WHAT IF....

Sirius landed flat on his back, and found himself gazing up into a pearly- white mist. Ignoring the pain in his chest from the Stunner, he scrambled to his feet, and made to walk back through the archway.

But there was no archway anymore.

Sirius' breath began to come short and fast, his heart thumping wildly. He had heard about an archway in the Department of Mysteries...the dead lived on its other side, and those who passed through it could not return.

'No!' He gasped, sprinting about a hundred yards forwards, then turning around, and running back the other way. The mist clouded his vision. He groped blindly around, praying desperately for a way out. But there was none.

Sirius fell to his knees, and closed his eyes tightly.

Please, he murmured, please, someone. Help me.

WE WERE NOT EXPECTING YOU SO SOON, SIRIUS BLACK.

Sirius leapt to his feet, clutching his wand. 'Who's there?' He shouted, panicking slightly, 'what do you want?'

WE WANT YOU, SIRIUS BLACK. SOME YOUNG, FRESH BLOOD WILL DO US POOR WANDERING SOULS SOME GOOD.

'Please! Let me go back! My godson, Harry...he's in danger...Voldemort will kill him...please, just let me go back for a minute, to make sure he gets away safely!' Sirius pleaded into the mist, pivoting on the spot, hoping to spy the speaker.

WE DO NOT BARGAIN WITH NEWCOMERS, SIRIUS BLACK. DON'T YOU THINK EVERYONE WANTS TO GO BACK AT FIRST?

'Who are you?' Sirius was frightened. He attempted to cast a Clearing Spell, to lift the mist, but his wand merely gave a pathetic sputter, and turned to a pile of ash in his hand.

YOUR WAND WILL DO YOU NO GOOD HERE, SIRIUS BLACK.

'Who are you?' Sirius cried again, 'please, at least tell me where I am, and who you are!'

WE ARE THOSE WHO WERE EXPELLED FROM THE WORLD WITHOUT WARNING, BY THE MALICE OF OTHERS. VICTIMS ALL ARE WE.

'Y...you all died...because...'

SOMEONE MURDERED US the voice finished. It was deep, rumbling and thoughtful. It inspired awe in Sirius Black. WE WERE BETRAYED, DEPRIVED OF OUR LIVES, OUR LOVES, OUR FAMILIES. YOU ARE ONE OF US NOW.

'No', Sirius begged, 'no, I'm not. I just fell through here. Nobody murdered me. I just got stunned, that's all. So, can't you let me go back?'

WE NEED YOU.

Something about this remark sounded sinister. 'Wh...what do you need me for?' Sirius' mouth was suddenly very dry.

YOU HAVE A BODY. A BODY OF THE LIVING CAN FEED THE SOULS OF THE DEAD.

And Sirius realised that if he wasn't dead already, he soon would be.

'Let me go!' He bellowed, 'let me go, I swear, if Harry ends up here with me I'll have my vengeance!'

HARRY.

A different voice spoke now. Sirius' heart almost stopped. 'Harry', he whispered, 'Harry Potter.'

HARRY...POTTER.

'My godson', Sirius choked, 'Voldemort is killing all my friends, and if Harry dies too, I'll never forgive myself.'

VOLDEMORT.

'Yes.' Sirius was struggling to hold back tears. 'If you really were all murdered, some of you must remember him.'

NO. The old voice thundered angrily.

YES. The second, lighter voice argued. VOLDEMORT. HARRY POTTER.

Sirius saw that this second speaker was his only ray of hope.

'Yes. I want to help Harry escape Voldemort. Let me go, and I can do that!'

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.

'No! It can't be! I don't want to die. Please, let me go, and let me help Harry Potter.'

The mist began to lift. Sirius found that he was standing in what appeared to be a circular, whitewashed room, with one, white door at the farthest point away from him. He stood completely still, unsure as to what to do.

The door opened, and two figures entered the room. They turned to face Sirius. Sirius glanced at the face of the first person, then looked at the second. He made a choking noise, and stared in disbelief.

'Lily', he breathed, 'is that you?'

The woman, dressed all in white, smiled a radiant smile at Sirius. She was pale as chalk, and the robes she wore did not appear to be solid-a strange mist clouded her, so Sirius was unable to see her properly. But there was no doubting the fact that this was some form of Lily Potter.

At the same moment, the two old friends moved swiftly forward. Sirius was sure she would pass right through him, but instead, his arms clasped tightly around a solid being. Lily returned his embrace.

'I'm so sorry, Lily', Sirius whispered, 'I'm sorry...it's all my fault. And I've made a mess of looking after Harry. Your son risked his life today because he thought he would be saving me, while all the time, I was sitting at home, forbidden to leave in case anybody recognised me.'

Lily hugged Sirius even tighter. The mist surrounded both of them now. Sirius began to feel oddly peaceful, despite the situation.

'Sirius, you've done your utmost for Harry', Lily murmured, 'everything you've done, you've done it for the good of James, Harry and I...changing the secret keepers...not giving in to the Dementors...escaping Azkaban...you have been the father to Harry that James so desperately wanted to be.'

'Where is James?' Sirius asked, suddenly anxious again.

'He is watching Harry. Even we of the spirit world have some small powers in the world of the living. Harry will not die today. Dumbledore is with him. I should be watching too, but one of us wanted to see you.'

Sirius pulled away gently, and gazed around the bright, yet windowless room. 'What is this place?' He asked quietly, 'where did Voldemort send you?'

Lily sighed, and smiled briefly. 'This is where all victims of murder come, after they die. It is a quiet, peaceful place. The one who spoke to you first was lying. Sometimes people are sent back, to live again. But always at a price. Only two people have ever fallen through the arch, besides you. The one who spoke to you took their bodies, to give himself strength.'

'Is that him?' Sirius jerked his head towards the silent figure by the door, 'has he ever hurt you? Or James? Why can't you come back? What's the price? Will he let me go back?'

Lily laughed, a hollow, sad sound. 'Yes, this is the one who rules over the Archway. He does not hurt people, only gives them peace and rest. He needs flesh and blood, whenever he can get it, so he can help all the rest of us. He rewarded the two very well for their sacrifice.

'We cannot come back because we are not needed. It was our destiny to die when we did. As for your last two questions, I cannot answer them. But he can.'

Lily stepped aside, and looked expectantly at the man by the door. He too was dressed all in white. He had a silver beard, and solemn grey eyes. Sirius was afraid.

'You wish to return to the world beyond the Archway.' The man stated, his eyes boring into Sirius'.

'Yes. And I need to hurry', Sirius replied, as bravely as he could, when he was trembling with shock and fear.

'What will you give me if I let you return home?' The man queried.

Sirius had not expected to have to come up with a sacrifice himself. 'Em...'

'Your magic', the man interrupted almost immediately.

Sirius was shocked. 'If I have no magic, I can't defend Harry!' He cried.

'It's not your magic that's helped Harry all this time, Sirius', Lily pointed out patiently, 'it's your heart. But my lord, he is a wizard. To take his magic is to take a part of his soul.'

'Lily!' Sirius yelled, 'couldn't you just take my devillishly good looks instead? Or my hair-make me bald! Or...or...take away my house, or...or anything, but don't take my magic!'

'If I do not take your magic, you will remain here.' The man declared calmly.

Given this direct choice, Sirius made up his mind in a flash. 'Take my magic.' He said abruptly, resignedly, 'and do it fast.'

The old man raised both his hands, and came forward. He placed his hands on Sirius' shoulders, and began to chant.

Sirius felt energy draining from his body. Sparks flashed before his eyes, his stomach felt like it was churned up by a combine harvester. He was screaming from the horrible, gut-wrenching pain that filled him...

He feel to his knees, gasping for breath, feeling like a shadow of himself. Lily stood next to him, tears glistening in her eyes. She helped Sirius to his feet, and whispered in his ear 'forgive him Sirius. You will understand in time.'

She pressed something into his hand. Looking down, he saw that it was a mother-of-pearl handled knife. Wordlessly, he nodded and closed his hand tightly around the knife.

'Now let me go', he begged wearily, 'let me help my friends.'

The old man-who now looked much stronger, and several years younger-pointed silently to the white door. Sirius took a deep breath, and laid his hand on the doorknob. He opened the door, and the whole scene behind him began to melt away into the thick, confusing mist. He flung the door wide open, and strode through.