Author's Note: This is it the final chapter! I hope you guys aren't to disappointed with the ending… It will be continued in Between the Living And the Dead from Sirius's point of view.
Revenge Is Bittersweet
Harry spent nearly all his evenings with Willow now, hidden away in her office from those who could not understand.
Once Harry showed her the letters Sirius had written him; with which she would run her index finger along the path of each letter while smiling. Another time Harry shared his photo album with her and she told him stories of his mother, father and Sirius. Once they had talked Sirius to death they spoke of themselves and their experiences at school. Often times Harry would turn to Willow for help on his homework. As well Harry had found out that Willow was indeed related to Snape, they were distant cousins four times removed.
When Harry's trip to Hogsmeade rolled around the two went together and after sharing a Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks they visited the Shrieking Shack and the cave Sirius had used as a hiding place. Harry was as happy as he had been in a long time as was Willow.
Willow turned fretfully in her bed. It was the fourth time that week she had had the same dream.
The Death Eaters were escaping Azkaban wreaking havoc on England and Bellatrix Lestrange was their ringleader, Sirius was being attacked, Harry was dying...
Willow gasped arising. She looked wildly around her room. Nothing.
She sighed and fell back onto her pillow. She lay still, looking at the ceiling in front of her.
"I must kill her." That familiar voice rang out. Willow nodded in agreement. But something else tugged at her. Were these normal dreams or visions? She came to the conclusion that they had to be dreams; Sirius was dead. How could he be being attacked in the future? Unless...
That day in her class, she handed Draco Malfoy a folded piece of parchment.
"Give this to Bellatrix. I know it is within your power." And she placed thirty galleons on his desk. "Tell her I require a response."
Within two days she received what she had been hoping for. She could almost taste the cruel laughter in Bellatrix's words.
So you seek vengeance? I will meet at your specified time and place. Don't be late.
That Friday as Defense was ending Madigan called, "Harry, may I have a word with you?"
Harry nodded and walked over to her desk. Ron and Hermione staring after quizzically before leaving.
"In my office please." She said standing and leading him into her familiar room.
"Listen I'm going to do something you might not approve of." She stated upon the click of her door being shut. "I do not want you to follow me. Do you promise?" She held his shoulders firmly.
"Yes, I promise." He agreed reluctantly. "Where are you going?" Harry asked quickly.
"Listen, I've grown quite attached to you. I feel responsible for what's happened-"
"We both know it wasn't your fault."
"And I'd like you to have the chance to be happy."
"Where are you going with this?" Harry asked backing out of her grip.
She searched his eyes before replying, "If I come back, I'd like you to come live with me."
Harry stared at her. "Adopt me?"
"If you'd like of course." Madigan stared down at the teenager and quickly bent hugging him. "Think on it Harry." She placed a piece of parchment into his hand, then shoved him out of her office and locked the door behind him.
Harry stared at the door, somewhat dumbfounded. He walked mechanically out of her classroom and into the Great Hall where he sat down. He stared at the food on his plate, then looked at the paper in his hand. There was a message scrawled across it.
Harry, you will be able to open this after a specified time so at every hour try opening it.
He turned it over and tried to break the seal; it wouldn't open. He stared at it. Her words repeating themselves like a broken record in his head.
What was she going to do? He thought, no one answered. Harry looked up to the teachers; Madigan wasn't in her spot.
"I'm going to do something you might not approve of."
What? What was she going to do? Harry stood up desperately wanting to find out but he resisted the urge fearing something bad would happen again if he did, so he headed to Gryffindor tower.
Once there he sprawled out onto his bed and stared at the clock on the table beside it. He'd have to wait.
Willow Madigan walked down the great dark hall, and opened the door in front of her. She was weak in the knees upon seeing the stone archway. The archway where Bellatrix and Sirius had fought, less than a year ago. Willow walked down the bench like stone steps; stopping to place her hand on the one Harry had been trying to get up when the Prophecy broke. She turned to the door Moody, Tonks, Kingsley, Remus and Sirius had burst through. It stood closed and all was quiet.
Willow walked to the archway, the veil swaying gently in a ghostly breeze. Willow pulled back the veil; no one was there. Before she could decide whether or not to stick her head through a swishing of robes was called to her attention.
"Hello Bellatrix." Willow said her voice filled with disgust as she turned to face the formally attractive curly black haired woman.
"Ahh, so you must be Madigan." Her voice like ice. "You seek my blood do you not?" Bellatrix finished her decent down the stairs and stopped in front of Willow.
"An eye for an eye as they say." Willow replied, pulling her wand from her robes.
"I've taken your eye? Really? Pity, I don't remember." Bellatrix drawled, her wand at her side.
"You should. You took it right here." Willow's wand pointed to the archway.
Bellatrix's eyebrows rose, "Ahh, my cousin's. That's whose vengeance you seek?" A hallow laugh escaped her lips. "What was he to you? He was just a filthy mutt really."
Willow's wand was at Bellatrix's throat like a dagger. "Say that to his face."
Bellatrix whirled out of Willow's hold and shot a red-sparked spell towards Willow. She dodged, using her wand as a baseball bat and sent the spell back to Bellatrix's chest. She too dodged but as she was doing so Willow hit her with the Cruciatus Curse.
Bellatrix began to twitch horribly and her left arm bent in all the wrong ways, she let out a horrid scream.
Willow ceased, allowing Bellatrix to crumble to the ground.
"You-!" Bellatrix croaked.
"Now," Willow's eyes flashed dangerously, "Try this, Imperio!"
Bellatrix did a cartwheel, she shrieked again when she did a handstand on her broken arm. "Not as easy as you thought, am I?" Willow made Bellatrix do an assortment of tricky feats around the room then once Bellatrix had made it back in front of her she let her stand up right, with the curse's help of course.
Bellatrix held her wand pointing at her own chest. The red sparks shot from it and Willow lifted the curse so Bellatrix flew backwards by the strength of her own wand's spell.
Bellatrix moaned while Willow walked over to her figure.
"That's more than Sirius felt. Now that we're on even terms," Willow summoned Bellatrix's wand and stuck it in her pocket, following she conjured up two swords and placed her wand in another pocket. "We'll fight fairly." She threw the sword at Bellatrix's feet.
"You're no better than me." Bellatrix croaked. "You should have joined the Dark Lord." Bellatrix regained her feet and held the sword with her right hand while the other arm hung limply at her side.
Willow stared at the wounded Bellatrix. "I am aren't I?"
"Oh, yes just like one of us." Bellatrix began walking towards Willow.
"Oh well." Madigan shrugged, "I've got nothing left to live for. Maybe this is what you act like when you're past the point of caring." She then lunged at Bellatrix, aiming for her legs.
Bellatrix swerved out of Willow's way. "You obviously do if you feel the need to fight me."
"I'm just executing justice."
Bellatrix lunged and landed a blow at Willow's side.
Willow's robes were torn open exposing the flesh within. "Oww. That weally huwt." Willow said in a mock baby voice. "Sound familiar?" She said through gritted teeth as she swung her sword back around she hit her target. Bellatrix's right shoulder.
Bellatrix screamed obsenities and nearly dropped her sword but she was strong and held on. Bellatrix and Willow began parrying; each blocked the other's move.
Bellatrix managed a counter attack and sliced open Willow's right arm. Willow caught the sword with her left and continued fighting.
"Ambidextrous."
"You know, even if you kill me, you'll go to Azkaban for the spells you used." Bellatrix panted.
"Azkaban doesn't scare me. It's horrid people like you walking the streets that does." She lunged again, her sword swung upward colliding with Bellatrix's right thigh. Bellatrix fell and hit the bottom stone step.
Willow pushed her sword upon Bellatrix's neck. "How does it feel? Death breathing down your neck?" She growled, Bellatrix glaring angrily up at her.
"Well, well it looks like we're having a party. Sorry it took me so long. It took all the tricks in the book to get that guy to let me out." He pointed his left thumb over his shoulder towards the veil.
Bellatrix and Willow both turned, staring awe struck.
"And look my dear cousin and-" Sirius's jaw dropped as he stared at the other black haired woman, "Willow Madigan?" He was amazed to see an old school mate with a sword pointed at his cousin's throat.
"Sirius?!" Willow dropped her sword and ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, he got over his shock and slowly returned the embrace.
Tears had begun trickling down her face the moment she saw him, "I can't believe you're alive!" She pressed her rosy lips against his; Sirius was quite surprised by this but welcomed the warmth. Willow had spent so much time suppressing and hiding her feelings from Sirius that now seeing him again she was ready to burst and God was he as gorgeous as ever, if only she could stay in his arms like this...
Willow choked and pulled away, Sirius's eyes searching her face.
Willow shoved him back as she felt the cold metal ripping slowly through her flesh, Sirius fell hard on his backside, surprise on his face as he watched the sword controlled by Bellatrix continue its way through Willow.
Once the sword could go no further Bellatrix let go and fell back to her knees.
Willow looked down at her crimson sword protruding just below her navel. She looked to Sirius, he stared right back at her, speechless and motionless. With a smile Willow crumpled to the stone floor.
Sirius crawled toward her and as carefully as he could removed the sword. It clattered to the ground beside him and he gently held Willow upright.
Willow smiled at him and with all the strength she could muster, she reached into her pocket and handed Sirius Bellatrix's wand. He took it from Willow and propped her against a stone bench before he rounded on Bellatrix.
Sirius glared at Bellatrix as he watched her limping up the stone benches; who was trying to get away as fast as she could and was oblivious to his glare. Sirius accended them as well, Bellatrix's wand in one hand, his own in the other. Thick cords shot out from his wand and wrapped themselves around Bellatrix, she cried out as she was pulled back down. The cords tied themselves around her tightly and gagged her as well.
Sirius pointed Bellatrix's wand at her; she wore a mask of anger and fear.
"Stupify!" Was the last thing Sirius ever said to his cousin.
"Harry?" Ron asked, poking his head into their dorm room.
"Hmm?" he answered distractedly.
"Are you alright? You didn't eat anything at dinner." Ron walked in and sat at the foot of Harry's bed. "Plus you haven't been your self lately."
Harry looked up at Ron, their eyes meeting.
"Listen, I may have been acting differently towards you guys but it's just because you can't understand what I'm going through."
"And she can?"
Harry's brow furrowed.
"We've seen where you go at night. We've even sat and waited until you left."
"You've been spying on me?" Irritation skimming the surface.
"We're worried Harry. You don't join in like you used to. We're afraid." Ron stopped, considering whether he should speak the truth.
"Afraid what?" Harry asked, the irritation sparking more.
"Afraid, you might try something without thinking. Afraid you might get hurt."
Harry looked at him with furrowed brows, Ron was truely afraid, as was likely Hermione too. "Ron, please don't worry about me. I've learned my lesson. I'm never going to do anything again without considering the options. And if I do, you'll be right there with me to talk me out of it." He smiled and Ron searched his face for the truth and knew Harry spoke it.
Ron mirrored his smile.
"Thing's will be getting back to normal. I assure you."
At the top of the hour Harry tried the seal again. It opened this time and Madigan's voice flooded out.
"I have gone to the Ministry of Magic to duel Bellatrix Lestrange."
Harry bolted and nearly made it off his bed when Willow continued, "Don't think of dropping what you are doing and coming to my rescue because it's too late. That's why I put this spell on this piece of parchment, it would only open after Bellatrix or I had died. I hope it is the former." Willow chuckled. "Oh, Harry, you are such a wonderful boy." Willow's voice was soft now, "You've made me so happy. I loved every moment we spent together and I am so glad you shared Sirius with me. Remember what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Don't forget who you are, you can beat anything that gets in your path with that character of yours. Also, remember the ones you love and don't push them aside, they need you as much as you need them. Wasn't that a nice bit of fluffy advice?" She laughed, "Well Harry, it's nearly time for me to go. I'll see you soon, okay?" Willow's voice ended, pieces of a song playing where she had left off. Harry's heart nearly stopped, his mother and Willow were singing it.
"If you should still fall into despair remember there is one thing left to believe:
I lie in your heart always....
I'll be there when you need, you don't have to hide from me, what you are feeling now, I feel your soul. We will seek together destiny, troubles have an end,
We will carry on hand in hand, we won't forget we have each other
you're not alone...."