The Lone Maurauder

I heard Sirius laugh and I laughed out loud. It was so good to hear that sound. The sound that had been missing from my hearing for so many years.

Suddenly the laughter stopped and I heard Harry scream. I turned as fast as I could and saw him falling. He fell so gracefully, it didn't seem real. A yell was pulled from my raw throat. It couldn't be.

"SIRIUS!" I heard Harry yell, "SIRIUS!" He sprinted towards the dias. Towards the archway I knew held only death. I leaped forward and grabbed him around the chest, pulling him backwards.

I spoke without realizing I was speaking, "There's nothing you can do, Harry---"

"Get him, save, him, he's only just gont through!"

How could he not realize? How could he be so dense? "It's too late, Harry---"

"We can still reach him---"

Harry began to fight harder, I would not let his go. He's all I've got left. I realized and began to speak again, not believing I was admitting it, "There's nothing you can do, Harry..." Oh, God, NO!, "nothing.... He's gone." My mind shut off, I knew Harry was still screaming and I was yelling back at him but I did not know what I was saying.

NO! GOD! WHY HIM? Tears began to roll down my face, unnoticed by anyone else. DAMN YOU GOD!! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS? HE DESERVED TO LIVE! HARRY NEEDED HIM! I NEED HIM! GOD, PLEASE, LET THIS ALL BE A DREAM! LET ME WAKE UP NOW! All I could remember was his face as he laughed. The way he had tackled me when I had returned to the hideout on Christmas Eve after everyone else had gone to bed. The way he had began to scream and Moody when he started to interrogate me. The way his face lit up when he talked about Harry. The way he had comforted me when I finally broke down and wept after fifteen years of not shedding a tear. How could he be gone? He was a star, the dog star. He couldn't die.

I felt empty. I knew I was trying to keep Harry from running away but I finally stopped fighting. When Harry ran I stood. My face was sticky with blood and tears. The only thing I had left in my life that was worth living for was gone. My best friend was dead. I began to walk towards the archway. It would be so simple, so easy to end all of the pain I was in. I wouldn't have to think anymore. I made to step into the archway when someone tried to pull me back. I looked down and saw Neville Longbottom shouting at me, trying to pull me backwards. Tonks heard his pleads and ran over to help pull me backwards. I fought them both as hard as I could.

"LET ME GO! I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LEFT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?" I heard Tonks yell something and I fell peacefully into a deep slumber.

There, he came to me. He walked up, looking as if nothing had happened.

"Remus, Moony."

"HOW COULD YOU? WHY DIDN'T YOU TAKE ME WITH YOU?" I was sobbing and the man whom I had always called brother held me tightly.

"I'm sorry, Moony, I need you to promise me something."

"W-what?"

"Take care of Harry for a while. I need you to help me for a while." He was disappearing into the dark, "Promise me!"

"I promise!"

Then I blinked, I was in the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. I smiled then, through all of the tears and I knew. Like the Order he, James, and I had pledged our loyalty to he would rise from the ashes. Padfoot was not dead, he was resting, taking a vacation, look at it however you like. He would return. On that night I knew that for once and for all the wolf would never run alone again.