Chapter 318 - Madness

"What do you want Chosen boy?" Stormy smoothly dodged Harry's curse and turned around to face him.

"You can't take the Keys," said Harry fuming.

"Oh, and who is going to stop me?" Stormy said impatiently. "I have work to do Chosen boy, don't try to do anything stupid. It will just harm you."

"Incarc —" Harry roared, but Stormy deflected the spell with an almost lazy flick of her arm, knocking Harry backwards off his feet before he could complete it; Harry rolled over and scrambled back up. "Stupe —"

Stormy waved her wand and started to walk again. Jason came in front of Harry.

"Move aside!" Harry yelled. "Impedi —"

"Don't you see, Potter? What is she doing?" Jason said blocking Harry's spell. "The Keys will kill her. They are too much for her. Look at how she is acting now."

Stormy walked out of the gates and Disapparated.

"She is not behaving like this because of the Keys," Harry glared at Jason. "It's because —" he was about to say "because of her magic" but changed his mind. Jason didn't deserve to know Chris' weakness. "Because of you. She is acting like this because of your betrayal. You helped to kill Dumbledore. You helped her enemies. You are no matter than Snape. You pushed her through this darkness."

"No, Malgino said —" Jason's eyes widened in shock.

"And you believed him? You believed the person who wanted to kill us last year?" asked Harry incredulously.

At that precious moment, Snape appeared and roughly pushed Jason. "Run! Run out of here!" he yelled.

Harry fearfully looked back at Chris. 

He didn't kill her, did he?

No, she was alive and getting to her feet again. Snape just escaped for a little. Seizing the opportunity Harry yelled, "Stupefy!"

He missed; the jet of red light soared past Snape's head; Snape shouted, "Run, Jason! Run!"

"Cruc —" yelled Harry, but Snape blocked the spell again. Harry could see him sneering.

"No Unforgivable Curses from you, Potter!" he shouted over the rushing of the flames, Hagrid's yells. "You haven't got the nerve or the ability —"

"Fight back!" Harry screamed at him. "Fight back, you cowardly —"

"Coward, did you call me, Potter?" shouted Snape. "Your father would never attack me unless it was four on one, what would you call him, I wonder?"

"Stupe —"

"Leave him alone," Chris shouted and fireball gazed by Snape's shoulder.

"Now, on the other hand, she had learned something about fighting back," said Snape blocking Chris' next spell.

"Impedi —" Harry began but before he could finish this jinx, excruciating pain hit him; he keeled over in the grass. Someone was screaming, he would surely die of this agony, Snape was going to torture him to death or madness — 

"No!" roared Snape's voice and —

"Sectumsempra!" shouted Chris' voice.

The pain stopped as suddenly as it had started; Harry lay curled on the dark grass, clutching his wand and panting; then he looked back at his attacker, who was lying on the ground clutching his chest. Blood was coming out of his chest and face as someone had slashed him with a sword. 

*

After cursing the Death Eater, who attacked Harry. Chris turned again to Snape. But this time, Snape didn't wait, like now, he knew what she was capable of. So before Chris raise her wand at him again, he slashed at the air: Chris felt a white-hot, whiplike something hit her across the face and was slammed backwards into the ground. Spots of light burst in front of her eyes and for a moment all the breath seemed to have gone from her body.

Every part of her body protested as she forced herself to sit up and stand. She struggled to her feet even though she knew Snape and the rest of the Death Eaters and Minions were very close to the gate. But for her, the gate was not the boundary. Even if she had to find the hideout of Voldemort and Malgino to kill Snape, she will do it. 

Burning in rage Chris again started to run after Snape, who just crossed the gate but she had gone only ten yards when two big hands seized her from behind.

"Leave me! Let me go!" Chris fought in that strong grip. "I will kill him! I will kill them! Let me go!"

"Chris, wha' are yeh doing? Wha' —?" The person, who was holding her said in a worried tone.

"Hagrid, don't let her go," said another very familiar voice and the grip around her tightened. "Chris, they are gone. They are gone. Stop."

"No, I will find them!" roared Chris still trying to free herself. 

*

"What happened, Harry? Why is she —?" Hagrid's voice said as he lifted Chris from the ground, just to stop her from running towards the gate. "I jus' saw them Death Eaters runnin' down from the castle, but what the ruddy hell was Snape doin' with 'em? Where's he gone — was he chasin' them? And why Chris was attackin' him?"

"He . . ." Harry cleared his throat; it was dry from panic and pain. He knew Chris wasn't listening so it was safe to say. "Hagrid, he killed . . ."

"Killed?" said Hagrid loudly, staring down at Harry. "Snape killed? What're yeh on abou', Harry?"

"Dumbledore," said Harry gripping Chris' hand, who was still wiggling in Hagrid's arms, madly. "Snape killed . . . Dumbledore."

Hagrid simply looked at him, the little of his face that could be seen completely blank, uncomprehending.

"Dumbledore wha', Harry?"

"He's dead. Snape killed him. . . ."

"Don' say that," said Hagrid roughly. "Snape kill Dumbledore — don' be stupid, Harry. Wha's made yeh say tha'?"

Harry open his mouth to argue but then stopped and took a deep breath. He was still shaking uncontrollably. No point of arguing, Hagrid will soon know what had happened. Right now, his concern was Chris. He didn't even want to think about how injured she was.

"Hagrid, can you carry Chris to the hospital wing. She is hurt and I don't think she will go — willingly," said Harry steadying himself.

Hagrid stared at him then looked at Chris, who looked like a mad person. He nodded. They set off.

The oak front doors stood open ahead of them, light flooding out onto the drive and the lawn. Slowly, uncertainly, dressing-gowned people were creeping down the steps, looking around nervously for some sign of the Death Eaters who had fled into the night. Harry's eyes, however, were fixed upon the ground at the foot of the tallest tower. He imagined that he could see a black, huddled mass lying in the grass there, though he was really too far away to see anything of the sort. Even as he stared wordlessly at the place where he thought Dumbledore's body must lie, however, he saw people beginning to move toward it. At that moment, Harry was at loss, he didn't know he should let Chris see Dumbledore or not. Dumbledore never told him clearly what will happen after she gets another painful shock. Now, Dumbledore couldn't tell him what to do. He will never —

"What're they all lookin' at?" said Hagrid. "Wha's tha', lyin' on the grass?" Hagrid added sharply, as he held Chris more tightly and headed now toward the foot of the Astronomy Tower, where a small crowd was congregating. "See it, Harry? Righ' at the foot o' the tower? Under where the Mark . . . Blimey . . . yeh don' think someone got thrown — ?"

Hagrid fell silent, the thought apparently too horrible to express aloud.

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To be continued. . .