WARNING: VERY LONG CHAPTER AHEAD
Also, don't correct me on certain 'facts'. I changed this to fit my story and info given. Trust me, it was all intentional and what doesn't make sense now will later.
Enjoy.

Anna's eyes widened in fear as Harry's words echoed in her head, 'It's your father...he's at the Ministry.' She couldn't comprehend his words would've dropped to the ground if she wasn't already kneeling beside him. Why was he there? Did he get caught by the government? Did Death Eaters capture him? Was he...dead?

No. He wasn't dead and he wouldn't be for a long time... He promised her he would always be there, and she refused he was capable of breaking such a promise.

Her vision started to blur with tears. Refusing to cry, she blinked them back and helped Harry up. She turned to Ron and Hermione and stated, "Harry and I need to go. We'll be back...don't follow us." And with that, Anna took Harry by the arm and led him to an empty corridor, her strides long and breaths shaky. After she set him down, she gave him an expectant look. "Elaborate, please?"

"Anna...I don't...I can't...I'm trying to figure this out...Merlin, help me!" he pleaded, taking her hands in his own. She ignored the shock that coursed through her veins and closed her eyes.

"Okay, okay, just...keep him occupied!" With a deep breath, Anna pictured Voldemort and internally yelled 'legilimens!'. She was instantly shoved into the dark lord's mind and saw the scene that Harry did.

Her father was bound to a chair with rope and Voldemort was interrogating him about a prophecy. Sirius refused to give any answers and told the dark wizard to rot in hell, earning a round of cruciatus curses.

Snapping the two out of the scene, a voice asked, "Um...what are you two doing?" Harry and Anna turned to face the girl, and they were surprised to see who it was.

Evie Spirit, a Slytherin.

Anna recalled the time they had met on the train. They hadn't talked much since the previous year, but the girl had always been nice to her. Although, this year Evie seemed a bit...annoyed, regardless of how much she tried to hide it. Anna figured this was because she was dating Ron and Evie had always liked him; they even went to the Yule Ball together. Or it could've been that she wasn't invited into the D.A., but this wasn't Anna's fault. Harry was adamant on not letting Slytherins in.

"Evie? Why are you-"

"I saw you two stumble over here. It seemed like something was wrong...are you okay?" she asked, her voice a bit laced with concern. Her tone didn't reach her eyes and this unnerved Harry a bit. He focused on blocking Voldemort out, then straightened up and gave a glare.

"We're fine. Now, if you'll excuse us..."

"Wait," Anna started quickly, not letting him pull her away. "Evie, you're smart... Do you know if there's a way to use the Floo network without getting caught? I know the Ministry started monitoring most of the fireplaces."

"And why would you want to use that?" the Slytherin asked with a smirk. When neither responded, she sighed. "Umbridge's fireplace is unmonitored...but I know she's in it at the moment. I saw her sprint there...it was a funny sight really. If you need to go, I can distract her."

"Really?"

"Sure, Anna. Us family at Hogwarts gotta to help each other out, right?" Evie asked with a sly grin. Anna thanked her and Harry just watched.

He had never been too fond or trusting of her. Maybe it was that she was a Slytherin. Or maybe it was that Evie despised of him as well, considering the fact the first she got of him was about how he was unloyal to Anna. Or maybe it was that her name sounded too much like 'evil spirit'.

Regardless, he didn't seem willing to budge on his opinions. But if this girl could help them save Sirius...well, maybe he could manage to be kind for a day.

They agreed to put their trust in Evie, taking the long route to Umbridge's office. The plan was that she would distract Umbridge by telling her about some decree that had been broken, causing her to leave the office for a bit and giving Anna and Harry the chance to use the Floo network.

Although...the two had different plans. Harry planned on trying to see if he could contact Sirius at 12 Grimmauld Place while Anna intended to actually go to the Ministry. This would be brought up a bit later.

But in the meantime, the two walked slowly to the office, not wanting to get there early and run into Umbridge. This internally killed them for two reasons, 1) they were scared beyond belief for Sirius' well-being and 2) the awkward tension was still there from the events that took place the previous week in the common room.

Harry used this opportunity to try to talk things out with Anna, "So...it's a long walk... Do you maybe want to discuss...well, y'know-"

"You're kidding."

"I-"

"My father could be dead by now and you want to talk about some stupid kiss that almost happened?!" she exclaimed, throwing him a cold glare. "Harry James Potter, you're damn lucky we're on a mission otherwise I swear I'd-"

"Anna, please...we work better together when we're not fighting."

"But we aren't fighting, we're just a bit quiet and there's nothing wrong with that. We almost kissed, so what? You were in a trance and I was in my right mind. It ended up not happening. I don't see what the-"

"I'm talking about what happened with you and Ron," he said bluntly. Anna stopped dead in her tracks and looked down, but quickly shook it off and kept going.

"He just...got a bit ahead of himself-"

"I see you two all the time. You're not comfortable with him, he does too much and everyone knows it. If he actually did something to you...you can tell me."

She let out an airy laugh. "You're kidding, right? Why would I tell you?"

"Why are you brushing this off? Has he done anything before?"

"Merlin, Harry, what the hell?! It's none of your business!" At this point, Anna was agitated beyond belief and Harry wanted to just disappear. But he also wanted answers. He knew she was anxious around Ron and she wasn't always the outspoken person she seemed to be. The two of them together concerned him.

"I'm just-"

"Jealous. I know. I know what you want! You want us to be together and win the war and have that perfect ending! Well, guess what? It's not going to happen. Not now. Not ever. So just stop."

"Why do you stay with him?"

"Just because it's easy to dump you doesn't mean it's easy to dump him!" yelled Anna, causing a dead silence to fall among them. Both their hearts sunk and Harry felt slapped by her insult. Was he really all that bad? On the flip side, Anna felt bad too. She didn't mean what she said, so she tried explaining, "Harry...you know you're my best friend, right?" A nod. "Well, you'll always be my best friend and that's how it is. It's both good and bad in a way. We'll probably never be more than that, but at the same time, we'll always be inseparable. You have to know that...right?"

"I...I know. It's just...so it'll never happen?"

"Not here at least. Not at Hogwarts and not during the war. It's just better if we don't...you and I both know that " she explained. Anna took Harry's hand in hers and kissed it lightly. "I'll always love you, just remember that."

"I...I love you too."

"I know," she said with a chuckle as they stopped outside the door to the classroom that contained Umbridge's office. "Ready?"

"Now more than ever."

"Let's knock to be polite...and to see if she's in there," suggested Anna, Harry nodding in response. She rapped loudly on the door a few times, and when there was no response, she pushed it open. They felt relieved when they went up to an empty office, but felt the urge to gag from the immense amount of pink. Regardless, they went to the fireplace and Anna stepped in.

"Anna...what are you doing?"

"Taking the Floo network to the Ministry...I thought you were coming? We're gonna save-"

"Erm...no, we're going to check if he's at headquarters."

"What?! Harry, we don't have time to waste and...oh no..." Anna trailed off, looking in the Floo powder pot. There was only one handful left. "We need to go to the Ministry! There's only enough for one use!"

"But...I don't think you've thought this through. What if it's a fake vision?"

"Better safe than sorry, right?"

"What? No, we don't even know where he is or how to fight Voldemort or-"

"He would come save us!"

"I think you sometimes forget that we're just two teenagers," stated Harry, causing Anna to scoff. He noticed this and gave a sigh. "Look...how about we just see if he's at Grimmauld Place then we find other means of transportation to the Ministry if needed-"

"Okay, fine! But we need to hurry, we're losing time!" she cried, taking the final handful. Before she threw it down, something wrenched in her gut...she just knew she was right. Anna dared a glance at Harry who was looking at her expectantly. She gave a sigh, his vibrant eyes making her mind muddled. Defeated, she threw the powder down and blandly stated '12 Grimmauld Place'. The two stuck their heads into the green fire and were greeted with the sight of a grim, old, empty house.

"SIRIUS?!" they yelled in unison and they heard a muttering from afar. They repeated themselves but nothing else happened.

"Merlin, DAD, PLEASE ANSWER!" Anna's voice was desperate at this point. Just as she was about to curse his nonexistent being out, a creature came out of the shadows. "K...Kreacher?"

"What do you two want?"

"Are you deaf? We need to see Sirius. Where is he?!" Harry exclaimed and the house-elf scowled.

"Master does not tell Kreacher where he goes. And even if he did, Kreacher wouldn't tell you two-"

"Please!" The elf shook his head, so Anna tried another tactic. She made her voice authoritative as she said, "I am a Black, therefore, I'm your master. You must obey me."

"Kreacher doesn't like this approach..." he grumbled, but started to tell the truth, "They took-"

But he was cut off by the two being yanked out of the fireplace by two stubby hands. Anna didn't even look back as she seized Harry by the shoulders, yelling, "He was going to say 'they took him'! Harry, I told you! Shit...we need to go now!"

"What do you two think you're doing?!" A voice screeched. They whipped their heads around and saw the unpleasant sight of Dolores Umbridge. Ignoring their protests, she dragged them to the two chairs in front of her desk and stated, "You are going to tell me who you were contacting, now!"

Harry and Anna looked around. The Inquisitorial Squad had Hermione, Ron, Neville, Reeve, Luna, and Evie all in their clutches. They all looked scared as could be, except for Ron who wore a slight scowl.

Before either of the two could answer, Snape opened the door and cooly said, "You requested Veritaserum...and I'm afraid I am currently out of stock. My deepest apologies, Professor"

"You...you can't just whip some up?"

"Of course I can...and I'll have it for you in a month. It takes a full moon cycle to mature-"

"But I want it now!" exclaimed Umbridge, stomping her foot. Everyone held back a laugh, and even Snape smirked.

"Then I am of no help to you, except in suggesting to not throw childish tantrums...good luck, Dolores." Snape started out the door and an idea came to Harry's mind.

"Wait!" The man stopped. "Padfoot! They...no, he has Padfoot! At the place where it's hidden!"

"Padfoot?! What's a Padfoot?!" The room was dead quiet except for Umbridge's huffing. Snape shrugged and took another step.

But Anna had other plans. Snape was their only hope...she was NOT going to let her father die. Her voice cracked as she pleaded, "You know Kendricks would've wanted him to be taken care of...after all that she did for you, repay her!"

"Potter, Black, if I wanted to hear nonsense I would've given you a Babbling Potion. Stop wasting my time," said Snape coldly. He walked out and shut the door.

The blonde knew he was in earshot as she yelled, "YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE AND A COWARD!"

"Oh, you two are such troubled children..." Umbridge trailed off sadly, pacing. She went to her desk and picked up a picture of Cornelius Fudge only to place it face-down. "I know you won't talk...I might have to resort to...other measures. The Cruciatus Curse?"

Gasps filled the room as she pointed her wand at Harry, who was glaring at her intensely and didn't flinch at all. Suddenly, Draco spoke up, "P-Professor...isn't that illegal?"

Harry's eyes widened and darted to him, surprised at the fact that an enemy was trying to stop her. Although he felt a pang of gratitude, he didn't show it.

"Well...what Cornelius doesn't know can't hurt him... CRUCI-"

"WAIT!" two girl's voices yelled in unison. Everyone turned to look at them. Anna and Hermione.

"Hmph, I knew you two were too cowardly-"

"We're sorry...it just had to be done!" Anna burst into tears on cue. Hermione covered her face with her hands and pretended to cry. They gave each other a look and knew to improvise.

"What? Granger, Black, what had to be done?!"

"We h-had to talk to Dumbledore about the...thing!"

"We checked the Hog's Head, the T-Three Broomsticks, the Leaky Cauldron-"

"And why would Dumbledore be sitting in a pub? The Ministry is after him-"

"Well, um," Hermione cut in, trying to cover up Anna's flaw, "that's exactly it! I-it's unpredictable for s-someone like him to be hidden in p-plain sight."

"And why did you need to contact him?" The two actresses glanced at each other when asked this. They were unsure and there were a few seconds of silence. "Well?"

"I-it's..." Anna took a deep breath before letting out another sob. "The secret weapon! H-he made us, Professor. He said I'd get t-to see my f-father. He said S-Sirius was innocent." At this point, the girl was genuinely crying as she said her father's name, and it would be hard for anyone not to believe her. "He's all I h-have...s-so I made t-them help me."

"Is that so? Trying to take down the Ministry, are we? Well then...lead me to this weapon," stated Umbridge, her eyes and mouth wide with excitement, motioning for the Inquisitorial Squad to follow.

Hermione jumped forward, "Wait!". Everyone paused. "They can't come with."

"Why?"

"Because it's...it's not fit for students to see...too dangerous!" Anna exclaimed desperately.

The lady sighed in annoyance and groaned, "Okay, fine. Granger, Black, Potter, show me where it is."

"Hey, um, Umbridge, I should go too-"

"Shut it Weasel-Bee!" growled Malfoy, causing the ginger to quickly step down. As the four began to leave the office, Anna looked behind her to see Draco giving her an apologetic look and mouthing, 'I'll handle them'.

She gave a curt nod before slamming the door shut. Anna, Harry, and Hermione led Umbridge outside and towards the Forbidden Forest, as this was Hermione's idea. Anna and Harry had no clue where they were going until they entered the forest but were still unsure of the bright witch's plan.

With the sounds of nature and Umbridge trailing behind, the children were free to whisper. "You two," Harry started, "are some of the best actresses I've seen! Even Umbridge bought it!"

"Thanks. The plan is: we lead her into the woods and ditch her."

"Hermione," Anna started with a sigh. "Like hell that'll work!"

"Actually it can, we knock her out-"

"Not after everything we've said! And my father! We've spun a web of lies we can't get out of...unless..." she trailed off, eye wide with an idea. Her voice was emotionless as she whispered, "We have to get rid of her."

"Anna, are you crazy?! We can't-"

"Okay, okay fine. How about we obliviate her completely? She'll see Lockhart in St. Mungo's." The two shook their heads and Anna gave a sigh. "Alright, I've got another idea...hey, Professor, hold up!" she said, whipping around to face the now-fuming toad lady. "I need to go get it...you wait here with Harry and Hermione. And face the other way, please."

"But why-"

"Do it or we won't show you!" exclaimed Anna, causing the toad to give in. When their backs were to her, she changed to her animagus form and bounded through the woods, trying to think of a plan. She stopped and could see them from afar, but there was no way they could see her small fox self.

The humans' heads whipped around when they heard something. It sounded like a girl screaming bloody murder, and even Umbridge was concerned, saying, "Uh...is she alright?"

"That isn't her, it's a fox," Harry stated, Umbridge just shrugged uncaringly. Suddenly, he felt his mind become slightly muddled; Anna was inside. He used this opportunity to mentally tell her, 'Anna, you just yelled out a vixen's mating call. I don't think that's what you're going for.'

Fun fact: a Vixen's mating call sound very much so like a woman screaming.

'Well, aren't you educated. What are you, the fox master?' Her sarcastic voice filled his head, but he could almost hear a laugh within it. He suddenly heard another (more normal) fox noise, then trampling in the distance. Within a few minutes, a small herd of centaurs was being led by a fox up to the human group.

"So," a centaur started, stepping forward. He was black haired, bodied, and eyed. The children recognized him as Bane, the untrusting centaur. Harry would've felt scared, but Anna was there, even though it was only in her animagus form. "This fox notified us of your...plans. You would like to tear up this forest? Our home?!"

A week or two back, Anna had overheard her and Filch talking of plans to demolish the forest. The Ministry was going to sign on it for the next year, and that was a fact. Fudge and the toad had deemed the woods to be 'too much of a hassle and distraction', and Filch jumped on that party bus immediately.

"H-how," Umbridge started, but then looked at the fox. It's eyes locked with hers, and she noticed the long, thin scar down the side of its face. "No..."

Anna changed back to her human form, ignoring Hermione's gasp, and walked up to Umbridge, saying, "Yes." and wordlessly disarmed her.

"You've comitted two crimes! Harming a Ministry official and setting up an attack!"

"You forgot 'revealing confidential information'. Guys, I suggest you take her, she's a threat," Anna suggested, motioning to Umbridge. As the woman reached for her wand, Bane stomped on it, snapping the stubby thing in two. A few other centaurs picked her up by her limbs and started off.

"Wait! Children, tell them I mean no harm!"

Harry and Anna gave each other a look, and they stated the truth in unison like the lil badasses they are, "We're sorry, Professor, but we must not tell lies."

And with that, the herd stampeded off into the woods, Umbridge's screams echoing off the trees.

~=~

"Wait, how the bloody hell are we supposed to get on these things if we can't see them?"

"You feel for them. Here, I'll help," said Luna airily before helping everyone onto the Threstals.

After Anna and Harry explained the whole situation, their friends pleaded to come with them. The two weren't pleased and were getting more annoyed and anxious by the second, especially from the warning burnings of their scars. But alas, their friends got their way, and they were soon to head off to the Ministry.

Everyone was awkwardly situated, but nobody moved. Neville broke the silence, "So uh...how do we-"

"Hey, do you erm..." Harry awkwardly patted his Threstal. "Do you know where to go? Ministry of Magic? Preferably the visitor's entrance?" No response.

"I don't think it understands you-"

"Wow, thanks, Hermione."

"Fucking hell...let me take care of this." Anna muttered before leaning to the side so the Threstal could hear her. "Can you take us to the Ministry of Magic? Go as fast as you can-"

"No no, that's unnecessary," said Ron shakily.

She gave him the coldest glare she could muster, then raised her voice when others mumbled in agreement. "Guys! Sirius is closer to death with every second that we waste! If he ends up dead, I'll make sure you see him on the other side!"

Silence.

And with that, the Threstals croaked in unison before taking off, everyone screaming at the sudden departure.

~=~

It was a long ride, but both Anna and Harry knew Sirius was still alive. He may have been suffering, but he was alive. They would've felt it if he died.

Harry's gut filled with guilt and dread. Anna wouldn't even look at him. She was angry. Angry because he didn't listen to her, even though she was right. Angry that he pried into her business. Angry that he made her feel things for him again. And angry that he didn't understand any of it at all, but somehow understood perfectly.

During the flight, as she hugged Ron's waist from behind and cried silently, she hated Harry James Potter more than anything. If he would've just listened to her, they would've been there and Sirius would be safe.

But no. She was just crazy, right?

She also was mad at Evie, but that anger had subsided quickly when the explanation was given. According to the Slytherin, she did her best to hold Umbridge off, but the plan failed when Ron, Hermione, Reeve, Luna, and Neville ran to find Harry and Anna, giving away the plan.

Draco played an important role as well. He made the Inquisitorial Squad let their captors go and kept Filch from following Umbridge. He also made sure to cover their absences from the remaining O.W.L.'s that day. And, finally, he wrote to McGonagall -who was residing at St. Mungo's after a fight with Umbridge and other officials- about the events and to contact Dumbledore about returning.

Although Anna was more than grateful, all she wanted to do was kill Voldemort and save her father. Every second brought her more and more anxiety, and the conditions of traveling did not help in the slightest. The wind was strong, the Threstal flew aggressively, and the air was dry and cold. Ron's warmth was the only thing that helped, but she still felt numb to both the cold and her emotions.

Finally, they reached their destination. Of course, Ron had the roughest landing of them all, and the creature was not pleased in the slightest, kicking Anna and the ginger off its back. With a yelp, they hit the pavement hard. Everyone else landed and dismounted lightly. Harry ran over to Anna, who just lay on the pavement hopelessly, and helped her up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, mate, thanks for asking!" Ron said sarcastically from a few feet away, rolling his eyes. Hermione went over to help him.

Anna stayed silent as they entered via the telephone booth. She was debating whether or not to let Voldemort in her mind. At this point, everything seemed dismal. Anger drained her of any will to continue. And, to make matters worse, she hadn't slept at all for the past two days.

When they got inside, the area was eerily quiet. Nobody at all was there. No security. No workers. No anything, just children on a mission.

"Well, where do you reckon we go first? Maybe the cafeteria?" joked Ron casually. Anna whipped around to face him, her eyes wild.

"This. Is. My. Father! We need to find him now! What the hell is wrong with you?! DO YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE?" she yelled, tears blurring her vision. Everyone stayed quiet, and Ron didn't even apologize. "We go to the Department of Mysteries, you dense git! Well guys, are you gonna stand around and make me do it all? Come the fuck on!"

They ran after her, having trouble keeping up as she barreled towards a lift, yelling for the floor they needed to be on. It took everything for her to not go insane, as nerves rattled within. A bit of comfort flooded through her when Harry grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze. They stood in the furthest back, so nobody heard him whisper, "He's so lucky to have a daughter like you."

When they got to the designated level, Anna was the first out, running blindly, opening doors and going through what seemed like endless odd rooms. She didn't know where she was going and she didn't care. Finally, Harry grabbed her arm, spun her around, and gave her a stern look.

"Anna...stop."

"We need to-"

"This is it. It's the door to the room I've seen in my dreams. We need to have a plan before we go in," the boy stated as they all stared at the tall, ominous, black entryway. "We'll have to be silent. Anna, come with me while the rest of you stay here-"

"Wait a bloody minute!" Ron cut in. "There is no way I'm letting my girlfriend go in there to get killed. I'm coming with."

"Like that'll make a difference." Anna snorted and rolled her eyes while he silently fumed. "It means a lot that you want to help, but Harry and I are going in alone. This is our family, not yours."

Everyone turned to face Neville as said, "Anna, Harry...you're damn hypocrites."

"Oh really?"

"Y-you made Dumbledore's Army so we could fight! And now you're saying we can't? That we're too weak? Well sorry that we weren't all born as special as you two, but that doesn't mean we're incapable. This is our chance to test our skills."

The group was silent and Neville's gaze on Anna and Harry was persistent yet pleading. His words were true beyond belief, but something within the two made them want to fight on their own. Sirius was their family, not anyone else's. And, in all honesty, the other members of the D.A. felt more like a burden than helpful.

As they were about to protest, Evie commented, "Although Neville's completely right, I side with Harry and Anna. They've defeated Voldemort multiple times before, why's it any different now? If they want to do this on their own, let them."

"Are you trying to get them killed?" Reeve shrieked, her gaze blazing as she stared down the Slytherin. Evie's light eyes didn't show surprise, and she merely looked back. "And last I recall, nobody invited you. You're the one that got us caught by Umbridge!" She turned to the two, giving a smile. "Anna, Harry...we are coming with you and you can't stop us."

"Yeah...and correct me if I'm wrong, but they didn't actually defeat Voldemort, otherwise, we wouldn't be here," said Luna quietly.

"It means a lot, really, but we can't take you with to get him. Although...there is something we could use. We really need lookouts," suggested Harry.

As someone opened their mouth to protest, Anna gave a glare and growled, "Look, it's just me and Harry for now. If you can't stay there on your own, we'll do it for you. Now, we're wasting time, let's go!"

With grumbling from a few, they quietly shuffled into the room and tried to hold back gasps. The room was insanely large and unbelievably ominous. Hundreds of shelves housed many orbs of all sizes that glowed dimly in the light. The room seemed endless, empty yet full, and there was an eerie chill in the air. It was extremely cold and Anna wrapped her arms around her shoulders, her teeth chattering slightly. Harry discreetly took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders as everyone was busy taking in the room. She muttered a thank you.

"Okay...we're gonna get going. We love you all...yell if there's trouble. Stay diligent." And with Anna's last word, she and Harry gave sad smiles before starting off and not looking back. They wanted more than anything to full on sprint and yell for Sirius, but they knew better.

They couldn't hear the whisper from Evie behind them saying, "Alright guys, forget what I said. Split up in pairs and spread out in case there's an attack."

"Trying to get them killed, then acting like a hero, aren't you," muttered Reeve, receiving an eye-roll from the Slytherin. The pairs were Ron and Hermione, Luna and Neville, and -much to their distaste- Evie and Reeve.

As Anna and Harry walked, their strides long, they started losing hope. It was dead silent and they seemed to be getting nowhere. "Harry," she started. He stopped and looked at her, his eyes sad. "In your vision...where'd you see him? Was there some clue?"

"Um...oh! The shelf number! Erm...I'm trying to think."

"We don't have all evening."

"Right...it was in the 90's....97 I'm pretty sure."

"Perfect. Now, we haven't got time to waste." Her tone was almost excited in a way. Before starting off again, she took his hand in hers and intertwined their fingers, whispering, "you know...it still makes me feel better to hold your hand when I'm scared.

Harry couldn't help but smile at this, remembering how she'd done that ever since they met at age five. He gave her hand a squeeze and softly said, "Me too."

They got to the 70's in the shelves before hearing a groan. It was nearly inaudible, but their hearts jumped at it. Their pace picked up until they were sprinting, and Anna almost screamed at the sight, both from fright and relief. Harry covered her mouth before she could do so.

Sirius was in awful shape. He was bound to a chair tightly by his wrists, ankles, and waist. Cuts had made their was across his face, his hair in scraggly, matted knots. His eyes were half open as he slipped in and out of consciousness.

"Dad!" Anna's voice was a frantic yet quiet whisper. She hugged him tight and he groaned. "You're gonna be okay, we'll get you out-"

"It's..it's a trap. Leave," he managed to get out, his words slurred. She pulled away and their identical eyes met. He looked...ashamed?

"Anna, let's get started on his ropes," muttered Harry. And with a nod, they got to work. When he pulled out his wand and muttered 'diffindo', instead of the rope cutting with ease, the spell rendered useless as an invisible force hit him back a bit. "What the-"

"Well...the Dark Lord was right. You two are very loyal. Hmph, it's a shame you weren't sorted into Hufflepuff," a cold voice sneered behind them. Sirius' eyes widened and the two children turned to meet the light, steely grey eyes and ghostly complexion that could only belong to Lucius Malfoy.

"Let him go!" Harry exclaimed, but the man just laughed.

"I am afraid I can't do that, as I abide by the Dark Lord's orders. Black, stop struggling, you know those ropes only get tighter. This'll be the third time I've told you!" At this point, Sirius' hands were nearing a scary blue color from the tightness of his binds. "And besides, he surrendered and basically turned himself in."

"What?" whispered Anna and Harry in unison. Lucius merely chuckled, taking a step closer.

"You all have something in common...heroics. Oh, how the Dark Lord knows well-"

"No, he would never-"

"But he has. Now, I suggest you leave. Only one life is required to be taken tonight, but it can be more."

"We aren't leaving without him!"

Lucius gave a long sigh, putting a hand to his temple. He knew this wouldn't be easy, and after seeing Anna's ability at the graveyard the previous year, he didn't want to risk anything.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind, and he said, "Hm...you're right. You and I both want something tonight, so how about we make a deal... You give me the prophecy and I will release your beloved, blood-traitor Black."

"We don't have a prophecy. Heck, we don't even take Divination!" Anna exclaimed, her brow furrowed in confusion. She glanced at Harry, whose green eyes were coldly locked the Lucius'. "Harry? Is there something I don't know?"

"Why can't you get it yourself?"

"Because, Potter, it's bewitched. Only the ones it belongs to can find it and hear the guidance it gives. I, unfortunately, am not an owner of it, but you are. Bring it to me-"

"Don't do it!"

"Shut it, Black!"

"I..." Harry trailed off, daring a glance at Sirius. The man looked up and mouthed, 'Smash the shelves' before hanging his head again. Anna had seen it too. "I'll do it...Anna, come on-"

"Oh no, it only belongs to you, Mr. Potter. Now, get it, no dawdling."

Without a word, Harry gave a curt nod and disappeared among the shelves. Anna watched him sadly, but she was annoyed. What wasn't he telling her? She had a feeling this 'prophecy' had to do with the night visions he'd been getting, and he didn't really discuss them with her. Then again, they weren't on the best terms.

"Give me your hands." Lucius' drawling voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She raised an eyebrow. As he was about to repeat the order, she extended her arms. He gave a smirk and pulled a knife out of his pocket. A gasp escaped Anna's lips.

The dagger. Her mind flashed back to the previous year.

"I would love the blood of the girl...I have even made a dagger to extract the purest of her powers."

"Very well, m-my lord," stuttered Pettigrew as he pulled out his master's knife. It was short, a bit jagged, and jet black. He kneeled down to her collapsed form, touching the blade to her wrist and cutting down. Anna tried her hardest not to scream, but it was near impossible as the sharp, hot steel pierced her skin.

And on the blade, her blood wasn't maroon, it was a purple tar-like substance.

It was her powers in their purest form.

"N-no! I'm not doing this!" exclaimed Anna, retracting her hands quickly. The man merely chuckled.

"You must. It's an order. If the Dark Lord is unable to take a life, it must be made up for-"

"Voldemort's already getting the prophecy!"

Lucius seized the collar of her shirt and leaned close to her, growling, "His name shouldn't be coming out of your filthy, undeserving mouth." He let go, causing her to stumble slightly. "Now, do as I say."

Sirius yelled, "Don't!" and received a mere glare from his captor.

Her hands shook as she held them out towards him. A smirk played its way across his lips as he drew closer, dagger in hand, With a swift motion, he sliced through her palm and she let out a scream. The burning sensation was insane, and within seconds, she felt drained of all energy and power. He finished off by leaving a deeper cut in the other one.

Harry walked among the shelves, frantically searching for the prophecy. He needed to hear it before he approached Lucius. When Anna's blood-curdling screams echoed through the room, he flinched a bit. He couldn't see what was happening, but he knew it couldn't be good.

Suddenly, he could just barely hear light footsteps. He whipped around to find Ron and Hermione.

"Are you bloody insane? Leaving her with him?!"

"Ron, I had to. And she can fend for her own," said Harry, slightly annoyed at his presence.

Although that moment wasn't the time to pursue grudges, he still disliked Ron for what he had done to Anna. The thought of him forcing her into anything made him sick, but he knew it wasn't far from the truth. Ron had been bringing her down and making her weaker all year, and him trying to act like the hero bothered Harry beyond belief.

"What are you-"

"Look, you guys need to stay together...when I yell 'now', you need to smash the shelves closest to the entrance so it makes a domino effect. Tell the others." The two nodded and ran off while Harry continued searching.

Meanwhile, Lucius Malfoy was examining the oddity of Anna's blood on the dagger, His eyes were filled with disgust and awe at the same time.

Anna felt completely and utterly powerless. She discreetly tried testing her powers but failed. Usually, she fought from her hands through wandless and wordless magic. Now she couldn't, and this was the worst time to be useless. But she did have one thing...

Legilimency.

She focused on Lucius Malfoy without looking at him, and, surprisingly enough, was able to slip into his mind unnoticed. She racked his brain, and almost smirked at his thoughts.

'How the hell is this going to work? Voldemort won't be pleased. I can't even kill Black...Bellatrix was assigned that job. I'll be a dead man if I step out of line. And besides, this girl's a self-healer. If she knows that, we're in trouble for sure-'

Anna was actually unaware of the fact that she could heal. She left his mind and tried focusing all of her power on healing her hands...but it didn't work.

If she hadn't read his mind, she would have believed his cool demeanor as he said, "You understand that you can't escape forever, right?"

"I'm not escaping. But...why do you work for that arse? I don't understand what's so appealing-"

"I'm loyal to the Dark Lord-"

"It's a shame you weren't sorted into Hufflepuff," Sirius mocked him.

"At least I wasn't sorted into a Gryffindor. Full of idiotic, reckless, pompous-"

"You're the definition of pompous, Malfoy, and you're going to hell-"

"Crucio," said Lucious coolly, pointing his wand at Sirius. The man tried not to, but couldn't help letting out a yell as pain overcame him.

Almost as an instinct, Anna used physical force.

She throat punched him.

Lucius gagged from the impact and stumbled back, automatically lifting the cruciatus curse. Sirius grit his teeth in pain, but couldn't help but smile slightly and proudly whisper, "That's my daughter."

The platinum-haired man was not at all pleased, and when he regained stability and his ability to breathe, he pointed his wand at her, saying, "You bitch...CRU-"

"Malfoy," Harry cut in, coming out of the shadows. He and Anna turned to face the boy. His eyes widened slightly at Anna's injuries, but he quickly brought his gaze to meet Lucius'. "I've got your prophecy. Let Sirius go."

"Hmm...I need to be sure it's not a fake that you took off a random shelf-"

"Nice try," Harry smirked, tossing it up teasingly, much to the man's dismay.

As he begged Harry to stop it, Anna used this time to communicate wordlessly with Harry. ''What's the plan? I don't think I can fight...my hands are destroyed.'

'Anna, we need you. Just figure out a way to. When I yell 'now', everyone's gonna smash the shelves near the entrance. Not sure if it'll be enough, but it's worth a shot. He can't have this prophecy. And there's Death Eaters hidden...we need to get out.'

'But Sirius...'

'Figure it out, please.'

Anna shot him a glare and didn't respond. How could he just ignore the reason they had gone there?! Regardless, she started thinking while Lucius and Harry continued pointless insults back and forth. She begged her hands to heal, and slowly, they did. Sirius watched her, amazed.

"Potter, I've had enough of this senseless bickering. Give me the prophecy this instant!"

"I don't take orders from cowards...NOW!" Harry yelled, and him, along with seven other voices that yelled 'reducto!'

It wasn't enough, and they didn't aim at the right shelves. Two fell and that was all. Lucius let out a bone-chilling laugh and, suddenly, twelve Death Eaters apparated in the room.

A frenzy of fighting happened after Lucius yelled, "Get them, but make the prophecy a priority! The Blacks are both wounded, do not worry about them!"

Teenagers' screams and spells flooded the room with noise, and Lucius was dumb enough to run after Harry, leaving Anna and Sirius to themselves. Her hands were still healing as she ran over to him, unable to cut his ropes.

"Dad...I'm so sorry," she said, on the verge of tears. He was on the brink of becoming unconscious, but he did everything he could to not pass out.

Instead, he gave her a smile, saying, "You're an idiot for coming."

"No, it's worth it. I just...I should've known. I should've come by myself. I just-"

"Anna, it's okay. We can have this talk later. But for now...I think you can stop this fighting," Sirius said with a wink, and his eyes flitted to her now-healed hands.

She gave a nod and stepped away, turning to the front of the room. She needed a strong emotion in order to motivate her to create a burst of magic. As she scanned the room, her blood boiled when she saw Bellatrix antagonizing Luna and Hermione, hitting them both with an endless stream of curses. Other Death Eaters had joined in and that was the last straw.

With a swift but strong motion, Anna spread her arms out quickly and could feel the magic running through her veins, along with hearing the snapping of Sirius' ropes. The room shook and glass shattering from the far end could be heard. She screamed, "COME ON!" and grabbed Sirius' arm, helping him run. He was so weak but was somehow able to manage.

At that moment in time, she could feel how strong her father's willpower was. It was as if that power alone could keep him alive, and he could defy anything as long as he set his mind to it.

The kids ran and the Death Eaters disappeared. There were three doors at the end of the room. Without even thinking and ignoring the bad feeling in her gut, she ran to the middle door, and everyone followed.

Silence filled the room at first as the group filed in. It was large and empty except for a single archway with a near-transparent veil. This room was much colder than the last, and Anna wrapped Harry's jacket tighter around her, causing her father to smirk.

She and Sirius stayed at the front and Harry rushed to help her support the weak man, slinging Sirius' other arm around his shoulder.

"What is that...and why are there voices?"

"It's the Viel...on the other side is death. I advise you don't go through it," Sirius chuckled, pulling Anna back as she inched toward it. "Unless you want to die, but I think we all plan on keeping everyone alive and intact tonight."

"Right...I agree, Sirius," a voice said, a bit of coldness within. Sirius didn't even bother turning around and a chill went down his spine. He recognized that voice. More than anything, he wanted to kill her. That damn girl was the reason he was stuck there, and everyone unknowingly trusted her.

He resisted the violent temptation, but decided to 'accidentally' hex her later.

"So...what now?" asked Neville awkwardly. As if on cue, the door burst open and the Death Eaters filed in. Instinctively, the kids backed away, taking a stance and drawing their wands. Sirius grit his teeth and stood up straight, not bothering to use Harry and Anna for support anymore.

"If you hurt them, I'll kill each and every one of you-"

"You'll be dead before you can do that!" screeched Bellatrix. He fought the urge to roll his eyes, knowing that although she was a crazy bat, he could fight her easily and would never die by her hand.

With each passing second, Sirius gained strength, courage, and the ability to fight. He was ready.

"Potter, I will say this one last time before we start picking everyone off...hand over the prophecy. Or else..." And in an instant, the room filled with the black smoke of Death Eaters apparating. Everyone was held captive except for Harry...even Anna was caught.

Lucius held Anna in a choke hold right in front of the Veil, threatening to push her in. A malicious grin spread across his face as his eyes flitted from the other children hostages, to Sirius seething, and finally, to Harry's surprised expression. "If you don't hand it over, I'm afraid I'll have to push your little girlfriend in."

"She's my girlfriend, actually," muttered Ron, but winced as his captor's grip tightened.

Harry looked hopelessly at Anna, her eyes locked with his. She was so close to the Veil that her nose almost touched the transparent, tattered curtain. When he looked to Sirius, he saw mixed emotions. He wanted the prophecy to be safe, but he didn't want his daughter dead.

"Hand it over, Harry. Please...don't let them kill me!" cried Anna and a few gasped at this. She, they thought, would be the last to be selfish in any way, shape, or form. Of course, she didn't really mean it and it was just an act.

The boy's eyes locked on the ground, defeated. He knew that there was no use fighting. So, he held out the prophecy, and Lucius' grip on Anna loosened.

She took this opportunity to kick the back of his knees -causing them to buckle, him to fall- , snatched the prophecy from Harry, and threw it with all her might on the ground. It shattered into hundreds of pieces and white smoke curled out and up into the air. Before they could hear the whisper of the prophecy, Lucius let out a cry of grief and screamed, "GET THEM!".

And the war started.

The kids would've been dead if Anna hadn't shot out some spell to loosen their grips. Sirius had regained his strength and was fighting diligently with three Death Eaters at once while the kids attempted to disperse themselves among the others.

Anna and Harry fought together and took on Bellatrix for a bit after Sirius got tired. And, to many's surprise, she gave Bellatrix a run for her money.

But as things started looking bleak for everyone else, the Order arrived in the glory of white apparation clouds: Tonks, Lupin, Moody, and Kinglsey. With the sides a bit even, things started working out.

Harry, Anna, and Sirius tended to stay together. When given the chance, Sirius pulled the two aside behind a stone, saying, "Get your friends and leave!"

"But-"

"But nothing. We can handle this-"

"Dad, I'm not leaving and neither is Harry. We'll fight 'til the end," Anna stated, her eyes narrowed.

"You're getting tired, Anna. Exhausting your powers isn't good for you-" Sirius was cut off by a random Death Eater finding them and attempting to shoot a curse. One of the children tried stopping him. But, quickly, Sirius shot up, pointed his wand, and yelled, "EXPULSO!", throwing the girl to the wall. She let out a scream.

The two gasped, Anna yelling, "What the hell?! She's on our side!"

"No, she isn't, she's not your friend, she's the reason I'm here-"

"You're crazy! She's my friend and her name is-"

"She's not worthy of your trust!" Sirius cut in, his eyes wild. His blood boiled at the mere thought of his traitor of a daughter. She gave away his location, she forced him to surrender. And is was all because she was jealous. Remembering his vow of silence, he merely said, "Forget it. Let's go."

They charged into battle and Anna was, in fact, getting tired. This time, she took on Dolohov with Ron. They shot spells back and forth, and the man was ruthless. Ron suggested quickly, "Bravery's great and all, but can we get the bloody hell out of here?!"

"Coward!" Anna yelled and Ron shut up immediately. Dolohov took this opportunity to blast Ron with some obscure spell, causing him to yell and fall to the ground.

The girl had enough of the Death Eater's dark spells and unknowingly shot one of her own out of rage. It happened in slow motion; with the flick of the wrist, no words, and a flash of light, the curse was shot and Dolohov dodged it...but there was someone behind him.

The curse hit Evie Spirit and she fell to the ground, her limp body unmoving.

Anna's heart dropped and she almost let out a scream. Was Evie unconscious or dead? Regardless, she felt awful. She was the slightest bit reassured when Sirius yelled, "She's knocked out, they won't bother her. Now get over here and fight!"

A bit of annoyance tugged at her but she refused to make a smart comment, just doing what she was told. She jogged over to Sirius while Harry took a break. They took on Bellatrix yet again. But this time, she wasn't messing around.

Anna was glad that Sirius was willing to take over, as she was overcome with fatigue and the near inability to cast spells. She looked around and saw flashes of light and blurs of people. It was so hard for her to make sense of everything and she wanted more than anything for everything to just stop.

But now wasn't the time, so she jumped into battle again. Bellatrix had been wearing out Sirius but was still somehow on the losing end. Anna quickly stepped up and started casting wandless magic. She and Sirius simultaneously hit her with two stunners to the face, and Sirius yelled, "Nice one, Leah!"

Anna's eyes widened. Not because of Bellatrix's shriek, but because of her father's mistake. This hadn't been the first time he'd mixed up her -or Harry's- name, and he didn't even realize it.

As Sirius dodged a killing curse sent his way, Anna sighed in relief and decided to fight on her own, moving a bit further away. The duel was intense and didn't seem to end, until...

Bellatrix shrieked, "STUPEFY" and the spell surely would've hit Anna. But, Reeve gave a yelp as she slammed into Rodolphus, causing him to go into the line of fire. He had a bit of armor on and it deflected off of it, causing the spell to hit Sirius instead, but it didn't just stun him.

Sirius was hit square in the chest and the impact threw him back...into the Veil.

Everything happened in slow motion and nothing stopped. It was almost as if he were being gently carried by the wind as he floated into the veil. His fathomless, now-cloudy grey eyes locked with hers, and a trace of his last smile of triumph was etched upon his face.

He looked...happy. And there was a knowing look in his eyes like he knew where he was about to go and what was going to happen and how he was going to handle it.

And in an instant, he disappeared.

The battle hadn't stopped until Anna let out a scream of agony, yelling, "SIRIUS! OH GOD...NO!" She ran towards the Veil shouting, "NO NO NO!"

Lupin sprinted for her, just as her outstretched, blood-stained hand was about to touch the transparent curtain of death. He said, "Anna, stop. Anna...please. H-he's gone..."

"NO! NO! HE ISN'T LET ME GO YOU SON OF A-"

"Sirius?" whispered Harry in shock, confused by what had just happened. Then, it was his turn for the grief to hit as he also ran for the Veil. The members of the Order helped hold back the two of them, who were thrashing violently and yelling.

Anna's heart-wrenching screams and sobs were all that could be heard...she was broken.

Even a trace of remorse could be found in Bellatrix's eyes.

~=~

I'm sorry.

Dedication: ReneeRenardRouge for being helpful and amazing

Word count: 8861

Question of the chapter:
~Thoughts on this chapter? Too long? Too diverged from the original? Did you like it? Questions?~

Thanks for reading,
~Lumos

P.S. Sorry for any mistakes. This isn't edited due to lack of time.