Thankfully Sirius was the only student downstairs in the Shrieking Shack and so was the only one able to ask if he could go with them.
"As your professor I can't let you risk your life, Sirius" Andromeda told him firmly; trying to keep her voice as calm as it could possibly be.
"But as my cousin, you can" he replied. She thought about his words for a long time until finally Kingsley spoke up from the shadows;
"From what you've told us the boy has shown great courage already today, Miss Black. He won't be the only student fighting inside the castle".
"Alright then" she agreed reluctantly, "but only you, I don't want to be responsible for thirty-six casualties".
"Who says I'll be a casualty?" despite the situation the two Blacks laughed at Sirius' wittiness as if making up for all those joking moments at family get-togethers that they had never been able to experience.
"Incendio" exclaimed Kendra; burning away the enchantment that had been used to deny them entry through the trapdoor. As soon as the wood had melted away into the mouldy floorboards, they descended one-by-one down into the tunnels beyond. It was cold; not the cold that the dementors induced but the cold that symbolised disuse and abandonment, it was clear that Sirius' friends where somewhat of a rarity to have travelled down this passage.
"Lumos" Kingsley called from the front; his light guided them so well that it surprised Andromeda when they reached the entrance to the castle grounds so soon.
"Allow me" whispered Sirius, who after emerging from the tunnel exit pushed some sort of panel at the side of a giant tree which had been planted a few years ago. After the branches mysteriously stopped swaying the rest of the group climbed out of the ground and adjusted their robes.
"Do you think he's alright?" Kendra asked her brother desperately.
"He'll be fine; stronger than the lot of us that husband of yours" his smile was as reassuring as Kendra's face was panicked, but nevertheless there was an anxious silence throughout the grounds which was only broken when someone emerged from behind a statue.
"Stupefy!" Kendra screamed, who despite her worrying had been on the ball the entire time. The Death Eater was thrown into the statue and ended up splayed over the plinth; "that's one down".
"Reducto!" another of the hooded figures shouted from out of the darkness. Soon each of them was duelling at least one Death Eater as they formed a perimeter around the Whomping Willow. Andromeda and the Shacklebolts had expressions of panic and defeat on their faces but Sirius appeared almost relaxed;
"Any second now" he said. And sure enough, the branches of the moving tree came crashing down; thrashing violently at the witches and wizards battling below. Two of the Death Eaters were taken out at the first swing; their black robes billowing around their shaking bodies as they were thrown into the distance, leaving an opening that led towards the East-side of the castle.
"Let's go, now!" Kendra commanded as if relishing in the adrenaline of war. Andromeda and Sirius ran after her into an opening passage which eventually took them into the school itself and away from the Death Eaters whilst Kingsley stayed behind to finish his duel. As they caught their breaths they watched sparks flying in nearby windows as the teachers and students of Hogwarts fought off the invaders with determination and desperation; causing them all to grow faint with the daunting prospect ahead of them. Kingsley was running towards them frantically; a Death Eater at his heels.
"Impedimenta!" he cried, directing as much force as he could into the jinx. When his opponent was motionless he ambled towards the rest of the group with a solemn look on his face.
"The students have been locked in their dormitories for their own protection; the staff or doing their best to hold off the attack. Dumbledore has followed You-Know-Who to the Greenhouses but neither of the Black sisters are with him" was his report.
"They could be anywhere in the school" Andromeda moaned
"Or" Sirius queried "not in the school at all". But Kingsley didn't agree with this idea, "they want your cousin Mr Black, they're definitely in the castle".
"Then we split up" suggested Kendra. "I'll search the upper floors with the boy; that way if there is danger then I can take him to his dormitory".
"But-"
"Go with her, Sirius" Andromeda pleaded.
"Kingsley will go to the Great Hall and the dungeons with Andromeda-"
"No" Andromeda protested, "I want to go to the library".
"Any particular reason?"
"To cover more ground". After everyone agreed on this the three parties separated in opposite directions, wands at the ready as they ran. There was in fact a reason why Andromeda had wanted to go to the library; no one will die for me this time, it was her favourite place at Hogwarts and so that would be where her sisters would be waiting for her.
"'Dromeda?"
"Ted!" She was both happy and angry to see him standing at the end of the corridor. She thought she would never see him again, but the fact that he was here when there were Death Eaters around every corner made her wish that he was an illusion.
"Why are you here?"
"I'm a member of the O-"
"The what?"
"There'll be time for that later; let's just say that they keep me informed". He kissed her both quickly and slowly at the same time; so quickly that she was upset when it had to end but slowly enough that she got to savour how warm it made her feel.
"Come on".
Through the gaping holes in the walls that had been blown apart by jinxes and curses they could see the battle taking place on the ground below. Andromeda was relieved to see Quentin; clearly having survived the Death Eater attack in Hogsmeade; but was horrified to see that he was duelling Rodolphus Lestrange.
"He's supposed to be abroad!" she cried, but Ted was already ushering her towards the library. Someone had used their wand to carve the words blood traitor into the wooden doors; signifying that Andromeda had come to the right place. Inside almost every single bookcase had been blasted onto its side; books scattered everywhere; except the one that held the textbooks for Muggle Studies. Perched on an armchair beside the shelf was Bellatrix Lestrange; using her wand to set the textbooks on fire one-by-one.
"Evening, sis!" she bellowed across the room, "Looks like yer' brought a bit o' target practice too!" Her voice was much broader than she remembered it; the sophistication instilled by her parents was slowly being replaced by the common tongue of her husband.
"Where's Cissy?" Andromeda demanded.
"She's safe, nothin' to worry abou' there".
"What do you want us for?"
"Who said I want you for anythin'?"
"Your master sent you on a secret mission at Hogwarts involving me and Cissy; that's why we're here, isn't it?" Bellatrix let out a menacing cackle that rang off the walls and ended ringing in her sister's ears.
"The Dark Lord did give me a task to complete, and it does involve my sisters" she spat, "but he only wanted me to recruit Cissy . . . he told me to torture you to insanity!" she threw a series of curses across the room which ricocheted off the overturned bookcases and missed Ted and Andromeda by inches.
"Crucio!" As she was spiralled through the all-too-familiar pain of torture and anguish, Andromeda saw Ted charging at her sister with an anger that she never thought he was capable of.
"Stupefy! Bitch!" she never thought it possible for a situation this horrific could be humorous, but as the pain from her sister's curse wore off she found herself smiling at Ted's anger and determination.
"Stay out of it, dirty Mudblood!" but Ted couldn't be apprehended as easily as he had been all those years ago, Nelly made him stronger Andromeda thought and I'll made him stronger still. Together they cast their spells almost rhythmically, working as if they were one wand; their jinxes were precise and were even weakening Bellatrix's anger.
"Expelliarmus!" Ted's wand flew from his hand and he was manually pinned to the floor by the ghastly-pale hands of Lucius Malfoy, "you were warned, Mudblood. Now you will die".
"No! Reducto!" Andromeda had never known herself to have cast such a powerful spell; sending Malfoy spinning through the air until he toppled over the librarian's desk.
"Avada Kadavra!" cried Bellatrix, who had now regained control of herself and was aiming her wand with murderous anticipation. But her curse wasn't aimed at Andromeda or Ted as it went flying past them into the hallway; the sound of someone falling to the ground and the malicious smile on Bellatrix's face told them that she had hit her target.
"Others are coming" warned the dazed Lucius Malfoy, and sure enough there was a one-on-one duel taking place at the doors to the library.
"Impedimenta!" Andromeda couldn't believe her ears at first, but Cissy's voice was so distinctive as it put Kingsley frozen in place. The blonde hair was no longer the colour of the lightning, but the same white was a ghost; a symbol for death. She cried "Expelliarmus"; causing Andromeda's wand to leave her hand, and approached Bellatrix.
"Cissy-" Andromeda started to plead desperately.
"It's Narcissa" her sister interrupted; "And Bellatrix was right. You are a blood traitor; the Dark Lord is going to win this war so and I should be on the right side when it happens". She grabbed the hands of the injured Bellatrix and Lucius and, evidently having destroyed the protective charms around the castle, disapparated to safety.
"No! Please, no!" At first she thought Kingsley was shouting at their failure to stop the three Death Eaters from leaving, but when she turned around she was greeted by a horrific sight.
"Oh, Kingsley. I-" but there was nothing she could say. In front of her Ted had placed a reassuring hand on the shoulder of Kingsley Shacklebolt, whilst the auror crouched over the lifeless body of his sister Kendra; the one who had been hit by Bellatrix's killing curse.