CHAPTER ONE- The Song of Eternity
Harry Potter stepped into the hall of the Fourth Floor of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. With a rapid step he approached a door at the end of the corridor where, after stepping inside, he took a deep breath and headed directly towards the bed occupied by a pale man with long, shaggy hair.
It had been two months since Sirius Black had been cursed by Bellatrix Lestrange. Two months since Harry's heart had shattered as he watched his godfather stumble backwards into the Veil and not come out. Two months since Voldemort had been imprisoned in the snake. Two months since Harry had learned the truth about himself. And two months since Lupin had staggered through the doorway, holding a barely-alive Sirius who, Dumbledore had explained, had not been quite dead when he had fallen, and so had been rejected by the Veil. Harry had never felt so grateful for the dementors' stripping wizards of their powers as he had in the moment he was told Bellatrix had not recharged enough magic to kill someone- especially since that someone was Sirius.
Sirius was still unconscious; the Healers could not figure out what the Veil did to him. [I]That's why it's in the Department of Mysteries[/I], Harry mused to himself as he sat in a chair next to Sirius's bed. Looking around at the get-well cards that littered the bed-stand and decorated the walls, Harry caught sight of a brown paper package slipped under a gag-gift from Fred and George. Harry carefully removed it and saw it simply read: To 'Sirius Black'. There was no card or return address. Instantly Harry thought of Broderick and the Devil's Snare that had been sent as a "Christmas present."
"Harry," Mrs. Weasley called as she bustled in. "Alastor is here to take you back-"
"Look," Harry interrupted, showing her the package. Mrs. Weasley frowned at his manners before her frown turned to one of concentration.
"It could be dangerous- Heaven knows those Death Eaters and their families aren't happy Sirius survived. But..." she hesitated, then strode back to the door and called, "Everyone? A moment, please."
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Remus Lupin filed in. "Alastor, is it dangerous?" Mrs. Weasley continued, motioning to the box.
Moody scanned the package, then growled, "No. It looks like a music box, but there's nothing harmful about it."
Lupin gazed at the brown paper. "That writing," he said slowly. "It's so..."
"Familiar," Mr. Weasley finished. He, his wife, and Lupin looked at each other. "Only one way to see what this is about," Mr. Weasley continued, ripping the paper away.
A beautiful glass box, the size of a hand, was revealed. A Celtic eternity knot was etched into the lid and framed by gold lining. Mr. Weasley opened the top, and a sweet, calling melody played. They stared at it, transfixed. Suddenly, Sirius stirred. All eyes turned to him; everyone was holding their breaths. His dark eyes opened... closed... then opened again. Hermione let out a cry, and Harry and Lupin rushed to help Sirius sit up. "Get the Healer!" Lupin barked unnecessarily- a Healer was already at the bedside.
"Rest him against the pillows- easy does it," the Healer ordered. "And what is that sound?"
Ron pointed to the music box. "He woke up once we started playing that," he offered. The Healer studied it closely.
"Doesn't look unusual. It may be a song that held special significance to Mr. Black." The Healer replaced the box and proceeded to shoo them out. "Go now! We need to run tests to see if he's completely or only partially healed. Now go!" The door shut behind them and the Members and unofficial-Members or the Order of the Phoenix turned to each other.
"It couldn't hold special significance because Sirius never told me about it," Lupin said after a moment of silence. "I think we should get Dumbledore- this magic is unknown to us."
"I agree," Moody rumbled. "I'll send an owl pronto." He disappeared down the corridor, Hermione following him with her eyes. Then, once the adults had converged into a group and Fred, George, and Ginny began to banter, she motioned Ron and Harry away from the group.
"Whaddo you think?" Ron muttered. Harry shook his head.
"It's all too fast- one minute I'm saying good-bye before school starts, the next, Sirius is awake and sitting up. It's too strange."
"It's really old magic," Hermione broke in. Ron and Harry looked at her, confused. She sighed and elaborated. "It's a song of eternity, meant to bring people back form wherever they're lost. It's supposed to be a myth- no song's ever been able to so that."
"But this one did," Harry said, catching on. "Sirius was lost in his mind and the music box brought him back."
"The song, yes," Hermione confirmed. "Traditionally it was sung, but if the person who knew it wanted to remain unknown, they'd send it in a music box that looked like that one."
"But who'd want to remain a secret after saving someone's life?" Ron asked. "Mom, Dad, and Lupin recognized the handwriting, but if it was an acquantence, why would they want to remain a secret?"
"Well, if Lupin recognized the handwriting, Sirius should, too," Hermione said briskly. "And he'll have a much better idea of who'd want to help him. We can ask once we're-"
"You're allowed in," the Healer's voice rang out. He seemed quite puzzled. "Mr. Black is fully healed. A little tired, but you should be able to bring him home today." As he walked by them, Harry heard the man mutter, "Escaped convicts no longer convicts, You-know-who back and then gone, music boxes healing people... it's enough to make a man want to turn Muggle!"
Grinning, Harry ran to Sirius's door. Lupin nodded to him, saying, "Let's let Harry in first." Everyone agreed, and Harry once more entered the room.
Sirius was sitting up in bed, looking as pale and wasted as ever, but there was a spark in him that Harry had rarely seen. It was the spark of freedom. Sirius looked up at him and grinned a grin that matched Harry's. The glimmer of long-forgotten handsomeness returned to his face as he held out and arm and Harry grabbed him in a rough hug. "Hello, Harry," Sirius laughed. "I'm glad to see you missed me."
"How are you?" Harry asked as he pulled away. Sirius shrugged.
"Alive. Confused, but alive." At Harry's questioning look he held up the music box.
"Ah." Harry shrugged too as everyone else gave Sirius hugs and handshakes. "We're not sure about that."
"The Healer said this is what brought me back," Sirius replied. Lupin reached under his coat and removed the wrapping that no one had seen him take.
"It came in this," he said, handing it to Sirius. "We're hoping you can recognize the writing."
A strange look crossed Sirius's face; a look Harry couldn't explain or interpret. "it looks... it looks like Torri's writing," he whispered.
Silence fell on the room as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Lupin paled in shock. Mrs. Weasley spoke first. "That's not possible." Sirius glanced at the writing again, but Lupin's voice called him back.
"Sirius, Torri's gone. You have to accept that she's dead."
Sirius remained quiet for a moment before asking, "Any more presents?" in a forced cheerful voice. The subject was clearly closed.
It was eleven at night by the time they returned to headquarters. The students trooped up to bed, leaving Sirius to admire the refurbished parlor. As soon as they got upstairs, however, Hermione and Harry followed Ron into his room.
"What the bloody heck was that about?" Ron burst. "Who's Torri?"
"Who knows," Harry responded wearily. "Not a family member or someone from the original order- I know all their names and that's not one of them."
Hermione's disgusted tut broke in. "Didn't you see Sirius's expression when he talked about her?" At the guys' clueless looks she sighed, as if suffering. "You dolts. He was- and probably still is- in love with her!" She breezed out the door with a perky "Goodnight!" leaving the guys staring at the place she'd stood.
"In love?" Ron gasped.
"Sirius?" Harry whispered.
"She's nuts," they both agreed. Thus comforted by Hermione's insanity, Harry left for bed, and neither noticed the silvery-green smoke follow him out in the form of a tiny snake.
Harry Potter stepped into the hall of the Fourth Floor of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. With a rapid step he approached a door at the end of the corridor where, after stepping inside, he took a deep breath and headed directly towards the bed occupied by a pale man with long, shaggy hair.
It had been two months since Sirius Black had been cursed by Bellatrix Lestrange. Two months since Harry's heart had shattered as he watched his godfather stumble backwards into the Veil and not come out. Two months since Voldemort had been imprisoned in the snake. Two months since Harry had learned the truth about himself. And two months since Lupin had staggered through the doorway, holding a barely-alive Sirius who, Dumbledore had explained, had not been quite dead when he had fallen, and so had been rejected by the Veil. Harry had never felt so grateful for the dementors' stripping wizards of their powers as he had in the moment he was told Bellatrix had not recharged enough magic to kill someone- especially since that someone was Sirius.
Sirius was still unconscious; the Healers could not figure out what the Veil did to him. [I]That's why it's in the Department of Mysteries[/I], Harry mused to himself as he sat in a chair next to Sirius's bed. Looking around at the get-well cards that littered the bed-stand and decorated the walls, Harry caught sight of a brown paper package slipped under a gag-gift from Fred and George. Harry carefully removed it and saw it simply read: To 'Sirius Black'. There was no card or return address. Instantly Harry thought of Broderick and the Devil's Snare that had been sent as a "Christmas present."
"Harry," Mrs. Weasley called as she bustled in. "Alastor is here to take you back-"
"Look," Harry interrupted, showing her the package. Mrs. Weasley frowned at his manners before her frown turned to one of concentration.
"It could be dangerous- Heaven knows those Death Eaters and their families aren't happy Sirius survived. But..." she hesitated, then strode back to the door and called, "Everyone? A moment, please."
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Remus Lupin filed in. "Alastor, is it dangerous?" Mrs. Weasley continued, motioning to the box.
Moody scanned the package, then growled, "No. It looks like a music box, but there's nothing harmful about it."
Lupin gazed at the brown paper. "That writing," he said slowly. "It's so..."
"Familiar," Mr. Weasley finished. He, his wife, and Lupin looked at each other. "Only one way to see what this is about," Mr. Weasley continued, ripping the paper away.
A beautiful glass box, the size of a hand, was revealed. A Celtic eternity knot was etched into the lid and framed by gold lining. Mr. Weasley opened the top, and a sweet, calling melody played. They stared at it, transfixed. Suddenly, Sirius stirred. All eyes turned to him; everyone was holding their breaths. His dark eyes opened... closed... then opened again. Hermione let out a cry, and Harry and Lupin rushed to help Sirius sit up. "Get the Healer!" Lupin barked unnecessarily- a Healer was already at the bedside.
"Rest him against the pillows- easy does it," the Healer ordered. "And what is that sound?"
Ron pointed to the music box. "He woke up once we started playing that," he offered. The Healer studied it closely.
"Doesn't look unusual. It may be a song that held special significance to Mr. Black." The Healer replaced the box and proceeded to shoo them out. "Go now! We need to run tests to see if he's completely or only partially healed. Now go!" The door shut behind them and the Members and unofficial-Members or the Order of the Phoenix turned to each other.
"It couldn't hold special significance because Sirius never told me about it," Lupin said after a moment of silence. "I think we should get Dumbledore- this magic is unknown to us."
"I agree," Moody rumbled. "I'll send an owl pronto." He disappeared down the corridor, Hermione following him with her eyes. Then, once the adults had converged into a group and Fred, George, and Ginny began to banter, she motioned Ron and Harry away from the group.
"Whaddo you think?" Ron muttered. Harry shook his head.
"It's all too fast- one minute I'm saying good-bye before school starts, the next, Sirius is awake and sitting up. It's too strange."
"It's really old magic," Hermione broke in. Ron and Harry looked at her, confused. She sighed and elaborated. "It's a song of eternity, meant to bring people back form wherever they're lost. It's supposed to be a myth- no song's ever been able to so that."
"But this one did," Harry said, catching on. "Sirius was lost in his mind and the music box brought him back."
"The song, yes," Hermione confirmed. "Traditionally it was sung, but if the person who knew it wanted to remain unknown, they'd send it in a music box that looked like that one."
"But who'd want to remain a secret after saving someone's life?" Ron asked. "Mom, Dad, and Lupin recognized the handwriting, but if it was an acquantence, why would they want to remain a secret?"
"Well, if Lupin recognized the handwriting, Sirius should, too," Hermione said briskly. "And he'll have a much better idea of who'd want to help him. We can ask once we're-"
"You're allowed in," the Healer's voice rang out. He seemed quite puzzled. "Mr. Black is fully healed. A little tired, but you should be able to bring him home today." As he walked by them, Harry heard the man mutter, "Escaped convicts no longer convicts, You-know-who back and then gone, music boxes healing people... it's enough to make a man want to turn Muggle!"
Grinning, Harry ran to Sirius's door. Lupin nodded to him, saying, "Let's let Harry in first." Everyone agreed, and Harry once more entered the room.
Sirius was sitting up in bed, looking as pale and wasted as ever, but there was a spark in him that Harry had rarely seen. It was the spark of freedom. Sirius looked up at him and grinned a grin that matched Harry's. The glimmer of long-forgotten handsomeness returned to his face as he held out and arm and Harry grabbed him in a rough hug. "Hello, Harry," Sirius laughed. "I'm glad to see you missed me."
"How are you?" Harry asked as he pulled away. Sirius shrugged.
"Alive. Confused, but alive." At Harry's questioning look he held up the music box.
"Ah." Harry shrugged too as everyone else gave Sirius hugs and handshakes. "We're not sure about that."
"The Healer said this is what brought me back," Sirius replied. Lupin reached under his coat and removed the wrapping that no one had seen him take.
"It came in this," he said, handing it to Sirius. "We're hoping you can recognize the writing."
A strange look crossed Sirius's face; a look Harry couldn't explain or interpret. "it looks... it looks like Torri's writing," he whispered.
Silence fell on the room as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Lupin paled in shock. Mrs. Weasley spoke first. "That's not possible." Sirius glanced at the writing again, but Lupin's voice called him back.
"Sirius, Torri's gone. You have to accept that she's dead."
Sirius remained quiet for a moment before asking, "Any more presents?" in a forced cheerful voice. The subject was clearly closed.
It was eleven at night by the time they returned to headquarters. The students trooped up to bed, leaving Sirius to admire the refurbished parlor. As soon as they got upstairs, however, Hermione and Harry followed Ron into his room.
"What the bloody heck was that about?" Ron burst. "Who's Torri?"
"Who knows," Harry responded wearily. "Not a family member or someone from the original order- I know all their names and that's not one of them."
Hermione's disgusted tut broke in. "Didn't you see Sirius's expression when he talked about her?" At the guys' clueless looks she sighed, as if suffering. "You dolts. He was- and probably still is- in love with her!" She breezed out the door with a perky "Goodnight!" leaving the guys staring at the place she'd stood.
"In love?" Ron gasped.
"Sirius?" Harry whispered.
"She's nuts," they both agreed. Thus comforted by Hermione's insanity, Harry left for bed, and neither noticed the silvery-green smoke follow him out in the form of a tiny snake.