Chapter 40

  You decide that you are more valuable to the Order of the Phoenix than Snape would be in your absence; so you instruct Snape to pretend to kill you, hoping he can fool the magic enforcing the Unbreakable Vow.  Then you take Harry to a cave.  In the middle of a zombie-infested lake you find a basin containing a locket, which you think contains one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, submerged under a large quantity of green liquid.  You soon discover that the only way to get the locket is to drink the liquid; so you order Harry to force you to do so.  The liquid makes you remember Ariana's death, possibly at your hands, and you beg Harry to stop, but, following your previous orders, he makes you drink the rest of it and then takes the locket.  The liquid has made you so weak that Harry has to take you out of the cave and back to Hogwarts.

  On your return you find the Hogwarts staff and students in a pitched battle with a group of Death Eaters, who entered with Draco Malfoy's help.  In your weakened state you are no longer able to fight effectively, and you are disarmed by none other than Draco himself.  He has you at his mercy, and he tells you that unless he kills you, Voldemort will kill him and his parents.  You offer the three of them your protection and he lowers his wand.

  At this point Snape appears on the scene.  Following your instructions he pretends to kill you and you pretend to die.  Soon the battle sounds fade away and you open your eyes to find Snape lying dead beside you.  The magic enforcing the Unbreakable Vow was not fooled by his trick, and the Order must carry on without him.

  Turn to Chapter 41.