Untitled 2
by Nicole


"What do you mean, Harry's at the Department of Mysteries?" Sirius demanded, rising from his place at the table in the kitchen. The other members of the Order were preparing to leave, all worried about what this may mean. He watched them all head to the door, Moody clunking up the stairs and reaching for his travelling cloak.

"You heard Snape, Sirius." Moody grumbled, heading for the door. Sirius gaped at the others, all of whom had successfully managed not to make eye contact with him.

"You don't honestly think I'm going to stay behind, do you? That's my Godson we're talking about! There's no way--"

"Sirius, please," Remus began, turning to finally look Sirius in the face, if only for a fraction of a second, "I promise you we'll bring Harry back alive and in one piece."

"This is ridiculous! If Harry and his friends got into the Ministry, no one's going to be there! I can help you, you know I can duel just fine." He cut himself off, reaching for his own tattered cloak hanging in the closet by the door. "I'm going." He said, swinging his cloak on over his head. He heard Remus sigh heavily, and the werewolf turned to look for support from the others.

They had all exited the house.

"I strongly advise against this, Sirius..."

"We don't have time to argue now, Remus. Harry's in trouble, and I'm going to help him. KREACHER!" He called, and amazingly the house-elf responded, looking more pleased with himself than usual. "When Dumbledore arrives, you will tell him what's happened and where we are." Sirius commanded, moving past Remus and out the door, breathing in the cool evening air.

"Master will never return to Mistress's house again!" Kreacher spat under his breath. Remus turned, shocked to have heard what he thought he had, but the house-elf had already disappeared into the darkened house. A moment later, Remus emerged from the house, an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.


As they finally reached the Ministry of Magic, Sirius felt a strange type of guilt rising up in his mind. After all, it was because of Harry's devotion to him that they were all here now, risking everything to ensure that Voldemort did not get the prophecy. He only hoped that Harry and all his friends were still alive, because if anything happened...

"Through this door," Moody grumbled, moving surprisingly fast and headed for the door into the circular room. They all plowed through the door, only to be met with more doors than they had time to try. Sirius glanced around, closing his eyes in an attempt to reduce his rising agitation. As Tonks waved her wand, ready to perform some kind of charm to undoubtedly show them the right door, a scream came floating into the room. Without thinking, Sirius rushed forward, followed closely by Lupin and Tonks, and he kicked open a door, just as he heard Kingsley open another.

Somehow, both doors ended up opening into the same room. The five of them didn't hesitate to discuss this; they just ran forward to the pit, where Sirius recognized the voice of Bellatrix threatening Harry. Everything after hearing that hate-filled voice of his cousin seemed a blur to Sirius. Tonks stunned one of the Death Eaters as Sirius and the others threw their own Charms and Curses, rushing down the stone seats. Even as the feeling of guilt swelled within Sirius's heart, he knew this was the kind of encounter he had longed for, after being cooped up at Grimmauld Place.

As soon as Sirius reached the floor of the pit, he was dueling. A Death Eater with his mask still on, jumped at him, screaming some type of curse. He ducked and glanced over at Harry, but had no time to help his Godson as the Death Eater recovered, and the two engaged in battle. You need to make sure everyone gets out alive, Sirius, he thought to himself as he knocked the Death Eater unconscious and ran to Harry's aid. Somehow they figured out Harry's devotion to you. You need to get them out alive.

Sirius rammed a Death Eater away from Harry, and began another duel, fighting with a ferocity he could not remember ever posessing before. But Sirius's thoughts were beginning to distract him, and just as he attempted to shake his head clear, Dolohov lurched forward, ready to strike...

"Petrificus Totalus!" Sirius heard Harry yell, and Dolohov toppled over. Sirius grinned at Harry, and as Harry met his eyes, Sirius could've sworn he was looking at James.

"Nice one!" He exclaimed, forcing Harry into a duck as a Death Eater attempted to stun the two of them. "Now I want you to get out of--" If you can get out then we won't have to worry about you being killed, then I won't have to worry about losing you, please Harry, just go... He had about a thousand thoughts as he shoved Harry into a duck again and watched Tonks fall to the ground, unconscious, maybe dead...

"Harry, take the prophecy, grab Neville, and run!" He yelled as he dashed off, meeting Bellatrix halfway. He couldn't turn back to see if Harry had listened to him, but he prayed that he had. He found himself, seconds before encountering Bellatrix, hoping--no, knowing--that Harry was less like James, and being glad. As weird as it seemed, he didn't want Harry to be like James. He wanted Harry to be who he was...

"Ah, the disgrace of the Black family!" Bellatrix cackled and sent a jet of blue light his way. He lept out of the way, unwittingly landing atop the dais and sending a small chill up his back.

"That you are, Bellatrix. I'm surprised to see you had the brains to break out of Azkaban..." He called, egging her on. He glanced at Tonks out of the corner of his eye, and seeing her limp form laying there only spurred him onward. I will get everyone out alive, he promised himself as he and Bellatrix began to duel.


The whole time, Lupin was trying to keep a close eye on Sirius, who seemed to be bounding around the conflict like a child at Hogsmeade. He was finding it increasingly difficult to keep an eye upon Harry and Sirius, while keeping himself safe. You don't need to watch after Sirius, Remy, he said to himself, muttering a shield charm just in time to save himself. You told him yourself that you knew he wasn't a child. Worry about your own skin. He tried with all his might to convince himself that Sirius could take care of himself, but after years of knowing how reckless he could be, and years of them sticking up for eachother, he didn't think he could simply leave Sirius to his own devices.

He lept between Harry and Lucius, yelled something to Harry about rounding up his friends and getting out of here, leaving his thoughts about Sirius far behind as he engaged in another duel, hoping that both Harry and Sirius would remain safe.

Just as Kingsley ran over to help Lupin with a wave of Death Eaters whom were all trying to get at Harry through him, Lupin saw Dumbledore leap down and saw most the Death Eaters scatter. The Death Eaters Lupin and Kingsley had been fighting had been rounded together by Dumbledore, and the two gave a small triumphant smile before running off to tend to the fallen members of the Order.

Just as Lupin was about to set off to offer aid to Moody, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Sirius... he thought, his eyes wide with horror as he saw that Sirius and Bellatrix were still fiercely going at eachother, neither seeming to have noticed Dumbledore's arrival. Lupin started off at a run towards the vicious duel, his wand at the ready and praying that Dumbledore would intervene.

Just as he was about to mutter a petrification charm, he watched as Sirius duck and laugh.

"Sirius....don't provoke her..." he heard himself whisper, although he couldn't help but smile. That man was truely spectacular.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" Sirius yelled, not even realizing that the room had fallen relatively silent until that moment.

He glanced at a stationary figure standing a little ways away, and saw the horror on Lupin's face a moment too late. He turned his attention back to Bellatrix just as her attack hit him full on, and his body went numb with pain.

He hadn't even stopped laughing before he realized it was too late. He had lost.

He was flying through the air, everything seeming to move so slow as he struggled with the darkness closing in. He saw Harry coming towards him, and a trace of a smile reached his lips.

Ah...Harry...I'm so sorry... He felt tears stinging at his eyes as he struggled for a few more waking moments...just to see the two he loved one...one more time...

As the darkness closed in, he heard Harry scream his name, and he wished he could respond. He felt himself slowly descending, and the last thing he saw before submitting to the dark was Remus's face.

Why are you so sad, Remus?... he thought, his mind filled with a haze, the pain slowly fading as his life did as well. I love...

He barely felt his body pass through the veil as he fell on the other side, the image of Remus's face imprinted upon his dying mind forever.

...you...


All Remus could do from crying out was to grab Harry, to protect him just as he had promised Sirius he would. He heard Harry scream out Sirius's name as they both stared at the arch, and Remus knew Harry believed Sirius was going to come back...

...but he wasn't. He was gone.

He tried to explain this to Harry, who was arguing just as a side of Lupin's clouded mind was. He didn't even know what he was saying to Harry, except that it was something neither of them wanted to hear. He tried to be strong, swallowing back the tears as he thought of all the lonesome nights he would need to spend, now that...now...that...

Now that he's really gone. His voice broke as he spoke to Harry, and the lump in his throat threatened to suffocate him.

Lupin dragged Harry away from the archway, not bearing to look back, wanting nothing more than to scream Sirius's name just as Harry had done, but knowing he couldn't because he had to be strong for Harry.

But who's going to be strong for you, Remus? Usually...usually Sirius is...but he can't be anymore...

Lupin and Harry stopped in front of Neville, whose legs were still moving uncontrollably. He muttered 'Finite', and wanted nothing more than to collapse as a sobbing mess on the floor. Everything Neville was saying about Harry's friends, and everything going on around him was a blur until a cry of pain from Kingsley made Lupin turn his head, just as Harry began to streak off after Bellatrix.

"Harry--no!" He called, but he didn't really try to stop him, knowing that Harry was doing exactly as he, Remus, wanted to.

Lupin watched Harry go, and after staring off long after Harry and Bellatrix had disappeared, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He felt his heart race in hope despite his despair, but as he turned, he saw it was only Dumbledore giving him a breif moment of comfort.

"Remus, why don't you help Neville bring the others to Hogwarts?" He said softly. "It's what he wanted. He wanted everyone to make it out." Before Lupin could retaliate, which was what he wanted, Dumbledore was gone. He wanted to yell at Dumbledore for saying that, although he knew it was true.

Sirius had always been like that. Always sticking his neck out for those he loved. And this incident was no exception. Except for the fact that Sirius would never be able to protect them again. After all these years, he had finally stuck his neck out too far.

"It wasn't worth it, Siri. Not at all..." he muttered under his breath, turning to Neville with a strange determination on his face.

He would get everyone out alive.

It's what Sirius would've wanted.

Fin.

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