Constellation

**Afterwards**

Gone.

Such a simple word, really.

But Harry didn't think of it as such a simplistic thing at all. He
wondered: What will happen now? He no longer had a guardian and he
prayed with all his might that did not mean the Dursleys had complete
control over him. He could no longer dangle the threat of mass-
murdering godfather over their heads.

He had returned to Privet Drive little less than a week ago and
promptly refused to leave his room except at meal times. Even
threats from Vernon or "Big-D" refused to move him. Petunia never
said a word. She only looked at him with an indescribable expression
on her face. Letters from Ron, Ginny, and the other Weasleys remained unopened. Hermione's was tossed in a corner along with the rest of his refuse. He only opened hers on the slim hope that she figured it out: Yes, there is a way to bring Sirius back.

He wallowed in the darkness of his tiny room, nesting in his piled up
blankets on the bed. Sometimes, when he would forget, he would look
up into the night sky and imagine he saw Sirius up there. Or he would look into a corner of the darkened yard and imagine he saw some friendly, canine eyes glinting at him. Then memories would come crashing back.

And he realized he was alone again.

Back in his two previous years at Hogwarts, he would often fantasize
how life would be with him. They would fly through the air, each
taking turns to catch the snitch. They would go to Diagon Alley and
walk through the crowds where they would be greeted like old
friends. He would comfort Harry after each nightmare and make a pot
of cocoa like Mrs. Weasleyto soothe the night terrors. They would argue good-naturedly about their favorite Wizarding bands. And of course all
this couldn't have happened with out Sirius' innocence proven. In
these fantasies the traitor was caught that night in the Shrieking
Shack and placed directly in Azkaban.

Simple wishes. Simple wants.

He doesn't fantasize anymore.

* * * * * * * * * * *

**Beyond the Veil**

Cold and falling into darkness.

Then the darkness lifted all he could see was the sparkling of
thousands upon thousands of tiny stars in the distance. He felt the
presence of a warm body and felt the swish of a canine tail against
his side.

They were no longer together.

The cold turns to freezing and his body craves the comfort of its
companion. He hand reached out to grab hold of the dog, to force it
to stay, but it resists. It belongs to him and him alone. It threatens him with a tiny grrrr.

He looks around. The stars are still in the constant sky. And that
is all he can see, he is not on Earth.

He feels himself growing transparent; weak.

The dog grows stronger and seems to grin maliciously at him.

He can't wrap his mind around this. Where is he? What happened to
Harry? Moony?

He is nothing more than wisps of smoke.

The dog's eyes glow with starlight.

He is nothing.

The dog sniffs the air and turns, running to join the other stars.

END