The Dying of the Light
A/N: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, of course. She gave us a wonderful place to play in, for which she has our eternal gratitude.
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A young boy ran laughing through an overgrown yard, a huge dog romping after him, eagerly chasing the sticks and balls the child threw for him.
"Sirius..." his mother's voice echoed weirdly around the pair. "Sirius, it's time for supper."
hey, i remember that, the man said, pointing at the scene, that's orion, my dog, he died when i was 10
what's going on here? he demanded angrily
calm yourself, sirius black
who are you? sirius black spun around, searching wildly for the voice
relax, sirius black, there is no reason to be afraid
who said anything about being afraid? i just want to know what is going on here
of course you are not afraid, the voice said soothingly
don't patronize me, sirius black snapped
who are you?
where am i?
the last thing i remember...
Sirius Black glanced around at his friends, standing so tall around him. "You do realize that we are not going to survive this, right?"
No one bothered to answer him, they were aware they going to die in the coming battle, but they would take Voldemort down with them.
i'm dead
yes, sirius black, you are dead
if this is heaven, i am very disappointed
sirius black, you are one of the most annoying people i
have ever met!
i try
is this heaven?
no
sirius black heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes
good going, padfoot, he thought to himself, make the voice angry; you'll be stuck here for all eternity
if this isn't heaven, he finally said, what is it?
it is a kind of waystation, the voice said stiffly
a waystation? why is heaven full?
sirius black! the voice thundered, causing him to
wince
ok, ok, i'm sorry, he hastily apologized
please, tell me why i am at a waystation
to review your life, the voice said, obviously not
mollified by his hasty apology
sirius black did not like the sound of that, there were certain things that he had spent a lot of time and effort to forget
uh, is there any other way?
no, the voice said a little maliciously
tell me one thing, did we get that snake eyed freak?
Moony walked to his left, his pale, wolfish eyes bright, Harry walked to his right, Hermione and Ron just beyond him; their faces were cold and hard. He felt his heart catch as he looked at them, they were just kids, they should be playing Quidditch, not bravely facing a monster that terrified even grown wizards.
Harry turned his head to look at him. Sirius met his eyes; they were too old to belong to a teenage boy, but Harry had never been a normal boy. He quirked one eyebrow, saying clearly, 'here we go again'. Sirius found himself grinning savagely at his godson, who grinned back just as maliciously, before turning to face the remaining DeathEaters.
Remus was the first to fall, Sirius killed the DeathEaters that killed him, laughing all the while like a madman. Ron fell, Hermione screamed like a wounded thing and swooped down on the knot of wizards like an avenging angel. Harry avenged her death before turning to Lord Voldemort.
Sirius never saw the curse that stole his life.
was it worth dying for? the voice asked softly
i don't know, sirius said hesitantly, i don't know
that is why you are here, the voice said, to review your
life and decide if you regret it
sirius swallowed hard, ok, he finally said, obviously shaken
A boy stumbled into the kitchen, making very little effort to wake up, slumping at the table in a stupor, taking a quick nap behind his closed eyelids, not noticing that he put his hand in his oatmeal.
"Sirius, there's a letter for you," his mother said, her voice calm though she was beaming at her husband.
"That's nice," Sirius yawned, rubbing his hand over his face, unaware there was oatmeal clinging to his fingers and now speckling his nose and cheeks.
"It's from Hogwarts."
Sirius Black's eyes shot open and he bounded out of his chair, wide-awake now. "What?" he yelped. "Hogwarts? Are you sure?" He snatched the letter out of his mother's hand, stared at it for a long minute, then launched a peculiar little dance around the kitchen, yelling at the top of his lungs. His father began to crow with laughter, while his mother chortled as she tried to clean up the mess of oatmeal he scattered across the floor.
sirius black laughed as he watched, remembering the excitement he had felt when he read the letter, the heavy paper and emerald ink opening a door into an exciting place he had fantasized about for most of his life
"Now, Sirius, you behave," his mother warned sternly as they stood by the scarlet Hogwarts Express. "I don't want to be hearing any reports about you getting into trouble at school."
"Now, Mum, you know I would never do anything like that," Sirius protested, trying and failing to look innocent. His mother was not fooled, she knew her son very well. She gave up trying to look stern and beamed at her son. "You have fun at school," she said, smoothing his dark hair, then turning to walk away, before she started crying.
Sirius Black turned to face the train, wondering where to start, when a voice called his name.
"Hey, Sirius Black!"
It was the boy he had met the day before in Diagon Alley, James Potter.
ah, james, sirius black muttered, watching the two boys, i failed you, my friend, you trusted me and I wasn't worthy of that trust
he doesn't blame you, the voice said quietly
i blame myself, sirius said moodily, watching the images flicker past
The first years huddled together, eyes wide and a little wild after the boat trip across the lake and the first sight of the castle. What was on every mind, though, wasn't the castle or the talking pictures or the ghosts that appeared out of the walls, but the Sorting. Wild rumors floated around the room, stories about having to perform magic "I don't know any magic" one Muggle girl wailed, wrestling trolls and solving impossible riddles. One thing all the stories agreed upon: the Sorting, whatever it was, hurt.
Sirius Black glanced around at his newfound friends. James looked unconcerned, but he kept taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his robe, then replacing them on his face, only to take them off a minute later. Lily finally told him that he would wear the lenses down to nothing if he kept it up, causing James to leave the glasses on his face while he fiddled with them, rearranging them on his thin face.
Lily was pale, her fiery hair glowing like a beacon in the dim light of the room they were waiting in. She stood perfectly still, not even twitching, studiously ignoring the whispered rumors and stories.
Remus Lupin was nervous, prowling restlessly on his little spot of floor, regarding the press of bodies with a combination fear and wonder. Sirius Black watched him for a few moments, there was something strange about the pale boy with the yellow eyes, something wild. Remus turned his head to meet Sirius' eyes.
it was like a bolt of lightning, sirius murmured softly, looking into his eyes, they were so tired, but so full of life, so scared but so determined
sirius rubbed a hand across his face, trying to find the words,
it was like looking into the eye of the storm, he finally said, calm, but with the knowledge that at any moment, everything could be destroyed
that is a very poetic description, sirius black
12 years in azkaban, sirius black snarled, gives you lots of time to think
the voice was silent for a while, allowing sirius black to watch the images in peace, laughing at the antics and pranks, occasionally adding to the story
James and Lily walked into the classroom, arguing, unaware of their two friends pacing behind them, making bets on the outcome of the fight.
Sirius saw the deft little wand movement over the quill and ink that had tumbled from James' bad when he slammed it onto the table. Lily handed them to James with a smile.
A few minutes later, James leapt to his feet with a yell, startling Flitwick, who fell off his stack of books. Everyone turned to look at him as he stood by the desk, glaring at the redheaded girl by his side. She smiled up at him. "Is something the matter, James?" she said innocently.
"Potter!" cried Flitwick, struggling to his feet. "What is the meaning of this?"
James looked around. "My quill," he said through gritted teeth.
"Is right there on your desk, Potter. Now sit down and stop interrupting."
lily was almost as bad as the rest of us, he gasped, laughing, she just never got caught
what did she do just then, the voice asked curiously
charmed the quill to shock james whenever he tried to use it, he had to suffer through the rest of the day with that quill, none of the rest of us would give him a new one
why not?
lily told us not too
"C'mon, Lily, you're the best at Charms. Please help us." James was on his knees in front of her, begging with his big brown eyes. Lily turned her back on him. Sirius and Remus stood there, looking hopeful. They didn't say anything, just stared at her with pleading eyes; the softhearted girl couldn't resist. "Fine," she threw her hands into the air and walked away, "I'll help, but I want no part of your pranks."
The three boys followed her to the table half hidden in the corner, not bothering to hide the gleeful grins, drawing a dark scowl from Lily. She bent over the parchment on the table, muttering as she read the words.
"Can't believe....Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs....hope you get caught....magical mischief makers....detention and you deserve it....the Marauder's Map." Lily looked up at them. "Marauders? Isn't that what McGonagall called you the other day?"
Sirius nodded. "Yep. We figured it was a pretty good name and McGonagall would know better than anyone else."
"She'll be honored," Lily observed dryly, digging in her bag for a book.
that map, sirius black said with pride, was a work of art
between the map and james' invisibility cloak, we had the run of the castle and grounds
"Mr. Black. Ms. Evans. Mr. Potter. Mr. Lupin."
The friends froze when they heard their names called, Dumbledore was standing behind them. Peter Pettigrew flinched violently and dropped his books. Sirius recovered first, turning with a broad smile to the Headmaster.
"Professor Dumbledore!" he exclaimed, "how nice to see you!"
The Headmaster smiled at Sirius and shook his hand, blue eyes twinkling.
"Mr. Black, if you and your friends would follow me? Run along to class, Mr. Pettigrew."
Sirius glanced over his shoulder; James shrugged, Remus was pale, tonight was the full moon and Lily looked scared.
Dumbledore led them to his office, his silence making them edgy and nervous. He seated himself at his desk, gesturing for them to sit. He surveyed them sitting in front of him, his blue eyes sad and tired.
"There is no reason to delay bad news," he said softly, watching their faces go pale. "Your families were attacked this morning by DeathEaters. There were no survivors."
sirius black stared at the scene, remembering the rushing pain caused by dumbledore's words, the pain rushing in to fill the gap left in his heart by the loss of his family
they had been together, he said softly, our families had been together at james' house, planning a surprise party for us, graduation was only a couple weeks away
Remus stood first, walking out of the room to his lonely confinement at the Shrieking Shack. James was standing in the corner of the room, staring blankly at the wall. Lily sat frozen in her chair. Her skin was frighteningly pale, her huge eyes and vivid hair seeming brighter in contrast.
Sirius forced himself to stand, fetching James from the corner. He didn't respond at all, just stared blankly when Sirius told him to wait by the door.
"Come on, Morning Glory," Sirius said hoarsely, pulling Lily from her chair, "let's go home."
"Home?" she repeated blankly. "Home is gone."
"No, Morning Glory," Sirius said, pulling the door open, "as long as we have each other, we have home."
A spark of life appeared in James' dull eyes and he nodded. He took Lily's hand and allowed Sirius to lead them from the office.
why did you call lily evans morning glory?
my mother loved morning glories, sirius black said gruffly
Sirius led his friends down the hallway, worrying about them and about Remus alone in the Shrieking Shack. Somehow he had managed to shut off his own grief, locking his heart in a block of ice that showed no signs of melting. He deposited Lily and James in the Common Room; they huddled together in front of the fire like lost children. Sirius started down the hallway to the entrance, he wanted to check on Remus.
"Black," snapped a cold voice, "just where do you think you are going?" Severus Snape smirked at him from the shadows. "All alone? Those freaks you hang around with not good enough for you? I could have told you that, Black."
Sirius felt a icy glee overtake him, infuse his brain with a giddy malice. "Y'know, Snape, I think I've been wrong about you all these years."
Snape halted in his tracks, staring at Black uncertainly. "Really? Do tell, Black."
"Yes, you see, I've been thinking. You are always nosing around trying to find out what we are up too, sticking your long nose into our business."
Snape sneered at Black, "I'll find out, Black, and when I do, I'll have you expelled, all of you."
Sirius grinned, a wide lunatic smile. "If you really want to know what we are doing, Snape, I suggest you go down to the Whomping Willow tonight. Take a stick and nudge the knot on the trunk of the tree. Then go down that tunnel and all will be revealed to you." Sirius' smile had reached his eyes, the silvery orbs burning with a crazy light.
Snape glared at him for a moment, then spun around, his robes flying like the wings of a bat as he sprinted down the hallway. Sirius chortled to himself as he walked back to Gryffindor Tower.
when james found out what I had done, sirius black commented, he went and saved that slimy git's miserable hide, then came back and tore a strip off my hide for even thinking about it
remus wasn't too happy with me either, for almost turning him into a murderer
"Hey Padfoot, could you come here for a minute?"
Sirius Black glanced over his shoulder at his friend; James was standing in the doorway, beckoning for him to follow.
"What's wrong, Prongs?"
"Nothing, I just need to talk to you."
Sirius Black stood, smirking at Remus, "You look very natural doing that, Moony." The werewolf snarled at him, then glanced back at the baby in his arms. James had almost had to force Remus to take the baby, threatening to drop him before Remus would close his hands around squirming bundle. Even Lily had laughed at the stupefied expression in his yellow eyes as he gazed down at the baby.
In the hallway, James was pacing back and forth, muttering to himself.
"They say that talking to oneself is a sign of senility, Prongs," Sirius drawled. For once the tousle haired man did not raise to the bait, turning to stare at Sirius with dark eyes.
"Sirius," he said quietly, "have you ever wondered why Lily and I risked having a baby in the middle of all this chaos? I mean, it's not exactly the safest time to bring a defenseless baby into the world." James rushed on without giving Sirius a chance to reply. "We did it because we knew that if anything ever happened to us, you and Remus would care for Harry."
Sirius stared into James' dark eyes, wondering where this was all going, thinking that maybe the stress of fatherhood was unhinging James' mind.
"Lily and I have discussed it and we want you to be Harry's godfather, Sirius."
Sirius gaped at him.
"Think about it, Padfoot, if anything happens to Lily and me, you would be legally responsible for my son."
Sirius tried to wrap his tongue around the thoughts swirling in his head, tried to explain how he felt that his friends trusted him with their son, but he couldn't seem to get it out. Finally he stammered, "Prongs, I would be honored."
but i failed him, sirius black said dully, they trusted me to take care of their son, but i failed them
you did not fail, sirius black
sirius black growled at the voice, moodily watching his life go by
The house was gone, destroyed, taking with it more than just the lives of two beloved friends and their son. He slowly climbed off his motorcycle, staring blankly at the piles of rubble and debris, unable to believe his eyes. Only a few days ago he had been here, talking and laughing with them, playing with Harry, delighting in his childish antics along with James and Lily.
"Prongs," he whispered, as if invoking his name would resurrect his friend. "Morning Glory. Harry." His eyes narrowed, the gray orbs going silvery and hard. "Peter," he growled. Peter was the traitor. Spineless, talentless Peter Pettigrew had betrayed them. He, Sirius Black, had led the traitor right to the Potters.
"Sirius? Sirius Black? What're ye doing here?"
Sirius spun around, goggling at the half-giant walking towards him through the dusk.
"Hagrid? What's going on? What happened?"
"What d'ye think happened, Sirius?" The half-giant jerked his head towards the glowing green skull hovering over the house. Sirius shook his head, trying to rally his wits.
"I know that, Hagrid. It's just that-- I was here last week--they're my friends--James and Lily--and Harry--they're dead."
Hagrid laid one giant hand on Sirius' shoulder, rumbling softly, "I know, mate, I know. But Harry's not dead. I got him here."
It took a moment for Sirius to understand those words, took a moment for the existence of the squirming bundle in Hagrid's arms to penetrate his brain. He took the baby with shaking hands, pulling the blankets back from Harry's face, revealing a shock of black hair tumbling into green eyes that sparkled when they saw Sirius. One tiny hand escaped the blanket and reached for Sirius, who took that little hand in one of his larger hands and held it tightly.
"How did he survive?"
"I dunno, Sirius, I reckon nobody does, really. You-Know-Who killed Lily and James but when he tried to curse Harry...somehow the curse backfired and killed You-Know-Who instead. Harry escaped with just this scar." One giant paw smoothed back the unruly hair, revealing a peculiar scar on the baby's forehead.
"Hagrid," Sirius said suddenly, "I'll take Harry. I'm his godfather."
Hagrid shook his head, but Sirius could see the sadness in his black eyes. "Sorry, Sirius, but Dumbledore told me to bring the baby to him."
"Where is Dumbledore going to take him?"
"To Harry's Muggle aunt and uncle. Dumbledore said Harry would be safe there."
"You can't mean Lily's sister and her husband?" Sirius burst out, horrified. His loud voice startled Harry, who started whimpering.
"No, Harry, it's all right," Sirius murmured. "Calm down, it's all right. I'll protect you, Harry, don't worry. I won't fail you again, I promise."
Sirius stared down at the drowsy baby, realizing what he had to do to fulfill his promise to his godson.
"Hagrid," he said calmly, his voice carefully even, "take my motorcycle. I won't be needing it anymore."
Hagrid looked surprised by that, everyone knew how possessive Sirius was of the flying bike, but didn't question him. Sirius held the baby while Hagrid got settled on the machine, staring at the infantile features that were already beginning to resemble James, at the curly mop of hair that promised to be just as unruly and into the emerald orbs that watched him so calmly. "Good-bye, Harry Potter," he finally whispered.
He handed the baby to Hagrid, then walked away, not looking back when the motorcycle roared into the sky.
"How could you, Sirius?" Peter Pettigrew screamed, startling several Muggles on the street. "James and Lily, Sirius! And Harry! How could you kill them? How could you betray them to Lord Voldemort?"
Sirius stared incredulously at Pettigrew, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Why, you..." he growled, stalking down the street towards him. A sudden explosion threw him off his feet. Landing painfully on his side, he looked up in time to see a familiar rat race into the sewers. Peter must have had a wand behind his back, biding his time while he yelled for everyone to hear that Sirius had betrayed the Potters.
Slowly he stood, unaware of the screams of the injured, unaware of the sirens of approaching police cars, unaware of anything but the memory of the triumph in Peter's watery eyes just before he blew the street apart.
Little Peter Pettigrew had tricked him. Little, weak, foolish Peter had gotten the better of Sirius Black.
Sirius could see several wizards racing towards him, making no effort to conceal themselves from the Muggles. When they pointed their wands at him, he prudently lifted his hands, feeling the manic glee beginning to pour through his veins.
Sirius Black began to laugh, standing there in the street, a hole in the middle of the pavement, the dead tossed around like dolls, howling with the mirth of the damned.
Yes, Peter Pettigrew had betrayed them, tricked them and escaped to tell about it. Lily and James were dead, but Harry Potter lived. Voldemort was gone and Peter was running for his life. He, Sirius Black, was going to Azkaban, a betrayer of friends and a murderer of the innocent. But he lived. And Harry Potter lived.
Sirius Black threw his head back and shouted his laughter to the uncaring sky. "I will see you again, Harry Potter," he yelled, just before the hit wizards stunned him.
i wasn't quite sane there, was i, sirius black quipped
the voice was silent for once, allowing sirius black to talk freely
i was almost crazy for a long time, he said calmly, azkaban isn't exactly a place that encourages sanity among its members
The man who had once been Sirius Black stared unseeingly at the damp wall in front of him. The dementors had just left, taking with them the soul sucking cold, but leaving the ever-present despair and horror. After 12 years he had found a few tricks that allowed him to retain some portion of his mind, the easiest being transforming into a dog.
Padfoot slumped in the corner of the cell, falling into a fitful sleep, whimpering at the vague memories he saw. He saw an elegant stag racing through the forest, tossing his great rack of antlers with arrogant pride. The stag paused by the side of the creek, drinking of the sweet water, showing no concern when a wolf and a dog joined him on the bank. A rat crept up to drink, sheltering in the shadow of the stag.
In his cell, Padfoot growled at the quivering rat cowering by the stag's foreleg. In his memory, the dog stumbled into the stag's legs, tumbling the great beast into the chilly stream. The dog jumped back with a yelp of canine laughter, almost stepping on the rat, which ran off squeaking indignantly. The wolf joined the dog in laughter, eyes sparkling as the great stag rose from the water and shook the water off with cool derision.
The dream changed suddenly, the clearing turning dark and cold, the stars vanishing in dark clouds, his friends losing their animal shapes to stand around him with accusing eyes. The dog cowered there, whimpering like a trapped thing, staring at them with haunted silver eyes, begging them to forgive him.
Padfoot jerked himself awake, transforming back into Sirius Black, who leaned against the wall, breathing hard, bathed in cold sweat, shivering from the cold wind that blew threw his tiny window.
"Sirius Black," said a plummy voice from down the hall. Sirius froze. "Yes, that's right. I want to see Sirius Black."
Quickly Sirius leapt to his feet, straightening the rags he wore, smoothing down his ragged hair, then seating himself on the edge of his bed. When Cornelius Fudge appeared at the barred door, he saw a man who was emaciated, dirty and haggard, but calm, too calm, too controlled for his surroundings. He should be a raving lunatic after 12 years, but he looked up at Fudge with a charming smile. "Ah, Minister," he said in his harsh voice, "how nice of you to visit."
Fudge slapped the newspaper he held in his hand against his leg in vexation. Sirius Black followed the movement with his sunken eyes. "Are you finished with the paper?" he asked, as if they were meeting at a pub. "If you are, may I have it? I miss doing the crossword puzzles."
sirius black laughed, i thought that fool fudge was going to explode when i said that
he paused then continued, more quietly, it was just a whim, asking for the paper, i did it to annoy fudge, but that paper gave me a reason to live
sirius black grinned maliciously, i always meant to send fudge a thank you note for giving me that paper
what was in the paper? the voice asked curiously
peter pettigrew
he was on the front page, perched on a boy's shoulder
i found out later the boy was ron weasley, one of harry's friends, but at the time all that mattered was that peter was going to be at hogwarts, with harry
peter had betrayed the potters once, he would do it again
i was the only one who knew he was alive, knew he was an animagus
i had to protect harry, had to fulfill my promise, repair my mistakes
i had failed james and lily, but i would not fail harry, not again
Hogwarts was the same as he remembered. Big and wild and welcoming. It was like coming home. The great black dog paused on the edge of the forest, pausing for a moment to breathe of the thick air, scented with magic.
Padfoot ran through the forest, remembering the four friends who had frolicked in the depths of the night, playing, living, burning with the vivid light of those who thought they would live forever.
i would run through the trees, sirius black commented calmly, and i would see movement out of the corner of my eye and i would turn, expecting to see a stag running beside me, but it was only my imagination
sometimes i would stalk little animals through the forest, and look around for moony, expecting him to be with me for the hunt, but there were only shadows
The great black dog skulked at the edge of the forest, watching with glittering eyes the procession. There were three of them, a tall redheaded boy, a girl with curly hair and Harry. The first glimpse of the boy had stopped Padfoot in his tracks, for a moment he had believed it was some colossal joke, that he had imagined the last twelve years, that he had suffered for nothing, that James was alive and standing in front of him. Then he had seen the eyes and knew it was no joke. The pain of that realization was staggering.
The three teens were laughing at something, talking with flying hands and dancing eyes, enjoying the sunshine and an afternoon without classes. The great dog followed closely, hungry for a glimpse of the boy, eager for the sound of his voice, aching for the loss of ...everything.
i watched him all year, sirius black told the voice, followed him around the grounds, watched him play quidditch
for periods of time, i could almost forget who i was and why i was there
Padfoot lay in the tall grass, watching the movement of people across the grounds. He knew that Hagrid had gotten into some sort of trouble with the Ministry, something about a hippogriff. The cat wasn't too forthcoming with details. The cat hissed at him and Padfoot jerked his head around to stare at entrance of the castle. Nothing. Padfoot growled in irritation. The cat said that the trio would go down to see Hagrid tonight. Padfoot had decided that he had to get to Harry, had to speak with him, his time was running out fast. He didn't know where Peter was, but he had to at least warn his godson.
The cat hissed again and Padfoot was about to growl back when he caught a hint of movement. Yes. There. The grass was flattening out under some invisible weight. Padfoot had to laugh, James' invisibility cloak, he wondered how Harry had gotten that. The cat and the dog waited in the shadows near the Whomping Willow, ready to grab them when they returned to the castle. They would take them to the Shrieking Shack.
and then things got entertaining, sirius black said wryly
when they came out of hagrid's hut, they had peter
i didn't mean to injure ron, i just wanted that rat
the original plan had been to grab one of the kids and pull them into the tunnel and trust that harry would follow
i was sure he would, harry is just like his father
james is very proud of harry
we are all proud of harry
james and lily think you did a very good job taking care of
their son, the voice said softly
Sirius Black stood by the window, staring at the stars. Harry's letter lay side by side with Dumbledore's note, both containing hints of the turmoil building in England, swirling around his godson.
He had to go back. He owed it to Harry, he owed it to James and Lily, and he owed it to himself.
"I will protect you, Harry Potter," he vowed to the stars. He glanced down at Harry's letter, grinning at the exasperated tone in his letter. He was complaining about everyone telling him to be careful, as if he couldn't take care of himself. "Whether you like it or not," he finished with a grin.
harry is a handful, sirius black laughed
he had no sense of self-preservation
none of those three do
you're implying that the marauders were more cautious, the
voice asked caustically
sirius black considered that, watching the events of the tri-wizard tournament
lets just say that those three, particularly harry, never went looking for trouble, but they never hesitated to throw open the door when it came knocking!
The little cottage was still and silent under the moonlight. Somewhere nearby a wolf howled, singing its sorrows to the uncaring stars. The man hesitated in the doorway, listening to the cry, before transforming to follow the lonely call.
The huge dog galloped threw the forest, searching for an elusive scent, a familiar form. A growl to his right, sent him somersaulting to face the threat. A familiar pair of eyes glared at him from the shadows. The dog whined happily, almost dancing in its glee. The werewolf lowered its ears, staring at the creature, confusion clouding its eyes. The dog crept closer, then pounced with a bark, tumbling the werewolf onto its back.
watching, sirius laughed as the two tussled in the forest
in azkaban, he mused softly, when i dreamed, which was rarely, i dreamed of the marauders and how we used to run through the forbidden forest at hogwarts
The morning sunlight was an unwelcome intruder, creeping across the tired bodies of the two men to invade their eyelids, destroying their well-earned slumber. Sirius rolled over, burying his head in his arms in an useless attempt to hide from the determined light.
"It doesn't help, Padfoot," a dry voice told him. "The sun is even more stubborn than you; you might as well give up now and save yourself the trouble."
Sirius growled, but climbed to his feet anyway, following his old friend into the cabin and a welcome cup of coffee. He had never been a morning person, preferring to loll in bed until lunch and stay up until the early hours of the morning.
"So, Padfoot, what brings you to my little corner of England?" Remus finally asked, after they had eaten. Under his jocular tone Sirius could hear the worry.
"I come with very bad news, Moony. Voldemort is back."
Remus froze half out of his seat, one hand reaching for the empty coffeepot; his light brown eyes hardened, turning the startling yellow of a wolf. "How?"
Sirius quickly explained about Harry's experience with the portkey; watching the emotions skitter across Remus' open countenance. Anger, fear, grief, rage, acceptance. "Harry is all right?" he asked anxiously.
Sirius Black nodded. "Yeah, he's real shaken up by it, but he'll be fine."
"I knew he was coming back," Remus finally said quietly.
"Everyone with half a brain knew he was coming back, Moony. Which is why it so fitting that Fudge is refusing to accept Harry's story, seeing as how Fudge doesn't even have half a brain."
"Fudge doesn't believe that Voldemort is back?" Remus said incredulously.
Sirius nodded, his silver eyes cold. "That's why I'm here. Dumbledore is calling us back in."
"Everyone?"
"Arthur Weasley is contacting the ones at the Ministry. You and I are responsible for contacting the others."
the order of the phoenix, sirius black said softly, watching them gather
we were the ones who went looking for voldemort, fought him, chased him, harassed him
we lost a lot of good people
they died for what they believed in
we all did
do you regret it?
regret dying? no, it was worth it
if as a first year at hogwarts, you had known what was
going to happen. if you had known that you would lose two
friends to the depravity of a third, if you had known that
you would spend 12 years of you life in prison
if i had known i was going to die fighting against the darkness, fighting for a life i would never have, a world i would never see...
for friends i lost, for friends i found, for people i would never know...
would you do it again? the voice asked
sirius grinned savagely, his silvery eyes gleaming, you bet your wand i would
then look, sirius black, the voice said, laughing
Sirius Black already knew what he would see. He could hear their voices, laughing and talking behind him. A delicate hand plucked his sleeve, "C'mon, Sirius," Lilly grinned, "come and join us. We've been waiting."
"I had some unfinished business to attend to," Sirius said, laughing as he joined the group.