Your Presence Still Lingers

Why Sirius? Anyone but Sirius

. Harry constantly replayed those last moments in his head. No matter how many times he went over it, it was still all his fault.

I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

If only you hadn't been fooled by the house-elf. If only you had realized that Voldemort could see through his eyes

. If you had tried harder to learn from Snape this wouldn't have happened.Harry smashed his fingers into his ears, trying to drown out the repeated sounds of Voldemort's laughter and the Weasleys' sympathy. Even the mirror doesn't work. I'll never see him again. Harry's thoughts were getting darker and darker. This is all my fault. Next time it'll just be someone else. If I could just forget about him it would be better. Then I wouldn't feel so bad. Harry mentally shook himself. Wait, if I forgot him then that would be treasonous to his memory.

If you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

Because your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

"Go away!" Harry yelled into his pillow. Now images of Sirius flooded his brain: his parents' wedding, breaking out of Azkaban, Sirius and Lupin telling them that Peter was the true Secret-Keeper, Sirius escaping on Buckbeak.... and the most horrible image: Voldemort killing Sirius.

These wounds don't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just so much that time cannot erase

When you call my name

"Harry, Harry."

As if in a dream, Harry heard his name being called."Why didn't you save me? Why did you go to the Ministry to find me?"

"I'm sorry!" Harry nearly sobbed. The logical part of his mind knew that Sirius wasn't really talking to him, but it sounded so real.

"It's all your fault,"

the voice that sounded like Sirius hissed, on a more menacing level. "You deserve to die as well."

As if he were dreaming, Harry stood from where he was lying down on his bed and slowly walked towards the window. Looking down, he saw Ron and Hermione walking towards the castle. They had grown closer since Sirius's death. Great, Harry thought bitterly. I go through all the pain, and Ron gets the girl. He made up his mind. It was all going to end, right here, right now.

He steadily walked towards the bathroom, where he knew Neville kept his sleeping pills. Finding the bottle, he downed half of them, then stumbled towards the window, feeling his eyelids grow heavy. As he neared the window, he began saying the Last Rites to himself. He knew that suicide was one of the greatest sins possible, but he couldn't take the pain anymore.

When he reached the window, he stood there for a moment, steeling himself for what he knew he had to do. Then, with a deep breath, he threw open the window and stepped out onto the ledge. With a quick prayer for forgiveness, he said three words: "Sirius, I'm sorry." And with those words, he dove from the window of Gryffindor Tower.

Epilogue

"My Lord, it worked!" an excited voice hissed. Voldemort beamed with satisfaction.

"Of course it worked, my idiotic servant," he said derisively. "The Potter boy has always had a 'hero complex'. I knew that if he felt guilty enough about the death of Black, it would only be a matter of time before he took his own life, thus sparing us the trouble."