Endless Black

Endless black.

Funny how ironic that stupid pun sounds now... Sirius thought as his body floated through the void. Warmth would be so comforting... especially after Azkaban.

The void. Sirius turned his head but might as well have not done so. There was no light anywhere, Sirius closed his eyes and found no change. How long have I been floating here? Days? Months? Years? Opening his eyes he found himself on a stone altar.

"You still have more than one part to play, young man." The voice echoed as if off distant walls.

"Part to play?" There was an inrush of air as a blue flame appeared in the air, illuminating the old man standing by the stone table that Sirius lay upon. Looking around the room he saw a circle of veils. Each identical to the one he had fallen through.

"More than one. I am the gatekeeper. You are the keeper of the keys."

"What the hell are you talking about, old man?"

"I am telling you that you cannot die yet. Not until the balance is restored." The man pressed the flame into his hands. "Keep it safe."

"I've had enough of this! You tell me what is going on!"

"I have told you all I can, Master Black. Sirius dashed towards one of the veils. Please take me home! He felt a sudden brush of silk, the feeling of soft material on his forehead and then a sudden blinding light.

"Who are you?" came the question.

"What?"

"Come on, out with it! What are you doing sleeping inside the Department of Mysteries? Don't you know this place is off limits to the public?"

"I'm sorry... I fell through this veil, you see..."

"This isn't a time to joke sonny," replied the caretaker.

"I'm not joking! I was fighting You-know-who's death eaters when..."

"I don't know who. Enlighten me."

"Like you said yourself: 'this is no time to joke'"

"I'm not joking, young man. Explain yourself before I have you up in front of Minister Dumbledore for trespassing!"

"Minister Dumbledore?"

"Stop talking nonsense! Everyone knows Dumbledore!"

"Look! Go to your minister and tell him Padfoot is here. You-know-who is..."

"I said stop talking nonsense, and for the last time I don't know who!"

"You-Know-Who! The Dark lord! He-Who-Must-not-be-named! Tom Riddle! VOLDEMORT!"

"Never heard of him." The caretaker walked off towards the doorway. "I will send your message to the minister, for what good it will do you."

"Look. It WILL do me good. Albus Dumbledore is a close friend of mine!"

"And why would young Albus be friends with you?"

"Listen mate! I've heard Albus be called a lot of things in my time! But never 'young!'"

"And why shouldn't we call a six year old young?"

"SIX YEAR OLD?"

It was much later that Sirius found himself dumped on his hands and knees in front of an old man who certainly looked like Dumbledore. The familiar twinkle in his eye however, was nowhere to be found.

"Dumbledore! I'm so glad I found you! The veil..."

"That's Minister Dumbledore to you!" snapped the man.

"You're not Albus..." Sirius murmured to himself "Aberforth isn't it?" Sirius said, realisation flashing across his face "The goat man!"

"Goat man?" Aberforth said, raising an eyebrow. "And why, pray tell, would I be called... 'goat man?'"

"Listen! This is important! I need to speak with Albus! Albus needs to know..."

"And what would my son need to know from you?"

"Your son? No! I mean Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Your brother!"

"Nocuus!" yelled the man. "How DARE you speak of my brother!" Sirius suddenly felt a sharp pain course through his body.

"And why shouldn't I speak of an old friend?" Sirius croaked. "Has the family fallen out this much?"

"There's no-one to fall out with you sick bastard!" Aberforth said. "He died fifty-two years ago, along with the heir of Slytherin in order to save the muggleborns of Hogwarts from the heir's insane scheme!"

"That's not true!" Sirius yelled "He's a great man! He leads an army against Slytherins heir. He's one of three people I know that can bear to speak the name of Riddle's alias! He leads the order of the phoenix! He's headmaster of Hogwarts! He's NOT DEAD!" Sirius roared.

"Take this sick bastard out of my sight!" snapped the minister. "I have had enough of this twisted man's ramblings."

"I'm sick of this! LET ME OUT!" Sirius roared.

"No," replied the gatekeeper. "Not until you explain what you were doing in the Department of Mysteries like that!"

"I TOLD you! I fell through that veil!"

"And I told you! That's impossible. Those stones that make up the archway are infused with the Avada Kedavra curse. Walking, falling or otherwise passing through the veil means death. Stop lying and tell us what you were doing, you filthy spy!"

"I'm no spy!"

"Stop lying, you filthy traitor!"

"Come in here and say that!" Sirius yelled.

"I just might, bucko!" The man pulled out Sirius' own wand and dangled it in front of his face. "What'cha going to do without this?"

"Come in here and say those things!"

"Right! I've had just about enough out of you!" The man pointed his wand at the cage and it swung open. Seizing his chance, Sirius disappeared with a pop and in his place was a shaggy black dog. Sirius growled, leapt for his wand and carrying the offending item in his teeth, ran for his life.