Disclaimer: i don't own Harry Potter. Nope, not me.

A/N: Yay for reviews!

Once more, this is a just-in-case-I'm-away chapter (because I'm such a nice person!) and it is also a Sirius interlude…

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James and Sirius stood looking at each other for a very long time.

"Padfoot," James said, voice cracking.

"Prongs." Sirius could feel the tears spilling over his eyelids and he did not try to hold him back. He hugged James fiercely, the best friend he had ever had or ever would have. "Prongs."

James drew back at last. "Journey safely, Sirius," he said. "And… tell my boy… tell Harry - that his old dad is proud of him. That he's the kind of lad I wish I could have been. That I miss him. That I love him very much."

Sirius nodded. "I'll watch over him too, James," he replied, choking slightly on his tears. "I promise. I'll try hard to be a good godfather."

James smiled. "He doesn't need a good godfather, Sirius," he said, voice breaking. "He needs a godfather that will love him. That already loves him. He needs you, Sirius."

"I love him like my own son," Sirius whispered. "I want you to know that."

James was crying now too. "Thankyou," he murmured through his tears. "Thankyou."

Lily put her hand on his arm. "Are you ready to go, Sirius?"

Sirius drew back. "Yes," he said. "Yes, I am."

Lily drew her wand from her sleeve and pointed it at a piece of parchment. "Novacula Aparecium!"

The knife was not curved and wicked-looking like the one Regina had conjured in the Void-bubble. Lily's knife was shining silver and straight, with rubies set into the hilt, yet still as inexorably… eldritch.

She held it loosely in her hand. "Can you carry a message for Harry from me too, Sirius?"

"Of course," Sirius whispered in reply.

"Tell him…" Lily hesitated. "Tell I love him and I wish I could be with him. That James and I are always watching. And not to play Quidditch in wet socks because he'll catch a cold and I don't want him to be sick. I don't want him to be hurting ever, and I'm so sorry that he is. And tell him -" her voice was barely above a whisper now, "- that we're waiting for him."

Sirius found himself nodding. "I'll tell him, Lily. I promise."

Lily raised the knife. "Are you ready?"

Sirius looked at James as if for approval. "Yes," he answered. "I am."

The silver blade bit into Sirius's arm. "By this blood, Arachne," Lily murmured, "I conjure thee, let this man walk the way between the worlds!"

Lily's magic was different to Regina's, Sirius reflected. Regina's magic had been earthy, grounded. Lily's was lighter, more airy. They were both beautiful, in their own way, and both different to ordinary magic. Of course the magic is different, Sirius thought. It's eldritch magic. Wight magic.

Lily placed her hands on either side of James's head. "By the greatness of my husband's soul, Arachne, I conjure thee, let this man walk the way between the worlds!"

Sirius could feel the room trembling as the magic built to an almost unbearable point. His body felt light, weightless, and he could feel himself begin to fade.

Lily raised her wand. "By the magic of the space between, Arachne, I conjure thee, let this man walk the way between the worlds!"

Sirius felt himself enveloped in a blinding flash of light. For an instant, he saw James's face and then the light surrounded him, picked him up, carried him off.

He knew no more.

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