Sirius hit the veil and landed on a cold stone floor, a warm liquid splashing over him. Immediately all of his remaining memories exploded into his brain and he gasped from the knowledge of what had happened. He heard something behind him and he turned around to see Harry on his knees, staring at him with a desperate, incredulous expression and Sirius felt the same expression spread across his own features as he changed out of his animagus form back into a human being. He held out his arms, barely daring to believe that he was alive and that Harry was safe after the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Clutching the sobbing teenager to his chest he felt tears roll down his face, the enormity of what had just happened to him shaking him to the core.

"James…"

Harry pulled back at Sirius' hoarse whisper and stared into his face. Sirius stared back, his face distraught. Harry clutched hold of his shoulders.

"What is it? Did you see my dad?" Hope lit up his features but Sirius' expression was like a knife to his heart.

"He's lost."

Hermione, Ginny and Ron had moved forward to join them on the floor and Ginny touched his arm.

"What do you mean by he's lost?"

Sirius turned to face her but all he could see was James disappearing into nothing as the passageway fell apart and flung them into different worlds.

"We fell, we were together, he was trying to help. Oh no!" He surged to his feet and spun round to face the veil once more. "I need to go back!"

"NO!" Harry leapt at him, holding onto his arms and struggling to pull him backwards. Ron and Ginny both grabbed Sirius' coat but he was too strong, hysteria driving him forward.

"I CAN'T LEAVE HIM THERE! JAMES! HE'LL NEVER FIND LILY AGAIN!"

"WAIT!" yelled Hermione running forward.

Sirius stopped struggling and turned to her, falling to his knees.

"Please, we have to get him back. James, Lily…"

He collapsed into tears upon Harry who was white with shock. Sirius had met his parents again? But why were they apart? Panic flared in his chest and he shook Sirius hard.

"What happened to them? Why will mum and dad not find each other? Where are they?"

Shock had descended upon Sirius and he felt oddly empty. The two people he had loved most in the world were dead but now, through helping him, they would spend eternity in different worlds. Lily at Hogwarts waiting vainly for her husband to come back to her and James trapped in somebody else's world; never able to find his way back to the woman he loved. He felt a hand on his face and looked up to see Hermione gazing at him in despair.

"I don't know if we can get him back. The spell only summons solid objects, I don't know if it'll work on…" her voice faded to a whisper.

Harry slowly stood up and walked around the others, Sirius' voice echoing in his head. 'I can't leave him there! James! He'll never find Lily again!'

"Harry, where are you going?"

He didn't hear Ron's voice but carried on walking forwards towards the gently rippling veil, the renewed whispers beckoning him forward as he placed his feet upon the plinth. The stone of the archway felt rough beneath his fingers but the veil as he brushed it aside was liquid ice. He was prepared to leave the living if it meant his parents would never be together again otherwise and if he truly had to admit it, the veil had always held a fascination for him ever since he had first seen it in the Department of Mysteries. He could see the stone wall opposite through the arch but he knew there was something between them, the faintest chill against his face. He took one last look behind him at his three best friends frozen on the floor and the godfather he thought he would never see again, smiling sadly as he did so. Then he stepped forward and vanished into the air.