Disclaimer: Still not mine.
The Brotherhood
A/N - You know how I said that there would only be a few more chapters a few chapters back? Well, I lied. Sorry, not that you need an apology for me making it longer, or anything. Anyway, it's turning out to be longer than I planned, but that means that it probably won't be finished before the end of the month like I planned, since starting next Monday, I'm going to be at camp, without my computer *cries* and then a whole other week at a family reunion after that which will give me zero time to write. So be prepared for a lack of chapters those two weeks. Until then, hopefully, I'll get a few chapters written and posted.
~~~ Chapter Thirty Seven ~~~
Dumbledore watched Remus sadly as the werewolf lay on the bed. Remus' arm was almost completely black from the ring, and the curse which had been on it. Severus, luckily had been on hand and had been able to work with Madam Pomfrey to stop it. Still, they all knew that Remus would not survive with it very long.
"What if something similar to happening to Dora, or Sirius?" Remus asked, fully conscious. As a werewolf, he was able to stay conscious longer than most, and he wasn't going to allow himself to fall asleep until the other two came back.
"Dora is likely fine. She had the least risky mission. However, I will agree to get Sirius," Dumbledore murmured.
"Muppy!" Dumbledore called out. A house elf appeared in front of him and bowed low.
"Yes, Master Dumbly?"
"I wish for you to retrieve Sirius Black, and bring him here," Dumbledore stated.
"As you wish, Master Dumbly," the house elf squeaked and popped away.
"I'll just floo Miss Weasley and inform her we are all meeting here instead. Actually, Dora may actually be back at your house, waiting, and we just haven't look yet," Dumbledore tried to calm Remus.
Remus, however, still looked worried as Dumbledore left the room.
Dumbledore came back into the room a few moments later, Ginny tagging along behind him.
"Where's Dora?" Remus asked.
"Hasn't arrived yet," Ginny answered, frowning.
Suddenly, there was a pop and the house elf appeared with a soaking wet Sirius. Sirius collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
"Sirius!" Ginny cried, and ran toward him.
Ginny helped Sirius to sit up, but he pushed her away and vomited on the ground at her feet.
"I had to drink some potion. I think it was poison," Sirius croaked.
Remus paled. He knew he was dying, but what would happen to Harry if Sirius died as well?
Madam Pomfrey, who had entered the room a few seconds after Dumbledore, helped Sirius over to a bed and starting trying to figure out what the potion was.
"Did you get the horcrux?" Ginny questioned both of them.
Remus nodded and pointed to a box that was sitting on his bedside table. "It's in there," he told her.
Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a locket. Ginny rushed to grab it from him and studied it.
Dumbledore held out his hand. "Let me see,"
Ginny handed over the locket and Dumbledore looked it over intently. With a low sigh, he flipped it open and took out a note. "It is a fake," he declared.
"What?" Sirius protested, then started coughing. Madam Pomfrey scolded him.
"What does it say?" Remus asked.
" 'To the Dark Lord,' " Dumbledore read. " 'I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.'
" 'I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more.' And it is signed, R.A.B."
Sirius sat up in his bed, earning a reprimand from Madam Pomfrey. "Regulus!" he cried.
"What?" Ginny asked, confused.
"My brother, Regulus Arcturus Black. He was a deatheater, but disappeared a while ago, assumed dead. Voldemort must have killed him for his betrayal," Sirius explained, trailing off at the end.
Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "I think it's time we paid a visit to your old manor, Sirius,"
"Not right now," Madam Pomfrey protested, glaring at Dumbledore.
"Of course not," Dumbledore nodded.
"We shall leave as soon as possible. I will go back to searching for the diadem, and Miss Weasley, perhaps you should contact Harry," Dumbledore suggested, then left the room.
Ginny pulled out the parchment and a quill and contacted Harry.
~~~ TB ~~~
Dumbledore hasn't found the diadem yet, but both Remus and Sirius are back. Sirius' turned out to be a fake, and we think his brother had the real one. We're going to go to Sirius' manor as soon as possible. Ginny wrote.
Sirius' manor? In Grimmauld Place? We've been there before haven't we? Harry questioned.
Yes, we stayed there awhile. That was before we knew anything about horcruxes though.
Okay, then what about Dora? Harry asked.
She hasn't shown up yet.
Harry looked up as there was a knock on his door. He stuffed the parchment under his pillow, getting it hidden just before the door opened.
"The Dark Lord requests your presence," the anonymous deatheater stated.
Harry stood and left the room, following the deatheater back to the throne room, where he was surprised to see a lot of the deatheaters in the house gathered.
Also in the room was a prisoner. Harry couldn't tell who she was, but she was kneeling awkwardly in front of Voldemort, her hands tied behind her back in a painful looking manner.
"Bella has caught a us a new toy," Voldemort said with a smirk.
Harry frowned, he didn't usually participate in these kinds of things. Why did he have to be here?
The deatheaters formed a circle around the woman, and Harry unwillingly joined it.
"Harry, start the festivities," Voldemort ordered.
The woman turned to look at him and he had to hold in a gasp as he realised that it was Dora, in her true form. He hadn't recognised her without her usually bright coloured hair.
"Of course," Harry answered the Dark Lord. He kept his expression blank as he looked at Dora, even though her face silently pleaded him for help.
Raising his wand, Harry hoped that Dora would forgive him for this, and even more, he hoped Remus would forgive him.
"Crucio," Harry said. The curse came out of the wand and hit Dora. She screamed and the deatheaters laughed and joined in.
A/N - Seriously, people, did you really think I would kill off Sirius? He's my favorite character! I always had an escape route planned out for him. The other characters, however...if you review, I may just allow them to live.