Keep Breathing ♢ James Potter

3 | Just like his sister

Harry Potter has lost a lot of people in his life. His mother, his father, Cedric. Harry was robbed of a life he never even had. Whenever he gets close to finally having someone to call family, it's ripped away from him.

"Get away from my godson," shouted Sirius as he jumped next to Harry in the Department of Mysteries. After cursing the death eater, Sirius pulled Harry aside to take cover behind the archway.

"Now, listen to me," said Sirius, "take the others and get out of here."

As stubborn-headed as his father, Harry refused. "What? No, I'm staying with you."

"You've done beautifully. Now, let me take it from here." Despite how much Sirius tried to convince him to leave, he knew Harry wouldn't abandon him.

As Sirius fought alongside Harry, Sirius did not picture his godson next to him. All he could visualize was James. The same man who he lost 14 years ago.

Sirius did not realize how much younger the boy was, or the fact that he had green eyes. He only thought of one thing. Sirius will not lose James for a second time.

"Expelliarmus!" shouted Harry, disarming Lucius Malfoy.

"Nice one, James." Sirius didn't have time to process his own words before the spell hit him.

"Avada Kedavra."

For the first time in his life, Sirius wasn't afraid. As Bellatrix's spell hit him and he fell back into the archway, an overwhelming sensation of comfort ran through his body.

He had been surrounded by death his whole life. Regulus Black, Marlene McKinnon, Lily Evans, James Potter. Everyone that Sirius loved, he eventually lost.

But they were not the reason why he felt comfortable with the idea of death. Sirius Black stopped fearing death the moment Astrid died in front of him.

Before she died, Sirius loathed his perfect, little sister. Sirius was constantly reminded by his parents of how amazing his younger siblings were. Regulus followed the path of becoming a death eater and his younger sister had probably done the same. It wasn't until the day she died that Sirius's grudge against her disappeared.

On the break of death, Astrid seemed to be more relaxed than Sirius had ever seen her. Throughout her whole life, tension followed everywhere she went. Astrid lived a life that she was forced to face reality at a young age. Let's be honest, not everyone is meant to be a hero.

While watching Astrid die, Sirius learned that death was not something scary. For Astrid, death was her rest. She no longer had to fight to survive. She was at peace.

As she laid in James's arms, Astrid used her final breath to smile up at Sirius and softly whisper "We did it." Although Sirius never found out what Astrid meant, he knew that she was content with her last moments of Earth. Astrid accepted her fate.

So, as he fell into the veil, Sirius decided to by just like his little sister. Sirius Black accepted his death.

Because let's be honest, what would be a better way to die than fighting alongside his best friend...

one last time.