The sadness I felt was all consuming. I never knew such an emotion could make me feel like it was killing me, slowly weighing down on my chest so I couldn't breathe.

I blindly made my way through the castle, eventually finding myself back in the Slytherin common room.

It didn't feel right being here. I had no idea where Draco was going, but I knew I wouldn't see him again after tonight. Not here, as fellow house mates, in the school that had brought us together.

I didn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't even try to go and sleep knowing that something bad was going to happen.

So, making a decision, I turned on the spot and headed for the library in the hope that it would offer me some kind of safe sanctuary. And part of me hoped I would bump into Hermione there - I just couldn't face being alone right now.

Hermione wasn't there, but the library was still more comforting to me than the dungeons right now.

I had just sat down at a table when the library door burst open making me jump. Ginny came flying in, panting, her red hair swept messily over her face as she ran towards me.

"Ginny? What's-"

"Rosie!" She gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Harry- the DA- we need you-"

I stood up, my heart hammering in my chest. No.

Ginny dragged me out of the library, explaining in hurried breaths that we needed to go and patrol the seventh floor.

Panicked, I tried holding back but Ginny wasn't taking no for an answer, and the next thing I knew I was outside the Room of Requirement my wand held shakily in my right hand.

What was I doing? I couldn't be here. Yes, I wanted to fight the good cause but not if it endangered Draco.

Looking around, I realised that I was on my own, so, taking a shaky breath, I hurriedly crept down the corridor. The other DA members were dotted around, trying to find Draco on Harry's orders so I had to be careful that I wasn't seen abandoning my post.

The castle was eerily quiet tonight, despite it not being too late. I wondered if all the students who weren't in the DA had been ordered to their common rooms.

Hearing a noise behind me, I wheeled round with my wand at the ready, but nothing was there. My heart hammered in my chest - I was feeling extremely jumpy.

I leant against the wall, catching my breath. And then I saw something that made my blood run cold.

A blackness, almost like a thick foggy cloud, had appeared at the far end of the corridor from where I had just come. Horrified, I realised it was rapidly moving towards me, swallowing up the corridor in its wake.

Without thinking, I turned and ran. My heart pounded as I tripped and stumbled, trying frantically to get away from the darkness.

I skidded down another hallway, and, looking behind me, I saw it was still on my tail. In my panic, I had no idea where I was going and nearly cried out when I felt someone grab my arm.

"Shhh! In here, now!" It was Harry.

He pulled me under what looked like a circular stairwell. I could just make out a figure at the top, above us. It looked like... Dumbledore? I suddenly recognised this place as the Astronomy Tower. I started to ask Harry what was happening but he clamped his hand over my mouth.

"Stay quiet!" He hissed in a very low whisper.

Fear froze me as the darkness that had been following me now engulfed us. I couldn't see a thing as blackness clouded my vision. I could hear hurried footsteps ascending the stairwell and then a loud bang. The blackness lifted.

I blinked as I tried to focus my vision. Harry still had his hand clamped over my mouth, which was a good thing because otherwise I would have let out a cry at what I was seeing.

Above us, pointing his wand at Dumbledore, was Draco.

I watched in silent horror as he took a step closer to Dumbledore, his wand poised at his chest. Standing against the ramparts, very white in the face, Dumbledore showed no sign of panic or distress.

"Good evening, Draco. What brings you out on such a fine spring evening? Or is it summer?"

"Who else is here? I heard talking." He spoke determinedly, but I detected fear as his breathing accelerated.

"I often talk aloud to myself. I find it extraordinarily useful. That which sounds sane at a whisper can seem utterly mad when said for all the world to hear. Haven't been whispering to yourself, have you, Draco?"

There was silence. Draco did nothing but stare at Dumbledore who, incredibly, smiled.

"Draco, Draco, you are not a killer."

"How do you know what I am? I've done things that would shock you."

"Like cursing Katie Bell? Like replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison? Forgive me, Draco, but these attempts are so feeble I cannot help but question if your heart has really been in them."

"He trusts me! I was chosen!" Draco thrust out his left arm, pulling back his sleeve to reveal his Dark Mark. I felt Harry tense and he clenched his grip on me.

"Then I shall make it easy for you."

I watched Dumbledore draw his wand out from under his robes.

"Expelliarmus!"

Dumbledore's wand went flying in an arc, and clattered loudly as it landed onto the grid above us. Harry, with his hand that was not clamped over my mouth, pointed his wand fiercely up in Draco's direction.

"Well done, Draco. But I warn you. Killing is not nearly as easy."

I could hear Draco breathing heavily as he stared into Dumbledore's eyes. Somewhere in the depths of the castle, I heard a muffled yell. I saw Draco stiffen and glance over his shoulder. This did not go unnoticed by Dumbledore, either.

"You're not alone. Are you. There are others. How?"

"The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement." I heard the familiar sneer play over his lips.

"That cabinet has been broken for years."

"I've been mending it."

"Let me guess. It has a sister. A twin."

"In Borgin and Burkes. They form a passage."

"Ingenious." Dumbledore paused. "Years ago, Draco, I once knew a boy who made all the wrong choices. Please, let me help you."

"I don't want your help! Don't you see! I have to do it! I have to! I have to kill you or he's going to kill me." My heart clenched as Draco's voice broke into a sob.

And, as I looked up at him, his pale face full of pain and anguish; I saw his trembling wand hand drop a fraction.

But before I could silently rejoice Draco's change of heart, footsteps thundered up the stairs and burst in on the scene above.

"Now look what we have here, Dumbledore wandless and alone. Well done, Draco." Bellatrix.

"Good evening Bellatrix." Dumbledore spoke pleasantly. "And is that you, Fenrir?"

A big, rangy man with matted grey hair and whiskers stood on the other side of Draco.

"That's right," He had a rasping bark of a voice that sent chills down my spine. "Pleased to see me, Dumbledore?"

"No, I cannot say that I am..."

"But you know how much I like kids, Dumbledore." From where I was standing I could see him licking what looked like blood off his lips. I shivered involuntarily.

"Well I must say, I am a little shocked that Draco here invited you, of all people, into the school where his friends live..."

"I didn't," Draco breathed. He was not looking at Fenrir; in fact, he looked as revolted as I felt. "I didn't know he was going to come-"

"Quit the chit chat!" Bellatrix interrupted. "We've got orders. Do it now, Draco. Come on!"

Draco lifted his wand again, but I saw that his hand was shaking so much now that he could barely aim.

"He doesn't have the stomach. Like his father. Let me finish him. In my own way." Fenrir stepped towards Dumbledore, eagerly.

"No! The Dark Lord was clear. The boy's to do it. Go on, Draco. Now!" Bellatrix screeched.

"No."

Snape had silently appeared at the doorway, his wand gripped in his hand. My heart was beating ferociously in my chest.

"Severus..." I realised that this quiet, pleading voice had come from Dumbledore.

Snape said nothing but walked forwards, pushing Draco out of the way and facing Dumbledore.

"Severus... please..."

Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore.

"Avada Kedavra!"

My heart stopped as a jet of green light shot from the end of Snape's wand and hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest. My scream of horror never left me as I watched Dumbledore being blasted through the air, and then, like a great rag doll, he fell slowly backwards, over the battlements and out of sight.

***