Bellatrix was momentarily distracted by the sudden arrival of Albus Dumbledore (who ran on aiding a helpless Mad-eye duelling two at once). Frowning deeply, this isn't who she expected to arrive. Sirius took the look in her eyes to his own advantage and fired a lethal curse at her.

Unwillingly, she sank to the floor, drained by the loss of blood dripping from the fresh cut across her shoulder wetting the cold surface of the ground one drop after the other. Blinded by the pain, agonizing screams escaped her. Sirius looked down at her with triumph in his eyes and a lopsided grin sliding across his face.

Deciding not to waste anymore time, Sirius moved forward to a more worthy cause, revenge. The blowing sound of the firing curses was just distant blurry echoes, as if he had detached himself from reality. He focused all his energy in putting one footstep after another.

With a blunt flat look on his face, Sirius approached a thunderstruck Remus, who had knelt on his knees beside the now unmasked and unconscious deatheater. Remus muttered the counter-curse to reawaken him; the deatheater had only opened his eyes before being gripped fiercely with strong firm hands up from the ground.

Without even bothering to cast a single look at his face, Sirius slammed him roughly into the wall, making him cry out in pain. Sirius directed his wand between the deatheater's eyes... only then did he see the fearful eyes he regretted knowing one day.

The outrageous emotion Sirius felt converted to shock before guilt flickered across his face; he then felt his chest grow with sky-rocketing rage all over again.

"You...you killed him, and for that you'll see for yourself what it means to cross the redline." Being shaken with anger, Sirius snapped with all the power he could master. As for now, there were no tears in his eyes, only hatred and disgust.

He looked downward and laughed humorlessly. "Congratulations, you've done it again. You've killed me twice. And now, I assure you, you'll pay for it, once and for all."

Breathing heavily, Sirius glanced at where Remus was shakily standing; they reached a silent agreement on what should be done, as their pained yet decisive eyes met.

If they'd given it more thought, they would have definitely came up with another plan. But now, they couldn't think straight, blinded with revenge and loss.

Their eyes glared dangerously at his shaking form just like hungry predators readying themselves to attack mercilessly and rip their prey apart. Together, Sirius and Remus circled around him, raising their wands ready to strike.

"There is no Harry to spare you this time, and then again, that's all because of you." Remus said, emotion evident in his tone, as his normally calm eyes turned frighteningly dark.

"Avada kedav-" Sirius was stopped by the tip of a wand directed at the back of his neck. A cold voice hissed in his ear that made him shiver throughout, "wands down."

Sirius, gritting his teeth, glanced sideways yet gripped his wand even more tightly toward his nemesis shivering in front of him.

Remus shifted his attention to the new guest intruding their old-friends gathering. Spinning backward, Remus pointed his wand at the lunatic yet pale face of Bellatrix Lestrange.

From afar, Remus could see Kingsley firing a Stupefy and body binding curse at Malfoy, leaving him unconscious and restrained with magical ropes. Just then, Kingsley came to their aid, circling around Bellatrix.

Still though, Remus fixed his gaze on Bellatrix's wand which was aimed directly at Sirius. Worry eating him up, Remus gripped his wand even more tightly and shared a frantic glance with Kingsley.

"Bella, why don't you put your wand down?" Remus said calmly, his words coming out with remarkable ease as if conversationally asking about the weather, but his eyes flashed dangerously with anger.

He was only greeted by a raised eyebrow and an emotionless glare, as wicked sarcasm was her only reaction, like always.

"Fine, but the only problem is I pity Sirius, soo much. I am not going anywhere before giving my cousin over here the opportunity to see his godson again. Isn't that what you want? Mmm?" She fell silent for a moment, with a cocky grin sliding across her lips, waiting for her words to be registered.

Interestingly enough, Bellatrix possessed the ability to know her enemies well and had access to the word choice capable of hurting them.

"Besides, how could you live with yourself now when he died just before your eyes? And you, despite all of your protective babbling over him, you did nothing to save him," she scoffed in triumph, holding onto her bleeding shoulder.

Sirius tried his best to not let himself think over these words, at least for now. He remained stubbornly fixed to the ground with unblinking deadly eyes taking over his once old friend. Sirius had craved, for so long, to meet him again.

The said deatheater fixed his eyes down at the wand-tip pointed directly at his throat. Fear eating up his soul, he knew deep down he wasn't a match to Sirius or any of the members of both opposing sides, neither the Order nor the deatheaters.

***
Bellatrix resumed her taunting. "Why do you want to live anyway, what's your life worth now?"

That's it, Sirius mentally self-argued. The only word he could utter under his breath was a truthful answer, "revenge."

He spun around facing her and kept on firing a curse after another, not willing to stop anytime soon.

This caught everyone off-guard. Except Remus, who took this distraction to his advantage, fired again a Petrificus totalus curse along with a body-binding curse at their captive deatheater who once meant something to him. His legs snapped together, and he fell rigidly on his back with a loud crash on the floor. He wouldn't escape, not this time, Remus thought.

Remus then shifted his attention to the duel at hand. Sirius seemed so much like a wounded animal, pained yet remarkably dangerous. For the first time in forever, Bellatrix was on the defensive side of the duel, not the attacker. She was doing her best to block these unfriendly spells. He saw her duck repeatedly as the jets of light kept on approaching her.

"Come on, is that the best you could do?" Bellatrix asked, her teasing voice echoing, before being hit with an Expelliarmus curse that dropped her to the hard ground. Her wand unwillingly flew from her hand at a good distance away from her.

Remus saw the idea form in Sirius' eyes before he took off faster than ever, screaming for him not to do it. Remus stepped right in front of Sirius' raised wand that was just about to cast the killing curse...

"No, don't please," Remus pleaded, panting, urgent desperation ringing in his voice. Rational amber met furious grey eyes.

Sirius shot him a deadly glare before the silent message was successfully delivered. She isn't worth more years in Azkaban. The pure madness in Sirius' eyes eventually ebbed away as realization crept on his face, and he slowly lowered his wand with a heavy sigh.

In the meantime, rising to her feet, Bellatrix reached for her wand, determined to take advantage of this interruption in the best way possible. She directed the wand toward Remus' back.

She didn't want to kill Sirius, right away, wanting him to live with grief after the loss of his godson and now about to lose his friend. That would be way more painfully tormenting than the easy way of firing the killing curse at him, especially to someone like that blood-traitor Sirius Black, she smirked to herself.

Sirius saw it coming... again; the same situation as if fate was playing cruel tricks with him, but one has to learn from his mistakes.

He pushed Remus away and dropped him to the ground. The timely act spared the life of his best mate, but that didn't stop or slow down the approaching jet of green light.

Great, now it is coming for me... didn't think about that, Sirius thought to himself. Sirius was trapped in the middle of his own mental battle.

One, if he died, he would be with Harry again, which was the deepest desire of his heart. Two, if he survived, he would have the opportunity to avenge Harry as well as James, yet he would be doomed to live a life worse than death till the day he could meet them again.

He felt overwhelming pain taking over his chest before choosing the selfless possibility, to spare his own life and fulfill a meaningful cause. Just on time, he ducked, escaping the approaching jet of light. The killing curse ripped the wall behind him into bits and pieces.

The horror in Remus' eyes converted into relief. He rushed over and hugged him, breathing shakily.
"Nice one, Sirius."

***
Out of nowhere, Kingsley casted a curse toward the mad-woman. As the marauders regained their composure, their faces were white furious. They all circled around her, with their wands raised in a firm grip that their knuckles whitened.

"You are already outnumbered and as it seems overpowered as well," Kingsley's deep yet frustrated voice rang out.

While acting out fear in her irritable childlike expression, she looked down guiltily as if being scolded for a wrongdoing. Then, suddenly out of the blue, she gave her trademark maniac high-pitched laugh. She looked at him straight in the eye and said two words: "Am I?"

Sirius forced his head down as a spark of spell came toward him. They all whirled around, making eye contact with its source. Just there, stood a white pale, noseless bald creature, who had taken from the wizarding world, including them, everything they held soo dearly.

Voldemort hissed the words he had always been so desperate to say, with a darkly satisfied undertone.

"Harry Potter is dead. Come forward and join me or die. (Neeyehhhee 😅) Why suffer a horrific death when you could be spared? Your savior is nothing but a lifeless body now!"

Sirius' furious grey eyes met cold yet happy bloody red slits. Voldemort sensed through mental penetration that this man would join him only when hell freezes over. Well, that left him with no alternative. Sirius ducked again as a jet of green light missed him by inches.

Voldemort had a snake-like smirk on his lipless mouth, knowing that nothing, absolutely nothing, could ever cross his way now. As if on cue, the only wizard he always feared came into view blocking his intentions. As Dumbledore made a glorious appearance, it was noticeable that his sharp blue eyes had lost its trademark twinkle.

The duel started immediately with each of them dramatically swishing his exceptional wand at the other, truly aiming to kill his opponent once and for all.

Although one couldn't judge who overpowered the other since they had always been matched in strength, it was clear that Dumbledore was losing his touch. Kingsley wordlessly casted a protective spell around Dumbledore; it wasn't that powerful, but at least it was better than nothing.

The remaining marauders were fighting back-to-back. Sirius was still duelling a teasing Bellatrix, while Remus was doing his best taking down Dolohov, who had regained consciousness after being fired with curses by the pink-haired witch. Spells flew at a speed beyond imaginable, from every side.

***
The firing of flying curses felt like infinity, until they had a few guests showing up, freezing the battle. The crack of apparition bought ministry officials, including the minister himself, to the scene of battle. To register the sight in front of them drained them of mental willpower and physical strength. They were forced to believe and accept what they've refused to see for so long.

No matter how thick-skulled Fudge is, he couldn't deny it any longer now, especially when evidence was right before his bare eyes. He was incoherently muttering under his breath, repeatedly opening and closing his mouth, without a single word uttered, giving himself the resemblance of a goldfish.

His worst fear came to the light, proving itself to be true. Acknowledging Voldemort's return, Fudge shuddered at thinking of what would come next-- to him and to the entire wizarding world.

Being late mere moments, Voldemort disapparated, departing the battle from thin air, leaving behind shocked ministry officials, drained Order members and chained deatheaters.

Madeye and Kingsley stood behind looking after those helpless deatheaters to guarantee an inescapable context till they're all chopped back to Azkaban where they belong.

No one knew that Tonks, after finalizing her duel with Dolohov, remained next to Harry, attempting to protect him, or at least his body, and trying to get over her denial and compose her grief.

Sirius and Remus just stood there, with identical expressions of remorse evident throughout their features, especially their distant eyes detaching them from reality and drowning them in their own thoughts.

They wished, with all their hearts, they didn't live to this day. Now, that the battle came to an end, they regretted starting it in the first place. Harry could have lived.

A shrieking sound snapped them out of their thoughts, Bellatrix Lestrange running widely and panting out of breath. How she managed to escape remained a question that ought to be answered.

"This isn't the end of it," Bellatrix exclaimed at the top of her lungs, laughing like a maniac.

Sirius ran after her with fascinating speed, not knowing how his legs got the strength to do so; he was about to get hold of her when she disapparated.

From first sight, everyone thought she took him with her. That would've been a worse ending to an already terrible day, Remus thought in horror.

What really happened though was that being late mere seconds, Sirius grasped his own hands fiercely; slapping his hands together with much force that it hurts, he held thin air instead of the wicked witch. A frustrated yell escaped him, putting him in the center of attention.

"That's Black, seize him at once," Fudge muttered furiously, yet he couldn't hold the fear from encompassing him.

Sirius snapped his eyes shut and didn't even move a single finger. Standing still, he waited to be held by the aurors and taken away, back to the place he deserved to be in.

However, no one attempted to move forward to do as told. Even the minister himself looked doubtful of his own words.

Remus hissed venomously, "over my dead body" and moved forward, composing himself. He had a stony face and a forced calm voice, "you see, minister, Sirius Black NEVER betrayed the Potters. He was and is and will always be a true friend. Loyalty is engraved on his very skin, instead of the Dark mark."

Fudge's face fell and shoulders slumped, like a child being denied of his favorite chocolate bar. He stuttered, "B-but he is an escapee mass-murderer posing huge threat on ..." his babbling was cut short midway, as Remus continued his scolding lecture as though he wasn't interrupted at all.

"Besides, there are undeniable proofs of his innocence. If only you had so kindly given him his right for a fair trial back then, you would have acknowledged them yourself. And he wouldn't have been forced to wait in Azkaban for 12 years for a crime he didn't commit or even thought of committing."

***
As Remus started listing all the evidence of his friend's innocence, stressing on the switch of secret keepers to Peter Pettigrew who was still very much alive, Sirius felt indifferent.

It wasn't even in his weirdest fantasy dreams did Sirius ever imagine having a welcoming feeling toward Azkaban, but that's what he felt now.

Freedom didn't matter to him anymore. Harry was what made him dream of his freedom every single night, in the hope of giving his godson a well-deserved family life and a true home.

Also, he would never enjoy his physical freedom now that he would always, starting from today, be trapped inside his own guilt. He knew himself: he would drown himself in regret and grief, so how could freedom be satisfying or bring any joy to his life?

Besides, he truly deserved Azkaban. It is, after all, his fault. If he succeeded on convincing himself that the death of his best friends wasn't on his hands, still the loss of Harry was certainly because of him.

His thoughts were soo deafening that the voices around him, deciding on his fate, were just blur of lip movements without any clue of a yes or a no. After what felt like hours, he saw Remus approaching him with a faint smile and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"So, coming to say farewell?" Sirius heard himself say in a strangled voice.

Remus frowned and inwardly sighed. "No, you are free," he said, shaking his head. Remus expected a reaction of some kind, didn't know what, but he received none.

Oh, if only he'd heard this sentence a couple of hours ago, his life could have been so different... filled with happiness, once again. But now, it's too late. That was Sirius' only reaction that couldn't even be voiced aloud.

***
In ten minutes time, they saw Kingsley and Dumbledore re-entering the room after their conversation with the minister. Kingsley leaned closer and whispered something in Dumbledore's ears.

Upon completion, Dumbledore's face aged at least ten years in mere moments and the trademark twinkle in his eyes seemed long-gone. For the first time since the death of his sister, Ariana, he felt truly helpless and hopeless and not to mention even miserable.

The only weapon in vanquishing Voldemort was gone. More to that, he had grown to really care for Harry, and now he had failed him. He could feel his eyes sting with shinning tears, but he was successful enough to hold them back. Despite his evident sorrow and grief, he nodded wordlessly with a forced calm stony face and walked away.

Kingsley sighed gravely and looked away from Dumbledore to Sirius and Remus, but Sirius caught his eyes more. Kingsley approached him and said the first words that came to mind, "you look terrible... how are you feeling?" He mentally scolded himself, that wasn't the right thing to say, but he wasn't in a mental state to think over his words, he argued with himself.

"I feel as terrible as I look," replied Sirius in a hoarse voice, his lip twitching.

Kingsley nodded empathetically, sensing what it would feel like, and squeezed his shoulder. With a final apologetic glance toward Remus, Kingsley left them to their thoughts in the cold emptiness of the room.

***
After echoing moments of silence, Remus held his friend gently wrapping an arm around his shoulder. He knew the extent of emotional self-torture Sirius was suffering from, for a very simple reason and that being Remus himself almost felt the exact same mental pain.

They walked along. "Come on, let's leave this place and go home," Remus said in a heavy voice, as pain flickered across his eyes.

Remus already loathed this place and didn't want to spend another second here. Overwhelmed with encompassing flashbacks of Harry falling to death's open arms, Remus shook his head momentarily closing his burnt eyes.

Sirius stopped at the word, "home." His voice broke, realizing that his promise of a proper family would never come true, now.

Sirius wanted to scream with agony for the broken promise... a lost hope... gone... within seconds... forever.

Approaching the place where he last left Harry, they found Tonks holding her knees to her chest, a dreamy distant look fixed on her bloodshot eyes.

Although Tonks didn't have the chance nor the time to really know Harry, she found herself caring for him the moment Remus introduced them to each other.

She also loved him more from the stories she heard about him... and the way Remus and Sirius talked about him was enough to make Harry someone special to her too.

Remus stole a glance at Harry's lifeless body, and he wasn't even aware of the silver tear-drops making their way down his scarred cheeks. Remus fell to his knees and took Harry, lifeless or not, in a hug, not wanting to ever let go.

This was the first time since Harry was a baby that Remus had the chance to embrace him. Because throughout his short life, Harry only saw him as Professor Lupin, not as Uncle Moony or Remus-- like he wished he had known him.

But Remus always saw him as Prongs' and Lilyflower's son. And now, Harry is gone as well, just like his friends had left him all alone all these years ago.

It took Remus so much time till he was able to loosen his grip on Harry and look away, gently placing him down once again.

Relatively gaining his composure, Remus turned to Tonks' eye level and started soothing her. Whatever words he said to her were unheard by Sirius.

***
Sirius was in his own world, just standing there stuck, glued to the ground hoping for a miracle to happen. He knew it was impossible, but he mentally started a conversation with Harry, desperately hoping for any answer.

His guts told him that Harry could at least hear him, although he was fully aware, by the laws of life and death, that his godson couldn't even sense his presence. But still, one could only hope.

"I am sorry, truly. You have to know that I love you, more than anything. You are the son I never had, Harry.

I always cared for you, since I first laid an eye on you the day you were born. When your tiny fist grasped my finger that day, I promised to protect you by all measures.

I wanted to do many things for you, I tried, I swear.. but.. I've failed you. Maybe, one day, you'll find it in your heart to forgive me.

I wanted nothing more than to stand by what I promised you. Today could have been a happy day, if I was quick enough to save you, we would have been a real family, now. If you had survived, we would have been having the time of our lives, now.

There is no home without you, Harry. There is no life without you even.

Remember... that day you saw me as your godfather coming for you not a mass murderer coming after you, to get you. That day you started trusting me not fearing or despising me.. remember what I told you? the ones who love us never really leave us

I'll never forget you, and not a day shall pass without missing you. You'll always take a huge part of my heart, entitled just for you.

I didn't want you to leave, not now... not ever. But you are in a better place now, I am sure.

Harry, thank you for making me smile even when I had the urge to break down!

You stole what was left of my heart.. and now I've lost you.. forever."

Sirius' voice broke several times before continuing again. He was determined to express these emotions through words... he wasn't sure why, maybe to vent out his pain.

Eyes fixed on Harry, Sirius stood calmly, yet his hands were shaking and his brow was sweating. He could even feel his ribs aching painfully whenever he attempted to breathe.

He was on the verge of breaking down as his eyes glistened with shinning tears. Even more unbearable, Sirius was crying and screaming more from the inside behind the controlled mask.

Glancing upward, he realized that Remus and Tonks were gone. Sirius didn't even notice them leaving him alone, but he was grateful to them for giving him some time with his godson.

Sirius then bent on his knees beside his godson's body and planted a kiss on his forehead. He closed his own eyes and felt the warm water slide across his cheeks.

As he held Harry in his arms, his shoulders were shaking with silent sobs of a heartbroken nature. The sight could have melted the heart of Voldemort himself, if he had one that is. Sirius didn't know how long he was in that position or in that state of emotional death.

***
Sirius couldn't help but hear cautious footsteps approaching, due to his animagus alert senses. He felt Tonks' small hand on his shoulder and was about to shake it off but decided against it.

Tonks' eyes flickered from Remus for a second to Sirius before landing on Harry between Sirius' arms. She blinked back the unshed tears threatening to fall.

"Sirius, we need to get him out of here, back to Hogwarts," said Tonks gently, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze. As Sirius nodded absent-mindedly, his face was tear-stricken.

Getting ready to disapparate, they supported his limp body, and Harry's head kept on sliding against Sirius' shoulder. His feet were staggering across the floor, with each arm loosely placed on the shoulder of one of the marauders.

Carrying his immobile form was one of the most overwhelming tasks they had to do, in their entire lives.

So, what do you think?

Hope you enjoyed suffering... don't hate me for making you feel emotionally h e a v y

You should know by now who killed Harry Potter. I left many many hints that you should have picked up even if you haven't read the books. So give me his name, that's your riddle.

This chapter took much thought from me. It is also the longest I've written so far in this story.

Your opinion would be highly appreciated

Vote and comment please!

Excited for the next chapter ?!

Also, who is your favorite marauder and why?