Whew! I'm sorry I took so long again, but I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. This is the final chapter; stay tuned for the final story: Of Pain and Love (see my profile for a brief summary).

Thanks so much for the continued support! As always, read on and enjoy.

MadHatter1660- Thanks for your kind comments! I hope this chapter (and all future chapters of future stories) pleases you =)

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Quite some time later, it was even darker than before. The sky had been devoid of clouds earlier in the day, but an ominous shadow seemed to come out of nowhere. Even Professor McGonagall appeared to be concerned, especially when she urged us to report to the common room.

"What's the matter, Lace?" Neville asked as we leaned against the wall by the fireplace.

"Don't you feel like something's off?"

"It's probably going to rain."

"I just have a bad feeling."

All I could do was stand there for a while. My brain was going all over the place, making it difficult to keep track of the passage of time; no matter how much I tried to reassure myself, there was no getting rid of the dread in my gut. Something eventually compelled me to discreetly leave the common room and proceeding through a few hallways. Though the darkness hadn't decreased, my legs wouldn't halt. However, my blinded state went away upon reaching an exterior hall by the Astronomy Tower. There was a crumpled figure on the ground near the base of the structure.

"Lacey!"

Neville approached out of nowhere; though the sight normally would've warmed my heart, I was too stunned to feel anything now.

"Go get McGonagall." He followed my gaze, stopping in his tracks. "Hurry!"

Once he was gone, I took a few tentative steps onto the grass. If the person had fallen from the tower, then they were likely dead; the thought made my blood run cold. Before long, I saw a greyish robe, along with silver hair and a matching beard—

No…

I froze, covering my mouth upon recognizing the headmaster. My brain was too numb to register the sounds of more horrified gasps. McGonagall had reached the tower, along with Neville, Hagrid, and several others. My friend ultimately took my arm, bringing me back to the group as the head of Gryffindor rushed to the body.

"Albus! Albus…?"

Several seconds passed before we noticed the Dark Mark looming in the clouds overhead. Still, all anyone could register was the sight of our fallen leader. Though McGonagall's grim expression confirmed the worst as she rejoined us, the fact still wasn't sinking in. He couldn't be gone! Only he could guide us through the dark times, and he was…

Harry suddenly made his way through the crowd to collapse by Dumbledore. Ginny went forward to comfort him, but there was no stopping his tears of heartbreak. I didn't blame him; he'd had more than his fair share of tragedies, only to get another one now. This was a horrible loss, for both him and the world. McGonagall eventually pointed her glowing wand to the sky, making the Dark Mark lose some of its shape. I did the same, as did most of the surrounding students. One by one, we destroyed the evil figure and brought the light back. It was barely anything at all, but compared to this crushing blow, it was the least we could do.

OOOOOOOOOOO

I stayed on the easy chair throughout the next day, numb to my surroundings. There were a thousand different stories going around, but I couldn't listen to any of them; it was too unbelievable. Having heard what happened, Mum and Dad insisted on coming to get me right after the funeral. Despite my love of Hogwarts, there was no desire to protest this.

Professor McGonagall abruptly came through the portrait door. Though she seemed to be looking for something, her efforts halted upon seeing me.

"Oh, Miss Ravensdale. Don't you think you'd feel better in the dining hall with everyone else?"

"I heard it was destroyed."

"It was, but some of the teachers are repairing it."

I shrugged, briefly glancing away before speaking again.

"Professor?"

"Hmm?"

"D'you know what really happened? Everyone's saying Death Eaters got into the school, but their stories are all over the place."

Though she appeared reluctant, the older woman nevertheless sat down in the chair across from me.

"Well, dear, Death Eaters did indeed get into the school by means of Draco Malfoy." Though he certainly had a history of being nasty, I was surprised at this. "They're responsible for the destruction, along with…what happened to the headmaster."

"So they killed him?"

McGonagall looked down at her lap for a few tense seconds. I thought she'd simply confirm my suspicion, but nothing could've braced me for what she said.

"He was murdered by Professor Snape."

My breath caught in my throat. Despite having very little admiration for Snape, this news was a devastating shock.

"He…why?" I stuttered, barely able to speak "Dumbledore trusted him."

"That he did, Miss Ravensdale. And his trust was repaid with treachery."

She claimed to not have the rest of the story straight yet, which was just as well. I couldn't have processed more anyways.

Snape…? Even after all he did…I thought he was on our side.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

After the funeral and burial, I said all the necessary goodbyes.

"Stay safe, all right?" Neville muttered during the hug. "Keep in touch."

"You too."

"I told Harry we'd keep the Army active."

I nodded before approaching Mum and Dad. Once we made it back to the safety of our home, Belle hopped from my arms and settled on the sofa.

"Oh, Lacey."

Without another word, Mum wrapped her good arm around my shoulders to pull me close. Dad stepped behind us, completing the embrace with both arms. It was quiet for a very long time.

"I…I just can't believe he'd do this."

I glanced up at him before looking at Mum, who seemed equally taken aback.

"Neither did I."

We could barely speak for the rest of the day; the sense of tragedy and betrayal was simply too much to handle.

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Well, I hope you liked this story. Sorry again for taking so long, but I'm looking forward to starting Lacey's last story. Thanks again for the support, and I'll see you soon!