C. M. Black: Eyes of an Owl

Chapter XXXIV: Tears of life and death

Pulsing pain resonated through her skull. It was all she could feel as Cassy woke slowly. A far off cry of distress rang through her mind, urging her to hurry up and think, to recall how it was she was in so much pain and why everything was so dark. Her thoughts seemed somewhat disturbed, wonky almost as they failed to follow through an entire sentence before they trailed off back to pain and bewilderment. Ringing hounded her ears. Her head throbbed at the incessant sound. It was as though an alarm was blaring, but why there would be one she did not know. She did not even know where she was.

Her fingers slipped on the bloodied iron steps. Stiffly, they worked into the cut-outs and she shakily began to push herself up. Her arms wavered. With a crack, she slipped a step downwards. She blinked hazily.

Of course, she thought slowly, where are my legs?

She turned slowly behind her. Her legs lay sprawled on the steps above, elevated at an awkward angle that made any attempt to move precarious at best. Grunting, she forced her legs to twist down to the same step her chest rested on before she finally pushed herself up once more into a sitting position. The stone walls and tarnished railings around her swirled. Her head span with them.

With a hand over her eyes, Cassy forced herself to think. Something slick met her fingers, but she did not bother to wonder. Stone and iron surrounded her, dull, flickering gas lamps lined the walls, an alarm sounded over all other noise; the only question that mattered was where she was. She had sat her History exam, she had been vexed by the limited scope the exam offered of the period the textbook had required. Then, Harry had collapsed. Why, though, her brain demanded, and it took a moment to remember that Harry had collapsed before in a fit.

Where was her father?

Slowly, her mind began to piece together where she was and what had happened. It was difficult through the din and the pain. The explosion had rattled her, she realised as she peered around. Everything ached, her chest and arms seared with a burning intensity that she was forced to numb them until she could think of the proper pain reduction spell she had once heard Madam Pomfrey mutter during one of Harry's many Quidditch related hospital visits. Her back stung from the blunt force of the railing, but her feet moved and she felt no tingling, so she had to assume there was no damage beyond inevitable bruising. Able to recount her childhood owls name, each of her addresses, and each and every member of the last four generations of her family, she assumed nothing was wrong with her mind either.

Breathing shakily, she considered her shield to have served her well. It may not have held, but it certainly reduced the blow. She should have been dead.

It was irrelevant now, her mind asserted, dulling the ringing that was no alarm, but, she realised, was in her ears to a distant cry. What mattered was where everyone else was. She did not know how long she had been unconscious for. No clock would aid her because it was impossible to judge how long they had fought for before that too. Anything could have happened whilst she had been laying uselessly. With that thought at the front of her mind, her unstable legs were put to work and she rose gingerly. Her right hand gripped the railing tightly, her left was wrapped protectively around her stomach, her hand unable to move. The long black and red-rimmed robe was shed, with her already unsound legs the long hem was only a hazard. A slow and continuous countdown began in her head in preparation to move. A quick glance behind her showed that the only way to go was down, but whether that led to better or worse circumstances she did not know.

One, two three, she counted each and every step. Copper ran bitterly through her mouth and throat, though all her teeth seemed to be in place. She was at least confident the cut on her scalp had stopped gushing. With each step, it became easier to move. The effect of her pain-relief spell was finally coursing through her and if the pain in her head and arm were discounted, she felt fairly well, given the circumstances.

It was forty-three steps later that she finally reached the tiled ground. In front of her was a single wooden door. The hall beyond was long and thin. Coloured doors lined the walls, eight in total. She looked between each door in irritation. She did not have time for this. She needed a way out. She needed a way to find wherever her friends where now and to see for herself that they each fared better than her. She needed to see if Voldemort had got his hands on the prophecy.

As though answering her thoughts, the blank wall at the very end of the hall shifted. Gold railings morphed from the sleek, black tiles and the space opened to form a rickety lift like she had used to find the department many hours ago. For a second, she merely stared. The Ministry was very much alive with magic, so deciding it was likely her only option, Cassy strode to the lift the best she could without staggering.

There were no buttons in the lift. The shutters closed themselves noisily and immediately began a slow ascension. Cassy eyed her surroundings apprehensively. Behind her was another closed shutter and light flickered faintly as each floor past. This elevator did not have handles to hold for when it twisted left, right, up, and down. It just churned sluggishly upwards. It drew to a shuddering stop and the shutters behind opened to reveal another dark door. The wood was thick, so even with her ear pressed against it she could hear nothing beyond it. It seemed ominous that a lift should appear to take her to safety, but then that was not what she had asked for. She had asked to find her friends more than to leave. Whatever state or position they were in, she had asked to find them.

She only opened it an inch when she heard voices so clearly and so loudly. The ringing had faded and their words were clearer than anything she had heard since opening her eyes.

'He's not lying,' came a sleek, unfamiliar voice. 'The Prophecy is gone.'

Relief filled Cassy.

An ugly, chocked sob sounded. 'I'm sorry, my Lord. I tried –'

'Bellatrix,' breathed Cassy. She had suspected it was simply another Death Eater, but then she had asked the corridor about Voldemort. Then again, she had asked about her friends, so was it possible they were in there too?

'I'm sorry, my Lord,' cried Bellatrix.

'Be quiet, Bellatrix,' hissed Voldemort. 'We have company.'

The door was flung open. Cassy stood with a hand in the air where it had been resting on the door and her eyes wide in uncontrolled surprise. The Atrium was before her. The golden fountain still bubbled placidly and the floor still shone from meticulous cleaning. There were no signs of a battle, nothing misplaced or broken.

'Cassiopeia Black, if I am not mistaken,' said Voldemort, perfectly pleasantly.

Voldemort's face was white, snake-like in his slit nostrils and his eyes a distracting crimson. He smiled slightly as though amused with her, his wand twirled idly in his hands in a manner she had seen shortly ago from Bellatrix.

'Cassy.'

Cassy's head jerked away. Behind Voldemort, standing and panting was Harry. Blood was smeared across his cheek, but so were bright lines of fresh tears. He looked devastated, broken almost.

'Harry,' she breathed.

'Impossible,' shrieked Bellatrix.

Cassy ignored her. Questions plagued her mind, demanding her mouth to ask Harry what was wrong and why he was crying. Harry never cried easily. Her heart sunk into her stomach.

What if someone's dead, she thought, what if they were too slow getting Luna help?

'You had quite a duel with Bellatrix is my understanding,' said Voldemort suddenly. Again, he seemed amused by her appearance. Blood streaked across her face and stained her white shirt. Her hair was loose, her tights ripped and a hand limp and unusable. It must have been hilarious for him to see a student so boldly bite the bait he had laid and then appear so beaten.

Cassy flicked her eyes to him. Calmly and coldly, she said, 'She is not the only one capable of Protégé Invia.'

He smirked. 'Impressive spell work for your age, but given your heritage that's hardly surprising.'

If anyone else had said those words, Cassy might have stood a little taller, but when they came from the mouth of the Dark Lord they just seemed sleazy and condescending.

'Why are you here?' he asked when it became apparent she was not going to preen from his compliment. Although Cassy did not move at all, he continued, 'I think I know why. Why is it you side yourself with Mudbloods when you could have so much more than you have now?'

He began to step towards her. Harry growled in the distance, but Bellatrix jeered and raised her wand threateningly.

'Sources have told me that you are top of your classes, capable of things your classmates could scarcely dream of,' he continued silkily.

The praise was merely irritating. He spoke too highly of her for it to be a passing comment. Voldemort wanted something. She gritted her teeth.

'Join me.'

'No.' Without missing a beat, Cassy rejected his proposal. 'I would rather die than join you.'

All that could be heard was the bubbling of the fountain. Bellatrix had stiffened visibly. Her eyes were no longer trained on Harry, but on Cassy and her wand faltered, slipping down safely towards the floor. Her mouth was agape. Curiously, Harry simply smirked. He did not seem shocked by the offer and neither was Cassy. After all, the reason she had been allowed to live in second year was because of her being a Black, a potentially useful ally in the future.

Harry had always wondered about the words young Tom Riddle had uttered that night in the Chamber of Secrets. It had enraged him then, but it now simply made him want to laugh. There was not the slightest bit of doubt in his mind that she would reject him. Cassy was intelligent, regal and noble, beautiful, graceful, devious, and powerful, everything a Slytherin could desire to be, but she was more than that. She was caring, stubborn, and loyal. When the short rebuff past her lips, he did not fill with relief. He had never doubted it.

However, from the look on Bellatrix's face, she had never anticipated such a thing was possible.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. 'I do not ask twice.'

The invitation to reconsider was there, but Cassy had no interest in that. She had said no.

'You just did,' she said evenly. Her wand flexed in her hand.

'How dare you!' bellowed Bellatrix.

Before Cassy had a chance to move an inch, she collapsed to the floor. Pain seared through her. Her injuries were agony as a new clawing sensation ripped at her very bones. She gasped, but no oxygen seemed to fill her lungs. The pain was too raw to entice a scream, too strong for anything but to lay curled on the ground.

'Stop it!' roared Harry. He turned to Bellatrix with a flash of red light flowing from his wand. The Expelliarmus was easily deflected, which was fine. It meant she had had to break the Cruciatus curse first. Another and another was fired, until eventually Bellatrix's wand clattered far behind. In his rage, he had broken her hand and in her enjoyment she had forgotten to take him seriously.

She sneered and looked to the Dark Lord. Voldemort did nothing but watch as Harry ran by to where Cassy was struggling to sit on the floor. He skidded beside her, positioning himself so he could see both Voldemort and Bellatrix.

'Are you all right?' he murmured.

She nodded. All her pain relief spells had been broken. Everything hurt.

Voldemort observed them coldly with his unfeeling, crimson eyes. Twirling his wand, he said, 'Your biggest weakness, Potter, truly is how much you care. You could have hexed Bellatrix and tried to fight me one on one, but instead you abandoned that opportunity in favour of making sure your friend was unharmed. What a pity.'

Harry raised his wand darted in front of Cassy protectively. Cassy looked around for where her wand had dropped as she collapsed. Carefully, she eyed Bellatrix's retreating form as she strode to collect her own without any regard to the conversation currently ongoing.

'Well, fortunately, I can do away with two problems today, even if the prophecy is gone. I can get rid Harry Potter,' said Voldemort gently, 'and complete Miss Black's desire to die at the same time. Imperio.'

With horror, Cassy looked upon her boyfriend and gripped her wand tightly. Far away, she heard Bellatrix's sharp laughter. The sound matched the uncontrolled amusement on Voldemort's face. His lipless mouth stretched into a wide smile when Harry turned to reveal milky, lifeless eyes.

'Harry,' snapped Cassy quickly. 'Harry, you can fight this. Remember last year, Harry.'

Voldemort chuckled, 'It's fitting, isn't it? That the one who led you here so blindly to your death should be the one to kill you so blindly too.'

'Harry,' tried Cassy again.

Harry raised his wand.

Cassy grunted. Pain shot through her back and her knees protested at the movement, but, stubbornly, she began to push herself from the floor. There was no point in any numbing spells or pain relief. They would only be for an instant now. She did not wish to die, certainly not by Harry's hand. It had always been a risk. She had always known that. From the moment they discovered the Philosopher's Stone to right then, she had always known there was a chance she would die before leaving school. Nothing they had ever done was without risks. Calculated or not, there were always dangerous adventures to be had with her friends. There had always been something more lurking around each corner, yet she had always smiled through it in the end. There had always been some good in her life with them and somehow it made up for all the mistakes, the arguments, and the near-death experiences one of them would have each year.

She thought of them all. Of Neville who had come so far since the tearful boy she had accidentally befriended; Hermione who had stubbornly worked into her heart to be her closest female friend; Ginny had been so eager to know her, and Luna had just drifted into her life; Stephen and Astoria smiled at her in her memories, teasing and laughing through their issues. She thought of her father, who had tried his hardest to make her happy even when she refused to acknowledge it. Tonks had been the stable force she had needed, understanding and jovial when Cassy lashed out. Her grandparents had only just met her and had been so concerned for her that they begged her to be careful, careful of situations like the one she faced now.

Suddenly, she found she did not regret any of that. It was strange to think that in such a dire situation that the thought of them all could bring her such peace, but it did exactly that. She stood tall, her back straight and her head held high. Her eyes met Harry's.

'Well, at least you can die with pride,' acknowledged Voldemort sleekly. 'Say good-bye, Black.'

Cassy stared into Harry's shrouded green eyes. The wand pointed at her chest and his lips parted slowly. She readied herself, defiant, unwilling to allow Voldemort or Bellatrix to have the satisfaction of seeing her afraid. Everything seemed okay in that one moment, though she wished his eyes were their usual green if they were to be the last thing she ever saw.

'No one is dying tonight.'

The voice was uneven. It shook with exertion, but it was undeniably his. Harry's body turned stiffly towards Voldemort and his blank stare struggled into a deep glower.

'No one dies tonight but you, Tom,' he said, stronger this time. 'Expelliarmus!'

The red light shot at Voldemort and Cassy span to face Bellatrix. Her own Reducto blasted the wood beneath her and send her staggering backwards. Harry gripped her hand blindly and without a word, Cassy waved her wand high above her head. Clouds gathered around them in a thick, grey fog. Lightning burst in pockets of the hall and thunder rang, covering their footsteps as the pair ran for cover.

Harry pulled her behind a giant row stone statues that lined the Atrium. The centaur in front was rearing, its legs just far enough apart that the two had a decent view of the centre of the hall and with the various other cut outs amongst the other statues, they were confident they would be able to find a point they could both see the entire hall when their vision was added together. Harry, however, refused to let go of her hand.

'I can still fight,' said Cassy indignantly.

He bit his lip and shook his head firmly.

'I cannot just stay here!' she snapped.

'Look at you,' he demanded.

A purple curse flew through the centre of the Centaur, sending chunks of stone and dust raining down on them.

'It looks worse than it is,' she insisted quickly. 'I am fighting and that is that, now unhand me!'

She shrugged herself free.

'Sorry, but I've only just got you back, I can't … I just can't…' he mumbled weakly.

She turned and frowned, but crawled further down the stone row none the less. She had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but she did not dwell on it as she shot at Voldemort through between two trunks of carved trees. He deflected it easily enough and Cassy began to look elsewhere for inspiration. She eyed the ceiling and the floor before her keen eyes settled on the fountain that still bubbled peacefully. Concentrating, she flicked her wand sharply and the liquid surged into the air, it rose above Voldemort and Bellatrix, the latter of whom was still preoccupied with Harry's curse, before the golden water elongated to form long spikes, solid daggers that she then released down like rain.

While they both raised their shields, Harry opened fire. He hit Bellatrix in the centre of the chest and sent her tumbling ten feet backwards across the wooden floor. Several daggers licked at her skin as they fell, slicing her exposed legs and her arms she had raised to protect her face. As soon as the daggers hit the ground, they returned to water, pooling and flooding the Atrium to create a precarious duelling ground, but a look between Cassy and Harry assured them they could each work with that.

'You should have joined me when you had the chance,' roared Voldemort, 'because you both shall die here and now.'

'I should think not,' came a low, grave voice.

Cassy and Harry's heads whipped to the golden gates at the far end of the hall. It was not the door they had entered from initially, nor the one Cassy had used to get back, but larger gates which obstructed an equally large door. In the centre was Albus Dumbledore. He did not wear brightly patterned robes, nor did his eyes twinkle. He stood with his wand drawn at his side, looking more severe than anyone could ever recall.

'Dumbledore,' breathed Harry and Cassy quickly crawled back to his side to find a better view.

'It was a foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom. The Aurors are on their way,' he said calmly.

Voldemort tilted his head and said, 'I'll be gone before they get here. Avada Kedavra!'

The curse missed as Dumbledore sidestepped swiftly, as though he had done the same thing a hundred times before with Voldemort. He did not respond and instead turned to look beside him at someone Cassy could not quite see through the gap.

'Who is that?' hissed Harry.

'Attend to Harry and Cassy, if you will,' instructed Dumbledore with a nod in their direction.

There was a sharp, audible gasp. The man burst into sight and Cassy silently elated at the panicked face of her father. He easily deflected a curse Bellatrix sent and continued to run with impressive speed, even for a man who had not been house-bound all year. He skidded around the statue, flicking up streams of golden liquid as he did, while Dumbledore and Voldemort began to talk. Cassy did not have time to listen, however. Her ears were blocked by the shire relief that flooded through her. She could not help but smile as Sirius sunk to his knees, although his own smile faded immediately as he gripped her face in both hands.

'Unhand me,' demanded Cassy.

He emitted a short, breathless laugh and it was only then that she noticed the light lines of tears that streaked down his cheeks just as they had Harry's.

'It is you,' he laughed, chokingly. 'You are alive. How are you alive?'

Cassy stared blankly for a moment.

'Bellatrix,' began her father shakily, 'Bellatrix said… she said… but you're all right.' The grip on her face became tighter and she began to squirm. 'She said she had killed you.'

A desk exploded in the background.

'She said that she had cornered you in the Astronomy room and when the Sun exploded, well, the corridor was blocked with rubble. When we were in the hall there was no way in and we just assumed...' he explained.

Harry would not meet her eyes, but Sirius did. His own were flooded with renewed tears and she could do nothing but blink awkwardly. She hated it when people cried anywhere near her, let alone when they had hold of her face and she was the reason for their tears.

'Really, now,' she sighed and Harry huffed a laugh.

A shriek was accompanied by a thud and Cassy wrangled her head from Sirius' grasp to eye the ongoing duel. At the side, not far from where they were hidden, Bellatrix was pinned beneath a statue, her wand just out of reach. Great streams of fire clashed between Voldemort and Dumbledore.

'We would have been here sooner,' said Sirius, 'but Bellatrix blocked me out and it took a while to get through, but Dumbledore arrived just as I broke the wards. He has impeccable timing.' The last part sounded slightly resentful, but Sirius shook himself from that line of thought and eyed Cassy and Harry with unusual softness. His hand on her shoulder seemed to be shaking, but so did Harry's. Idly, she wondered if it was her who was shaking. Everywhere hurt.

Green jets of light flashed in every direction. The statues all around the room burst into life to block them each and every time. Dumbledore did not move his feet as they battled, even when Harry cried out at the sight of a green light from behind, or when Fawkes swooped down to protect their old Headmaster, crumbling into ashes on the ground the instant he was hit. He waved his arm high above his head and the golden water rose up in the thick stream like molten glass to encircle the Dark Lord and his closest Death Eater.

Bellatrix cried out, still trapped, but it seemed unusually quiet. The loud ringing thundered again in Cassy's ears. Harry dropped her hand suddenly and stood. Dimly, she heard her father's shout and she watched as he chased him back out into the open.

'Kill me,' demanded Harry loudly. 'If death is nothing, Dumbledore, then kill me now.'

Dumbledore did not reply, but it seemed as though he did not have to. The doors began to open once again and Cassy's mind was curiously blank for a moment, before it screamed at her to move. It had to be the Auror department. Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself stood in front of her father and Harry, her wand raised and ready for attack. She did not trust Fudge not to arrest Sirius on the spot, to somehow try and push the blame onto him to save face for his many blunders when the truth was standing in front of him. She would not allow him to be taken anywhere.

Harry stumbled behind her and Sirius quickly wrenched him up before he could hit the ground. A quick scan of the room informed her that Voldemort and Bellatrix had vanished.

A scarlet-robed man stuttered in the doorway. He hopped from foot to foot and pointed at an empty space, exclaiming, 'He was there, I swear it. I saw You-Know-Who!'

Cassy really wished he would not shout. It sent her head reeling.

'I know,' said Fudge as he pushed forward, also only in his pyjamas. 'I saw him too… how is this possible? Dumbledore, how is this possible?'

'There are more down in the Department of Mysteries,' added Dumbledore calmly.

'You're here with… Sirius Black!' he exclaimed. 'Seize them both! Get them now!'

No one moved. They shuffled in the doorway and peered between one another in what appeared to be a silent dare for the other to act first.

Dumbledore folded his hands in front of his lap. With his head inclined so he could peer pointedly over his half-moon spectacles, he said, 'I will fight and win again if you insist of having me detained, Cornelius. However, I think given what you have seen here tonight you have ample proof that Voldemort has indeed returned.' The men flinched. 'I have proof now that you have been chasing the wrong people for months now and that includes Sirius here. It is my understanding that you knew he was innocent and have done for some time, but due to your ineptitude have failed to act upon that. Well, consider this a pass to a full reprieve, because he helped ward away Voldemort tonight and the country owes him a fair, clean trial that I will see to it he gets.

'Now, I recommend you remove Delores Umbridge from Hogwarts and I will return to my post as Headmaster, where I shall reinstate Hagrid and your men will leave him in peace. I will run the school as I wish and it will, for the foreseeable future, be once again free from Ministry interference.'

There was no request in his tone and his patient expression did not waver when Fudge began to splutter. Cassy watched his half-lidded eyes. The adrenalin had worn off and her head span. Her body ached as it had when she first awoke again and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open any longer. Her mind was slowing and the ringing in her ears increased exponentially.

A quill suddenly appeared under her nose.

'I think it is time you three returned to Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey should already be patching up your friends by now,' said the newly reinstated Headmaster kindly.

Cassy blinked and took a moment to realise he had created and handed them a Portkey. She really needed to sleep.

Sirius took it and nodded.

'He must stay here, surely, you cannot – ' began Fudge in protest.

'I think it is best, Minister, if Sirius is with his daughter and Godson tonight, don't you?' interrupted Professor Dumbledore.

Cassy barely remembered to put her hand on it as they suddenly were whisked out of sight. Eyes opened or closed, nothing stopped the dreadful turning in her brain or in her stomach. A hot sickness rose up into her chest. The blurry grey of the hospital wing flew into sight for a split moment, before everything turned blissfully black.

This one is up a bit quicker than normal because I want to begin next year by the end of the month. Just one chapter to finish up the year and then we will be starting year six! It should be significantly shorter than this year has been. This is a monster of a tale to tackle.

Anyway, Sirius is not dead! Hurray! I debated with this for a while because I know the implications it will have on their Horcrux hunt, but I can think of ways around that, so I thought I would let them have a chance at actually being a family and having a bit of a positive light in the upcoming war. Besides, Cassy dealt with death for the first half of this story, we don't need to go through that again.

Did I lead anyone on thinking he was dead at the start? I hope I did, haha. Cassy was being a bit slow realising she was the one that they believed to be dead because she has a head injury and quite severe other wounds. I'm not sure how long she was unconscious for, because they needed to have the big battle, destroy the prophecy, have the Order arrive, then run off, then have Voldemort arrive… so she was probably out for a good while anyway.

As always, thank-you for the reviews. They cheer me up when I'm stressed (and I had been very upset and stressed for the last week, but that's sorted now!) so let me know what you think, as always.

Thanks!