DISCLAIMER: Once again I own nothing! The majority of this chapter was pretty much lifted straight from the book. As always I'm just borrowing!!!

SUMMARY: Is the veil really just a one-way trip?

There and Back Again: A Grimm Tale

Only one pair was still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's red jet of light: he was laughing at her.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" He yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.

The second jet of light hit him squarely in the chest.

The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.

Harry released Neville, though he was unaware of doing so. He was jumping down the steps again, pulling out his wand, as Dumbledore, too, turned towards the dais.

It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall: his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch.

Harry saw the mingled look of fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind then fell back into place.

Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing-Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would appear from the other side any second...

But Sirius did not reappear.

"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. "SIRIUS!"

He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. Sirius must be just behind the curtain, he, Harry, would pull him back out...

But as he reached the ground and sprinted towards the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest, pulling him back.

"There's nothing you can do Harry-"

"We can still reach him-" Harry struggled hard and viciously, but Lupin would not let go.

"There's nothing you can do Harry... Nothing... He's Gone."

And so it was that Harry Potter's godfather passed from his life. Taken through a portal that not even a wizard as long lived as Dumbledore could remember the purpose for. But as the purpose of the gateway had been forgotten, so too, had the rules binding the travellers who passed through it's ragged veil.

Perhaps Sirius was not as gone as Harry and the rest of the Wizarding world believed.

AN:There the first chapter! A bit of a shorty I know, but I'm still not entirely sure where I'm going with this. There's a germ of an idea rattling about in the back of my head. Either that or I'm coming down with some dreaded lurgy! But as with all ideas, this one needs encouragement and nourishment to grow. And reviews are the food of life so...HIT THAT BUTTON!!!!