On his way to Hermione's flat, Harry smiled at the memory of the dream he'd had the previous night. A dream where he was bringing his children to the Hogwarts train with Ginny. He smiled a wry smile, remembering that Malfoy had been there too. After all, the man might still have a life. He had received a rather light sentence. His father, on another hand, would probably die there. Harry couldn't bring himself to be sorry for him. He couldn't forget that Lucius Malfoy had led the attack that had cost Sirius his life in the Death Chamber.

In his dream, Hermione was married to Ron, probably because it had almost happened. But in reality, Hermione had broken the engagement, for in the end she hadn't been able to get past the way Ron had suddenly abandoned them in the middle of nowhere, the year of the last battle, whatever the effect of the medallion on him. Maybe it had been the last straw, after too many other moody, jealous behaviours. But Harry tended to approve Hermione's decision, as he was not sure that his two best friends would have been happy together. Ron was currently dating a nice girl, far less brilliant than Hermione, but who was in awe of the famous Ronald Weasley.

As for Hermione, Harry had seen her rather rarely for the past three years and he regretted it. She was always travelling, and when she was in London, she seemed to be buried in work, a perfectly normal state for Hermione anyway. He only knew that she had obtained research funding from the Department of Mysteries. Not that any department would have refused anything to one of the heroes of the battle of Hogwarts. But he knew very little of her current activities.

Walking quietly along the street full of Muggles, Harry turned and stepped into a narrow blind alley and, reaching Hermione's door, pressed the button next to her name, invisible to Muggles, of course. On the top floor, he stopped in front of one of the walls of the landing and waited until a small red door appeared. As soon as he had knocked, the door opened as if Hermione were waiting behind it. She was smiling brightly, her eyes shining, her cheeks sliglhtly flushed.

"Harry, I have some news, you'll be so happy."

"What happened, Hermione ?" asked Harry as she pulled him by the arm toward her couch.

"Sit down. You always wanted to know what I was working on, didn't you ?"

"Yeah, and you told me that it was 'classified', whatever that means."

"Well, in a way it was true. I didn't want you to know about it, as I was afraid you'd be too disappointed if I failed. I was working on the properties of the Veil, Harry."

Harry looked at her, suddenly speechless.

"Do you mean…", he said at last.

"Yes. I was looking for a way to bring Sirius back. And I succeeded. Today."

She paused, allowing her words to sink in. And then, looking at the door of her study, she said : "Sirius, come in !"

As Sirius appeared at the doorstep, for one moment Hermione thought that Harry was going to faint. Then he rushed forward, embracing Sirius tightly, crying and laughing at the same time. Looking at him and at Sirius' expression of amazed, blissful joy, Hermione thought that whatever happened next,she had already recieved the best reward for all her work.

Once everyone had calmed down a bit, Harry said to Sirius thoughtfully :

"You were there, in the the Forbidden Forest, when I was holding the Resurrection Stone. You were there, with my parents and Remus. You helped me find the courage to do what I had to. Do you remember ?"

Sirius seemed lost in thought. "It's like a dream I've had. I remember being in some kind of wide, empty hall, talking with James and Lily about you. And I remember trying to reach you, to tell you not to be afraid of dying. But for me, it's as if only one moment has passed since Bellatrix struck me with her curse…. really like a dream."

"The word of Death keeps its secrets", said Hermione. "Nobody who came back from there and could tell much about it. That's what the scrolls I studied to bring you back said.

Harry nodded, thinking of his own experience, his meeting with Dumbledore in a place that looked like King's Cross station.

"I thought I had lost you forever, Sirius. Hermione, you're amazing. How did you get the idea of looking for these scrolls in the first place ?"

"Dumbledore told me about the lost formula."

"Dumbledore… of course", smiled Harry.

"Well, he wanted to try and make up for all the damage he had done", said Hermione with a rather stern expression.

"What do you mean ?"

Both men were watching her with astonishment.

"You'll understand once I've read you the letter he sent me. He wanted me to."

Opening a drawer, Hermione took a sheet of paper covered in a neat, small handwriting.

"It arrived three years ago at my parent's place, through the Muggle postal system", she said. "I don't know who sent it. Hagrid, maybe. I must say it explained many things I didn't understand about Dumbledore's choices. Listen."