Thick Of It

The dark night hung heavy over Hogwarts as Harry stood at the edge of the Astronomy Tower, frozen in shock. The events of the evening had been a whirlwind—danger, sacrifice, and now loss. The echoes of Snape's voice as he shouted "Avada Kedavra" still lingered in the air, leaving Harry reeling. He clung to the wall, hidden, as instructed by Dumbledore. The world felt fractured, broken beyond repair.

Earlier That Evening

Dumbledore greeted Harry in his office, a faint smile playing on his lips as though trying to mask the exhaustion that weighed down his features.

Dumbledore: "Ah, Harry. You need a shave, my friend."

Harry blinked, caught off guard by the comment. He instinctively ran a hand across his chin.

Harry: "I... guess I do."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, but there was a gravity in them that made Harry uneasy.

Dumbledore: "At times, I forget how much you've grown. I still see the small boy from the cupboard."

The mention of the cupboard hit Harry with a pang of nostalgia and sadness.

Harry: "I've grown, Sir, but you haven't changed at all. You look the same to me."

Dumbledore chuckled softly, but the sound carried a melancholic undertone.

Dumbledore: "Forgive my mawkishness, Harry. I am old now. Age lends itself to sentimentality, I'm afraid."

Harry hesitated, then remembered.

Harry: "Oh, Sir, I forgot to mention—Jason's been asking to meet with you."

The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes dimmed. He sighed deeply, folding his hands on the desk.

Dumbledore: "Ah, Harry... I see news has not yet reached you."

Harry's stomach dropped.

Harry: "What news?"

Dumbledore: "Jason's house was attacked by Death Eaters."

The room seemed to grow colder. Harry's face paled.

Harry: "What? Is he... Is he okay?"

Dumbledore: "He escaped, somehow. Location not known . But his grandmother... she was not so fortunate."

Harry felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him.

Harry: "She... She always packed extra food for me when Jason and I hung out. She was so kind..."

Dumbledore reached out, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.

Dumbledore: "Just like your mother, you're unfailingly kind. It is a trait many undervalue, but one of immense strength."

Harry clenched his fists, his jaw tightening with a mix of sorrow and anger.

Dumbledore: "What has happened is tragic, but we cannot lose focus. Voldemort's attention is momentarily elsewhere, and we must seize this opportunity."

Harry straightened up, his grief momentarily set aside.

Harry: "What do you need me to do, Sir?"

Dumbledore's expression hardened with resolve.

Dumbledore: "The place we journey to tonight is perilous, Harry. I promised you could accompany me, and I will keep that promise. But there is one condition."

Harry nodded firmly.

Dumbledore: "You must obey every command I give you without question. Should I tell you to hide, you hide. Should I tell you to run, you run. Should I tell you to abandon me, you must save yourself. Do you understand?"

Harry hesitated for only a moment before answering.

Harry: "I understand. You have my word."

Dumbledore smiled faintly.

Dumbledore: "Take my arm, Harry."

Harry blinked in confusion.

Harry: "But, Sir, I thought you couldn't Apparate within Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore's smile widened just slightly.

Dumbledore: "Well, being me does have its privileges."

The Cave

The journey to retrieve the Horcrux had been harrowing. The dark waters, the inferi, and Dumbledore's weakened state—all of it had shaken Harry to his core. As they returned to Hogwarts, Harry supported the frail Headmaster, who looked far older than Harry had ever seen him.

Harry: "We need to get you to Madam Pomfrey."

Dumbledore: "No... Severus. Severus is whom I need."

Harry felt uneasy at the mention of Snape but nodded.

Dumbledore: "Wake him. Speak to no one else. And, Harry, hide yourself below. Whatever happens, do not reveal yourself unless I instruct you otherwise."

The Astronomy Tower

Hidden below, Harry's heart pounded as he watched the unfolding nightmare. Dumbledore stood defenseless, his wand gone. Death Eaters surrounded him, and Draco Malfoy hesitated with his own wand, trembling.

Then came Snape, his face unreadable. Dumbledore's voice rang in Harry's ears as he struggled to remain hidden: "Trust me."

And then, the green flash of Avada Kedavra. Dumbledore was thrown into the air, his body lifeless as it fell.

Now, Harry stood frozen in the aftermath, his mind unable to fully process what had just happened. The Death Eaters retreated into the night, their laughter echoing in the darkness.

The dark stillness of the night hung heavy in Gryffindor Tower. Hermione sat on her bed, the weight of the evening pressing down on her. First Dumbledore's death—an unthinkable loss, one they couldn't undo even with the collective efforts of every skilled caster they could find. The haunting realization hit her again: only Jason had ever successfully cast Vitae Reclamare, and now he was unreachable.

And then, as if the universe hadn't had enough of delivering devastating blows, Harry had informed her that Jason's house had been attacked, and his beloved grandmother—his anchor in a chaotic world—was dead. Hermione could still feel the numbness in her limbs from hearing the news. Jason had escaped, but at what cost? Her chest ached at the thought of the grief he must be carrying.

Now, unable to sleep, she sat hugging her knees, her thoughts spiraling.

Suddenly, a pale glow appeared at the foot of her bed. A wisp-like figure materialized, and Hermione's breath caught in her throat.

Hermione: "Ghastly?"

The small, ghost-like entity floated closer, its ethereal form shimmering faintly.

Ghastly: "Gaas~ gaas~~."

Hermione's heart raced as Ghastly jumped onto her bed, settling into her lap with surprising weight for something so spectral.

Hermione: "Where's Jason, Ghastly? Do you know where he is?"

Ghastly made a soft sound and nudged an envelope toward her with its incorporeal body. Hermione's fingers trembled as she picked it up. It was addressed in Jason's unmistakable handwriting. She ripped it open, her eyes darting across the hastily scrawled note inside.

"I'm fine, Hermione. I'm going to train. Will contact you soon. – Jason"

Hermione's grip on the note tightened, her knuckles white as a wave of relief washed over her. He was alive. But training? What was he planning?

Her worry quickly turned into a determination to act. She threw on her robe, clutching the note tightly, and sprinted to the boys' dormitory.

The Boys' Dormitory

Harry and Ron were sitting on their respective beds, deep in their own worried thoughts. Harry was staring at the Marauder's Map, though it offered no comfort. Ron was uncharacteristically quiet, idly turning his wand over in his hands.

The door burst open, startling both of them as Hermione stormed in, her cheeks flushed and her hair slightly disheveled.

Ron: "Blimey, Hermione! You scared the life out of me!, you cant come here"

Harry: "What's wrong?"

Hermione held up the note, her voice trembling.

Hermione: "I heard from Jason. He's alive."

Both boys jumped to their feet.

Harry: "What? Where is he? What did he say?"

Hermione handed Harry the note as she sat down heavily on Ron's bed.

Hermione: "He didn't say where, just that he's training. That he'll contact us soon."

Ron frowned, looking over Harry's shoulder at the note.

Ron: "Training? For what? The bloke's already got more skills than half the Ministry combined."

Harry: [gritting his teeth] "It's Jason. He probably thinks he has to shoulder this whole fight on his own."

Hermione's eyes glistened, but she blinked the tears away.

Hermione: "He just lost his gran, Ron. She was everything to him. Maybe... Maybe he thinks if he gets stronger, he won't lose anyone else."

A heavy silence filled the room. Even Ron, usually quick to crack a joke, couldn't find the words. Finally, Harry spoke.

Harry: "We have to find him."

Hermione: "Harry, we can't. If he's gone to train, he won't want to be found. But we can be ready for when he does come back."

Ron: "And what if he doesn't come back in time? What if Voldemort—"

Harry: [cutting him off] "He will. Jason always does. And when he does, we'll stand with him. All of us."

Hermione nodded, clutching the note tightly once more.