"NO!" I screamed out instantly and broke free of the Petrification Spell. No! Not Dumbledore! No! This wasn't supposed to happen!

The Death Eaters looked at the scene. "YAY!" Bellatrix screamed out. And she blasted a powerful green glow in the air. A Dark Mark in the sky. 

Fletcher Snyde in the meantime. He looked like Christmas had come early. "HA HA! FINALLY! DUMBLEDORE IS DEAD!" 

In one fell swoop. We had lost people we cared about before. But this was different. This... this was different on a whole nother level. Dumbledore. It was like I had just lost my Pater. And a new emotion came over me. Anger. 

I gripped my wand tighter. And those people who had stood above me, who killed Dumbledore. And Snape... that traitor! That vile disgusting traitor! He killed Dumbledore! He killed Dumbledore! Dumbledore trusted Snape and Snape killed him! And I'm pretty sure that Harry was thinking the same thing. 

But I didn't have time to thing about it. Because I acted without thinking. "BOMBARDA!" I screamed out, blasting the floor to shreds. And I moved up. "YOU MONSTERS!" I drew my energy sword. 

"Well... how long have you been standing there, Bauer?" Snyde asked with an evil smirk.  

"Out of here, quickly." Snape ordered. 

He seized Malfoy by the scruff of the neck and forced him through the door ahead of the rest, though he struggled, casting a horror struck look at me. Greyback and the Squat Brother and Sister followed, the latter both panting excitedly. As they vanished through the door. I followed. "YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" 

I ran over to the Last Death Eater to leave and I struck my sword and sliced his head off.

I was terrified. But I was angry. I looked at Harry and his expression was the same as mind. We were going to get Snape if it was the last thing we did. 

"Let's get him, Kassie!" Harry declared. And he drew out his energy sword. 

I nodded. 

I leapt the last ten steps of the spiral staircase and stopped where I landed, my sword raised. Harry following me. The dimly lit corridor was full of dust; half the ceiling seemed to have fallen in; and a battle was raging before us, but even as I attempted to make out who was fighting who, I heard the hated voice shout. "It's over, time to go!" And I saw Snape disappearing around the corner at the far end of the corridor; he and Malfoy were getting away. 

I screamed out in rage that would rival Wolverine himself. Death Eaters came at me. And I slashed my sword down on many of them. Slicing them down to ribbons as I ran forward. Deflecting spells all around me. 

I threw one Death Eater to the ground then slashed him up with my sword. And then I slammed another to the ground, and I smashed his head completely.

I then ran even more blasting Death Eaters down with Fire Magic. And going as far as to melt ones face. I was so angry and I did not care!  "YOU ALL DIE! I'LL TAKE YOUR HEADS OFF AND HANG THEM FROM THE GATES OF THE HOUSE OF HADES!" I yelled. And I slashed another Death Eater's throat and let him bleed out. 

A Death Eater tried to shoot a green jet of energy at me, but I deflected it with Protego. And then I jumped up and slashed at the Death Eater over and over with the sword. A whole geyser of blood spilling out of his body. 

"Get that Bitch!" A Death Eater charged at me, but I grabbed his throat. And I squeezed it. Tight. So much so that when I released my grip, the Death Eater was dead. And his neck was squished. 

And then I ran down and moved after Snape.

"Kassie!" I could hear Ethan and Jacob fighting off Death Eaters back to back and screaming at me. But I pressed on. Their shouts fading as I ran.

I saw Ginny was locked in combat with that Amycus guy, who was throwing hex after hex while Ginny dodged them.

"I'll take him." Harry declared next to me. "Go!" 

And I ran even harder, falling out of sight behind Ron, McGonagall, Lupin, Ryan, and Sophie, each of whom was battling a Death Eater. Beyond them, I saw Tonks fighting an enormous blonde wizard who was sending curses flying in all directions. Until Lizzie came from behind and shooting him in the back. And then I jumped up and threw my wand with an Ice Spell encasing his whole head in Ice. And then I smashed that ice, and his head, and his headless body fell to the floor. But it still wouldn't have meant a thing if I didn't catch Snape.

"Kassie? Where did you come from?" Lizzie asked me. But I didn't stick around. I put my head down and sprinted forward. 

Snape was not getting away. 

"Take that!" McGonagall shouted. And I glimpsed at the Female Death Eater, Alecto, sprinting away down the corridor with her arms over her head, her brother right behind her. I launched myself to go after them, but my foot caught on something, and next second, I was laying across somebody's legs, and the second after that, Harry came up. I looked around, and I saw Neville's pale, round face flat against the floor.

"Neville!" I screamed. No! He couldn't be... I ran over to him.

"M'alright." Neville muttered, clutching his stomach. Thank the Gods. "Harry... Kassie... Snape n' Draco... ran past..." 

"Thank you!" I thanked. And I ran again. Sprinting along the corridors, ignoring the bangs issued behind us, the yells of others to come back, and more of them fading, because as far as I was concerned, I only had one thing on my mind. I was going to kill Snape. 

That was when Harry ran up to me. "He ran that way!" I yelled to Harry.

"Let's go!" Harry shouted back.

I skidded around the corner, my boots covered with blood; Snape had an immensely big head start. Was it possible that he already entered the cabinet in the Room of Requirement, or had the Order made steps to secure it? 

I could hear nothing but the pounding of our feet. My own heart hammering as we sprinted along the next empty corridor; but there were Death Eaters around. I quickly shot more spells at them, and cutting them down to shreds with a drawn energy sword. Until I spotted a bloody footprint that showed at least one of the fleeing Death Eaters was heading towards the front doors. They wouldn't get far. 

"You should've listened to Harry Potter from the Beginning, Hogwarts!" I could hear Snyde say over the halls. His voice amplified. He must've taken control of the Loudspeakers through the halls. "HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HE WAS RIGHT!! DRACO MALFOY IS A DEATH EATER! HE ALWAYS WAS!" Snyde laughed even more harshly now. "YOU'VE ALL BEEN PLAYED FOR FOOLS!!" 

We skidded around another corner and a curse flew past us; we dove behind a suit of armor that exploded. I saw the brother and sister running down the marble suitcase ahead and aimed jinxes at them, but we merely hit several bewigged witches in a portrait on the landing, who ran screeching into neighboring portraits. As we leapt the wreckage of armor, I heard more shouts and screams; other people withing the castle walls woke up now. 

"Kassie! There's a shortcut! This way!" Harry yelled at me to follow. 

"Snape, must've reached the Castle Grounds by now!" I shouted.

"Then let's pick up the pace!" Harry replied. 

Remembering to leap the vanishing step down the concealed staircase, we burst through a tapestry at the bottom and out into a corridor where a number of bewildered and pajama clad Hufflepuffs stood. 

Oh, this was not the time.

"Kassie! Harry! We heard a noise, and someone said something about the Dark Mark-" Ernie began.

"Out of the way!" Harry yelled, knocking two boys aside as we sprinted toward the landing and down the remainder of the marble staircase. The oak front doors were blasted open, the smears of blood on the flagstones, and several terrified students stood huddled against the walls, one or two still cowering with their arms over their faces. The Giant Gryffindor hourglass had been hit with a curse, and the rubies withing were still falling, with a loud rattle, onto the flagstones below.

Harry and I flew across the entrance hall and out onto the dark grounds; I could make out figures racing across the lawn, heading for the gates where they could Disapparate- by the looks of them, it was Greyback, Snyde, Malfoy, Bellatrix, and Snape. 

The cold night air ripped past my lungs as I tore after them. 

"SNAPE! HE TRUSTED YOU!!" Harry yelled. 

And I could see a flash of light in the distance that momentarily silhouetted my quarry. We continued to run, not close enough to fight though. 

Another flash, shouts, retaliatory jets of light, and I found myself racing even faster to reach Hagrid's Cabin. Hagrid emerged from it though, and was attempting to stop the Death Eaters from escaping. I willed myself to go faster, and also to overtake Harry, especially when I heard Bellatrix laughing in triumph. 

Behind me, I heard Harry topple to the ground, and I glanced over my shoulder. That Brother and Sister must've been right behind us. "Don't stop! Keep moving!" Harry yelled. And he shouted: "Impedimenta!" Before he pulled himself to his feet and continued on, a few meters behind me. 

And I could see the vast outline of Hagrid, illuminated by the light of the crescent moon revealed suddenly behind clouds. Bellatrix was attacking Hagrid, but his immense strength and the toughened skin he had inherited seemed to protect him. Snape, Draco, and Snyde, however, were still running; they would soon be beyond the gates, able to Disapparate. 

But Bellatrix was closer. And I shot a fire spell at her head. But Bellatrix sensed it and deflected it with her wand. But not before her hair caught fire. And I looked at her with a sense of anger. 

"Hello, Princess. Did you enjoy the show?" Bellatrix asked with an evil grin. 

I didn't answer that question. "You twisted bitch! You're a dead woman!" I yelled.

Bellatrix laughed "Oh. So serious. No little quip this time? No snide remarks? No games?" She shot a multitude of curses at me. But I dodged them all.

I didn't see Bellatrix Lestrange as a person, but as a wild, and dangerous animal! One that had to be killed right away. I shot an earthquake spell at her feet, and then I charged my energy sword at her. Bellatrix drew her own energy sword. But she didn't have a technique like I did. She just slashed her sword like a crazy person. In comparison to my swordplay. 

And then I punched her right in the face with all my might. It was as if I had the rage of Ares burning inside of me. Bellatrix got knocked to the ground. 

"Expelliamus!" I yelled, disarming the bitch, and her wand flew from her hand to the ground. 

"No!" Bellatrix yelled. "I will not beaten by a Greek Slave!" She tried to crawl over to her wand. But I shot a fire spell, separating her wand from her with a wall of fire. 

And that was when Bellatrix ran up to me. She tried to give me a punch. But I quickly slashed my energy sword, and I slashed off both of her arms.

"AH!" Bellatrix screamed in pain out of her arms being severed. But I wasn't done yet. I then grabbed Bellatrix by her torso, and I looked her dead in the eye. And for the first time I think, that was when she experienced true terror. 

"You will not enjoy this. This will not be over quickly!" I informed. And then I looked at the fire wall. And I grabbed Bellatrix over. And I rammed her head into the fire. She screamed in pain from the searing heat. "Can you feel that, Bellatrix Lestrange?! This is what it will feel like for you in the Underworld! You will go there! Down to the depths of Tartarus if Hades allows it! Which he most likely will. You will wonder around the Underworld Deaf and Dumb! And every soul will say: There goes Bellatrix Lestrange! The woman who was a Monster! THAT IS WHAT AWAITS YOU!!" 

But before I could finish her, a spell launched at my back. And I was thrown to the side. I looked up to see the Dragon Priest floating in front of Bellatrix.

"You!" I yelled in anger. As if I wasn't angry enough.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" Bellatrix asked, though every word burned her to say. 

"You must survive. Merely because there is a role the Master still requires you to play." The Dragon Priest answered. He then grabbed Bellatrix and disappeared into the night. 

"NO!" I screamed. I wanted that bitch dead just as much as Snape. And now she was gone. "COWARDS! ALL OF YOU! COWARDS!" I screamed. But maybe there was chance to kill Snape. To make him pay for what he did. 

I could also hear the screams of a distant: "Kassie!" From behind me. But I didn't care who it was. I was on a mission and I was going to fulfill it. 

I ran over to where Harry was fighting Snape. It wasn't hard to find. All you had to do was look to where the yelling was going on.

"Cruc-" Harry yelled, aiming for Snape, but Snape blocked his spell. I could see him sneering. 

"No Unforgivable Curses from you, Potter!" Snape shouted over the rushing of the flames, Hagrid's yells, and the wild yelping of Fang. He must've been trapped in there! "You and Bauer haven't got the nerve or ability-" 

I drew my energy sword. "I don't need a Unforgivable Curse to end your life, TRAITOR!" I roared. 

"Fight back!" Harry screamed at Snape. "Fight back, you cowardly-" 

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

"No one gives 2 Malaka!" I hissed. "Dumbledore trusted you and you betrayed him!" 

"I did what had to be done." Snape sneered. 

I launched a lightning spell which he deflected. "I don't recall giving you permission to speak!" I yelled full of anger. "I will destroy everything you stand for, Severus Snape! And I will destroy all your Death Eater friends! I will burn those Dark Marks to the ground! Your homes! Your followers! All others like you! I swear as a Princess of Ithaca! I swear to all the Gods! I swear as a Bauer! I swear to Dumbledore, may he find peace! I will KILL YOU!" 

But before I could shoot a spell, or finish a jinx, or something. I got interrupted by Snyde, who arrived and started to shoot a spell at me. And I fell to the ground. I wouldn't have if I hadn't been so focused on Snape. 

"You can thank me, later, Snape." Snyde commented. "Now come on!" He then turned to Harry and I. "You're lucky we're in a hurry, you little brats." 

I then could see the other Death Eaters escaping and running towards the gates. Malfoy one of them.

"NO!" I yelled standing up. But Harry was one step ahead of me. He moved to his feet and staggered forward. 

"Sectum-!" 

But Snape flicked his wand and the curse was repelled yet again; I forced myself to my feet and staggered after Harry. Harry flew into the air. He was no longer sneering or jeering, the blazing flames showed a face full of rage.

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them. That's right. I'm the Half Blood Prince! And you'd turn my inventions on me, like your Filthy Father, would you?"

I reached out for my wand. And I shot one spell at Snape.

"I don't think so-" Snape said. "GAH!" 

I hit him in one of his eyes. "AH!" Snape had yelled out clutching the eye I hit, in his hands.

And Snyde had to run over and get him. "You're coming with me!" He ordered. And he grabbed Snape.

"YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A COWARD!" I screamed. "A FILTHY TRAITORUS COWARD!" 

"DON'T!" Snape screamed, and his face was suddenly demented, inhuman, as though he was in much pain as we were. "-CALL ME COWARD!" 

Snyde slashed at the air; and I felt a white hot whiplike substance hit me across the face and I was slammed back into the ground, followed by Harry. Spots of light burst in front of my eyes and for a moment, it was as if my breath seemed to have gone from my body, then I heard a rush of wings above me and something enormous obscured the stars. Buckbeak had flown at Snape and Snyde, who staggered backward as the Razor Sharp claws slashed at them. With Harry's help, I raised into a sitting position, my head still swimming from its last contact with the ground. I could see Snape running as hard as he could, the enormous beast flapped behind me and screeched as I've never heard him screech.

I struggled to my feet, looking around for my wand, hoping to give chase, but even as my fingers fumbled in the grass. I knew it was too late. And by the time I found it, Snape... that filthy reptilian Traitor was gone. 

"You bastard! You TRAITOR! YOU COWARD! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" I screamed out. That Bastard. That.... that... "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" 

I threw myself onto the ground... in pain. And as I reached out to wipe my tears. I felt blood on my face. But it wasn't mine. In one fell swoop. We had just lost Dumbledore. Snape had betrayed us. 

"Kassie!" I heard the screams cry louder. Ethan. He was on my way. But I didn't lift my head. 

Right as Harry began yelling out for Hagrid. "E-E-E-" I tried to say but couldn't find the words. 

Ethan ran up to me, and he suddenly stopped. "Kassie?" He asked.

I didn't say anything to him. But I was on the ground trying to hold it together. And failing. 

"Oh thank goodness. Thank goodness you're safe." Ethan said while holding me.

I then looked up at Ethan. "Ethan..." And then he threw his arms at me. "Dumbledore... Dumbledore, he's..." 

I also saw Jacob and Lizzie run up. "Lizzie! Help Hagrid! Get the Flames!" Jacob ordered.

"Got it!" Lizzie ran over to Hagrid's Hut. 

Jacob ran up too. "Jacob!" I sobbed even harder in Ethan's arms.

"You're covered in blood." Ethan said horrified as he looked at me. 

"It's not mine." I replied.

"What the hell happened?" Jacob asked just as horrified as Ethan was. 

"Snape." I answered. "He betrayed us! He killed Dumbledore! I saw him do it!" 

"What?" Ethan asked. 

"Dumbledore's Dead?" Jacob asked horrified. "No!" He looked back at the Castle. 

"Snape killed Dumbledore!" I shouted. "With no mercy AND IN COLD BLOOD!" And I sobbed further into Ethan. "HE BETRAYED US! ON THE ASTRONOMY TOWER!" 

I saw Lizzie grabbing Fang out of the House. 

Ethan looked speechless. "I-I-" 

"I saw him do it, Ethan! I'm not lying!" I yelled unable to keep my rage in check. 

"Are you sure?" Jacob asked. 

"Absolutely. Use Legilimency on me if you don't believe me, look inside my mind!" I offered. 

"That won't be necessary, Kassie." Jacob assured. 

"I- I trusted him." Ethan said semi speechless.

"He's a traitor, Ethan." I informed. "He's a traitor and a coward. He killed... did I mention that he killed Dumbledore?" 

Ethan still held me close. "Just come with us, Kassie. Let's get back to the Castle. Come on. Come on, Kassie." 

"You don't understand." I said in a frantic tone. "Snape killed Dumbledore. We have to find him- we have to-" 

"Don't worry about that, right now. Let's just go back to the Castle." Ethan insisted.

And I sobbed even more into Ethan's figure. "He's dead!" I screamed out.

"I got you, little sis, I got you. Come on. You're with us now." Ethan told me.

"I can't believe he killed him. And I trusted him." I sobbed.

Ethan shushed me. "We all did, Kassie. We all did." 

I still ugly sobbed. And I could see Hagrid talking to Harry. "Don' say that." Hagrid said roughly. "Snape kill Dumbledore- don' be stupid, Harry. Wha' made yeh say tha'?"

"Snape killed Dumbledore?" Lizzie asked.

"Dumbledore's dead." I said to Lizzie. "And Snape killed him!" 

"Yeh couldn' have." Hagrid said.

"I saw him do it! I'M NOT LYING!" My rage exploding again as Ethan held me tight. 

I couldn't even hear Hagrid as I was too much in sorrow and grief. But nevertheless, Ethan still held me close. I suppose Hagrid would just have to find out soon enough. 

As we directed our steps back toward the castle, I saw that many of the windows were lit now. Actually, all of them were lit. I could imagine, clearly, the scenes inside as people moved from room to room, telling each other that Death Eaters had got in. The the Mark shining over Hogwarts meant that someone was killed...

The oak front doors stood open ahead of us, light flooding out onto the drive and the lawn. Slowly, uncertainly, dressing gowned people crept down the steps, looking nervously for some sign of the Death Eaters who fled into the night. And otherwise killed by me. And my eyes, though were focused on the ground from the tallest tower. I imagined there was a black huddled mass lying in the grass there, though I was really too far away to see anything of the sort. Even as I stared wordlessly at the place where I thought Dumbledore must lie, however, I saw people beginning to move towards it.

"Kassie... is that....?" Jacob asked.

I nodded. 

"What're they all lookin' at?" Hagrid asked as we approached the castle front, Fang kept as close as he could to our ankles. "Wha's tha' lyin' on the grass?" He asked sharply, heading now toward the foot of the Astronomy Tower, where a small crowd congregated. "See it, everyone? Righ' at the foot o' the tower? Under where the Mark... Blimey... yeh don' think someone got thrown-?"

Hagrid felt silent, the thought too horrible to express aloud. Jacob, Ethan, and Lizzie walked close to me, feeling the aches and pains in my face, my legs where the various hexes of the last half hour had hit me, though in an oddly detached way, as though somebody close to me was suffering themselves. What was real and inescapable was the awful pressing feeling in my chest...

My brothers, Lizzie, Hagrid, Harry, and I moved dreamlike, through the murmuring crowd to the very front, where the dumbstruck students and teachers had left a gap. 

I heard Hagrid's moan of pain and shock. 

"Oh, no." Ethan said. 

He let me go, and I walked forward with Harry to the place where Dumbledore layed and crouched beside him where Ron and Anubis were. And Ryan and Horus were right beside Sophie who was balling her eyes out. 

Even though I knew what Snape's spell meant, nothing could ever prepare me for seeing him there, spread eagled, broken; one of the Greatest Wizards I'd ever known, or would ever meet. 

Dumbledore's eyes were closed; but for the strange angle of his arms and legs, he could've looked like he was sleeping. And I knew then, as I looked at the wise old face and tried to absorb the enormous and incomprehensible truth; that never again would Dumbledore speak to me, never again could he help. 

Ron turned his head at me, and his expression said it all. 

"We felt it as soon as it happened. He's fallen into Shadow." Anubis said.

I don't even know why I asked. Maybe because I thought that somehow, someway... Dumbledore was alive. But I should've known better.

Ethan came back and held me close. "DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU, SEVERUS SNAPE!" 

The crowd all stayed silent, but nothing seemed real at this moment. The man who had seen Harry through so much, The man who let me come to Hogwarts, a little Greek Street Rat, who guided me through tough times, the closest thing I ever had to a Pater. That man with that twinkling smile, was dead.

"Kassie." Harry's voice was as hoarse as before, and I looked to see his eyes shine with tears as he pressed something cold into the palm of my hand. 

The locket. At least we had this. It was opened, by Harry or by the force with which it hit the ground. But I should've known it was too good to be true. The Gods were cruel.

As I looked at the locket in my hands. It was neither as large as the locket I saw in the Pensieve, nor were their any markings upon it, or any signs of the ornate S that was Slytherin's mark. Moreover, there was nothing inside except a scrap of folded parchment Harry had removed from the place where a portrait should be. 

Lit by the light of the many wands behind me, I unfolded the parchment and began to read. 

'To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know it was I who discovered your secret. Thanks to Trotsky. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B.'

"No. No." I knew what this meant. It was a Decoy. It wasn't the real Horcrux. Dumbledore died for nothing! This was a nightmare! And I just continued to fall more into Ethan. "No..." 

"I'm so sorry, Kassie." Ethan still tried to keep himself together. But he still held me close. I could see Jacob looking down and holding Lizzie's hand. 

"Burn and flay that turncoat." Jacob declared looking up at the sky, and Fang began to howl.