Sirius didn't even feel the impact, and only registered a slight pain for a brief moment as he fell through the veil. All he remembered was the looks of sheer devastation on his godson's and his Moony's faces. Then there was darkness.
He came to under a bright, sunny sky, lying against a large tree. As his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he saw that he was overlooking the Great Lake, and that James and Lily were walking towards him. Sirius quickly bounded towards them as Padfoot, turning back as he reached them to embrace them both in what would be a bone crushing hug under any other circumstance.
"I'm dead, aren't I?" he whispered. James and Lily just nodded against each of his shoulders.
"Remus? And Harry? And the others? Are they all safe?" James and Lily stood back from Sirius for a second, and shared a concerned look.
"Sirius... They're okay for now. But the big battle's coming. It's all coming to a head. And I want to tell you who's gonna be okay, and who's gonna end up here, you know I do. But... The thing is, no one knows. It's going to come down to two wands, and even with all the planning in the world, it's going to be an immense gamble."
Looking his friend in the eye, Sirius allowed himself a moment of vulnerability before steeling himself and conceding that his part in the war was done. "I'm scared James. But for Remus, and Harry. Remus because... As much as I hate it, he's alone without me. He has to struggle so, so much. I don't want that for him. Harry, because of what he's going through, and what he's going to have to do. He's too young for that responsibility. He's too young to have to deal with everything he has so far. I promised him we could be a family when this was all over..."
Chuckling quietly, James softly replied "Sometimes you're far too dense for your own good Pads. Remus isn't alone. Not with Harry there, not with the Order, hell, as much as I am loathe to admit it, not even with Snape there." This remark earned James a quick jab to the shoulder from Lily.
"As for being a family again? We will be Pads, we will be. But I think it's fair we let Harry have some time as Molly and Arthur's son also. It's only fair with how they've loved him liked a son over these past 5 years."
Feeling a small weight lift off his shoulders, Sirius smiled at the couple that were his best friends before him. "I suppose you're right."
Wrapping his arms around his friends' shoulders, the three of them started walking towards the path that in another world, would lead to Hogsmeade, but now lead to the hereafter.
They were back at the tree overlooking the Great Lake, Lily curled up at James' side, Sirius lying on his back to the side, fidgeting nervously.
"Sirius..."
"James?"
"Turn into Pads for a while. We all know that the only thing that'll stop you fidgeting at this point is a belly ru-URGH! SLOBBER? REALLY SIRIUS? Stupid mutt."
Lily laughed as James tried to fight off the giant black dog. After a moment Padfoot laid down at James' side, the nervous energy dissipating somewhat as James started rubbing his stomach. It amazed James that even after being here so long, Sirius could still be so dog like. He hadn't felt the urge to turn into Prongs since he'd gotten here.
Turning back, Sirius laid on his back besides James and Lily with his hands behind his head and looking up at the sky.
"Thanks James. You know me far too well." James chuckled.
"So what now Prongs? We wait?"
James nodded. "We wait."
They didn't have to wait long. Remus came through just minutes after they stopped speaking, face down and still tense and hyperaware. Breathing heavily, and brain working madly to process all the information coming in, Remus rolled on to his back to find himself staring straight into Sirius' face.
He was no longer gaunt. His eyes were no longer haunted, instead they were vibrant, reminiscent of their Marauder days. One could almost forget that the man had spent 12 years in Azkaban. He looked young, happy, peaceful. And most of all happy to see Remus.
Taking the hand offered to him, Remus got to his feet and without letting go pulled the man before him into a tight embrace, James and Lily watching the emotional exchange from their spot in front of the tree.
Tears flowed from the eyes of both men as they pulled back in amazement to notice all the changes in each other.
Remus's scars were no longer raised and prominent. They were soft and faint against the wolf's features, no longer the highlight of his face, and he looked significantly younger than he did the last time Sirius laid eyes on him. There was no pain, no fear, no holding emotion back. There was no need anymore. They embraced again, finally exchanging words.
"Gods Sirius, these last couple of years have been hard."
"I know, and I'm sorry. I was reckless. I let my guard down. I'm sorry."
"Harry tried to follow you through. Holding him back was the only thing stopping me from following you too."
"I know."
"It hurt so bad to see the poor boy like that."
"It hurt to know I was leaving without having fulfilled my promises to him."
Remus sighed, and broke the hug. He then placed a chaste kiss to Sirius' lips.
"He's okay with it now. The Weasleys helped him mourn. He knows he always has a home there. And it's not the same, but it helps him."
Sirius nodded at this, afraid his voice would fail him if he tried to speak. The two of them walked over to James and Lily, and talked just like they did in the old days in the Gryffindor Common Room.
The next person to come through was a shock to all, but Remus especially.
"TONKS? But... I told you... Oh god. You followed me. You followed me..."
Lily and Sirius helped Tonks up as Remus dropped to his knees. He had to fight. She did not. She was meant to look after Teddy, and wait either for Remus to return, or until she heard the news (Gods forbid). Now Teddy was without both his parents. Remus knew what that had done to Harry, at least this way Teddy could've had his mother. Now he had neither parent. And he was even younger than Harry had been.
Oh gods no. Harry. Barely an adult himself and now as Teddy's godfather he now had a kid to look after. No doubt Teddy would spend a vast amount of time with the Weasleys as he grew.
Remus began to cry, silent trails of tears running down his face. He could've sat the battle out. He could've done more to make sure Tonks was out of the way and safe.
"Moony, mate?"
Remus snapped out of his thoughts to see James kneeling in front him, a hand on Remus' shoulder.
"You can't go blaming yourself. You needed to do it, and there's no way in the world Tonks was gonna wait for you. She's an Auror. Of course she wanted to be there. If you didn't go to the battle, the battle would've come to you, like it did us and Harry. It's better this way. No fighting, no fear over everyone's heads. Just love. And one day he'll be here. And you'll have forever with your son. Be patient. Harry'll come through on this one."
Remus nodded, wiped away the tears, and chuckled slightly. "Never thought you'd be the voice of reason Prongs."
"Yeah, well, there's two people over there who love you, one of whom needs to know you're okay, and the other needs to know that you forgive her. Up you get."
The two friends stood and walked over. Tonks looked at Remus, fear in her teary eyes.
"Remus..."
"It's okay. James just talked a bit of sense into me. You and I both know we couldn't have sat it out, we needed to fight. For Teddy. Now we just wait and hope that Harry can do what needs to be done. Better he live without us and without fear than with us and looming evil over our heads."
They smiled at each other, and hugged quickly. Tonks then hugged James and Lily, and then Sirius.
"Thank you for making Moony happy while I was gone. Thank you for giving him what I couldn't."
"It's okay. He missed you so much. He never stopped missing you. As soon as Teddy opened his eyes he started showing him pictures of all of you at school, as the Marauders."
Remus started at hearing this.
"TONKS!"
As everyone laughed Remus scowled. Sirius walked over to him and kissed him quickly.
"You silly wolf. I don't see why you're embarrassed."
"You wouldn't. You have no shame."
Sirius laughed and replied "I'm surprised you still do either," and turned into Padfoot quickly and ran from the wrath he was sure to incur.
Remus was about chase after him when James interjected with "You know, you can still turn. You're not the only werewolf here. Except when you turn now you'll be more like Pads over there. Give it a go."
Stunned, Remus did. He turned back in shock with a surprised look on his face, which rapidly turned into a smirk filled with mischief. Grinning at his friends, Remus turned into the wolf as he ran after Padfoot, who clearly wasn't expecting a wolf to be on his heels. Tonks, James, and Lily watched the two play in animal form with great happiness from under the tree, as they waited for the next arrival.
Fred came through next, gasping and flailing slightly at the shock of the quick transition. Sirius, Remus and Tonks walked over and Remus offered his hand, helping the redheaded boy to a standing position. James and Lily followed a few steps behind.
A strange sense of familiarity overcame Fred as he was greeted by Lily and James. It was as if he knew them. As he stepped back after meeting the couple, he noticed something. Those vibrant green eyes, and the ever messy black hair.
Fred spoke softly "You're Harry's parents, James and Lily." His face dropped as they nodded, watching Fred solemnly, as the young man before them became a child once more. "So that means..."
He trailed off as he sunk to his knees, his head in his hands. James knelt down, cradling the young Weasley against his chest, Lily with her hand on James' shoulder, as Sirius and Remus turned to their canine and lupine forms and laid down either side of Fred to offer some sort of comfort, and Tonks sat next to Moony, reaching out to put a hand on Fred's shoulder.
"Th-this wasn't meant to h-happen yet. I c-can't leave George. He n-needs me." Great heaving sobs wracked the boy's body as the realisations sunk in further.
"The sh-shop. George can't r-run it on his own. And wh-who's gonna prank Perce until he s-snaps?"
Moony and Padfoot both whimpered and nudged in close, knowing what Fred was missing, and the pain that the Weasley family must be experiencing.
With tears in his eyes, James simply held Fred until the sobbing subsided somewhat, gently rubbing circles on his back, before speaking.
"It's not so bad. It's gonna hurt for a while, it'll hurt you, and your family, but one day fairly soon you'll realise that it's not as long a wait as it looks, and that it's well worth it in the end. Until then, you have us. Harry was always so welcome as a Weasley, and you're going to be just as welcome as a Potter. Besides, we need a fourth Marauder anyway. Not the same if there's isn't four of us. And the fresh perspective on our pranks might be a good thing."
James broke the embrace, to see a mischievous glint in Fred's eyes despite the tears and sadness.
Remus and Sirius reverted to their human forms as James helped Fred stand up.
"Welcome home." came with a hug from Tonks.
"Welcome to the Marauders." came with another hug from James.
"Welcome to the family." came with a hug from Lily.
Tonks threw an arm around Fred's shoulders, glad to have a link to the Weasleys for the time being, as the group walked off to talk about the upcoming end of the battle.
They were back under the tree. It was coming to a close, and nerves were running high, all of them hoping that Harry could pull it off.
Suddenly Snape came through, choking and spluttering, his hands desperately clutching at his neck. In the few seconds it took him to realise that he was no longer at the Shack, James had helped the former Headmaster to a sitting position.
It suddenly dawned on Severus that one of the men who had tortured him so much as a student at Hogwarts, a man he knew to be dead, was now in his personal space. He pushed James away roughly and got to his feet, wanting to put as much space between James and himself as he possibly could.
"I don't blame you for that Severus. I'd probably do the same if roles were reversed. But there's no need anymore."
Severus sneered, suspecting this might all be a trap.
"You tell me it's over, and then what, Potter? Are you already deciding what pranks you want to pull on me for the rest of eternity? I think I'd prefer to run into Lupin over there on a full moon."
Sirius made to stand from his spot beside Remus at the base of the tree, but Remus gently put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. This was the first bridge, and James needed to build it.
"I'm serious Severus. We're past all that up here. It's not worth it. And we're not blindly insensitive, foolish kids anymore. I'm sorry that what I did stayed with you all those years, I'm sorry I was so cruel. But you weren't without fault either."
Severus scoffed at this, but James continued speaking before Severus could interrupt.
"I know I was a complete ass. Was. But I learned from it all. Can we start afresh?"
Severus scowled, backing even further away from James as he held a hand out, in a silent offer to Severus to make good on the past.
"Look, Severus. If you don't think I'm sincere about this, can you at least do this for Lily? I'll prove myself in time - up here we've got all the time we'll ever need, but can we start with a clean slate for Lily's sake? Please?"
Severus' scowl had softened at the first mention of Lily's name, and dissipated with the second. As though reaching out to a dangerous creature, Severus accepted the handshake gingerly, and said simply "For Lily."
Remus and Sirius walked over to Severus next, and Sirius cleared his throat.
"Severus, I was a complete dolt. Nothing will change that, I know. But James is right. It's time to make amends. Can we start over?"
The grimace on Severus' face showed them all how hard this was for him - Sirius, after all, was the one who nearly got him killed that one full moon at the Shrieking Shack as teenagers - Sirius was the one that he had the most bad blood with.
But Severus also knew that this something he never would have dreamed of hearing from Sirius before, when they were alive. Warily, he shook Sirius' hand.
"I still don't trust you, Black."
"I'd expect nothing less after all I put you through, Severus."
Now it was Remus' turn. But before he could say anything Severus cut in.
"Whatever you do Lupin, don't try to apologize for your dolt of a boyfriend's mistake that night. Though you were overly tolerant of the oafs you call friends, you were just as much a victim that night."
"That may be the case. But had I been more assertive with James and Sirius, that night and other incidents may have never happened. I didn't take part in what they did to you, but I let it happen. That puts me just as much at fault as James and Sirius. Forgive me?"
Despite their history Severus had always respected Remus, so it was much easier for him to accept Remus' apology than it had been accepting James' and Sirius'. He nodded, and shook Remus' hand.
"I do believe it's time you made amends with Lily, Severus. It's been too long. Good luck."
Remus broke the grip, and Sirius gently slapped Severus on the shoulder, taking extra care not to spook the man.
Severus walked over to Lily, and stared her in the eyes for a moment briefly before avoiding her gaze to gain the strength to say what he needed to say.
"Lily. Every day I regretted saying that. Every. Day. I realise now that the all or nothing approach was extremely foolhardy, and stupid, so stupid. For the last seven years I've looked into Harry's eyes, and seen yours. You'd be so proud of the man he's becoming. I'm so sorry for being so foolish, so bitter. I'm sorry for the way I've treated Harry too. I was so stupid, so, so stupid. He never deserved it. You never deserved it. You never deserved to be called that. There's nothing more I can say, but this. Please forgive me."
Lily coaxed Severus' gaze back to her own by bringing a gentle hand to his cheek. "Oh Sev. All the time we could've saved if you'd only said that earlier. I never stopped being your friend. It wasn't you who called me a Mudblood. That wasn't you Sev. That was Snape, that was the Death Eater who didn't quite know what he had got himself into. I forgave you years ago. Acting on it was up to you."
Lily softly pressed her lips to the shocked man's forehead and enveloped him in a tight hug, decades in the making. But it was Lily's turn to be shocked when she realised that her childhood friend was now sobbing quietly into her shoulder.
A firm hand on his shoulder jolted Severus back to reality. Turning slowly he found the hand to be James'. With an arm across Severus' shoulders, and the other hand intertwined with Lily's, James guided them over to the tree, where Remus and Sirius were waiting for them.
With tentative smiles all round, the group turned to see Fred and Tonks walking up the path, the anxiety that they were all feeling plain on their faces.
Sitting at the base of the tree they had become so familiar with, Lily, James, Fred, Tonks, Remus, Sirius, and Severus all brought their attention on the Lake the tree was perched over. Not only was this area more closely related to Harry's world, but the Lake itself served another purpose also.
Shimmering like a Pensieve, the surface of the Lake suddenly began to show the Battle of Hogwarts in its entirety; though the group knew this was an impossibility in itself, it was happening.
It was an information overload - every movement, every sound, every sensory output was being relayed. All floors of the castle and every square inch of the grounds were being shown. But in the centre of all this, almost like a small island floating in an ocean, was Harry, slowly walking to his confrontation with Voldemort.
He pulled out the Snitch, and whispered, "I am about to die," at which the group seemed to collectively feel a pang of pain, having to hear Harry of all people admit he believed he wasn't getting out of this alive.
The Snitch opened up, revealing the tarnished Resurrection Stone. Harry turned the stone over; once, twice, three times, and with every turn Lily, James, Sirius and Remus slumped further.
At the third turn all four of them seemed to have fallen asleep, their breathing slow, deep, and peaceful.
Fred and Tonks started, but Severus quickly calmed them.
"It's the Stone. Harry called, the four of them answered him. They cannot be conscious here and with Harry at the same time. Their consciousnesses are manifesting as shades. They'll be back here soon enough."
The explanation having relaxed the two of them sufficiently, they turned their attention back to the confrontation at hand.
Lily, James, Remus and Sirius woke up suddenly, to find themselves standing at the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, Harry staring at the four of them with such a desperate yearning in his eyes.
Knowing her son was so very scared at this moment, Lily spoke first.
"You've been so brave." Eager to provide encouragement in the only way he could now, James opted to speak up next.
"You are nearly there. Very close. We are... so proud of you."
"Does it hurt?" Three simple words, sounding so innocent and vulnerable coming out of his godson's mouth made Sirius' heart ache so much that he had to try and comfort him.
"Dying? Not at all. Quicker and easier than falling asleep." Though somewhat more relaxed after these words, Harry still seemed to have more nervousness than the confrontation was instilling in him.
Knowing Harry didn't want to endure any longer than necessary - this in itself is a base instinct that the boy could never be blamed for - Remus added "And he will want it to be quick. He wants it over."
'Even more than you or us,' he almost added.
Harry relaxed further, and swallowed audibly. "I didn't want you to die. Any of you. I'm sorry -" here he addressed Remus more specifically "- right after you'd had your son... Remus, I'm sorry -"
Unable to hear the boy's guilt over something he could not control any further, he spoke up quickly, "I am sorry too. Sorry I will never know him... but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand. I was trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life."
Harry met each shade's gaze individually. "You'll stay with me?"
"Until the very end," said James.
"They won't be able to see you?" asked Harry.
"We are part of you," said Sirius. "Invisible to anyone else."
"Stay close to me." Harry said simply.
After this, everything seemed to be a blur, both for the shades, and for the three watching on from above the Lake. Harry was walking, and then suddenly he dropped the Stone, and all of a sudden James, Lily, Sirius and Remus all jolted upright, and got their bearings, and then they saw the flash of green light...
And then Harry didn't appear. Suddenly the scene in the Forest swirled in upon itself, and showed Harry at King's Cross with Dumbledore, who had told the group under the tree that he had something he must do before the end of it all.
"I've got to go back, haven't I?"
"That is up to you."
"I've got a choice?"
"Oh yes. We are in King's Cross, you say? I think that if you decided not to go back, you would be able to... let's say... board a train."
"And where would it take me?"
"On."
Suddenly the scene swirled again, and they were once more looking upon the Forbidden Forest, Harry's limp body at Voldemort's will. In a blur everything began to happen.
"Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?"
"Yes."
"He is dead!"
"...Crucio!"
Hagrid carrying Harry back to the castle, Harry springing up under the Cloak as Neville decapitated Nagini, curses and jinxes flying everywhere, bodies and chaos constants on the battlefield, Molly Weasley besting Bellatrix Lestrange, Harry and Voldemort facing off, Voldemort lying lifeless in the middle of the Great Hall. Then the surface of the Lake shimmered and became its usual watery depths once more.
Remus and Sirius hugged excitedly, Fred and Tonks danced and jumped around happily, James and Severus each sat with an arm around Lily, who was overwhelmed by all of the happenings (the happiness, the relief, the anger, the sadness, the pain), the tears flowing down her face all the evidence needed to prove this.
"He did it." James breathed.
"He did it." Severus replied with a slight nod.
"He did it." Dumbledore said with finality and relief, a gentle smile on his face as he walked up the path towards the group.
As they turned to him, he said with a twinkle in his eye, "It's done. There's no more threat from Riddle. Now, I require your assistance. We have a train load coming through at Hogsmeade from King's Cross in a few minutes and I'll need your help directing them all through the village if they're to make the celebrations. Up you get, the lot of you."
Grinning at each other, the seven of them got up and followed Dumbledore back down the path, for what was the last time for a long while.