Hey readers! As I said, this story will only last three more chapters and an epilogue. This chapter finally is the one you all waited for, you lucky guys!
Disclaimer: Unless I changed identity during the night, I'm still not J.K. Rowling...
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Chapter twenty-one: Light against stones.
So many months had passed since September. In Square Grimmauld, nothing had changed much. Arthur had been attacked by Voldemort's snake, but thanks to Harry he was now safe and sound, apart from some cuts and bruises still lingering.
Arleen and Remus' relationship had softened. They were still going on missions together but none of them ever tried to talk about their feelings. Dora, on the other hand, was openly hitting on Remus in front of Arleen, and though she didn't like it much, she let it pass. After all, she had wanted this.
That afternoon, Sirius and her were calmly playing wizard's chess in the cabinet room, and Remus was reading somewhere hidden behind furniture. The house was all emptied, apart from the three of them and Kreatcher, the heinous house elf.
Suddenly, something, or someone, started shouting downstairs. They knew Kreatcher probably was making a mess in the kitchen, but he usually didn't shout at anyone. Remus got up and closed his book, wand out.
"Stay here, I'm on it." He nodded to Sirius who turned to his game again, before making his queen murder one of Arleen's knights.
Few moments later, Remus was running upstairs, panting, his wand still out. He barely caught his breath and Arleen knew something had happened, something important. She took her own wand on the ground next to her leg and slowly got up, listening for any disturbance in the now quiet house.
"It's Harry..." Remus was trying to breathe more easily but words just came flowing. "He's flooed his head to the kitchen... He wanted to see you, to make sure you were here." His eyes, locked on Sirius, were wide with stress. Arleen started making her way towards the door, still listening. "Kreatcher told him you weren't at home and Harry said something about the Ministry."
Arleen stopped dead and turned, livid, to face her two friends. "The Ministry? Oh my God this has happened!" Her hand pushed itself before her mouth.
Sirius came before her and took her shoulders, his blue eyes nervous, really nervous. "What has happened, Lin?"
She locked eyes with him. "Sev' had taught him Occlumency during Christmas' holidays. Dumbledore was afraid Voldemort would try to enter his head and fool him to get the prophecy."
Remus' eyes widened. "Oh. My. God. He's going to the Department of Mysteries!" He got down the stairs in no time and shouted behind him. "I'm going to get Mad-Eye and the others! Wait here! Arleen, lock him up!"
Sirius tried to get out by any means possible. Wolva and Padfoot ended fighting each other until the wolf took over the black dog. Arleen pushed Sirius to the floor in a very intimate way, but who cared? "Sirius, calm down! Remus is coming back, I swear we're going to find him!" He calmed down a little, but she would know better than him that it was a trick. She didn't get up.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Remus got back ten minutes later, accompanied by a very angry Mad-Eye, a distressed Tonks and a still quiet Kingsley. Moody took over power, as usual. "Right. This boy really wants all of us dead. We're all going to London tonight, even you, Black, though you know I can shut you up for the rest of your life. Apparition in the visitors' alley in three minutes. Wands?" They all lifted their own, Sirius while getting up with what was left of his pride. "Brains?" Arleen snorted.
"You could ask us if we had our courage with us, Moody, 'cause I think we'd need some."
The Head-Auror looked at her as if she was insane, and for real she could feel bloodlust growing inside her. She would get either Malfoy or Bellatrix down, she could swear it.
They all Disapparated outside Square Grimmauld, leaving Kreatcher behind all on his own. But who would matter about such a horrible house-elf? It wasn't as if he knew all the Order's secrets, was it?
-o-o-o-o-o-
"This way." Once arrived in the Ministry's atrium, which Arleen remembered brighter, Moody lead them towards the Department of Mysteries, from where they could all hear fighting noises.
"They're here!" Tonks' voice was frightened, Arleen could tell. She put a helpful hand on her shoulder and she saw Remus doing the same on her other side. They exchanged one look, and then Moody opened the door.
The usual scene of the "turning doors" appeared before them, though two doors were marked with fire-crosses. Once Sirius closed the door behind them, the walls started turning very fast for little less than a minute, and then it all stopped. The two crosses were still visible, but Moody didn't need them to know where he was going.
"Kingsley behind, Lucas after me, Tonks, Lupin, Black. And shut it!" He turned a doorknob and a singular room appeared before them, all filled with Time Turners. A unconscious Rowle was lying on the ground, his head in a bell which made his face shrink until looking as a baby, and then turn back into a grown version of himself. "They were here less than five minutes ago."
No one dared to ask him how he knew. Screams made themselves heard behind the door that laid on the farthest wall. Kingsley put a black hand on Arleen's arm. "It's Order versus Death Eaters, now, Arleen. Light versus dark." She understood at once and pointed her wand towards her head. She was going to become a light shadow.
-o-o-o-o-o-
When the six white lights entered the Arch's room, all Harry friends were held hostages by one Death Eater. Luna had Macnair, Hermione had Dolohov, Ron was struggling against Rodolphus Lestrange, Ginny was trying to reach Rookwood's parts with her elbow, and Neville was threatened by Bellatrix' dagger. Harry was facing Lucius Malfoy all on his own, standing in front of the Veil's Arch, the prophecy in his hand.
When he handed the tiny sphere to Lucius and that it faded in his palm, Sirius appeared behind him. "Get away from my godson." He punched Lucius before Bellatrix and the others started turning themselves into dark shadows.
Remus appeared not far from the Arch and directly started duelling Dolohov. Mad-Eye appeared not far away, and Kingsley hit Rookwood with a binding curse before even having appeared back into his solid form. Tonks made her way towards the kids and gathered them behind an imposing rock before running after her evil aunt.
Arleen appeared behind Macnair and gifted him a nice punch in his hideous face. That's when it all started. And ended.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Macnair was out for a little moment, but she knew there was a bigger treat for her to battle against. Bellatrix would stop running away. And she did.
"Hello, little doggy!" Her words were coming form just behind Arleen, and before she could make a move to hit her with her dagger, the wolf had turned around her legs and their positions were exchanged. "Hello, bitchy." Her fist almost touched the hated face as she flew away once more into shadows.
Rodolphus tried to take her after his wife, but she was too quick for him and her stunning spell hit him right in the face. Macnair fell under Mad-Eye's spell, shot with his stick, Kingsley got Rookwood running away into Remus' arms, and Dolohov was getting himself stunned by a skilled Harry, fighting alongside his godfather, close, too close from a flowing veil.
Arleen had started running towards them, feeling something horrible might happen within the minute. Remus got her arm and slowed her down. It was enough for it to happen.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Harry Disarmed Lucius and Sirius finished him. Harry turned towards his godfather and then all froze. Bellatrix appeared back on a rock and shot a red spell towards her cousin. Hitting him in the chest while he was starting to laugh. Sirius fell through the veil.
Arleen didn't know anything apart from that. She had to save him. She made a promise. And a promise is unbreakable... She broke from Remus' grip and ran towards the veil. Not Harry, the Veil. A veil she hadn't seen anywhere. She didn't know what was behind, only that wherever it was, she would bring Sirius back from there.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Arleen was barely aware of Remus shouting her name in despair before all went blank and forgetful...
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Yeah, well, you could have seen it coming since the beginning, with a title like that... ;)
Review please, it's been a while since someone did it...