"You failed, Lyra."

Bellatrix was in front of me, glaring down at my limp body lying against a cold stone floor. I struggled to get up, but I had no energy.

"This is what you get for staying on their side. You failed. How long were you fighting? Five minutes? It doesn't have to be like that. It's not too late yet ... you can still change your mind ... "

"NO!"

I found my energy and sprang up, realizing that I had been dreaming. Around me it was dark, but I recognized the beds of the hospital wing. I felt cold even though I was covered in blankets and was sweating heavily. When my eyes focused, I saw Dora's concerned face hovering over me.

"Lyra!" she exclaimed. "You're awake!"

"How long have I been asleep?" I croaked.

"Only a few hours."

"So ... what happened?"

"One of the Death Eaters cursed you and you passed out. He burned your arm pretty badly. They're gone now - the Death Eaters, I mean ... " She trailed off, her tone dark, and my stomach lurched. What else had happened? Had someone died? Someone from the Order or the D.A. or maybe a Hogwarts teacher?

"What? Dora, tell me what happened!"

She shook her head. "Bill Weasley got injured. He's over there on that bed."

For the first time, I noticed a large crowd of people at the bed to the left of mine. The Weasley family (including Fleur Delacour, Bill's fiancée), Harry, Hermione, Luna, Professor McGonagall, and Lupin made up the group. Bill's family was closest to him, while others sat farther away in chairs.

"What happened to him?" I whispered, figuring that if so many people were at Bill's side, his wounds must be serious.

"He was bitten by a werewolf, Fenrir Greyback, but Greyback wasn't transformed. We're not sure what's going to happen to him. Remus says he probably won't be a full werewolf, but wolf or not, his face is badly disfigured."

She looked away from me and stared at the ground, biting her lip. There was obviously more to the story.

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked.

She paused for several seconds, took a deep breath, and said, "Lyra ... Dumbledore's dead. Harry says Snape killed him."

"Snape killed Dumbledore?" I exclaimed in disbelief. "No! I always knew Snape was a scumbag, but Dumbledore trusted him! He killed Dumbledore?"

As I said the words myself, reality hit. Dumbledore was the only one Voldemort had ever feared. With him gone, the world would become chaos. The Death Eaters would take over, people would be murdered, and it would be worst than the last war!

I felt hot tears on my cheeks as I thought about this. Dora said, "We're all sad. He was a great wizard."

"No!" I yelled. "It's not that! If Dumbledore is dead, what will happen to us? Everything as we know it is going to end! What about Hogwarts? What about the Order? What about everything?"

"I know," she whispered lightly. "I know. We'll discuss it, but..."

She stopped speaking. I buried my face in my hands, but I was too tired to cry or even think anymore, so I took in the surroundings. For the first time, I saw him. He was sitting across the room on an empty bed, eyes staring blankly ahead. There was something he had wanted me to know, something he wanted to say. After tonight's events, would he still tell me, or did it matter anymore?

I got up from my bed and walked over to him. He was looking away with a dead look in his eyes. I realized now that Dumbledore's death must have affected him in several different ways. He was probably feeling torn loyalties again.

"Theodore - " I began, but I was cut off when I heard Dora's voice from across the room. I glanced over, seeing her approach Lupin and glare at him, shouting, "You see! She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!" [*]

I had missed the preceding conversation, but it didn't matter; she was talking about Fleur's love for Bill despite his disfigurement. Fixated on Lupin, I listened for his response.

"It's different," he replied. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely - " [**]

"But I don't care, either, I don't care! I've told you a million times ... " [***]

"And I've told you a million times, that I am too old for you, too poor ... too dangerous ... " [***]

I remembered Dora's diary entries that I had stumbled upon. He had spoken those exact words to her before: too old, too poor, too dangerous ...

Then someone else spoke, making me more surprised. Mrs. Weasley said, "I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus." [***]

I guess I wasn't the only one who knew about Dora's feelings for Remus. Either she didn't hide it well, or maybe she had confided in Mrs. Weasley. Then again, maybe someone like Mrs. Weasley could simply read between the lines and know exactly what was going on.

"I am not being ridiculous," Lupin said. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole." [***]

My mind drifted back to a day that was far too long ago, the day in Diagon Alley when Dora's old classmate had approached her and taunted her. Was Lupin saying that those were the people she deserved? She didn't deserve them at all. He didn't realize how most people saw her.

"But she wants you. And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so,"  [***] Mr. Weasley said, gesturing at Bill.

"This is ... not the moment to discuss it. Dumbledore is dead ... " [***]

Not now, but just wait, I thought as an idea struck me. Maybe somebody else could talk some sense into Remus. Yes, I had previously been against Dora having a relationship with Remus. But she was so depressed, and the world around us was only becoming darker ...

Hagrid's giant figure appeared in the hospital wing. He was crying heavily. I took advantage of this distraction to talk Theodore.

When he looked at me, I couldn't read his expression. I wasn't sure what to say. How did he honestly feel about Dumbledore's death? Would we even discuss this at all?

"So ... " I began nervously.

"So," he said.

"Theodore ... I ... what do you think ... ?"

I was lost for words. He shrugged and his face returned to its blank look. I sat down on the opposite bed, feeling empty. What was I supposed to say? What were we even here to talk about anyway? Then I remembered earlier, by the lake during sunset, before anything catastrophic had happened.

"Um, Theodore? Earlier this evening, you said - "

"Yeah." He stood up in a snap. His eyes flashed intensely for a second before he turned to me, and I saw a new emotion in his expression: pain.

"So what was it?"

He took a deep breath, formulating the words in his head. He bit his lip with a pained expression. Finally he spoke, and when he did his words were, "This isn't how I wanted things to be. I wanted to say this earlier, but the events went far differently than they should have. I would have preferred to say this at a better time, but it's now or never, really. Because of what happened tonight, things will be changing, but before that I really do have something to say."

He looked me straight in the eyes and wrapped his arms around my waist, but did it gently and cautiously, as if I were extremely fragile and would break at the slightest touch.

"Lyra ... I ... I love you. I love you more than anything. I've wanted to tell you this, but earlier you ran off, wanting to find out what was going on in the castle, and so ... "

I was stunned by his words. I had no idea that he was going to say that. And while I was touched, my feelings were soiled with a trace of guilt. I should have listened. It would have only taken him a few seconds to say those words. Why did I have to mess up again? Not to mention this: why hadn't I seen it coming? Our feelings for each other had been plenty obvious but never spoken. I should have expected it.

Then I thought about the way he had said it, and I knew it didn't matter. I felt my eyes fill with tears of emotion. I knew I felt the same way. I tried to speak, to return the words, but I couldn't. My throat had gone dry, and I realized that I was forgetting to breathe.

"I ... I ... "

No sound was coming out. Wishing I could somehow give him the message without speaking, I looked into his eyes and tried, but failed. His expression was still pained, but I wasn't sure why. And it wasn't like he could read the look in my eyes - they were too full of tears.

"I love you too," I said, though my voice cracked and I spoke so quietly that I barely heard myself. But he had heard me, because he pulled me close and kissed my forehead. Then, sighing deeply, he looked at me and said, "There's something else I need to talk to you about."

The pain in his eyes seemed to increase as he let go of me. I sat down on the bed again, expecting the worse. Then he seemed to decide he couldn't say it while looking at me, so he looked away.

"I have to leave you."

A shadow fell over me. What had he just said?

"What?" I asked tearfully.

"I have to. I can't see you anymore. I'm sorry, Lyra. I really hate to do this, but I can't change it."

"But ... why?"

I was incapable of crying at that moment, too stunned to speak or do anything for that matter. Had I done something wrong? I was so afraid I had lost him the other day ... was it because of that? Had I truly blown it? But no...he said he loved me. He wouldn't say that if he was about to ...

My thoughts were cut off when he spoke, answering my question: "I don't want to leave you and I really don't want to hurt you, but now that Dumbledore is dead, my father will make me join the Death Eaters. I know he will, and there's no point in arguing with him. I won't be returning to Hogwarts next year. I'm sure I'll have to leave within the next few days. So Lyra, remember what I said. I'm really sorry, but that's just how it has to be."

"No ... no ... " I couldn't contain my tears any longer. "You can't leave! You can't join the Death Eaters! What if I never see you again?"

The thought pierced my heart like a thorn. He was only seventeen; what if he didn't survive the Death Eaters?

"I thought about that, but ... don't worry about it. The Death Eaters are going to fail. I know they will. Don't you know about Voldemort? There's something he can't do, and he'll fail because of it."

"What's that?" I asked. "What can't Voldemort do?"

"Love," he said gently.

"Voldemort ... can't ... love?"

"I don't think so. And he'll fail because of it. Believe me on this one. I may have to leave and join him, but I won't forget you. I love you," he said again. "I'll still love you when I'm away. But Lyra, if you find a new boy, I won't mind. I don't want you to feel alone."

"I won't find anyone else," I whispered. "The whole world thinks I'm a freak, remember? And I won't be alone; I'll have my family. I'll love you when we're apart, anyway. But if you find a new girlfriend - "

For once, he laughed. "I don't think I'll be able to date while working for Voldemort."

Though I was embarrassed, I said, "This is really the end, then ... isn't it?"

"Yes, but only for now. I'm terribly sorry. I'm hurting just as much as you are. You taught me so much."

Not as much as you taught me. I didn't know what else to say. There wasn't really much else we could say. After tonight, everything would be over. We would part ways and I would be without him, wondering if I would ever see him again ...

He wiped the tears from my face and said, "Don't worry. This war will be over someday, and we'll be together."

I nodded through my tears and wrapped myself around him. He hugged me tightly for a second before he kissed me. When he did, I felt everything dissolve around me. I didn't care that there were several other people in the wing. The only palpable thing in the world was the two of us together. I could feel the tears running down my face but I made no attempt to control them. I wished I could enjoy the kiss more, but my only thought was that at any moment we would break apart and everything would be over.

All too soon, he pulled away. I refused to look at him; I sunk to the bed with my face in my hands. Looking at him one last time would cause me even more pain, if that was possible. I sat there, shaking with sobs, when I felt his arms around me. He whispered into my ear, "I love you, Lyra. It's not the end. But I have to leave now."

He kissed my head one last time, and then I heard his footsteps as he turned to leave. That was it. He was gone. That was the true end.