The next morning at breakfast, Harry swirled his cup of icy cold pumpkin juice and stared into the frothy drink dejectedly. Students filed into the Great Hall in small groups, rubbing sleep from their eyes and yawning. Ron arrived and sat down opposite Harry and
promptly began to eat his breakfast.

"What's the matter, Harry?" asked Ron through a mouthful of scrambled eggs, noticing Harry was not touching his toast. "Can I have your toast?"

"Please, Ron, take this toast away from my plate," sighed Harry, "I can't bear to look at it any longer."

"Hello," said Hermione cheerfully as she arrived at the table, taking a seat next to Harry. She glanced at Harry and sighed as she began buttering her toast.

"Something wrong, Harry?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I can no longer hide my feelings, for they show ever so clearly upon my countenance," wailed Harry as he buried his face in his hands.

Hermione and Ron exchanged glances. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"My thoughts, my very being has been consumed with grief since my beloved godfather was taken suddenly by that dreaded curtain. Last night, Mel, Gil, and I tried in vain to bring him back, but it shall be a fortnight, nay, perhaps longer before we can know for certain," Harry said, his voice nearly breaking from the weight of his words.

"Harry, you know you can't," Hermione said, pausing as she searched for words that wouldn't send Harry into a fit of hysteria, "bring someone back."

"Mel told me it could be done! She has the power of Sight and she saw it and relayed to me that it could be done through Gil because has the power!" said Harry.

"He is half-ghost, Hermione," interjected Ron who pointed with his fork for emphasis.

"I know," sighed Hermione, "But it cannot be done. I've read extensively on the subject. It simply cannot be done."

"It can be done! It has been done!" Harry cried, waving his arms animatedly.

Hermione sipped her pumpkin juice and then gathered her personal effects, "It hasn't been done because it can't be done. I'm not going to sit here and argue. I'll see you later, then."

Ron shoveled his last spoonful of eggs into his mouth and then followed Hermione out, giving Harry a feeble wave good-bye.

"Abandoned," lamented Harry to his half-eaten breakfast, "Abandoned in my time of need."

Mel arrived at Harry's side promptly, having just finished her breakfast. She placed her hand upon Harry's shoulder and cooed, "Harry, I saw you were in distress and I just couldn't bear to watch you any longer."

"Oh, Mel, you truly do have powers," said Harry, folding his napkin and placing it on the table beside his goblet.

"No," admitted Mel, "I was sitting over there."

"Mel, I tire of breaking fast. Let us retire to the grounds and speak of last evening's events," said Harry passively. Mel nodded and they exited the hall.

"Harry, is there anything I can do for you? You look absolutely dreadful," said Mel as she held the door to the grounds open for him.

The grounds were saturated and students were milling about, lifting their robes as they marched through the puddles that were gathered on the ground. The leaves on the trees dripped with rain water. The heavy rains of last night had stirred up the lake, which was now murkier than usual. Harry kicked a stone into the lake as he passed. Mel and Harry sat on a bench under a rather large tree.

"How long do you suppose we will have to wait until we know for certain when, and if, Sirius will be able to return?" asked Harry, his eyes focused squarely on his shoes.

"I can not forsee for certain, see," mumbled Mel, "But using my powers of Sight, I can see that the answers will come to us soon enough, but I fear it may not be what you want to hear!"

Mel turned to Harry and patted his hand sympathetically. Harry could see her chocolaty emerald icy blue eyes filling with tears. She was distraught, horrified at not being able to help Harry. She nearly fell at his feet when—

"Gil is yonder! Maybe he can give us an educated estimate because he is half ghost!" cried Harry as he leapt to his feet and dashed off to Gil.

Gil couldn't hear Harry's cries of excitement because he was listening to My Chemical Romance on his iPod that he had magically enchanted with magic so he could listen to it on Hogwarts grounds because he tried the iWitch and the 4gb new iWizard but it wasn't as good as his new video iPod with the U2 guys's names on the back. But he was happy to play My Chemical Romance at full volume while he magically taped up posters for his appearance at Hogsmeade to every bench, tree, rock, and wall that would allow his spellotape to stick. He jammed along to "My Helena" by My Chemical Romance, which
was his favorite song at the moment, while a bunch of groupies bunched and grouped around him. He barely noticed.

"Gildor!" said Harry as he tapped Gil on the shoulder.

"Hello, Harry," said Gil, pulling one earbud out of his ear and leaving the other one in so he could listen to "My Helena" by My Chemical Romance. Tossing his head to remove his silvery bangs from his striking eyes that flashed like lightning or something equally bright that flashes, Gil turned to his groupies that were grouping around him and dismissed them with a casual, "Later, groupies."

The groupies pouted, some cried, and a few took their own lives in grief before they dissipated.

"Gil, you must give me some sort of educated estimate of when we can expect some word from Sirius," pleaded Harry.

"I am a half-ghost," said Gil, "but even I can't say!"

"My eyes!" cried Harry, "They fill with tears."

Harry rushed back inside the castle, pushing students out of his way, and knocking Colin Creevey into the lake, crying the whole way.

---------------------------

Authors' Notes:

Gillikin: My sister was married today! I'm so tired, I'm glad that Lyssoh wrote this. Anything to say, Lyssoh?

Lyssoh: I AM AWFUL WITH THESE THINGS LOL