Disclaimer: Not mine.

The Brotherhood

A/N - I'm back! I wrote a whole bunch on my novel today and felt great, but was tired of writing. Then, I suddenly remembered that I was also supposed to be writing a fanfic. Luckily, this chapter was already written so I could post it today. There's very little plot, it's mostly just a filler chapter. Still, I hope you like it.

~~~ Chapter Forty ~~~

Harry wandered down the corridor in boredom, as Voldemort had finally decided that Harry had enough training. In his exact words, "Any more and you may just be able to kill me." Harry silently agreed, but thought that it had happened before Voldemort had stopped, but only because Harry had powers of which Voldemort knew nothing.

A scream cut through Harry's thoughts like a knife, but Harry pushed it away. Screams were fairly common in Voldemort Lair. Then, Harry remembered just who was in the dungeons, probably being tormented at the moment.

Harry spun around and sprinted to the dungeon entrance, which he flung open and rushed down the stairs. He slowed as he reached the bottom and walked down the hallway casually, although he couldn't hide a wince at another of Dora's screams.

He finally arrived at Dora's cell and saw that she was surrounded by three deatheaters, who were quite enjoying themselves.

"Hey!" Harry stopped them. They all looked up at him and their eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't often that they saw Harry down in the dungeons. He usually stayed far away from any and all prisoners.

"Potter," greeted one of the deatheaters.

Dora looked up at the name, and her wide eyes fell on Harry. She silently pleaded with him for help and he obliged.

"Malfoy is searching for the three of you," Harry informed them, never mind that the man was not even at the lair, and that Harry couldn't even identify the three men.

The three deatheaters straightened up. "Why does he want us?" one of them asked.

"I think he wanted an answer to something. Go, now!" Harry ordered.

The deatheaters knew not to obey the second-in-command to their Lord, so they quickly tucked their wands away and rushed out of the cell, closing it behind them. Harry watched them until they were out of sight, then turned to Dora.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Harry nodded in response, his face carefully blank. He strode away, not looking back. He knew he had messed up. If anyone investigated this incident too far, they would realise that the whole thing was a lie and that Harry was protecting Dora.

He sighed. Sometimes it was a curse that he cared so much for some people, but he still hoped that it wouldn't change. Thoughts of Ginny, Sirius, Remus, and Dora were the only things keeping him sane in this impossible situation.

~~~TB~~~

Remus awake suddenly and looked around him. It only took a moment to look around and realise where he was, and then another moment to remember what he was doing there. He took a double take as he saw Sirius, asleep at his bedside. His best friend's face was tearstained, and though he was asleep, he looked troubled.

Remus sat up and stretched, wincing as he felt the pain in his arm. He was no stranger to pain, but this was worse than he had experienced. Madam Pomfrey had him on a lot of pain medication, but its use would fade fast, and Remus would just have to deal with it.

Sirius startled awake, and blinked blearily up at the werewolf.

Remus gave him a half grin. "Were you crying?" he asked, his voice joking.

Sirius wiped at his face, but it had been long enough that there was no moisture on his cheeks. "No," he denied instantly.

Remus smirked. "Oh really? I think you were. The great Sirius Black was crying," Remus declared.

Sirius shook his head. "Impossible. I don't even have tears glands," Sirius said, his voice pompous.

Remus turned serious then. "I'd cry too, Padfoot, if the situation were reversed," he said softly.

Sirius frowned. "You can't leave me, Moony," he said, pleading slightly. "Remember the pledge?"

Remus nodded, a small smile coming back. "We were so naïve back then," he murmured.

Sirius shook his head. "We may have been, but the pledge still means something to me. Peter and James are gone, in the most permanent way, but we're still here. We have to keep it," Sirius declared. "I can't be the last Marauder."

"James and you always fought over who was going to live the longest. Peter was too weak minded and we always knew my lycanthropy would take me long before the pair of you. James always said you'd go first, because you were the most rash. Ironic, then, that James was the first to go. At least you were right,"

"I was wrong. I don't want to be alone,"

"You're wrong? I thought you were the King of Rightness," Remus reminded Sirius of his self declared title after many won arguments.

Sirius smiled at the memory.

"Plus, you won't be alone. Ginny and Harry will be around. And Dora too," Remus continued.

"That isn't the same, and you know it Moony. Harry used to be enough, he helped me survive and escape Azkaban, but he's changed. You saw him when he visited us. He almost reminded me of, well, my family. There's a reason I ran away as a teenager," Sirius said.

Remus shook his head. "Harry is nothing like your family. He joined Voldemort to protect Ginny, and he's continuing on to protect us. He's doing it all based on his love,"

Sirius sighed and there was silence in the room.

"I just wish everything could have gone better. James, Lily, and Peter accompanying us to Harry's Quidditch game with all Prong's many offspring, the bunch of us cheering for Harry until he blushes bright red before he retrieves the snitch right under the other seeker's nose in some spectacular dive,"

"Prong's many offspring?" Remus repeated.

"Remember, James always said he wanted at least ten kids. Lily vetoed the idea, and said they'd go for five at most. Sad that they only ended up with the one, although Harry is probably the best kid that they could have ever produced," Sirius reminisced.

Remus nodded, remembering. It really was a pity that the world had ended up this way.

A/N - Please review.