Author's note:
Excerpts in Bold are taken from chapter, 'The Flaw in The Plan', from book, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', written by J. K. Rowling.
….and Narcissa Malfoy running through the crowd, not even attempting to fight, screaming for their son….
….Bellatrix was still fighting too, fifty yards away from Voldemort and like her master she duelled three at once: Hermione, Ginny and Luna, all battling their hardest, but Bellatrix was equal to them, and Harry's attention was diverted as a Killing Curse shot so close to Ginny that she missed death by an inch-
He changed course, running at Bellatrix, rather than Voldemort, but before he had gone a few steps he was knocked sideways…..
"NOT ANOTHER CHILD, BELLA!"
Andromeda Tonks strode forward, throwing off her cloak, a volley of curses shooting from her wand, Bellatrix spun on the spot and was forced to shield.
The curses were deflected and everyone around had to hastily erect shields or dodge.
Both Black Sisters, so much identical, yet so different, while Bellatrix threw her head back in an insane cackling laugh, the usually kind face of Andromeda was etched in a cold controlled fury that promised wrath and death.
Today, Andromeda was not a Tonks, who had fled and hidden, disowned and humiliated, to keep her loved ones safe. Today, she was a daughter of House of Black, who had come to collect her due; to take her revenge for all that was taken from her.
Today, she was not a sister. She was a mother, a mother who had lost her only child, a mother who had come to visit death and destruction on her daughter's killer.
"Has little Andy came to join your mudblood of a husband? I just had the pleasure of ending your useless spawn, filthy stain of dishonour, crying over a slain animal!"
As the curses started to fly, one more lethal than other, one darker than other; the air singed, the floors cracked, all around people who tried to come forward to help had to back up to avoid being hit by a deflected or wayward curse, erecting shields. The insane laughter had left Bellatrix's face to be replaced by a snarl of anger as she let loose a volley of killing curses….
"Tsk Tsk Bella…Killing Curse? How very…. Pedestrian! But you always were a slow learner….always so eager to please everyone, first our mother and father, then your so called master….. You call yourself powerful? I will show you the meaning of wrath." Andromeda's voice was so cold and cruel, a strange murderous, almost suicidal gleam in her stormy grey eyes, that Harry had seen in Sirius' eyes when he had faced Pettigrew, and a shiver passed down his spine, and at that moment he understood why everyone always spoke of the House of Black with fear and respect.
The whole chunks of floor and walls were blasted to dust, streams of acid splashed, ropes of fire whipped, dust and ash rained, molten rock and shrapnel of metal flew, smoke and strange shadows rising. The spells grew steadily more dark and more horrifying, beasts made of Fiendfyre reared and roared, sickly yellow and cruel purple flashes of light shot around, both sisters were unearthing through a millennia of knowledge and research to be found in the darkest corners of the Black Library. So much identical they were, and so many dark curses shot through their wands, for a moment Harry had trouble identifying one from other. The strange shadows on Andromeda's face almost made him think that she was skirting on the edge of her very humanity.
"DIE! Stains of Dishonour! And after your death, I will roast that werewolf mongrel alive on open fire!" screamed Bellatrix.
"YOU-WILL-NEVER-SEPARATE-ANOTHER-MOTHER-FROM-HER-CHILD!" bellowed Andromeda
Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backwards through the Veil, and suddenly Harry knew what was going to happen before it did.
Andromeda's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.
Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge, for the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then her mouth opened in an unearthly scream of agony as angry black flames engulfed her whole body.
Harry saw everything as in slow motion;
…the loud shrieks of Bellatrix, as the flames tore through her skin and flesh, her body twisting and turning, cracking unnaturally, as she fell still writhing and finally slumped, her body nothing but ash;
…Andromeda fell to her knees exhausted, spent, raised her face heavenwards, and gave out a loud anguished cry, "DORA..!" and Madam Longbottom rushed forward to hold her;
…and as Voldemort's fury at the fall of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Andromeda.
"Protego!" roared Harry,and the shield charm expanded in the middle of the hall, and Voldemort stared around for the source as Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak at last...
