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“Their NEWTs are in a matter of days, I just don’t see Leo going from an A to an O in that time.”
“Agreed,” Minnie struck another name off her list without flourish, “Densby?”
“Chip off the old block, he’s a shoe-in for an O,” Sirius tapped his fingers against his leg as he stared out the window of the office into the June evening. He wanted to be out there, walking to the apparition point in Hogsmeade, not inside working out grade reports. “How many left?”
Minnie sent him a stern look over her glasses, “six-”
“Oh, that’s not too bad, let’s just get them over and done with.”
“-teen.” That stare really could cut steel. “And we shall give every student thought and consideration.”
“Even Lovrutt?” Sirius made a face. “Lovrutt sucks.”
Minne snorted, “quite, but until he graduates we still have a duty of care. Merlin help us.”
“He’s like the Snape of the year.”
“No comment.”
Sirius laughed and settled back into his chair, only throwing one last longing look out the window. If he put his head down and finished these reports he’d only be half an hour late home, but it was publishing day anyway so Remus wouldn’t notice.
“Abigail?”
“Solid E, could pull off an O if she aces the exam. Practicals aren’t her strong suit, but -” Sirius was distracted by movement coming from the grounds.
“But what, Sirius?”
He stood to get a better look, but his first glimpse had confirmed what he suspected. That was Dumbledore walking out of the school.
“Dumbledore’s on the move again,” Sirius scowled. He didn’t like the secrecy surrounding his forays to Merlin knew where.
“And there will be Order members posted in the grounds and in the castle should anything happen.” Minne gestured for him to sit back down, “now, what was that about Abigail?”
“Who’s on duty tonight?”
“Nymphadora and Bill. Would you please sit down.”
“Only those two? I’m staying until he gets back.”
“Sirius, the school is well guarded. Albus would not leave if he didn’t think the castle and all her occupants were totally safe.”
“He shouldn’t be leaving at all when he knows Voldemort’s next big plan is to get Death Eaters in.”
“And thanks to you, Draco Malfoy is not fulfilling that request.”
“No, Snape is.” Sirius couldn’t fight to keep the bitterness from his voice. Useful spy or not, he would never trust Severus Snape.
“Severus will do what needs to be done and nothing more.”
“Good thing I’ll be here doing my end of year reports then, isn’t it?”
“Insufferable child,” Minnie muttered. “Felix?”
“Acceptable. His duelling is shoddy, but he’s got the hang of shielding and protection charms and his theory isn’t half bad. Do you mind if I -?” Sirius brandished his wand and waited for Minnie’s nod before conjuring his patronus, “message for Re: staying late at the castle. Dumbledore gone, only two Order guards. Bad feeling. Will keep you updated.”
“You’ll only worry him for nothing.”
“Better safe than sorry, Minnie darling, you understand.”
“Mmm...Henrietta?”
“I’d recruit her for the Order if I didn’t know her talents would be wasted on us. She’s going to be a Healer.”
“I know,” Minnie allowed herself a small smile. It dropped when Remus’ patronus floated into the room.
“You know where I’ll be,” the wolf’s low tail wagged as it addressed him. “Send word.”
They’d worked the plan out months before you see, and the coded words too. ‘You know where I’ll be’. Yes, Sirius did. And it wasn’t safely tucked up in the Estate like he was supposed to be.
Sirius cleared his throat instead of answering Minnie’s look, “so, what about Ruaridh?”
Minnie tapped her quill against her list and Sirius watched her eyes drift lower, past the Densby Digglepots and Felix Gigolio’s right down to Ruaridh O’Macey. She tapped the page twice again and pursed her lips in a way Sirius hoped she’d done when she was writing his own reports. Ruaridh was a troublemaker in the best sense, all Gryffindor spirit and no filter. He had a mean head-spinning hex up his sleeve if the dizzy Death Eater wannabes that always turned up in his vicinity were to be believed.
“Professor! Sirius!”
Twin shouts came from outside the door.
“Sirius, they’re here!”
Sirius jumped up and blew the door wide open, his eyes already searching over Ron and Hermione’s heads to the empty corridor beyond.
“Look,” Hermione shoved the Marauders Map into his hands, one finger poking at a well known space on the seventh floor corridor.
A place which currently had the name Draco Malfoy standing by it, the dark blotches of evil ink spilling out of the room spelling out his betrayal.
“What is going on?” Minnie said, now standing behind him. The minute she saw the names her entire demeanour changed, “you two, back to your dorms and stay there. Sirius, call your husband.”
Shaking like he was with fury, Sirius didn’t know if he could even conjure his patronus.
Ron and Hermione turned to go, their intention to ignore Minnie’s warning written all over their faces, and alarm bells began to ring. If they were here, then…
“Wait! Where’s Harry?”
It was Ron who spoke, “he went with Dumbledore.”
“We’ll gather the DA and help,” Hermione said, biting her lip like she was holding back an apology.
“No, you won’t. The Order is here and more are on their way.” Sirius didn’t see them moving, “get out.”
His words shot to kill when he wanted them to. Let them hate him for one night. What did he care if it meant saving their lives?
He conjured Padfoot by some miracle, “message for Remus. They’re here. Coming in through Room of Requirement. Be quick.”
Ron and Hermione were still there, wide-eyed and vulnerable.
“Do not fight, do I make myself clear? Help by keeping people away from the action.” They didn’t respond. “Am I clear?”
“Y-yes,” Hermione grabbed Ron’s hand and they were off.
Sirius was out of the office and running down the opposite corridor without second thought. He had to see it for himself, understand what could possibly have inspired an act of betrayal so unspeakable.
Emotion carried him down the corridor up countless steps, propelling him along through its intensity, though Sirius didn’t spare a thought to identify it. Fear for the boy he’d come to care for as family - for what had Voldemort threatened him with for this to happen? Guilt for trusting him and ignoring every naysayer; anger for the injustice of it all.
He didn’t know.
What did it matter?
Draco was where the Death Eaters were and Sirius would be there soon, just one more flight of stairs to go, just five more steps, two more, one -
“Stupefy!”
Sirius ducked on instinct.
The corridor was filling up with black cloaks and smug smiles. The sounds of claps on a bony shoulder reverberated through him.
Sirius stepped forward again.
Their eyes met.
Grey eyes filled with fear. With confusion. With panic.
Without guilt. He hadn’t done it.
“Stupefy!”
The jets of red light were back, shrieks of laughter replaced with shouts of fury as Order members and professors made themselves known.
Sirius stepped forward, his wand aimed at a figure whose black cloak didn’t quite do enough to cover his lank hair.
‘Severus will do what needs to be done.’ Sirius had never doubted it, but they had different ideas about what was necessary and what wasn’t.
Draco was only a kid. A kid doing his best to get out of a bad situation. What right did he have, what right -
“Levicorpus,” Sirius shouted. Vindication captured him in its raging embrace as the spell met its target. He didn’t linger, Snivellus wasn’t worth it. He turned away from the hilarity of Snape hanging by the ankle in mid air and let him drop to the ground in a heap. His wand had already found a more deserving target.
He danced and cursed and stunned, back to the wall and Death Eaters at his mercy. Rowle and Carrow and Nott didn’t stand a chance.
“Draco, get them!” Sirius would recognise that high, girlish voice anywhere. Bellatrix. “Fight for what you’ve given us!”
Tonks shot a spell her way. Family relations didn’t run deep between them, either. Sirius left them to it, his eyes already seeking out Draco’s.
“Stun me,” Draco whispered, “stun me, please.”
Sirius was about to shake his head no. How could he? Why would he? But the chaos around him came into focus then. The bloodshed and victory trying to be won by both sides, neither of which Draco was part of.
“Please. I can’t fight you, please...stun me.”
“Stupefy.” Sirius couldn’t watch the flash of shock and pain as it was frozen into Draco’s features. He turned his back and stood in front of his fallen body, a secret guard.
“Draco?” Lucius Malfoy was in front of him suddenly, his mask ripped off. He stared at his fallen son before fury snapped into place. “You dare…”
“I won’t take a lecture from you of all people,” Sirius bared his teeth and parried curse after curse. Lucius was no match for his skill.
“Don’t touch him!”
For just a second the bellow had everyone stopping, heads whipping around to find the source of the shout. Sirius had known who his eyes would fall upon before he turned.
Remus was running out of the Room of Requirement like a soldier running to a fight. His expression was one Sirius had never seen, all righteous anger and pain and revulsion.
“Relashio,” in a blur of movement something, or someone, flew through the air and crunched against the stone wall. It fell. Sirius recognised the tangled mane of grey hair and those blood stained fingers. Greyback. “Bill? Bill?”
Sirius pushed through the already distracted bodies between them and fell roughly to the ground. Remus’ hands were shaking as they hovered over Bill’s mutilated body, his eyes never once tracking over to the unmoving slump of Greyback.
“Oh god, Bill, wake up. Wake up.”
Sirius’ hands stilled his. Remus looked up, eyes bloodshot. His shaking was more obvious like this.
“Take him to the hospital wing. Call Molly and Fleur. I’ve got your back.”
Remus nodded and drew his wand up, Bill’s body lifting gracefully with its arc, and together they disappeared down the stairs.
There was no time to dwell on what had just happened, no time at all to pray for fate to spare Bill Weasley, not with the fight still raging on.
So, Sirius didn’t think. He just jumped back into the fray to stand by Minnie’s side, Draco still unmoving behind him.
The potential of power coursing through him found its escape in the jets of light he sent gleaming across the corridor and ricocheting off the walls. He was so caught up in the thrill of it that he didn’t catch what was happening until it was too late.
“Renervate ...Draco, child, he is here! It is your time, go, go! Finish your glorious task.” Bellatrix was vibrating with untold glee, her wand throwing sparks of light around them all. “I will hold them off - go!”
Draco had no choice but to scramble to his feet and up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. Sirius had no choice but to let him go, else he be subject to the cruelty of dear Cousin Bella.
But as he duelled, his mind was up on that tower. If Dumbledore was back, Harry would be too.
“Protego maxima!” His charm gave him time to dive for the stairs. No stray curses aimed for his back. When he emerged onto the Tower, Sirius understood why.
They were there. Draco. Dumbledore. Snape. No Harry.
No matter where he looked - no Harry. Hidden, a part of Sirius’ brain recognised, under the invisibility cloak. It was the only part of the scene that made sense.
Because there Draco stood, wand drawn and body shaking, Dumbledore’s wand in his other hand with the man himself standing serenely at the very edge of the Tower.
Nothing between him and a one hundred foot drop beside Draco's conscience.
“Come on Draco, do it!” Bellatrix shrilled, “what are you waiting for!”
Draco’s wand lowered.
“No.” Sirius watched, body frozen, as Snape pushed Draco aside.
“Severus,” Dumbledore said, a look in his eye that Sirius couldn’t place, “please.”
“Avada Kedavra.”
A flash of green light. A single shriek of delight. The swish of robes.
A hand in his.
Sirius looked around and saw nothing where Dumbledore had stood not a moment before. It was done.
Sirius looked to his side into amber eyes that were as glassy and unseeing as his own. He blinked and looked around again. A shock of bright blonde hair being dragged down the stairs.
Those handful of seconds seemed to last forever but still it wasn’t enough time to understand what had just happened.
“Harry!”
Sirius didn’t see Harry but he felt the lurch as Remus turned them both towards the stairs and dived after a blur. He followed blindly, letting the hand in his guide their path as he shot spells to cover their retreat.
“Harry!”
They were tumbling down the entrance stairs now, their pace frantic as Harry pelted through the open doors and into the midnight grounds.
Flashes of spells lit up the grounds in snaps and bursts, leaving nothing but the impressions of light on the backs of their eyelids. With a snarl of frustration, Sirius tore his hand from his husband’s and in a single bound was racing through the doors on four paws.
The burst of speed gave him everything he needed.
He had Harry in his sights now, could smell the terror coming from him in waves.
Anger ripped at Sirius’ throat as he ran. How much more could be taken from Harry? How much more cruelty could come his way? If Sirius could just reach him...could just stretch his neck out and grab him, maybe he could protect him from it. Even for a minute.
He was barely five feet away when he heard Harry shout again.
“Incarc-” Snape deflected it before the incantation could fully leave his mouth. “Fight back! Fight back you cowardly -” Harry’s voice was raw as he screamed into the night. It was thunderous even to Sirius’ now human ears.
“Coward, did you call me, Potter?” Snape matched him for volume, “your father would never attack me unless it was four on one, what would you call him I wonder?”
“A hero for trying,” Sirius said, stepping in front of Harry with his wand already pointing at Snape’s heart. “Do not touch my godson. Do not utter James’ name in front of him.”
The pounding of feet running up behind them stopped abruptly.
“Stupefy!”
A body hit the ground and Sirius could only pray it wasn’t Remus. He couldn’t take his eyes off Snape to check.
“Fang’s in there, you evil -” Hagrid’s bellow seemed to bowl them all over. As one they turned, drawn to the flickering flames that turned everything wild.
“The charm is Aguamenti , Hagrid!” The relief of hearing Remus’ voice gave Sirius the concentration he needed to look away.
Snape was already retreating, his hand bunched in the robes at Draco’s neck, pulling his protesting body along.
“Sectumsempra,” Harry yelled. He’d obviously seen them, too.
“You dare use my own spells against me, Potter?” Snape raised his wand menacingly, “I who invented them, I the Half -”
“I said don’t touch him.” Sirius growled. “Either of them. Let Draco go.”
Snape turned to face him slowly, his hold on Draco forcing him to turn as well so that Sirius had no choice but to see the fear written across his face.
“What will you do, Professor? Hide him away in your Estate, have him write articles for your pathetic newspaper? Don’t be a fool, Black. The boy comes with me or else all your planning was for nothing.”
Sirius stared into those cold black eyes. What was Snape not saying?
“You killed him, like you killed my parents!” Harry shoved past him, “tell him. I know it was you. You who heard the prophecy, you who told your master. Tell him!”
“I do not have to explain myself to a -”
“Murderer.” Sirius was numb. He didn’t feel his arm raise, didn’t consciously ready his wand. The stream of curses that fell from his lips were years old and as cold as a dementor’s touch as they saw life for the first time in years.
Snape was quick to counter every blow, but his honed reflexes weren’t enough to block out Sirius’ pain. Curses landed, rebounded, fizzed out on shield charms but never ceased.
“Sirius!” Remus called him from somewhere, but Sirius didn’t take his eyes off his target.
He was one curse away from showing Snape exactly what growing up a pureblood had taught him. The ugliness of his family was always lurking under his skin, awakened by his anger. It would be easy, so easy, just to let it out.
He stilled.
Took in the scene in front of him. Three pairs of eyes stared at him: grey, green, amber. A fourth set of black eyes eyed his wand.
“Draco will return tomorrow,” Snape took a step back and Sirius let him.
“Sirius, you can’t let him go!” Harry shouted and raised his own wand, “he killed Dumbledore!”
“Harry,” Remus turned him away and walked Harry back, “help Hagrid with the fire.”
Sirius stared at the edge of the forest. He’d let them go.
“You let him go,” the words weren’t accusatory coming from Remus. “You think it was their plan all along?”
“Probably. I don’t know. Doesn’t really matter.” Sirius couldn’t tear his eyes from the trees. Of course it had been Snape. Life never let them move on. “It was him.”
Remus sighed heavily and Sirius suddenly became aware of everything that had happened in the last hour. Dumbledore dead. Draco gone. Harry caught up in it. He turned his head away and saw the grief and pain leaching out of his husband.
“I know,” the words seemed to take the last of his energy with them.
Sirius nodded and held him tight. They’d had years to understand this grief but they’d never been much good at it.
“Let’s be strong for a few more hours,” Remus murmured into his neck.
Sirius nodded and pulled away. They had Harry to think about. Harry who was standing next to the smoking hut of Hagrid’s home and shaking almost uncontrollably.
The four of them looked as one to the castle with its grotesque aurora of green. It was lit from the inside too, hundreds of candles hurriedly dancing to show the horrors of the night.
Students and teachers were starting to emerge now, spilling out onto the lawn and congregating under the shadow of the Astronomy Tower.
Their walk up to join the crowd was silent. Harry’s hand was shaking in his.
The crowd parted for them as they drew nearer, and neither he nor Remus stopped Harry as he dropped to his knees beside Dumbledore. They stood by his side. It wasn’t long until they were joined by Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Minnie, Tonks.
As Sirius stood there and gazed upon Dumbledore’s body he didn’t feel much at all. He was numb, body and soul. They all were. No one knew what happened next.
Sirius laid a hand on Harry’s shoulder and drew him up and into his side. He’d stay strong for him.