(Y/N)'s POV

The next breath I took was one I didn't expect to ever get, so much so that I wasn't sure if I actually took it at all, everything around me was nothing but mist, my mind couldn't determine if what I saw was reality or a figment of my imagination dreamed up as my soul shuffled off the mortal coil.

I took in my surroundings, trying to look for any familiarity, and I found it after a few seconds of recollection. I was at the top of the Astronomy tower. Surrounded by cloaked figures with no faces that I could see, obscured by the mist.

I was immediately reminded me of my time in the Maze during the Tri-Wizard tournament, the magical fog that obscured everything ahead of me, only a few inches around me was clearly visible.

As I took in my surroundings I looked down at my body, thinking that if I was transparent, I feel like that would have been a good indication of my mortality. Only to find it wasn't the one I was used to.

My body was frail and thin, I had a silver beard that reached near my waist, adorned with charms, my skin was wrinkled and weathered. My right hand was scarred and blackened, as if it was badly burnt.

He was coming, I knew he would, then everything would be in place, the demise of my greatest foe would be all but assured, everyone would be safe. "This is the place that I am destined to die in." I thought as I stared into the mist.

Despite my body being relieved by this thought, my mind was in a panic, thinking of any way to find myself out of this dream, I had to stop Rowle before he escaped.

I turned to leave, taking a tentative step towards the door, then another, and then I was back where I started. I don't know how I knew that, nothing around me gave me that indication, the mist was too thick to see clearly, I just felt it.

Then the mist began to clear, only a little, as if a snake was passing through the mist and pushing it aside, weaving a singular path, on the other end was a familiar face that remained obscured.

This figure brought me great relief, if they we're here, it would work, it wouldn't be for nothing. We were saved. I could be at peace. I could see her again, I could finally repent, all could be forgiven, I could leave it to them. No matter the cost.

I went to ask the new figure who they were and why they were important, but what came out my mouth were the words "Severus, please." and for the first time, I could see one of the figures, a man I only now recognised as Severus Snape.

"Avada Kedavra!" and suddenly there was a flash of light. As it flashed, nothing seemed to move, as if I was living in a picture of a moment, my body was compelled to embrace it, until my brain snapped to sense.

"Nope, not doing that. I know how this song and dance goes. People always say 'don't go towards the light' so, guess I'm staying here!" I thought angrily, trying to overpower my body.

In a rush, I was thrown backwards, falling through  the mist below. My perspective shifted, now I was looking at the scene from an angle near the floor, my vision blocked by some kind of cloth.

Suddenly I realised who I was seeing, what I was seeing. Albus Dumbledore, this man was Albus Dumbledore! Was he waiting for me? Was I the man he was waiting for, was I meant to save him? I was the only person that could! When was this going to happen?

Before I remembered my name and thought of an answer to these questions I was interrupted. I was pulled awake by an invisible force, as if it had hooked my chest and pulled me forwards into consciousness.

I took a deep breath, happy to feel air in my lungs, and I immediately knew where I was, the hospital wing. "Some things never change" I thought. I saw a familiar mass of brown hair, I noticed my hand was intertwined with another.

In my wooziness and stupor, I realised I had never been as happy to be alive as I was now. "It worked...I'm alive..." I croaked. Pulling the intertwined hand into my chest and sitting up. Crying tears of pure joy and relief.

I was immediately smothered with small kisses along my face, "I was so worried..."Hermione basically sobbed. She pushed her head to my chest, crying a little, I went to rest my other hand on her head but I found it incredibly taxing to do so.

I had never felt more tired in my life, I felt as if my whole body was in slow motion. My lips were cracked and dry and my eyelids felt heavy. There was a soreness to my bones that I could only describe as emaciation, as If I hadn't eaten in a week.

At first I thought I must have simply been out for a few days, but despite it feeling like forever, I knew it wasn't true. "Dumbledore! Snape..." I said in a panic, knowing there was little time to save them.

"We have yet to see either. Dealing with the aftermath I imagine." Said the tired voice of Remus Lupin. But it brought me relief, as long as he was safe. It was just a jumbled nightmare.

Looking around, everyone still sported small cuts and bruises, a thin layer of dust that only came through an intense fight, and looking at the beds, I saw Flitwick sleeping across from me and to my left was someone with ginger hair covered in bandages that obscured their face.

Taking a quick headcount of the room, I realised it must have been Bill. Before I could ask what had happened Harry and Ginny entered the room, after a while of greeting, she broke the news as Ron was concerned about Bill's fate.

"-Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," Ron said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state-" "Ron, Dumbledores dead," said Ginny.

"No!" Lupin looked wildly from Ginny to Harry, as though hoping the latter might contradict her, but when Harry did not, Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face. "No, that cant be right. It can't have already..."

I trailed of in disbeleif, realising it was the truth as I saw Harry's face. Then It occurred to me, I had failed him, he needed me to come and save him and I couldn't, I couldn't do anything. Again, I did nothing, again, I was unable to help someone, after everything. I had failed.

Just like with Cedric, just like with Mum. I was too late to do anything. I wasn't even able to try, I was just as useless as I had always been, despite everything I had tried, nothing had changed. "How did he die?" whispered Tonks. "How did it happen?"

"Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was..." "Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realised it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs."

"He immobilised me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak and then Malfoy came through the door and disarmed him " Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth and Ron groaned. Luna's mouth trembled.

I was shocked into silence, the pieces fitting together, the cloth over my eyes in the dream, the new perspective, it was Harry. "More Death Eaters arrived...and then Snape...Snape did it. The Avada Kedavra."

He trailed off ominously, but I knew the end of the story, he had fallen, I saw it with my own eyes. Madam Pomfrey burst into tears. Nobody paid her any attention except Ginny, who whispered, "Shh! Listen!" Gulping, Madam Pomfrey pressed her fingers to her mouth, her eyes wide.

Somewhere out in the darkness, a phoenix was singing in a way Harry had never heard before: a stricken lament of terrible beauty. Despite the feeling it gave me, that my whole body was rejuvenated and that there was hope. I couldn't help but feel like it was a taunt.

Fawkes was crying, crying because I was unable to save his master, to weak to protect him, I was a worthless shield after all, the same as I was for Cedric and Mum, it had happened again, a death I was unable to prevent because of my failure, my weakness.

How long they all stood there, listening, I didn't know, nor why it seemed to ease their pain a little to listen to the sound of their mourning, but it felt like a long time later that the hospital door opened again and Professor McGonagall entered the ward.

Like all the rest, she bore marks of the recent battle: There were grazes on her face and her robes were ripped. "Molly and Arthur are on their way," she said, and the spell of the music was broken.

Everyone roused themselves as though coming out of trances, turning again to look at Bill, or else to rub their own eyes shake their heads.

"Harry, what happened? According to Hagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he...when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some-" "Snape killed Dumbledore," said Harry bitterly.

She stared at him for a moment, then swayed alarmingly; Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to have pulled herself together, ran forward, conjuring a chair from thin air, which she pushed under McGonagall. "Snape," repeated McGonagall faintly, falling into the chair.

"We all wondered...but he trusted...always...Snape...I can't believe it..." "Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumens," said Lupin, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "We always knew that." "But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!" whispered Tonks.

"I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snape that we didn't..." "He always hinted that he had an ironclad reason for trusting Snape," muttered Professor McGonagall, now dabbing at the corners of her leaking eyes with a tartan-edged handkerchief.

"I mean...with Snapes history...of course people were bound to wonder...but Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape's repentance was absolutely genuine. Wouldn't hear a word against him!"

"This is all my fault," said Professor McGonagall suddenly. She looked disoriented, twisting her wet handkerchief in her hands. "My fault. I sent Filius to fetch Snape tonight, I actually sent for him to come and help us!

"If I hadn't alerted Snape to what was going on, he might never have joined forces with the Death Eaters. I don't think he knew they were there before Filius told him, I don't think he knew they were coming."

"It isn't your fault, Minerva," said Lupin firmly. "It wouldn't have mattered, he'd have known either way" I said grimly, pointing to my left wrist. "He was their inside man, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd helped plan the attack."

"We all wanted more help, we were glad to think Snape was on his way..." "So when he arrived at the fight, he joined in on the Death Eaters' side?" asked Harry. So, we all recalled our versions of events.

How the Order was alerted by Ron and his group after they escaped the darkness. But I didn't listen, I couldn't, the only thing on my mind being how badly I had failed Dumbledore, how he needed me to save him. I explained my story, but could barely bring myself to speak out of shame.

"Greyback, he sniffed me out, probably knew I was tailing them since the beginning, I got of a few spells and made a lot of noise, but then Yaxley, he threw me off the..." I shivered, not able to finish the sentence.

Harry, nodded along, playing catch up with the rest of us. "So if Ron was watching the Room of Requirement with Ginny and Neville," "and (Y/N) followed after them" said Harry, turning to Hermione. "Were you?-"

"Outside Snape's office, yes," whispered Hermione, her eyes sparkling with tears, I gripped her hand a little tighter. "-with Luna. We hung around for ages outside it and nothing happened...We didn't know what was going on upstairs, Ron had taken the map. It was nearly midnight when Professor Flitwick came sprinting down into the dungeons."

"He was shouting about Death Eaters in the castle, I don't think he really registered that Luna and I were there at all, he just burst his way into Snape's office and we heard him saying that Snape had to go back with him and help and then we heard a loud thump and Snape came hurtling out of his room and he saw us and...and-"

"What?" Harry urged her. "I was so stupid, Harry!" said Hermione in a high-pitched whisper. "He said Professor Flitwick had collapsed and that we should go and take care of him while he...while he went to help fight the Death Eaters."

She covered her face in shame and continued to talk into her fingers, so that her voice was muffled. "We went into his office to see if we could help Professor Flitwick and found him unconscious on the floor..."

"and oh, it's so obvious now, Snape must have Stupefied Flitwick, but we didn't realise, Harry, we didn't realise, we just let Snape go!"

"It's not your fault," said Lupin firmly. "Hermione, had you not obeyed Snape and got out of the way, he probably would have killed you and Luna." A bitter part of my brain spat the words, "He'd have been dead before he left the castle if he tried!"

"So then he came upstairs," said Harry, "and he found the place where you were all fighting..." "We were in trouble, we were losing," said Tonks in a low voice.

"Gibbon was down, but the rest of the Death Eaters seemed ready to fight to the death. Neville had been hurt, Bill had been savaged by Greyback, we thought (Y/N) was dead..."

"It was all dark...curses flying everywhere...The Malfoy boy had vanished, he must have slipped past, up the stairs...then more of them ran after him, but one of them blocked the stair behind them with some kind of curse...Neville ran at it and got thrown up into the air."

"None of us could break through," said Ron, "and that massive Death Eater was still firing off jinxes all over the place, they were bouncing off the walls and barely missing us..." "And then Snape was there," said Tonks, "and then he wasn't —"

"I saw him running toward us, but that huge Death Eaters jinx just missed me right afterwards and I ducked and lost track of things," said Ginny. "I saw him run straight through the cursed barrier as though it wasn't there," said Lupin. "I tried to follow him, but was thrown back just like Neville..."

"He must have known a spell we didn't," whispered McGonagall. "After all, he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher...I just assumed that he was in a hurry to chase after the Death Eaters who'd escaped up to the tower..."

"He was," said Harry savagely, "but to help them, not to stop them...and I'll bet you had to have a Dark Mark to get through that barrier, so what happened when he came back down?"

"Well, the big Death Eater had just fired off a hex that caused half the ceiling to fall in, and also broke the curse blocking the stairs," said Lupin. "We all ran forward, and then Snape and the boy emerged out of the dust, obviously, none of us attacked them" "We just let them pass," said Tonks in a hollow voice.

"We thought they were being chased by the Death Eaters — and next thing, the other Death Eaters and Greyback were back and we were fighting again — I thought I heard Snape shout something, but I don't know what —"

"He shouted, 'It's over,'" said Harry. "He'd done what he'd meant to do." They all fell silent, moments later, the doors of the hospital wing burst open, making them all jump: Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were striding up the ward, Fleur just behind them, her beautiful face terrified.

"Molly, Arthur." said Professor McGonagall, jumping up and hurrying to greet them. "I am so sorry-" "-Bill," whispered Mrs. Weasley, darting past Professor McGonagall as she caught sight of Bill's mangled face.

"Oh, Bill!" Lupin and Tonks had got up hastily and retreated so that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could get nearer to the bed. Mrs. Weasley bent over her son and pressed her lips to his bloody forehead. "You said Greyback attacked him?" Mr. Weasley asked Professor McGonagall distractedly.

"But he hadn't transformed? So what does that mean? What will happen to Bill?" "We don't yet know," said Professor McGonagall, looking helplessly at Lupin. "There will probably be some contamination, Arthur," said Lupin.

"It is an odd case, possibly unique...We don't know what his behaviour might be like when he awakens..." Mrs. Weasley took the nasty-smelling ointment from Madam Pomfrey and began dabbing at Bill's wounds. "And Dumbledore..." said Mr. Weasley. "Minerva, is it true...Is he really...?"

As Professor McGonagall nodded, Mrs. Weasleys lip quivered, "Dumbledore gone," whispered Mr. Weasley, and his wife began to sob, tears falling onto Bill's mutilated face.

"Of course, it doesn't matter how he looks...It's not r-really important...but he was a very handsome little b-boy...always very handsome...and he was g-going to be married!" "And what do you mean by zat?" said Fleur suddenly and loudly, her presence in the room finally being noticed.

"What do you mean, 'he was going to be married?'" Mrs. Weasley raised her tear-stained face, looking startled. "Well...only that-" "You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?" demanded Fleur. "You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"

"No, that's not what I-" "Because 'e will!" said Fleur, drawing herself up to her full height and throwing back her long mane of silver hair. "It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!" "Well, yes, I'm sure," said Mrs. Weasley, "but I thought perhaps, given how...how he-"

"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you hoped?" said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" she added fiercely, pushing Mrs. Weasley aside and snatching the ointment from her.

Mrs. Weasley fell back against her husband and watched Fleur mopping up Bill's wounds with a most curious expression upon her face. I winced and got ready to watch a full on fist fight, but It never happened.

"Our Great-Auntie Muriel," said Mrs. Weasley after a long pause, "has a very beautiful tiara, goblin-made, which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair."

"Thank you," said Fleur stiffly. "I am sure zat will be lovely." And then, both, women were crying and hugging each other. It made me wonder if I was still dreaming, I turned to the others

Harry looked completely bewildered, Ron looked as stunned as I was and Ginny and Hermione were exchanging startled looks. But I will say, my respect for Fleur Delacour went through the roof in that moment.

"You see!" said a strained voice. Tonks was glaring at Lupin. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care! "It's different," said Lupin, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense.

"It's not different! You just like the excuse" I said, sitting up in the bed so he could watch the show, Lupin turned to me, "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely-" "But I don't care either, I don't care!" said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin's robes and shaking them.

"I've told you a million times..." "And I've told you a million times," said Lupin, refusing to meet her eyes, staring at the floor, "that I am too old for you, too poor...too dangerous..." I chuckled, "Too poor he says as if it matters. Mate you might as well give in now, Tonks is one of the most annoyingly persistent people I've ever met."

"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus," said Mrs. Weasley over Fleur's shoulder as she patted her on the back. "I am not being ridiculous," said Lupin steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."

"But she wants you," said Mr. Weasley, with a small smile. "And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so." He gestured sadly at his son, lying between them. "This is...not the moment to discuss it," said Lupin, avoiding everybody's eyes as he looked around distractedly. "Dumbledore is dead..."

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," said Professor McGonagall curtly, "Getting ganged up on now Moony, tough luck. you've been outvoted" I smiled as he faintly blushed.

"But let it be known right now. I call dibs on maid of honour" I said to the room, Hermione and Ginny giggled slightly, it was good to see some levity during the situation.

Hagrid came into the room, his head hung low and the little of his face that was not obscured by hair or beard was soaking and swollen; he was shaking with tears, a vast, spotted handkerchief in his hand.

"I've...I've done it, Professor," he choked. "M-moved him. Professor Sprout's got the kids back in bed an' Professor Slughorn says the Ministry's bin informed." "Thank you, Hagrid," said Professor McGonagall, standing up at once and turning to look at the group around Bill's bed.

"I shall have to see the Ministry when they get here. Hagrid, please tell the Heads of Houses, Slughorn can represent Slytherin, that I want to see them in my office forthwith. I would like you to join us too."

As Hagrid nodded, turned, and shuffled out of the room again, she looked down at Harry. "Before I meet them I would like a quick word with you, Harry. If you'll come with me...." Harry stood up, murmured "See you in a bit" and followed Professor McGonagall back down the ward.

"Silver lining to all this, we know my charm works." I said cheerily. I don't even know why, it wasn't the time or place, but it just flew out my mouth. I suppose it might have been my way of coping with the fact that the strongest Wizard in the world was dead, that Dumbledore was dead.

All lessons were suspended, all examinations postponed. Some students were hurried away from Hogwarts by their parents over the next couple of days, the Patil twins were gone before breakfast on the morning following Dumbledore's death and Zacharias Smith was escorted from the castle by his haughty-looking father.

Seamus Finnigan, on the other hand, refused point-blank to accompany his mother home; they had a shouting match in the Entrance Hall which was resolved when she agreed that he could remain behind for the funeral.

She had difficulty in finding a bed in Hogsmeade, Seamus told Harry and Ron, for wizards and witches were pouring into the village, preparing to pay their last respects to Dumbledore.

The days after Dumbledore's death were tough on Hogwarts and all its residents, the whole castle seemed to have a bleaker air.

Not that I really noticed, I was stuck in the hospital wing for days on end and having to force down several different medicines Pomfrey gave me that all tasted horrible and did nothing to help me.

Hermione brought me news of the newest goings on every day, along with the Daily Prophet so I was kept up to date on anything that happened, members of the Order that checked on me too.

Moody and Kingsley most of all, Moody scolding me for my idiotic mistake with Greyback, but still checking on me and Kingsley asking me about the possibility of mass teaching my charm.

He also explained to me the Orders plans now Dumbledore was gone, moving Harry when his trace broke and such, things they predicted Voldemort was going to do next.

"Something big, he'll attack something important, as a way of spreading fear in the public." I nodded, "Like with the Millennium Bridge." He nodded, "Personally, I would go for London Bridge, so I could sing the song."

He shook his head, "Something bigger then that." It clicked in my head what he was implying, but in this rush of information, I found that least one good thing was going to come from Dumbledore's death. For me at least.

I tried to hide my ambition, but it came to light when Hermione came with good news one day, the Ministry had obviously reported on Dumbledore's death, but where trying to look busy by announcing that they had captured the infamous werewolf, Fenrir Greyback.

I will say, seeing him in the picture did bring me a little happiness, it was clear the picture was taken as soon as he was in ministry custody, they were clearly trying to keep up appearances, showing a more recent picture to show their work.

Both of his eyes were black, several of his teeth were chipped or missing and his jaw looked a little out of place. He was howling and thrashing in the picture, his eyes burning with a deep hatred for the humans that captured him.

"Well, good news is that Greyback's been sent off to Azkaban" she said cheerily, I tried to hold it back but before I could I said "Like that matters" her brow furrowed and she said "What does that mean?"

"Azkaban doesn't mean anything now, especially because of Dumbledore being gone. Now nothing's in Voldemort's way." She stopped smiling and frowned at me, raising an eyebrow, so I explained.

"Why do you think Kingsley and Moody are worried now? Azkaban is done, it might as well have handed Voldemort a key already." "Dolohov, Greyback, Malfoy, they might as well be back in Voldemort's hands already."

Then she seemed to come to a realisation, the confusion faded from her face. "You think You-Know-Who is going to attack Azkaban!" I laughed, "I don't think he's going to need to." She seemed shocked but soon came to the same realisation I had.

"Snakeface already went after the giants, now he's gathering inferi and he already has the werewolves, he'll rally the Dementors soon" she shook her head. "That won't happen, the Order will up security, you don't have to worry about them escaping"

"You can't up security in Azkaban, the dementors are the security. Besides, I'm not worried Hermione, I'm actually pretty calm." I smiled at her to prove it but she looked at me like I was a puzzle she couldn't quite put together. "What are you up to?" she asked.

I guess she knows me well enough to know when I'm scheming, I must have the worst poker face. "Nothing, just making sure I plan for the worst you know. If they break out, I have to be ready" I shrugged, she didn't look convinced, then it occurred to her.

"Dolohov...You're hoping he escapes!" I scoffed, "I'm not hoping for anything, I'm waiting for him to escape" "And then what, you going to hunt him down and kill him?" I nodded, "Yeah, pretty much, maybe some other stuff in the middle"

"Oh, and is that before or after you fight through the giants, inferi, werewolves and Dementors" she snapped at me, I looked her in the eyes and just said, "After." She sighed heftily, placed the newspaper on my lap, and then got up and stormed out.

I don't see why she was so upset, I thought it was a bit of an overreaction, the man killed my mother, did she expect me not to go after him? When Kingsley and Moody next visited me, it was clear she had told them.

Kingsley kept telling me to 'trust the Order could handle it' and Moody was amendment that I didn't go 'looking for trouble'. All this talk just spurred me on more. Gave me more reasons to hate him, If he hadn't taken her from me none of this would have happened, I wouldn't have to go through this.

Or at least that's how I felt at the time. It was also clear the next time I was visited by Ron and Harry that they had been told to steer clear of the topic. Instead we focused on all the new people coming to Hogwarts for the funeral.

"It's a comforting thought really, that he's changed so many lives, that there are so many people who'll miss him, means he made the most of it I suppose." I comforted a downtrodden Harry, who just nodded.

By the end of the week Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and I were spending all of our time together. Mostly so Harry could be left alone by the students who seemed to want to know about what happened and so we could mourn and process in peace. I was let out of the hospital wing early for this exact purpose.

I was nowhere near healed and I still felt lethargic and sickly, I could barely walk and when I did, I felt like an Inferus. I had a pounding headache almost constantly and a soreness throughout my body that showed no sign of fading. But Madam Pomfrey said I was in perfect health.

In fact, she allowed me to stick around for a while and help her out. Most of the time it was just overly stressed O.W.L. students who were still struggling with their huge exam workload, or first years who came to the Hospital Wings to cry, either about the loss of Dumbledore, or missing home.

The real reason I stayed here past my release date though was to learn as much as I could about healing magic, as well as what had happened to me after my successful charm. As far as I could tell it put massive stress on my mind rather then my body, hence my 'vision' as Harry had taken to calling it, about Dumbledore on the tower.

It was my body trying to find an escape, so it did, digging into the memories of the people around me, I this case, Harry and Dumbledore, same as with Mr. Weasley and the snake, it was backlash of certain spells and my brains way of dealing with it. This had its positives and negatives.

Positives being that the spell worked and we had a legitimate test, so if we considered Rowle's power to be the base required amount of magic needed and preparation required, we could improve the spell more in the future.

Negatives being we had no idea how a normal person would react to this trauma, just because my mind could escape it, doesn't mean everyone could. Secondly, we knew Rowle was powerful, but he was no Voldemort, it was possible that if the oppositions magic was powerful enough, it would simply be too much to stop.

Third, we still had no clue what was wrong with me, I had no physical symptoms but I felt worn out, plus after I took on the Killing Curse, I passed out, and I'm no slouch when it comes to control over magic.

A shield spell that made you pass out afterwards was pretty abysmal in a battle scenario. I suppose that was more negatives then positives, but I was working on it. Being in the hospital wing also gave me a great opportunity to catch up with people that I hadn't spoken to for a while.

Like for example Tonks, when she tripped over a broomstick while patrolling the grounds and hopped into the room, looking slightly bemused. "Wotcher (Y/N), why are you in here, I thought Madam Pomfrey got rid of you?"

I shrugged, "I wanted to help out, being busy with my hands helps me cope with things I didn't want to think about, guess I'm like Dad with that." "Alright then, what'd you do, have a fight with a first year?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Get kicked in the shins?" I could tell she wasn't really hurt, she just wanted a chat. I could also tell Dumbledore's death hit her hard, especially after all the fuss with Lupin stressing her out already.

I didn't mind, I had nothing better to do, the only other patient right now was Bill and he was very well tended, the lucky prat. She explained why she was here, and I chuckled and tapped my wand to her ankle, doing next to nothing, but if she felt better, I was fine with it.

We decided to go on a walk, my excuse being that it would be good for her to stretch her leg muscles, but truthfully, I wanted a chat too. "So, how's Lupin, has he come to his senses yet? " she shrugged sadly.

"Dunno, he's off with the Order sorting things." I nodded, "Give it time, not even Lupin is stubborn enough to carry on like this for long. I know if I had someone like you begging to be with me I would definitely...never mind."

She smirked at me, "Well, aren't you the little charmer" I scoffed, "Little?" she shrugged again, "Are you ok?" I asked, addressing the elephant in the room. This seemed to shock her, I guess she wasn't expecting me to be so blunt.

"Yes, of course" she said, but her hair changed colour a little, from her normal vibrant pink to a somewhat deeper colour of teal. "How you make it thought Auror training still amazes me. You are one of the worst liars I've ever seen."

She frowned at me and stuck out her tongue. "What's wrong?" She shied away from the question, "It's nothing really, just a bad feeling I've had for a while, then with everything that's happened..."

She let out a choked little noise, "With Dumbledore dead, things are going to get worse and Remus is struggling as it is, I can't help but think that I'm pressuring him." "To what? Be happy?" I asked.

"Sounds horrible Nymphadora, you should be ashamed of yourself, you should leave him to wallow in self pity like he wants to." I tutted at her, I expected her to laugh, but she had more pressing matters that she concerned herself with.

"Don't...call me...Nymphadora!" she snapped. My face dropped and I scampered away as best as I could. We must have looked mental to anyone watching us. A woman with colour changing hair chasing a hobbling student.

It didn't take long for her to catch me, I made it down about two corridors before she got me, "You think you're funny? Think you're funny now?" She tackled me to the floor, tickling me relentlessly, even using magic to help her "Stop! NO! STOP!" I laughed heartily, tears stinging my eyes.

I didn't realise until the day of Dumbledore's funeral, but Filch always locked the broom cupboards and Madam Hooch didn't ever leave them out, so tripping over one is next to impossible, even for her.

Apparently Tonks had her own way of helping people and coping with grief, and from my experience, It nearly makes you wet yourself. After I had thoroughly surrendered and apologised, she went to go and do her rounds and I made my way back to the hospital wing, but I let her know how I felt about Lupin

"Tonks, I want you to be happy no matter what, you're important to me, and he's the person that makes you happy, so if he doesn't come to his senses soon, send him my way, I'll sort him out." She nodded, "Yes, I bet you will."

I was in a much better mood for the rest of the day, even some of my fatigue seemed to fade. I forgot all about my plans to get at Dolohov and instead focused on the hospital wing.

The others visited the hospital wing twice a day: Neville had been discharged, but Bill remained under Madam Pomfrey's care. His scars were as bad as ever, though personally, I thought they made him look cool.

But in truth, he now bore a distinct resemblance to Mad-Eye Moody, though thankfully with both eyes and legs, but in personality he seemed just the same as ever. "Sill more handsome then most of his brothers. Jammy git." I said as I changed his bandages.

Fleur gave me an appalled look, "Mozt of?" I shrugged. "What can I say, Charlie's a looker" She scowled at me but Bill seemed to be quite amused, "He wishes..." he said softly through his bandages.

All that appeared to have changed was that he now had a great liking for very rare steaks. "...so eet ees lucky 'e is marrying me," said Fleur happily, plumping up Bill's pillows, "because ze British overcook their meat, I 'ave always said this."

Speaking of Bill's brothers. I finally caught Ron alone after dinner the day I was discharged from the Hospital Wing. Pulling him away from the crowds so I could talk privately. "What do you want, I have to meet Lavender soon" he said, looking to his watch.

"Then I won't keep you. I just wanted to thank you" I said quickly, he looked confused, "What for?" "Saving my life genius!" He just shrugged at me, "S'alright, couldn't let you fall could I?" I felt a little bit foolish now, but still I figured I'd show some gratitude.

"I'm sorry about that stuff earlier in the year by the way" He looked at me, smiled happily and said "No you're not." I shrugged. "Well, maybe not all of it, like that stuff about Hermione, seriously, I'll kill you"

He nodded, "Good to know, but you wont have to worry about it" I nodded and with that awkwardness over we went to the common room, chatting about Bill and Fleur.

"I suppose I'm just going to have to accept that he really is going to marry her," sighed Ginny later that evening, as we all sat beside the open window of the Gryffindor common room, looking out over the twilit grounds, "She's not that bad," said Harry.

"Ugly, though," he added hastily, as Ginny raised her eyebrows, and she let out a reluctant giggle. "Well, I suppose if Mum can stand it, I can." "Yeah, must suck having those genes in the family. Terrible for the future children" I mocked woefully, putting a dramatic hand on my forehead. "I pity Bill already."

"Anyone else we know died?" Ron asked Hermione, who was perusing the Evening Prophet. she sighed. "No," she said, folding up the newspaper. "They're still looking for Snape, but no sign..." "Of course there isn't," said Harry, who became angry every lime this subject cropped up.

"They won't find Snape till they find Voldemort, and seeing as they've never managed to do that in all this time..." "I'm going to go to bed," yawned Ginny. "I haven't been sleeping that well since...well...I could do with some sleep."

She kissed Harry as Ron looked away pointedly, waved, and departed for the girls' dormitories. The moment the door had closed behind her, Hermione leaned forwards towards Harry with a most Hermione-ish look on her face.

"Harry, I found something out this morning, in the library..." "R.A.B.?" said Harry, sitting up straight. Looking more interested then I had seen him for a few days. The mystery behind the horcrux seemed to be the only thing that caused him to stir nowadays.

"No," she said sadly, "I've been trying, Harry, but I haven't found anything...there are a couple of reasonably well-known wizards with those initials - Rosalind Antigone Bungs...Rupert 'Axebanger' Brookstanton...but they don't seem to fit at all."

"Judging by that note, the person who stole the Horcrux knew Voldemort, and I can't find a shred of evidence that Bungs or Axebanger ever had anything to do with him...no, actually, it's about...well, Snape."

She looked nervous even saying the name again. "What about him?" asked Harry heavily, slumping back in his chair. "Well, it's just that I was sort of right about the Half-Blood Prince business," she said tentatively. "D'you have to rub it in, Hermione? How do you think I feel about that now?"

"No, no, Harry, I didn't mean that!" she said hastily, looking around to check that we were not being overheard. "It's just that I was right about Eileen Prince once owning the book. You see...she was Snape's mother!"

"I thought she wasn't much of a looker," said Ron. Hermione ignored him. "I was going through the rest of the old Prophets and there was a tiny announcement about Eileen Prince marrying a man called Tobias Snape,"

"And then later an announcement saying that she'd given birth to a-" "-murderer," spat Harry. "I don't think that's announced at birth" I muttered, he didn't hear me.

"Well...yes," said Hermione. "So...I was sort of right. Snape must have been proud of being 'half a Prince', you see? Tobias Snape was a Muggle from what it said in the Prophet" "Yeah, that fits," said Harry.

"He'd play up the pure-blood side so he could get in with Lucius Malfoy and the rest of them...he's just like Voldemort." He continued, I didn't comment, but I suddenly had the image in my head of Snape with no nose.

"Pure-blood mother, Muggle father...ashamed of his parentage, trying to make himself feared using the Dark Arts, gave himself an impressive new name, Lord Voldemort, the Half-Blood Prince. So how could Dumbledore have missed it?"

"I still don't get why he didn't turn you in for using that book," said Ron. "He must've known where you were getting it all from." "He knew," said Harry bitterly.

"He knew when I used Sectumsempra. He didn't really need Legilimency...he might even have known before then, with Slughom talking about how brilliant I was at Potions...shouldn't have left his old book in the bottom of that cupboard, should he?"

"But why didn't he turn you in?" "I don't think he wanted to associate himself with that book," said Hermione. "I don't think Dumbledore would have liked it very much if he'd known. And even if Snape pretended it hadn't been his, Slughorn would have recognised his writing at once."

"Anyway, the book was left in Snape's old classroom, and I'll bet Dumbledore knew his mother was called 'Prince'." "I should've shown the book to Dumbledore," said Harry.

"All that time he was showing me how Voldemort was evil even when he was at school, and I had proof Snape was, too-" "'Evil' is a strong word," said Hermione quietly. "You were the one who kept telling me the book was dangerous!"

"I'm trying to say, Harry, that you're pulling too much blame on yourself. I thought the Prince seemed to have a nasty sense of humour, but I would never have guessed he was a potential killer..." "None of us could've guessed Snape would...you know," said Ron.

Silence fell between them, each of them lost in their own thoughts, I wanted to go to bed early,  Dumbledore's body would be laid to rest tomorrow and I couldn't sleep.

I stayed up most of the night, as everyone else went to bed, wondering what would have happened if I had been there to save him as he hoped I would. I spent an hour or two walking around the castle, looking at the portraits on the walls, all of whom looked glum and downtrodden.

I ended up in the trophy room at some point, I stayed there for a long time, just looking over the names on the trophies and wondering how many Dumbledore had awarded. Then I got to the one he had awarded me only a few weeks before all of this madness.

I always thought getting some sort of trophy or award would make me feel a sense of pride, like being awarded a prefect badge or being made a Quidditch Captain, but staring at the silver shield, it just felt hollow.

What was the point in being rewarded for making a spell that protects people, but not when they needed it most. How could I consider it a success if it couldn't save the people that needed saving most?

I felt guilty just looking at it, I don't know how long I was there, I only noticed that time had passed when the sun started to peek through the windows in the castle.

I decided it was a good time to get ready for the day to come. Not that I could ever be ready for the day Hogwarts had to say goodbye to Albus Dumbledore.