AUTHORS NOTE: This will eventually be slash, male/male, so if you're not into that kind of thing don't read it. Sorry about the long wait!

DISCLAIMER: Any recognizable people or places do not belong to me. They belong to J. or Christopher Paolini.

Chapter 2

Eragon... Eragon, wake up. Eragon opened an eye to look at Saphira. She had set her head right next to his current resting place.

I wasn't asleep. He told her. She blinked her large blue eyes at him.

There's someone here from Ellesmera. She's brought Glaedr with her. She stood then and walked across the floor of Eragon's treehouse. He'd sung it into its form himself after choosing a location outside of Alagaesia. It had one floor and its ceiling and doors were tall enough so that Saphira could walk through it with ease for a few more years. As she was still growing, he knew she eventually wouldn't be able to come in. The way he figured it, he'd spend a lot of time sleeping outdoors with her.

You were thinking about him again. Saphira spoke up. There was worry laced in her tone.

Yes. I just know that he's real somewhere… I just know it. Eragon stood up and followed Saphira out onto the grounds. Changing the subject Eragon looked around the campus he was slowly creating. It'll be ready soon.

Saphira hummed in agreement. They had been trying to make a new place outside of Alagaesia to train dragon riders. They already had students, but each student had to go through training with the respective leaders of each race. Nasuada, Orik, Arya, and Nar Garzhvog each had a small handful of students to teach their races customs and histories. In Eragon's opinion, this gave each of the new rider's a better understanding of the races they protected. Once done with the four races, they would then travel out of Alaglesia to where Eragon lived and would train with him and Saphira on how to best protect their country using their new abilities. Saphira also would work with the dragons on everything she felt they needed to work on. Such as not being too domesticated…

A former elven student of Eragon's stood at the border waiting for them with her darker blue dragon. She greeted Eragon by twisting her hand in front of her chest in the elven sign of respect before speaking in the ancient language.

"May good fortune rule over you, Ebrithil."

"Peace live in your heart." Eragon, also speaking in the Ancient Language, smiled at her.

"And the stars watch over you." She finished with a smile, before turning serious. "Gladr-elda wanted to come here as fast as we could. He wanted to be left with you for a while. He said it was urgent. Since Evarinya is the fastest flyer Arya Dröttning has other than Firnen, she sent entrusted him to me." She reached into her dragon's saddle and revently took out Glaedr's Eldunari, which was wrapped in a soft-looking elven-made cloth. Eargon just as carefully took him from her, also being careful that the cloth didn't slip.

Glaedr's vast consciousness gently touched the four there. You have done well, he said to Evarinya and her rider, you may return to Ellesmera. Eragon shall return me there when I am ready.

She nodded and looked at Eragon. "May we rest here? It has been a long flight." She looked worriedly at Evarinya.

Eragon nodded. "Of course. You both are always welcome here."

Saphira walked over to the darker, smaller dragon. Come, young one. Let's get you taken care of. The other dragon nodded, seeming too tired to even speak.

It is time for another journey, Eragon. The Vault of Souls is is time to enter the inner sanctum of the vault. Glaedr told Saphira and Eragon once Saphira had returned from taking the younger dragon and her Rider to the dormitory that had already been made for future students. Sensing that was all he'd get from the older dragon, neither asked for more details, and began preparing for the journey. Each had many questions, but as they'd learned in the past, time would tell all.

^.^

It had seemed they had been falling for an eternity in nothing but empty darkness. Harry couldn't see his hand in front of his face. They had quit screaming a long time ago.

"If this doesn't kill me, I may have to kill you, Harry…" Draco said, sounding almost bored.

Harry frowned not paying any attention to Draco's comment. He had noticed a difference.

"We're slowing down. Brace yourself." he said.

"Brace myself? On what? Have I gone blind or have you? If there is anything to brace on, I can't see i-oomph!"

"Ouch! Oi, watch where you're landing!" a familiar voice told him as he was pushed off of whoever it was he landed on. Harry landed softly next to them.

"I know that voice…" Draco muttered.

Harry nodded, then blinked realizing that in the dark no one would see him nodding, "Me too. Sounds like…"

"Harry, is that you?" Another voice spoke up, interrupting. A voice Harry would have recognized in his sleep.

"S-Sirius…?" Harry asked hesitantly. He felt around in the darkness towards where his godfather's voice had come from. Strong arms suddenly wrapped around him and pulled him to a warm chest.

"Why… how are you here, Harry?" Sirius whispered softly.

"He jumped in the bloody veil. I tried to stop him, and we both fell." Draco told the ones around, making it clear in his tone that he was not happy with his dark-haired friend.

The first voice spoke up sounding worried, "Draco… if you're here… where's Georgie…?"

"I knew it was a twin." Harry said, as he let go of his godfather to turn in the direction of the ginger's voice.

"Yeah, I've been here with Sirius since after the funeral, I think. Last thing I had remembered clearly was Percy making a joke. Then things were fuzzy for a bit. I think I was at my funeral. Then I woke up later here. Breathing, with a heartbeat, and all those other living requirements." Fred explained. Draco sat there in stunned silence.

"Are there others here?" Harry asked them, feeling that Draco may need a moment.

"None. If they were here at one point, they have faded." Sirius answered gravely.

"Faded?" Harry asked.

Sirius sighed. "When one goes into the veil, they can only remain there for a certain amount of time. The length of time depends on the strength of the soul. Not something they make common knowledge now-a-days. Back several years ago, witches and wizards use to try and sneak in to see the veil, or even to jump in, because of the strength of its call, or because they were curious. Now, only the Head of the Department of Mysteries is allowed to know any real details of the veil."

Harry nodded slowly, once again forgetting that no one could see him nod, before remember and saying out loud. "Ah…"

"You must have a very strong soul then, eh, Sirius?" Fred quipped, before turning back in the general direction of Draco. "How is George, Draco?"

"I wish I knew…" Draco said sadly. "We tried… to make it work… so many times… we keep trying… but it never felt right without you…" Depression colored the blonde's voice thickly. Fred swallowed almost inaudibly.

Fred opened his mouth to say something, maybe to apologize, though it wasn't his fault, when suddenly there was a loud CRACK! The four of them flinched.

"What was that?" Sirius wondered aloud, followed shortly by another loud crack. A crack of light was starting to appear in what was apparently a stone wall. The crack widened and slowly crawled up the wall before taking a sudden arch and going back down the wall a few feet over.

"It's a door." Harry observed quietly.

"Where has the veil put us…" Sirius pondered. "I thought it was just a myth… that the veil dropped people off places… but it seems we are no longer at the ministry…"

"I smell ash," Draco muttered.

"That's better than what I smell…" Fred told him.

"What do you smell?" Harry and Draco asked, unintentionally mimicking Fred and George's art of simultaneously speaking.

Fred frowned as he looked at the door in front of him.

"Dragon's blood."