Transformations

A/N: All quotes from OotP, Ch. 35 & 36, American hardback

*****

Four months later -- June

Tonks stretched lazily and settled deeper into her chair, eyes closed, listening to the conversation around her. Kingsley was entertaining Sirius, Remus, and Mad-Eye by explaining the latest red herrings he had drawn across Sirius's trail.

Tonks thought drowsily that it was odd how Remus's laugh stood out. His laugh, like his voice, was slightly hoarse and not particularly loud, but there was something that made it striking. It was rather pleasant.

Remus glanced at Tonks, who appeared to be sleeping. Her hair was a mass of chestnut-brown curls, streaked with her favorite bubble-gum pink. Reaching for his butterbeer, he wondered idly how many opponents had underestimated her because of her youth and apparent vulnerability. Eyeing the four bottles on the table, he reached tentatively for the leftmost one.

"Yours is second from the left."

Startled, Remus looked up, but Tonks hadn't moved, except for the tiniest of smiles on her face that might not have been there before.

"Thank you."

The smile broadened as Tonks opened her eyes. "You're welcome."

A sound like a choir of very small, high-pitched bells made Tonks straighten up expectantly. An oval with a smoky blue border, about a foot wide and twice as, wavered open in midair. Snape's face appeared and Tonks sat back, disappointed. The Potions master's gaze raked over them, fixing on Sirius with his best death glare.

Sirius' eyes flashed dangerously. "What is it?" Tonks noted that Snape had, as usual, chosen to set the oval at well above the average eye level; a petty act.

Snape's cold eyes glittered as they usually did when he faced his archrival. "Potter had another one of his little daydreams. He believes you to be a prisoner of the Dark Lord, but as you're obviously not, I have some things that need to be done here." With that, the oval collapsed in on itself.

"Wait!" Sirius' shout rang to empty air. He looked ready to bolt off to strangle Snape into giving him answers.

Remus spoke calmly. "Sirius, I'm sure Harry is all right. He must have spoken to Severus, and Severus is probably telling Harry right now that you are still here. Rudely, to be sure, but he will let Harry know."

Sirius turned and sat down with a visible effort, peering out of a gauze-curtained window at the setting sun as though he could see the school through it. "He had better."

Kreacher brought out plates of sandwiches; from the way he kept turning slightly purple when he looked at the guests, Sirius had ordered him to keep his mouth shut. Mad-Eye Moody arrived an hour later, completing the circle of five.

They were, Remus reflected, an odd set. They ranged in age from Tonks' twenty-three years to Moody's - older; no one knew quite how old he was. Three were or had been Aurors, one was an unemployed werewolf, and one was a convicted murderer. Somehow, perhaps through their dedication to their cause, they were all excellent friends. Tonight, there was a tingle of excitement in the air. Professor Dumbledore was scheduled for a visit, only the third since he had left Hogwarts several weeks ago. But until he came - which would not be for some time - they could relax and talk.

It was well past nightfall when Snape's oval chimed back into view. Sirius leaped up and strode over to it as though he could reach through the enchanted window and land a punch on Snape's overlarge nose. "Is Harry all right?"

"He is not. When he told me he thought you were in danger, he was being held captive by Dolores Umbridge."

Sirius's black eyes flashed angrily. "You -!"

Remus cut in. "Where is he now?"

"I do not think he realised that I understood him. I believe he was attempting to contact you through the fire when Umbridge caught him. Granger, the two Weasleys, Longbottom, and Lovegood were helping him. Umbridge's little squad of enforcers caught them all. Potter and Granger lured Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest with some half-baked tale about a secret weapon. They have not returned. The others escaped; they may have gone after Potter, who may have found a way to get the Ministry. Some people should go to rescue him if he, indeed, has managed to get that far and not simply lost himself in the Forest, in which case, I will find him."

Five voices answered at once. "I'll go."

Sirius nodded decisively. "Let's -"

"Black. Dumbledore is due at any moment. Someone needs to remain to tell him what has happened. As you are not allowed outside Headquarters, I suggest that that one be you."

Snape's sneer vanished as the window collapsed. Sirius glared at it for a moment, before turning on the others. "I refuse to stay here while Harry is in danger! KREACHER!"

The house-elf scurried back into the room and bowed in obsequious mockery. "And what does Master want of Kreacher now, shouting -"

Sirius cut him off sharply. "Shut up and listen. Dumbledore should be here at any minute. I want you to tell him that the five of us have gone to the Department of Mysteries. Harry has had a dream that I am there and in danger. He, Hermione Granger, Ron and Ginny Weasley and some others are there now trying to rescue me. We are going to rescue them. Got that?"

The elf never looked at his master. "Kreacher understands, yes he does, the Potter boy is in danger, Kreacher hopes he never comes back -" His order to not speak had apparently expired with Sirius' last order.

"Shut up!" Sirius turned to the others. "Moody, what's the best way to get there?"

While Moody explained, Remus turned to back Kreacher, who was lurking in the shadows nearby. "Kreacher?"

The elf, who had been directly ordered some time ago to obey Remus, turned reluctantly. "And now the werewolf, the unclean -"

Remus cut him off again. "Kreacher, the other two with Harry are Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. Remember that, Neville and Luna."

"Remus, hurry up!"

*

Behind the empty building they used as an Apparition point, Kingsley explained quickly, "We're going to try to Apparate directly into the atrium of the Ministry. It's dangerous, but with luck, there won't be anyone there. If the anti-Apparition guards are up as they should be at this time of day, we'll land outside the visitor's entrance."

They managed it, but the fact that they did was in itself worrisome. If the guards were down, then anyone could get in; probably they already had. Sirius glanced wildly around as though Harry would be standing right there. He actually jumped when Tonks tapped him on the shoulder.

Kingsley managed to silence the cool voice that resided in the elevator. Moody stood at the front of the group, in front of the door, so he could see any danger.

Remus had only been to the Ministry once, a long time ago, to be registered with the Werewolf Department. He had been very young then and had only a vague recollection of shame and anger. This was entirely different.

Moody insisted on leading; Kingsley came right behind. The other three walked abreast, Remus and Tonks casting wary glances at Sirius, waiting for an explosion.

The corridor was long and dark. One plain door stood at the end.

Moody turned around, his scarred hand on the doorknob, his magical eye still pointing to the door. "There are twelve doors in this room and it spins so you can't tell where you're going. Constant vigilance."

The door slammed shut almost before Tonks was completely inside. Even before the revolving walls were completely still, four of them headed for one side of the room, where shouts could be heard.

"No! Over here!" Moody gestured urgently. "This one." He was holding a door that seemed to open into complete darkness. "Trust me and get in!"

They piled into a room with no floor, lit only by tiny points of light. Tonks had the odd impression that they were stars, and then they were standing before two doors with Moody rapping out instructions. "They're in the amphitheater. Shacklebolt, Sirius, come with me; Lupin, Tonks, take that door two down. On three -"

Someone inside screamed, a terrifying sound that went did not stop. Tonks' heart leapt up to three times its normal rate. Moody called softly, urgently.

"One -"

Adrenaline coursed through her body, making her hands shake. She gripped her wand tightly in her right hand to stop the shaking; unconsciously, she tried to run through her left hand through her hair, bumping Remus' arm by accident.

"Two -"

Remus took her chilly hand in his for the briefest of moments. Tonks' rapid heartbeat stopped entirely.

"Three!"

All five shoved, the doors flew open, and Tonks saw Lucius Malfoy directly below her. "Stupefy!"

To her disappointment, he dodged, and then the air was filled with spells.

Remus made straight for Harry and Neville, but someone aimed a curse at him and he turned to duel with the masked figure. It looked as though Sirius was close to Harry; if Sirius could get to him -

Remus's opponent dropped, felled by a Total Body-Bind. Remus took a precious second to shoot binding ropes around him; then a flash of neon pink caught Remus's eye. Tonks had only made her way about halfway down the stone steps, probably going slowly so as not to trip. Bellatrix was a couple of steps from the bottom. She shot something that Remus didn't recognise - a dull grey that glittered - Tonks dodged - the grey spell bounced off the wall behind and hit Tonks right at the base of her skull. She jerked forward and fell, tumbling down the steps.

Remus raced in that direction, but Sirius got there first. Bellatrix's scream of delight was lost in the mêlée.

Hexes, spells, curses, a blur of colored lights, a flurry of screams, the shout of an adolescent boy with a broken nose. "DUBBLEDORE!"

Remus' latest opponent left the duel to scramble up the steps to the nearest door. Remus had a hex on his lips when something yanked the Death Eater back to the center of the room where several others stood, fighting against something invisible.

He heard Sirius' last shout. "Come on, you can do better than that!"

Remus would always wonder if Sirius' last taunt had really spurred his cousin to greater heights, or if he had been slower to respond to her curse because of it, or if Bellatrix had simply gotten lucky. Whatever the reason, Remus knew that he couldn't reach his best friend in time. He saw the light hit his Sirius's chest, saw his eyes fill with sudden fear, and anger, and surprise, but Remus knew he was too late. Even as he ran to the last Marauder, he knew. Instead of catching Sirius, he was just barely in time to throw an arm around Harry, who was running straight at the veil.

"Sirius! Sirius!"

"There's nothing you can do, Harry!"

"He hasn't gone! SIRIUS!"

"He can't come back, Harry, he can't come back, because he's d--"

The fatal word caught in his throat, but the rest would have been lost anyway under Harry's cries and the flying incantations. Remus dug his heels in and braced himself. If Harry made it to that veil, Remus had no doubt that he would do as any of the Marauders would have done, throwing himself in to find his godfather.

Harry fought so that Remus had to exert all his strength to pull him away, his heart and his voice breaking as he tried to reason with the stricken boy.

Gradually, Harry's struggles slowed. Eventually, he stopped. Remus' arms ached almost as much as his throat. A voice called tentatively as though from very far away.

"Harry?" Neville had made his way down the tiers to the floor by Harry and Remus, despite his flailing legs.

"Here." Automatically, Remus lifted his wand and removed the spell from Neville. "Let's - let's find the others. Where are they all, Neville?" The words moved sluggishly. Remus had to force them out.

The Marauders were gone. The Marauder spirit had died in Remus when Sirius was carted off to Azkaban and the others killed - as Remus had thought - but had woken again with his best friend's arrival. Now it was only him, the least of the Marauders. It was over.

No time for recriminations. No time for regret. Not now. Save it. For later.

The other half of his mind sneered. For never.

The first part answered soberly. For always.

Remus shoved thought away, pulling himself back to Neville with an effort.

"...a brain addacked Ron bud I dink he's all righd - and Herbione's unconscious, bud we could feel a bulse -"

Someone cried out. Remus whirled to see Bellatrix running away. Instinctively, he tightened his hold on Harry's arm, but Harry was already gone. "She killed Sirius! She killed him! I'LL KILL HER!"

Harry disappeared through one of many doorways. Remus raced to follow.

"Remus!" Dumbledore seized his shoulder. "I'll get him. You get the other children back to Hogwarts, you hear?" He barely waited for Remus' reluctant nod. "I don't want the Ministry knowing they were here yet. Stay in the infirmary with them until I get there. Kingsley, Alastor, wait for the Ministry to come and take the Death Eaters into custody, then get to St. Mungo's immediately. Nymphadora must be taken care of."

With that, he leaped up the steps much faster than either Bellatrix or Harry had gone. Remus turned to Neville. "We need to get out of here. Where did you say the others were?"

As they scrambled through the door Neville had pointed out, someone gasped. Remus saw Ginny's pale face tighten a moment before she dropped her wand. "Professor? Neville!" She sat off to the side against the opposite wall, obviously positioned to hex any Death Eaters that might appear. "Where's Harry?"

Someone moved to Remus's left. Luna sat crouched in front of two still forms. Ron Weasley was covered in strands of a gooey something; Hermione lay ominously still. Luna looked up, her face strained but calm. "Professor, can you help them?"

Remus knelt next to Ron. "What happened?"

Ginny answered in a voice rather tighter than usual. "Death Eaters. Where's Harry?"

Whatever was wrapped around Ron seemed to be inert, at least. Remus rose. "Let's get you back to Hogwarts. I'll tell you when we get there." The cynical half of his mind made noted coolly how well he was functioning, even as it clamped down on the other half to keep it from screaming in grief.

Neville tried to explain what had happened as Remus gathered them around him. In a few minutes, Ginny had an arm around Luna, Neville carried Hermione, and Remus had Ron held in the air with magic. Remus wrapped his fingers around a fire-bright feather and stretched his arm out. Luna and Neville reached out to clasp his sleeve, and the group whirled and vanished in a swirl of colour.

Transport by phoenix, even by phoenix feather, was much smoother than by Portkey. Shapes and colours swirled by and halted abruptly. They stood in the center of the infirmary.

Madam Pomfrey hurried over. "Remus! What on earth?"

"Not now, Poppy. Professor Dumbledore will be here to explain in a moment."

Ginny tried to hop away and collapsed on the nearest bed with a little cry of pain, quickly stifled. Remus set Ron down on another bed in time to hear Ginny gasp and Neville yelp. Remus turned to find Neville clutching his mending nose and Ginny carefully rotating her foot.

Those who could walk - which now included Ginny - anxiously hovered between the two who could not.

"Remus, what happened to these two?"

Neville answered clearly, despite the way he winced as he gingerly prodded his nose. "Ron - it was a brain. It sort of flew at him, it had these long tentacly things that - they sort of spun pictures behind them, and then they started strangling him. Hermione got hit with something purple. She Silenced the - the man, but he did it without speaking, he sort of slashed at her and a bit of purple fire hit her."

Madam Pomfrey hissed. "Dark magic. What were you children doing where you were in with such things?" Luckily, she did not stop to hear the answer.

Once they had been assured multiple times that there was nothing they could do to help, and warned that they might find themselves restricted to the dormitories if they did not stay out of the way, the other three clustered around Remus.

"Professor, what happened?"

"How did you get to the Ministry?"

"Where's Harry?"

Remus sat down on one of the beds, a safe distance from where the infirmary keeper tended to the wounded students, and the others sat on the bed across from him. "You understand that this must go no further than this room. It would be best if you did not discuss it even among yourselves." All three nodded. Though only Ginny was actually allowed to know a very little of what had happened, Remus decided that they deserved it after what they had done. He knew that all of them would keep their word as though they had sworn it.

Carefully, he sketched out the main events of the night. How Professor Snape had warned the five of them that the students had run off. How they had rushed to the Ministry. How they had found Neville and Harry. How they had fought, how Dumbledore had come and Harry had run after Bellatrix and he, Remus, had gone with Neville to find the others. Remus paused, finding it terribly difficult to go on with the last, necessary part of the story, which he had skipped over. Neville looked at him but said nothing. Ginny had no such compunctions.

"Professor Lupin, where is Harry?"

Remus had guessed Ginny's feelings for Harry in his first week of teaching her. The wild pleading in her eyes told him that those feelings had not changed. Grown stronger, perhaps, but not changed.

Remus answered slowly, "Professor Dumbledore went after him. Harry will be fine."

Ginny looked as though she might rebel, but upon meeting Remus's look, she held her tongue. "Is everyone else all right?"

Remus had to swallow hard. "Tonks, Kingsley, and Moody will be all right. You...you saw that archway, and the veil? Bellatrix Lestrange dueled Sirius...she knocked him through the veil. He's - he's gone." Dead did not seem the word to use. Sirius was alive, Sirius was energetic. Dead was too sudden, too final.

"What?" Ginny actually swayed slightly on her seat. "Sirius...he...he..." Her face crumpled and her hands clenched, though no tears showed. Luna put a comforting arm around her friend; very hesitantly, Neville did the same.

The door opened before Remus could break down with his students. Professor Dumbledore strode in, nodded to them, and held a quick conversation with Madam Pomfrey before seating himself next to Remus.

"Thank you all for leaving as I asked; I know you would have preferred to stay and fight. Before you ask, Harry is unharmed. He will be here soon.

"Remus, I need to ask you to go to St. Mungo's and stay with Nymphadora. Alastor and Kingsley should be released later today, but Nymphadora will have to stay for a few days. I do not want her to wake alone."

*

Remus arrived at St. Mungo's with the dawn. The three Aurors had a private room. Tonks had been fed potions to keep her asleep for a few hours; the other two refused to lie down and sat on their beds instead, wands in hand.

The men were discharged in the afternoon. They promised to visit, but Remus didn't hold it against them that they only came once. There was a great deal to be done now that the Ministry had admitted the fact of Voldemort's return. Molly Weasley brought Remus's battered suitcase with most of his things; Headquarters was to be vacated for a time. Various members of the Order and most of the Weasley family dropped in and out.

But as the sun faded and the visitors were ushered out, Remus was left alone with Tonks. She would wake when ready and not before. It was his duty to sit with her, and not an unpleasant one. There was a great deal of peace in listening to her slow, deep breathing. Under a stream of fading sunlight from the window, Remus waited.