Third Person
Before anyone knew what had happened Elle Black was dead.

Sirius watched in horror as the killing curse his cousin sent in his direction hit his daughter instead. It felt like an elephant had charged at Sirius. His heart dropped and all he wanted to do was kill Bellatrix. Eventually that evolved into shock.

Bellatrix saw the look on Sirius's face and began running, all the while yelling, "I killed Elle Black!"

After the shock wore off and Sirius was overcame with anger again, he ran after her. She's not getting away with this.

Harry was running after her as well. Harry kept yelling, "Crucio!" He didn't have enough power to cast such a curse, however. That's when Voldemort himself decided to join the party.

Dumbledore also appeared. He immediately took to dueling Voldemort.

Dumbledore and Voldemort continued to duel. Eventually, it seemed that Dumbledore had won, but instead... Voldemort attempted to possess Harry. But Harry, being the brave boy he is, overpowered him. Finally Voldemort left Harry's body. It was odd to see what appeared to be a mist with Voldemort's face at the top leave Harry. It only angered Sirius more. Finally, Sirius lost control of his anger. He wanted Voldemort dead for all the grief he had caused himself and Harry, as well as everyone else.

"You!" He threw a curse. He was too engrossed in the duel and trying to kill The Dark Lord to notice Ministry workers file in, including the minister himself. "You're the reason I lost my brother!" Another curse. "The reason two of my best friends died!" Sirius threw another brilliantly aimed curse. "The reason one of my best friends sold out my best friends to be killed!" Another curse. "The reason I spent twelve years of my life in Azkaban!" He threw another curse. "The reason I lost the love of my life!" Curse. "The reason I lost my only daughter!" Another curse. "And you've attempted to kill my godson too many times!" Sirius threw one last curse in Voldemort's direction before Voldemort noticed all the Ministry workers.

Voldemort gave one last chilling look around before leaving, along with all of his goons before any of the Ministry workers could catch them.

Sirius froze. He couldn't go to Azkaban. Not again. His stomach dropped even more, if even possible.

"He's back," Cornelius Fudge whispered. His face was sickly pale and he looked scared out of his wits.

Not a single person seemed to be breathing in that moment in time. No Order member, no Ministry worker, absolutely no one; especially not Sirius.

All the members of the Order were too worried about what would happen to Sirius. They didn't want the innocent man, who had lost his wife mere months ago and his daughter minutes
ago, to spend any more time in Azkaban, or get kissed by a dementor.

Finally Kingsley Shacklebolt spoke up. "Sir? Sirius Black is here. He doesn't seem to be a Death Eater, either."

"Hm? Oh, yes, yes. I don't think a Death Eater would fight Voldemort himself. They're too heartless to care about the deaths of their loved ones. Take him to a trial room, Kingsley. I'll be there momentarily." Fudge answered.

Sirius was as pale as a ghost.

Kingsley grabbed Sirius's elbow and led him to a trial room. "Come on, Sirius. I'll make sure you walk out of here a free man."

Sirius nodded, even though it was hardly noticeable.

Fudge spoke briefly to Dumbledore. He spoke about Sirius, Voldemort, and he offered his deepest apologies for not believing him and allowing all those articles about him and Harry in the Daily Prophet.

He also sought out Harry and apologized sincerely once more.

Once in the trial room Kingsley sat Sirius in the chair, but did not handcuff him. Sirius was still in a sort of daze.

Finally, after what seemed like eons upon eons to Sirius, Fudge showed up.

"Now, Mr. Black, I believe you have a much awaited trial. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"N-not at all, Minister."

"You'll answer truthfully?"

"Of course, sir."

"Do you have a Dark Mark?"

"No," Sirius said, while pulling up his left sleeve. The Minister, having seen no evidence of a dark mark, nodded.

He cleared his throat and looked at the man. He saw the look of grief, loss, and fear in his expression. He immediately felt intense sorrow for the man. He had no doubt that the man was innocent now, but he had to finish the trial.

Finally, he asked his next question. "Did you have anything to do with the murder and betrayal of Lily and James Potter?"

"No, sir."

"Do you know of anyone who did?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you know the name?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"What happened that day on the street with Mr. Pettigrew?"

"Well, sir, I had just found out that the man who was like a brother to me was killed. So naturally my suspicions flew to the Secret Keeper, Peter. Anne, my wife, tried to stop me from doing something I'd regret, but at the time I was too infuriated. We knew it was Pettigrew who betrayed them. We had no doubt whatsoever. So I searched for him. I managed to corner him and I confronted him, but being the coward he is, he chopped off his own finger and set off a spell on the street, killing those muggles, so he wouldn't have to face Azkaban. He then went into hiding, as he was an unregistered Animagus. He hid as the Weasleys' pet rat for twelve years, until finally two years ago I revealed him. He ran that night and found his master." Sirius nearly broke down at the mention of his friends and the love of his life, but he stayed strong. He couldn't break now. His life was practically on the line. For a moment the thought of just allowing himself to be killed crossed his mind, but then he remembered he still had Harry to live for. He couldn't give up, not now.

"How can I prove this to be true?"

"Look into my memories. I assure you, I would never lie about something like this."

Fudge nodded. "Kingsley, would you mind looking into his memories? Just for solid evidence."

Kingsley nodded. "Yes, sir."

Kingsley looked to Sirius for conformation. Sirius nodded. "Legilimens."

Kingsley saw images of Anne telling Sirius not to go after Peter while holding a crying Elle, images of Peter cutting off his own finger, Sirius and Remus turning Peter back into a man, Peter confessing to betraying James and Lily, and Peter running off as soon as he got the chance.

"He's telling the truth, Minister."

"Very good, yes, very good. Sirius Orion Black the Third, you are hereby cleared of all charges and are a free man. My deepest apologies for not doing this the first time around."

Sirius sat there in shock. He was sure he had heard wrong. Did Fudge just say he was cleared of all charges? "W-what?"

Fudge smiled, "You are a free man, Mr. Black. I am truly sorry you didn't get a fair trial fourteen years ago."

"Th-thank you very much, sir."

Meanwhile Fred and George had been summoned.

They rushed in and saw Sammy, Betty, and Harry huddled together on the floor. All of them were sobbing.

Fred cautiously made his way over. He didn't know what he'd see. Once he saw those once lively, grey eyes, now unseeing he wished he hadn't walked over.

"N-no!" He fell to his knees beside Harry. He, too, began crying. He moved a strip of hair out of Elle's beautiful face. His couldn't believe his eyes. He was convinced that he was seeing things.

He'd never see her smile again. He'd never get to ask her out. He'd never get to hear her laugh at one of his jokes again. He'd never get to feel her lips on his.

"Elle, time to wake up. This isn't funny. Don't pull a prank like this on us. Come on, wake up!"

She didn't wake up. Fred cried even more. He had just lost his best friend. He bent down and closed her eyes, not being able to look at them, lifeless, any longer.

"I'm so sorry, Elle. I shouldn't have left you there at Hogwarts. This never would've happened if I hadn't. Oh, Elle, please forgive me," he said in between sobs.

George was holding Betty to his chest, fighting tears himself. A few managed to slip out. Elle had been like a sister to him. He loved her and cared for her like he would Ginny.

Everyone had a great loss that day.

Fred, George, Sammy, and Betty had all lost their best friend. Harry had lost his cousin. Sirius had lost his daughter.

No one wanted to believe it was true.

Everyone there, including Tonks and Remus, shed tears. They were heartbroken over this great loss as well.

Dumbledore and Mad-Eye had already left to speak with the Minister some more, leaving the rest of the Order members to cry on their own.

Everyone continued to cry until no one had anymore tears left. It was painful to think about Elle and all the happy times they had shared, as they knew they wouldn't get anymore of those.

Memories of all the pranks she and the twins had pulled over the years flooded into everyone's minds, as that is what the trio was most known for. For the girls, however, the memories that stuck out were of all the sleepovers and talks they had shared in their bedrooms or the dormitories. For Harry, it was whenever Sirius had told him that Elle was his cousin and she mentioned it at dinner a day later. Everyone had their own memory of her.

There were a few silent moments, in which no one dared to speak for fear of crying even more. At least, that was until Sirius came in.

The look on his face and hearing his sobs was enough to send anyone to tears. It was absolutely heartbreaking. It reminded everyone once again of the great loss.

It was hard to say who was taking it the worst. Elle had been a huge part of everyone's lives.

She was the only Order casualty. Why her? Everyone asked. Why did anyone have to get killed? They asked.

No one had the answers to those questions. Everyone wanted the answers, but everyone also knew they would never get them.

Everyone had suffered. If not in the First Wizarding War already, then they had now suffered the effects of the Second.

War is not a joyous occasion. It's life or death. Happiness is needed more than ever before. Like Albus Dumbledore had said two years before, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." It held new meaning now.

Finally, after hours, Arthur came to tell everyone to go back to Grimmauld Place. He told them they had needed rest.

Once everyone had left, well after someone had dragged them out, Arthur levitated Elle's body to a Ministry car and drove to the Burrow.

Once there he, too, broke down in tears. He had loved her like his own daughter, and he knew Molly did too.

He weeped for her. He weeped for everyone who now had to live without her.

He just couldn't believe that a life had been taken so soon.

The Second Wizarding War was coming faster than the first. He didn't know who would make it out alive and who wouldn't. He didn't want to think about that, but it was impossible. The Second Wizarding War is inevitable.

Everyone just has to be ready.