Ron, Harry and Ginny were all sat in the Gryffindor Common room an hour later, grouped around a wizard's chessboard but there was little play going on. Hermione had been with Professor Dumbledore since the encounter with Narcissa Malfoy and all three were desperate to know what was going on.

"I can't believe it, she just…" muttered Ron in awe for the fourteenth time since they had sat down. Harry made an affirmative noise and absent-mindedly prodded a pawn with his wand, which squeaked when Ron's knight galloped across the chessboard to tackle it. Ginny shifted in her seat and Harry noticed that she was frowning.

"What's up?"

Ginny propped her head on one hand and drummed the fingers of her other hand on the arm rest, "That wasn't like Hermione at all. Sure she hates the Malfoys but to suddenly freak out and start hitting Narcissa."

"She has hit Malfoy before though, remember," said Ron.

"Yeah, but…" Realisation suddenly dawned across her face, "The handkerchief!"

Harry was about to ask why a handkerchief was so important when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung outwards and Hermione climbed in through the hole. The others watched her pull over a chair and sit in it before looking innocently at each of them. Ron raised his eyebrows. "Well? Care to tell us what the hell you were doing?"

Hermione smiled and pulled a bloodied handkerchief out from her robe pocket, placing it on the table in front of her.

"The potion is now complete."

Ginny grinned and ran around top hug Hermione whilst Ron looked at the tissue in distaste but Harry suddenly understood what Hermione had done.

"Of course, Narcissa Malfoy and Sirius are cousins."

Hermione rolled her eyes but was still smirking when she put the handkerchief away again, "What did you think I was doing?"

"Hermione! That's brilliant!" exclaimed Ron, so can we do it now? Get Sirius back?"

Hermione looked at Harry, "There's no reason not to, Professor Dumbledore said he was going down to Hogsmeade to talk to Madame Rosmerta."

Harry nodded and took a deep breath, "Does Dumbledore know what we are doing?"

Hermione shook her head, "No, I told him that the stress of the muggle killings and the attack at The Burrow made me hit Narcissa Malfoy, I'm pretty sure he believed me." She grinned again, "I can't say I didn't enjoy seeing Narcissa Malfoy's face though when she couldn't do anything to me."

"This is going to make Malfoy even worse though next year," said Ginny.

Harry shrugged, "We can handle whatever Malfoy can come up with, and who knows, he might even be too scared of Hermione's fists to do anything!"

Hermione blushed but stood up with a determined expression on her face, "Let's go and save Sirius then."

The Room of Requirement was exactly how they had left it, the cold light from the archway being a definite contrast to the blazing sunlight they had left outside. The four of them walked forward apprehensively and Harry carefully placed the cauldron of Hermione's potion on the dais. He sat down on the stone floor and picked up a small pot of Albatross tears. Hermione said it was used to bind the blood into the spell and Harry took the handkerchief with Narcissa Malfoy's blood on it, soaking it thoroughly. Ron and Ginny sat to his left, each holding their wand and Hermione sat to his right, placing the heavy book on the floor and checking it one final time. Harry stared at the veil rippling inches away but for once the voices were silent as though everybody living and dead were holding their breath. With his heart thumping loudly, Harry looked at Hermione, who nodded and took out her own wand, then picked up the soaked handkerchief. Suddenly the pot slipped and smashed on the floor, Harry grabbed for it instinctively and caught one of the sharp shards, cutting deep into his finger. Hermione went to grab his hand but Harry shook his head and with a final deep breath dropped the cloth into the cauldron. The liquid inside immediately began boiling and a red mist formed and swirled above it. They all dipped the tips of their wands into the cauldron and pointing towards the veil called loudly in one voice, "ACCIO SIRIUS!"

Four beams of light hit the veil and Harry half expected them to pass right through and hit the opposite wall but instead they vanished with a shudder from the curtain. He stood up and gazed unblinkingly at the silent swishing of the veil, his fists clenched, breaths coming in gasps as he willed his godfather back from wherever he had gone. Unnoticed, a slow trail of blood wove its way down his wand.

Sirius had lost track of how many days had passed, they all became one in his continuous search for the end of the world. The scenery changed around him from lush green forest to purple heathered moorland, the ground rising beneath his pounding paws into limestone cliffs before suddenly dropping away into deep gorges. Sirius tried to keep a straight bearing but the terrain made it difficult. Large rivers too swift to swim across had to be trekked up until a more suitable crossing place could be found, steep cliffs had to be walked around instead of scaled but he kept moving onwards, only stopping to collapse exhausted every evening. Occasionally he glimpsed the dark clouds on the horizon and they looked as far away as ever.

He had woken once again aching and tired, this time in a sheltered hollow under exposed tree roots. It was raining, for the first time since he had landed in that place, and the low rumbling of thunder echoed across the sky. Sirius crawled out of the hollow and changed into a man, cupping his hands to catch the rain and drank greedily. He was not sure whether he needed to eat and drink or not but he suffered hunger pains as he did in the living world when he didn't eat all day. Hunger was nothing new to Sirius however and he once again changed into his animagus form and loped off across the grassy plain in front of him.

Several minutes had passed since they had cast the spell and nothing had happened. Hermione had picked up the book again and was straining to read it in the dim light, Ron and Ginny were looking worriedly at Harry who still had not moved.

"Maybe there wasn't enough blood," whispered Hermione but Harry didn't seem to hear her, instead he was shaking slightly then before any of them realised what he was doing, he lunged forward and plunged his wand back into the cauldron, scooping up the handkerchief and once again pointing at the veil.

"ACCIO SIRIUS!" He bellowed and the force of his spell blasted the cloth into the void shrouded by the veil. Immediately the swaying of the curtain became more agitated as though it was flapping in a strong breeze. The others pulled a resisting Harry back from the edge of the dais until they were a few steps from the bottom where they stopped and watched in hope and trepidation as the fabric of the living and dead worlds was breeched once more.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier. Sirius struggled on, unable to see more than a few feet in front of him. The storm was getting louder and he quickly regretted leaving the shelter of the trees but out here there was no cover and he forced his way forward against the strength of the downpour, paws slipping on the grass. Eyes almost shut he methodically put one foot in front of the other, straining to stay standing whilst the weight of the water pushed him down. After a few minutes he realised that the only thing to do was lie down and wait for the storm to pass, he was making very little progress but then the ground gave way beneath his front paws. Scrambling to back up he slipped and slid on the vegetation, bright flashes blinding him and once again he felt the floor disappear from beneath his feet.

Sirius spun through the air and with the howling wind and flashes of light he got the impression that he was back in the grey tunnels that ran between the different worlds of the dead. A point of light grew in the distance and he rushed unstoppably towards it, howling in fright and shock.

Stood in the Room of Requirement, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny heard a faint noise that sounded like somebody or something in pain coming from the veil. They readied their wands, hearts thumping in their chests. What if they had caused something terrible to happen? The sound got louder and louder, Harry bit his lip and kept his eyes firmly on the curtain, this had been the only chance to save Sirius, they had to do it. The veil billowed and they jumped as a black shape hurtled through and hit the cauldron, splashing the potion all over the archway. Getting ready to shout a disarming charm, Harry backed away from the shape but the familiarity of it made the words vanish from his mind. Oblivious to Ginny's gasp he hesitantly walked forward, his wand dropping to his side. The black shape had it's back to him and he watched it heave itself up and turn around, water streaming from its fur.

"Lumos."

In the light from Hermione's wand, Harry dropped to his knees and stared at the large dog stumbling towards him, hardly daring to believe his eyes. Tears streamed down his face as the dog changed shape and Sirius appeared in front of him, gaunt and shivering but with an identical expression of shock on his face. Inches away from each other Harry tried to say something but his throat was choked with emotion and when Sirius held out his arms, he threw himself into them, repeating Sirius' name again and again.