Critical ~ S. Black

𝒞𝐻𝒜𝒫𝒯𝐸𝑅 𝒯𝒲𝐸𝒩𝒯𝒴-𝒮𝐸𝒱𝐸𝒩

*LEXI*

I wouldn't say luck was on our side, but I wouldn't say it's against us. Minerva, Horace, and myself spent our time either teaching classes, protecting students from the carrows, or helping the D.A.2. Everyone in it was improving greatly with the help of the 7th years like Neville and Riley (Neville's turned into such a leader now). Which is good because I've had a sinking feeling for weeks that a battle was coming.

I was patrolling the halls when I heard a disturbance coming from the Ravenclaw common room. Perturbed, I followed to check it out. To my unpleasant surprise, Amycus was standing outside and banging on the door to let him in.

"Amycus, what are you doing?" I asked politely, though it was fairly clear what the man was doing.

"Trying – to get – through this damned – door!" He grunted out, continuing to bang at the clearly unmoving door. "Go and get Flitwick to open this!"

"Isn't Alecto in there? Why not just get her to open it?" I raised an eyebrow at his childish antics. "That would be preferable to waking up half the castle."

"I've tried that, but she isn't answering!"

"As you wish," I responded, my voice cold as I did so. Knocking on the door, I prompted the voice a second time.

"Where do vanished objects go?"

"Into nothing, that is to say, everything." The knocker seemed satisfied with my answer and allowed us in.

Needless to say, Alecto was sprawled on the floor unconscious (I suspect the students, moreover those in D.A.2), and Amycus was not happy. He sputtered out something about Harry being in the castle, and I was in disbelief. Harry wouldn't be so stupid.

He was beginning to say something about placing the blame for Alecto's mark being pressed (apparently it was, I was not aware of that), when I cut him off. No way in hell am I allowing them to blame innocent students.

"There's a difference between truth and lies, courage and cowardice, and it is one you and your sister seem incapable of appreciating. However, allow me to make one thing clear. You are not going to pass off your many ineptitudes on the students of Hogwarts. I shall not permit it."

"Excuse me?" Amycus moved forward until he  was offensively close to me, within an inch from my own face. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, but did not back down. "It's not a case of what you'll permit, Alexis Black. Your time's over. It's us what's in charge here now, and you'll back me up or you'll pay the price."

He spat in my face. I don't see, but rather I hear, Harry pulling off his invisibility cloak and saying, "you shouldn't have done that."

I watched in surprise as Harry used the cruciatus curse on Amycus. I can't believe he was capable of that. I had no doubt that he would, I would've liked to do so myself, but I wasn't aware he was capable of producing such a powerful curse.

"Harry, that was foolish!"

"He spat at you!"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. Of course there's no arguing with Harry, there never is. He's too much like James – once he sets his mind to something, there's no changing his mind.

He and I hurry out of the Ravenclaw common room and discuss a plan to get students out. I sent 4 patronuses out to Minerva, Pomona, Horace, and Filius, before we ran out of the common room, Harry and Luna following behind me under the cloak. I paused when I heard rustling behind one of the suits of armor, and raised my wand.

It turned out to be Snape and we argued a bit. The others arrive and a duel ensues. Severus hides behind the armor, and I was enraged. What enraged me the most, however, was Severus jumping out of the window and flying off. "Coward! COWARD!"

Minerva set the other teachers off to gather their houses and meet in the Great Hall. She then turned to me. "Lexi, I need you to summon the order. Get them in the castle as discreetly as you can."

I nodded and ran off, following Harry's instructions to the passage in the Room of requirements.

Within 30 minutes, the order had arrived and those not old enough to fight had been evacuated. The second the attacks began, the castle was thrown into chaos.

I found Sirius and embraced him in a tight hug. "What are you doing here? What about Lily?" I asked desperately, praying to all hell that my baby girl was safe.

"She's with Andromeda, just like Teddy. You can't really think I'll not fight, can you?" He asked softly, tucking my hair behind my ear.

I shook my head and, with my arms around his neck, brought him into one more kiss for the time being. He welcomed my kiss warmly, his lips fitting perfectly against mine.

"Not goodbye. Just until later," he murmured when he pulled away.

"Until we meet again..." I agreed, pecking his lips and stepping back. "See you when this is all over Siri."

With that, I left him and ran off to go fight. I ran through the halls, only sparing one last glance back to see Sirius run in another direction to fight. I ducked, dodged, and stunned my way out to the courtyard. Right where the worst of the fighting was.

I hadn't felt this at home, in the rush of a fight, in years. I faced death eater after death eater, defeating them with ease.

Until I was faced with an all too familiar face. Bellatrix Lestrange stood in front of me. The only one who'd ever beat me in duels in the past.

We threw spell after spell back and forth at each other. I was slowly overpowering her, relishing in the feeling of beating her. That's when I felt it. A sharp pain right in my chest.

I looked down to discover a knife sticking out, barely to the right of where my heart is. I stumbled backwards, time slowing down. Carefully, I pulled the knife out. It must be poisoned, I'm already feeling a little delirious.

I slowly fell to my knees, watching as Bellatrix ran away in slow motion. I began registering a ringing noise filling my ears, and I coughed as I felt something fill my throat. Looking at the ground, I noticed that it was blood.

I kept myself sitting up as long as I could, but I fell over as my arms gave out. A single tear rolled down my cheek as one last thought filled my mind.

I focused on that thought as my vision went black, and the ringing got unbearably loud. The ringing got louder and louder until everything went silent.

That one last thought bouncing around my mind, unbearably loud, until even it faded. And I knew at that point, that I was gone. I couldn't keep my promise to Sirius, the one thought around my mind as I died.

"Until we meet again...."

____________________________________

Thanks for reading!

So uhhh...

Haha...

Don't kill me

Please.

This isn't the end of the book. But there is only 2 more chapters. And sadly, none of them involve Lexi.

This is the end of Alexis Potter/Black.

Sorry. Not really but oh well.

I actually referenced the book for this chapter (for the beginning of it) so there's that. I used several direct quotes, I hope you appreciate the effort that went into this chapter.

Hope you all are staying safe and healthy!

<3 Riley