A Promise {C.W}

Department of Mysteries

June 18, 1996
9:00 p.m.

After several minutes navigating the destroyed department, Athena and some of the Order members entered a large room with an archway in the middle. Athena leaps back when a spell nearly misses her face.

Athena then watches Tonks send a spell at Malfoy and Harry leaping out of the way. Athena raises her own wand and deflects a spell aimed at her and walks to the left, away from Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Kingsley, and Tonks.

A jet of fire erupts from her wand and barely misses one of the Death Eaters, who screams and pats the fire out in a hurry. Athena deflects another spell before rushing down to where Harry, Neville, and Sirius are, the Order following.

"Harry! Get the orb, Neville, and go!" Sirius yells and runs towards Bellatrix as Tonks' body falls. Athena also runs towards Neville, shooting a few spells at a nearby Death Eater, one hits and he falls to the ground, paralyzed.

"Can you stand?" Harry asks Neville, "put your arm around my neck-" Athena goes to help support Neville and get him to safety when a man lunged at all three of them. Athena gets up and sees a man, Lucius Malfoy she thinks he is named, on Harry's back, wand pointing between Harry's shoulder blades.

"No!" Harry says as Athena grabs her wand and aims it at Malfoy, "Neville! Catch!" and the orb is tossed to Neville. The glass was kicked and smashed onto the ground. By now, Malfoy was off of Harry's back, having been blasted off by Harry.

"Ib sorry, Harry!" Neville apologizes and Harry helps him up.

"Its okay, doesn't matter anyways," Harry says and goes to help Neville up. Athena then turns to rejoin the fight when a spell hits her arm. She yells out in pain and holds her arm, where blood is now staining her black clothes.

A new person arrives and Athena looks over to see Dumbledore there, casting spells at the retreating Death Eaters, who run away once they see Dumbledore. Only Lucius and Bellatrix remain, casting spells at Dumbledore and Sirius.

Athena raises her wand again and ignores the pain in her right arm, her wand arm. She sends fire and several spells at the two, but they deflect them and ignore her.

"Athena!" Lupin yells at her, running towards the fight, casting a few spells himself, "Get out of here! Take Neville and Harry with you!"

"I want to help you fight!" she yells back, sending another spell at the remaining Death Eaters. Lupin deflects a spell and turns to her.

"I am not about to have Charlie come all the way to England to kill me for letting you die!" Lupin yells firmly, "now go!" she stares at him for a few seconds before nodding and running over to where Harry was struggling with supporting Neville.

"Here," Athena says and wraps one of Neville's arms around her shoulder and starts to walk off with Harry.

"Come on! You can do better than that!" Sirius taunts as he dodges a spell. Both Athena and Harry look back to see Sirius get hit in the chest by a red spell. Harry immediately releases Neville and Athena struggled to support Neville alone.

"Harry!" Athena yells as the boy jumps down to the ground, wand drawn, at the same time as Dumbledore turns to the dais. Sirius slowly falls to the ground, but his body fell backward into the veil. Athena gasps, feeling tears form behind her eyes and her throat tightens.

Harry's cries did not help her refrain from crying, "SIRIUS!" Harry yells in pain as Bellatrix laughs in triumph for killing Sirius, "SIRIUS!" Harry then sprints towards the dais, but Lupin runs at him and holds him back as Harry sobs uncontrollably. Athena too, has tears streaming down her face.