Tonks's Point of View

I hated this.... absolutely hated this!!! My eyes strayed to a patch of wall and I tried counting how many cracks were in the stone. Gah... I was bored out of my mind. I didn't know anything stuck in this little room. I had no idea if Remus was alive or dead or fighting either in the castle or outside, on the grounds; I had no idea what was happening here in Hogwarts or out on the grounds; I had no idea who had died yet, whether Bellatrix was still alive for me to have my vengeance. I sighed. At least I knew one thing... at least I knew that Teddy was safe. Oh Teddy... At the thought of him, my heart swelled and tears stung my eyes, though I wouldn't let them spill. Who knew if I would get through this alive or dead, with Remus or without him. When I'd begged my mother to watch over my little boy, I couldn't identify the emotion I'd seen in her eyes. Had it been disappointment that I was leaving Teddy all alone with her? Had it been sorrow and fear because her only child was going into battle? I sighed and squeezed my eyes shut. I was pulled out of my thoughts by a sharp voice.

At first, I couldn't figure out what the voice was saying until I opened my eyes and concentrated a bit more. Oh great... Neville's old Gran was blathering on about how proud Frank and Alice Longbottom would be of their son... I rolled my eyes excruciatingly slowly and exchanged an enduring look with my partner-in-misery, Ginny Weasley. Suddenly, Gran stopped talking and I quickly turned around in my chair, setting my tea on the table that had appeared for convenience. Ginny did as well and all three of us pulled out our wands, even the old witch in her nineties. The door to the Room of Requirement opened and we relaxed in relief as Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared.

Finally, maybe I'd hear some news. Neville's Gran spoke first. "Ah, Potter," she said, acting unsurprised, as if she hadn’t been ready to hex him 10 seconds ago. "You can tell us what's going on?"

Desperate to know what was happening, especially to do with Remus, I asked, "Is everyone okay?" I turned my head in surprise. Ginny and I'd asked the same question at the same time. I turned back towards the trio for my answer.

"'S far as we know," Harry replied. "Are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?" I shook my head 'No'.

"I was the last to come through," Mrs. Longbottom said. "I sealed it, I think it unwise to leave it open now Aberforth has left his pub. Have you seen my grandson?" "He's fighting," Harry said. I was slightly relieved. At least one person we knew hadn't died.

"Naturally," his Gran said proudly. "Excuse me, I must go and assist him." She stood up and quickly walked towards the sounds of the fighting, with surprising speed for her old age.

Then Harry looked at me in surprise. "I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy at your mother's?" he asked. I bit my lip, though I was ready to defend myself. "I couldn't stand not knowing..." A lump rose in my throat. "She'll look after him - have you seen Remus?" I rose up out of my chair, ready to go after my husband.

"He was planning to lead a group of fighters into the grounds-"

That was all I needed to hear. With a quick nod to Ginny, I ran towards the stone steps leading to the exit and out of that blasted, confining Room of Requirement. My wand was outstretched and I knew, deep in my heart, that I was ready for whatever this war felt like throwing at me. I would do anything to protect Remus and Teddy. Turning the corner, I found myself in another corridor and a pair of cloaked Death Eaters were dueling the students. My temper began to rise. These students were innocents, INNOCENTS! How dare these evil people even think of attacking them?! I aimed my wand at the bigger of the Death Eaters. He, or she, would be an easier target.

"Stupefy!" I cried and a red jet of light flew out of my wand and connected with the torso of the Death Eater. He toppled and his mask slipped off, revealing his large, sluggish face and blond hair. It was Rowle. My instincts heightened and I felt my Auror training begin to take over. "Incarcerous!" I said and aimed for the second Death Eater. I missed, the spell flying two inches from his ear. "Petrificus Totalus!" I tried again. This time, my efforts were not in vain. The Death Eater toppled, caught in the full body-bind. Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and saw an unmasked Death Eater running towards me. Dolohov. "Impedimenta!" I cried and had the satisfaction of watching him freeze in mid-step, before I turned and ran down another hallway, searching for the way to the grounds. After turning two more corners, I saw a flight of stairs and began running down them. I knew I was getting closer to the Great Hall, because the sounds of fighting were getting louder and louder. I ran down another flight of stairs, wand at the ready, and my eyes almost popped open with surprise when I saw Ginny dueling Yaxley. What was she thinking? She was supposed to stay in the Room of Requirement! She’d get herself killed! Not wanting to distract her, I threw myself down on the staircase as it began to move and a shot of light flew over my head to take a chunk of stone out of one of the banisters. I got up and continued my way down. I aimed daringly at Yaxley and motioned for Ginny to watch out. Her eyes widened in surprise, but quickly refocused on the Death Eater in front of her. She surreptitiously backed away, while still holding him off with Stunners and Shield spells. "Diffindo!" I whispered and a deep cut suddenly slashed down Yaxley's wand arm. He howled in pain and bent over it, clumsily moving his wand to his other hand. Ginny took him out neatly with a Stunning Spell. "Good one Gin!" I shouted at her and practically flew down the stairs as I neared my goal. My heart pounded and its beating sound seemed to be getting louder as I ran. Dodging spells left and right, I ran around groups of duelists before finally reaching the now-blasted door. I ran outside and was hit by gusts of wind. "Protego!" I cried and was protected, if only momentarily. It would only take that long to find my love. "Remus!" I shouted as I searched for his familiar face. "Remus!"

"Nymphadora?!"

I turned. Only one person would ever actually call me by that hideous name. Besides my mother, of course. "Remus!" I gasped in relief and threw my arms around my husband’s neck as spells flew around us.

"What are you doing here Dora?!" he asked, kissing me and hugging me tighter.

"I came to fight, of course," I replied. "Teddy's alright, he's with Mother... I had to come and see you Remus."

My huggable adorable handsome werewolf sighed and rolled his eyes. "Of course you did," he muttered exasperated.

"Protego!" I cried and pointed my wand. A jet of red light was averted and our moment of peace disintegrated. "Let's go Remus!" We parted and suddenly, I found myself face to face with Rodolphus Lestrange. "Rodolphus!" I hissed and shot a Stunner at him. "Where's Bella?!" I asked, dodging an Avada Kedavra. Strange, wasn't it, how after all she'd done and how much we absolutely loathed and despised each other, I still called her 'Bella', just as my Mother did whenever she talked of her.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he cackled and shot another Killing Curse at me. I evaded it once again and cried, "Expelliarmus!" Yes, I wanted him Stunned or dead, but I needed my information first. He barely dodged that one and my confidence rose as we dueled. "Incarcerous, Expelliarmus, Stupefy!" The slippery snake dodged them all except for the last. He fell, stunned, and I took his wand. "Incarcerous," I said and ropes flew out of my wand to bind him. "Rennervate." His eyes flew open and he glared at me.

"Mudblood wench!" he spat at me.

I rolled my eyes. Death Eaters really needed to come up with some new insults. The 'Mudblood' comment was getting a tad old. "Where's Bellatrix?!" I asked again. His mouth remained stubbornly clamped shut. Did he actually love that woman? I was momentarily floored by that absurd thought. No... I had to focus.

"Where's your Mudblood Daddy to protect you, eh Princess?" Rodolphus jeered.

"STUPEFY!" To hell with information... I blinked and realized my eyes were wet. I shook my head slowly. I couldn't dwell on deaths now... I had to fight to avenge them! Glancing at the Death Eater's wand in my hand, I made a face and promptly broke it in two.
Flinging the pieces onto his helpless body, I turned and saw Remus battling Dolohov. Dolohov cackled madly and shouted, "Rictumsempra!"

"Protego!" I interjected. How like a Death Eater, to kill a laughing victim.

"Sectumsempra!" He hissed at me. Apparently, my interruption wasn’t appreciated.

I tried to dodge as the jet of dark green light neared me and gasped as a pressure knocked me over. It was a person. "Remus?" I whispered. I scrambled out of his arms and looked at him. My husband's back and side were bleeding... a lot… "Remus," I gasped. I felt as if I was going to faint. I collapsed on my knees in front of my husband's limp body. He had taken the curse for me. Tears stung my eyes and this time I didn't blink them back. They poured unbidden down my cheeks and dripped on his face and robes. My husband slowly cracked open an eye and I gasped. I had been sure he was dead. "R-Remus," I stuttered, unable to say anything else. "Dora," he replied and his voice was faint and weak. "Teddy... love... you..." I sniffled and wiped away my tears. "I love you too Darling," I whispered and gulped. I lovingly took his hand in mine and placed it in my lap. Then... and it seemed to last forever... Remus John Lupin shuddered and quietly lay still... forever... no.... no... No… No... NO!!!!!!!! I shrieked as I gently petted his hand and the sound sounded insane, even to me. I kissed him and cried and kissed him again. When I was finally spent of tears, I stood up, looking around. I felt light headed… and dazed… hoping it was all a bad dream and any second now, I’d wake up to Remus’s concerned eyes.. But then I looked down and once again, saw the bloody cuts that crisscrossed across my husband’s back and side. "Dolohov..." I hissed and turned. I instinctively shielded myself from a stray spell and ran. I didn't know where, I didn't know how, I just ran. "Dolohov!!!!!" I screeched and the sound seemed to be that of a banshee. "Dolohov!!!!!!!!!!" A mad cackling sound stopped me in my tracks. Dolohov. It must be. I turned and felt drenched in my grief once more when I found the murderous Death Eater in front of me. I raised my shaking wand and he raised his, laughing and arrogant as he did so.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!!!!!!!!" I gasped as I saw the green light. I closed my eyes, expecting to die any moment now... until I realized that the light was speeding away from me and towards the Death Eater. I had cast the spell. His eyes widened in surprise and he tried to move, but too late. The green light struck him in the chest, and Dolohov fell down, dead. I spit on the ground, trying to rid myself of the acrid aftertaste of the word, and was instantly reminded of my second goal. Bella.

I rushed back into the castle, feeling crazy with grief, and ran, calling the Death Eater. "Bella!" I shrieked. "Bellatrix!!!!" Nearby duelists stopped and stared, including some of the Death Eaters, as I ran, willingly calling to the witch of death. "Bella!!! Come and face me, you coward!" A sudden, chilling voice stopped me.

"Coward, am I?" the voice hissed. "Well well well... If it isn't little Nymphadora... Come to rid the world of me, have you? Come to get your revenge for your dear cousin Sirius Black?"

There she was. I blinked, shocked. I even forgot to tell her not to call me that name. My extremely insane, not-thought-out-well, suicidal plan, had actually worked. There she stood: Her long black hair twisted and curled from the fight, her dark, enthralling eyes glinting in the light, her thin wand, pointing stood right at me. For a spare moment, I wondered where she’d gotten the wand. Of course I’d heard about how she’d lost it when Harry, Hermione, and Ron had escaped from Malfoy Manor. That moment disappeared as the witch leveled her wand at my chest. I stood straighter. "Hello Bella," I whispered; we both knew she heard me. We both crossed the invisible line in the same instant. "Stupefy!" I screamed and she instantly deflected it so the red light blasted a hole in one of the paintings lining the walls. Its poor inhabitant, a little goose girl in blue, screamed and ran to the next painting, leaving her curious geese waddling around the hole, wondering where their drinking pond had gone.

"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix cried and I waved my wand, conjuring a large boulder. The Killing Curse blasted it to smithereens and I threw my arms up to protect my eyes, sure that little stone chips would pummel me.

They never came. Lowering my arms in surprise, I saw them bouncing off a shield spell that I had most definitely not cast. I looked to my left and grinned weakly at my savior. Ginny nodded and I watched her shoot a ‘Tarantallegra’ at Rookwood before I turned back to my own adversary who looked amused. Determined to wipe that smirk off her face, I cast, "Petrificus Totalus!" Bellatrix dodged it expertly and threw a spell at me. "Protego! Reducto!" The spell missed and took out a portion of the wall behind her. "Incendio!" I screamed, and she moved to dodge the spell, but it caught the edge of her hair.

"Aguamenti," Bellatrix muttered and instantly extinguished it.

But now, as we dueled, I felt my desire to fight slowly fade away... I knew that if I lived through this battle or died, I would never be able to truly live again without Remus... Not even Teddy could help me there. "Stupefy," I said again, softly, one last half-hearted attempt for life. The witch deflected it easily.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way Nymphadora," Bellatrix said suddenly, surprising me. "You would have been a powerful Death Eater... if your Mother dearest hadn't made that one choice..."

I shook my head. "No," I said.

She sighed, almost regretfully. "Avada Kedavra."

With a lazy flick of her wand, she was spelling my death. I smile peacefully as the green light speeds toward me and I close my eyes. People say that before you die, you see your life flash before your eyes.
I don't.
I see Remus.