the_debt_of_time

He then dashed off to intercept Bellatrix.
"Cruci―" she began, aiming her wand at Remus's back.
"Lacarnum Inflamare!" Sirius shouted.
A ball of fire flew from the end of his wand, hitting his cousin in the chest and
momentarily setting the witch on fire.
Bellatrix screamed in fury and extinguished the flame much too quickly for Sirius's
liking. Her dark, hooded eyes pinned him with a glare, and she sneered at him. "You always
did have a soft spot for saving filthy things. I'm going to enjoy killing you."
"You'll enjoy trying, bitch."
"Dubbledore!" Neville shouted, his voice muffled by his broken nose.
Every pair of eyes in the room turned to see the old wizard appear, wand aloft, his
face white and furious. Dumbledore moved down the steps with the speed of a much
younger man, past Neville and Harry. Shouts and screams echoed in the chamber. One of
the Death Eaters made a run for it, scrabbling up the stone steps. Dumbledore flicked a
spell that pulled him back effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line.
Momentarily distracted by Dumbledore's assault, Sirius barely managed to duck
from a hex that Bellatrix sent his way. He growled, looking back at her, throwing a curse
that she only barely dodged.
She looked enraged as she descended upon him, losing what little grace she still
possessed as she flung her wand about in the air like mad, throwing everything she could
at him as though she were merely hoping something would stick.
Sirius laughed loudly at the sight of her. "Come on, you can do better than that!"
The next jet of light hit him squarely in the chest.
The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.
Remus turned just in time to watch Sirius's body curve backward, sinking through
the ragged veil hanging from the arch in the centre of the dais. He did not feel the panic
set in until Sirius completely vanished, and then an old familiar coldness sank into his chest.
"No," he whispered as he realised what had just happened.
Sirius was gone.
"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled, "SIRIUS!"
Remus ran as quickly as he could, unable to let the moment sink in at the sight of
Harry rushing toward the veil. He grabbed the boy around the chest tightly, both of them