Author's note: Hey! It's BEEN REALLY A LONG TIME! So sorry if I leave without telling you guys. I've been busy with some part time work for the past two weeks and got a couple of weeks of writer's block. But hey, I'm happy I managed to return again!

The chapter had some scenes from the movie and the book, and still don't own them. Please forgive my grammar mistakes and plot holes (yes, plot holes! I am sure you'll see one!).

Enjoy reading! (I really do miss saying that!)

Chapter forty two:

Department of Mysteries

"This is insane" Smith shook his head.

"I'll make it up to you, promise" said Renee.

The Hufflepuff sighed. The two of them were already positioned behind the Thestral; He as the one taking control while Renee was sitting behind him. The Gryffindor had successfully persuaded the Hufflepuff to take her in London, though he wasn't really sure how did she convinced him.

"Be careful you two" Cho spoke at the two. And as Renee and Smith were already on midair, the Gryffindor turned around at the Ravenclaw and shouted.

"We never blame you for what happened, Cho" she shouted, surprising the Ravenclaw for the sudden statement.

Cho smiled widely and waved at them, until the two were out of sight.

Renee turned her head upfront with a smile on her face. She never thought someone would really respond on her SOS signal, most especially she never thought Cho and Smith would actually save her to those Slytherins.

"Oh, Good Lord" she muttered as the Thestral gained its speed as they fly through the night sky. Her grip at the Hufflepuff's waist tightened and then buried her face on his robes.

"Hey, are you trying to strangle me to death?" Smith complained as he noticed her arms tightening.

"Just shut up" Renee snapped back, though her eyes were tightly closed.

"You've managed to sabotaged Umbridge a while ago and about to sneak at the Ministry, and the only one that could scare you off is flying?" he shook his head, "You're weird"

"Just to tell you, I didn't do that because I really want to" Renee replied, "It's just that Harry needs some help, that's all"

Smith glanced at the Gryffindor who's gripping him from behind. He could clearly see how she really hated flying from the looks of her now. It was surprisingly for him that the scared girl behind him had actually done so many things in a short period of time in schooling.

"You know" Renee looked up and saw Smith smiling at her. "You're too loyal towards your friends. You'll make a good Hufflepuff"

"Gee, thanks for your very enlightening comment Smith" she replied sarcastically, though she couldn't hide her lips curling upwards. "Now, would you concentrate in flying so we'll not die on air as you predicted earlier?" Renee shook her head.

"Yes Ma'am" he replied as the Hufflepuff turned back again. Renee gripped his clothes and shrieked once again as the Thestral accelerated its speed, making her voice echoed throughout the night sky.

…

"Where am I?"

Renee looked around. The room was spacious and the only thing standing there is an archway. She slowly walked towards it as she could hear some murmurs behind it. And as she came nearer, she finally realized it wasn't just any empty archway. It has those translucent veil, making her curious about it; her hand was about to reach the veil when she was startled as Harry and the others fell from above.

"Harry" she called, but neither of them heard her.

Harry stood up and walked towards her. Renee's face lit up at that as she thought that he had already noticed her.

"The voices" Harry trailed; Renee glanced at the archway beside her.

"Are you hearing those voices too?" she asked, but Harry didn't replied again.

"Can you tell what they're saying?" he asked in no particular.

Renee tried to listen since she was nearer at the archway. Her hair stood up and stepped back from the archway as she heard some voices.

"They're pleading…they're asking for help…"

"There aren't any voice Harry" Renee looked back again and saw Hermione behind Harry who looked very scared at that moment.

Harry stepped forward again as he tried to listen on the voices.

"Let's get out of here" she spoke again.

"I hear them too" Hermione and Renee looked at the dreamy Luna. Renee glanced at the mysterious veil. She couldn't comprehend how only they could hear the voices.

"Why?" Renee asked.

"Get behind me" Harry ordered them and the others went to his side. Renee ducked below as she saw those black smokes launching towards them. She couldn't really saw what happened in that short period of time but all she knew is that she was now standing beside Harry while staring at the death eaters who had their wands at their friends.

"Did you actually believe" Lucius Malfoy spoke, "or were you truly naïve to think that children stood a chance against us?" Renee glared at the blond man.

"I'll make it simpler for you, Potter" Lucius stretched his hand towards Harry, "Give me that prophesy or watch your friends die"

"Don't give it to him!" Neville exclaimed, making the black haired woman gripped her hold at him.

Renee looked back and forth at the two males. Lucius was smiling as Harry slowly giving the Prophesy. It was painfully slow and Renee was breathless for the entire moment.

"No, Harry! Don't give it to him!" she shrieked.

Just then, several flashes of light appeared on the ceiling. Renee looked above and saw the lights transformed into members of the Order. Sirius appeared behind Malfoy the moment the blond man turned his head.

"Get away from my Grandson" he snarled and punched him hard on the face.

Thus the fight between the death eaters and the Order began. Renee pulled her wand to help them, but her magic doesn't seem to work at that moment.

"Now, listen to me" Sirius whispered at Harry in the midst of the battle, "Take the others and get away from here"

"NO!" Harry and Renee said in unison.

"You've done beautifully" he replied at the impatient teen, "Let me take it from here"

Renee shook her head, though she couldn't do anything to help them, she couldn't just leave them all alone in the middle of the battle.

"We can outnumber them Sirius" she said desperately, "We can't just leave you all here!"

"Black" Sirius, Harry and Renee looked at the person calling. Lucius had this wand on him but before he could utter a spell, Harry was fast enough to shout a disarming spell at the blond man.

"Nice one James" Sirius smiled at him.

Renee smiled too. But as she turned around, the black haired woman was standing behind with her wand aiming at him. She was smiling so cruel that Renee felt knots on her stomach. It was fast that Renee didn't even manage to shout as green lights launched at him. And as a matter of seconds, Sirius flew towards the veil.

She was shrieking with Harry as he was struggling from the other member's grip on him. Tears streamed on her cheeks as she stared at the veil and finally understood what the veil was all about.

"Death" she choked between sobs. Harry finally escaped from the man's grip and chased the mad woman.

"No…Sirius, this must be a dream…yes, this must be just a dream!" she sobbed.

She glanced on her right and saw someone staring at her. It wasn't like any other person on that place that couldn't even see her. She was staring right through her, in fact she couldn't even noticed by everyone…like her. She had this unexplainable expression on her face and from the looks of her eyes, Isabel knew that something bad had just happened.

"Mum…" Renee started to walk towards her, but Isabel ignored her and walked away.

"MUM!"

…

"I really don't believe this" Zacharias Smith muttered under his breath.

Joining an unofficial defense group was one thing. And helping a Gryffindor on her reckless move was definitely a different thing. He had never thought he could be really be riding a mystical creature just to bring someone towards its very dangerous action, not to mention it's Renee he was escorting to.

He shook his head for the third time.

Smith glanced at the girl's hands on his waist. She was still holding him tight like her life was dependent on it, something that made Smith find ironic.

"Hey, you can't sleep while I'm having a hard time maneuvering this Thestral" he shook his head, can't believed she was actually napping behind him.

No response from her.

"Hey" he nudged her slightly, but still no effect at the Gryffindor.

Smith loudly sighed and nudged her again for the second time.

Renee jumped in surprised and got them outbalanced on their flight. It was a good thing Smith got the Thestral in control just in time, or they'll see themselves falling into the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?" he scolded as the last thing he wanted was to really die while flying with the Gryffindor. Renee didn't reply behind him, making Smith infuriated.

"Hey! Are you even listening?"

But Renee wasn't able to hear any of the Hufflepuff's antics. Her hands were trembling so hard on his waist that Smith couldn't just ignore.

"You okay?" he asked. He fairly knew that Renee hated flying. She might be already on her senses and realized that she was flying a hundred feet above the ground and…

"Sirius" she suddenly sobbed. His eyes widened as the executed man's name was mentioned and pulled his wand inside his robes.

"Where?" he thought about how to escape at the criminal if he was there to attack them. Killing twenty three people and the first person to escape from Azkaban was no joke, and to escape from that such person was very slim.

But he couldn't just let go without a fight, could he? Now that he had learned a few good spells from DA.

"No" her voice vibrated behind his robes.

"We got to save him…we got to save Sirius"

To say he was surprised was an understatement. Sirius, one of the most dangerous men in wizard world was needed to be rescued? Not to mention two fifth year students who haven't got a proper defense lesson from their professor.

"Are you mad?" he shouted and then paused as the Hufflepuff couldn't take any reckless moves on his mind right now.

"No. You really are mad. Why are we going to help him? He's a criminal Matte! He's a dangerous criminal!"

"But he needs our help, MY help" she plead.

"No, he doesn't" he stated firmly and then made the magical creature halted.

"You know what we need to do now" he glanced at the Gryffindor behind him. "We need to get back to the Castle. I do not care if you oppose. You're insane and I do not like to be involved to your dangerous games…no more"

He was about to turn the Thestral back when a cold hard piece of wood touches his neck, making him rigid on his position.

"You try" she whispered so coldly that reached his spines. "You try and you'll see yourself falling…big time"

He gulped, but then tried his luck.

"You can't maneuver the Thestral" he responded, making the wand on his neck pressed harder in response.

"Try me"

He slowly glanced at her. It wasn't the same scared Renee behind him minutes ago. Her eyes were cold silver, her face were not reflecting any emotions but authority…she was like to pushed him off the Thestral any moment without hesitation.

He gulped again, and his attempt to return subsided.

"That's right" Renee spoke, "Go straight ahead"

…

Isabel paced once again. Not long ago, Sirius and the others had already gone to rescue Harry and his friends. She was really worried that Renee went with them but then finally got a sigh of relief after she learned from Remus that her daughter wasn't with them.

But her relief only last for a few minutes.

She walked towards the windowpane and sighed. For a few decades of spying, she had seen many people get tortured and killed, yet it was still terrifying for her whenever she would see one. And the terrifying feeling intensify as this person she had seen was…

Isabel rubbed her forehead, wanting to cry her eyes out. The others had already left and she had no way to contact them.

"What a great timing to have a vision. What shall I do?" she asked loudly.

She began to weigh her options.

Should I follow them even knowing it could blow my cover? Or do nothing while watching everything fall into pieces?

She covered her face with her hands and then stopped.

"Damn it" she suddenly cursed loudly. And as fast as she could, she took her robes at the hamper and leaved the room in a flash.

…

The streets were deserted and quiet compared to what Renee had anticipated. But she didn't take any chances as she casted a disillusionment charm at the mystical creature. She and Smith's steps were the only ones who made noise at the quiet neighborhood. The phone booth was not far from their spot, and its red paint couldn't make her not notice the thing she was looking for.

Smith slowly tagged along at the Gryffindor while the other was going straight towards the entrance of Ministry of Magic. He watched her ramble into her bag until she found a dime inside and about to insert the coin when she finally noticed his presence.

She raised her eyebrows, "Thanks for bringing me here. You can go now. You take the Thestral, I'll just look for a way…"

He shook his head, "Everyone saw me left with you. I can't just go back without you. Dang it, see how much trouble every Gryffindor do every year…"

"Are you really sure about that?" she asked while the Hufflepuff was still complaining, "We could face something dangerous beyond this"

Smith stopped babbling and then took a deep breath. "Let's just go now okay? No need to scare me off. I'm already scared, thank you very much"

Renee rolled her eyes but then smiled while inserting the dime.

"You know, you're not that bad after all" she commented while the booth was slowly going down like an elevator.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" he asked as the booth stopped moving.

Renee rolled her eyes once again at the Hufflepuff. She pulled out her wand from her pockets and placed her finger on her lips to hush him off.

It was a very odd feeling, but she could clearly feel something off around the area. It was a feeling she didn't like to feel, and she really had the urge to run away and avoid the aura she was feeling.

Brace yourself, they need you.

"Get your wand ready Smith" she doesn't need to remind him as he had already his wand ready.

Their footsteps were echoing so loud throughout the empty hallway, making the place creepier than the usual.

"Where are we supposed to go?" Smith whispered as he could feel the Gryffindor's quietness.

"Department of Mysteries" she whispered back.

It was then they saw the elevator not far from them. They look at each other and then broke into a run towards it. Renee clearly didn't like the atmosphere of the place; she finally remembered the last time she had that kind of creepy feeling, and the last thing she wanted was for it to be repeated.

Smith ran along with her. Whatever the Gryffindor was thinking, he knew it wasn't good at all. And the best he could do right now was to follow her lead.

…

"Department of Mysteries"

Renee and Smith took a deep breath before stepping out of the elevator. The hallways were exactly the same as she envisioned, making her more nervous than ever. And the more she made some steps towards the door, the heavy the aura was becoming. It was so heavy that she had a hard time in breathing.

She gripped her wand harder as they both reached the door. And as they opened it, she instantly knew that her fellow Gryffindors had finally had their encounter with the death eaters.

"Such mess" Smith commented as they both walked through the broken glasses. "It's undeniable they already went here"

The room was in complete mess. The high shelves were all on the ground and scattered pieces of crystal balls were all over the place.

"Yeah" she responded as they walk straight ahead. "They're been here a while ago"

Smith shook his head, realizing he was really joining a very reckless group of people. The two teens continued to walk without saying anything while observing the whole area with caution.

Renee stopped her tracks as an undamaged crystal ball stumbled into her feet. The crystal ball was blurry; same as the crystal she had touch last Christmas…

"What's that?" Smith asked as he peeked as the girl picked the crystal ball up.

Renee didn't reply. She was fully focused at the item on hand. Images were starting to form inside the crystal ball and she was afraid that it will disappear the moment she took her eyes away from it.

Smith patted her shoulders as he watched her reactions changed in wonder to fear. "What's that?"

Renee opened her mouth to speak, but the stopped as they both saw white ghostly smokes went towards one window.

"Oh my God" she suddenly burst out with her eyes widened at the sight. She ghastly stuffed the crystal ball on her bag and started to run towards the nearest door.

"Wait!" Smith called her back but the Gryffindor didn't even bother to look back.

They both sprang into the nearest door, though they had two different ideas behind it. Renee's mind was on turmoil, clutching her wand like a lifespan. She already had a vague idea what scene awaits them behind those doors and she doesn't know how to stop it.

The only thing she knew was that she got to do something about it, and keeping herself safe is least on her priorities now.

She abruptly opened the door and the scene she beyond her was quite overwhelming.

Both of them ducked as curses and spells fly all across the wide room. They had entered a battle zone, and it was more dangerous looking than she saw on her dream. Renee frantically looked around, trying to look for her friends in trouble. But neither of them could be found, especially with spells flying around the room. She even forgot Smith behind her if he hasn't pulled her behind the large stone.

"What the…" Smith muttered and then silently cursed at the situation they have in.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" he shouted in between the loud sounds at the background.

"I've got to find them!" she shouted back while struggling at Smith's grip on her arm.

"Can't you see how dangerous this place is? It's a battlefield we got stuck with!" he shouted in desperation.

"Damn it Smith!" she struggled on his grip while looking around. She finally saw Harry and Sirius on the middle of the room, with Malfoy and another man fighting with them.

"Release me this once Smith!" she snarled at him.

"No!" he stubbornly said. Renee looked back at the battle between wizards and saw the other man flew against the wall.

"Take your hands away Smith!" she desperately removed his hands from her arms.

"I'm not—" but it was too late, she got his hand removed and darted her way into the field.

Renee ran frantically looked around. She was sure the woman with curly hair will show up any minute now. She could feel her whole body trembling in fear, but she just ignored it.

"Expelliarmus!" Renee watched Malfoy's wand fall into the ground.

It was like slow motion for her. She watched Sirius throw a spell at the blond man, thus making him throw into the nearest wall. Next, a black smoke appeared into her far left and the woman with some crazy expression appeared. She realized that it was the same woman she saw on the newspaper, Bellatrix Lestrange…Sirius' cousin…

"Expelliarmus!" Renee shouted just before Bellatrix could raise her wand, making her wand fell into the ground. The woman looked at her with angry eyes, making Renee shivered in fear.

Harry and Sirius watched Renee waved her wand once again, hitting her hard and made her fell into the ground.

"Harry! Sirius!" Renee shouted as she ran towards the two males. The two meet her halfway with surprised faces.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked her first.

"I come here to help!" Renee replied, making Sirius sighed in frustration.

"Isabel will surely kill you for this" he pointed her though Renee wasn't really bothered by it.

"How did you come here anyway?" Harry asked her attention again as she was looking around the room. Renee was about to answer but then stopped when a familiar voice called her and made the two males glanced at the person running towards them.

"That was way dangerous Matte!" Smith was chasing his breath as he reached them. He pointed his wand at Sirius the moment he saw him, making Renee pulled him arm down.

"He escorted me here" Renee rolled her eyes as she answered the two males questioning look. "But that's beside the point here. We got to get out of this mess befor—"

Their reflexes were slow for the sudden attack. In a split second, Renee was already on the ground, crutching her right arm as the curse hit her and burns her flesh inside. Harry and Smith joined her to the ground as they tried to soothe her, while Sirius was attacking the random death eater with curses.

"We got to get Renee out of here" Sirius came back after defeating his opponent and saw Renee sighed in pain.

Renee tried her best to stand up and do not be a burden to her companions. Her right arm was still aching in pain, but it has already subsided as Sirius defeated the man and made him stop from his curse on her.

"Damn it"

Bellatrix was in front of them, with her wand already on her hand and ready to fire again. Renee might be in pain, but she could still comprehend that Smith was holding her tight as they watched Sirius protect them with the woman. Harry was clutching his wand, itching to fire any moment. Renee put all of her strength at pulling Harry's clothes to make him notice her.

"We got to stop…" she closed her eyes as pain intensifies again.

"You better not waste your strength, the pain is-" Smith reasoned at her as he could feel her body shook.

"No!" she shook her head frantically and then desperately looked at Harry. "They must stop fighting. She's going to kill him!"

Harry's stopped and then finally internalized what she had said. Smith also stopped and glanced at the girl he was holding. He finally knew she wasn't shaking in pain, rather…she was shaking…in fear.

The trio glanced at the two adults' direction like it was in slow motion. Sirius was already on the ground and several bloody cuts on his body. Renee almost forgot her pain as she ran along with the two boys as they approach him and saw his blooded body.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted in time as Bellatrix was about to give her final blow.

Renee and Smith were looking over Sirius while Harry was throwing spells at the lunatic woman who's shouting in joy, saying she had killed Sirius. Renee panicked as she saw him. Sirius was badly hurt; His cuts around his body were very deep, making his blood spilled on the floor. He wasn't breathing well either.

"Sirius" Renee called, but he didn't response. She shook him, ignoring the pain on her right arm. In fact, it wasn't the only part on her body hurting now. She could feel her left arm has these burning sensation, but did ignore it again as she was all focused at the man on the floor.

"We need to get some help and stop the bleeding" Smith spoke at her as he saw her staring at the bloody man. "Damn, Harry followed that woman…"

"Renee! Sirius!"

The two teens looked at their side and saw a man and a woman running towards them. The man kneeled beside them and looked at Sirius condition while the woman was looking around and try to guard them.

"Professor Lupin" Smith called the man, "I didn't know—"

"Save that later Mr. Smith" He stopped him as he gave Sirius some first aid spell, "I stopped some bleeding but it isn't enough" he glanced at Renee who's clutching her left arm across him. "You're hurt too—"

"I'm fine. Just focus in him please" Renee glanced at him for a moment but then return her gaze at Sirius, "Please…"

"I couldn't heal the other wounds" Remus Lupin declared, "Tonks, we need a mediwizard"

"Isabel's patronus told me she's on her way" the woman replied, "Ah there she is!"

Renee watched Isabel run towards their direction. Her robes weren't really on proper, like she went there on the last minute. She instantly kneeled on Sirius side and checked his condition. It was the first time she saw her so worried about the man, as she always ignore him before. Her hands were slightly shaking as her hands travelled on his wounds and check its severity; and with the same hands, she began her work at the unconscious man.

"I've temporary stopped the bleeding" she finally said after long intervention. "We got to send him to Poppy immediately"

They all agreed. Remus carried Sirius on his back and about to exit the room when Renee looked around and finally realized that someone was missing.

"Where's Harry?" they all stopped and looked around. The eye-glassed boy sure wasn't around.

"He disappeared with the woman in black" Smith told them. They looked at each other in worry.

"He could take care of himself" Isabel replied expressionlessly. "Sirius comes first"

"But—" Tonks objected.

Isabel glanced at the woman. "Then you stay if you want to. I do not care to someone who's risking everyone's lives"

Tonks opened her mouth to protest and glanced at Remus. He was clearly not agreeing with Isabel though he didn't speak of it. Renee and Smith watched the adults; Isabel might be in her neutral expression, but Renee clearly sees how worried she was with Sirius.

Isabel didn't wait for her response and continue to walk.

"You check Harry around" Remus told Tonks, "The others had sent to the castle already. But I highly doubt Harry was among them"

Tonks nodded and glanced at the teens before running towards the opposite direction. Renee watched her at the distance until she was out of sight and then leaned at Smith further for support.

…

It was all blurry for Renee on how did they arrived at the castle. Poppy welcomed them with open arms while they were also welcomed by her fellow schoolmates on each hospital bed. Smith placed her on the empty bed and they both watched the two female attend the unconscious man.

"Are you okay?" Smith asked her as he watched her clutched her left arm.

"I'm fine" she assured him and tried to ignored the pain.

"You're clutching her arm again. Are you sure—"

"I could still tolerate the pain. Sirius needs them more than I am" she replied as they watched at the distance while the two started their work on Sirius. The curtains were blocking their sight, but they could still see how busy they're becoming for the man.

Renee glanced at the other beds. Hermione, Ron, Luna and Neville were all unconscious. But Ginny and Harry was nowhere to be found. Poppy went out from the curtains and finally approached the two after a long wait.

"How is he?" asked Renee.

The mediwizard gave her a vial of potion and motioned her to drink. She obediently obeyed and twitched at the bitter taste.

"We managed to halt the curse" she told her while inspecting her right arm. "He'll be-" she noticed the Hufflepuff before continuing. "-fine"

"But where's Ginny?" Renee asked again.

"Are you hurt somewhere?" Poppy asked Smith but then he just shook his head and told her no.

"She was taken at St. Mungos. But she'll be fine my dear. Now, don't worry about everything and take a good rest. The medicine will about to do its work now" she patted her shoulder, take a curious look on Smith and checked her other patients.

Renee laid her head on the pillow as she could already feel her head already spinning by now. And the last thing she saw was Isabel walking fast as she exit the room with an unexplainable look on her face.

A/N: what do you think? I listened to my fangirl heart (not killing Sirius) and got a lot of plot holes. I'll fix them, I promise! A review from you all will mean so much to me!

PS. Coz I'm afraid I'll fill my chapters with my nonsense babbling and all, I've created a twitter account! Please follow me ReneeAnnHP. I'll post some about my babblings and story related things. See you there! =)

Renesnee