Beyond the Darkness - Chapter Twelve
by Rainsong
A/N: Wow, I got a lot of feedback after that last chapter! Thank you to faerie, Erin, GothicFox, ArtGirl, and Kaylin for reviewing! I believe this may be my last chapter in this story, depending on how much I can finish. But there will be an Epilogue, so you can look forward to that! Thanks!
~~~
Suddenly the entire room erupted in screams. People began to run aimlessly, and Sirius saw a few duck under their seats. The Aurors already had their wands out, and were preparing to battle the Death Eaters that had stormed the room only moments before. Their objective was obvious; they were trying to free Pettigrew.
Sirius pulled out his wand. Ducking behind one of the benches, he waited until a Death Eater was in close range. As quickly as he could, he shouted "Petrificus Totalis!". He watched as the Death Eater froze up, and fell to the ground. Before he could be seen, Sirius crawled under the bench closest to him. Suddenly, he heard someone whisper his name. He turned around and saw Harry, on the floor next to him.
"Harry! Where's Remus?" Sirius asked in little more than a whisper.
"I don't know. He told me to hide.. he might have gone after them." Harry replied, looking worried.
"Look, you stay here. No matter what you hear, don't move. I'm going to try and find him." Sirius said. Before Harry could protest, Sirius had moved out from under the bench and hid behind the witness stand. He peered out and surveyed the scene before him.
About ten Aurors were now in the room. Two of the Death Eaters were Stunned, the other two were being cornered. The Ministry was winning. But it didn't look so good for a few of the observers. Horrified, Sirius realized that a few of them appeared to be dead. Was Remus among them?
Sirius had to have a better view. He moved from the witness stand over to the left side of Fudge's chair. The last Death Eater had just been Stunned, and was being carried by Hagrid, who threw him on top of the others. Swiftly, the Ministry wizards moved forward and began to move the Death Eaters out of the courtroom.
Fudge, who seemed to have been hiding, stood up and walked to the front of the room. "Please, everyone, calm down! The Death Eaters have been apprehended, you may all come out of hiding." Fudge shouted. Slowly, people began to emerge. To Sirius's relief, he saw both Harry and Remus alive, and sitting back down.
"Minister! Minister, its Rudolph!" A voice called. Sirius turned to see the plump witch from the front desk staring hopelessly at something on the floor. Fudge hurried over, took one look, and said faintly to an Auror, "G-Get the mediwizards in here." The Auror nodded, and left, only to return moments later with two mediwizards. They both waved their wands, and Rudolph came into view. His eyes were open, but he wasn't moving. Sirius knew what had happened. The short, anxious little messenger from earlier that morning had gotten caught in the crossfire.
People moved back, bowing their heads and watching as little Rudolph was carried from the courtroom. Fudge frowned, and turned to address the crowd.
"What you all just saw was an attack by You-Know-Who's men. I cannot deal with panic now, so I ask that you all remain in your seats. No one is to leave this courtroom until permission is given. I need to speak with the Aurors." Fudge said, and he hurried off into the adjoining room without another word.
Sirius walked over to where Remus and Harry were sitting. He flopped down on the bench, catching his breath.
"Are you two alright?" Sirius asked.
Remus and Harry nodded. Sirius leaned his head against the back of the bench. "Good." he said softly.
"Sirius," Remus said, sounding nervous. "What do you think happened to Pettigrew?"
Suddenly Sirius remembered. Pettigrew was in the adjoining room. He could have already been set free by the Death Eaters. Sirius started to stand up, preparing to find out what had happened, but Remus grabbed his arm. "Sit. They'll announce what happened in a moment." Remus said. "Now is probably not a good time to burst in on Fudge's little meeting."
Sirius nodded, and sat back down. Luckily, no one had to wait long for news, because Fudge came bustling through the door and shouted, "Black! In here, now!"
Sirius glanced nervously at Harry and Remus, and stood up. He followed Fudge into the adjoining room. What he saw next was totally unexpected.
The four Death Eaters were laying in a pile, still Stunned. Next to them was Pettigrew, who was sitting in a chair. But Sirius noticed that he wasn't sitting at all. Slouching lifelessly was more like it.
"Killed. Pettigrew was murdered by the Death Eaters." growled a voice from behind Sirius. Mad-Eye Moody stepped forward.
"W-Why?" Sirius stammered, looking at Pettigrew in disbelief.
"Your guess is as good as ours. They were probably afraid that he might divulge some..er...'classified' information of theirs. And here I thought they were going to provide an escape for him." Moody said, shaking his head.
"What now?" Sirius asked, still not taking his eyes of the dead form of Pettigrew in front of him.
"Well, I reckon the case is over. Pettigrew's guilty, he's been killed, and you're free to go." Moody said, slapping Sirius on the shoulder. "You can leave now if you want. It might get ugly when we have to explain everything to that lot." Moody continued, gesturing towards the crowd beyond the door.
Sirius nodded, and walked out. When he got back into the courtroom, he beckoned for Remus and Harry to follow him out of the building. On their way out, Dumbledore stood up and faced Sirius.
"I believe you are to be congratulated, Sirius. Freedom is finally yours. Good luck." Dumbledore said, bowing. Sirius nodded, thanked Dumbledore, and continued down the elevator shaft.
~~~
A/N: Well, that was the last chapter. What do u think? I'll start the Epilogue now. Please Review!
by Rainsong
A/N: Wow, I got a lot of feedback after that last chapter! Thank you to faerie, Erin, GothicFox, ArtGirl, and Kaylin for reviewing! I believe this may be my last chapter in this story, depending on how much I can finish. But there will be an Epilogue, so you can look forward to that! Thanks!
~~~
Suddenly the entire room erupted in screams. People began to run aimlessly, and Sirius saw a few duck under their seats. The Aurors already had their wands out, and were preparing to battle the Death Eaters that had stormed the room only moments before. Their objective was obvious; they were trying to free Pettigrew.
Sirius pulled out his wand. Ducking behind one of the benches, he waited until a Death Eater was in close range. As quickly as he could, he shouted "Petrificus Totalis!". He watched as the Death Eater froze up, and fell to the ground. Before he could be seen, Sirius crawled under the bench closest to him. Suddenly, he heard someone whisper his name. He turned around and saw Harry, on the floor next to him.
"Harry! Where's Remus?" Sirius asked in little more than a whisper.
"I don't know. He told me to hide.. he might have gone after them." Harry replied, looking worried.
"Look, you stay here. No matter what you hear, don't move. I'm going to try and find him." Sirius said. Before Harry could protest, Sirius had moved out from under the bench and hid behind the witness stand. He peered out and surveyed the scene before him.
About ten Aurors were now in the room. Two of the Death Eaters were Stunned, the other two were being cornered. The Ministry was winning. But it didn't look so good for a few of the observers. Horrified, Sirius realized that a few of them appeared to be dead. Was Remus among them?
Sirius had to have a better view. He moved from the witness stand over to the left side of Fudge's chair. The last Death Eater had just been Stunned, and was being carried by Hagrid, who threw him on top of the others. Swiftly, the Ministry wizards moved forward and began to move the Death Eaters out of the courtroom.
Fudge, who seemed to have been hiding, stood up and walked to the front of the room. "Please, everyone, calm down! The Death Eaters have been apprehended, you may all come out of hiding." Fudge shouted. Slowly, people began to emerge. To Sirius's relief, he saw both Harry and Remus alive, and sitting back down.
"Minister! Minister, its Rudolph!" A voice called. Sirius turned to see the plump witch from the front desk staring hopelessly at something on the floor. Fudge hurried over, took one look, and said faintly to an Auror, "G-Get the mediwizards in here." The Auror nodded, and left, only to return moments later with two mediwizards. They both waved their wands, and Rudolph came into view. His eyes were open, but he wasn't moving. Sirius knew what had happened. The short, anxious little messenger from earlier that morning had gotten caught in the crossfire.
People moved back, bowing their heads and watching as little Rudolph was carried from the courtroom. Fudge frowned, and turned to address the crowd.
"What you all just saw was an attack by You-Know-Who's men. I cannot deal with panic now, so I ask that you all remain in your seats. No one is to leave this courtroom until permission is given. I need to speak with the Aurors." Fudge said, and he hurried off into the adjoining room without another word.
Sirius walked over to where Remus and Harry were sitting. He flopped down on the bench, catching his breath.
"Are you two alright?" Sirius asked.
Remus and Harry nodded. Sirius leaned his head against the back of the bench. "Good." he said softly.
"Sirius," Remus said, sounding nervous. "What do you think happened to Pettigrew?"
Suddenly Sirius remembered. Pettigrew was in the adjoining room. He could have already been set free by the Death Eaters. Sirius started to stand up, preparing to find out what had happened, but Remus grabbed his arm. "Sit. They'll announce what happened in a moment." Remus said. "Now is probably not a good time to burst in on Fudge's little meeting."
Sirius nodded, and sat back down. Luckily, no one had to wait long for news, because Fudge came bustling through the door and shouted, "Black! In here, now!"
Sirius glanced nervously at Harry and Remus, and stood up. He followed Fudge into the adjoining room. What he saw next was totally unexpected.
The four Death Eaters were laying in a pile, still Stunned. Next to them was Pettigrew, who was sitting in a chair. But Sirius noticed that he wasn't sitting at all. Slouching lifelessly was more like it.
"Killed. Pettigrew was murdered by the Death Eaters." growled a voice from behind Sirius. Mad-Eye Moody stepped forward.
"W-Why?" Sirius stammered, looking at Pettigrew in disbelief.
"Your guess is as good as ours. They were probably afraid that he might divulge some..er...'classified' information of theirs. And here I thought they were going to provide an escape for him." Moody said, shaking his head.
"What now?" Sirius asked, still not taking his eyes of the dead form of Pettigrew in front of him.
"Well, I reckon the case is over. Pettigrew's guilty, he's been killed, and you're free to go." Moody said, slapping Sirius on the shoulder. "You can leave now if you want. It might get ugly when we have to explain everything to that lot." Moody continued, gesturing towards the crowd beyond the door.
Sirius nodded, and walked out. When he got back into the courtroom, he beckoned for Remus and Harry to follow him out of the building. On their way out, Dumbledore stood up and faced Sirius.
"I believe you are to be congratulated, Sirius. Freedom is finally yours. Good luck." Dumbledore said, bowing. Sirius nodded, thanked Dumbledore, and continued down the elevator shaft.
~~~
A/N: Well, that was the last chapter. What do u think? I'll start the Epilogue now. Please Review!