Draco's Choice

"I don't believe that you will kill me."

Harry could see the battle raging in Malfoys eyes, torn between what he was supposed to do, and what he should do.

Dumbledores eyes sparkled at the young blond with a pointy chin. If he was worried, it was only because they were running out of time before other Death Eaters would join them in the tower, and the chance to save a lost soul would be lost forever.

Malfoy once again raised his wand, but his hand was obviously trembling greatly.

"Just shut up!" yelled the boy whose face was even more pale than usual. "Shut up, please. I have to do this! He'll kill me... He'll kill her! So just Shut up!"

The old man looked at the young boy directly, pleading with his glittering blue eyes to make the right choice. After all, as he had said many times, it was not our blood or name that made us do things. It was the choices we made. And in this instance, he hoped - prayed - that the young Malfoy would make the right choice.

Harry could not stand just watching. Not being able to talk or move to protect his headmaster was almost unbearable. He could hear the battle raging outside the door and down the stairs, getting closer every moment. He stared intently at Malfoy from under the cloak. The boys lips, arm and seemingly whole body were trembling greatly.

"Can... can you really protect me. Protect us... from him. He is so great, and if he finds out I will not just be killed. I will be tortured and mutilated. How can you possible protect us?"

The last words quivered like his body, on the verge of breaking out in tears.

"My dear boy, you and your mother will be beyond safe in the Order. Time is of the essence however. So if you must kill me, than kill me. Otherwise, put down your wand and join us. You will be safe, I promise."

Resolve came into the young Malfoys eyes, and he lowered his wand to his side. "If she dies, you die."

"Stupify!" Malfoy's body dropped into a heap on the ground and Harry could not believe it. As soon as Malfoy had lowered his wand, the old man had attacked him. Harry may detest Malfoy, may have wished to take him out himself many times, but would never dream of attacking him blindly after he brought his defenses down. Harry tried to protest, but found himself still under the Petrificus Totalus hex.

"Accio Invisibility Cloak!"

Suddenly, Harry's cloak flew off him and into the hands of the waiting headmaster. No sooner had it touched his hands than he threw it over the unconscious Draco Malfoy. The blond boy had effectively disappeared.

Without saying a word, Dumbledore flicked his hand up and swung it over toward the far corner of the room. His hand made a gentle downward motion, as if lowering something to the ground.

Dumbledore snapped toward Harry and waved his hand again. Harry immediately felt the constraints on his body loosen.

"Professor?!" It was both a question and a statement. Before a reply could come from the older man however, the door to the tower bust open. Four hooded wizards cloaked in black robes entered the room. They looked around in a bewildered state.

Harry did not recognize the fat one, but immediately recognized the blood soaked face of Greyback the werewolf as soon as he took his mask off to take in the situation better.

"Where is he?" growled Greyback. "Where is the Malfoy boy?"

"Who cares? We've got someone even better... Harry Potter!"

Greyback let out a furious howl. "Amycus you idiot! We can't do anything with Potter. The Dark Lord wants him on his own. Malfoy was supposed to take out this old fool when they got here, and I want to know where that punk wizard is!"

"I'm afraid that the young Mr. Malfoy has disapparated as soon as it became clear that either himself or I would have to die, and I did not feel like obligating him with my demise. I should say that while I do not fear death, I do not quite feel like dying today."

Harry was amazed at how smoothly the lie fell off of the old wizards tongue. It momentarily made him wonder about when else his mentor had lied, possibly even to him. Harry did not have time to think on that however, for the doors bust open again and in swooped the most evil and horrendous person Harry had ever met, aside from Lord Voldemort himself.

"Do not lie to them, Albus. We all know that it is impossible to apparate and disapparate inside these walls. So where is Malfoy?"

"Ah, Severus, so good of you to join us. You are quite right, of course. Normally you would not be able to disapparate in our humble abode. Unless of course, the headmaster chose to withdraw that security measure in order to make a quicker approach to his castle, much as I needed to tonight."

"Well, wasn't that just convenient. For centuries no one has been able to apparate or disapparate on the premises, yet you see a dark mark above the castle and decide it is time to lift this particular block. My, my Albus, you are decidedly more stupid than even I would have believed."

"Snape," hissed one of the Death Eaters - a female from the sound of it, "Just hurry up and do it. If Malfoy is gone, than we can't waste precious time chatting about the old days. The time for your double crossing days has ended... so now end him!"

"Yes Severus, I do say that it would be impossible to continue your spy work from here on out. Come stand before me and learn the truth about young Draco, or draw your wand against me and prove all of mine and your detractors right."

Harry stood in shock. It wasn't still possible for Dumbledore to believe in Snape, was it?

"Professor Dumbledore, please..."

He was interrupted before finishing his plea not to believe the double agent.

"Shut up, Potter." Snape glared harshly at the aging man whom had given him his escape of Azkaban fifteen years prior. "The old man always has been a trusting old fool. It will give me great pleasure to end my spy work tonight, and fulfil the unbreakable vow I sealed with those retched women."

For the first time that night, a look of true worry sunk into Dumbledores eyes. Snape noticed the look and a devilish sneer came across his face.

"Yes, Albus. I entered into the unbreakable vow to kill you when the pathetic, weak, teenage-Death-Eater-want-to-be failed. I knew he would, and it gives me great pleasure to be able to see your face when you realized that you have been a fool for so long. No more waiting, no more pretending, no more tortures from my Dark Lord for being so tantalizingly close to information that I was unable to divulge to him. No more being a double agent."

Snape raised his wand and glared with eyes of hatred.

"Avadra Kadavra!"

The shot of green light flew out of Snapes wand and toward Dumbledore. Harry closed his eyes, unable to watch what was about to happen. Instead of hearing the thud of a body however, he heard a subtle pop, and then bricks crashing to the ground as they took the brunt of the killing curse.

"Where did he go?!" One of the Death Eaters cried out and Snape just stared at the spot where the headmasters body should have been. Suddenly, there was another pop in the corner of the room. Dumbledore stood with a twinkle in his eye.

Would I lie to you Severus? I quite seem to enjoy apparating inside of this school. Perhaps I will keep it this way.

Snape was no longer mad. He was furious. Harry could have sworn that he saw Snape's face turn five shades of red in a matter of moments.

"It won't be your call in a few minutes. You have made another mistake besides trusting me, old man. If you wanted to take Harry with you, you should have apparated on the other side of the room. It seems to me you just backed yourself into a corner!"

Dumbledore merely smiled at the man he had been so sure was on his side.

"You see, Severus, I have always known more than you think I have, and I have always been smarter than you, and I would never, ever back myself into a corner that I could no escape from."

He crouched down toward the stone floor. Dumbledore reached around and then seemingly found what he was looking for. He appeared to grab onto something with his left hand, although nothing was visible in his grasp.

"I think your friends require your help downstairs. Remember your three D's!" Dumbledores words took a moment to sink in, but before he could ponder his meaning for long, Snape was in attack mode again.

"I am tired of hearing you and your babble. Good riddance old man!" Snape quickly leveled his wand on Dumbledore, and for the second time uttered the killing curse.

However, for the second time there was a pop (actually, Harry could have sworn that he heard two pops), and Dumbledore had once again disappeared.

"Damn it!" cursed Snape. He swirled around and faced Harry, who could almost see steam coming out of Snape's ears.

"You. He trusted you! It's just a good thing that you are slow and have lousy aim!" Harry couldn't stop. He knew that he should just get out of there, but he didn't see how he could get past five Death Eaters, so he did the only thing he could think of - berating the traitorous teacher.

"Shut your pathetic mouth, boy, unless you have something useful to tell me, such as where he disapparated to."

"Like I'd tell you if I knew." Suddenly dawning came upon Harry, who did his best to conceal his moment of recognition from Snape. Dumbledore, by reminding him about the three D's, just told him to apparate downstairs into the castle, to help his friends in the fight.

"I thought not." Snape spewed spit as he spoke the words to the sixteen year old. He looked at the four Death Eaters around him.

"Torture him, use him or beat him, I don't care. Just don't kill him. We will take him to the Dark Lord." Suddenly though, Snape grasped his chest and fell to the floor in a heap of pain. He let out a howl, and then seemed to be pleading with some invisible person.

"But I will fulfil it! I must find him first!" Sweat was streaming off of his already sallow skin, dripping down the horribly crooked nose. When he realized that his entourage was not attacking Harry he screamed out, still obviously in horrid pain.

"What are you waiting for? Don't worry about me, get Potter!"

The four snapped out of their daze and returned their attention to the boy wizard. The delay had given him just enough time. He focused on his destination - the entrance to the great hall. He desired to go there with all of his heart, and suddenly felt the familiar pull on his insides. Harry felt himself start to fold inwards, and knew that it was going to work.

Greyback had just lifted his wand. Pointing it at Potter, he muttered the spell with all the rage he could muster, which was not difficult.

"Crucio."

The flash of light exploded from his wand, but for the third time in a matter a minutes a curse had missed it's intended target and crushed into the bricks behind.

Harry had Disapparated, and only the Death Eaters remained in the tower.

To be continued...