All Characters (c): J.K. Rowlings

Plot Line (c): Anc1entalchemy

Harry lay on his bed starring up at the canopy that hung above him. Hedwig was sleeping in her cage unaware of what was going on around her. Thoughts were crowding and filling Harry's mind making the room spin. The only stationary spot was the very middle of the canopy. "If only I can stare at it long enough, maybe it'll stop this sensation." He thought to himself. There was slight knock on the door, bringing Harry back into reality. He jumped up with a quickly beating heart. After taking a few deep breaths of air he calmed himself and stood to greet his visitor, whom he assumed was either Tom or the housekeep.

The floor creaked under him as he passed Hedwig's cage causing her to give a soft "hoot" before shifting and falling back to sleep. She had not been the same since her attack. The snowy white owl seemed to be easily tired and quickly to fall asleep, even when Harry was making a ruckus. Within a few long strides he had reached the door.

"Can I help you?" Harry asked as he opened the door.

"Oh why yes, now let me in. Don't keep visitors waiting outside like this. It's really quite rude, ya know?" Said a bulky man in a bright green bowler hat.

"Fudge," was all Harry said as he stepped to the side slightly to allow the minister in.

"It's still Minister Fudge, if you don't mind. Though it seems the wizarding community won't go for it very much longer. Never seen them so passionately organized against a common goal. Sad, very sad indeed. It seems you have been the downfall of my career my boy." He said off-handily as if they were two old friends talking leisurely over tea.

"Is that supposed to make me feel bad? You were basically the downfall of me this past year. Not to mention the whole wizarding community and that decision is still up in the air. If you had listened to me and Dumbledore we may have been better prepared." Harry growled through clenched teeth and fists.

"Yes, yes. I've apologized to Dumbledore already. Now I've come here to pay you the same gratitude."

"And if I don't accept your apology?"

"That would be most unfortunate. See the whole of the world, muggle and wizard alike, are now counting on the ministry, and well...you, to defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. And if you accept, then we may take some steps to accomplishing that." Fudge said with dropped shoulders and a low voice.

"I hardly think I'll need the ministry to help me with Voldemort. Just deal with the death eaters. But Bellatrix. Leave her. She's all mine." Harry said slowly, watching Fudge through narrowed eyes. The whole scene was starting to replay in front of Harry's open eyes. He shook his head slowly to clear it away and focused once more on who was standing in front of him.

"Yes, I assumed you would like your revenge on her. Just remember Harry, at the end of this you will either be a killer or dead. Voldemort's death will certainly not be held against you, the ministry will turn a blind eye at that. But the killing of a Death Eater, no matter what she or he did, cannot be overlooked." Fudge said with a hard stare into Harry's bright green eyes.

"Of course Minister, of course..." Harry trailed off, looking over at his nightstand where Lupin's letter lay.

"So does this mean I, and the ministry, are forgiven then?" Fudge asked with a slight smile and dim sparkle in his eyes.

"If it means you'll leave me in peace while I continue to learn what I must to stop this impeding doom, then yes. Give me your word Fudge, and that of the ministry's (even if you leave office), that you will not stop me and Dumbledore from saying what needs to be said and doing what needs to be done." Harry said in what he felt was a neutral voice.

Fudge took in a deep breath. "Of course Harry, that can be arranged quite easily I feel. I will leave you to your rest then." With those last words and a nod from Harry he left the boy and his owl.

Harry stared at his door moments after Fudge had departed.

"Well that was unexpected." Harry said quietly.

"Tell me about it." Purred a voice behind him.

Harry startled. He knew that voice, but couldn't place it. It was real right? Slowly Harry turned around and faced someone he hadn't seen since that night. Instant hate sprung into his eyes. His hand groped his jeans pocket for his wand. Finally he remembered. It had been poking his side. It was lying on the bed, forgotten. Slowly he allowed his eyes to travel towards it.

"Accio wand!" He heard mumbled from in front of him. The hatred seemed to vibrate through out his entire body. He knew what they were going to do, yet he was powerless to stop it from happening. Mad-Eye's face floated across his mind's eye. All he needed to do was fight back, to refuse. He was the only one who could truly avenge all the deaths- his mom's, dads, and Sirius'. He refused to die here. Then the words filled the space within his mind and ears, words only he could hear. "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" A small smirk came across Harry's face as the memories of that lesson came back.

"No! Focus on the now! Focus on the spells, on their mouth. Watch for its coming." He told himself within his mind, again.

"IMPERIO!" Rang all over the room and inside of his mind. Harry closed his eyes against the spell. His mind was blocked, it was prepared. They would not control him; he refused to be easy prey.

"Go on boy! Come here!" The demand to the puppet was given and it lay thick in the air between them.

"But why go? You hate them. Sirius! Remember Sirius!" He told himself quietly. "Ya know, I think I'll just stay here, if it's not too much trouble." Harry said loudly to his attacker.

"Resistance boy? You are more powerful than the Dark Lord has assumed, but you never get anywhere without trial and error." Came the voice, purring once again. It seemed they were having fun with this, too much fun. Harry did not miss the well placed malice on each symbol; however.

"Crucio!" Rang out. Harry tried to use his mind to throw off this spell as well. His preparations went unnoticed. The moment the spell struck him, he knew what hell felt like. It seemed as if his body had been turned inside out and then set ablaze. Death seemed a highly greater choice compared to this torture. Just as quickly as the pain had hit him, it disappeared. He lifted his head up slightly and noticed the room was clear of his attacker. Only he and Hedwig remained inside. His body was aching all over; it seemed this would not be an easy attack to recover from.

"Oh no! My wand!" Harry thought as his eyes searched the floor, hoping to see it lying there; forgotten.

Sirius lay on the floor with his eyes closed tightly. He had stayed that way since talking to Remeus. The conversation repeated numerously in his mind. He had analyzed every second of it. The only thing he had to rely on was Lupin's trust and belief. A silent sigh was released between his lips. In awhile he would be traveling across the planes once more, this time to see Dumbledore. He just hoped he was sleeping in his own bed at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore smirked slightly at the sight in front of him. The kitchen elves were scrambling around. Food and drinks were piling up around him.

"Yes, thank you. I think that's enough for now." Dumbledore said to Dobby and Winky. Suddenly all the elves seemed to disappear back to the stoves and ovens. Only the two stayed near him.

"Oh good! The two I came to see!"

"Yes, sir, how may we help you sir?" Dobby squeaked out.

"Would you two follow me to my office? And Winky you can leave that butterbeer here." With a swish of his cloak, Dumbledore and some sweets were escaping through the portrait. Two house elves followed quickly behind him. They were able to keep up with the wizard easily, despite the fact that four strides of their legs equaled one of Dumbledore's.

"Cheesecake." Mumbled Dumbledore and the gargoyle sprung to life. The wizard and two elves made their way onto the stairs. Dumbledore stepped behind his desk and motioned for the two to sit in the comfy chairs before him. Dobby bounced into one while Winky remained hesitant.

"It's okay Winky, you may sit down."

"Thank you -hiccup- sir, you is -hiccup- very kind." She squeaked while climbing into the chair.

"Well Winky I brought you up here to try and get you back to your old self. You use to be a great house elf. I wish to have her back. So, I; therefore, ban all butterbeer from entering your mouth. While in this castle, which you don't leave, you will be sober and alert." Dumbledore stopped but kept his crystal blue eyes on Winky. When she gave him a slight nod he smiled and turned towards Dobby.

"Now Dobby. I need you to think back to your past masters. The Malfoys. I have reason to believe there are more hidden artifacts, evil artifacts. These are very evil, Dobby, I need you to understand that. If the order and I cannot get them then we may not stand a chance against Voldemort. Could you tell me of any hidden places where such things were stored?" Dumbledore asked of him quietly.

A small chill seemed to go all the way through Dobby's small frame.

"They is not Dobby's masters. Dobby is his own master. He can now tell the good and great Dumbledore." Winky said in a half whisper.

"Yes, Harry Potter sir did that. He admires Dumbledore. I trust sir and I trust Dumbledore too."

"Yes, Dobby, but please. Can you remember anything?"

"Yes I can sir. There was a few of them, very well hidden. The biggest one is in th-"

"That, that's fine Dobby; I don't wish to hear it now. That's just great you're willing to bring back awful memories and share them. You two may return to the kitchens. I must retire for the night." Dumbledore said quickly as he rubbed his right eye.

"Good night sir." Dobby and Winky said in unison as the retreated from the room.

Dumbledore walked to the back of his office. It would be one of those rare nights. He was getting to sleep in his own bed tonight. He climbed into his large and extremely comfortable bed. The minute his head landed upon the soft pillow, he fell into sleep.

Sirius was up and walking around once more. His body seemed to refuse the darkness. He had been here for awhile now and thought his body and mind might have adapted.

"This place. It has to of been made by some dark and ancient magic. It's the only way all of this could be possible. The un-adaptive nature, the connection to the plane of dreams, the immense darkness. It all is the oddest magic. Dumbledore may be the only wizard alive who can break magical as ancient and dark as this. It is time to seek him out. I just he is at Hogwarts." Sirius thought as he walked around, lost in the darkness.

It was time once again. Time to send his mind and self into another's dreams. Time to communicate with people outside of his hell. Slowly the tingling and binding sensation crept all over his body. As he watched the pictures of the world he use to know fly by, he felt the sensation reach his mind. Hogwarts flooded into his sight, followed by Dumbledore's office, and then into the ancient wizard's mind. Sirius fell into a land of more darkness. Only here he was not alone. Dumbledore, Harry, and Remeus were with him, each with a wand in hand and "lumous" still lingering on the sound waves. There was a soft and eerie glow coming from the center of the room. Dumbledore was slowly advancing towards it. Sirius stood back and starred at was happening, afraid to interrupt Dumbledore.

"Time is limited." He said out loud, causing all three men to spin around in surprise.

"Sirius...You haven't been in my dreams for awhile..." Dumbledore said quietly.

"Yes well, I forced myself into this one. Your mind did not."

"What are you getting on about?"

"It's really me, not your mind's imagination Dumbledore. I have come to hear your thoughts about my situation."

"What situation? You fell through. Your gone form this place. Gone, gone forever." The light in his eyes seemed to dim slightly.

"No. I fell through. That's all. I'm still here, well there. Just behind the veil. I have discovered a few things. I can still connect to the ones I need to. Through dreams. I had thought you may know something about how this is possible. Was I mistaken in my assumptions?"

"No you were not. I have heard of people who were lost to come back through dreams. It's strong and very ancient magic. It has not been casted or talked of for more then 10 centuries, at least. I do not know if there are any who can still cast, or even know of the spell. Is this what you came to find out? And how am I suppose to believe this is not just a dream?"

"Send an owl to Remeus the moment you awake. For I spoke to him last night. And yes, that is part of why I came here. I wish to know how it works. What the spell is exactly. And, if there's a way to get out of here. Then I wished to find out where Harry was. How is he? I prefer to speak of Harry first."

"I see." Dumbledore's eyes shifted over to his dream version of Harry. "The last I heard from Harry, he was at his Aunt and Uncles. I have not been in much correspondence this summer. We did not see eye to eye the last time we spoke. Perhaps these are questions better saved for Remeus. I do know for sure that he will be joining Arthur and Molly at the Burrow soon."

"Oh no. You're fading already. I cannot keep you any longer. I will return. Just please, please believe me. Send Remeus that owl for it may confirm to him as well."

With the departing words Sirius shrunk from Dumbledore's dreams. He was once again in his black and bleak prison.

AN: Alright. That took me two months. Exactly. O.O. Didn't plan on that. So very sorry. I got caught up with the last couple weeks of school and finals and all that. Then I fell out of the groove of updating and the story really. It's hard to get back into that groove after awhile. But the new Harry Potter inspired me I guess. It made me start writing again last night. And here ya go. It's super-extra long for everyone. WoOooOt! And so yeah. R&R