Author's Note:
With all the scares worldwide concerning COVID-19, I hope everyone is healthy and being safe. Be cautious people, don't panic. Wash your hands, don't touch your face. It will all be okay. As of right now, Canada has 304 confirmed cases and my city is in quarantine and everything is being shut down for the most part just to be cautious, but there are no cases locally. If we all don't panic and work together to stay quarantined and not spread this virus, we can beat it. I believe in optimism and I believe in hope — wishing you all well and lots of love!
I hope this chapter helps a bit!
To those of who have decided that this story is no longer worth reading, I'm sorry to hear that because I have A LOT more story to tell. Thanks for your time up to this point, I guess, and for those of you who are staying — thank you! I love and appreciate you more than you can know.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the parts of Order of the Phoenix, that belongs to JKR.
I posted some of these reviews on my tumblr with responses but I wanted to address some of them here as well.
To answer some reviews: Thanks for all of the lovely birthday wishes, they were much appreciated! I'm glad that I managed to make some of you cry as I said, I cried while I wrote it and edited it. I wrote it back in November of 2018. To TheOneWithWritersBlock: It is not a big giant nightmare, no. To archiveScrapper: Thank you for being "weirdly proud of me for keeping Sirius' death" despite how emotional it is. I wanted it to be emotional and I wanted it to be hard and heartfelt because this time it means so much more. To Jmcglynn522: Ginny performing the bat bogey hex on Thaddeus' dick for Theo was one of my finer moments as was Lucius killing Thaddeus, but I did kill Sirius Black, and I'm sorry for it. And no, I am not running around my house squealing 'I killed Sirius Black'. To Breaniefan: First of all, thanks for the name and secondly, I don't think it was unrepresentative of my characters, but you are of course entitled to your opinion. Harry would definitely be this impulsive because Ginny was kidnapped and while Ginny and Theo could have escaped, they might not have made it out alive. The Order got there as quick as they could and while my story is about Sirius Black, I'm not writing it to "fix what is wrong with the original story" because I love the original story and I only wanted to enhance it. Killing Sirius was important to my story, no matter how painful it was to do so.
To Atea1973: I'm not as sick in the head as Voldemort, but I do have evil plots afoot and killing Sirius was the first step in that direction. To Old-fashionedAnglophile: Thank you for this lovely compliment "damn your excellent and captivating writing, I'll be waiting for the next chapter with bated breath." To Wolf's scream: It would have been interesting if Harry chucked the prophecy through the arch, but sadly, he did not. To shooter124: Thank you. They all do need Sirius, but this needed to happen, no matter how painful it was for all of us. To midnitewanderer: Didn't mean to make you burn your chicken and use all of your tissue, sorry about that. But you reread it, and left a second review because you're incredibly awesome and I love you, so thank you! And yes, my ass has been sneaky like that! To josht1987: I know what I did, yes. Sorry/not sorry LOL. To notthatchhavi: Thank you! To have made you both laugh and cry is the highest compliment I have received.
To Paola1991: It was very hard to kill him and I agonized over doing it but every time I edited out his death, I came back to it. It just is where the story took me. To speedsONEandONLY: Unlike the twist in Twilight, this really happened. Sirius is dead. To purplevictory: My present to myself wasn't the torture of my fans, it was sharing my work with you all. But I can write lines if you insist on it, thanks for not making me use a blood quill LOL.
My posting schedule: Once a week.
Thanks to Dusk for her editing skills!
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY:
Remus' eyes landed on Harry as soon as he arrived in the amphitheatre. Pride welled up inside of him. Harry and Neville stood side by side, wands out in determination. As angry as Remus was at his son for coming here, the sight of him holding his own had him bursting with pride.
But when spells started shooting off in every direction, that pride once more returned to fear.
It was absolute madness. He'd told Harry to leave and from the corner of his eye, he could see his son dragging Neville up the steps, ducking spells as he went. They needed to get out of here, all of them. He wasn't sure how much longer they had before Voldemort inevitably initiated the attack that Snape had warned him about.
They hadn't seen the others, having come through one of the many doors in the amphitheatre to help out just in time to see Harry start to hand over the prophecy.
And then the fighting had begun.
He felt like he was in a haze. He could feel his body moving, see his wand slashing and repelling spell after spell, but he didn't comprehend it. All he could think about was that the prophecy that his son was holding was in his hands — the prophecy that Voldemort was willing to kill to obtain. He needed to make sure that Harry got out of here with Neville, that they found the others, and made it back to Hogwarts before more of Voldemort's followers showed up - before Voldemort himself made an appearance.
He turned and shot a spell at the Death Eater moving towards his wife. The masked figure flew up into the air and backflipped into the stone wall hard enough to crack it. When he didn't get up again, Remus turned away from him, but then his heart stopped as he saw her fall. He was at his wife's side in seconds, helping her to her feet. Tonks only gave him a look of thanks before they were back to back, firing spells at their respective partners.
Remus' leg was bleeding. He could smell the blood from where the last curse had hit him, feel the sharp tear when he moved - but he wasn't concerned about it. It was the way that the Death Eaters were duelling that he found the most interesting.
Lucius, in particular, interested him. In his attempts to get the orb from Harry, he hadn't harmed him. He sent out jinxes and hexes, but nothing that would really harm him. In fact, he seemed to be doing his best to make sure that no one harmed the teens. Remus couldn't decide if that was because of the deal he had made with Sirius or because he didn't want to hurt them.
When Dumbledore came into the room, his presence was immediately known. Remus watched a masked man flip off of the parapet and crash to the ground, his wand flung from his hand like he was a puppet on a string. Dumbledore was the puppeteer as he reigned in Death Eater after Death Eater. The Death Eaters started to run, but Dumbledore twisted his wand and they seemed to gravitate towards him like he held a magnet, but not before the man fighting Tonks made a stabbing motion and she collapsed at his back.
He fell to the ground next to her, his hands immediately covering the blood coming from her shoulder.
"I've got you, Nymphadora."
Her grey eyes landed on him for a moment before she promptly passed out.
Bill fell to his knees next to him. "I'll get Harry and Neville out. Take her to St Mungo's."
Remus nodded and scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing just as he heard Sirius say, "You can do better than that!" and he Disapparated. Tonks was immediately seen by a healer and he followed, sending a Patronus to her parents.
She'd dislocated her shoulder, broken her collarbone, and the curse had torn through an artery, meaning that she'd lost a great deal of blood. But he pushed his panic down. She was going to be all right. He knew that. He could feel it, feel her. The sound of her steady heartbeat assured him of that.
One of the healers suggested that he wait outside while they healed her broken bones and locked her shoulder back into place; he growled in response.
"She's my wife and I'm not leaving her!"
"Let him stay," the other healer said, moving in to help her.
They'd just finished popping her shoulder back into place and healing her collarbone when Andromeda and Ted appeared. The healer was giving Tonks blood replenishing potions along with a sleeping draught. She explained how it was better for Tonks to sleep through the healing to help deal with the loss of blood when Andromeda cried out his name.
"Remus!"
"Andy, Ted," he said, his fingers gently brushing through his wife's hair. She had passed out while the healer was fixing her collarbone, and the sleeping draught in her bloodstream meant that she would be out for the count. "She's going to be all right."
"What happened?"
"Death Eaters," Remus said simply, making the healers look up in alarm. "The Ministry is under attack. We only contacted a few birds to see what's what, but it's bad. I don't know if the Defence System managed to get anyone to the Ministry to help yet. I left with Nymphadora."
Andromeda nodded, bending to kiss her daughter's forehead and making Remus sit down so that a healer could examine his leg. The wound was deep, but not bad and the healer was in the process of healing it when the cat Patronus burst through the doors.
Remus' eyes widened at the message and Ted grabbed his shoulder.
"Go. Dora will be fine. We'll be here when she wakes."
And then he was off and running, ignoring the healer who yelled after him that she wasn't finished.
He slid into the first fireplace he could find and stumbled out of the Floo in his office, running down the hall. His wound, not fully healed, tore open again when he ran, but he ignored it. He slammed through the doors of the hospital wing, eyes wide as he took in the surrounding beds.
McGonagall grabbed his arm. "Remus, he's all right. Poppy gave him a calming potion and a sleeping draught."
Remus nodded and hurried to his son's bed, his eyes blinded by tears. Zee was sitting at Harry's bedside, her fingers curled around Harry's hand. The curtains were closed around four of the other beds in the wing.
"The seven of them are okay, Remus," Zee said softly, her voice sad. "Ron and Hermione are at St Mungo's, but Poppy says that the healers there are taking care of them. Ginny, Luna, Theo, and Neville are here in the hospital wing."
"The bandages?"
"He was badly burned — by what I don't know — something hit him in there. Most of it is superficial and will heal within a few days, it's… Bellatrix, she… killed… and Harry went after her."
Remus bent down to kiss Harry's forehead, sitting on the side of his son's bed and taking his hand in his. "I saw Nymphadora go down and I just… Dumbledore came and we headed straight to St Mungo's. I knew that there were still people fighting but…"
Zee shook her head. "The Ministry fell. Voldemort attacked with Dementors and giants. We only just made it out of there."
Remus closed his eyes. "The Minister?"
"I don't know," Zee told him. "Harry and I came here and that's all that Dumbledore told us."
Remus turned to look at McGonagall. "The students?"
"Are none the wiser just yet and with them going home on Sunday, it's probably safer to keep them at the school unless Dumbledore agrees otherwise."
"All right," he said, turning back to Zee as McGonagall left the hospital wing. "We'll get Harry better and then we'll talk about arranging the funeral."
"Merlin… his body! It was just lying there… in the middle of that amphitheatre… I ran off after Harry when I saw him go and I just left…"
Remus reached out to take her hand. "Sirius would have done the same thing, Zee. Harry is who's important."
Zee nodded. "I don't quite know what to do. I keep thinking that I'll ask Sirius and then I remember…"
"We'll get there, one step at a time. We need to make sure that Harry is kept safe. If the Ministry really has fallen, who knows what that means in terms of the Defence Department or of any of the plans that they were working on… it's a lot of questions." Remus told her.
"And Harry?"
"His safety and well-being are at the top of that list. I need to talk to Nymphadora and see if she'd be willing to move."
Zee raised an eyebrow. "Move?"
"Into Black Cottage," Remus said. "I don't want to tear Harry from his home on top of him losing Sirius."
Zee glared at him. "You don't need to move, Remus — he has me!"
"Zee, I know that you love him, but —"
"— but what?" she demanded. "He is my son! I was going to marry Sirius and make that official, but I don't need it. He's my family, my heart… I won't leave him!"
"I didn't think you would," Remus said quietly. "Are you going to be all right, living there with him and… without Sirius? Nymphadora and I can move in to help out?"
"Unless that's what Harry wants, we'll be fine," she insisted.
He looked up when Dumbledore stepped into the hospital wing with McGonagall.
Dumbledore's gaze moved across the room before they landed on Remus and he marched towards them.
"What happened? Did Voldemort take over the Ministry?" Remus demanded.
Dumbledore shook his head, his eyes dark. "No, but the Ministry... the entire front of the building is damaged, as is the atrium. Fiendfyre destroyed a good portion of the floor and walls. Not to mention that Dementors and giants have wreaked havoc in London."
"What happened?"
"He left," Dumbledore said simply. "I don't know why. The Ministry was his for the taking, the Defence system wasn't as prepared as they should have been, only half of the Terra Troops showed up, the other units weren't there. Voldemort had the upper hand and then he just… ordered them all out… in the midst of fighting me, he stopped, claimed we'd meet again, and left… I don't know if it was the shock factor or if he just wanted to make a statement tonight… or if he just wanted to see what kind of power we had - but he said the word… and his armies left. He left the Ministry in shambles, but he left it to us."
Remus stared at him. "Make a statement — Albus, Sirius is fucking dead!"
Dumbledore nodded. "I know, Remus. We lost more than one life tonight."
Remus buried his face in his hands, trying to get his breathing under control. It didn't feel real. It felt like he was trapped in a dream and he couldn't quite claw his way to the surface, to reality.
"And Harry... Sirius is... was the one constant, the one person that he could count on and now..."
"He has you," Dumbledore said quietly. "He has you and Tonks and Zahira. He's far from alone."
Remus let out a slow breath. "No, of course he has us, I just meant... Merlin."
He reached out, gently running his fingers through his son's hair as a small panther cub curled near Harry's hands. Dumbledore waved his wand and Lady Godiva returned to her normal size.
"Thank you, Albus," Zee said quietly, stroking her panther lovingly behind the ears. "I didn't trust myself to fix her with the way…"
Dumbledore nodded. "Of course."
Harry turned toward Remus' hand in his sleep and Remus sighed. "Sirius' will... everything mostly goes to Harry," Remus told them. "I know he arranged the rest to go to Nymphadora and Draco Malfoy. Merlin, I don't even know if he's updated it in years…"
"Cornelius is back in his position as head of the Department of Magical Services. We'll make sure that everything is taken care of, since Harry is still a minor."
Remus froze, his fingers in his son's hair still. "Are you saying what I think you're saying, Albus?"
"Remus, we all know that he belongs with you, Tonks, and Zahira. But Harry is technically a ward of the Department of Magical Services unless Sirius expressly stated in his will that upon his death, one of you has guardianship."
"Do not fucking joke with me over this," Remus said, his voice full of steel. "He is MY son, not a fucking ward!"
A hand grabbed his arm and he turned to see Zee, her eyes wide in worry. "We'll fight it, Rem. Sirius and I never married so I... we'll fight it!"
"Harry is old enough to have an opinion on the matter as well. It will work itself out," Dumbledore assured them.
Remus let out a slow breath as he sat back down into the chair by Harry's bed. He took his son's hand in his, kissing it as he squeezed it. "I love you, little Prongs."
Zee's eyes met Dumbledore. "We wish to be left alone with him."
Dumbledore nodded and said goodnight, leaving with McGonagall.
Zee took her seat in the other chair and took Harry's other hand as Lady Godiva sprawled out across the end of Harry's hospital bed.
"Do you know who else died tonight?" Remus asked her.
"I saw Diggle... the giants tore him apart. I don't know the others except for... Pettigrew."
Remus' eyes shot to hers. "What?"
"He jumped in front of me," Zee told him. "He saved my life."
Remus' eyes widened at this declaration. "Well, I guess his moral compass came back around, didn't it?"
She nodded. "He fell through this veil thing and just vanished. But Bellatrix was the one to kill Sirius, Remus. Harry went after her. By the time I caught up with him, Dumbledore was duelling Voldemort and he had Harry trapped behind a piece of the Fountain of Magical Brethren…"
Remus nodded at her as she jumped to her feet, her hand over her mouth, and he only raised an eyebrow as she made it to the basin across the room and promptly vomited into it, wiping the back of her mouth. "Does Harry know?"
"No. You know that Sirius and I only just… oh, Merlin…" she murmured, placing her hands over her flat stomach. "I forgot…"
Remus stood up and bent over her to hug her from behind. "You're already an amazing mum. If anyone can raise these babies, you can."
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she held the arms around her shoulders as she looked at Harry's sleeping form. "I never really saw myself as a mum. I was always focused on the animals and then I fell in love with Harry and he was mostly grown, but… they're never going to know their father and Sirius was so excited…"
Remus kissed her cheek. "They'll know him. I promise you — they will know him."
Zee sniffed away her tears, pressing her fingers to her eyes. "I can't think about this right now. I just need to focus on Harry."
"And take care of yourself and those babies. There's an empty bed over there, get some rest."
"I'm fine," Zee insisted. "It's just… been a rather trying day."
"And Harry will need you when he wakes. Get some sleep," Remus insisted, tugging her to her feet. "Poppy can check you over."
Zee looked like she was going to protest, but then she nodded, moving into one of the empty hospital beds. "I'll just be here when he wakes…"
Remus nodded and gestured for the matron to look her over before he crawled into the bed next to his son. He sat up against the headboard and put his arm around Harry, sighing as Harry turned towards him in his sleep.
They would be okay, he told himself. But he looked up towards the ceiling of the hospital wing, blinking back tears.
"I'll protect him," Remus said quietly. "I'll protect our son."
Harry's head shifted onto Remus' chest in his sleep. Remus wrapped both of his arms around him as his own tears finally fell like a cascading waterfall raining down his cheeks, and he did nothing to stop them.
~ ASC ~
Ron woke slowly, blinking at the brightness of the lights and he felt a strong hand grip his. He turned and saw his dad sitting there. He managed a small smile.
"Hi, Dad."
Arthur only shook his head. "You ran off with your friends to the Department of Mysteries to save your sister, knowing damn well that You Know Who was going to be there, and you wake up in the bloody hospital and all you can say to me is, 'hi, dad'?"
Ron shrugged. "Hospital, huh?"
Arthur let out a slow sigh. "St Mungo's to be exact. Your mother just went to Hogwarts to check on Ginny. How are you feeling?"
"Tired," he admitted, glancing down at his arms which were both bandaged to the tops of his shoulders. "What happened?"
"You don't remember?" Arthur asked, frowning a little.
Ron shook his head. "I remember being in this room with no gravity and then something hit me and everything went funny... everything I could see was in strange colours and shapes and then... Dad, there were these floating brains..."
He suddenly looked down at his arms.
"I couldn't get them off me!"
Arthur squeezed his son's hand. "You're going to scar, Ron. Thought is... a lot more powerful than you'd think. The brains being studied were those of Muggles, witches, and wizards. The healers think that you had a Muggle brain grip you. It was the tendons of thought that seemed to wrap around you and hold on as if trying to find a connection... it held on like it was constricting you tighter and tighter and the panic of it made your blood pressure rise, your heart speed up, and then you lost consciousness. The tendons of the brain made themselves more comfortable around your arms and when Bill found you… they were tethered to you so deeply that they'd cut into your arms. It took three healers to remove them."
"But..."
"You're okay," Arthur told him, bringing his hand up to kiss it. "It weakened your muscles and they had to re-break a few bones in each arm to get in there. Your bones have been regrowing and splintering back together all night. It tore through muscles and a great deal of cartilage. You could have lost both of your arms, Ron."
"But I didn't."
Arthur stared at him for a long moment before he spoke. "You didn't. They've healed the cuts and all of your blood and heart tests came back normal. They covered your arms with a healing salve to help the cuts tether together. The ones on your back and chest healed quickly, but whenever they check your arms, you still have these thin red lines wrapped around each cut… and since there's no sign of it leaving — it will scar."
Ron nodded. "As long as we got Ginny, I can deal with a few scars, Dad."
Arthur smiled and stood up, bending down to kiss his son's forehead. "I am so proud of you. What you did was so brave, Ron, but it was also incredibly stupid. The five of you could have been killed!"
Ron only stared at his father. "But we weren't, Dad. You said that Ginny was in the hospital, too? Her ankle?"
"Healed and on the mend, but she also sustained a stun to the head, which Madam Pomfrey said inflicted no damage, but she wanted to keep her overnight for observation just to be sure. She's fine."
"Hermione? Harry? Neville? Luna? Theo?"
Arthur nodded. "Hermione is here in St Mungo's as well. Dolohov hit her with a dark curse. The healers are unsure of what exactly it is, but they know that it was internal and they're working to pull all remnants of it from her system. She's still unconscious."
"Her parents?"
"They haven't been told yet," Arthur admitted. "McGonagall was supposed to go over there this morning to let them know and bring them here. Luna sustained minor injuries and is fine. Neville had a broken nose and was put under the effects of the Cruciatus Curse, but I'm told that he's recovering in the hospital wing and will be okay. Theo will be all right as well. He only had minor injuries to deal with and it looks like he was under the torture curse as well. Harry is fine physically, a few scrapes and burns, but… Ron... Sirius was killed last night."
Ron's mouth dropped open. "What?"
"I don't know too much. Bellatrix Lestrange did it. Harry went after her. I know that You Know Who showed up and there was a fight between him and Dumbledore. Then the giants and the Dementors arrived. The Ministry is in shambles. Everyone is still putting the pieces together."
Ron nodded. "When do I get out of here?"
"A few more days at best, Ron," Arthur told him. "The brains greatly weakened you. You need time to recover your strength and to heal."
"Can I see Hermione?"
"Let's see what the healers say and we'll talk about it."
Ron nodded, his eyes on his hands. He examined his hands carefully, the large palms, the freckled skin, the long fingers, the short nails, and he noticed the thin red lines about the size of spaghetti noodles scattered around his wrist, and he wondered if all of them looked like that beneath his bandages. He wasn't a vain bloke, but he couldn't help but wonder how terrible his arms were going to look.
"Dad... I'm not sorry that I went."
Arthur leaned in and kissed his son's forehead again. "I know that this war is dragging you lot into it more than your mother and I would like. You're a strong young man, Ron. You're brave and bullheaded and incredibly loyal. I know that Harry probably tried to talk you out of going and I know that you would never have let him go alone. I admire that loyalty about you. You're a great friend. I know that you want to help fight and I know that there's only so much I can do to protect you. You're sixteen, almost a man, yet still so much my little boy."
"Dad… I wouldn't have let Harry go alone, you're right, but… they took Ginny."
Arthur nodded. "I'm proud of you, son."
Pride welled up inside of him and Ron felt his cheeks pink. "Thanks."
Arthur squeezed Ron's hand. "Drink this up. It's for the pain and it will help you sleep. The more you sleep, the faster you'll heal."
Ron took the potion from his father and drank it down.
"Get some more rest. I'll find out what's going on with Hermione, and then I'm going to check in on Ginny. I'll be back in a little bit with Mum, okay?"
Ron nodded and watched his father leave, letting his eyes drift closed again. He wanted to know how Hermione was and how Harry was doing. He knew that his best mate would be devastated by the loss of his father. Hopefully he wouldn't be here much longer and then he could give his friend the support he needed. Then he felt the potion kick in.
When he woke up again, he was greeted by Bill and Percy sitting by his bed.
"There he is," Percy said, leaning across the bed touch his hand. "How are you feeling?"
"Sleepy," Ron admitted, stifling a yawn. "Where's Dad?"
"He went to Hogwarts to check on Ginny. She's fine. Minor head injury, no concussion, but a broken ankle. Madam Pomfrey was releasing her today."
"Good," Ron said, leaning back against his pillows. "Any news on these bandages? They're starting to itch."
Bill snorted. "Another two or three days."
"You had us all worried, Ron. Marching off to the Ministry to fight Death Eaters — what the hell were you thinking?" Percy demanded.
"That bloody Nott took Ginny and Harry was going to get himself killed getting her back," he shot out.
Bill and Percy exchanged looks.
"What's that look for?"
"You've given Mum and Dad more reason to worry than all of us combined."
"Oh, come off of it," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "Fred and George —"
"— have done a lot of stupid and irresponsible things, granted," Percy interrupted. "But they haven't come up against dark wizards."
Ron flushed. "I didn't do much. I got myself hexed and fought a brain."
"You stood your ground," Bill told him. "You should be proud of yourself. I was there, Ron, I saw what you were up against. You're lucky to be alive."
Ron only stared at them. "It was stupid, but I had to go."
Percy squeezed his hand. "We know, which makes it worse somehow. Mum has been beside herself. Ginny managed to calm her down by assuring her that she was fine and that she had been kidnapped by accident, only because she was with Theo. But then Mum was worried about Theo. Thaddeus Nott is dead, which is a huge relief to everyone."
"Dad said that the Ministry was badly damaged?"
"The front is blown all to hell," Bill informed him. "Giants and Dementors made it into London. The Oblivators have been working all night and day to try to work on damage control. Sirius and Diggle were killed along with three volunteers from the Terra Troops. They arrested six Death Eaters, Nott and Pettigrew were both killed, but they also captured one giant, thanks to Theo's Finn. That bloke was on a mission. I've never seen anyone fight like that! There were eight wizards working on this giant and Finn just appeared out of nowhere and took him down in minutes. When he learned that Theo had been taken, he was furious. Let me tell you, I'm sure learning that you don't want to piss off a fae. Finn's at Hogwarts with Theo now. They're both fine."
Ron nodded. "Good. Dad said that the Ministry was in shambles."
"It is," Bill admitted. "The attack threw everyone for a loop, but they're working on it. He Who Must Not Be Named didn't stick around very long, but the attack shocked everyone. He's powerful and dangerous, and we need to be ready for him next time. This showed us that we aren't ready, not really. The Defence System is still so new. We have a lot to learn from our mistakes today."
Ron nodded. "But it did work, didn't it?"
Percy shrugged. "It's a start, Ron."
Ron stared at his brothers before he let out a slow breath. "Any news on Hermione?"
Percy shook his head. "Not yet. Her parents are here now. The moment we know anything, I'll let you know."
Bill nodded. "Try to get some more rest, Ron. Someone will be here when you wake."
Ron accepted the potion again, drinking deeply and making a face before he let himself drift back off to sleep, feeling assured at his brother's words.
~ ASC ~
Theo woke to a feeling of warmth and contentment. A golden glow seemed to shimmer in front of his closed lids. He blinked slowly and Finn's face hovered over him, green eyes searching.
"How do you feel?"
Theo shifted slightly as he realized that he was being cradled in Finn's arms at the same time that he felt no pain. In fact, he felt as good as new.
"Er, great actually. I thought... did you heal me?"
Finn bent his head and kissed his lips. "Yes." His lips brushed his again. "Theo... Merlin, when word came for the Terra Troops to head to the Ministry and I heard that you'd been kidnapped... my heart stopped. You are my everything."
Then his lips were pressing into his, hard and bruising, as if he was trying to be part of him. Theo's fingers slipped into that silky hair and he sighed against him.
"I'm okay," he murmured. "I'm fine. Harry and his friends rescued me... but my father... he's so furious, Finn. I don't know what he's going to do if I ever face him again."
"I won't allow it," Finn insisted, tenderly brushing Theo's cheek. "I'll protect you."
Theo's eyes softened. "I know that I've rather given you the impression that I'm a damsel in distress, but I'm not. I can take care of myself."
Finn kissed his lips again. "I know that. But it doesn't mean that I don't want to protect you."
Theo let Finn engulf him in his embrace again just as Ginny stuck her head in the curtains.
"Theo?"
"Ginny," he breathed in relief. "Thank Merlin you're okay!"
She nodded and slipped through the curtain to bend down and hug him. "And you?"
"Finn just healed me. Ginny, I'm so sorry! I knew that my father would be angry, but I never... I should have known better than to let you come out with me. He could have killed you!"
Ginny ignored him. "First of all, we never could have guessed that would happen, and second — I'm fine."
"What about Harry?"
Ginny gestured to the left. "He's still asleep. Remus is asleep next to him. I didn't want to impose."
Finn nodded, kissing Theo's cheek. "He will need you, Ginny. You will not be imposing."
Ginny smiled at him and nodded. "And I'll be there for him. I'll talk to you two later. I'm going to check on the others while Harry sleeps."
Theo watched her slip out of the bed curtains before he turned back to Finn and found himself kissing those lips again for a long moment. "I'm okay, honest."
Finn kissed his forehead, cradling Theo against his chest. "I planned on killing him for hurting you, but someone beat me to it."
"Someone… wait — are you saying…?"
Finn nodded. "Thaddeus Nott is dead. His body was found in the Department of Mysteries next to yours and the others. Six Death Eaters were arrested, the others escaped when Voldemort ordered his army to retreat."
Theo stared at Finn. "He's really gone?"
Finn kissed his forehead. "I am sorry if that hurts you, but after what he did, I had thought you'd be happy."
"No, no, I'm not… I'm glad he's dead," he admitted. "It just feels… surreal. I mean… he was my father… do you know who killed him?"
Finn shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. He was dead when I arrived."
Theo stared at him a moment before he shifted and felt something warm and wet against his shoulder. He turned to look and his eyes widened when he saw the blood. "Finn!"
"It's only a scratch," he insisted, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around Theo.
Theo ignored this and pulled away from him to examine the scratch. Now that he had moved away he could see that Finn's entire left arm was soaked with blood. He tore his boyfriend's shirt off and saw the long gash that covered him from shoulder to wrist and watched in fascination as the smooth skin was already slowly healing, stitching back together before his very eyes.
"I told you, it's a scratch," Finn assured him. "One of the giants I was fighting, his nail clipped me when he swatted me away. I didn't fly high enough. It's already healing."
"The blood…"
Finn pulled Theo back against his chest, kissing his forehead. "I bleed a lot, but I can promise you, it's already healing. I'm fine. Holding you will help me heal faster."
Theo stared at the gash, watching the way it was slowly healing under his eyes and he nodded, feeling reassured. He had to get used to the fairy magic aspect of Finn sometimes. He tilted his head back to look into his boyfriend's eyes. "You fought a giant?"
Finn chuckled. "I did. We prevented him from getting into London. The Ministry has taken the one giant into custody, but we weren't able to stop all of them. This dark lord has decided to bring our war to the Muggles and no one is quite sure what that means yet."
The curtains opened and Madam Pomfrey lifted an eyebrow. "Mr Nott, I wasn't aware that you had any visitors."
"I'm fine now, Madam Pomfrey — Finn healed me."
Madam Pomfrey made a tutting sound with her tongue before she merely stared him down. Theo let out a sigh and moved out of Finn's arms to let her examine him, but Finn continued to hold his hand as if afraid to let him go. It only took a few moments before she nodded. "Everything seems good. If you are feeling better you can return to Slytherin House."
Theo thanked her as she left and found himself in Finn's arms again. "Thank you for being here."
Finn cupped Theo's face in his hands and kissed him. "There's nowhere else I would be."
He smiled at his boyfriend before he made himself comfortable in Finn's arms again. This was exactly where he needed to be as well. But as Finn held him close, he couldn't help but wonder who had held the wand to end his father's life. Or how he felt about being relieved that he hadn't been forced to kill him.
~ ASC ~
Lucius wrapped his arms around his wife as something in the room next to them smashed and Voldemort roared in anger. Narcissa shuffled closer to him at the loud bang. He held her tightly, kissing the top of her head as the sounds of broken glass and wood erupted from the other room.
It was only a few moments before Abraxas stuck his head out of the room and gestured for Lucius to follow. Lucius held his wife's hand in his as they entered the room. Broken wine bottles were littered everywhere; Voldemort had smashed part of the wine cabinet in the drawing room. The cabinet itself was broken and crumpled and wine stained the walls.
"My lord," Lucius said, bowing slightly.
Voldemort turned to glare at him. "Not only did you all fail at killing Potter tonight, but the prophecy was smashed."
The icy sound of his voice sent shivers down Lucius' spine.
"I did everything I could to get my hands on the prophecy, my lord. Potter was handing it over to me when the Order showed up. If they had been seconds later, I would have been successful."
Voldemort only continued to stare at him. "You lot were outsmarted by seven teenagers, who led you on a wild hippogriff chase through the Department of Mysteries. We lost Jugson and Goyle tonight and Nott and Pettigrew were both killed by your stupidity!"
"Nott was hanging off his hinges!" Lucius exclaimed. "I killed him before he did something to get one of us killed!"
Abraxas' hand landed on his son's shoulder. "That was smart thinking, Lucius. Thaddeus lost all of his pull. He was a weak link, my lord."
"I'm aware," Voldemort stated. "They were both weak links and my army is stronger without them, but I did not give you permission to kill him."
Lucius' eyes glinted. "I made a logistical choice that it was better for us if he was dead."
"And this has nothing to do with your feelings for his son… that you feel fatherly towards him."
"Part of it," Lucius admitted. "He tried to kill his own son, and yes, I reacted to that. He fucking deserved to die. He sure as hell doesn't deserve Theo!"
Voldemort's wand flicked and Narcissa collapsed to her knees, screaming.
"NO!"
Voldemort twisted his wand again and her screams became more desperate. He raised his voice to speak over her cries. "Theodore Nott has chosen to become our enemy, Lucius. As our enemy, he does not need you to protect him any longer."
Lucius' eyes were on Narcissa. Her eyes were bulging and her body twisting into painful contortions that had tears running down her cheeks.
"My lord, I apologize, I should never have acted without your permission. Please… don't hurt Cissa any more! Please!"
Voldemort twisted his wand a third time and Narcissa screamed. Then he dropped his arm and she collapsed face first onto the marble floor. "Do not decide what is best for me again, Lucius. Brax, follow me."
Voldemort stormed out of the room with Abraxas on his trail as Lucius fell to his knees, lifting his wife into his arms.
"Cissa, Cissa, darling, are you —?"
The slap sent his head reeling back; he clenched his jaw only a moment before Narcissa threw herself into his arms, sobbing. Lucius wrapped his arms around her tightly, cradling her into his chest as he rocked her back and forth.
"I'm so sorry, darling. I'm so sorry."
Narcissa clung to him and Lucius turned when he heard footsteps behind him. Crouch stood there, a sneer on his face.
"What do you want, Bart?"
Crouch knelt down next to them, using his wand to lift the strip of ripped fabric that hung off of Narcissa's shoulder. "The dark lord requests your presence, Lucius. He told me to say that if you don't follow his instructions to the letter, he'll let me play with your wife."
Lucius pulled Narcissa away from Crouch and behind him as he stood. "If you touch her, I will make you wish that you were dead."
Crouch let out a giggle. "Oh, dearie, I rather doubt that." He winked at Narcissa before he turned and left the room.
Lucius turned to his wife, kissing her forehead. "Binky!"
The elf appeared before them, but he kept his eyes on his wife. "Take her upstairs and treat her. Do not let anyone into her room except me. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master Lucius."
Lucius watched the elf Disapparate with his wife before he rubbed his fists over his eyes. He let out a slow breath and then moved towards the dining room where Voldemort was waiting for him.
Every step felt more like a death sentence than the one before it.
~ ASC ~
Neville woke slowly, rubbing his eyes as he did. His whole body was sore, but he was alive. He jolted slightly when he recognized the imposing figure of his grandmother sitting by his bedside.
"Er, morning, Gran."
Augusta Longbottom stared down at him. "I will not stand by and allow you to kill yourself - or worse, put yourself in the same ward as your parents. Do you understand me, Neville Franklin Longbottom?"
"Yes, ma'am."
She bent her head and kissed his cheek. "You were under the Cruciatus?"
He nodded. "Gran… I'm sorry. I couldn't let Harry go off alone and the prophecy…"
Augusta nodded. "I'm very proud of you, Neville."
Neville's ears pinked. "Oh, er… thanks."
She nodded and then took a deep breath before she spoke. "Sirius Black is dead."
Neville's eyes filled up with tears that spilled down his cheeks before he could stop them. Sirius Black was dead. He remembered watching him fall. The way he'd fallen down off the parapet, the blood… the way Harry ran to him… Dad, Harry had cried out… The thought was unimaginable. The vibrant, strong, happy man who always had a kind word, a hug, a word of advice… the man he had looked at as a favoured uncle, father figure since he'd been six years old… gone.
"Harry?"
"He's here in the hospital wing," Augusta told him. "Remus and Zahira are with him. He might still be sleeping. From what I understand they gave him a mixture of a calming drought and a sleeping potion when he came in last night. He was, naturally, quite upset."
Neville only nodded. He knew what losing Sirius was doing to him so he imagined Harry would be taking it extra hard. "Bellatrix Lestrange? Harry went after her?"
Augusta shook her head. "She escaped with Voldemort. After his army did untold damage on the Ministry and in London, they ran."
"Crouch was there, too. He told me… he liked torturing my parents."
Augusta's eyes darkened. "I have to believe that they will get the justice they deserve. I have to believe it, Neville."
"Yes, Gran."
She squeezed his hand in hers. "Amelia has called an emergency Wizengamot meeting for this afternoon to discuss dealing with the cosmetics of the Ministry and obliviating the Muggles, will you be all right?"
He nodded. "Yes. I'm sore, but I feel okay. Go. Try to help where you can."
Augusta smiled at him. "You remind me so much of your parents, Neville. I'm so proud of the man you are growing into, never forget that. I love you."
It was rare for her to say it and he swallowed the lump in his throat at her words. "I love you, too, Gran."
She hugged him and then stood up. "I'll come back later tonight after the meeting and we'll talk details. With you turning sixteen next month I think it's time for you to take over Cumbria completely. Sirius groomed you well for it, Neville, and I would be honoured to pass the mantle over to you."
"Are you going to let me join the Order?" he asked her.
Her eyes widened in surprise, before she masked it. "Dumbledore insists on you being seventeen. But we'll talk about it. I'll be back later tonight. Get some rest."
Neville watched her disappear through the curtain and he let out a slow sigh. The world was changing and he wasn't sure how much of it was truly for the better.
~ ASC ~
Ginny left Theo and checked in on Harry again. The sight of him sleeping next to Remus made her heart clench. She couldn't imagine how heartbroken he was going to feel when he woke. Madam Pomfrey had healed her ankle the night before in about a second, but she had been worried about the concussion. Ginny had barely finished taking the potions when Bill, Molly, and Percy had arrived.
After assuring them that she was all right, Ginny learned that Ron had been sent to St Mungo's where Arthur had gone. Molly had ranted at her daughter over her fear of her being taken and so on, but when she had learned that Theo's father was responsible, her anger soared.
"That son of a bitch!"
"Mum!" Bill exclaimed in shock. "Do you kiss Dad with that mouth?"
Molly glared at him. "I know that you've said worse, young man. How can that despicable human being have created such a sweet young man like our Theo? He's better off without him, I'll say."
"And then some," Percy admitted. "We don't know who killed him, but we found his body in the Department of Mysteries. Finn was enraged when he discovered that Theo was there. If Nott hadn't already been dead, I think he would have killed him himself."
"I like him — Finn, that is. He's passionate, and one hell of a warrior. I can see why Theo would be attracted to him," Bill confessed.
Ginny smiled at her brothers. "Theo's in love with him and Finn loves him back. It's rather romantic as they wrote letters for months and then Finn rescued him and they fell in love. How is Theo?"
"Minor injuries," Bill assured her. "Finn's with him now. He barely finished taking down a giant before he demanded to see him. Theo's sleeping, but Madam Pomfrey said he's going to be fine."
Molly reached out to take her daughter's hand. "Ginny, darling… Sirius was killed last night."
Ginny gasped, her eyes widening. "What?"
Percy nodded. "Bellatrix Lestrange killed him. Bill tried to stop him, but Harry went after her. I don't know what happened after that, but Dumbledore ended up fighting You Know Who and his army of Dementors and giants showed up and most of the Death Eaters escaped. They took us all by surprise."
"And the prophecy?"
"It smashed," Percy told her. "You Know Who never found out the contents."
Ginny nodded, tears in her eyes. "Poor Harry. I should be with him."
"Remus and Zahira are with him now," Molly assured her. "You stay here and get some rest. Madam Pomfrey says that you need to take these potions. Bill and Percy will stay with you to keep you awake. If everything still looks normal in a few hours, you can sleep. I need to go check on your brother."
Ginny nodded as her mum kissed her cheek. "Is he okay?"
"Arthur sent word that he is, but his injuries were too severe for Madam Pomfrey to deal with, so she sent him to St Mungos. I want to see him myself."
"We'll stay with Ginevra, Mum," Percy assured her.
Molly kissed both of her sons when she stood. "I'll be back in a few hours. I'll send word on Ron."
Then she left. Bill and Percy soon told Ginny about arriving at the Ministry and what they had seen. They explained that after Harry had taken off after Bellatrix, how most of the Death Eaters had been rounded up, but then when the Dementors and giants came in, all hell had broken loose once again.
"It was unlike anything that I've ever seen before," Bill admitted. "The presence of the Dementors made it hard for us to fight and even with the use of our patronuses, it was like trying to fight through a fog. The giants just destroyed everything in their path and the Death Eaters were sending spell after spell… if he hadn't pulled back, I don't know if we could have won."
Percy nodded. "It was bad, Ginevra. I'm glad that you were sent back to Hogwarts when you were."
"I can't believe that the seven of you held off that many Death Eaters yourself for as long as you did."
Ginny shrugged. "It was terrifying, but we had no choice and… they weren't really trying to hurt us — they wanted the prophecy. As long as Harry had it, they were careful. They didn't want to risk losing it."
"I'm proud of you, Firecracker," Bill told her. "But never do anything like that again."
Percy grinned. "I second that."
Ginny smiled at them. "I'll try my hardest not to."
When she'd finally managed to get some sleep, she had fitful dreams. Thaddeus Nott's face had merged into Tom's. She woke, sweating and anxious, to find her parents there. Molly was sleeping slumped in the chair, but her father's eyes were on her.
"Dad!"
Arthur bent his head to kiss her forehead. "Hi, baby girl. Are you all right?"
"Bad dreams," she told him, throwing her arms around his neck.
He cradled her close, kissing the top of her head. "I think that's expected. How's the head?"
"Fine. I feel good."
"Good," he told her. "Madam Pomfrey has given you a clean bill of health. She just wants you to rest up today, but you're free to leave the hospital wing."
Ginny nodded, pulling away from her father. "Daddy, is Sirius really dead?"
Arthur's eyes were sad when he looked at her. "Yes, Ginny, he is."
She blinked back tears. "Ron?"
"The brains injured him quite severely and he's going to scar, but the healers believe that he will make a full recovery." He glanced at his watch. "He should be waking within the hour and I want to be there."
Ginny hugged him again. "Thanks for being here, Daddy."
He kissed her cheek. "Absolutely. I'll send word on, Ron. Tell your mother when she wakes. She's only been asleep for twenty minutes."
Ginny watched him go and felt a little relieved. It was almost another two hours before she managed to get her mum to go check on Ron as well. She'd only just convinced her to go before Arthur had shown up again to check on her. It was another hour before her parents were finally convinced to leave, which they only agreed to because Madam Pomfrey had come to say that Ginny could go back to Gryffindor Tower. They hugged and kissed her goodbye and returned to St Mungo's to check on Ron.
Ginny had immediately gone to check on Harry. He'd been sleeping still so she'd snuck a look in on Theo. The sight of him wrapped in Finn's arms had made her smile. She'd met Luna on her way to check on Neville.
"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the bundle in Luna's arms.
"Clean clothes for you and your toiletries. Dean let me into Gryffindor to get them."
Ginny hugged her friend. "Thank you!"
Luna nodded, holding Ginny tightly. "How's your ankle?"
"Good as new. You?"
"I'm fine," Luna told her. "I wasn't really hurt. Ron took the brunt of it. How is he?"
"He's going to be all right," Ginny assured her. "Mum and Dad are with him now at St Mungo's. I think that he's going to be there a few more days, but he's going to be okay."
"I'm glad of it," Luna said. "Have you seen Harry yet?"
Ginny shook her head. "He's sleeping. I figured that I'd let him rest while I checked on everyone else."
Luna nodded. "Neville was with his grandmother when I snuck my head in earlier. Finn was healing Theo himself, but he was also sleeping. I heard you with your family so I thought that I'd get you something to clean up with."
Ginny smiled as she led Luna into the hospital bath. "I appreciate it."
Luna hopped onto the counter as Ginny disappeared into the shower room with her things. "I was sorry to hear about Sirius."
"Me too," Ginny called out. "Harry is going to be devastated when he wakes up."
She showered quickly, getting the grime off and happily washing her hair. She dressed in the comfortable blue jeans and purple v-neck tee that Luna had brought her. She used her wand to dry her hair and left it tumbling over her shoulders and down her back before she emerged from the shower room to find her friend.
"Thanks for this, Luna."
Luna nodded. "I knew that you wouldn't want to leave here just yet."
"Did your dad come?"
Luna shook her head. "I didn't spend the night in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey gave me a once over and told me that I was free to return to Ravenclaw. I sent Daddy a letter to tell him that I was all right and not to come. He's worried, obviously, but he understood the merit of not coming. It's only five days until we return home."
Ginny nodded, putting the hospital gown into the laundry bin. "True." She zipped up the bag of her toiletries and smiled at her friend. "Come on, let's go check on Neville."
~ ASC ~
When Harry woke the next morning, he felt unbearably warm, unrested, and exhausted. He blinked, his eyes still rather hooded in sleep and tried to figure out where he was. It took only a moment for him to realize that he was in the hospital wing and then everything came crashing back at once.
Ginny and Theo had been kidnapped.
The Department of Mysteries.
The prophecy.
The Death Eaters.
Bellatrix and Sirius duelling.
Sirius was dead.
He reached for his glasses on the table and saw that the warmth could be explained by the fact that Remus was sleeping next to him, snoring lightly. He shifted carefully to get up and use the toilet and had just returned and sat on the edge of his hospital bed when Remus sprang up, eyes on him.
"Little Prongs?"
The childish nickname brought tears to his eyes and he furiously blinked them back as Remus moved to sit on the side of the bed next to his son. His long arms wrapped around him and Harry found himself burrowed in the warmth that was Remus.
"He's gone," he croaked.
Remus kissed the top of Harry's head. "I know. It's not fair. I miss him too."
"He can't be dead, Uncle Rem!" Harry bellowed, sitting up and pulling himself away. "He can't be fucking dead!"
"Harry!" Remus exclaimed, his own eyes brimming in tears. "He is dead! He died to protect you, and we both know that he would have made the same fucking choice every single time."
"It's all I'm good for," Harry muttered.
"What?"
Harry only glared at him. His green eyes were full to the brim of anger and sadness and angst and it tugged at Remus' heart strings to see it. "You should go; everyone who loves me dies."
"Harry," Remus said quietly, understanding. He stretched himself out on the bed again, tugging Harry down with him. "That's not true. You're still stuck with me," he said lightly, elbowing him gently.
"Mum, Dad, and now Sirius… Cedric and Viktor last year," Harry said, his eyes filling up again. "Anyone who tries to do the right thing… who tries to shield me in any way… they die and it's all because of me - because Voldemort wants… me."
Remus lifted his arm, stretching it around Harry's shoulders, sighing when his head rested on his shoulder. "Harry… Voldemort is to blame for all of it. Not you. He is the one who has taken everything from you; taken those you love from you. He's killed dozens, if not hundreds of innocent people, and the fact that you're still standing is pretty damn impressive. You've… you've faced him five times in your lifetime and every time you've come out victorious and I know that within those times, there have been victims that were not so lucky. James and Lily… they died trying to save their baby boy from the clutches of that madman. Quirrell died because of the sacrifice Lily made for you, and that love and that sense of pure heart that she instilled upon her child, was too good for him to bear. Cedric and Viktor… because of your good faith in humanity, and his good faith in you as a new friend, to work together to achieve greatness, and tonight… your friends followed you without question, Harry. They trust and love you, and would do so again in a heartbeat if you needed them. Are you telling me that you don't expect Sirius and I to do the same for you? He loved you more than anything in this world, Harry, and he knew that you are destined to do great things. Don't let his sacrifice be in vain."
Harry simply held on as the tears rolled down his cheeks. "Neither can live while the other survives. I'm destined to be a murderer, Uncle Remus! That's not exactly a bright future."
Remus kissed Harry's forehead. "Prophecies are very fickle, Harry. If you learned nothing else, that should at least have stood out for you."
Harry hugged him tightly, both of them lying there holding the other in their grief and it was only when the afternoon sun began to shine brighter in the hospital wing that Harry finally spoke again. "I have to become a murderer, Uncle Moony."
"Shh," Remus crooned, kissing his forehead. "You absolutely do not. The Second War is only just beginning, little Prongs, and you are not the only soldier on the front, do you understand me? The Order will look after Voldemort and you will look after yourself and your friends. You and me, we're going to look after each other."
"But the prophecy —"
"— Is a prophecy, it's not fate, Harry."
"But Dumbledore said —"
"— The world does not rest on your shoulders," Remus said quietly. "Now sleep a little."
Harry shook his head. "I don't want to be alone, Uncle Moony; stay with me. I don't want the dreams to come."
Remus nodded. "I'm not going anywhere, Harry. I'm not going anywhere."
Harry hugged Remus tighter. "How are we... Zee! They were going to get married and now... what's going to happen?"
"We're working that out," Remus told him. "She wants to stay with you. Tonks and I can move in as well, if you want. You won't be alone, Harry. I love you very much."
Harry stayed wrapped in Remus' arms. "You shouldn't… everyone who loves me dies."
"Hey!" Remus said sharply, pulling away to look into his son's eyes. "What did I just tell you! That's not true. I know that I'm not Sirius, but I'm here. I love you, and I have loved you from the very moment that your mum placed you in my arms in the hospital. Nothing and no one will will ever stop me from loving you. We'll get through this, Harry. Together."
Harry only nodded glumly and then burrowed back into Remus' warmth. "Where's Tonks?"
"At St Mungo's," Remus told him, his hands gently running up and down Harry's back. "She's going to be all right. She was hit with a few different jinxes and hexes and then fell off the parapet, dislocated her shoulder and broke her collarbone, but the healers assured me that she's going to be fine, after a few days of rest."
"Ginny? My friends?"
Remus kissed Harry's temple. "All being taken care of. Ron and Hermione are also being treated at St Mungo's and as far as I know, Ginny, Theo, Neville, and Luna are here in the hospital wing. Everyone is going to be okay."
"Zee?"
"I made her go lie down. She needed to rest and take care of herself and the... she needed to rest," he said carefully.
Harry only nodded. Madam Pomfrey soon came over and examined the burns on Harry's arms, but he only stared through her and he drank whatever she handed him without question.
She left them alone again after he took his potions and Harry stayed lying there in silence for what felt like hours before he finally spoke.
"It's my fault he's dead."
Remus turned his head to kiss his son's temple. "Absolutely not."
"I should have waited before I went to the Ministry."
"Harry... Sirius and I wanted you to stay at school, but we knew that with Ginny being kidnapped... we knew that you would go, and Sirius and I were on our way there regardless."
"But if I hadn't run off half-cocked —"
"— Bellatrix still would have been there, and so would Sirius, and I can guarantee you, they still would have duelled."
"But I —"
"— Harry, you are not to blame for this. Bellatrix Lestrange is. She and Sirius have always had a volatile relationship, Harry. She knows how to press his buttons, always has, and unfortunately when it comes to her, Sirius can't resist wheedling her and taunting her… trust me, they would have duelled no matter what."
Harry opened his mouth to protest and Remus' expression made him promptly shut it again.
"You heard what Snape told me. We both knew that Voldemort planned to attack last night. He had something in mind, and yes, he wanted you to take the prophecy for him — that was the part that we didn't quite know until after — but we knew that he was going to be there. We were on our way to head him off. We had a team from the Order ready to go and to alert the Terra Troops if needed. We would have been there, even if you hadn't." He let out a long sigh. "You Marauders... you held them off the prophecy. You beat us there, and maybe if you hadn't shown up, maybe Ginny and Theo would be dead... sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good."
"It's for the greater good that Sirius died? Is that what you're saying?" Harry demanded, his eyes wide.
"You know it's not," Remus said quietly. "I just meant that if you hadn't been there, maybe more lives would have been lost."
Harry only stared at him. "And maybe Uncle Sirius would still be alive."
Remus kissed his temple. "He will always be with us, Harry. He's in a good place now, with James and Lily, with Fee and Monty... he will always watch over you."
"It's not the same," he whispered.
"I know, Harry. I know it's not. I wish he was here, too."
Harry lied there for the longest time, not saying a word. He didn't move until he saw the shadow come over him and he saw Zee's tear-stained face. He sat up and she immediately bent and wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm sorry, Zee."
Zee kissed his cheeks, hugging him tightly. "You have nothing to apologize for. You and me, we're going to get through this. All of us — together."
Remus put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "We're a team."
Tears welled up in Harry's eyes at those words. "Not without Uncle Siri."
Zee kissed Harry's cheek. "I love you so much! Sirius may have brought us together, but you are my family, Harry James Potter, and I'm not going anywhere."
She reached for Remus' hand, smiling at him when he squeezed it before she stood up. "Let's go home, sweetie, okay?"
"Can we go now?"
Remus shook his head. "When Madam Pomfrey clears you. Until then, why don't you lie back down and get some more rest."
"Ginny?"
"She's with her parents," Zee told him. "I'm sure she'll come see you soon."
Harry only nodded and let his father push him back down. Remus lied down next to him and Zee bent to kiss his cheek, her fingers gently drifting through his hair and it wasn't long before sleep overcame him again.
End Author's Note:
To anyone interested, just finished reading an amazing Hinny fic by the incredible Velvethope called 17, Clumsy, and Shy, which I highly recommend! It is absolutely filthy Hinny smut mixed in with Celtic mythology and a pretty incredible storyline of 7th year. I can't wait to see what comes next!
Thank you as always and please review!