There was a hole here, it's gone now.
The one great problem with the righteous is their perchance to become self-righteous, and in that self-righteousness to disconnect with the consequences of their actions. The idea then becomes that because they can claim to be good people that any action they take is by default good as well... and it is not.
The sound of dripping water is the first indication that perhaps he is awake. The surface he lies on is cold and hard - concrete perhaps, but it smells strongly of iron. It's difficult to make himself get up because honestly this is the best he's felt in any number of years. No aches or pain, the weird soreness he's had the last three years is gone and for once he isn't cold. Sirius! With a sudden jerk the brunette is sitting up staring wildly about for Jam- ah Harry. The department of mysteries is the last thing... no. He had been laughing because this was the most fun he'd experienced in a dog's age. Then that bitch Bellatrix caught him in the chest with an AK and he'd tumbled through the Veil. So, so what? Was he dead then?
Smoothing his right hand over the cool stone beneath him the thirty-something frowns. If he's a ghost than he's remarkably solid and if he's dreaming then this is an amazingly vivid moment. More important is the question of where he is right now. Looking up all he can see is darkness and looking about he can just barely make out four walls of sheet metal badly corroded. "I guess there's nothing to it. I better see who happens to be running this show." Obviously something is up - if nothing else falling through that damn Veil has probably sent him back in time or something.
It is as he is marveling at the smooth manner he is able to clamber to his feet that he hears something moving about further ahead. Frozen in an admittedly awkward crouch Sirius listens preparing to switch over to his animagus form. He hears it again as though something were rolling or being rolled toward him. Out of the gloom comes a small metal flashlight which rolls to a stop at his feet. It's old and green with a frayed black strap hanging off the end. 'Safelight - a light you can depend on.' Chuckling at the barely discernable legend it suddenly occurs to Sirius to check for his wand.
The slender bit of wood is nowhere to be seen on him - not in his pockets nor tucked up in his sleeves or the top of his boots. "Boots?" Running a hand through his shaggy mane of hair he stops in confusion... He needs a mirror - now! Snatching up the flashlight he snaps it on and instantly freezes in horror and confusion - all around him is an abyss the section of flooring he stands on the only bit of safety. Jerking to the side in the nick of time he manages to avoid the steel ladder that slams down where he was. Flashing his light over it he then turns it upward and just barely makes out an opening. "Tch, what the hell is going on?" Seeing as thinking never got him anywhere he decides to climb first and bother with the details later.
The climb seems to last forever, but eventually he makes it to the opening. Popping through it he nearly falls back through when he is greeted by a squeal. Darting around he notices he is in a hallway paneled with wood. Moving closer he watches the swollen walls effectively weep fluid moving closer he realize the water smells of salt as though it were tears. Repelled he stands and simply looks not sure what direction he should take. Hearing the squeal again from the left he moves toward it trying to come up with at least one really good wandless hex he can do. Some way or another he's going to have to find something to defend himself with until he can get ahold of a wand. The squeals are getting softer as they're replaced by static loud enough to be heard through the heavy wooden door he stands before.
Oddly enough there is little less he wants to do right now then open this door. There isn't anything too obviously wrong with it, but there is a discernable aura of what? It's as though by opening this door he would be taking a step he couldn't take back. 'Fuck.' "Fuck it." Acting before he has time to talk himself out of it the wizard bursts – outside. Spinning around he finds the way behind him literally walled off by a face of bricks rising up in the bank of fog above him even as it disappears into the fog to either side. That godforsaken noise pulls him away from his confusion long enough to notice the kid sitting on the steps before him.
"Hey." Startled the boy – because even with the long black hair, the big black eyes, and the overall androgyny this is a little boy – all but falls down the stairs trying to get away from him, the radio he'd been playing with abandoned. "Oi! Wait up kid; I'm not going to hurt you!" Poised to run the child none the less halts eyes bright with distrust in a face tight with fear. A very familiar face, what with that nose and those unnaturally dark eyes – hell even that disgusting hair. 'Snivellous jr. of course I should have expected something like this. Fucking death eater scum.' The kid is glancing from him to the radio and back as though wondering whether to make a run for it and scamper or just cut it as a lost.
Moving slowly, but deliberately Sirius bends down and picks up the small pocket radio – no, it's a 'walkie-talkie' like in that movie Platoon he and Moony watched the other day. It's the cleanest, newest thing he's seen since he's gotten here; even the clothing he's wearing is old and worn. "Please, can I have it back? My mommy bought it for me to protect me from the monsters… When they get too close it makes noise so I know to run away." 'Mommy? Geez, who would be desperate enough to fuck old Snivilly? Then again considering how he was with Malfoy maybe Snivilly is the mommy.' "Monsters? I doubt it kid – now where is your old man and don't lie I'll know." Watching the boy's almost painfully hopeful expression change to one of confusion and fear Sirius is almost sorry – almost.
Before he can repeat his inquiry the radio gives a loud almost visceral exclamation and the boy is taking to his heels without a second's thought. Like a ghost the child disappears into the fog that surrounds them. The radio grows louder and louder still, almost too loud to hear the sound underneath of clicking nails and heavy panting heading his way. Cursing Sirius tries to change into his animus form and falls screaming to the ground. Wheezing from the experience all he wants to do is lie here until the world stops spinning. The radio continues bleating probably leading every bugaboo in the area right to him.
Something that sounds like laughter in much the way a pedophile sounds like a guy you'd love to have babysitting your four-year-old has the wizard scrambling to his feet cursing all the way. Lacking a wand, a weapon, and quite frankly the will to fight Sirius has no other choice than to run. Striking off blindly it takes a bit less than two seconds to develop a deep all-encompassing hatred of the unending fog. Twice already, he's stumbled into parked cars and over things; he has tried hard not to look at. One of those things was a very small, very light thing that all but disintegrated when his foot went into its side. Whatever is making that damnable laugh has fallen back, but only to play with him. Staying just far away enough not to set the radio off it nonetheless is close enough for that laugh to be driving him 'round the bend.
Startling as a sudden batch of static coincides with another laugh just behind him Sirius falls into a panicked run and nearly tumbles to the ground as he steps on a loose pipe. Sliding from under his foot it rings out against the trash can he just barely catches himself on. Whispering a vicious stream of profanity he checks his newly bleeding hands idly noting the filth he has accumulated in little of any time. "Shit." As if cued something misshapen lunges out of the gloom with a shriek. Slick with condensation it is the grey of putrefaction, its skin drawn tight over almost absurdly long limbs. The head is canine-like; long with a mouth so overfilled with monstrous teeth the skin can't be bothered to cover them. Its eyes are like ink as it chuckles quietly, before standing on its hind legs.
It's got to be nearly seven feet tall if not more the legs jointed in a way that makes Black's head hurt. Even standing it's hands… paws… whatever nearly touch the ground. Teeth shining with saliva it gives that same nerve-wracking laughter allowing it to rise to an ear-splitting giggle as it shudders with excitement. Jerking suddenly it falls half its skull missing. Sputtering as he crawls away from the still twitching corpse he gingerly wipes at the mess dripping down his face. Dimly he notices his ears are ringing even as his eyes are darting about looking for whatever did this. The slow clack of hobnail boots striding toward him has his hand stretching out toward the pipe at his feet.
"Aw, I thought you liked me cousin Si!" Smiling as he recognizes the voice he's drawn up sharply as what looks like a fourteen year old muggle girl steps from the dusk. One eye is swollen shut, the skin like an overripe plum. Blood stains the area beneath her broken nose as well as her lips; one of which is swollen and spilt. Smiling crookedly the girl shrugs one honey-brown eye winking up with humor. "This is what I look like without the metamorphus ability… Well not the bruises and stuff that was from fighting the monsters, but the black hair and brown eyes and the being knee-high to a grasshopper thing that's all me. I guess the glamour is gone, Si."
Rocking back on his heels Sirius can feel himself grinning; "What glamour ladybug; the clumsiness or maybe the pig snout or how about the scatterbrained behavior? No, chickadee it's not the glamour I'm missing – I'm pretty sure it's the pink hair. Don't know if you noticed, but it's a bit gloomy around these parts." Taking the hit she gives him with exaggerated pain the older man turns back to the corpse. "There are a lot more of these things then?" Hefting the shotgun she holds Tonks nods grimly. "Yeah, I haven't seen anything like this one around, but there are all kinds of things out there: wolf things, shadow men, these weird crying shift shaper things… Just lots of shit."
End Chapter One