She had assembled nine other members of the Order at short notice to go on ahead to the Ministry of Magic in order to attempt 'rescue and apprehension' of captives and Death Eaters. Both Frank Longbottom and James Potter were without their wives as now both of them were expecting babies; it felt like only a few weeks ago that the Potters had gotten married. Kingsley and Quentin were also present; who were now living under the same roof so that Kingsley could spend more time with his niece. Sirius and Remus had arrived with James carrying handfuls of spare wands in case anyone was disarmed and they were accompanied by an auburn-haired woman who Andromeda recognised from her brief spell as a teacher at Hogwarts called Carmen. Surprisingly Mrs White had apparated to their hiding place as soon as she had learnt of her husband's death; fuelled with anger and vengeance. The last to arrive was Moody who, as usual, was barking at them for making too much noise and giving away their position.

"Does anyone have a plan?" Remus asked sceptically.

"Tonks will, of course" bellowed Moody; "she's acting group leader, after all". Andromeda didn't even bother to protest at the nickname this time. At this Frank Longbottom came to his senses and began: "I think I should-"

"No" said Sirius indignantly, with nods of approval from Kingsley and Mrs White; "Tonks is the one who rallied us and warned us of the Ministry invasion so she is group leader". She didn't know if we emphasised 'Tonks' because she deserved to be in charge or because he liked using the name without being shouted at.

"Three teams" she stated; "Frank will take the visitor's entrance with Remus and Mrs White. James, there's a portkey at Grimmauld Place which Moody created that'll take you straight to Umbridge's office (my old office) at the heart of the Ministry; go there now with Moody and Carmen" she pointed at the woman with the auburn hair. Carmen Ironwood had been in James's year at school but in Ravenclaw house. James gave her a military nod and the trio headed off towards the end of the street.

"And us, Andromeda?" Quentin asked.

"You, Sirius and Kingsley will take the employee's entrance into the Ministry with me, so be prepared to fight" she was about to move off when she decided on impulse to face the auror once more; "and until this battle is won I want you to refer to me as Tonks"; at this she gave Sirius a proud smile.

The two remaining groups moved in opposite directions as they made their way to the two entrances that led to the Ministry of Magic. The toilet cubicles were as grubby and desolate as ever so Andromeda had no worries about being temporarily separated from her male companions as she entered the 'Ladies' and flushed herself into the atrium.

...

"Come out come out little Mudbloods" chided Bellatrix in the office foyer. Ted could see the heels of her black leather boots from under the table where he was hiding with several other Ministry employees; "Sneak – a – peak" the Death Eater whispered hauntingly. Louisa Highsmith, a middle-aged half-blood witch who worked in Ted's department, was trying desperately to hold out a cry as she looked down at the nearby body of her lifeless nephew.

"I can't do this, Ted" she whispered to him.

"Be brave" he tried to reassure her just as quietly.

"Let me go"

"No, don't give her the satisfaction of killing you because to her it will be the greatest satisfaction". But the woman stood up anyway; ambling towards Bellatrix as if she welcomed death.

"And who might you be?"

"L-Louisa H-Highsmith"

"And what is your blood status; L-Louisa H-Highsmith?" she mocked.

"H-Half-blood"

"Crucio!" it was painful even for Ted as he watched the almost elderly woman cower and writhe on the carpeted office floor. He thought about going through the torture of that curse himself, and also of seeing Andromeda go through it.

"Leave her!" he cried as he stood up from his place of concealment.

"Well" Bellatrix began; "if it isn't Mr Mudblood himself. How's sis? heard she had a freak little brat a few years ago-"

"Expelliarmus!" but Bellatrix deflected it.

"Tut tut; you filthy wretch!" her wand wavered for a split second, giving Louisa a chance to breathe whilst the Death Eater focused all her anger on Ted. "You will lose everything before this war is over, mudblood, and I'll start by killing that purple-haired mongrel you call a daughter!"

"Stupefy!" this time Ted's jinx hit his sister-in-law right in the face, causing her to fly into a nearby desk and release her hold on Louisa. The exit to the office was clear, which allowed Ted to hastily lead his colleagues out of the door.

"Avada Kadavra!" screamed Bellatrix as she regained her footing; taking the life out of Ronan Gillespie from the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office. Ted was so furious he forgot about Louisa who was still sprawled across the floor in agony.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

"Petrificus Totalus!"

The two people in the room who were still standing cast their spells as the same time as several of the enchanted windows smashed around them. At the last second Bellatrix cast her spell again so that the colliding streams of light flew into Ted's direction and sent him crashing to the floor, paralysed. Bellatrix then turned towards the shaking form of Louisa and roared "Avada Kadavra!" with a menacing flourish of her wand. As Louisa's body became as motionless as her nephew's Ted's only consolation was the look of exhaustion of Bellatrix's face; the moist ringlets of tangled black hair that was pasted to her face with sweat was a clear sign that he had been a challenge for her.

"You, mudblood, will stay here while I talk with the Dark Lord" she said to his paralysed form as she rubbed the black tattoo-like mark on her arm, "and then I'll come back and kill you once and for all". Ted lay on the floor filled with hopelessness and regret as the sound of her shoes grew quieter and quieter down the hall outside; his biggest regret was that he would die knowing that Andromeda had left him.

...

"Stupefy!" exclaimed Andromeda as she emerged from the fireplace into the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. Her spell threw a burly Death Eater into the central fountain but caught the attention of a second masked villain.

"Impedimenta!" called out Sirius; it was incredible how skilled a dueller he was for such a young man although Andromeda knew that he had experience in the field. Kingsley came sliding out another fireplace and threw at least four silent jinxes that Andromeda didn't recognise towards a large group of Death Eaters near the lifts; his own body being protected by Quentin's signature protective enchantments.

"Tonks!" yelled Sirius from the opposite side of the fountain; his wavy black hair glistening with water from the pool's contact with the Death Eaters' curses; "get to the lifts; you need to find the painting!"

"I'll come with you!" interjected Quentin from the visitor's entrance; where worryingly Frank, Remus and Mrs White had not yet emerged. "I need to see her!" Andromeda knew exactly what he meant and she understood completely, but it was a heartless risk to leave Kingsley and Sirius alone.

"Incendio!" Fire swarmed around at least six Death Eaters from the direction of the telephone box which had a few moments ago been suspended in the air. Rippling orange flames were flying from Mrs White's wand as she ran from the visitor's entrance, closely followed by Frank and Remus with wands at the ready.

"Tonks! We need to go now!" Satisfied that the Death Eaters would get what they deserved, and with a new sense of hope and belonging in the Order of the Phoenix, Andromeda followed the sound of Quentin's desperate voice towards the lifts that would take them to Ted, Kendra and possibly Bellatrix Lestrange.