This is just a short one-shot about Sirius' journey through the veil in the Department of Mysteries. The difference is that this is entirely from Sirius' point of view, and I definitely do not intend for him to be 'dead' as Lupin and the rest of the Order seem to believe he is. I realize that this was a devastating point in the series for a lot of people, and I apologize for drudging up these memories, but I feel that this line of thinking may help to alleviate some people's anxiety over the topic. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I get no $. All JKR's (that lucky you-know-what!)
"Come on, you can do better than that!"
A forceful, burning sensation hit his chest at full force. He was in shock- the pain was too much to bear. 'What was that curse?' He had never felt anything like this before. It was like being hit with the cruciatus curse but having it only effect one small, pain-filled part of his body. He attempted to regain his balance and found it was useless- he could not move.
Paralyzed, a falling sensation consumed him as he plunged backwards, helplessly, through the veil behind him. He could just make out the face of his attacker, Bellatrix Lestrange, as she disappeared from his view. His body twisted as it made its way toward the ground. He found himself falling rapidly to the earth below him, face-forward, with no way of bracing the substantial weight of his body.
BAM!
His nose collided with the hard stone floor, instantly breaking the frail bone and cartilage housed beneath his skin. Suddenly he could feel his extremities again. The pain in his chest had mildly subsided- or, was it just made to seem that way by the now excruciating pain that was emanating from his injured muzzle?
He brought his arms to his shoulders in an attempt to brace himself. He forced himself up off the ground in one, fluid, push-up motion. The blood gushed from his face, dripping a thick, red stream onto the cement below. He could taste the warm liquid that seeped from his injury as it trickled nauseatingly into his mouth. He bent his knees into a crouching position and picked his wand up from the ground. He rose slowly to his feet, dizziness overwhelming him with the sudden change in position.
Raising his wand to the center of his face, he managed to utter "reparo" before collapsing in a heap on the floor. He sat up straight and tucked his legs under him in a seated position, frustrated by the pain coursing through his nasal passage as he breathed. He began inhaling deeply through his mouth in an attempt to lessen the pain stemming from his freshly-healed nose. The blood seeping into his oral cavity was catching in his throat, straining his breathing into short, gurgling gasps for air. He raised his wand once more and, catching his breath, stated firmly, "tergeo."
Instantly the blood on his face disappeared, leaving nothing but smooth, clean skin in its wake. Now able to breathe again, Sirius calmed down profusely and attempted to gather his bearings. He stretched his muscular calves straight out in front of his torso, placing his hands flat on the ground beside his hips in order to maintain his balance while seated.
He spun his head around the room in an effort to process his surroundings. It was strange… It was almost as if there were no walls at the edge of the darkness. The only light came from the archway that he had fallen through after being hit with the mysterious curse.
Once again his mind was drawn back to the battle that had taken place prior to his fall. The jet of red light had hit him by surprise. He supposed it was some form of the Impedementa Curse, probably altered by Death Eaters in an attempt to add pain to paralyzation. 'Sick bastards.'
Nonetheless, the pain in his chest had definitely subsided, and his nose, although still throbbing, had healed nicely. He made his way toward the archway just in time to see his godson bolt down the stairs in his direction. Harry was screaming something at him, but for some reason he was unable to hear it. It was as if someone had placed a silencing charm on the room he was standing in. He twisted his head to the left, then to the right, looking for any possible reasons why the room would be so devoid of noise.
Unable to find an answer within the darkened surroundings, he faced forward once more and tried to catch his godson's eye through the soft curtains of the veil before him. He was growing worried at the upset look on Harry's face. He pulled his legs under him, pushing himself up into a kneeling position before slowly rising to his feet. He walked towards the veil and stopped just short of the billowing cloth before him, just in time to see Lupin grab Harry round the chest and hold him back. 'Why is he doing that?'
Harry continued to struggle against Lupin's forceful grasp, screaming something in the direction of the veil that Sirius was still unable to make out. Afraid that Harry would hurt himself in the struggle with Lupin, Sirius walked up to the veil with the intention of nonchalantly strolling through it. His goal was not accomplished.
As he approached the opening he felt a powerful force fling back at him. He slammed into an invisible wall and was thrown backwards, hair flying at his face and whipping hard against his corneas. He was hurling backwards through the air, unable to regain his composure in mid-fall. He felt his backside hit hard against the ground, pain searing from his rear and working its way up his spine. With a bruised tail bone and a steadily-building headache, he rose off the ground and darted at the veil once more.
Again, he was thrown back by the power of the invisible wall that separated him from the world from whence he had come. He was confused. He could see Harry yelling for him, calling to him, through the invisible barrier that should not have been there.
"Harry! Harry, I'm right here! I'm right here, Harry!"
Harry was yelling something, glancing fleetingly at Lupin between screams. Sirius was watching the movements his godson was making with his lips. He could almost make out what he was saying… 'dead?'
"Dead? Harry, I'm not dead! I'm right here! I'm just beyond the veil!"
Neville had joined Harry at his side, placing a solemn hand on his friend's shoulder. He was saying something to Harry… Sirius could just make out his own name coming from the shaking boy's lips. Harry nodded in acknowledgment of whatever Neville had just said.
'Can they not see me?'
The two boys jumped, apparently startled by a loud noise to their left. Harry looked in the direction of the mysterious bang, then back at Lupin, then back in the direction of the noise once more. He was yelling something… something about him.
Sirius concentrated vigorously on Harry's lips, attempting to interpret what he was saying. His eyes widened at the sentence that escaped Harry's mouth: "SHE KILLED HIM – I'LL KILL HER!"
"NO!" Sirius cried, screaming at the invisible barrier in front of him. "Harry! I'm alive! I'm right here! Leave her alone! She'll kill you!"
But it was too late. Harry had disappeared from his sight, leaving him alone, once more.