"Sirius. SIRIUS. Sirius, wake up, come on, it's Dumbledore!"
"Harry? Harry tell me now, what's the matter?" Harry felt a rush of gratitude to Sirius for getting to the point so fast.
"Sirius Voldemort is in the castle. He has just attacked Dumbledore." He had expected Sirius to ask how he knew this but Sirius didn't. Instead he leapt up, pulled on some jeans, a t-shirt and his robes, while Harry did the same. Silently Sirius handed Harry a handful of Floo powder and stepped into the fire saying, "Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts." Harry followed. He knew it wasn't the time but he felt a rush of admiration for Sirius for dealing with the situation so carefully. He arrived in the office to find Sirius kneeling at Dumbledore's side. Dumbledore was, indeed, in a bad way.
"Harry, I need you to go to Grimauld place and alert all the Aurors there and tell them what has happened. Tell them I am m here and then come back here. We need you. Go!" Harry picked up another handful of Floo powder and stepped into the fire saying, "Number 12, Grimauld Place." When he arrived he leapt out of the fire and was surprised to see Moody, Lupin and the Weasley family sitting round the table. He garbled the story to them. Mrs Weasley screamed, Charlie yelled and Lupin stood up very fast.
"Ginny, go wake up every able person in the place. Everyone, yes that's you and me too Ron, needs to come with me. Ron, you're a healer. Dumbledore's in a bad way."
"Harry, no. I refuse to let Ron go. Nor you. Both of you must stay here. You will die if you go."
"Mrs Weasley, I'm sorry, but they need me and if Ron doesn't come, Dumbledore might die."
"But-"
"-Molly he's right. We need all hands. Come on everybody, hurry." This was Lupin. At that moment Ginny arrived in the kitchen followed by Hermione, Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mr and Mrs Longbottom, Neville and seven Aurors Harry did not recognise. They all rushed to the fire and, one by one everybody disappeared into the fire. Harry was the last. Her took a deep breath and stepped in after them.
He fell onto Dumbledore's floor to see Ron, Mrs Weasley and one of the Ministry wizards crowded around Dumbledore. Kingsley Shacklebolt was duelling with Avery, a death eater. Other death eaters stood around the room. Macnair was duelling with Mr Weasley who, as Harry watched was stuck down by a stunning spell and was instantly replaced my Bill who flung a stunning spell at his opponent, so fast, that he did not have time to retaliate. He fell to the floor with a cry. Sirius was fighting Belatrix Lestrange and a ministry wizard with a man, equally as rotted and scared as Belatrix, whom he took to be Belatrix' husband. The other members of the party were either battling with death eaters he did not recognise or whose faces were hidden from him.
But where was…he whipped around just in time to see Lucius Malfoy shoot a stunning spell at him.
"Expelliarmus!" he shouted. It worked. The spell ricochet off and hit…no, it couldn't be. Hermione was deep in battle with Draco Malfoy. His Draco Malfoy. He yelled and fell to the floor, motionless. Hermione whipped around and caught Lucius Malfoy just in time with the Impedimenta curse. Harry was too busy staring at the beautiful, still face, the smooth, milky white skin and the soft, golden hair. He had done that. He tore his eyes away and turned back to Mr Malfoy. He was beginning to resist the Impedimenta curse. Harry shot a stunning spell at him which he blocked. Harry felt it go whizzing past his ear. He did not turn to look where it had hit but threw a spell he had learned when they had been practising the 'Expelliarmus' charm and Cho Chang had got it wrong.
"Expellimellius!" The front of Lucius Malfoy's robes caught fire and this distracted him enough for Harry to shoot a successful 'Stupefy' at him.
He spun around and rushed to Sirius' side. The two of them battled against Belatrix in vain. Every time either of them threw a spell at her she blocked it and her spells were so fast they were endangering themselves by duelling her at all. But the other death eaters were not holding out as well as Belatrix. Mr Lestrange was lying sprawled on the floor along with Mr Weasley, Macnair, Lucius Malfoy, four death eaters, Percy, two ministry wizards, George, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Draco. There were thirteen people, other than himself and Sirius still up and only ten death eaters.
"Hey, you!" he yelled to a ministry witch, "hey Lupin, help us can't you?" The two of them rushed to his side. The ministry witch, Sirius and Lupin all flung stunning spells at her a split second after one another. He blocked them all, laughing. Harry threw the "Expellimellius" charm at her which hit her and the hem of her robes caught fire. But she extinguished it with her wand and blocked the four stunners that were sent her way, with apparent ease. She was no longer laughing, however. They chased her round and round the room, oblivious to the fights that were still going on around her. She backed slowly towards the door and it was only when she had pushed herself through the door that they realised and rushed after her.
"Stop!" Harry screamed. She'll know, she'll kill you before you can get through. Sirius, Charlie, apparate to the bottom of the stairs. We'll get her from separate sides." Lupin and Sirius disappeared instantly, and Harry and the ministry witch shuffled towards the door. They heard Lupin shout 'Stupefy' and Belatrix shout 'Avada Kadacvra'at that moment the ministry witch my Harry's side poked her wand into the keyhole and yelled 'Stupefy'. Harry pushed through the door in time to see Lupin and Belatrix fall to the floor. It was over. Sirius, Harry and the ministry witch rushed to Lupin's side. Sirius tried the stun revival charm. Then he leaned down to check his heart. Harry touched his face. It was ice cold. Sirius did not lift his head but silent tears ran down his face. He rose abruptly. He was shaking with anger and the tears still coursed down his face. He did not speak but opened the door to Dumbledore's office and slipped through. Harry looked up at the ministry witch.
"Wotcha Harry."
"Tonks!"
"Yeah, didn't you know it was me?"
"No, great spell."
"Thanks" They rose silently. Harry looked down at Lupin. They couldn't just leave him here. He levitated him and Lupin rose horizontally. Harry took him into the next room and let him down next to Mr Weasley, a little away from the fight. He turned to survey the scene. Hermione was now locked in combat with Avery, the only remaining death eater that Harry recognised. Moody, Bill, Mrs Longbottom and a ministry wizard were still standing, each with their own opponent. As Harry watched, Sirius flung himself into the fight. Harry and Tonks followed. Harry joined Hermione in her struggle with Avery, while Tonks headed towards Bill who was struggling with what appeared to be a broken leg against Dolohov. It was an evenly matched fight. Bill and Tonks went down, leaving moody to deal with Dolohov and Rookwood. But it was Sirius who made the difference. He tore through all aspects of the battle, cursing everything dark within his reach and soon Harry, Hermione and Sirius were left standing, staring around at the scene of destruction. Ron, Mrs Weasley and the ministry wizard, who appeared to be a healer, were going from body to body doing what they could. Bill ran to his father's side, leaving Harry standing stupidly in the middle of the room. His eyes immediately snapped onto Draco Malfoy who was still lying on the floor near the fireplace. He ran over to him, muttering the counter-stunning charm. Draco groaned and turned over.
"Harry, don't revive them!" This was Bill, staring angrily at Harry from his place by his father's side.
"Harry…" Draco's words were torn. "Harry, my father…is he dead?"
"No, he's stunned. Draco how…what…"
"It was my father…the Imperius curse…I'm so sorry, Harry." The blue-grey eyes stared up into Harry's. They were full of hurt and repentance. And it was in that moment that Harry kissed him.