Another dose of depression for all of my lovely readers, please review!

June 1996

Sirius POV:

Tall, thin with greasy black hair, Severus Snape stood in the hall of the building that I loathed more than any other.

I had spent over a decade in Azkaban, supposedly the worst place in the world, dark, damp and swarming with dementors. And yet 12 Grimmauld Place was almost worse. Walburga Black had been the dementor here and she still was in that blasted portrait of hers. Her sly servant Kreacher lurked in the shadows, muttering obscenities under his breath, driven to insanity after years of confinement. A bit like me.

Everywhere I looked, I was reminded of my dark childhood. Each false Order of Merlin, each dark book was like a punch in the gut. Every room held its own boggart, intent on driving me insane altogether. I had thought that I had escaped, that I was free but I wasn't really. Far from it.

I stared with undisguised disgust at my childhood nemesis in front of me. He called Lily a mudblood, Lily who wouldn't hurt a fly…unless it had the dark mark printed on an arm.

"Black. Clearly you're still moping about doing nothing of use for the Order." Snape said smoothly.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" I bellowed, years of hatred bubbling within me. I whipped out my wand and pushed him savagely against the wall before his fingers even made contact with his wand. I smirked to myself, I still had my lightning reflexes even after all the years in the company of dementors.

"Any last words, Snape?" I asked arrogantly. I wouldn't kill him, just…modify him a bit, starting with his greasy hair.

"Why yes", Snape countered smoothly, his face a perfect blank mask. "You see, due to your precious Godson's inability to control his emotions, he is currently leading his friends into a trap."

I released my grip on Snape's robes and took a startled step backwards.

Please, not Harry. Anything but Harry.

"What do you mean, Snape?" I choked.

My Godson accounted for my will to live. He was proof that Lily and James had lived. I loved him more than I loved life itself. It was my duty, entrusted to me by my deceased best friends to look after him. Seeing as I could do nothing when in Azkaban, I had to mind him now that I could.

"Potter seemingly saw an image in his mind that was no doubt put there by the Dark Lord himself." Snape said silkily. I froze. "He believes that the Dark Lord has you held hostage in the Department of Mysteries. Arrogant as he is, he cannot wait for proof and instead is on his way to the Ministry with his followers in tow."

"Have you told Dumbledore?" I asked sharply, pulling a cloak on.

"Of course."

"Who's with him?" I interrogated.

"Ronald Weasley, Ginerva Weasley, Granger, Lovegood and Longbottom."

"Can you inform the rest of the Order? I have to go. I have to save Harry." For a moment, I thought that Snape would refuse my simple request but he stiffened at the mention of my Godson's name.

"Very well."

For once, I met Snape's empty black gaze without any disgust.

"Thank you." I said as earnestly as I could. Snape acknowledged it with a curt nod. Dumbledore had wanted civil. We were adults, we could do civil…when the situation called for it.

I disapparated, feeling like when I had left my prison cell in Azkaban for the first time.

The world twisted and contorted around me and then with a crack, I appeared in the middle of an intense scene.

I found myself in the centre of a room with a ceiling so high that I couldn't see it. It was dark and I instantly felt uncomfortable. A veil hung in the middle and I could hear soft, persistent whispers coming from it.

Harry's friends were held by death eaters. Each had a wand, or in Bellatrix's case, a dagger, pressed closely to the neck of their hostage. A wild eyed Harry stood defiantly in front of Lucius Malfoy, reminding me of James standing up to Voldemort. He grasped a glass ball in his hand. A prophecy.

"Don't touch my godson", I snarled and punched Malfoy directly in the face. There was a satisfying crunch as his nose snapped.

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed.

Several cracks of apparition were heard.

The Order had arrived. Remus, Tonks, Moody and Kingsley were amongst the fighters that joined the scene. The instantly pushed the kids out of the way and shot curses relentlessly at the death eaters.

"Harry", I said urgently, watching Malfoy out of the corner of my eye. "You've done beautifully. You're parents would be so proud but let me take this from here. Protego!" I blocked Malfoys stunner.

"Not a chance! Reducto!" Harry roared, brandishing his own wand. I had never been more proud of him.

Together we fought side by side. It almost felt like back in the early stages of Auror training when James was my partner. Harry too, could practically read my mind. Our attacks were co-ordinated and not one curse got past our defences.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted.

He caught Malfoy off-guard. His wand soared out of his hand and clattered to the ground ten metres away from him. There was an expression of disbelief on his face. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Nice one James!" I said without thinking. Harry knocked out Malfoy.

Before I could correct myself, Bellatrix apparated in front of me. My grin widened when I realised that I could finally get rid of her. This time I was sure to push Harry out of harm's way. This one was going to get nasty.

"Sectumsempra!" Bellatrix said, twirling her wand in a lavish motion. I neatly sidestepped the curse, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Aww, come on Bells, you can do better than that", I egged her on, patronising her like she liked to do to her victims.

And better she did. I found myself panting to keep up with her onslaught. She too had beads of sweat dotting her forehead. Behind me I could hear Harry's laboured breathing.

"Stupefy!" I shouted. She narrowly avoided the light.

"Crucio!" She hissed. I swiped my wand to deflect it.

"Reducto!"

"Imperio!"

We were evenly matched.

Suddenly, there was a crack and Dumbledore appeared. A genuine smile replaced the maniacal grin that had been on my face.

Everyone else stopped shooting and I lowered my wand but Bellatrix hadn't seen him. I went to raise my wand, but I was too late.

"Avada Kedavra!"

I heard screams. I could make out Remus' hoarse yell of disbelief but it was Harry's scream that broke my heart. He roared, such pain and loss too raw to bear.

I was falling.

The allure of the veil increased and I fell, limply through it. The voices grew louder.

Ironically, it all went black.

Voices.

"Oh Merlin."

"Do you think he's okay?"

"Don't be stupid, he's dead, we all are."

Nothing but those voices could have made me sit up so abruptly. I felt as though I was dreaming. It was impossible.

James, Marlene, Amy and Lily were right in front of me. I could see the shadow of a figure behind them.

"Padfoot!" James exclaimed. He had aged more gracefully than I had. His face was still youthful and he didn't have black bags beneath his eyes like I did. His hazel eyes were brimming with tears and he tackled me to the ground in a hug. The girls' laughs echoed around us.

"Thank you Sirius." Lily said sincerely, her emerald eyes moist with tears. Her eyes reminded me of Harry and I was stabbed by a pang of guilt. "For never betraying us. For seeking revenge for us. For minding Harry. We know how much he looks up to you."

"I didn't do well enough." I croaked, a limp in my throat as I realised that I had left Remus…again. And Harry, oh Merlin, I prayed that he wouldn't do anything stupid.

"Don't be stupid Padfoot, you spent a bloody decade in Azkaban for us!" James said, clapping me on the back.

"Padfoot, making history in style! How the hell did you break out of that place?" Amy grinned, making a stab at humour. She had remained a true beauty and yet I got the impression that she was sad. Her amber eyes were harder, I had seen the same look in the eyes of the prisoners in Azkaban. Still, I could feel just how happy she was to see me when she hugged me.

"Marly, I am so sorry." I said profusely. Her big blue eyes stared up at me, putting my puppy dog eyes to shame. "I never got a chance to propose." She cut me off with a kiss. James wolf-whistled. Lily cheered. Amy turned away, finally having given in to the tears.

"Who's that behind you Faolan?" I asked suddenly. The figure came into view and I gasped in realisation.