CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: SO MUCH LIKE MY DAD

Two months later (September 2008)

Hermione strolled through the corridors of the Ministry of Magic, Harry right next to her. They were on their way to a meeting with the Minister to brief him on the activities of the Order of the Phoenix when the large explosion shook the entire building.

In an instant, the entire office was in disarray. People screamed as a hundred black-cloaked dementors swarmed the floors, stealing souls from the innocent. Harry had shoved Hermione's head down when the explosion happened, but now dragged her back up and with him to where he guessed the explosion had originated: The Department of Mysteries.

When they reached the Department, they saw death everywhere, both innocent people and Death Eaters littered the ground. There were people running every which direction, most dueling fiercely with a Death Eater.

Harry and Hermione joined the battle by chasing a group of Death Eaters down a hall. They had no idea where they were running as they plunged into the large, round room with the rotating doors. They ran in, the room spun, and the Death Eaters ran towards a random door, away from Harry, Hermione, and their fellow pursuing Auror, Nymphadora Tonks.

They all followed their own Death Eater down the corridor, right into the room with the raised dais where they lost Sirius before they began dueling with their Death Eaters, Harry with Lucius Malfoy, Tonks with Antonin Dolohov, and Hermione with Bellatrix Lestrange.

Harry was bearing down and finally beating Malfoy when he heard Tonks cry out, and saw Dolohov nearly overcoming on her. With a sweeping move, Harry Stunned Malfoy and rushed off to help Tonks, while looking to make sure that Hermione was holding her own. Hermione was on the dais, dueling with Bellatrix so fiercely spells were colliding in the air and shooting in every which direction, leaving craters where they hit.

Tonks and Harry had a time fighting off Dolohov, and indeed didn't have to hex him to win. Dolohov passed out on them from overexertion and lay at their feet, out cold. Tonks Stunned him, just for the record, and both turned to watch Hermione and Bellatrix to find that they were no longer dueling, but wrestling. Bellatrix's wand lay off the edge of the dais, broken, with Hermione's not far away, thankfully still intact.

As Harry and Tonks were running to where the women fought, Hermione suddenly overthrew Bellatrix. All three watched, horrified, as Bellatrix fell backwards behind the veil.

The veil fluttered just as it had when it had accepted Sirius into it's waiting jaws, then lay still.

Harry rushed forward to pick up Hermione, who was on her knees in front of the archway, crying profusely. He cradled her in his arms while she cried about having taken the life of another person. No matter how he tried to explain to her that it wasn't her fault and Bellatrix's death wasn't something to cry over, Hermione would hear no word of it. All Harry could do was hold her close as she cried.

Suddenly a dazzling radiance burst throughout the room. The ground Harry and Hermione were sitting on began to come apart under them as what seemed to be another archway came through the crack. Tonks ran for the steps leading out of the room, Harry and Hermione trailing not far behind. They didn't get far when a strangely familiar voice called out to them. "Hey! Wait for me!"

The three of them turned and gawked at what they saw. There, in front of them looking as confused as they, was Sirius Black.

Hermione let go of the back of Harry's shirt and approached the shaggy man with vigilance. She scrutinized him, casting spells on him and checking him over to make sure he was indeed her father. Sirius knew better than to move. Even had he wanted to, he couldn't have. He was astonished to be able let her check him over. What he was doing there, he didn't know, but regardless of how he got there, or how long it would last, he was happy to see his daughter, his godson, and his cousin.

Satisfied that the man in front of her was without a doubt Sirius, she stood back, smiling. "How have you been, Dad?"

"Come here, Rotten." he responded, crossing the cracked floor to her, arms wide open. He squeezed her snugly, basking in her warmth, both physically and sentimentally. "Let me look at you." He held her an arm's length away to take in her appearance. Her chocolate-colored hair was long and full, her mocha eyes alert and pleased. She was trim, fit and curvy. Her lips were ample and curled into a gleeful smile. "You look just like your mother, you know that?" He pulled her into an embrace once more.

"She may look like her mum, but she acts just like you. Exactly like you. Every bit of her." Harry said from behind the two of them.

"Hey, Kid." Sirius said as he pulled Harry into the group hug.

"Where ya been, man?" Harry teased.

"I've been in the twilight zone, I think. I don't know what it was, but it was weird. I just kind of floated around for… how long have I been gone?"

"Too long." Tonks finally remembered she had a voice and a pair of legs, and ambled over to join them.

"Tonks!" Sirius roared, releasing Harry and Hermione and running over to hug her.

"Hi Sirius." she managed from her perch high up in his arms.

"What are you doing hitting on my best friend?" He asked her as he replaced her on the floor. There was simulated seriousness written all over his face.

"Wha, Wha, Umm… What are you talking about?" she asked, trying to sound confused.

"You know what I mean. When did you start having a thing for Remus?"

"Excuse me? Tonks and Remus?" Harry blinked, confused, as he asked. "When did that happen?"

"Oh Harry, are you blind? Tonks and Remus have something going on." Hermione said, laughing

"No, it's me that has something going on. I have no idea if he even realizes I have a huge crush on him. He's oblivious to the people that love him…" Tonks grumbled.

"Relax. I'll bet ten galleons that he is fully aware and just scared." Sirius smiled at his cousin as he reassured her.

"We'll see."

"Speaking of Remus, he'll want to know you're back. He missed you." Harry said, grabbed Sirius by the arm, and lead him out of the room.