold on him, and none of his allies were able to break the ranks of the Order.
“You hold still, or I might jus’ hav’ to ‘urt you…” the Death Eater snarled.
“And you haven’t done that already?” Harry snapped back.
“Believe me, sonny, I could do you much worse ‘an that…” he hissed dangerously. “Jus’ you wait ‘n see wha- ”
His words were cut off as a hand grasped the back of his head, and a dagger slit across the front of his throat. Snape.
“Get up, Potter, and MOVE!” he ordered angrily.
Slipping a little on some of the blood that trailed from his leg, Harry managed to pull himself up “ adrenaline was pumping through his body, he couldn’t really feel the wound at that moment. He tried to pull the dagger out of his leg, but Snape stopped him.
“It’s stopping the bleeding,” he said as he followed him back out of the Great Hall “ there were only a few students still in the castle. Ron, Hermione, and Siobhan among them.
“Harry “ Dumbledore… is Dumbledore?” Hermione asked, trembling. “And Lupin?
“Miss Granger, it will be you next if you don’t get a move on!” Snape said angrily.
Harry turned around to see Snape’s snarling face “ and then, the glint of metal caught his eye. A Death Eater, another one had gotten past the hold, he was running right for them. Seeing Harry’s face, Snape spun around “
“I’ll get you, Potter!” the Death Eater growled maniacally.
“RUN!” Harry shouted, and he and his friends ran for the doors of the castle. He felt for the shard of glass in his robe pocket “ but his leg crumpled under him. He was losing too much blood.
“Harry!” Ron stopped to pull him up, but Harry could feel nothing but the dead weight of his leg. He heard Ron hiss at Siobhan and Hermione “ “Leave! I have him!”
The Death Eater was right on him, a long blade in his hand “ Harry saw he had black eyes and an unshaven face, and thought this would be the man to turn him over to Voldemort, perhaps after maiming him or removing a limb or two.
“Harry, get up. You have to get up, mate,” Ron said desperately, and he hoisted Harry’s arm over his shoulder, dragging him into a standing position. Harry tried to stand on his free leg, but they weren’t moving very fast, and he wasn’t sure he could hold up like that for a second longer. The black-eyed man was right behind them “ Harry heard the sound of his blade slicing upwards through the air “ then another swish as he brought it down swiftly….
And then the sound of a man having his flesh sliced open.
Harry felt himself drop to his knees “ he reached for the blade stabbing his lower leg and pulled it out; more blood flowed freely.
He turned, and saw Snape “ lying with his back to the ground, a deep wound laying beneath his ripped robes.
“Look at that “ died to protect you, he did… and here I thought he was on our side.”
The Death Eater gave a sick smile, but it vanished as Harry flung the dagger at him, embedding it in his arm “ he dropped his sword and cursed in pain. Ron lifted Harry up again, and Harry found it slightly easier to hold his weight on the wounded leg. They both moved as quickly as they could from the castle, Harry tried to glance back, catching a small glimpse of Bill Weasley apprehending the Death Eater who had attacked them.
“Don’t look back, Harry,” Ron said in a deadened voice. “You don’t want to look back.”
“Dumbledore… Lupin…
“We don’t know they’re dead “ don’t look back…”
Harry didn’t look back “ he turned his blurring gaze forward, but inside his mind, something came back. A memory from someone else’s mind…
There was a terse moment, in which Dumbledore seemed to be allowing Snape to come to a conclusive decision.
“I won’t,” he replied callously.
“But you will, Severus. You have seen it prophesied yourself; you must protect him. Despite what you might feel right now. You will protect him…”
“Snape. ..Ginny prophesied…” he murmured. “Snape’s duty… protect me. The others “ Charlie, Tonks, Bill, Alex…”
“Don’t look back, mate…”
His robes were dripping with blood “ his own, and that of Dumbledore’s. He was getting lightheaded.
“… Dizzy “ I feel dizzy.”
“If you faint, I’ll carry you,” Ron promised. “But, I need you to keep going as far as you can, Harry.”
“Katie “ love her. Tell her.”
“Harry, you’re not going to die, stop being overdramatic,” Ron said with a forced laugh.
“Hermione… love her, too. And your mum, thank her. Siobhan... Ginny. Tell Ginny…”
And everything went black.
It was night when Harry awoke, he was in a bed. He could hear other people asleep in beds around him, and he assumed he must be in a hospital ward of some kind. What he was most aware of, though, was the touch of a soft and familiar hand holding his.
“Katie…” he smiled sleepily.
“Harry,” she sighed in relief. “You’re awake.”
“Mmm…how long have you been sitting here?”
“Oh…only a few hours.”
“How many is ‘a few’?”
“Sixteen.”
Harry laughed fondly at her and kissed her hand.
“You lost a lot of blood, Harry,” she said softly. “We gave you a Blood Replenishing Potion the moment Ron brought you back “ but, we were afraid…”
Her voice wavered, and she took a deep breath before continuing.
“They’re closing the school “ the Great Hall is destroyed. And… because of the AMP, spells and charms will have to be recast, and “ well, Hogwarts needs a lot of work.”
Harry nodded, and then suddenly, he remembered the blood…
“Dumbledore.”
Harry wasn’t cognizant of much, but he heard Katie swallow hard. He heard her give a choked sob.
“He’s gone, Harry.”
Harry felt something cold swallow him “ it was confirmation of something he already knew. Dumbledore had fallen.
“Did… is everyone else alright? Is… Lupin? Snape?”
“Lupin is fine. He was hit with arrows “ they were flint, not silver. So, he’s fine “ not a mark on him, actually…” her voice trailed off.
“Snape?” Harry repeated.
“… He “ he was killed,” Katie stammered.
“It’s my fault,” Harry said hopelessly. “I should have just ran… he kept telling me to run. I should have listened “ he shouldn’t have died to protect me.”
“It’s hard for you to run, Harry,” Katie told him. “You care too much.”
“I won’t have to run next time.”
Katie gripped his hand, but was hesitant to respond.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“Next time… it’s on my terms. Next time, nobody will be there to get hurt. Next time, I’ll finish it.”