Tonks turned and lunged at the veil but was sent flying sideways as Bellatrix hit her with the expelliarmus curse. As she hit the floor hard her wand slipped from her grasp and skidded off of the dias. Tonks attempted to rise and grab it but weak from the bloodloss she found that she didn't have the strength to stretch far enough. She collapsed exhausted where she had fallen.
Bellatrix screamed with delight as she clambered down to reach her. Tonks managed to muster enough strength to roll over and found herself staring up at her evil aunt. Her hair was blowing around wildly due to the wind, her eyebrows knotted in anger and disgust as she pressed her boot down hard on Tonks' chest.
Tonks who was already struggling for breath choked and gasped. Trying with all of her might she pushed against her aunt's foot but to no avail, Bellatrix merely pushed down harder. After a moment or two of struggling Tonks couldn't fight anymore, her grasp around her aunt's foot slackened and she slumped back, head lolling.
Bellatrix removed her boot and spat on the semiconscious aurors face, Tonks couldn't even find the strength to wipe it off. Bellatrix sneered as it trickled down her cheek and forced a contemptuous laugh.
"Ha!" She snarled' "This is the second time I've fought you girl, and once again you disappoint me. At least Sirius had the decency to fight before he died!"
Tonks opened her mouth to reply but the words were lost between her gasps for air. Bellatrix ignored this and carried on taunting.
"I thought you were supposed to be a fighter. You're an auror aren't you?" She snapped rhetorically "And you're in that fool Dumbledore's order. I'd expected some sort of challenge! Even the Potter boy fought!"
"Kicked your arse you mean?" Tonks breathed, finally coming to herself, she even managed to force herself onto her elbows.
To her surprise Bellatrix smiled at her. "Ah," She smirked "So there is some fight in you after all, a bit of the Black family resilience."
Tonks' face twisted with disgust" I'm not a Black." She said through gritted teeth " I'm nothing like you!"
Bellatrix seemed to find this very funny. She doubled up with laughter and seemed quite mad for a moment as the wind sucking in from the veil tossed her hair about. Regaining her composure she stood tall and faced Tonks. "No," she gasped in between giggles "No not like me, Andromeda maybe but certainly not me."
This jogged Tonks' memory. Bellatrix had said in Fudges office that she had killed Tonks' mother and father but Tonks knew that this was untrue. She had been there as her parents were murdered. She had seen the Dementers bow down and suck out their souls.
As the Dementers arrived at the house her mother had summoned the order while her dad hid her in the wardrobe.
"Sirius and James are on there way!" Andromeda had informed them bursting into the back room. Tonks had never seen her so afraid. She turned to Ted, eyes wide with terror. " There's too many of them love, we can't hold them off.!"
Tonks remembered bursting into tears as her crying parents sealed her into the wardrobe. She sat cramped in the dark on top of an old fur cloak as her mother whispered softly through the gap. "Whatever happens Nymmy, whatever you hear you have to stay until Daddy, Sirius, James or I let you out. NO ONE ELSE!"
Tonks had nodded un able to speak " We love you" Her dad said "we always will"
That was the last thing they'd said to her. She remembered their screams and desperate calls for help but they never actually spoke to her again.
She'd screamed back, despite her parents warning. She'd banged on the door and shaken it until she broke it down. Tumbling out heavily she'd landed on the floor by the bodies of her parents and screamed so loud that the Dementers seemed to cover their ears. They paused for a moment and lunged at her, pinning the tiny girl to the floor
She had been told that the Dementers were supposed to make you relive the worst moment of your life but Tonks felt nothing. Later, once she was safe Professor Dumbledore had explained that she didn't relive it because it was happening to her right there, as she was pinned by the sickening creatures clammy hands between the soulless forms of her parents. It was because of this that the Dementers found it hard to suck her soul. Tonks' nightmare had not yet finished, she was not ready to give it up yet.
Those precious few seconds while the Dementers sucked in vain saved Tonks' life. They bought Sirius and James the time that they needed to reach the bedroom. Sirius had cast his patronus even before he'd entered the room. The huge shinning Dog slammed into the Dementers holding her and chased them back and away.
Sirius had scooped the shivering child in his arms and turned grief stricken to James who was examining her parents.
"I'm sorry" He whispered tearfully "Annie's dead"
Sirius' grip on Tonks tightened as she screamed into his shoulder. He wiped his eye on his sleeve and turned to Ted. "At least she's free to rest" He muttered bitterly as Tonks bawled uncontrollably into his robes.
Tonks remembered every detail of that night, she'd relived it again and again, she'd dreamt about it so many times. Bellatrix simply hadn't been there. She was lying. But why?
Tonks rose unsteadily to her feet. Bellatix lifted her wand but did not fire, the swaying girl was no danger to her. She moved away and scooped up the stray documents from the file now flying wildly around the windy room as Tonks addressed her angrily.
"Why did you lie about my parents?" She demanded. " Why did you tell me that you killed them?"
Bellatrix replied almost lazily as she continued retrieving the pieces of paper "Because I did kill them" She replied.
"No the Dementers did… I.."
"Who do you think told them where to go?" Bellatrix interrupted turning back to Tonks whose jaw had dropped in shock "Who do you think told them to go there in the first place?"
Tonks was so overcome that she sank back to the floor. "Why!" She wailed. "She was your sister! How could you have your own sister killed?"
"She was no sister of mine! That.. that.. blood traitor! She was the one who had turned her back on her family not me. She married that…SCUM and had you, you disgraceful abomination!" Bellatrix screeched as an apoplectic Tonks dived for her wand. Bellatrix caught her and pulled her back to the dais by her throat. She slammed Tonks down in front of the veil and began to choke her.
"She was the one trying to betray her sisters." Bellatrix yelled, her knuckles turning white as Tonk's blood rushed to her face. "She was going to hand me over to the ministry as a death eater. Narcissia's husband to! So don't you dare tell me I was the one betraying my sister girl,. Don't you dare!"
The more enraged Bellatrix became the tighter her grip on Tonks became. As her face turned purple Tonks began to feel her heart slowing down and her lungs deflating as the last remaining puffs of air escaped her lips. She was dying. She had risked everything to save Sirius and it hadn't worked. She hadn't even been able to stop Bellatrix. 'What have I done?'
All of a sudden the weight had been lifted off of her chest, the grip around her neck slackened. She opened her eyes in time to see Bellatrix's eyes widen in shocked disbelief as she was thrown backwards in a blaze of red light. She stumbled backwards, her arms flailing wildly as she desperately attempted to prevent her fall. It didn't work. As Tonks tilted her head for a better view Bllatrix tripped through the archway grabbing the veil as she went. As she clung desperately to the veil the wind picked up even more. It felt as though a hurricane was pulling everything towards the archway.
Tonk felt someone trying to lift her. "You're back!" She whispered groggily.
Percy Weasley smiled at her and lifted her to her feet. "Well I couldn't just leave you" He grunted, half dragging her off towards the stone seats. "You're in enough trouble as it is!"
Once they were a safe distance away they turned back to see the screaming Bellatrix loose her grip As she disappeared behind the dark veil the room became eerily still. Everything was silent, the air seemed to have been sucked from the room entirely as though time itself had stopped. Then, just as suddenly as this had begun it all rushed into the room with an almighty bang and a blinding light, knocking Tonks and Percy to the floor.
After everything had settled Percy was the first to rise. He shot up and began straightening his glasses as Tonks, clinging to a stone seat for support rose to join him.
"It should have worked." She whispered.
"What?" Percy replied irritably, straightening his hair with his palms.
"She was a blood relative.. It…He should be here" Tonks cried desperately as she limped heavily towards the archway listening desperately for the voices. Percy sighed heavily and moved to stop her.
"Tonks.." He began in a pacifying tone. Tonks cut across him angrily.
"IT TAKES A MOMENT!" She shouted defiantly "It has to!"
After a moment or twos silence nothing seemed to be happening. Finally giving in Tonks sank to the floor and wept in despair. Percy shifted uncomfortably and patted her head awkwardly.
"I'm sorry Tonks," He said sincerely. He helped her to her feet and began dragging her up to the exit. "Come on," He said softly, "let's get out before the death eaters and Dementers arrive'
"We have to stay," Tonks sniffed as she was dragged up. She was too weak to fight against Percy's grip "He might still come" She wailed.
Percy shook his head sadly as they paused at the door. "He's not coming back" He said solemnly "But, then again neither s she!"
