Behind the curtain.
He could still hear the shouts of the others, the shriek of laughter from Bellatrix that speared his soul so cruelly. He knew what had happened. He knew that he now lay dead behind the curtain. Yet Sirius was not upset my his being dead but more by the fact that he could never see his godson grow up or the possible relationship between Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. He considered moving, getting to his feet. But what was the point? Nothing was there. Nothing. Wait, a light, he could suddenly see he was in a concrete room with a curtain.. The curtain. He stood up so fast his head spun. Cautiously, Sirius placed a bruised hand upon a shred of curtain and moved it aside. Moving into the light, wand by his side, he prepared to fight- He was no longer near Harry or even Bellatrix. He was in a dark room with a strange green-glow about it. "Harry?" He called out. His voice was croaky. He moved deeper into the room, "lumos" he muttered under his breath and a bright white light burst from his wand, piercing the gloom.
Where was he?
He could suddenly see a black door. He reached for it and walked through to a circular room with several doors. The room seemed to spin round. Sirius reached for another door and opened it.. He could see a marble hall with golden plaques on the walls.
Where was he?
Moving swiftly through this hall, he made his way to yet another door, but made of white marble. He stepped through, wand still at the ready.
Then he heard it.
A shout.
A very deep male voice echoed from the depths of the building. Looking around he saw this room looked rather shabby with graffiti on the walls. Pushing through yet another door he found himself face to face with a golden elevator.
Sirius got inside and pressed the button for the down button.
The lift rumbled and clicked, gently rocking the skinny man from side to side.
Then it stopped and with a chink the doors opened.
A voice spoke calmly, a woman's voice.
"Ministry Of Magic ground floor."
Sirius stepped out into a large room that could have fitted several houses inside it.
In the centre was a large gold statue of a man with scruffy black hair and glasses, he held a land wand aloft which shot out jets of sparkling water.
"… James?" Sirius thought as he knelt down in front of the statue to read it's plaque;
Harry James Potter,
Savour of both magic and muggle worlds,
Fighting the dark lord to the death
And raising 3 wonderful children who proved themselves worthy of such a father.
Married to Ginny Weasley, Harry spent most of his time with his family and less time at his work.
Harry will always be greatly missed,
And he will always miss the godfather whom he lost during Voldemorts rein, Sirius Black.
Sirius stopped reading, a large lump swelled in his throat and tears ran down his pale cheeks.
"Oh, Harry," He gulped as he re-read will always be greatly missed.
"Not Harry, not my Harry. Don't let it be! Tell me it's lies, all lies!"
Sirius grabbed at the feet of Harry's statue as if to pull him back to life.
Hot tears flooded his face and he screwed up his eyes.
Harry was like a son to him.
Harry was his son.
The truth about Harry.
Sirius could hardly believe it, he had out-lived his own son.
He had never had a chance to tell Harry about how close he and Lily really were.
James hadn't known either and it was best that way.
He managed to drag himself away from the statue and continue through the cathedral-like room.
A group of fireplaces and floo powder stood by a red telephone box.
Sirius made his way towards one particularly dirty fireplace, grabbed a handful of floo powder, held his breath and was about to say "12 Grimmauld place" when reality gave him a rather nasty shock that went straight to his head.
Harry was dead.
Remus and Moody probably were too.
Who would he go to?
How far through time had he travelled?
He had it.
He would go to Hogwarts, they should have got rid of the boundaries of floo powder travel by now?
Ok, that was settled.
"Hogwarts, Griffindor common room."
A strange, yet familiar, sensation grabbed him.
One minute he saw flames, next he saw the Griffindor lion and some red chairs with little stickers that had obviously been stuck so hard it had made them impossible to remove.
They all said the same thing, and all though they were slightly yellow and blotchy, the message was clear, "Harry Potter for minister of magic."
Had he ever become like this?
Sirius wondered for a moment and was about to try and take a sticker when a small, blonde, first-year clutching a teddy screamed her lungs out at him.
Jumping slightly, Sirius turned to the girl.
"Who are you?" She wailed,
"What are you doing in the common room?"
Sirius walked closer to her and knelt down, attempting a calming look.
"My name is Sirius Black-"
"Sirius Black?!" The girl screamed, "The Sirius Black? The one who was godfather to Harry Potter?"
Sirius was a little taken aback by this but none the less answered, "Yes.. Where's Dumbledore?"
The girl stared into Black's deep eyes which swelled with worry.
"Who?"
"Dum-ble-dore" Sirius sounded out, "Albus Dumbledore."
"Oh.." The girl suddenly perked up.
"He's out there." She pointed towards the grounds of Hogwarts before turning back to Sirius who's insides lurched with happiness.
"Thank you," He said, "Thank you so..-" He grabbed the girl by the back of the head and kissed the top of it.
Then he made a run for the door.
The girl stood, teddy hanging limp from her arm, one hand on top of her head and a look of surprise pasted across her face.
This was it.
Sirius could ask Dumbledore what had happened and if Harry was really-
He had just reached the school grounds and was about to shout for Dumbledore when an anvil dropped in his stomach.
A silver plaque on a white grave. Sirius walked closer and read carefully;
Here Lies Albus Dumbledore who bravely died in the battle between Voldemort and Harry Potter.
-Dead. He was so stupid to have thought Dumbledore could outlive Harry.
The new master.
Sirius ran immediately for Dumbledore's old office.
He did eventually find it but it was, as he remembered, password protected.
"Chocolate Frog?" Sirius asked the gargoyle.. "Oh, come on!" He shouted, kicking the foot of the gargoyle, "how should I know the bloody password?" And then he thought.
"Open." He told the gargoyle and to his surprise (and great relief) the gargoyle sprang aside to reveal a stone staircase.
Sirius nearly tripped over in the rush for the heavy wooden door to the circular room.
And so he knocked, half expecting Dumbledore to answer, despite his death.
Someone did answer, "Come." They called out.
Sirius opened the door but in the seat which Albus Dumbledore usually sat was, in his place, a rather large man with a balding head and tight purple robes who scribbled down onto parchment as if there was no tomorrow.
"Yes?" The man said without so much as looking up at Sirius,
"Dumbledore," Sirius began, "Dumbledore was headmaster-"
"A long time ago, yes." The man had noticed the mature sound of Sirius' voice.
"How long ago?" Sirius pressed. The man shook his head and his fat skin gave a slight wobble.
"I don't know, a hundred years I suppose.." the man stopped writing, put down his quill and looked up at Sirius.
"Who, may I ask, are you?"
"Sirius Black-"
"The Sirius Black?"
"Yes," Sirius answered rather irritably,
"Do you know what happened to Harry-"
"-Potter?" The man interrupted, "Yes, he always said that one day you would come back and good lord knows he was right."
The man smiled for a moment before gazing out of the window at the night sky.
"Potter was an amazing man-"
"Boy." Sirius interrupted.
"Yes, well when you knew him maybe, I was merely told the tale of Harry Potter when I was a young boy.. You're mentioned in it, I believe." The man sounded almost amused.
"Am-" Sirius stopped himself from asking if he really was but that wasn't important. What was important was what had happened.
"Mr.. erm.."
"Hoggle." The man replied.
"Is Harry.. Dead then?" Sirius' voice shook, he felt so small.
"Yes, rather obvious, I'd say." The man paused for a moment before Sirius questioned him again,
"What happened?"
"To Potter? He lived a long, happy life with his wife and kids until he died from.." Hoggle paused again, trying to find the words, "His 'condition',"
"Condition?" Sirius was worried, what if he had passed it onto Harry?
"Yes, he had a bit of trouble with a vampire.. Begged his wife to kill him.."
"What?!" Sirius stood up, the man considered this but remained seated.
"He had been bitten, Mr. Black, by a vampire. He begged his wife to kill him in fear that he might harm his family."
"No," Sirius started, grabbing his scruffy hair and tugging bits out, "no, you're lying."
Hoggle glanced at his robes before looking back at Sirius, "Why, Mr. Black, would I lie?"
Sirius shook with both confusion and rage. He took a scoop of floo powder from Hoggle's desk, stepped in the fire and muttered, "Diagon Alley."
Lily Potter.
He needed to know everything he could and whether or not Voldemort had really fallen at last.
Had Harry really been the one who killed him? And three kids with that pretty Weasley girl who Sirius had thought all along would be the only suitable girl for Harry.. Three kids.. They must have had kids themselves, surely. And then he could find them and have a family again.. But it wouldn't be like Harry, James or Lily.
Sirius suddenly saw flames rise and fall and realised he was in a little shop with strange things like backfiring wands and a hat that said it could turn you invisible.
Slightly more curious than before, Sirius approached these odd items and tried the hat on.
Only his head went invisible..
"'Scuse me," A girl with straw hair and eyes like diamonds had just appeared behind the counter,
"genuine Weasley merchandise, that. Be careful. Nearly a hundred years old."
Weasley? What was the Weasley's things doing into a dark and dusty shop like this one?
"Weasley?" Sirius asked, "Like Ron and Ginny and Fred-" Until he had said Fred the girl was looking rather puzzled.
"Fred and George Weasley," she smiled reminiscently, "Jokers of the century.." She gazed towards a corner of the room and drifted into her own mind.
"Erm, excuse me," Sirius didn't know how this would go down, "Who are you? Are you a relative of the Weasleys?" He added, noticing the red hair.
"Relative? Yeah, naturally." The girl smiled, "but who are you?"
Sirius hoped he wouldn't get the old reaction of 'Kill him!'
"My name is Sirius Black."
The girls jaw dropped, "No," she said shocked, "No, you should be dead-"
"Yes, I should.." Sirius answered quickly, "But yet we're having this conversation so, hoping you are not dead too, I think that maybe I am alive.." He thought about this and considered if anything made any sense anymore. "Which Weasley are you related to?"
"Well, I'm actually a Potter.." Sirius stared at her. "A Potter?" He asked, "Related to.. To Harry?" This made the girl's smile even broader. "Yes, he was my great-great-great-great-great grandfather."
Sirius had no words. She could have been lying but that hair said everything and those eyes.. They were Lily's eyes. "Marry me." He accidentally blurted out suddenly noticing her discomfort with the situation.
"Sorry.. Didn't mean to-" "It's alright," The girl interrupted, "I'm part veela." And then she smiled like the sun and Sirius nearly proposed again before remembering to ask, "What's your name?"
The girl casually said, "It's Lily, Lily Potter."
Sirius opened his mouth to say something but words were lost. This girl was an absolute dead ringer for Lily Evans. The Lily he loved. The Lily who had his son. This girl was also his great-great-great-great-great-great granddaughter. But she was so beautiful and if he hadn't worked this out he would have indeed bedded her.
He also noticed that she did look slightly like him.
"Harry-" He said, finally dragging his eyes away from her and trying to stare at exploding cushions. "Harry.. Was my-" If he told her then surely he'd be alone the rest of his life but she had a right to know that she wasn't a Potter, she was a Black.
"Was your godson? I know."
"No, he was.. Me and Lily.. Harry wasn't Harry Potter."
The girls mouth opened briefly in shock but then decided this was rubbish and closed it again, raising an eyebrow.
"Who was he, then? Harry Fizzywig?" The girl laughed at her sarcasm.
"I never told him," Sirius started, "But Harry was.. Was my son."
The girl considered this.. "Right," she said a bit amused, "Harry was your son so you are-"
"Related." Sirius interrupted, hoping not to give too much away, "You are my family."
The girl laughed but a bit shakily. "It's true!" Sirius exclaimed, "Is there any other- do you have any more relatives?"
Lily smiled at him in a way that made his insides squirm. "Yes," she said, "out there, red heads.. Can't miss them." Sirius turned to look through the dusty window and then back at Lily who had disappeared yet again.
He stepped outside the shop and gazed around at the cobble paving. Several witches were standing in a huddle whispering something and handing one another parcels. A family of blondes walked by but still, Sirius could see no red heads.
Sirius then realised, he hadn't got a house and he had no money.
"Excuse me," Sirius suddenly noticed a dark-haired girl staring up at him, "are you Sirius Black?" Sirius made a movement between opening his mouth and hugging the girl.
She had Lily's eyes.. both Lily's. The girl's mother ran over and grabbed her by the arm, "Don't talk to strangers!" She snarled, "What did I tell you about.. About… " The woman faltered and then stopped as she looked up at Sirius who had a look of great surprise, curiosity and cheekiness pasted across his face.
"Black." She nodded at him as if they had been acquaintances for some time.
"How did you-"
"Know?" The woman answered quickly, "You look like that S.. Sirius Black." It seemed like she'd learned this from a book.
"Probably because I am that Sirius." He was about to say before a mischievous thought struck him. "Oh really? Was he good-looking?" Sirius couldn't fight back the grin that swamped his face.
"Considerably." the woman thought for a moment. "But unfortunately he died when he was in his mid thirties. Pity. Harry missed him."
"How do you know that?"
"All the good history books of Harry Potter tell the tale of the love he had for his godfather who he wished could have been his real father and seeing how they looked quite alike in particular features I wouldn't have been surprised if.. If.."
Sirius thought he should get to know this family, be accepted into their home and find out more.
Easily said.
"I.. I noticed your daughter has very.. She has Lily's eyes." He smiled at the little girl who turned slightly pink.
"..Thank you." Her mother replied.. "So which Black are you? Not Zebus I hope. Sorry, he is a bit of a disgrace to the Blacks. Always talking about Voldemort like he would have been a follower.."
"I'm Siri-" Would they believe him? Surely not. But the girl.. How did she know? He'd have to think on the spot.
"I'm.. Sirick." Said Sirius as confidently as possible.
"Ah, Sirick.. You must be the one who went to study werewolves habitats.. We never thought you'd be back."
Sirius was surprised at his luck, obviously, it seemed this 'Sirick' was in existence but far away. It was lucky that Remus had been a werewolf, he had learnt a few basic things about him.
"yes, werewolves.. Intriguing creatures in their habitat." Sirius nearly laughed at himself, he sounded like Snape.
"Indeed. Oh, how rude of me, I am Mrs Potter."
"Are you really?" Sirius blurted sarcastically as he noted the flaming red Weasley-ish hair and the face- So much like Harry's.
"Sophia Potter. This is my daughter, Lexis, my son.." She pushed forwards a dark haired boy with freckles. "Sebastian. And in 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' is my sister Lily."
"Lovely." Sirius said, his mind more on Lily Potter.
"Where are you living? The other Blacks thought you would never be back."
"I.. err.." What could he say without blowing the whole thing.
"Did you just get back?"
"Oh," This was it, if Sirius answered right he would soon be with his family and he could try to sort his life out. "Yes. Just today."
"Come and stay with us, dear," She smiled in a motherly way, "The Black family are among the most respected families, along with Potter, Weasley and Malfoy."
"Malfoy?" Sirius was disgusted. Lucius was a death eater and the Malfoy's hated muggle borns.
"Since they saved us from the Trowns several years ago, they have become quite brave. Come to our home and we'll show you the history books we have."
Sirius was pleased to get some answers but the idea of Lucius, a death eater, being a member of a respectable family, frankly, revolting.
The house of Potter.
And so they left. Lily Potter remained in her shop but the rest of the family Decided to dissaparate.
Sirius grabbed onto Sophia Potter's arm and felt the pulling sensation just behind his navel.
And suddenly they were there.
And Sirius knew his cover could definitely be blown any minute now.
They had arrived on the doorstep of number 12, Grimmauld Place.
The door was opened and when Sirius saw inside he nearly fainted.
The halls were decorated with red wallpaper and brown skirting board. A fine, Blue carpet spread across the floor.
"Sorry about the mess," Mrs Potter edged in past her eager children, "Been redecorating."
Sirius and Mrs Potter walked through to the kitchen which shone white tiles and wooden flooring.
The two children scurried off upstairs.
"Kids." Mrs Potter rolled her eyes. "No doubt they've gone to practise some charms that their aunt taught them." Mrs Potter flicked her wand and a cup of tea landed neatly in front of her.
"Tea?" She asked Sirius.
"No.. Thank you." It was like she was his best friends mother, same surname too.
"Butterbeer?"
"No thank you."
"Fire whisky?"
Sirius almost said no but that was just what he needed right now.
"Thanks." He nodded as yet again, Sophia flicked her oak wand and a fire whisky landed in Sirius arms.
Drinking their beverages, Sirius decided to ask some questions.
"Mrs Black,"
"Sophia. We are on first name terms here, Sirick."
"Sorry, Sophia." He had nearly forgotten he was to be known as Sirick.
"I was wondering what you know of Harry Potter's inheritance.."
"You mean money? Well, this house from Sirius, the sword of Griffindor.."
As keen as Sirius was to hear of Harry's property, he needed to know the facts.
"No, I mean family."
Sophia shook her head slightly. "His mother was Lily Evans and his father was James Potter."
"Ah," Said Sirius, hating himself for never telling Harry or even James.
"What's wrong?" Mrs Potter placed a soft hand onto Sirius' and gazed into his eyes.
"Are you well?" She moved her caring hand to Sirius' forehead where she checked to see if he was burning up. Her hands were icy.
"Yes, I mean.. " He took a deep breath.
"I haven't told you something, Mrs Potter-"
At that moment Sebastian ran into the room with one ear blue and the size of a cat.
"Sebby! Oh, what have you done?" Sophia leapt up from her chair and seized her son by his arm to stop him running away.
"Lexis," the boy wailed, "Oh, mum! She's awful at charms, she said she could make my hair go blue but.. But.."
And the boy broke into sobs.
Lexis entered the kitchen, a white wand held high.
"You said you wouldn't go running to mum!" The girl growled at her brother, "I said I wasn't great at holding a wand. There's nothing wrong with my charms, I'm just not good at aiming.." She turned to Sirius, "Hello, Sirius. What was Azkaban like 100 years ago?" Sirius blinked at the child. Sophia scolded her daughter, "Lexis! Don't be rude and his name is Sirick."
Lexis withdrew her gaze from her mother's eyes and pointed it into Sirius' instead. He winked as his hair blocked his face from Sophia's view.
"Oh, sorry, mummy." And Lexis left the kitchen.
"Hold.. Still." Sophia muttered to her son as she muttered a counter-charm and changed his ear back to it's pink self.
Sebastian left the kitchen as well. Then there was the awkward silence.
"Have any kids?"
"Yes," he said quickly, "but I never got to tell him.
The locked door.
As the evening drew on, Sirius was shown upstairs.
"..And that room has been locked for over 90 years."
Sirius examined the door.
It was his old room.
And he still knew how to get in.
"If you can open it, you can sleep in it." Mrs Potter joked noting Sirius' curiosity.
Sophia made her way half way down the stairs before calling, "If not, there is a spare bed in the study."
He waited to hear her footsteps reaching the first floor.
When they did, Sirius held out his middle finger.
He gently slid it down the door and in a second he had been sucked inside.
He had installed this system ages ago but had originally managed to smash his way into his room rather than using this.
It was the same as a Gringotts high-security vault. If anyone but a goblin touches it right, they will be sucked inside.
Fortunately, Sirius had also fixed on a one-way system so that once you were in you could simply open the door.
Once inside he familiarised his surroundings.
Griffindor banner lay limp across the wall. Moving pictures of Sirius, James, Remus and Peter littered the walls, along with a couple of Lily, baby Harry, and some still pictures (that were turning very yellow) of some muggle girls in bikinis.
But something that wasn't his for sure was the letter laying on his bed.
It was addressed to Sirius.
He carefully opened the letter and inside he found some yellowing parchment.
He read it;
Dear Sirius,
I know the unlikeness of your return from the dead but if you are reading this then you have been successful. I have, too, been successful. I have rid the world of Voldemort.
I am 38 now. You probably remember me as a teenager but I'm all grown up.
I married Ginny Weasley and we have had 3 beautiful children.
Hogwarts is treating them well.
We named James after you (James Sirius Potter).
You may or may not know that Snape was on our side. He helped us.
Sirius made to wipe a tear from his eye but read on.
And Sirius, I know you wanted to tell be something.
"Yes, Harry." Sirius accidentally said out loud.
I know about you and my mother. I know, Sirius. You always felt like a father to me. I wish you had told me but I found the letters. 'From Lily to Sirius' letters. And to be honest, I'm glad it's you.
Harry J. Potter.
Sirius took a deep breath and laid on his bed cuddling the letter. Harry knew.
Letters From Lily.
Sirius slid off the bed and rummaged underneath.
He eventually found a rusty silver box.
He lifted the lid slowly so nothing fell out.
Lots of still, crisp white letters flooded the box. Sirius took one out;
Lily,
James has to know some time.
But for Harry's sake let it be at least a year.
As much as I love you I want Harry to enjoy a father whom he can trust and knows will always be there for him. I will come to visit soon and deliver Harry's Christmas presents.
Love,
Sirius.
Sirius folded the letter back up and took the next one out.
He had remembered retrieving a lot of these letters from the Potters house after Voldemort's attack.
The next one was a slightly older one which had been sent to him;
Sirius,
I think James knows about us. He knows, Sirius.
I don't want 'us' to end but I don't want things even harder.
I'm pregnant, Sirius. It's our baby. You're a father and James suspects something.
Just pray this baby has more of it's mother's features than it's father's.
James doesn't know about the baby yet but I'm going to tell him soon and when it is born, I will say that it was premature.
Lily.
X
Sirius gazed down at the letter before placing it back in it's envelope.
He took out the next one.
This had a picture of Lily and James with Lily's mum and dad.
Lily's dad had known. He knew about Sirius being Harry's father and would have told James if he hadn't died a week later from old age.
Lily's mum left the country and married a muggle in Spain. She never came back.
Finally, Sirius turned the parchment and read;
Sirius,
Having a wonderful time at parents house.
Me and James are having a baby!
We don't know the sex yet but it's so exciting.
Hope all is well.
Lots of love,
Lily.
X
Sirius knew that James must have been around when she wrote this. This letter had arrived after the one telling Sirius she was pregnant. Sirius took out a pinkish letter.
As he read, a tear dripped down his cheek;
Sirius,
Harry is well and has said his first word, 'Sirius'!
James is also happy. Harry's first birthday is coming up. Please come.
Lily xxx
The cutting blade.
Sirius' soul felt like it had been ripped in two. He dreaded what James would say if he knew about Harry and if there was a life beyond with free will, would James beat Lily for Sirius' wrong doing?
He could easily recall the night in question and still he felt happy about it. As if he had done nothing wrong. He hated himself for it. It had all started off with him going to visit James and have a couple of fire whiskeys. He had arrived at Godric's Hollow at precisely 10 O'clock. He had knocked on the door and Lily had answered. He had entered the hall and asked if James was in.
"He's out," Lily answered, "at a meeting with Remus."
"Oh.." And Sirius had felt so down and Lily had noticed and offered her sympathy and asked him to stay for some fire whisky and maybe they could 'hang out'.
This, of course, made Sirius laugh but none the less, he rested on the couch with Lily by his side. As they sat in the firelight, something stirred inside Sirius and Lily. She had had quite a lot of fire whisky and had dozed off, her head resting in Sirius' lap.
Sirius sat stroking her soft hair and drinking down the last few sips of fire whisky.
He sat the mug down on the side table and Lily stirred.
She looked at him like she had done never before.
Her eyes glinted in the firelight and Sirius watched blink at him at sit up in line with his face. Now they were close, closer than ever before. They were staring lovingly into each others' eyes like they knew what would happen. At the same time they moved their faces closer, lips touching one another and opening. Sirius reached out a hand and stroked Lily's hair, twisting his fingers through it. And then Lily joined in and her hand moved up Sirius' thin body and up to his neck.
James had been forgotten.
Lily and Sirius slowly slid down so that Sirius came to rest on top of Lily's curvaceous body. And the kissing became more passionate. And although Sirius had a hand in Lily's hair, the other was wandering round her curves of it's own accord. Lily's hands were around Sirius' shoulders, stroking the bones of his neck and his back. And Sirius was undoing Lily's blouse half way. And Lily was reaching her head up to reach his mouth, her tongue twisting round his like a snake. And then Sirius moved his hand up Lily's thigh. She was mid kiss and groaned her pleasure. Sirius was taking her to heaven.
They moved upstairs to Lily and James' bedroom where they made mad, passionate, love.
Sirius had never felt more in love in his life and Lily wanted nothing more than to be with Sirius forever.
Sirius pushed into Lily. She groaned again. Sirius bent down and gave her the most passionate kiss yet.
They dozed a while after, Lily on Sirius' bare chest, her head gently moving with every breath he took.
After half an hour, they decided to get up and dress. Lily wore her blue dressing gown and fluffy pigmy puff slippers that shone as she walked.
Sirius slipped back into his tattered jeans and striped green shirt.
He leant on the bedroom door and watched Lily brush her long red hair.
Her skin was so fair, he wished he could have her forever…
There was a loud 'Click' from downstairs and the front door opened.
James was home.
Lily stopped mid-brush and looked over at Sirius who looked lovingly back before mouthing "Alright" and leaving the room.
He had walked back downstairs.
"Alright, Padders?" James called to Sirius as they met at the bottom of the stairs.
It must have been raining because James was wearing a soaked trench coat and a pair of muddy boots which he emptied onto the carpet by accident.
Lily had just walked midway down the stairs, "Oh, James!" She moaned at him as she saw muddy puddles on the floor, "Honestly, must you do that inside?"
"Sorry, love." James called over the splatter of mud. "Don't want to get any wetter-"
"Is there any wetter, mate?" Sirius laughed.
"Doubt it." James answered as he pulled off the trench coat and withdrew the wand from his pocket.
"Scourgify." James muttered at the floor and the puddles were gone.
He was wearing the jumper with the snowman on it that sang when it was snowing. Lily had made it for him the previous Christmas. "Remus," James rolled his eyes, "Having some trouble mixing wolfsbane. I told him to go ask Snivellus to make it for him."
Sirius laughed but Lily scowled.
"Oh, you do look beautiful when you do that." James smiled at Lily who continued to scowl until James picked her off the stairs, placed her in front of him, and did that husband-to-wife kiss.
James then looked immediately to Sirius.
Sirius had felt the burning of the truth. James knew, he must do.
"It's a bit late," James said more formally to Sirius, "Best be off, eh?"
This was not a question. Sirius had been found out and turned to Lily.
"Goodbye," he said in a mock bow, "Fair lady." Lily giggled as Sirius kissed her hand. Then he looked up at James, "Alright, mate. Send me owl if anything important happens."
Sirius shook James' hand and then made for the door. One last glance back at the grimacing James and the sulking Lily on the stairs.
She never told him.
But he knew.
In reality, Sirius was heading for the kitchen. He had to do something. He hated this memory because he liked it so much and that made it all worse.
When he reached the kitchen, he rummaged around in draws, eventually drawing out the biggest knife.
He sighed and placed the knife to the far edge of his left-hand wrist.
If he did it and there was no beyond then he could rest from these memories. If there was a beyond then God help him.
Just at the moment he made to slice his veins, Mrs Potter entered the room with a scream.
"Sirick, no!" She drew out her wand, Sirius stared at her but held the knife firm.
"Put the knife down!" Mrs Potter screamed.
"Why?"
"I said, Put the fucking knife down!" She pointed her wand at Sirius who went to slash the veins when Mrs Potter screamed, "Expelliarmous!"
The knife shot out of Black's hand and landed on the floor. Sirius went to pick it up but Mrs Potter stepped on the handle and Sirius gave up.
"What, Mr Black, in Merlin's name do you think you are doing?" She snapped at Sirius who sat down on a wooden chair and stared up at her.
"I was-"
"Was what?" Snarled Mrs Potter, "Killing under my roof? No, I simply wont have it-"
"Then I'll go." Sirius said quietly.
"You will do no such thing!" Mrs Potter grabbed Sirius' arm as he made for the door.
"As a Black, you must stay. Don't you know who used to live here?"
Sirius thought for a moment. Well, he was the last 'Pure-blood' Black to live there and Harry had, of course, been left the house so there was no doubt about it.
"Sirius Black," Mrs Potter shouted at Sirius who turned to look at her. "Sirius Orion Black, Harry Potter's godfather. You would be offending his memory if you left like this."
Sirius felt odd. Everyone seemed to know him and he sounded like.. Like a God.
"Sorry," Sirius said quietly. "I should think so." Snapped Mrs Potter as she pushed Sirius back into his seat and waved her wand at the kettle.
"I know it must be weird, you know, coming back after all these years," Was she onto him?
"You don't know how weird." Sirius answered nearly forcing a laugh.
"Tell me, Sirick, what became of this.. This child of yours?"
Sirius shuffled nervously. He would tell her truth and if she thought it lies then so be it.
"He died."
"Oh, I'm.. I'm so sorry-" Mrs Potter practically squirmed, hoping she hadn't upset him.
"Don't be." Said Sirius, "As I say, I never told him. But it appears he found out.. He found.. Letters."
Mrs Potter seemed captured by his speech.
"Letters? What sort.. You don't mean love letters?"
Sirius nodded. Mrs Potter opened her mouth in a comical 'O'.
"His mother, Lily was already married so there was little chance we could raise him together."
"Lily.." Mrs Potter looked like she was about to solve it.
"Yes, Lily and I had always been in love.. We just didn't know it until that night."
And so, Sirius told Sophia everything about that night.
By the end of it, Mrs Potter looked so pale that she might have been a ghost.
"S-so… You.. you are Sirius Black?" Mrs Potter stuttered.
"Yes." Sirius said calmly.
"And.. And you're not dead?"
Sirius considered this, was he?
"If you are alive then I am too."
Mrs Potter turned slightly green with shock.
"Well.. Sirick- Sorry, Sirius. This is indeed.. Unusual."
She was nearly at fainting point.
"Mrs Potter?" Sirius asked, unsure if he should, "You do realise what this means?"
Mrs Potter thought for a moment.
"I'm a Black."
Sirius nodded at her.
"And Harry was Harry Black.."
Her face had a distant look on it and Sirius knew to stop.
She knew everything.
"That's how I got into my room."
She turned to look at him, ran her hand through her hair and said, "Bed, I think."
Dreams.
Sirius lay in his bed. Thinking. Thinking about Harry and Lily and for some strange reason, Snape.
He had never got to spend time with Harry as a dad like he had wanted to.
Never got to teach him to ride a broom. Never got to be there to buy his first wand.
Never got to read him bedtime stories and tell him jokes about his day at work and ask how school was for Harry. The only fatherly thing he'd really done was meet Harry's future wife.
And as for Lily.. He had never proposed when he should have done, all those years ago.
He had helped her and James get together. He had suggested they marry.
He hated himself more than anyone else in the world.
He wondered how Mrs Potter was holding up, having just found out that
1. She had Sirius Black living in her house
And 2. That she herself was a Black.
For some reason, Snape had kept cropping up in conversation and thoughts.. What had happened to him? Did he just become some grumpy old greasy-grey-haired man who one day just.. Just died?
Or had Harry meant there was more? Had Snape been on his side all along and he, Sirius, had been bullying him?
Sirius kept running all these thoughts through his head until his eyelids became heavy and shut tightly.
He was in Godric's Hollow and he was heading for the house. He was going to find James Potter and kill him.
He would then take Lily and Harry and flee to another country where they could all be happy.
And now he was there. He knocked three times, very heavily.
James answered.
"Avada Kedavra!" A flash of green light and then James lay still on the floor. Dead.
Sirius ran up the stairs and into Harry's bedroom where Lily was cuddling him tight.
"Move," Sirius growled at Lily.
"Move, give me Harry."
Lily had tears streaking her face, she clutched Harry tighter.
"Give me the boy." Sirius snarled again.
Lily pushed Harry behind her, stood up and shouted "Take me, take me, leave Harry!"
Sirius stared into Lily's eyes. They were so beautiful.
"Stand aside, I wont hurt you."
But she wouldn't. Why wasn't she letting him take Harry? Why wouldn't she let them be happy?
James lay dead downstairs. He was out of the way. She was free and he gave her that freedom.
But he wanted Harry so badly. He had never had a chance to be with his son.
"Lily, Let me take Harry."
"No!" She screamed, "No! Not Harry!"
He pointed his wand at her and walked towards Harry but she stood in the way.
"If I can't have Harry, no-one can." And with that Sirius pointed his wand at Lily's chest.
"Avada Kedavra!" And then came the green light and the only woman he loved was gone.
Now it was just him and Harry like he'd always wanted it to be.
He tried to pick Harry up but he just wailed.
"Shh.. Shh.." He said soothingly,
"Little Harry Black is safe."
But as he moved to pick Harry up, his wand did something strange and hit Harry with a green light in the head.
"No!" Sirius cried as he moved to cradle Harry but Harry lay on the floor, a lightning scar upon his forehead. He sat up and Sirius felt like his body was crumbling.
Then he was alone and there was nothing.
The 8th piece.
Sirius awoke with a start. That dream.. He had killed the people he loved. Something about it though..
That dream meant more..
"It's a pity you didn't take a dream course in Divination." Sophia muttered through a mouth of cornflakes.
"I heard that death dreams mean new life." Lexis perked up from her sleepy presence, "They died in your dream but that means the same force that killed them is coming back."
Sophia rolled her eyes at Lexis then turned to Sirius.
"Kids," she said, "Come up with some nonsense-"
"It's not!" Squealed Lexis, "It's true! The original killer still exists.. Must do or things would be different."
And somehow, Sirius knew what she meant.
A great cold shudder ran down his spine and he looked at Lexis, "How long have we got?"
"A month." Lexis said, her eyes cold because she too knew what was happening.
"And do you know we get back?"
Mrs Potter laughed, "Listen to yourselves! What are you on about?"
"He's back." Lexis said.
"Who?" enquired her mother.
"He is back."
"Never left." Sirius said in a hazy voice that was realising truth.
"Who?" Mrs Potter asked louder so that even people in Australia could hear.
"Voldemort." Sirius added.
There had been silence a good hour or so between the Blacks. Finally Lexis and Sirius were alone in the kitchen as Mrs Potter and her son had decided to go to Diagon Alley for some books.
"So," said Sirius, "How do we do this?"
"Only you can." Lexis said softly, "Only those who pass the curtain before when they were dead can go back. You had already died but fallen through and healed."
Sirius thought, with Voldemort still 'alive', it wasn't worth the time asking about this girl's knowledge and how it came to be.
"So I just walk in?" Sirius said, half sarcastically.
"Afraid not," said Lexis, "You'll have to die again."
Sirius wasn't a hundred percent shocked by this news.
"And if we fail?"
"The universe continues as such and you remain alone, cold and dead." Little Lexis replied.
"Ah," Said Sirius, "Not much to lose then, eh?" He let out a small laugh before feeling grossly overcome by his own laughter which was just like that of the dream.
"Do we know where it is and what it looks like?"
Lexis stared for a moment, "Yes," she said, "We do."
"And?"
"I cannot tell you or you will become unsuccessful. You will see it. Go to the house before he arrives, stay hidden and wait for the right moment. Then destroy it."
Sirius could see some definite floors in this plan, one of which was his own death.
"And what exactly do we destroy 'it' with?"
"This," Said Lexis and she turned to a bag by her side and took out a magnificent sword decorated with rubies. "It's the sword of Griffindor."
"Obviously but that's not why my jaw is practically touching the floor. How did you get it?"
"Harry's will. Harry had the sword his whole life in case there really was an 8th horcrux."
Lexis smiled and showed a couple of missing baby teeth.
"Harry left the sword of Griffindor to you?"
"Yes.. Well, not exactly but he said the sword had to be passed down the line, it was to go from him to his daughter, Lily, then to either her son or nephew, and then their daughter.. And so on. Eventually it came to me."
Sirius half smiled. This girl was intelligent.. Too intelligent. Something was definitely wrong.
"Yes," Lexis said suddenly which made Sirius jump, "That's another thing," Lexis looked slightly sad, "You have to stop my existence. I am here purely to give this to you and tell you what to do."
" But wait," Sirius has just found another loop hole in that, "If I stop you from being here then doesn't that mean we never have this conversation, I never get the sword and I never stop Voldemort?"
Lexis thought for a moment. "Yes, it does."
"Well, what's the point then in killing-"
"You don't kill me," Lexis said quickly, "You just change things slightly. Tell Harry to stop his daughter, Lily, from marrying Lucas. She'll have a better life anyway."
Lexis smiled but Sirius merely frowned.
"This is going to kill more than just you, isn't it?"
"Yes." Lexis said honestly.
"Every generation in this blood line up to Harry's children will stop existing."
"Yes." Lexis said again.
"Your mother, your brother and everyone.. Gone."
"Yes."
"And you can cope with that, can you?" Sirius asked with his eyebrow raised.
"No," Lexis said again. Was her bravery faltering? "I wont have to, I wont know anything and this reality only has one purpose."
Sirius truly admired this girl's bravery. She would give up her life to make sure that Voldemort stopped existing. If she didn't exist and Sirius managed to change things right then evil would be gone for good.
"Wait.." Sirius panicked, "how am I going to.. Err.. You know?"
"You mean," Lexis knew how hard reality is in words, "How are you going to stay as you are to go back and change everything and then be able to stop any of this happening?"
Sirius' head spun but he still nodded.
"The sword, it will protect you from any.. 'Alterations'."
Sirius would have liked to understand but he couldn't and the thought of changing a few other things soon crossed his mind.
"When do we do this?"
"Tonight. We go to the Ministry Of Magic. Tonight, Sirius Orion Black, you die."
To be continued...