"Sirius!" Harry had reached the bottom of the stone steps now. "Sirius!"

He ran to the archway, but Remus was faster. He grabbed Harry around the chest and held on with everything he had.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry."

"Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!"

Remus closed his eyes. "It's too late, Harry –"

Harry struggled against him, but Remus held fast. "We can still reach him –"

"There's nothing you can do, Harry, nothing. He's gone." Don't think. Don't feel.

"He hasn't gone!" He yelled at the archway now. "Sirius! Sirius!"

"He can't come back, Harry." Remus' voice broke and he bit back a sob. "He can't come back, because he's d –"

The battle raged on around them, but Harry didn't seem to notice. "HE IS NOT DEAD!" Harry roared. "SIRIUS!"

Remus heaved Harry away from the dais as Dumbledore rounded up the remaining Death Eaters, all but Bellatrix, who was now dueling with Kingsely. Mad-Eye had crawled across the room to attempt to revive Tonks, who hadn't moved since she'd fallen. Please no, please, no one else …

"Harry?" Neville Longbottom had slid down the stone steps, his legs engaged in some sort of weird tap dance. Harry had stopped struggling, but Remus kept a hand on his arm just in case.

"Harry, I'b really sorry," said Neville. He sounded like someone had broken his nose. "Was dat man, was Sirius Black a, a friend of yours?"

Harry nodded, tears staining his face.

"Here," Remus said, pointing his wand at Neville. "Finite," he said, and Neville's legs fell still. Remus took a breath and turned away from the veil, from Sirius. Don't feel.

"Let's – let's find the others. Where are they all, Neville?"

"Dey're all back dere," Neville said. "A brain addacked Ron bud I dink he's all righd, and Herbione's unconscious, bud we could feel a bulse."

They all turned at a loud bang! and saw Kingsley, yelling, hit the ground. Bellatrix turned and fled, dodging a spell from Dumbledore.

Harry leapt out of Remus' reach before he could react. "Harry, no!"

But Harry was already springing up the stone steps. "She killed Sirius! She killed him! I'll kill her!"

"Harry!" Remus and Neville both shouted as they both disappeared, followed by Dumbledore, once he ensured the bonds tying others were secure.

With Dumbledore chasing after Harry, Remus turned to Neville. "We have to get the others out," he said. Together, they left the room, Remus resisting the urge to step through the veil after Sirius.

They found Luna, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione in a room with several brains floating in the air and something slippery on the floor. Ginny had crawled over to Luna and was helping her sit up.

"Professor Lupin," Luna said, her wide eyes glazed with pain. Ginny glanced up and him and asked, "What's going on?"

"We're going to get you out of here," he said. "Can either of you stand?"

"It's just my ankle," Ginny said, and Remus aimed his wand at her foot. "Ferula." With her ankle bandaged, Ginny stood and helped Luna to her feet.

They made their way over to Ron, who was closer, now wheezing as though he couldn't quite catch his breath. His arms were littered with deep welts. Together, Remus and Neville brought Hermione to lay beside him. Remus grabbed a piece of broken table leg and whispered "Portus." The leg glowed blue with a shiver and then lay still in Remus' hand.

"This will take you straight to the Hospital Wing," he told them. "Have Madam Pomfrey see to Ron and Hermione immediately. Then she can fix your ankle, Ginny, and your nose, Neville."

"Thank you, Remus," Ginny said. She looked like he was about to kneel over.

Once the Portkey whisked the five of them away to Hogwarts, he went back to the veil room to help the others. Kingsley, though bruised and battered, managed to get the other two to St. Mungo's via a second Portkey. Remus found his way out and into the Ministry's lobby just as Dumbledore had finished telling the Minister and several others what had happened. He turned to Remus, as though he had expected him to be there.

"Harry –"

"He's alright," Dumbledore said. "He's in my office. I must go see him now."

Remus nodded. Harry was safe. At least Harry was safe.

Dumbledore gripped Remus' shoulder, his eyes sparkling. "I'm so sorry, Remus."

Remus nodded, felt tears spring into his eyes. But when he spoke, his voice was quite steady. "Go see to Harry."

Dumbledore nodded and left the building through the flames as members of the ministry vanished to Fudge's office, leaving Remus quite alone. For the first time that night, he allowed himself to fully feel, and the pain brought him to his knees.

XXX

The room spun as Kinglsey spoke. Remus was sitting in the back of the meeting in Molly and Arthur's kitchen beside Mundungus, whom Molly had asked nearly everyone to keep an eye on. They'd have to find a new meeting place now that Sirius …

XXX

Kingsley's voice grew fainter and the dizziness intensified. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his wrist. "C'mon." That was Tonks, whispering. He thought. Maybe.

With immense effort, Remus stood and followed her out of the room. On the second floor, he pulled ahead of her, into the bathroom, pulled the door closed behind him, and retched.

Footsteps, then Arthur's voice: "Is Remus okay?"

He heard Tonks whisper something he couldn't quite make out, and then footsteps leading away. Tonks pushed the door open a crack. "Can I come in?"

"I'd rather you didn't," Remus said, and he retched again. He shivered, his body switching between too hot and too cold in the span of seconds.

"That stuff doesn't bother me," she said, opening the door a little wider.

Remus grinned in spite of himself. After he was finally sure nothing else would come up, he opened the door.

Tonks surveyed him. "You look terrible," she said conversationally.

"I can imagine."

She laughed and took his hand, leading him to the bedroom next door. "This is Charlie's room," she said. "I don't think he'd care if you used it."

Too tired to say anything in protest, Remus nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning against the wall. This was clearly a space Charlie Weasley had occupied at one point. The wall across from him was covered in a huge poster of a Chinese Fireball, and a model Antipodean Opaleye flew in circles over the desk above a very worn-out copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

"There was a full moon last night," Tonks said, sitting beside him.

Remus closed his eyes. "Mmhmm."

"Are you always sick like this after?"

"Just sometimes," he said. "It's never good, though."

"I'm sorry," she said. "The others won't care that you're not at the meeting. I mean, they'll miss you, and you're important, but they'll understand."

"I tried to be there," he said. "I wanted to come."

She took his hand, small and cool in his. "They know. But you're important, too."