The Other Side: A Harry Potter FanFiction

Chapter XLIV

“No!”

            Sirius made a sort of wet choking sound, his eyes widening. Bellatrix, grinning crookedly, turned the blade in a complete circle. “You should’ve taken you’re opportunity.”

            “Get away from him!” Lana shouted, pointing James’s wand at Bellatrix.

            Bellatrix turned her gaze from Sirius to Lana, then to James’s wand. “Are you going to do something, or just stand there?” she asked, her voice flat. She wrenched the dagger out of Sirius’s chest and let him fall to his knees, a line of blood making its way down his chin from the corner of his mouth.

            Lana tried to think of the words she’d heard when Bellatrix had killed Cedric. Abra Kedabra?

            “If you’re not doing anything,” Bellatrix said and reached down for her wand.

            “Accio wands!” Lana cried, and the wands lifted from Sirius’s limp hand and came to her.

            Bellatrix sighed. “If you’re trying to stare me to death, it doesn’t work. Not that I’ve tried it—”

            “Shut up!” Lana shouted, her throat tightening again. She glanced at Sirius; he’d fallen forward and a small pool of blood was slowly growing around him. “I’m trying to think!”

            “Did you already forget?” Bellatrix asked, waving the dagger, “I can, and will, do the same to you!” She lunged forward with a roar…

            …and fell over with a scream.

            Shocked, Lana stepped back to avoid the falling woman. The dagger left her hand and skipped across the floor, leaving little smears of blood in its trail.

            Lana looked to see what had made Bellatrix fall, and saw Sirius had stretched out his leg to trip her.

            Lana’s chest tightened suddenly. He’d saved her… he was still alive.

            Turning to Bellatrix, who was scrambling to her feet, Lana said, “Petrificus Totalus.”

            Bellatrix turned rigid on the floor. Lana turned on her heel and rushed to Sirius, collapsing to her knees. Without thinking, she grabbed his shoulders and turned him over, regretting it as she heard him groan.

            “Sirius?” she asked, “Sirius… are you all right?” She knew this was a stupid question, but she couldn’t think of what else to say.

            He made a sound that could’ve been a laugh or a cough. “Do I look all right?”

            “Sirius,” she whispered, “There has to be something I can do… a healing spell, something!”

            “Nothing,” he said, and winced, making Lana believe speaking was causing him more pain, “That I know of.”

            Against her will, Lana let out a small sob. “But… Sirius, you can’t die. I need you.”

            “The world needs you,” he said softly, “There’re only a few people in the world who know the counter-curse, and only two of them are on our side; you and I, Lana. And I won’t be around much longer.”

            “Don’t talk like that,” Lana said, “You’re not going to die. I’ll… I’ll figure something out.”

            “There’s not enough time for that,” Sirius argued weakly, “You have to go.”