Then Arthur Weasley was attacked, and all hell broke loose. The Weasleys, Hermione and Harry came to stay with me and the Order were busy working out exactly how Arthur could have been bitten. By a snake, of all things. In the Ministry of Magic, no less. And I wasn't even permitted to help, not even in an emergency such as this… oh no, much too important for little Sirius to get involved in…
It was nice though, having a busy house for Yule. But then they all went again, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I brooded alone for a whole month, and then Remus visited for a week which was fun and involved us being locked in my bedroom for most of the time, and then he had to go. Again.
"I thinking I'm dying from lack of…" I started to say, about six weeks later. Mad-Eye held his hand up.
"Stop right there laddy."
"I was going to say fresh air…"
Moody looked a little embarrassed.
"Oh." he said shortly, going back to shelling peas. I looked mock thoughtful.
"Although… now you mentioned it, I could really do with a good…"
"Stop!" he ordered gruffly, putting his hands over his ears. I giggle evilly.
"No wonder you looked so peaky when Remus left on his last mission."
"What do you mean…?"
Mad-Eye sighed and rolled his good eye.
"Oh come off it Sirius! Its obvious you too are back on…"
"Do the kids know?"
"Not likely!" Moody scoffed "Kids these days, denser than Molly's soup…"
"I heard that!" yelled a voice from the kitchen.
"I think I may be the only one who knows…" Moody mused "Well, except Snape… and Remus of course."
"Well, I would be surprised if Remus didn't know, since I've been…"
"Lalalalalalala!!" Moody shouted "Not listening!"
One day I was at my kitchen table reading the Prophet, when Snape ran in.
"Black!" he yelled.
"What??"
"Its Potter, he's gone to the Department of Mysteries!"
"WHAT!!"
I and Remus dashed around rounding up some of the other Order members. We had to save Harry, and quick! We managed to get Moody, Kingsley, and my niece Tonks. Then we Disapparated, and Apparated to the DOM. We sprinted into a circular room full of doors. I really didn't have time for this; Harry could be in danger right now, about to be killed, and where did Snape run off to anyway?
"WHERE'S HARRY??" I yelled in desperation. A door opposite sprang open, and we ran through it. Harry and some other teenagers were engaged in some furious wand duel with a group of Death Eaters, one I recognised immediately as my dear cousin Bellatrix. I leapt down stone steps and started to battle one of the Death Eaters. I slashed my wand through the air, Stunning him, and then jumping forward to attack another one. Dolohov was pointing his wand at Harry; I rammed into him and started duelling with him instead. Harry used the Body-Bind on Dolohov, and I yelled to him to run, take his friends and the Prophecy and run. Then I turned to duel with Bellatrix, who was laughing manically, throwing back her dark hair. I dodged her spells and sent a curse at her, narrowly missing her left arm. She growled, firing a jet of red light at me which I easily ducked.
"Come on, you can do better than that!" I laughed at her. She flicked another spell at me, and I felt it hit me in the chest. It was a Stunning spell… I would just fall over and need to be woken up later… but I was falling further, feeling a soft material flutter on my face, and distant yells; somebody shouting my name… and down… and down… and down… I fell down through light and dark and warmth and cold, and I could hear singing, soft beautiful music, maybe in my own head, and I wanted to fall forever, and for the music to always be there, but then it stopped. And I crashed to the floor.
