𝙿𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚔𝚒𝚗 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 - 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦 | ✔︎

Chapter 47

The Ministry of Magic was a foreign place for most of the young witches and wizards that entered in the dead of the night. Ron, Harry and Neville had been the only ones with some familiarity of the place, and Harry took the lead, directing his troupe of merry men to the Department of Mysteries.

Natasha wrapped her cloak around her tighter, as the temperature continued to plummet. She couldn't look at Harry without her stomach churning, so she and Lee, who she had dragged along last minute decided to stand guard outside of the room.

She had heard tales of the curses and hexes the Ministry placed on its headquarters during the nights, which was why she had brought Essence of Dittany and Calming Draught just in case. Lee had just brought Dungbombs, safely stored in his pant pockets.

"Are you tired?" Natasha asked, and Lee looked over, lowering his wand slightly as the light was right in his eyes.

"A little, but I think the adrenaline is rushing now from the excitement of this, even though I know you're worried," he said, and Natasha nodded, taking a seat on the black glass floor. She could see her reflection through it, and a tired girl with bright eyes stared back at her.

She sighed and took out her wand, fiddling with the stars on the base. The door to the room Harry and his friends were in was soundproof, making it hard for Natasha and Lee to hear anything that was going on.

Suddenly, there was a whisper in the air, almost like a storm was brewing, making the two Gryffindor's become alert. Natasha raised her wand and stood in a duelling stance and shouted 'Protego!' just as a Death Eater apparated in front of her and Lee, firing a hex.

"Well, if it isn't the mudblood and blood traitor's spawn," Avery sneered, firing more spells at Natasha and Lee. Natasha had no idea who the man was, but after he insulted her parents, she didn't care, using all the defensive spells she knew to save herself and Lee.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Natasha covered her head, only to hear a small thump a few feet away from her. She looked up cautiously, only to see her father's disapproving look, which quickly morphed into worry. "Darling are you alright?" he asked, hurrying over to help Natasha up from the floor.

She hugged him tightly, just as the weird feeling entered her stomach again, and she retched, causing concern to flash through Sirius' eyes. He had been terrified when he had heard Harry and Natasha had come to the Ministry with their friends, and it didn't help that he had nearly seen his daughter become Avery's next victim.

"Mr Black, it's a pleasure to meet you. Natasha talks about you all the time," Lee said, putting out his hand. Sirius shook his hand firmly, just as Tonks and Remus apparated together, landing in front of the three.

Remus' arm was very clearly around Nymphadora's waist, and it took Natasha a great deal of self-control to not freak out with glee. Instead, she realised that her father was in fact safe in front of her, not half-dead on the floor like Harry had seen.

"Dad, Harry thinks you're injured," Natasha said, a tone of urgency in her voice.

"I know sweetheart, the Order is about to storm in to where they are, but I had to make sure you were safe first. So now, you and Mr Jordan here can apparate back to somewhere safe," Sirius said firmly, but Natasha shook her head.

"Dad, I'm an Order member, and I'm 17, so legally you can't tell me not to go in with you and fight," Natasha said, her voice housing finality. Sirius tried looking over to Remus for backup, but he just sent him an amused smile, taking Tonks' hand.

He groaned before offering his hand to Natasha. She grabbed it gleefully and Lee walked over, choosing to apparate on his own.

"Get ready for chaos you two," Sirius warned, before they all apparated, right into the heart of the battle.

~.~

As they landed, Natasha noticed that Mad-Eye and Kingsley were strangely not there. In their places stood Penny, Merula, Grace and another man who stood quite close to Grace, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Barnaby, are you seriously trying to propose to me right now!" Grace cried as she shot a spell at one of the Death Eaters. Natasha laughed before shooting a jinx at a Death Eater just before they fired one at Penny.

Penny looked over to Natasha with gratitude before pulling out some potions from her small purse, an extension charm clearly placed on it. "All I'm saying Grace is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I don't want to die tonight knowing there was no ring on your finger!" Barnaby yelled back, hitting a Death Eater with a spell that caused him to laugh all over.

Harry was duelling Lucius when Bellatrix came up from behind him, trying to catch him off guard. "Get away from my godson!" Sirius shouted, firing spell after spell at his cousin. Bellatrix looked at him in shock as he fired more spells at her, before a maniac like grin graced her face.

She started dancing around firing spells at him, as he and Harry continued duelling together. Harry fired a particular spell, causing Sirius to smile.

"Nice one James!" he cried, just as Bellatrix composed herself, her wand raised. She mouthed the words so quickly that a jet of green light shot out, but before it could hit Sirius, someone apparated to his side, casting a defensive spell.

The two spells hit and rebounded, throwing back Bellatrix as smoke surrounded Sirius and his mystery saviour. The smoke cleared, and Sirius opened his eyes, the smoke blurring his vision slightly.

But it cleared instantly as he saw the women in front of him.

"Don't you EVER try to kill my husband again you bitch!"

Aurelia Black stood in front of her husband, as clear as the moment they had first met on the Hogwarts Express in their sixth year. Albeit she was frailer, and her skin looked hollow, but her eyes were blazing with fury, with no wand to be seen.

"Lia?" he asked, as she dropped to the ground, the extent of the spell she had cast tiring her. She managed a weak smile, cupping her husband's cheek. As everyone else followed Harry, Natasha ran over to her parents, where Aurelia turned her head to see her daughter.

"Mum?" Natasha asked in disbelief. A tear slipped from her eye as her mother reached for her hand, and she brought it to her lips, kissing them gently.

Aurelia Black was back. 

And the Black family was reunited once again.