Beyond the Veil

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the Great Hall during breakfast. Suddenly all eyes where upon Luna Lovegood at the Ravenclaw table. Her eyes had gone blank and her voice had became harsher then her usual dreamy tone. Luna was saying, "The human turned dog shall return through the veil; from the dark abyss of the end of all things. It will happen soon the Dog Star will return to his godson, and to the fight that rages between night and day."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other for a moment then jumped up to grab Luna Lovegood by the arms and lead her to the top table where professor Dumbledore sat Ron following close behind. Dumbledore rose as the four of them approached him. Dumbledore looked them over, Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked bothered and just a little shaken; Luna looked even more dazed and disoriented than usual.

Professor Dumbledore had stepped in front of the table and was waiting for them. "Follow me to my office," he said quietly as everyone began to return to what he or she had been doing before Luna's prophecy.

By the time five of them reached Dumbledore's office, Harry was rather paler then normal. He also had an introspective look on his face that even edged out some of the pain and self-loathing that had been present on his face since Sirius's death in the Department of Mysteries at the end of his fifth year.

Hermione looked extremely thoughtful and was nearly as pale as Harry was as she said, "Professor Dumbledore, did Luna make a prophecy?"

"Yes, she did Hermione," Dumbledore stated looking at Luna pensively for a moment before asking, "Miss Lovegood is there any seer blood in your family?" Luna turned her wide disoriented eyes to Dumbledore and shook her head.

"But professor, her vision was about Sirius coming back to life right?" At Dumbledore's nod Hermione continued in a voice that was almost, but not quite, a whine, "But professor, that's impossible, nothing can bring back the dead!"

Before Dumbledore could say a thing, however Harry said, quite quietly in a voice that sounded like he was talking to himself, "No spell can bring back the dead." Harry's face had lost the introspective look but he was still pale. Hermione glared at him, Harry just blinked tranquilly at her and smiled faintly. Harry realised this was the first time he'd had the joy of correcting Hermione, ever. Ron snorted smiling widely, and Hermione turned and glared at him. Ron hastily tamped out the smile and looked away.

"Harry is quite correct, Hermione," Dumbledore murmured as he sat behind his desk. "There is no spell to bring back the dead." Dumbledore steepled his with his elbows firmly planted on his desk." That is not say that someone coming back from the dead isn't magic, it's an entirely different kind of magic."

Ron was looking mystified. "Professor?" His voice was begging for explanation.

"It's true, while Sirius's death was absolute; he was there to defend Harry. He was there because he felt he would not be fulfilling his word to Lily and James if he did not fight to save his godson. While you four as well as Ginny and Neville were the reason he went to the Department of Mysteries that night, Bellatrix Lestrange was the one who killed Sirius.

"While I have never read about anything like this happening before, I believe that as Sirius died fighting for you Harry it's not a great stretch to consider that Sirius would return to you Harry. To help you fight the battle you were born to fight."

I was not born to fight this battle! I was marked to be either murder or victim! What victory is the in either? Harry thought. Then he realised, Dumbledore knows I haven't told even Ron or Hermione about the Prophecy. Perhaps now is the time to tell them...

* * * *

I'd forgotten about the Dangers of the veil. Was that stupidity or just plain carelessness? And did it matter either way? The surprise I felt was brief then gone. All emotion had strangely gone away when the nothingness had engulfed me.

Where was I? What was I doing before this abyss? I'm fighting to remember but my mind is blank. Who am I? What is my name?

There was a faint call, it sounded like a whisper from another time: SIRIUS! SIRIUS! SIRIUS! SIRIUS!

Sirius. Is that my name? Is that me?

HE IS NOT DEAD! SIRIUS!

Dead? Am I dead? I rather expected death to be something more than this... this blank oblivion.

SHE KILLED SIRIUS! SHE KILLED HIM - I'LL KILL HER!

Was I murdered? I can't remember anything. That's vaguely annoying. I have a feeling I should be mad about not being able to recall anything about myself. And who is she? I can recall, vaguely, someone with faint ties to me. Blood ties that's it, that's what it was called. So am I related to the one did this to me?

That's odd. What's this spark in my heart? Anger? Oh so that's what emotion feels like, I'd forgotten. Who ever did this to me is my enemy, of that I am certain.

Bella! Bellatrix Black. No Lestrange, the bitch had married that bastard Rodolphus Lestrange. Death Eaters both just like the rest of my kin. No, as far as I'm concerned they are not my family.

Except Andromeda, she was four years older then me. My favourite cousin, the one who married Ted Tonks the muggle-born. Ted was a good Quidditch player. Team captain actually before James inherited the title in our third year.

James Potter. He was the best friend I ever had. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs; the Marauders. Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter

Pettigrew! The spark is back but it's not just a spark now it's a flame. The flame seems to be illuminating my memories. Everything is coming back to me now. My anger is changing to rage. Rage at the traitorous bastard Pettigrew. Peter betrayed us all.

The betrayal may have been ring-led by Wormtail but I helped. It was my idea to change to that rat. God no Lily and James...and...there was someone else...

Harry Potter.

My godson. The boy I've sworn to protect. I have to go help Harry; he's gone to the Department of Mysteries because he thinks I'm there.

No wait, I've already done that. That was why I'm here. I've been here for weeks. But I still need to protect Harry, to help him. To help him fight Voldemort. Because Harry is my son now. Biologically or not Harry is my son. No betrayal or insult intended to James and Lily meant but Harry needed a live father.

Everything around me is dark and empty. Maybe I'm in Limbo. But what is that? That archway of light is that the veil? I don't know why I made that a question. The answer is obvious. Of course it's the veil.

Harry is on the other side of that veil. Harry needs me. I have to get to that archway. I have to go back to Harry.

He began swimming frantically towards the archway; to my son, to Harry.

* * * *

"I'm still not convinced that this is possible, Dumbledore," Amelia Bones, the new Minister of Magic, stated plainly.

"Why ever not Amelia?" Dumbledore enquired.

"Prophecy is the most imprecise branch of magic," Amelia answered. After a moment she added, lowering her voice to a whisper, "it doesn't help that nothing like this has ever happened before." She glanced toward where Harry sat with Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks.

Dumbledore followed her gaze, "All of those associated with the Order of the Phoenix were disheartened by Sirius's death this past June, but those three were the most distressed by his passing." The five of them sat around the dimly lit and rectangular stone tiers that surrounded the sunken centre of the room was sunken, forming a great stone pit. In the precise centre of the room stood a raised stone dais and on the dais sat an ancient stone archway that looked like a piece of dust would knock it down should some land on it. In the Archway hung a tattered black veil.

It was two days after Luna's Prophecy had occurred. Most of the Preceding time had been absorbed in explaining matters to Amelia Bones, then in convincing the new Minister of Magic that Sirius Black was not the deranged traitor that had handed the Potters over to Voldemort. Dumbledore had agreed that a formal trial was necessary to clear Sirius of guilt.

Minister Bones had agreed to allow Dumbledore to take Sirius back to Hogwarts with Harry. They had both agreed that as soon as Sirius recovered he would be dosed with Veritaserumin the presence of the Minister, Dumbledore and two Aurors, not Kingsley or Tonks. Harry had tried to convince Dumbledore that he, Harry should be included in Sirius's debriefing. Much to Harry's annoyance Dumbledore had replied, "That is for Sirius to decide."

The five of them had been sitting on the stone tiers that over looked the veil for several hours time. One moment the veil was waving slightly in a nonexistent wind and the next it began to glow with a faint whit e light that gradually grew from a glow to a bright white light that would have made a bonfire look dim.

Harry made to fun down the stone benches to the veil but Remus grabbed him around the chest, just as he had when Sirius had died. "Wait a moment Harry."

"No!" Harry growled back. Harry fought Remus with all his strength. Harry had to get down to the veil.

A slumped figure clothed in torn robes appeared at the bottom of the veil. Suddenly the light went out, making the room dim once again making bright after images dance across Harry vision. There was a loud crack and the archway began to collapse.

Harry broke free from Remus's grip and shot to Sirius like an arrow to Sirius's side, covering the twenty foot tiered drop in less then ten seconds. Harry began frantically dragging Sirius away from the crumbling archway lest either of them get hurt by the heavy falling stones. Harry succeed in pulling Sirius off the raised dais, onto the floor next to the dais, just a there was a crack like pistol shot that made jump.

Sirius, who had to, that point been nearly unconscious, turned his blue eyes to Harry and he whispered, "Harry...my son...Harry," tears spilled from the corners of his eyes. Harry hugged his godfather. Sirius said in a slightly louder voice, "You are my son...Harry; I want to adopt you..."

"We'll talk about it later Sirius," Harry whispered back, "now that your back we have all the time in the world." Sirius laughed and embraced Harry tighter.