Rating:
PG-13
House:
The Dark Arts
Characters:
Harry Potter James Potter Ron Weasley Remus Lupin Sirius Black
Genres:
Action Drama
Era:
Multiple Eras
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix
Stats:
Published: 02/26/2003
Updated: 11/13/2003
Words: 164,724
Chapters: 41
Hits: 101,291

Promises Unbroken

RobinLady

Story Summary:
Sirius Black remained the Secret Keeper and everything he feared came to pass. Ten years later, James and Lily live, Harry attends Hogwarts, and Voldemort remains…welcome to a darker world.

Chapter 36

Chapter Summary:
Sirius Black remained the Secret Keeper and everything he feared came to pass. Ten years later, James and Lily live, Harry attends Hogwarts, and Voldemort remains…welcome to a different world where nothing is as it seems. {This Chapter: The Choice}
Posted:
09/19/2003
Hits:
1,743

Promises Unbroken

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Choice

Bill awoke to footsteps and whispered voices. Fear spiked within him, but he repressed it forcibly, making himself focus on the situation. Immediately, he rolled over, searching for the hole in the wall. "Frank?"

"I'm here, kid," the scratchy voice whispered.

"Do you hear that?"

"Yeah. It's been going on for a while," the other prisoner replied. "I think--"

There was a sudden scraping noise, and Frank's voice vanished. Frantically, Bill raised his voice above a whisper for the first time in days. "Frank? Frank, are you there? Frank?"

Bill's cell door opened with a creak, making his head jerk up. His body shuddered instinctively, trying to brace itself for the sudden cold and onslaught of terrors--but there was nothing. No Dementors, only a man wearing dark robes silhouetted in the doorway. The stranger stepped forward, but Bill looked at him suspiciously, unsure of what to think of this new arrival. Midnight visitors weren't uncommon in Azkaban, although the Lestranges and company tended to prefer the daylight.

"It's all right, kid," the stranger said quietly. "We're here to take you home." The wizard continued forward, and when he bent to help Bill up, the young man caught sight of the Auror's patch on his robes. Immediately, he accepted the offered hand.

"Who are you?"

The other pulled him to his feet. "Sirius Black."

"But you're dead!" Bill felt his jaw drop, and he stared at the stranger, trying to figure out if he was dead, hallucinating, or both. The name engraved on the Wall of Heroes might only seem like a memory, but he was sure that it had been real, as had been the tragic story of the fallen Auror.

"People keep telling me that," Black replied with a tight smile. "Bill Weasley, right?" Bill nodded numbly. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's go. We don't have any time to waste." Black led Bill towards the door, his wand held in a low ready position. After a quick glance outside, he gestured Bill forward, and the young Auror was only too glad to comply. Walking felt alternatively good and painful; on one hand, he was simply thankful to be able to do so, and on the other he was reminded of all the torture sessions he'd suffered over the past months. Stepping outside his cell under his own power for the first time, Bill looked around and noticed at least three other Aurors, one of whom was helping a battered wizard hobble from the next cell. Frank.

One of the Aurors turned to Black. "We've got all the prisoners from the far end, Sirius," Kingsley Shacklebolt said calmly. "Now, all we've got to do is work our way back towards the meeting point."

"Good." Black turned and gestured far down the cell row. "Watch that direction. The Lestranges live down there--"

"Sirius?" Bill's fellow prisoner was staring at Black with wide eyes and a slack jaw. He stumbled, and the slight Auror supporting him almost didn't catch him.

"Hey, Frank," Black replied quietly. "Alice is going to be happy to see you."

Frank Longbottom blinked. "You're dead."

"Almost." The smile didn't touch Black's eyes, which were darting from side to side, watching everything around them. He seemed more tense than the other Aurors, but more watchful as well, and they were clearly turning to him for leadership.

"But what are you doing here?" Frank wheezed. "Aside from the obvious."

"The Division needed someone intimately acquainted with Azkaban," the other replied. "That's me."

"You were--" Longbottom started to ask, but then the cold chill hit him at the same time it struck Bill. Incapable of speech, Bill struggled to remain standing, and saw Frank start to go down. Black, too, was staggering under the influence--Bill heard screams in his head--

"Dementors!" Frank managed to gasp as he collapsed and hit the floor, dragging the slim Auror down with him. Bill staggered, bouncing into the wall and leaning on it hard. His vision wavered, darkening rapidly, but he could see a dozen of the creatures heading their way. He saw one reach Kingsley before the black wizard could raise his wand--the Dementor clamped its hands around Kingsley's neck and was bending over--Black stumbled, almost collapsing, and hit the wall next to Bill. Suddenly, though, the Auror's wand was up, and Bill caught a glimpse of the grim determination etched into his pale features as his wand whipped forward.

"Expecto Patronum!"

An enormous silver eagle leapt out of Black's wand and bowled over the first Dementor as it brought Kingsley's face up; the Dementor flew backwards and then turned and fled, defeated. Immediately, the eagle swept around to face the other incoming creatures, diving into their midst and scattering them. A moment later, a female wizard's voice could be heard casting the Patronus Charm, as she ran up from behind them. Her mountain lion joined the eagle in chasing the Dementors away.

The cold feeling retreated as suddenly as it had come, and Bill blinked, pushing himself away from the wall as the slender Auror helped Frank to his feet. Black had walked over to Kingsley, steadying the larger man as he struggled to stand.

"I'm okay," Kingsley said shakily.

Black nodded; his eyes were sharp. "I think we've been made."

"Agreed," the woman responded, and Bill turned slightly towards her as he shoved himself free of the wall. He knew Hestia Jones, and was surprised that he hadn't recognized her voice or her Patronus--but such worries were for another time. Looking over her shoulder, he spotted the knot of prisoners that she'd clearly been with before rushing forward to meet the Dementors.

"Nice timing, by the way," the Auror supporting Frank said to Hestia, and Bill suddenly recognized the slender young man as Oscar Whitenack, who had once been Frank's student.

"Not good enough," she replied testily. Her eyes were on Black, but he was looking at Frank.

"I think," Frank said slowly, "that you're going to have to sacrifice some of us less mobile prisoners for the sake of speed."

Bill gaped. "Frank--"

"Not possible," Black cut them both off with a hard look on his face. He walked straight up to Longbottom and looked the battered man in the eye. "I'm not leaving anyone in Azkaban; I know too well what this place is like." He extended his wand. "Here. Just do it."

Frank looked dubiously at the wand. "I'll last an hour if we're lucky," he warned Black. "And my left leg is broken. I won't get very far without the Quick Heal, and I refuse to slow anyone down."

"If we're here for longer than an hour, we're all dead anyway."

Sighing, Frank took the wand and pointed it at himself. "Brevisalvum Mali."

Bill felt his eyebrows rise as his friend cast the spell; he remembered, oh so clearly, learning about the Aurors' emergency Quick Heal Spell in training, and definitely recalled Alastor Moody lecturing him hi and low about how never to use it unless it was a genuine emergency. Well, if this isn't a disaster, I don't know what qualifies, Bill thought to himself. The look on Frank's face told him that the pain had faded very little, if at all, but the older man straightened and was able to support his own weight. Bill knew that the spell wouldn't last long and that the damage would be worse when it finally wore off, but in the current situation, even that seemed like an improvement.

"Thanks," Frank said to Black.

"No problem. Let's get--"

Red light flashed over their heads, narrowly missing the slender Auror who had been supporting Frank only moments before. "Get down!" Hestia cried, and the six Aurors, both old and new, dove to the sides, seeking what shelter they could from the prison's walls. For a moment, Bill considered ducking back into his old cell, but decided that he'd rather risk it out in the open. The only way I'm going back in there is by force.

"The Lestranges," Frank hissed from Bill's right, and the hatred in his voice was clear. But Bill understood exactly how he felt.

"Stupefy!"

A red jet of light issued from their side, and suddenly Bill saw one of their shadowy opponents go down. Then he heard Bellatrix Lestrange's voice.

"Oh, is that you, cousin?" she taunted. "Have you been foolish enough to return to Azkaban? I hope you know you won't be leaving this time!" She easily blocked a spell that Kingsley sent in her direction, and Hestia's shield evaporated under the strength of Rodolphus Lestrange's attack.

"Nox Omni," Black hissed under his breath, and suddenly all the lights in the corridor went out and they were plunged into darkness. Bill thought he heard someone on their side curse angrily.

"Do you think you can hide, Sirius?" Bellatrix demanded, laughing. "The darkness is my friend! Avada Kedavra!"

Green light flashed high over Bill's head, impacting with the wall and making metal fragments spray everywhere. A moment later, he heard a reverberating gong sound in the prison that sounded much like thunder; with a start, Bill realized that it had to be the rescue team's trouble signal.

"Is that the best you can do?" Black called back in response to Bellatrix's taunts, but she laughed.

"Calling for friends, Sirius? And here I was, thinking that you'd be man enough to fight me!" she laughed again, and the sound of it sent a shiver down Bill's spine. Somewhere to his left, he heard movement, but Bellatrix wasn't finished. "Lumos," she hissed under her breath, and Bill caught sight of her ghostly outline just before her wand zeroed in on Black's crouching form. "Ava--"

"Everbero!" He had clearly been waiting for her to reveal herself, because his strike spell hit Bellatrix full in the chest and sent her flying backwards, where she crashed into the distant wall, unmoving. "Expelliarmus!"

Her wand sped into Black's hand, and then everything went dark as Bellatrix's spell extinguished. A moment later, the corridor lights were restored as Black mumbled another spell, and the Auror turned immediately to Frank, who shook his head. "Give it to Bill," the older man said weakly. He was clearly still in pain.

"Here." Bill caught the tossed wand neatly and turned it over in his hand. It felt strange, entirely unlike his own wand and...tainted. But it would do for the time being. He'd just have to remember not to do anything complicated with it.

"Thanks."

Black nodded. "Everyone all right?" A chorus of affirmative answers greeted his question as Aurors and prisoners picked themselves up off the ground. "Good. Let's get out of here before something else goes wro--"

"Look out!" Hestia cried, spinning towards the direction from which the other prisoners were approaching. On instinct, Bill felt his wand raising and turning in the same direction, and he barely managed to deflect the Stunning Spell that was on his lips when he recognized the new group of people. Alice Longbottom was in the lead, which made relief color Hestia's voice. "Alice!"

The other Longbottom's sharp brown eyes took in the two unconscious Lestranges with a glance. "I see you've been busy," she commented.

"Quite," Kingsley grunted.

Alice had reached her husband's side, and Bill looked away, letting them have a private moment to hold one another. But they were running short on time, and Black spoke after only a few seconds.

"How many did you find?" he asked Alice.

"Fifteen," she replied immediately, still at Frank's side. Bill noticed that his companion seemed years younger, now, and the determination on his face was clearly mixed with joy. "We ran into Rabastan Lestrange on the way, but he'll be out for awhile."

"Good," Black replied. His eyes were still scanning the corridor. "We've got twelve, so that means we've found everyone. Jones, Alice, take the rear guard. Bill, Oscar, you're with me. Everyone else stay close."

They set off down the corridor as fast as they could, which, unfortunately, wasn't a great speed. Various injuries slowed prisoners down, and Bill saw some supporting each other while Aurors alternated between lending a hand and keeping a lookout. It seemed to take forever to work their way up the long row of high security cells, but finally the ungainly group made its around the first bend and into the long row of Interrogation Rooms that Bill had seen far too many times. Walking to Black's left, he could see the grimace on his own face reflected on the Auror's, and he began to wonder if Black had indeed been a prisoner of Voldemort's at one time.

However, something told him that this wasn't the time to ask. Instead, he wondered, "Where are we going?"

"Sewer," Whitenack answered from Black's right. "The entrance is just around the next corner. The pipes lead to the dock, where we have a boat waiting."

Freedom. The thought was almost too sweet to contemplate, and at first Bill thought it was just his imagination when an icy wind swept over the group as they approached the final turn.

Black stopped cold, flinging out an arm to force the rest of them back. His shoulders were tense and his wand still motionless by his side as he stood frozen--A horrible chill ran down Bill's spine.

They were trapped.

It was a feeling that was vaguely familiar to Bill, and he knew that there was something just beyond their final turn, something in between them and freedom--Oscar Whitenack's voice was hollow. "What is it?"

Black blinked. "Voldemort."

"Impossible. He's--"

"I feel him. He's there." He blinked again, and suddenly his wand came up. "Run."

Sirius Black stepped around the corner.

----------------

The calm stealing over him couldn't be his own. He felt unnaturally relaxed for someone who was walking forward to meet his own death, and time seemed to move in slow motion. Every step took a lifetime; it was as if the fates were giving him every chance to realize exactly how foolish he was being. But he knew what he was doing. He had made his choice. Time sped up, and his heart pounded faintly in his ears with an oddly regular beat, calm and ready.

Sirius came around the corner. He felt his robes swirling around his legs in the artificial wind, but his focus was on the slim figure standing forty feet away, garbed in dark robes with malevolent red eyes. A long white hand extended a wand in his direction, but no spell came forth.

"Sirius Black. I thought it might be you."

It was the first and only time he'd ever been able to face the Dark Lord on equal terms. When he spoke, though, his voice was far calmer than Sirius felt it had any right to be, but he was oddly at peace with himself. This was his choice. "Voldemort."

Heartbeat.

"Avada Ke--"

He knew it before the Dark Lord's wand stabbed forward, knew it had to be coming. Sirius dove aside, sending a section of a nearby wall flying Voldemort's way, which was turned aside by a swipe of the other's wand. Likewise, Sirius blocked the return curse, and saw the red eyes narrow ominously before green light sizzled through the air.

But Sirius was moving already, and a gesture with his wand tore a nearby door free of its hinges; the killing curse made the door explode and lit the ground between Sirius and Voldemort on fire, lending eerie light to the proceedings.

Then the duel began in earnest. Sirius hardly had time to think, only to react the way years of training had drummed responses into his mind. Bright lights flashed in the air, crossing and bending around one another. In the background, Sirius heard shouting, and thought that came from his companions, but he didn't have time to be sure. He could only concentrate on Voldemort's reactions, and found that he somehow knew what spell the Dark Lord would cast almost before he did so. It wasn't a conscious feeling, only instinct, yet he could feel the answers burning within him.

But the feeling wasn't perfect, and Sirius was struck with Voldemort's Cruciatus Curse even as his Strike Spell hit the Dark wizard. Sirius flew backwards with a cry, hitting the wall only inches from Bill Weasley's startled feet, but was gratified to see Voldemort also down, although temporarily, which broke the torture curse's hold on him. Weasley tried to grab his arm and pull him aside, but Sirius rolled forward and out of his reach, coming up in his old dueling crouch.

"Cadovallum!" he bellowed, but a wave of Voldemort's wand deflected the spell upwards, making a section of the ceiling cave in with a crash. Sirius immediately cast a Stunning Spell, hoping that the effort of avoiding the falling rock would distract his opponent, but had no such luck and narrowly missed being hit by another Cruciatus Curse.

In the meantime, Voldemort conjured a giant black snake that reared up at Sirius, seemingly willing to swallow him whole--a quick Incinerator Curse made the snake burst into flames, but it had taken precious moments, and a Bone Breaker Curse ate through Sirius' neglected shields. Gasping, he doubled over, feeling ribs crack and splinter; there was barely time to roll out of the way before another jet of green light filled the space where he'd just been. Still in motion, Sirius raised his wand quickly, knowing that there was no time for pain.

There was no time for thought or reaction. There wasn't even time to breathe. Only to act.

The corridor between his companions and escape was becoming the stage of a light show. Curses filled the air, and Sirius blocked some by pure instinct and avoided others; smoke from was drifting around them, making the duel seem absolutely surreal. Sirius blocked an Impediment Curse and tore another door off its hinge and sent it flying at Voldemort. Immediately, the door burst into flames, but Sirius was already moving sideways, anticipating the Killing Curse before it was cast. The wall behind Sirius exploded, and he heard someone shout.

Quickly, he waved his wand, and a small tornado engulfed Voldemort, picking him up and spinning him around--but Voldemort's counter was too fast, and soon Sirius was flying into the air. He came down with a crash, and smashed his head hard against the concrete, but instinct made him roll just in time to avoid another Cruciatus Curse. Coming up into a crouch and seeing stars, he fired off a shield that intercepted Voldemort's next curse, then Sirius shot to his feet, acting on pure instinct and forgoing thought of any laws or rules, or even of common sense.

"Imperio!"

"Imperio!"

They cast the spells simultaneously, and Sirius saw Voldemort stagger even as he stumbled back a step, struggling against the sudden tide of power that engulfed him. Warm and cold alternately embraced Sirius, and Azkaban faded into nothingness as he became caught up in the battle of wills. He could feel Voldemort fighting his hold, and at the same time could hear an insistent little voice telling him to drop his wand, to simply surrender...

Everything was a blur. He could no longer see, could not feel or hear anything other than the tug of Voldemort's will and the power assaulting his defenses like a battering ram. The importance of the world outside faded away, replaced by a feeling of peace. He didn't need to care, didn't need to think...

But this was a battleground that he both knew and understood. He had been here before. Sirius fought back, bullying his way into their link with sheer willpower, and trying to force the Dark Lord to relinquish his hold. He had an advantage now, and he knew it. Sirius doubted that anyone had ever dared turn the Imperius Curse on Voldemort himself, and in this gray area between defeat and victory, Sirius had long since learned how to cling to his soul. The joint curses formed a link between them; power was no longer an issue, simply will.

Voldemort, however, was very strong. Pain shot through him as their wills clashed, and he struck back just to see what would happen. The answering fury was so great that it burned, and Sirius almost lost his grip. Warm nothingness was creeping in on him, and he struggled against it, fighting the rising feeling of defeat and despair. Still, the hopelessness of the situation came on stronger, and he could feel the Dark Lord begin to savor the pleasure of victory.

No!

Inch by inch, Sirius clawed his way back from defeat. Voldemort's fury sent pain shooting through his mind, but he fought back. He would not lose. He would not relinquish his hold.

He was drawing on reserves that he didn't even know he had.

The link between them was becoming frighteningly strong. Sirius felt as if he simply took one step forward, he would be able to peer straight into Voldemort's twisted soul--and suddenly realized that the Dark Lord had the same opportunity to view his. The situation had gone far beyond reckless danger. This was becoming deadly. There could be only seconds before Voldemort understood what the link meant, and Sirius doubted that his damaged psyche could take that pressure. Focusing, he shoved with all his might, struggling to free himself from the link before it became too late--

And then everything went black.

----------------

"--nverate."

Sirius' eyes flew open, and he blinked against the sudden brightness. The fiery line that had formed a barrier between him and the Dark Lord was flickering not far away, and there were footsteps in the dark corridor, people moving around him--Sirius' head jerked up, and he found himself looking into the dark eyes of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Quickly, he levered himself upwards on his elbows, looking around. At least half the rescued prisoners were gathered around, staring down at where Sirius lay with anxious eyes. He looked at Kingsley, trying to clear the fog that was slowly retreating from his mind.

"What happened?"

"We stunned you both," the Auror replied. "It was the only way we could think of to break through both curses."

"Voldemort--?"

Someone behind him in the darkness squeaked at the use of the Dark Lord's name.

"Still unconscious. We're trying to figure out how to--"

Boom.

Bits of crumbling rock rained down upon them, and Alice Longbottom, from just around the corner, screamed, "We have incoming!"

Sirius jumped to his feet as larger rocks started falling from the ceiling. The floor shook insistently underneath him, though, as he bent to pick his wand up from where it had fallen when he had been stunned. There wasn't time to think about how much his head hurt. "Get them moving!" he shouted to Kingsley, over the rising rumbling noise. Sparks and spells were flying around the corner where Alice and her companions were. "We don't have much time!"

He sprinted towards the door, and the crowd of prisoners and Aurors split to allow him passage. Upon reaching the rusted metal door, though, he noticed it was closed, and a cold feeling began to creep its way into his stomach. Don't be silly, Sirius told himself. Alice just must have closed it behind her. Without further hesitation, he wrenched the door open.

And came face to face with a very startled Severus Snape.

"Incendio!" Snape shouted, and Sirius collapsed along the wall behind him, feeling the curse burn as it split his left shoulder open. He shoved his wand through the opening.

"Stupefy!" He didn't have time to tell if the spell hit before he slammed the door shut, coming back to his feet as quickly as possible.

"Colloportus!" Sirius sealed the door and waved the others back, his mind racing. "We can't go this way!"

A cry of pain followed by a bright flash of light came from the other end of the hundred foot long hallway. Sirius glanced around himself wildly, hoping to find a way out, but he knew there were none. How the Death Eaters had found the underground passageway had to be blind luck, because Sirius hadn't told anyone but James about it before briefing the Aurors on the Leaky Lady--but that hardly mattered at the moment. The short hallway had just become a killing ground. They were trapped.

"Kingsley! Bill! Oscar!" he shouted, gesturing quickly to the three closest Aurors--normally, he wouldn't have even thought of calling for one of the escaped prisoners, but Weasley had a wand, and that would have to do--"The ceiling! Blast it now!"

"Why?" Oscar shouted.

"Just do it!" Sirius cried, pointing his wand at the rocky ceiling and letting lose the most destructive curse he could think of. His earlier attempt to collapse the walls into Voldemort had weakened it considerably, but Azkaban was a sturdy structure. The others followed his example, shooting spells straight up at the roof, and the floor began to shake once more--

Rumble.

Crack.

"Look out!" Bill shouted, and Sirius barely got a shield up in time to shelter the prisoners before rocks came tumbling down all around them. He felt other shields strengthen his own, and then suddenly the onslaught had ended, and he heard spells glancing off the door he had previously sealed. Time was running out.

"Start levitating prisoners to the roof!" he ordered Kingsley, and then rushed over to where Alice, Jones, Dawlish, Striker, and Christa were struggling to keep another group of Death Eaters back. Sirius had barely come around the corner when he was forced to dive for cover as a red light nearly took his head off.

He caught a glimpse of at least a half dozen Death Eaters beyond the temporary barrier the Aurors had created out of doors, rocks, and metal fragments. "How bad is it?"

"Bad!" Alice shouted back, popping up to cast a Stunning Spell at an advancing Death Eater. He dodged to the right, and she missed, and then both Aurors ducked their heads back below the barrier. "We can't hold much longer!"

"Who can you spare?" Sirius hated to ask, but he had to. They needed the help.

"Dawlish!" she shouted immediately, reaching out to grab the other Auror's shoulder with her left hand. "Go back with Sirius!"

Nodding her a quick thanks, Sirius met Dawlish's eyes, and together they sprinted back to the center of the other corridor, where Kingsley, Oscar, and Bill were levitating the prisoners up by ones and twos. Unfortunately, levitating large and solid objects was very tiring work, and all three of them looked fatigued, especially Bill, who looked ready to collapse. Sirius and Dawlish combined their efforts with the others'.

"Oscar!" Sirius commanded. "Get yourself up there and keep a look out. Yell if you see anything at all!"

The young Auror nodded and then was gone, flying through the ragged gap in the ceiling and joining the dozen prisoners all ready there. A cry of pain came from Alice's direction, though, and Sirius thought it sounded like Christa's voice. Those below doubled their efforts. Exhaustion started pressing in hard on Sirius after a few moments, but he ignored it and saw the others doing the same. Finally, the last two prisoners sailed upwards and through the opening, and Sirius turned to call his other team back.

"Alice!" Sirius cried. "Pull back!"

The reaction was immediate, and he was grateful to see four figures backing up, still firing spells as they came. Christa looked like she was dragging her right leg, and Striker's face was covered in blood, but they were all mobile. Sirius and the others lent their support to the effort, sending spells flying over their companions' heads and trying to delay the enemy in any way possible. One Death Eater fell, but another's spell missed Alice and struck Kingsley. The black Auror cried out in pain and staggered, but Bill, exhausted though he was, caught him and helped him regain his balance.

Alice and the others reached them just as the heavy metal door burst open and Death Eaters filled the entranceway.

"Look out!" Dawlish cried, dragging Sirius out of the way of a Killing Curse. There was no time to thank him.

"Get to the roof!" Sirius ordered.

Christa and Striker went first; it was standard Auror doctrine to get the worst injured people away safely before worrying about anyone else. With their help, Kingsley shot through the opening, and then from his left, Bill gestured to Voldemort's slightly stirring form, calling,

"What about him?"

"Leave him!"

There simply wasn't time. The war could have ended then, but Sirius couldn't risk any more lives by trying to capture the Dark Lord--and even as he started to reconsider the decision, Snape darted forward and dragged Voldemort out of the way. Another spell narrowly missed Jones, but then the last five Aurors were grabbed by their compatriot's spells and were whisked out of danger.

Sirius landed on the roof with a thud. It took him a long moment to get up, but he forced his mind to work through the pain and exhaustion and scrambled to his feet. His Aurors were already backing away from the hole, and the prisoners were already at a safe distance. Oscar and Christa were with them, he noticed--spells were flying up blindly from the Death Eaters below, but Kingsley and Jones both cast shield spells over the opening, allowing them to continue to back away. The Aurors spread out immediately, scanning the ground around Azkaban's prison complex and searching for threats. For the moment, everything seemed clear, but Sirius knew that wouldn't last long. Soon enough, the Death Eaters would venture outside, and unless they could contact Arthur before that happened, they would be finished. But even as that morbid thought occurred to him, a giant spray of water engulfed them all.

Sirius looked up, grinning.

The Leaky Lady was descending from the sky, dripping seawater down on the assembled Aurors and prisoners, which, although cold, was one of the best feelings Sirius had ever felt in his life. Slowly, the Lady floated down, stopping level with the prison's roof, and her boarding ramp shot out to allow them across.

"Yes!" Oscar Whitenack cried in triumph, and the grin on his face told Sirius that the young wizard had been the one to signal Arthur Weasley.

He reached out to slap the Auror on the shoulder. "Good work!"

Alice was already sending prisoners across the ramp; those who could make it were jumping over the gap between the Leaky Lady's side and the roof. Sirius turned his head slowly, taking one last look and ensuring that no one was approaching them--but there were no Death Eaters in sight. To his right, though, there was a sharp crack, and the roof rumbled and shook, knocking several prisoners off their feet. The shield spell over the opening had been broken, but Sirius only laughed. It was too late.

He leapt over to the Leaky Lady, the last aboard, and headed to the bridge as the yacht eased away from the prison. As they gained altitude, Sirius noticed several figures make it outside of the complex--and he recognized the one in the lead.

"You might want to hurry," Sirius remarked lightly, reaching Arthur's side. "He's not too happy with us right now."

Arthur grinned back. "Right."

As the Leaky Lady jumped higher into the sky, a sudden impulse possessed Sirius. He leaned over the bridge railing and waved jauntily to Voldemort.


----------------

Author's Note: Next Chapter: "Spiral of Change"--consequences and visions, fears and resolutions.

I have started a Yahoo! Group for the "Unbroken Universe". It's free to join, and I'll post updates plus other tidbits, like the trailer, that way. The address is: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Unbroken_Universe. Please do not email me to be put on the update list now; joining the list is much easier.