Disclaimer: Nope.

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the reviews, and the support. I really appreciate it all. Last week was one of the most stressful weeks I've experienced in quite a while, and unfortunately, it made my muse vanish. This week hasn't been much better - I thought it would be at the beginning, but it hasn't turned out that way. I struggled to get this chapter out, but here it is. I'm sorry for the delay in getting it done.

And I feel like I should tell you all what happened. As I have stated before, I had a big brother that passed away over eleven years ago. I have learned to go on with my life, as that's what he would have wanted. But there are times when the grief comes back, and it always hits me unexpectedly. Last week, it came back worse than it has in a long time because there were several reminders of him that hit me hard. Therefore, I struggled through the end of last week, and it is still with me this week.

I'm definitely getting a little better now, but still low on energy. However, I know I have to get back on my feet again. Writing this story definitely helps, for there are certain aspects of it that are all his influence. I also get reminders of him in unexpected places - Sturgis, for example. I'm sure you're all not surprised to hear that. As you know, the character of Sturgis Podmore is based off of someone real, and that someone is very much like my big brother. Therefore, knowing who he is in real life, plus writing him, helps me immensely.

Anyway, I'm back to it now, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I know I can't incorporate song lyrics into the story, but you'll see that there's a song in here. I didn't realize how much this song spoke to me until last week - it's a song I never liked much but it's starting to grow on me. It's called Dream On, and it's by Aerosmith.

I take your points about Dumbledore, although I still wish that he had checked up on Harry at the Dursleys. Even if he hadn't gone inside, he could have observed from afar. And maybe he didn't want to speak to Sirius in Azkaban - but I guess I'm speaking from my own point of view. If someone betrayed my organization like that, I'd want to know why.

I'm glad you enjoyed Harry taking care of Sirius. I love writing their relationship so much.

One more thing about this chapter: there actually WILL be song lyrics in here, because they're mine. If it's my own song I created, it's not breaking the rules, right? It's actually a poem right now, as I haven't put it to music - maybe someday, I will. It's not something I planned to introduce into the story so early, but it was always my plan to incorporate it into this. But this story has evolved and developed since I first started planning it, so I thought, why not do it now? I'd really love your feedback on the poem, which in the story is a song. And the scene that surrounds the song - it was gut-wrenching to write, but at the same time, it was cathartic.

Okay, without further ado, here comes the chapter.

xxxxxxxxxx

For the millionth time in his life, Sirius thanked Merlin that he had become an Animagus.

Of course, the biggest reason he was grateful for this was due to the fact that he could help one of his dearest friends through the most terrible, painful times of his life. He remembered the first time he'd ever seen Remus transform - the agony on his face was beyond comprehension. He made sounds that chilled him to the bone, that made his heart almost collapse in upon itself at the pain he felt in his soul. That such a wonderful, kind, wise person had to suffer so much ... it was one of those cruelties of the world that Sirius just couldn't wrap his head around.

Then, there had been his time in Azkaban. If not for his Animagus form, Sirius knew he wouldn't have come out of it at all sane. Sure, he'd had his innocence, but in the end, how much would that have helped? Yes, in a court of law, he would have been found innocent. But in his heart, where it mattered most, he was guilty. His plan had gotten Lily and James killed, and it very well could have taken Harry's life, too.

And now, as he wrestled with the information that he'd found out about his little brother, his Animagus form was able to dull the struggling emotions inside of him. As he lay in bed with Harry curled up beside him, sleep was elusive.

Oh, Harry. The boy knew how much Sirius was fighting his demons, and, therefore, he hadn't left him alone tonight. He had now fallen asleep, but he'd spent ages stroking Sirius's fur, trying to comfort him. It had done wonders - he knew he'd be faring much worse if not for Harry - once again, the kid was tethering him to sanity.

Harry, being Harry, would feel guilty in the morning for falling asleep on him. But why shouldn't he? He was exhausted. He'd had lessons that day, including a rigorous one with Emmeline where they had duelled the entire time. Every time Sirius recalled Harry's reaction to Voldemort's immortality, his heart broke. That look in his eyes - no fifteen-year-old should possess that look. It was gut-wrenching.

Regulus. Oh Merlin, little Reggie, as Sirius used to call him, a term of endearment that always made Regulus scowl. Oh, little Reggie. That little boy who used to listen to Sirius's stories had grown into a man that had made horrible mistakes. But he had died in the attempt to make up for them.

Sirius, his heart racing and his skin clammy, had demanded that Kreacher tell Harry what had happened to Regulus. He remembered Kreacher's tears, the way he had put his hands over his face and yelled, "No! No! No! No! No!"

But he obeyed, because an order was an order and house-elves were absolutely required to follow it to the letter. For the first time in his entire life, Sirius felt something other than hatred for the filthy, bedraggled elf. Harry had looked supremely uncomfortable, too, his emerald eyes showing compassion and sympathy, making Sirius feel guilty for the contempt that still lay in his heart for the elf.

But Kreacher had eventually followed the order, and Sirius had kept his promise to leave the room. When Harry emerged after the tale, his face was pale and his eyes were wide. "Sirius." He spoke softly. "It's ... it's ..."

"A horrible story," Sirius finished for him. "But I need to know, kiddo."

"I know," Harry whispered in answer. "Would you like me to tell you, or do you want me to ... show you?"

Sirius had agreed to Harry putting the memory into Sirius's Pensieve. He wouldn't make Harry tell the story - it was unfair. Extremely unfair. Harry looked very deeply affected by it.

"Kreacher couldn't save Master Regulus, and Kreacher failed to destroy the nasty locket." Tears streamed down the wrinkled face as Kreacher sobbed without restraint. "Kreacher tried, but the hands were pulling Master Regulus under. Master Regulus told Kreacher to leave, and Kreacher had to do as Master Regulus ordered!" he wailed.

Harry had put a hand on the grief-stricken elf's shoulder. "It's okay, Kreacher." He bent down so that he was on the house-elf's level. "You couldn't have done anything else."

"Kreacher is a bad elf, Harry Potter!" Kreacher screamed at him, his eyes bulging with years' worth of sorrow, which had turned into sheer madness. "How dare Harry Potter tell him otherwise, the filthy half-blood that infests this house! Oh my poor Mistress, what would she say if she knew that Kreacher was being forced to converse with the likes of Harry Potter?"

It was one more reason for Sirius to learn from Harry - the boy didn't take offense to these comments. Instead, he looked unbearably sad as he stared at the elf. "I'm sorry, Kreacher," he whispered.

All that he had learned churned through Sirius's mind. Why hadn't Regulus told anybody what he was planning to do? Why had he felt like he had to go it alone?

But Sirius knew the answer to that question. To tell most of his family would have been out of the question - they'd have murdered him where he stood. And Sirius? If Regulus had come to him, Sirius would have thought it was a trick, a joke. During those years when he had been an Auror and fighting with the Order during the First War, his bitterness, anger, and resentment towards his brother had been enormous, filling him up like a balloon. He knew with certainty that he would have turned his little brother away, and he thought the guilt was going to drown him.

Another burning question was why Regulus hadn't asked Kreacher to Disapparate with him once he'd drunk that vile potion. Why hadn't he escaped? From what Kreacher had said, that potion wasn't supposed to be fatal. It had made Regulus very ill and weak, but if Voldemort had charmed the Inferi to kill him once he drank the water from the lake, surely that potion wouldn't have killed him. Otherwise, what was the point of the Inferi at all?

There was only one conclusion Sirius could draw - Regulus had wanted to go out on his own terms. He'd never have been able to escape a long, drawn-out, slow, painful death from Voldemort. He'd rather be drowned by Inferi instead. Sirius could understand that reasoning, and the desperation of wanting to prove something, of wanting to atone, of wanting to give up your life to rectify your mistakes.

Still, Sirius tossed and turned all of that night, the horror of it all swimming before him. And then, he couldn't help but think about what this all meant.

Would the Ministry be able to destroy the thing? If they couldn't, then what could be done? He thought of Harry, and if he'd been human right then, he would have succumbed to either rage or grief. His kiddo was prophesized to defeat Voldemort. If the boy wasn't sleeping beside him, Sirius would have opened his mouth and howled at the heavens above, cursing them for their cruelty.

The thought of losing Harry was unbearable. But if Voldemort couldn't die ... then surely Harry would. Even as a dog, he couldn't help but see the image of Harry's limp body sprawled out before him, those emerald eyes lifeless, a frozen expression of fear and helplessness on his face.

Sirius didn't know how he got through the rest of the night. Sleep would literally have been impossible if he was a human. As a dog, he was finally able to sleep, but it was a restless thing. When he awoke, he might as well not have slept at all.

And Harry noticed. The boy was exceedingly attentive to him that morning, those emerald eyes filled with love, worry, and concern. Sirius tried to reassure the boy as best he could that he was okay, but Harry knew better.

Still, despite how Sirius was feeling, he knew he had to go on. What else could he do? He carried on as memories of Regulus buffeted him. He carried on as Harry went through his lessons that day. And he carried on as he and Harry planned to attend Sturgis's nightly gathering.

But, a few hours before it happened, they received a Floo call from Minerva McGonagall. "There's an emergency meeting for some of the Order tonight," she said, her face in that pinched expression that meant nothing good.

Some of the Order? Sirius thought. Why not all of them? It was rare that the entire Order didn't attend a meeting. Who would be there?

It must be about the Horcrux, Sirius concluded as dread suffused his heart. Sirius had sent her an owl about it last night, and after some obviously deep thought on her part, McGonagall must only trust certain members of the Order with this information. Her decision was understandable - Horcruxes were such unbelievably dark magic. Everyone in the Order wanted Voldemort defeated - but it was only the ones who could truly handle such a horrible concept that would be there tonight, he realized.

It wasn't a surprise that the meeting would still be in Sturgis's home. Sturgis had shown himself to be able to handle such a thing. No doubt Kingsley would be there, too - he and Sturgis were practically joined at the hip. Moody would attend too, he surmised, as would Emmeline Vance. Tonks - she was made of strong stuff, but Minerva might not include her due to her age and inexperience with truly fighting. She had just become an Auror, but she had only just come out of training. Sirius was secretly glad of this - why should his little cousin be involved in something so ... deranged and evil?

His suppositions were proven correct when he and Harry arrived at the meeting. Although Harry wasn't happy about it, he knew that he wouldn't be involved either. Without a fuss, he wished Sirius luck and disappeared into the living room, where he began to work on schoolwork.

The meeting consisted of Minerva, Sturgis, Kingsley, Remus, Bill, Moody, Emmeline, and himself. He wasn't shocked not to see Tonks, Hestia, Dedalus, Molly, Arthur, and especially not Mundungus. Although Molly and Arthur had known what the First War was like, Molly ... she'd have a hard time handling this sort of thing. Arthur would have done a lot better, as he had a more steady, reassuring presence, but Minerva had made it easier on Molly by keeping Arthur out of it, too. However, since Bill had been the one to find the Horcrux to begin with, he was there. And Sirius knew Molly would have fought that with every breath in her body, and she would surely ask Bill what had happened this evening. But Sirius trusted him to keep his mouth shut.

Severus Snape was not there, either. Sirius doubted that it meant Minerva didn't think he could handle it. In fact, he thought that old Snape might know about it already - he suspected that Minerva had many private conversations with him, where no ears could hear. The rage and hate Sirius had harbored for Snape for years reared its ugly head again as he instantly thought that the Potions Master should be kept out of everything. He had yet to get over the grudge he still held for him.

As they sat around the table, the ones who didn't know what was going on looked worried. "Minerva?" Remus asked as Sturgis sat down after going around the table, providing drinks for everyone. "What's this about?"

Minerva McGonagall cleared her throat, her eyes assessing the room and the moods of everyone in it. "There has been a serious discovery which I am trusting you all with," she said, her demeanor so brisk and serious that her Scottish brogue was truly making itself known. "If this information ever gets out ..." She stopped, unable to find the proper words to finish that sentence.

"Do you need us to take an Unbreakable Vow, Minerva?" Kingsley asked, and it was clear that he was not joking. Sturgis, who sat on his left, wore the same expression - it was extremely intense.

"No." Minerva looked appalled at the suggestion. "I will not ask you to do that."

A thought entered Sirius's mind then - Dumbledore would. He absolutely would.

"We promise that we will never tell, Minerva. Not even under the most dire of circumstances." Sturgis spoke with that rawness that had always defined him. There was no doubt in Sirius's mind that the other man would die before breaking his word. And Sirius knew what that intensity felt like - he'd experienced it when promising Lily and James that he would never betray them, although he hadn't trusted himself - that was why he'd had them switch to Peter, after all.

Every other Order member in the room nodded, and Minerva nodded in return. "What I am about to say is very unpleasant," she warned, "but it is something that we need to face."

Slowly, with help from Sirius, Mad-Eye, and Bill, she explained what they had done yesterday at Grimmauld Place, and what they had found. Everyone in this room now knew where Harry and Sirius lived, and that Orion and Walburga Black had been dark wizards.

Sirius had thought about what to say here. Did he want to tell those gathered here what had happened to Regulus? Did he want to open himself up, to make himself vulnerable? It would be clear to everyone how acutely he was grieving right now.

But why shouldn't he? He trusted everyone in this room. Obviously, he had made major mistakes when deciding who to trust before ... but ... if McGonagall had invited these certain people to tell them about the Horcrux - something so sensitive - then Sirius could explain about Regulus.

As he spoke of his discovery, he saw the sorrow and heartbreak on Remus's face, the compassion on Sturgis's face, the understanding on Kingsley's, the shock on Bill's. Even Moody and Emmeline, who were much harder to crack, looked affected by Sirius's story. Minerva looked at him with shocked and sympathetic eyes; she must be remembering Regulus as her own student, and she also knew how hard this was for Sirius.

When the full implications of what a Horcrux was registered with everyone, the reactions ranged from horror to shock to revulsion. "Blimey," Bill breathed, his eyes full of an infinite disgust. "I once heard it talked about - one of the cursebreakers I used to work with mentioned that ... foul magic to me. It wasn't anything they were interested in - they were horrified by such a concept. They told me not to breathe a word of it to anyone - even the mention of such a thing can land you in trouble if it's said around the wrong people. I haven't thought about it since - but I was never able to forget."

"Well," Sturgis said, and when Sirius looked at him, his eyes were blazing. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is why tyrants like Voldemort can never stay in power," he proclaimed, and he seemed to be more positive than ever now that the monster would be defeated. "They're so weak that they need to do something that depraved to survive."

"But don't you understand?" Remus's voice rose an octave as he, usually a very calm and controlled man, began to panic. "How can he be defeated if it can't be destroyed? House-elves possess a different magic than us - and Kreacher couldn't even destroy the thing when he was ordered to!"

"There are always drawbacks to performing evil deeds like making a Horcrux," Sturgis said with certainty. "I admit that this is magic that I have never heard of - but it is the way of the universe. It is unfathomable to me that any human being cannot be defeated."

You can't, Sirius thought, but didn't say it out loud. Sturgis seemed to possess faith and positivity in endless amounts. If anyone had remained undefeated to this point, it was him.

"Well, if that's the case, we need to find out how the hell to destroy this thing. Has the Ministry made any progress?" There was a look of deep, overpowering revulsion in Emmeline Vance's eyes. At this moment, she was showing more emotion than Sirius had ever seen from her.

"One of my contacts got back to me," Moody said, his magical eye swivelling around the room. "He specializes in researching dark objects. He's a part of something rather like the Unspeakables - not even their friends and family are aware of what they study. I'm fortunate enough to know him, so I knew who to go to. Not that he tells me much about what he does ... but that's how it's supposed to be. Can't have people like that breaking protocol, you know."

"So what did they tell you?" Remus asked. Sirius gazed at his best friend - he'd looked at Sirius with such sympathy as he spoke of Regulus, and his eyes had been filled with an unspeakable horror at the revelation of exactly what a Horcrux was.

"They're keeping it hidden beneath layers of wards and charms so that no one else can find it," Moody answered fiercely. "And they're going to research how to destroy it. And you know what? I reckon we should do the same."

Now, Sirius understood even more clearly why Minerva had chosen who she considered the more seasoned members of the Order. He felt honored that he had been made one of them, but he also felt a deep sense of responsibility. This was one enormous endeavor.

Sturgis and Kingsley sat up straighter in their chairs, their expressions intent and alert. Obviously, they were more than up for the challenge. Emmeline sat ramrod straight, looking like a soldier prepared for battle. Remus looked repulsed, but equally determined. Moody and Bill looked fierce - their determination couldn't be denied. And Sirius felt his own resolve become even firmer - he would never accept defeat - especially not with Harry's life at stake.

"I can look through the books that are in our attic," Sirius said promptly. Though he, Moody, and Bill had gone through the dark objects, they had not yet sorted through all the dark books the Black family owned. And at this moment, Sirius was very relieved about that fact.

"And we'll join you," Bill said at once as he looked at Moody, who nodded.

"When do you want to get started?" the grizzled ex-Auror asked, instantly ready for action.

"Does tomorrow work for you?" Sirius knew his eyes were practically alight with fervor. "At nine o'clock, while Harry's having his lesson?"

Bill and Moody nodded immediately. "Let's do it." Bill said. "It'll be a race between us and the Ministry."

Minerva gave the three of them a small, tight smile. "Very good, then," she said briskly.

There was a rather profound silence after that, and though all of the Order members gathered around the table still looked determined, there was a rather shaky quality to the atmosphere. This ... this was huge.

It was Remus who asked the next question. "What does this ... what does this mean for Harry?" he asked quietly.

Sirius felt sick. Being the only one in the room who knew the full contents of the prophecy, he felt like he couldn't breathe. But looking at the determined faces of the others, he knew that even though they weren't fully aware of what Harry had to do, they had an inkling. It was almost ... obvious, what the prophecy had predicted.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again," Sturgis said at once, looking around at everyone with that almost manic light in his eyes. "It means that whatever that child has to do, he won't do it alone. I, for one, won't allow that to happen."

The others were silent, gazing at Sturgis's face and then nodding in assent.

"Do you think it prudent that some of us learn the prophecy?" It was Bill who spoke. "So we can help Harry in the best way possible?"

"But what if one of us is captured?" Remus asked, his expression deadly serious. "All of us in this room would never tell our enemies anything they want to know ... but ..."

"Dumbledore knows it in its entirety." Sirius spoke. "As do I. Lily and James ... they told me."

"Is that also why you decided to switch Secret Keepers to Peter when you went into hiding?" Sturgis asked, his voice gentle.

Sirius looked him in the eye. "Yes, that is one of the reasons," he admitted softly. "I changed the plan to protect Lily, James, and Harry from myself - in more ways than one. I was desperate to protect them from Voldemort forcing me to reveal their location - and from him ever finding out about the full contents of the prophecy." He suddenly looked unbearably sad.

"I think we should leave things the way they are, for now," Emmeline said seriously. "There is no point in increasing the danger to Harry. We all know that he is involved in this war - and we will do anything to protect and help him."

"And we will figure out how to destroy this Horcrux," Kingsley said, suddenly looking furious. "Foul creature," he muttered, and everyone knew he was referring to Voldemort.

xxx

Sturgis made dinner for everyone that night. Harry was allowed to join them for the occasion, and several of the Order members who had not been at the meeting turned up. None of them said anything, but they could tell that something had happened. Some of the faces - like Hestia's and Tonks's - held the look of someone who desperately wanted to know what was going on.

But none of them asked. None of them demanded anything. They knew that their questions wouldn't be answered, and respected the fact that some in the Order knew more than others.

Still, a feeling of uncertainty hung over the room, and Sturgis did everything in his power to try to change it. After dinner, he announced that their nightly gathering was proceeding as normal, and Sirius saw that Harry was relieved. So was he - they both needed this.

They went into the exercise room, where Sturgis proceeded to turn on the wizarding wireless and select a rock station. It actually played Muggle tunes as well as wizarding ones. Each Order member, plus Harry, used a different piece of exercise equipment as they began to do their normal workout.

There continued to be something very different about the atmosphere - the stakes of this war had just gotten a lot higher. But it wasn't until a certain song came on that everything changed.

The lyrics of the song seemed to do something to Sturgis. He had always sang along very loudly to each rock number that played, but this one ... it touched him in a way no other song had. The lyrics deeply affected Sirius, too - the song said that the past was gone, and it had flown by too quickly. It was about feeling all different emotions as you sang, all the feelings on the human spectrum. Because any minute, you could be gone from the world - so you had to make your mark now.

And when it came to the part of the song where the title was repeated over and over and over again, Sturgis bellowed it at the top of his lungs, a wild look in his eyes as he lifted weights. The rawness that Sirius knew so well was in full display as he stood there - it was amazing to watch.

When the singer repeated the same lyrics a whole octave higher and Sturgis joined him, Sirius noticed something that he should have much earlier - Sturgis was in pain. As he continued lifting weights, it was obvious that he was working himself too hard. But he didn't seem to care.

Sirius remembered Sturgis when he was training him to be an Auror, and that part of him hadn't changed. He was always one who overworked himself - and Sirius had the feeling that it was all about atoning for past mistakes - he was determined to better himself, even if it meant working himself to exhaustion. Sirius recalled that he had been an amazing teacher, and they had bonded at the outset. It was why Sirius had ended up becoming, in many of the Aurors' opinion, one of the best out there.

He saw that both Emmeline and Moody had realized the same thing he had about Sturgis being in pain, and they'd stopped what they were doing to walk over to him. Suddenly and unexpectedly, for no reason he could describe, Sirius tried to picture Sturgis an old man of 90, long, long after the war's conclusion -

And he couldn't.

Sirius Black realized in that moment that people like Sturgis Podmore didn't grow old. People like him gave the world their all - they literally put everything into everything. They were the ones who left a true mark on the universe, like the song was saying. They were the ones who were depended upon, relied upon, needed. Maybe it wasn't fair - but it was the truth. And people like him - they shone so brightly that their candles always burned out quicker.

Sturgis had only been holding these gatherings for several weeks, but Sirius could see what effect they were having on the Order. Sturgis had become essential. They were better because of him, stronger because of him, more motivated because of him. And Sirius knew with a bone-deep certainty that if something happened to any of them in this war, which undoubtedly would be the case - Sturgis would be one of the ones to go. It was inevitable. People like him always had short lifespans - but they were the ones who would always be remembered.

A thrill of fear suddenly surged up in Sirius, and with quick steps, he ran over to Sturgis. Harry joined him, looking rather bewildered.

"Sturgis. Stop it. That's enough." Sirius's voice was sharp. "You're hurting yourself."

Sturgis stopped singing and lifting weights, but the music continued to play in the background. "What?" he asked.

"You ... you can't keep doing this." Bill laid a gentle hand on Sturgis's shoulder. "You're burning yourself out."

Kingsley switched off the wireless as he joined the huddle. "They've noticed what I've been telling you for weeks," he said softly. "You look exhausted. You barely get any rest these days."

"We appreciate everything that you've been doing for us," Emmeline said. "There's no doubt we want it to continue, and we know it will. But we need you to understand ... you're always telling us to take care of ourselves. And you don't do the same."

"We need you," Bill said, looking resolute. "And I know that's a lot to put on anyone - but we need you. Do you have any idea what you've created by holding these gatherings?"

Sturgis stared at them all, looking rather overwhelmed. "It's okay. I'm okay. I don't want you to worry," he reassured gently.

"But we are worried. We're a family." Sirius felt his heart twist, as it was Harry who had spoken. "I know I'm not technically part of the Order, but ... you always make me feel welcome at these gatherings. And you're always telling us that Voldemort will be defeated."

"He will be." Sturgis's voice was quiet, and he sounded exhausted. There was no doubt in his words - they still held all the conviction they always had. But he was drained, having used every bit of his energy to convince everyone here of the same.

Harry smiled, his emerald eyes shining. "Get some good sleep tonight, so you can tutor me again tomorrow."

"I'll be fine tomorrow. I promise." Sturgis spoke sincerely, and no one in the room doubted him. Sturgis Podmore would be fine by tomorrow.

The room was deathly quiet as the Order stood around Sturgis, taking care of him like he had them. They lingered there, a supportive presence around him, until suddenly, Hestia Jones began to sing words that would become so familiar, that would become the theme, the essence of the Order of the Phoenix and what Sturgis meant to them all. Sirius would come to find out who had originally sung the song and where it had come from, but for now, none of that mattered.

The circle.

It has no beginning, it has no end,

Our shining torch, our dearest friend,

You guide us yesterday, today, and tomorrow

Through incredible joy and unspeakable sorrow

The circle.

Kingsley joined Hestia in singing, and Sirius stood, mesmerized by the power in their voices.

And when the darkness claims the night

You are the beacon, the candlelight

That makes the shadows disappear

With you beside us, we have no fear

The circle.

Sirius watched as his little cousin, Tonks, joined in the song, her soprano voice blending with Kingsley's baritone and Hestia's alto.

And when your skies do turn to gray

And you feel like you've lost your way

Then let us be the candle that burns

'Cause what you give us, we give in return (in return)

The circle.

And then, Dedalus Diggle joined in with his tenor voice as they sang the last few lines:

It has no beginning, it has no end

Our shining torch, our dearest friend

We'll guide you yesterday, today, and tomorrow

Through incredible joy and unspeakable sorrow

The circle.

The last syllable was held for several beats, and then there was silence. Sirius felt Harry's arm slip around him, and he saw that the boy was struggling to hold onto his emotions. He pulled Harry close as he saw other Order members dabbing at their eyes.

And Sturgis? He had tears streaming down his face, but he was smiling. "Thank you," he whispered as he gazed at all those he was helping so much.

"No." Harry let go of Sirius and walked over to Sturgis, and embraced him. "Thank you."