October 25, 1998

It only took Harry three days to convince the ministry to allow her inside the Department of Mysteries. Calandra didn't have any idea of how many favors he called in or what strings he pulled, or really even why he did it in the first place, but she would be eternally grateful.

She walked beside him through the ministry atrium. She was a bit nervous if she were being honest with herself. She hadn't asked Harry any details about Sirius's death, she didn't quite trust herself with the knowledge. She desperately wanted to know but couldn't bring herself to ask. Harry would probably tell her all about it today.

The pair traveled down the lifts and through long corridors. Harry met up with a tall wizard with ebony skin and the two had a short, whispered conversation. She watched as the wizard drew his wand and tapped the door he stood in front of. It slid back and led down a winding corridor.

"Kingsley charmed the corridor to look different than it normally does. All the rooms are charmed to look different as well." Harry said as he led her through. "It was a stipulation in our agreement. That way you couldn't find your way back to areas only Unspeakables are allowed in."

She nodded and followed him. He took her through three different doors, then they came to another long hallway. At the end of the hallway was a door where Harry stopped. He tapped his wand in some sort of pattern on the door and it slowly swung open. She stepped inside.

The room was circular and dark. Shadows crept out from all around toward the only item there; a stone arch that faintly glowed standing in the center of the room. Calandra looked at the arch. She could feel vibrations in the air and soft whispers kissed her skin. Sirius's voice echoed in her mind and she stood rooted to her spot just inside the door.

"This is it." Harry said softly. "He passed through the veil."

She took a step forward. The misty air that glowed in the arch flowed and drifted like silk. The veil. She slowly walked forward until she was one step away from the veil. Harry stood by the door, giving her space. She felt the soft caress of Sirius's voice and knew.

She was finally going to see him again. She knew it would be the end. She'd go willingly. Neville didn't need her; he was all grown up with a life of his own. She'd left him everything in her will. He could give his parents the best of care. Everything in her life was settled. Everything but this. She smiled and stepped quickly forward with her hand outstretched.

She crashed against thin air.

Realization dawned on her and she crumbled to her knees with a sob. She clenched her fists tightly and tried to push through the mist. She pounded the invisible barrier that kept her from him.

"Please." She sobbed softly. "Please, let me go."

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She rested her head against the solid sheet of air and watched the veil mist and sway. The voices sang the sweetest song she'd ever heard. If only she could get to them. She lay her hands flat against the barrier and went through a series of vanishing spells. Nothing happened. Harry came up softly behind her and put a tentative hand on her shoulder. She sat back on her heels and stared at the veil in the archway.

"They didn't put the protection up because of you." Harry said. "It's been there since that night as far as I know."

"I tried the same thing." He said softly. "Remus Lupin held me back."

She smiled at the mention of her old friend.

"He was one of my best friends." She said wiping her tears. She looked up at Harry and saw the sadness in his eyes. "He's dead, too isn't he?"

Harry nodded.

"He died in the final battle at Hogwarts. So did his wife."

"He got married? To who?" Calandra asked, confused about the mention of a battle, but happily surprised.

"Tonks. Nymphadora Tonks was her name. She was great. Always joking around." Harry smiled at the memory.

Tonks?

Calandra laughed.

"How'd she talk him into it?" she asked.

Harry chuckled. "She finally convinced him she didn't care."

Calandra smiled and remembered her drunken promise to her friend.

She held her hand out and thought of a happy memory. The boys dormitory seventh year. Playing a muggle board game Lily had brought.

"Expecto Patronum." she whispered.

A gray wolf emerged from her palm. She brought the wolf close to her face and basked in the warmth.

"I told you so, Remus. Sorry I'm a bit late, but Tonks is a keeper." She said softly and flung her hand toward the arch.

The silvery creature ran forward and disappeared into the mist. Harry sucked in a breath. Calandra smiled.

"Will it…Where does…" Harry couldn't figure out what he wanted to ask.

"I don't know." She said. "But I always told him I'd tell him."

The gray wolf emerged from the veil and trotted back over to her. It stared into her eyes as if it could see her and slowly disappeared. She smiled a sad smile.

"What happened?" she asked. "I'd like to know."

Harry eased himself down to the floor and sat beside her with his legs crossed. He told her of what Voldemort had turned himself into all those years ago. How Harry himself had accidentally become connected to Voldemort. Calandra was horrified. She had thought that he'd died back at Godric's Hollow that night. She'd seen his body there, plain as day. But he hadn't died. Not completely.

Harry told the story of how Voldemort had used the connection to manipulate him. He told her all about becoming the snake in his dream and how much it unnerved him. How he'd come to the ministry the moment he thought they had Sirius.

He might as well have been James Potter sitting next to her. Calandra almost smiled. Harry was the spitting image of his father and it was exactly the same thing James would have done; gone helter skelter trying to get to Sirius if there was even an inkling he'd been in danger.

"He wasn't really here." Harry said. "It was a trap. The Death Eaters were here, and they ambushed us."

Harry stared at the veil.

"The Order came not that long after we got here. Sirius punched Lucius Malfoy in the face first thing."

Calandra choked out a laugh. A fully capable wizard with remarkable skill and he decked the snake.

"Everyone fought. Bellatrix Lestrange came for me and Sirius got in the way. She dueled him. It was insane, curses flying everywhere. One hit him."

Harry swallowed staring at the floor.

"He just fell through and drifted away."

She stared at the spot on the floor Harry couldn't take his eyes off of. His own family, the death of him. She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and looked up to find Harry shaking his head.

"That's what I can't stop reliving." He said, tears dripping down to his cheeks. "Him just falling into oblivion. If he'd been anywhere else, it wouldn't have happened."

"What do you mean?" Calandra asked.

Harry looked up at her and then over to the arch.

"She hit him with a stunning spell."

She stared at the glowing arch. A stunning spell. He'd been alive when he passed through. He hadn't died on this side of the veil. Her heart clenched at the unfairness of it all.

They sat there, deep in thought, until Harry slowly rose to his feet and held out a hand to her. She let him help her to her feet and they walked toward the door. Calandra stopped a couple steps from the door and turned back to the veil. Voices floated over to her and she breathed them in.

Her eyes shot open at the thought.

He didn't die on this side of the veil.