Perhaps I let her hit me. That Bellatrix woman is really something. Sirius thought to himself as he floated weightlessly in a shroud of darkness. Where am I? As soon as that thought crossed his mind his surroundings lit up. The darkness that covered him and it became brighter; soon he found himself standing in an area of gray.
"Sirius! Sirius!" It was Harry's voice sounded faintly. It seemed to come from a great distance.
"Harry! I'm right here! Don't worry about me! I'll find a way out!"
"No, no you can't." A mysterious girl appeared out of nowhere. She wore a maroon dress that looked like it was from the time of the Middle Ages and she sat atop a stone pillar. "Even I do not have the power to let you leave here." The girl was young; about Harry's age. She had dirty blond hair that hung down her back and electric blue eyes; her expression seemed mournful and sad.
"Who are you? And why can't I leave here?" Sirius reached his wand but found that he could not find it.
"My name is Maya. You stepped though the Archway of Whispers and made it here to Gate of Eternity. You may not go back to the world you left behind, they won't let you."
"Who won't let me?"
"Them… those who control time and reality."
"But I have to get back to Harry, he needs me right now." Sirius spoke, his voice did not hiding his anxiety.
"The boy of which you speak. The boy named Harry… You know of his destiny correct?"
"Yes, I do. All the more reason for me to go back."
Maya waved her hand and the area around them became the lobby of the Ministry of Magic. Harry was hiding himself behind the fountain. He flung himself from behind it and cast one of the forbidden curses.
"What is this?" Sirius asked as he watched the dangerous duel between Harry and Bellatrix.
"This is the present. What is happening currently in your world's time."
Voldemort appeared before Sirius. "Run Harry! Run!" Sirius shouted as he reached for Voldemort's wand, but his hands slipped through.
"It's no use, he can't hear you and you can not affect them. This is just the shadow of your world." Maya said as Dumbledore appeared onto the scene.
Sirius watched as the statues protected Harry and as Voldemort and Dumbledore dueled. When the fight was over Harry was sent to Dumbledore's office. The room changed again to follow Harry. Sirius watched as Harry sat in the office crestfallen, looking as if a dementor had taken his soul. His expression was one that sees no hope or light.
"Harry, I'm not dead." Sirius said, his voice shaking as the sadness set in him.
"No, but to him you are." Maya said. "You will never return, thus you are dead in your world… I'm sorry." She avoided Sirius's eyes. It had been years since she talked to another being, years. No, 'years' would be such a cruel understatement. Many decades has passed since she had spoken to another. Yet, every being she had ever talked to had perished. She has seen many worthy, many that she had placed hope in to be let out - to be able to live back in his or her own world. She had lied to Sirius, this boy she had watched since he was young - another who would fall into the Arch. She knew how every person who would fall through the Arch would come, all of them drawn by the echoes of the times. But she would not know the results. The future of those who had passed her by… they were the only ones who did not have a set and destined future, a future she could read. Therefore it was perhaps to punish her as much as it was to punish those who were either too lucky or too unfortunate to fall here. 'They' had made many perish as soon as they left her. Just as she had seen hope in their survival, just as she had grasped again at the thin straw that is trust. It is not good fortune at all to be the keeper of the Gates of Time - an Oracle. She sat there on her pillar. Oh how she wished for Sirius to just leave her alone; she wished that 'They' would stop teasing her with false expectations, stop torturing her with false hope that the future might change upon a decision. That is the reason why she lied to him; she did not want him to be crushed as well, just living here; be here for eternity and avoid the horror that lies beyond the gate that 'They' could open. Maya wrung her hands - perhaps there is a chance that he will get out - No! A louder voice screamed with in her, her hopes has been crushed too many times. She was afraid to place this hope upon anyone again.
Sirius stood there, unable to take his eyes off Harry. "He looks very much like James, you know. Very much. The first time I saw him, I could have sworn it was James standing on that street corner. Hell of a Quidditch player. Just like his father."
Maya said nothing as the room turned gray once again.
"Why am I here then?" Sirius asked. "If I am already dead, I would rather join the other side with James. He still owes me money you know." Sirius did his best to suppress the deep grief he felt at the moment with his half-hearted joke.
"You are here because you fell through the Archway of Whispers; your death was not of time yet. It will affect the course of history greatly. I am here with you to go though the course of events, the past, present, and future to be able determine which way the universe will turn." Maya spoke. The room shifted, as it became the grounds of Hogwarts. A platform was raised decorated with four shields: one of each house and their colors. It was a beautiful day outside. A ceremony seemed to have just ended. Everyone was leaving the school on broomsticks.
"Our graduation." Sirius whispered softly as he watched the old him walk up to Lily and James.
- Please figure it out… Please, Sirius… find the way out… -
* * *
"Prongs!" The young Sirius spoke. "And the lovely Miss Evans. How do you do?" He kissed Lily's hand. James didn't seem too pleased by it.
"Sirius…" James growled.
Lily laughed. "I never thought I'd be so lucky as to have the two most handsome guys in school fighting for my heart."
"Hey who's fighting?" Sirius teased. "You're already mine." He said as he took Lily's waist and held her head dangerously close to his.
James gave Sirius a glare that pronounced simply If you get just one millimeter closer to my fiancée you shall pay with your life.
Sirius laughed as he released Lily. "Lighten up, Prongs." Remus and Peter joined the group as well.
"What do you think Dumbledore meant by asking us to go to his office after graduation? He can't possibly want to give us detentions now can he?" Peter asked his eyes shifting from the castle to James.
"I warned you three not to set up fireworks during graduation. It nearly gave me a heart attack." Remus sighed, referring to the bomb-like explosive that went off during the middle of graduation, which was so loud that it could be heard from miles away.
"I don't think so, otherwise I wouldn't be included." Lily spoke as the group of five stepped upon the rotating staircase.
They entered Dumbledore's office to find it empty except for Fawkes. Lily patted the phoenix with familiarity and took out a snack for him.
"Lily I swear you spoil that bird more than Han. And that's saying something." James said. Han was Lily's owl and by James' opinion the most spoiled owl in the whole school.
"Nonsense. I hardly ever get to see Fawkes. So bringing him a treat occasionally is not spoiling him."
Nearby Sirius was having a family squabble with a picture hung on the wall. "You know your mother's heart broken you ungrateful excuse for a grandson!"
"I'm sorry if I am not going to side with the people who are obviously wrong to start with. And I've already had this argument with Mother, so I would be very thankful if you shut your mouth gramps." Sirius materialized a piece of black cloth and covered the picture of Phineas Nigellus, which reduced his complaints to mere mumbles.
Dumbledore joined the group minutes later. "I see everyone is here." He said. "There is a matter of great importance which I would like to address you all." He spoke in a business-like manner.
The five friends knew now what that matter was. Early on James and Sirius had been asked by Dumbledore to join a group; an underground resistance against the spread of the influence of Voldemort. Sirius knew immediately that he would want to join. James had gone and asked his fiancée whether or not he should join; Lily had not only thought it was a great idea, she asked to be a part of it as well. Both Sirius and James had then approached Remus with the proposal. Peter overheard and was reluctant at first, but joined his friends at the end. Now the five comrades stood before Dumbledore, ready to accept the responsibility of becoming members of the Order of the Phoenix.