She lay sleeping, struggling for conscienceness as she lay there, oblivious to what was becoming of her, unaware of the life that was being drained with every sharp breath she took. As she sat up at last, she inhaled deeply, a breath of stale air mingled with charcoal fumes from the next room down, and as the last fight for life escaped her, she collapsed again on the bed.

It had won. She was with him now. The pawn was in check. Now for the final piece-

----

"FOR LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY, OOOH GOD!"

"MRS. WEASLEY! MRS. WEASLEY, WHAT'S WRONG!" Hermione rushed to the woman strewn over the ghostly white figure on the bed. Her breath shortened and her eyes widened as she realised-

"She...Tonks...dead?" She had her words barely at a whisper, but they were enough. As the guardian before her nearly fell apart to tears, Remus threw open the door and came to join them.

"What's this now? What- oh. Oh. My..." He took the woman's frail hand, looked her over a moment before declaring with a faint trace of fear,

"She isn't dead. Oh, Molly, listen! She's alright...well, in certain means, anyhow. She's only left us temporarily..."

"Oh, Remus, how long for?"

"I cannot say...It's difficult to tell how even this happened. I've never seen it before, I have to say, although- I've heard of it." He whispered, "Rare case, Molly. This has only ever happened before in situations involving..."

Mrs. Weasley's face went numb as she put her hand over her mouth. "Him?" As the woman remained frozen on the floor, Remus instructed with both firmness and desperation,

"Hermione. Will you...please, go downstairs; bring Sirius up here, will you? And as far as the rest-" he leaned in toward her..."There's no immediate reason for them to know this right away. But, also, it has to be realized that there is no possible way they won't be informed of it straightaway-" he smiled for a fleeting moment. "Just don't let out too much fear...it's really nothing, as we can hope." Hermione forced a nod as she turned to leave. In a raspy choke, Mrs. Weasley asked,

"You really think this, Remus? That he could have- possessed her somehow?" A thoughtful furrow played across Remus's face for a moment before he replied,

"No, not possessed, as far as I believe...perhaps only stolen away...for however long she's needed..." that being no comfort to Mrs. Weasley, she returned to tears and clinged to Sirius's shoulder, who had just entered the room.

"Molly", said Remus gently. "You know this isn't a time to go to pieces on us. And, the children..." Only now realising what was happening, Sirius grabbed his cousin's hand and began questioning madly,

"How! Who! Her...!..." Remus explained his theory, as the now also frightened man looked on at his defeated relative. Turning to his friend, he grimly said,

"He's got her, hasn't he?" Nodding solemnly, Remus asked,

"But, he wouldn't be needing her...unless...unless he needed her to get something else...to get to..."

"Harry." Mrs. Weasley , still as the grave, had spoken at last.