Italic parts in the first part are quotes from HP and the Order of the Phoenix!


Months passed since I had last seen Elizabeth. The Order meetings had been suspended ever since Dumbledore had to flee Hogwarts and I had only been able to talk to her because of her incredible spell. I hadn't know how much it would help me be apart if I knew she was alright, if I was able to hear her voice every once in a while.

Sighing I leaned back in my chair, staring at the pocket watch on my desk. I had been thrilled when she had told me that she would wait no matter how long but at the same time I wished she wouldn't. Even if she would never tell me, I knew she suffered, I knew she felt lonely, just as much as I did, with the exception that I was used to it. But selfish as I was I didn't ask her not to do it. I couldn't, it would've been like giving up hope.

"Professor Snape?"

The voice jerked me from my thoughts and immediately I grabbed the watch and hid it in my pocket, made my way to the door. It was Malfoy standing in front of it, a smug expression on his face.

"The Headmistress wishes to see you. She caught Potter in her office."

Bloody fantastic, how did that fool always manage to throw himself into danger?

Without another word I closed the door behind me and followed my student through the castle, coming to a halt in front of Umbridge's office. When we entered I had a disturbing view. Potter was seated in front of Umbridge who was staring down at him, while his friends were being held by the Inquisitorial Squad.

"You wanted to see me Headmistress?"

"Ah, Professor Snape. Yes, I need another bottle of Veritaserum as quickly as possible please."

So that was it. Apparently she had used all of the fake one I had given her already.

"You used my last bottle to question Potter. You didn't use all of it did you? I told you that three drops would be enough."

What followed was a completely unnecessary discussion in which I came to understand that Potter had tried to reach someone from the Order and which ended with her putting me on probation before she made me leave her office.

"He has Padfoot!", Potter yelled all of the sudden. "He has Padfoot at the place where it is hidden!"

I instantly understood. Potter had seen into the Dark Lord's mind again and seen Black being held in the ministry – or at least that's what the Dark Lord wanted Potter to think. Nevertheless I acted as if I had no idea so that toad of a woman wouldn't suspect anything and let me go.

When I finally left the office, I quickly made my way into an empty corridor before taking out the watch.

"Audi", I whispered the incantation, "Elizabeth, can you make sure Bl-.. Padfoot is where he is supposed to be? It is urgent."


Yawning I stretched on my office chair. It was late and I should definitely go home but I still wanted to finish the review of the regulation, I'd regret it tomorrow otherwise. With a sigh I wanted to go on when I suddenly felt my necklace getting warm. Finally.

Smiling I grabbed it and looked at the golden coloured jewellery. It had been a while since I heard from him. Although we had only exchanged vanities, hearing his voice minimised me worrying about him at least a little bit.

"Audiam." Severus's message instantly wiped the smile of my lips though. Had something happened? Apparently, but I shouldn't waste time, he would've explained if he could've.

Swiftly I left my office and took the elevator down to the atrium where I instantly apparated once I reached the apparition point, to Grimmauld Place.

Not making a sound, to not wake that horrible portrait, I went downstairs, checking the kitchen, which was empty before climbing the stairs to my friend's room.

"Sirius?"

I heard quick steps above my head before a smiling Sirius appeared in front of me on the top of the stairs.

"Liz!"

With a smile he was in my arms, hugging me like we hadn't seen each other just last week. Smiling I returned the embrace. Ever since his apologies and the long discussions that had followed I had slowly started to forgive him, had slowly started to rebuild our friendship. I had made sure though that he really understood his misdoings, how he had hurt his former classmate. He had promised me that he had and had even started to call Severus by his first name whenever they met, something I had never thought would happen. It had led to us going back to the way it was before New Year's – with the exception that the flirting from his side had intensified. He somehow still seemed to think he could beat Severus to the place in my heart – an impossible endeavour.

"What gives me the honour of a surprise visit? I thought you wouldn't come till next week."

"Severus sent me. Apparently something happened and he wanted me to check if you're still here. Give me a moment."

Swiftly I took the necklace off and held it in front of me. "Audi. Severus, he is save at home, what happened?"

"Want to wait downstairs until we hear back from him?", Sirius asked and I nodded smiling, followed him down to the kitchen. We hadn't even sat down yet when I felt the necklace in my hand warming up.

"Ah, he answered. Audiam."

"Po-… Harry said he saw the Dark Lord holding him captive in the ministry. If you are with him, stay there, I will try to find out more. Contact Dumbledore if you can, any other members as well – just in case."

Sirius and I looked at each other and I felt a cold shiver running down my spine while I reached for my wand as the man next to me did.

"Expecto patronum!"

My ragdoll cat landed right next to Sirius's huge dog.

"I'll contact Tonks and Kingsley and the Weasleys, you go for Remus and Mad-Eye?"

He nodded and off we sent our animals, hoping they would reach their recipients.

"Do you have the ring?"

"Yes", he said holding up his hand. I had enchanted two rings with my new spell and had given one to Dumbledore while one always stayed at Grimmauld Place, so we were able to reach him, sine we never knew where he went lately.

"Audi", Sirius said holding up the ring, "Albus, we need you at Grimmauld Place, Harry is in danger."

And then we waited. Longer than I had anticipated we would. After an hour Sirius started to nervously pace through the room while I made some coffee for us, just so I was occupied. I couldn't sit around any longer.

"This is taking too long! Why haven't we heard back from anyone yet?"

"Maybe the patroni haven't reached them, Sirius", I tried to calm him down, "Maybe everything is being resolved as we speak."

"What if it isn't? What if something happened to Harry?", he fulminated and kicked against the chair. "I could never forgive myself, I could never face James and Lily again."

No matter how angry he sounded, how impatient, I could see the fear in his eyes, could see the panic. Harry was all he had left of his best friend, all that remained, his only family. I didn't hesitate another second and gently pulled him into an embrace. Perplexed it took him a moment to react, before he returned the hug and I held him there until I could feel him slowly relax again.

"Thank you, Liz", he whispered when I let go. "I… thank you."

I simply smiled when all of the sudden the doors to the kitchen sprung open and Remus and Tonks arrived.

"What happened?"

We quickly explained the situation when all of a sudden I felt the necklace warm again, that I had kept wrapped around my fingers. I interrupted Sirius with a wave of my hand.

"Audiam."

"He's gone, Potter is gone!", Severus's voice echoed panicked through the kitchen. "I think he might've gone to the ministry. Exactly where the Dark Lord wants him!"

We hadn't noticed that in that moment Mad-Eye and Kingsley had entered the room, staring just as shocked at us as we did at them.

"We need to go", Kingsley said immediately, his deep voice full of fear, a tone that didn't match him at all.

Everyone nodded and moved to the door, Sirius being the first.

"You can't come, Sirius", Remus tried but was instantly silent by the gaze of his friend. He wouldn't discuss this for even a second. I had wanted to protest as well, even though I knew it was a futile effort. I understood him, would've reacted the same way but still I was scared to lose my friend to Azkaban, if he would be seen.

"Don't worry, I won't get caught."

Sirius had noticed my gaze and smiled at me, before he continued up the stairs, followed by the rest of us.


Furious I walked up and down in my office, unsure of what to do. I couldn't leave Hogwarts, I couldn't join the Order, if they were to meet the Dark Lord or Death Eaters, but at the same time I wanted nothing more than to help them, to help her. The thought of Elizabeth opposing them, of her fighting them, of her facing the Dark Lord drove me mad with fear. I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her, not to say losing her.

"We're going to the Ministry."

It had been the last words I had heard from her, from any of them and since then a crushing silence had been following me. I hadn't sent any more messages, too afraid she would already be caught in a dangerous situation and would be distracted.

My fingers were firmly enclosed around my pocket watch though, awaiting for it to turn warm, to have a message for me, to hear her voice, while my right hand was clenching my left forearm, scared I would feel the mark burn, would hear from the Dark Lord first.

Elizabeth, please be safe.


"Stupefy!"

The whole room was filled with curses, the Order fighting as vigorously as the Death Eaters did. We had entered the chamber of death and luckily found Harry and his friend but also a large group of Death Eaters who had engaged us instantly in a fight.

The curse my opponent had fired, had missed me by just a few inches, almost caught me off guard. My blonde braid twirled around me, while I quickly launched a counter attacked, which missed him as well. My duelling skills were still not the best, and just barely matched my opponent's. Frustrated I wanted to fire another attack, when all of a sudden Tonks was next to me, joining my fight.

"Elizabeth, get the kids and get out! I got this one!"

"Yes!"

Without hesitation I ducked and ran over to Harry and his friend but before I could reach them, Dumbledore had entered the room, his wand dangerously pointed at the enemies. His face was marked with pure fury, an expression I had never seen on him.

We are saved.

The Death Eathers didn't even know what happened as Albus had already detained them with a few quick moves of his wand. Only Sirius and Bellatrix Lestrange were still fighting at the podium where the mysterious archway stood, Sirius taunting his cousin relentlessly. He seemed to have no trouble keeping up with her and still I wanted to come to his aid, as all of a sudden he got hit by a spell, right in the chest. Speechless I froze in my movement, watched as my friend fell backwards, right through the archway behind him and vanished into nothingness.

"SIRIUS!", Harry screamed and ran down to the middle of the room where his godfather had just vanished, "SIRIUS!"

Remus was next to him not a second later, held him back of following my friend. I didn't realise what they said, didn't hear anything anymore, an unbreakable silence seemed to had taken a hold of the chamber and had drained all the colours as well.

Deep down I knew what had happened, knew what the veil divided us from, knew the cruel fate Sirius had just suffered but my mind didn't seem to grasp it. A part of me wanted to follow Harry down, pull Sirius from behind the strange veil. He still had to be there, he couldn't be gone, he simply couldn't. He was probably just trying to trick us, just wanted to make a bad joke. That had to be it.

All of a sudden Remus was next to me, saying something to me but I couldn't understand a word, didn't hear a sound. Just when he started shaking me sounds seemed to reach me again, colours seemed to come back to the room.

"Liz, not now, I feel the same way but not now, they need us!", he said with tears in his eyes and I swallowed hard. He was right, I couldn't despair now. "Can you help Kingsley guard them? I need to find Harry's friends."

It was then that I realised that Harry was gone, as well as Dumbledore and that the Death Eaters had been bound magically side by side, guarded by Kingsley, while Tonks and Mad-Eye were leaning against the side of the steps, not moving.

"Are they okay?", I whispered, unable to take more loss.

"They are, they are just unconscious", he answered and brought me over to Kingsley. "I'll be back in a moment."

And then silence followed again, while Kingsley and I circled the Death Eaters. I tried to erase all thought of my mind, just as Severus's books had taught me but not because I didn't want anyone to read them. I simply didn't have the strength to process everything that had happened, couldn't accept it yet.

My eyes wandered over the group of Death Eaters. I didn't know any of them except for Lucius Malfoy, who was a well known face in the ministry, always by the side of the minister. Severus had told me long ago that he was devout to You-know-who but seeing him in the Death Eater robes was something else entirely. It was when my gaze wandered on that I noticed one of them staring at me intently. Confused I stared back at the older man, getting more uncomfortable by the second, since he wouldn't stop. Did he know me somehow? Or was he trying to read my mind?

Before I could think any further about it though, Remus had reappeared with Harry's friends floating in front of him, all of them unconscious.

"Are they alright?!", I asked instantly.

"They are alive at least. We need to bring them to a healer quickly. Preferably to Hogwarts."

"Thank goodness, I couldn't have borne to see someone else-", I stopped in the middle of my sentence. I couldn't say it.

"He is dead, Liz, if you say it or not…" Remus was looking sadly at me. "Sirius is dead."