“Have you seen Remus?” Tonks called after him.

Tonks hurried in the opposite direction of Aberforth, searching frantically for Remus. If he was dead...

Don’t think like that, Tonks thought sternly, He’s fine. She ducked a Stunning Spell and turned to face the fool who interrupted her search: Travers. Boy, was he in trouble.

Tonks quickly shot a Body-Bind at him, which he blocked with a lazy flick of his wand. This apparent indifference angered Tonks even more, and she shot a heated Leg-Locker curse, followed by a quick Stunner. As he blocked them, a figure came up behind him and Stunned him. Travers, unable to block it, fell forward with a thud.

“Thanks,” said Tonks to her savior as she walked towards him.

“No problem,” said Charlie Weasley.

Tonks was about to reply when someone shot a Stunning Spell at Charlie from behind. She blocked it quickly, which left Charlie to deal with the doomed newcomer. Tonks continued quickly down the corridor. She turned left, and was faced with many more duelers. However, only one dueling pair was visible to her.

Remus was losing, and badly. It appeared to be all he could do to remain standing. Dolohov looked a bit worse for wear, too, but he was still in control of the duel.

“Crucio!” shouted Dolohov.

Remus fell to the floor and screamed in pain. Tonks charged forward and shot a Jelly-Legs Jinx at the laughing Dolohov. He wobbled around on unsteady legs as the curse took effect. Tonks rushed to Remus, who was groaning on the floor in pain.

“Are you all right, Remus?” Tonks asked breathlessly.

“Never better,” said Remus with a grimace. He put a hand to his stomach as he sat up, but withdrew it quickly; it was covered in blood.

Tonks gasped and almost cried. However, she gulped down her tears and went to work healing her beloved.

“Lie back down,” commanded Tonks.

Remus obliged. Tonks pulled up his shirt and began muttering complex incantations over the wound.

“He used Sectumsempra,” said Remus with a huge effort, “Snape must have taught his Death Eater friends a few tricks.”

Tonks had finished her spell. She sat back with a satisfied smile as she watched the wound glow blue then begin to heal itself.

“You’ll be fine,” said Tonks.

However, Mulciber had stopped dueling Lavender Brown long enough to stop the jinx on Dolohov, and Dolohov was sneaking up behind the couple.

“You shouldn’t be here,” said Remus, suddenly worried, “Go back to Teddy.”

“I need to be here,” said Tonks, “Besides, he’s fine with my mother.”

“You’re stubbornness has always been part of why I love you,” admitted Remus.

“How else could I have gotten through to you?” Tonks asked, though she did not expect an answer.

Remus’ stomach had finished healing. He sat up and propped himself on his elbow. With his other hand he cupped Tonks’ cheek.

“You’ll be tender there for awhile, so be careful out there,” said Tonks.

“You be careful, too,” said Remus.

He was about to kiss her when Dolohov decided to attack.

“Crucio!”

Remus was blasted through the air from the force of the Curse. He screamed with intense pain as his stomach wound reopened and deepened. Dolohov laughed cruelly as he watched Tonks scream.

“Had enough, werewolf?” spat Dolohov. He lifted the Curse.

Remus groaned and tried to sit up, but he almost passed out from the effort. Tonks kneeled beside him and tried to heal him again, but he stopped her. Dolohov knew his job was done and chose not to overkill. Instead, he watched the dying man and his wife with amusement.

“Let me fix it,” said Tonks stubbornly.

“It’s too deep,” said Remus, his voice growing fainter, “I won’t make it.”

“Yes, you will!” persisted Tonks, “Just let me try.”

Remus beckoned her closer. Tonks put her face right in front of his. “I love you,” he whispered.

Remus shook his head sadly. “I love you,” he repeated softly.

And he died in Tonks’ arms.

A wave a numbing fury washed over Tonks. The war had just gotten personal. She half-carried, half-dragged Remus to a small crevice. She sat him up and pulled his jumper over the wound. After arranging his robes so that he looked nice, Tonks kissed him, then stood up to rejoin the battle. Real grieving would have to wait; revenge came first.

After one last fleeting look at her dead lover, Tonks walked into the midst of the duelers, searching for Dolohov.

Aha! thought Tonks: he was talking to Bellatrix.

Tonks fired a Cruciatus Curse at her husband’s murderer. “DOLOHOV!” she shouted as he writhed in pain on the floor at Bellatrix’s feet. Bellatrix smirked when she saw who cast the curse.

“Is my wittle baby niece mad at the nice man Dowohov for widding the world of another mangy half-breed?” Bellatrix mocked in a baby voice.

Tonks lifted the curse to face her aunt. “I’m no niece of yours,” she snarled.

Dolohov fired a Killing Curse at Tonks that narrowly missed her. “No!” Bellatrix shouted at him. She faced her niece. “She’s mine.”

“Bring it on,” said Tonks, wand at the ready.

As Bellatrix fired Killing Curse after Killing Curse, some narrowly missing, others going everywhere, Tonks fought an internal battle. She wanted to be with Remus, that was for sure. All she had to do was let her aunt take her. However, she needed to stay alive for Teddy. Tonks knew it would be selfish to die, no matter how much she needed to be with Remus. Teddy would be left to her mother, or even Harry. Although both would say that it would be no problem, Teddy needed his mum. And besides, Tonks didn’t want to give Bellatrix the satisfaction of purifying the family tree. Tonks knew what she had to do.

At this point Dolohov had joined the fight, firing Cruciatus Curses every chance he got. With Tonks having to dodge two Curses at once it was harder to fight back. Finally, Tonks’ fury came out when she fired a Killing Curse at Dolohov. The spells stopped as Dolohov dodged it.

“You don’t want to die a murderer, do you, baby niece?” taunted Bellatrix, “Your conscience won’t let you.”

“I’m not your niece,” repeated Tonks with distaste, “My heart isn’t Black enough.”

Bellatrix fired another Killing Curse, but her rage affected her aim. Tonks laughed. “Come on, Auntie Bella, if you were a true Black you wouldn’t miss.”

She fired and missed again. “I guess that Lestrange blood muddled yours,” sneered Tonks.

The next one didn’t miss.

Tonks knew that that one would hit. In fact, she welcomed it. As the curse came at her, images of Remus and Teddy flashed in front of her eyes. Death was a bittersweet moment as Tonks thought of the mother she could never be to Teddy and how wonderful it would be to see Remus. She smiled as she welcomed the Curse with open arms.

As Tonks fell to the ground, Bellatrix cackled at her newest victim. One more death, and the Black family tree would be clean again. Someone fired a curse at Bellatrix, taunting her into a fight. She turned around.

That foolish little blonde boy was next.

...Harry had a clear view of the bodies lying next to Fred: Remus and Tonks, pale and still and peaceful looking, apparently asleep beneath the dark, enchanted ceiling.

- p. 661, Deathly Hallows U.S. Edition