“…he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place… Sirius must be just behind the curtain…�
-J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Sirius felt himself falling through an endless torrent of mist. It surrounded him in a dense cloak of matter that could be felt but not seen, much like the cloak he and James had used to roam the halls of Hogwarts unseen so many years ago. He could hear Harry’s voice shouting his name, but it was distant, almost as if it was only the shadow of a voice that might have been. Why hadn’t he hit the ground yet? Surely the cold stone floor of the Department of Mysteries had been under his feet only moments before…

Suddenly, Sirius was lying on his back in the middle of a dark, damp alley. He couldn’t recall actually hitting the ground, and he couldn’t recall exactly when the eternal mist had stopped. Like waking up from a dream, or perhaps entering into one, he blinked his eyes slowly a few times and then sat up. The burning migraine pounding in his skull made him want to kill someone. Where the hell was Bellatrix when you needed her?

The sound of footsteps echoed from a few dozen meters away. Sirius instinctively willed himself to change into his dog form, but nothing happened. He tried again, but when he looked down at his feet, they remained fully human and not the least bit canine. Something was seriously wrong here, but he had no time to think about it too much, because he had to get away. He had to get back to the Department of Mysteries and protect Harry. He owed it to Lily and James.

The footsteps were getting closer. Sirius could make out the image of a skinny, unshaven man making his way toward a rubbish bin, as if drunk, and then spewing the contents of his stomach into said bin.

Sirius gripped his wand, which was still in his hand. It seemed to have lost some of its warmth, but it was still a source of comfort to calm his racing heart. Surely this man posed no threat. Maybe, if he had enough of his wits about him, he could tell Sirius where he was.

“Excuse me,� Sirius said to the man, carefully approaching him with his fingers still tightly wrapped around his wand, “I seem to be lost – could you tell me where this is?�

The man, who had now shrunk to the ground in a drunken stupor, looked up at Sirius with large, sullen eyes. Sirius knew those eyes, though he was quite sure that he did not know this man.

“YerinLondon,� he said, slurring his words together and drooling down his chin as he did so. His eyes went from Sirius’s face to his wand, and then drifted back up to his face again. Sirius quickly stored his wand back in his pocket.

“Where in London?� he asked.

“Er…� the man paused and his face contorted into an expression that was somewhere between confusion and being hit with a Cruciatus Curse. He then leaned forward and puked again, this time on Sirius’s shoes.

Peering into the man’s sunken-in eyes was like staring into deep pools of black writing ink that swirled with a concoction of alcohol and gloomy memories. It was more than just a notion: Sirius was sure that he had seen these eyes before, that he knew these eyes, that at one time they had not appeared so shrouded with sadness. He mentally dove into the past, long before his years in Azkaban, when these same eyes might have peered over his shoulder while he was writing a letter or glared at him as he wolfed down his food at the dinner table. Yes, he knew those eyes all too well.

The man seemed to realize this at exactly the same moment.

“No… no, it’s not you… I must be really, really drunk…� he stumbled over his words, now gazing up at Sirius with genuine fear. He tried to comfort him, but the man staggered backwards, avoiding his touch. “You’ve come back to haunt me!�

“Regulus, brother…�

“GETAWAYFROMME!� he shouted. Sirius frantically looked around to see if anybody had heard his brother’s shouts.

“Calm down, Reg! It’s me!�

“You’re suppose’ tobedead!� Regulus was quivering now, and Sirius took note for the first time that he was not just skinny – he was practically emaciated.

“Me? You’re the one who died… you joined forces with Voldemort, and you died! I told people that I thought you deserved it!� Sirius shouted angrily, not caring anymore if all of London heard him.

“No!� Now Regulus was cowering behind the rubbish bin like a child. “Youtol’ me you were goin’ to do it, youtoldme! They… theyfound your body in theThames! Youtol’ me you were going to… Ididn’ do anything tostopyou… nowyou’ve come back tohauntme!�

Sirius paused, puzzled. “Told you what?�

“Tha’youwere gointo kill yourself!�

Sirius shook his head. Maybe alcohol wasn’t the only thing altering his brother’s brain at the moment. “I never killed myself. You’re the one who’s dead.� He was speaking almost in a whisper now.

“You… youwerealways depressed, Sirius… you, youhadno friends in school, Imean…�

Frowning, Sirius assessed the situation. Regulus was under the impression that he had committed suicide on account of depression, partially due to the fact that he had no friends in school. This was obviously incorrect, because he had plenty of friends in school. He had Remus, he had Peter, (“bloody traitor,� Sirius said to himself, when he thought about Peter,) and of course, he had James and Lily. Sirius formed his question carefully, simultaneously trying to calm himself down.

“And where, exactly, was this school where I had no friends?�

“Er…� Regulus paused, obviously finding it difficult to think clearly. “St. B-something. Idunno, I didn’ gothere.�

“What about Hogwarts?�

Regulus shook his head. “Don’ know nuffing abou’ Hogwash. Nowstop haunting me. Let me hate myself inpeace.�

With that, Regulus staggered out of the alleyway. As Sirius watched his brother-who-turned-Death-Eater-and-was-supposed-to-be-dead leave, he felt a single tear slip down the side of his face. Regulus had no idea what he was talking about when he asked about Hogwarts, and he didn’t even acknowledge Sirius’s mention of Voldemort. To him, Sirius was dead, just as he had been dead to Sirius. He walked out of the alley and down the street, not really knowing where he was going and not really caring, either. Maybe he had hit his head falling through the archway and was actually lying unconscious in the Hogwarts hospital wing. Maybe this was all a dream.

There was only one thing that Sirius knew for sure, and that was that he had to find Harry and make sure he was safe. Nothing else mattered but his responsibility to his godson.

-

“…people hid behind that curtain, he had heard them whispering the first time he had entered the room – Sirius was hiding, simply lurking out of sight…�
-J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Sirius woke up on a park bench with exceedingly sore legs and a very stiff neck. He had run for miles the night before, in fact it had started raining (as was the usual case in London), but he hadn’t stopped until his legs refused to carry him any further. Running allowed him to put off thought for a while, but now he regretted his midnight sprint through the city as he rubbed his aching calves. As he came to full senses and looked around, he realized that it was already well into the next morning, with ruddy-faced London businessmen bustling about the sidewalks carrying their briefcases in one hand and their morning tea or coffee in the other. Most of them glanced quickly at Sirius and then avoided eye contact as they walked by, obviously assuming that he was a homeless person.

Not very much in the mood to vacate his spot on the bench, Sirius sat and thought quietly to himself as he watched the Muggle vehicles rush by in frenzy. He hadn’t had much time to think quietly to himself recently, although many months ago he had had nearly twelve years of nothing to do but just that.

He should have gone after Regulus. He should have chased after him and embraced him as the long-lost baby brother who he hadn’t seen in over a decade, the long-lost baby brother who he had thought to be dead. Regulus deserved a better brother than one that let him wander off, drunk, into the night. There was so much Sirius had meant to say to him, though of course it wouldn’t have done any good. If it was true that neither of them had attended Hogwarts….

Magic didn’t seem to work anymore. That was going to be one major setback in the quest to find Harry and the others. Sirius had already tried to Apparate without success, and he was also no longer able to change into his Animagus form. He pulled out his wand, but it felt cold and lifeless in his hand. Not caring if the Muggles saw him, he muttered “lumos.� Nothing happened. Apparently, his wand was useless in this topsy-turvy alternate universe in which he had found himself. Nevertheless, he tucked it back into his pocket.

Without his magic, Sirius suddenly realized, he was completely worthless. However, overriding that feeling of helplessness was the gnawing sensation in his stomach that he knew all too well as hunger. There was a small café across the street, but it took a great deal of effort just to convince his leg muscles to allow him to stand up.

He almost got run over trying to cross the busy Muggle street (“watch it, asshole!� yelled one remarkably rude driver after swerving his bulky vehicle so as not to flatten Sirius), but inside the café it was peaceful and quiet. The cheerful chatter of people eating their breakfast was like the constant lull of the ocean; Sirius found it almost soothing. He listened to the casual conversations as he sipped his tea and nibbled away at his crumpet, neither of which he intended on paying for, seeing as he lacked Muggle currency.

“So, any plans for the summer?�

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to tell you! We’ve rented a cottage – John and I – in the Lake District!�

“I hear it’s beautiful there. Perhaps even romantic…?�

“Haha, no. It’s a two-bedroom cottage. We just want to get away from the hectic city, y’know? That way he can work on his novel and I can focus on my painting. The landscape there would be a perfect subject, don’t you agree?�

“I thought you had given up on that whole artist dream. What about the firm?�

“It’s never too late to achieve childhood goals, I say.�

Sirius continued to listen intently as he discovered that the latter speaker was, in fact, secretly hoping that John (her boyfriend, presumably) had, in reality, suggested renting this cottage in the Lake District in order to pose a memorable setting for where he might propose to her. Later in the dialogue, possible baby names were discussed, and the consensus was reached that “Diane� would be the optimal name for a girl, and “Franklin� for a boy. The conversation, though trivial, intrigued Sirius, and several times he had been tempted to interject but restrained himself. (For example, when the name “Franklin� was agreed upon, he wished to interrupt and point out that Franklin was actually a terrible name, in his opinion.)

Conversations such as this one continued to arise throughout the morning, and Sirius continued to listen to them, as he continued to order more and more crumpets and tea that he was never going to pay for. At one point the girl pouring him his tea gave him a strange look, but perhaps that was because he had begun to spin his wand between his fingers, for lack of anything more amusing to occupy his time.

When the audible conversation became dull, he would work on the plan formulating in his head, which consisted of 1) Attempt to call the Knight Bus, and if that didn’t work, 2) Find out if anyone could possibly direct him to Grimmauld Place, and if that didn’t work, 3) Come up with a better plan. This was about as far as the formulating in his head got before the crowd of people on lunch break began to trickle into the café.

Sirius was just about to start seeking the opportune moment to make a run for it (the girl who had been serving his tea all morning was already becoming quite suspicious) when a tall, slender blonde wearing tight-fitting business clothes caught his eye. Her face was small and sharply angled; she was about his age, maybe a few years younger. She was swirling the lemon around in her ice water when he swaggered up to her otherwise empty table and took a seat. It was time to work the Sirius Black charm.

“Yes?� she said, not looking up from her glass.

“You seem to be eating alone,� Sirius said in an intentionally low voice. “This is a problem that must be fixed immediately.�

“That’s nice, but I’m actually waiting for somebody, so if you don’t mind…�

“Waiting for somebody? A boyfriend perhaps?� Sirius advanced his chair just a few more inches closer to hers.

“Actually no, but good guess. He’s my husband.�

Sirius’s smiled quickly disappeared. Damn. Now he had to think of a way to escape before this turned ugly. Before he could do anything, however, the woman was gazing up at somebody who was obviously standing behind him.

“Am I interrupting anything, dear?�

Sirius froze. He didn’t turn around, because he didn’t need to. He knew that voice. This version of the voice sounded older and more tired than the way he remembered it from fourteen years ago, but it didn’t matter, because he would recognize that voice anywhere. His heart almost leapt out of his chest, but of course it didn’t, because hearts can’t actually leap out of chests. That’s what rib cages are for, and Sirius was surely grateful for his now.

“…James?� he said in an uncharacteristically high voice, reminiscent of his youth. He turned around and, indeed, it was him – a more wrinkled version of him, but it was him in the flesh. At first, Sirius was filled with jubilation at the sight of his old friend, but the happiness slipped away when he began to speak.

“Sorry, do I know you?�

“It’s me! Sirius!� Sirius was standing up now, making a scene in the café. There was no way he was going to make it out of there without being noticed now, but he didn’t care.

“Doesn’t ring any bells.� James wasn’t even looking Sirius in the eye. He was smiling lovingly at the blonde lady.

“Hold on.� Sirius turned to the woman. “This is your husband? James Potter?�

“Do you know this man?� James asked her. She shook her head.

“THEN. WHERE. THE. HELL. IS. LILY?� Sirius had now officially lost his temper.

“I don’t know anyone named Lily, and I’d appreciate it if you’d leave my wife alone!�

“YOUR WIFE IS LILY EVANS POTTER. YOU HAVE A SON. HIS NAME IS HARRY. I AM HIS GODFATHER,� he bellowed.

“My wife is Carolyn Potter, mister, our son’s name is Franklin, and you are most definitely NOT his godfather. Now leave us alone, or I’ll call the police.� He held up a strange-looking metal device with buttons on it and a screen.

“DAMN YOU, PRONGS! GO TO HELL!�

With that being said, Sirius stormed out of the café, leaving Dr. and Mrs. Potter to their lunch.

-

“…Harry was still staring at the archway, angry at Sirius now for keeping him waiting…�
-J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Sirius sprinted down the block and around several corners before finally looking back to make sure the police weren’t on his trail. The stitch in his side was like Fiendfyre; he definitely hadn’t waited the allotted thirty minutes after eating to exercise. As he doubled over in pain and sat down on the uneven curb, he realized that he hadn’t properly exercised in over a decade. He had spent the recent months cooped up at Grimmauld Place, and before that, locked up in Azkaban Prison. During his youth, he and James used to go for midnight runs in their Animagus forms, but of course those days were long gone.

Thinking about James made Sirius clench his fists with anger. How could he go off like that and have a kid with somebody who wasn’t Lily? Even if what Reg said was true, if Hogwarts somehow didn’t exist… James and Lily were soul mates. Who cares if they never went to the same school? They were made for each other, damn it! The rage boiled inside his gut, making him feel like he was going to vomit.

Doubtful that it would work, Sirius held out his wand arm in hope that the Knight Bus was somewhere out there. Perhaps it didn’t even count as a “wand arm,� considering the fact that he couldn’t get his wand to do little more than twirl between his fingers, but it was worth a try.

After several long minutes, his arm grew very tired. The Knight Bus never arrived.

Sirius had been expecting this to happen; but even so, it brought his morale down, and it had already reached rock bottom after his encounter with James. There was probably no Number Twelve either. In a fit of frustration, he kicked his wand aside into the gutter, only to pick it up again and wipe off the mud with his shirt. Even if it seemed worthless, his wand was the sole proof that the real world hadn’t been just a fantasy. He examined it, weighing it in his hand. Its handle was substantially larger than the one he had purchased so many years ago, back when he was eleven and relatively ignorant of the horrors of the world. That wand, however, had been snapped in half when he was sentenced to life in Azkaban. This wand had been recently given to him by Albus Dumbledore.

Sirius tucked the wand into his back pocket and stood up. Surely finding a crumpet-thief wouldn’t be at the top of the Muggle police’s priority list, and after all, he was a professional at running from the law. In an attempt to calm his racing mind, he decided to go for a walk rather than remain on the curb and wait for something to happen. He had never been a patient man.

Staying on the side-streets, Sirius wandered aimlessly around Muggle London in an attempt to forget his worries. This attempt failed. The love for one’s godson cannot be easily forgotten.

---

It was nearly dusk, and Sirius had already seen at least four men and one woman who he could have sworn looked exactly like Regulus from behind. None of them were his brother. He hadn’t originally set out to search for Reg, but now it seemed like that was his goal for the night. Maybe if he could find him sober, he could get some more information out of him. Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way back to the real world, back to Harry.

As the sun began to set, Sirius realized that he needed to find a place to stay for the night. Rubbing the back of his neck, he resolved that he would not sleep on a park bench for a second night in a row. He came upon a cobblestone street lined with red brick apartment buildings on one side and nasty-looking thorn bushes on the other. A dozen or so Muggle vehicles were parked along the roadside. It was silent, but the silence was suddenly shattered by a high-pitched scream of frustration.

“I’ve had enough of this nonsense!� Sirius heard an angry female voice coming from about two or three doors down. “It’s over!� Suddenly the door swung open and a familiar-looking man staggered out, falling backwards down the front stairs. A pile of hardcover books flew after him, and one of the particularly thick ones got him square in the face.

“But Sharon, I…� the man started to say.

“Don’t ‘but Sharon’ me! It’s over! Now get out of my sight, you worthless, dreaming bastard!� The woman slammed the door without another word.

Sirius gaped stupidly at the man, who smiled back up at him weakly and began to gather up the scattered books. He was just as Sirius had known him, only his face was less scarred and his eyes were a little less tired. However, this man was without a doubt Remus John Lupin. Out of the blue, one of the Muggle vehicles beeped twice. He pulled open the door and slumped over into the front seat.

As hesitantly and amiably as he possibly could, Sirius walked over to the vehicle and knocked lightly on the glass window, which suddenly rolled down, as if by magic. This wonder raised his spirits significantly.

“Sorry you had to see that,� Remus said with a tinge of pink in his face. “Can I help you?�

“Yeah, I was wondering if I could ask you something,� Sirius said as he admired the inside of the car.

“Go for it.�

He looked directly into Remus’ eyes with a grave expression on my face. “Do you know who I am?�

Remus frowned. “I can’t say that I do. Wait, no – did you go to Durham?� Sirius shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t recall ever meeting you.�

“Your name is Remus, right? Remus Lupin?� Taken aback, Remus began to shuffle through his stack of books nervously.

“Nobody’s called me ‘Remus’ since I was nine years old. The name’s Remy.�

Sirius couldn’t help himself; he snorted with laughter. “Remy? Ah, that suits you quite well.�

“I’m not in the mood for a practical joke at the moment, in case you haven’t noticed. Are you being serious, or is this some sort of sick comedy?�

“I’m always Sirius,� he replied with a smile, wondering how rich he would be if he had a Sickle for every time James had used that very same pun. Remus sighed, and the window began to magically roll back up again, nearly decapitating Sirius in the manner of a guillotine. “Wait! Wait! I can explain everything! Just show me how you did that!�

At that moment, a strange connection occurred between the two men, an incomprehensible understanding, if ever such an oxymoron could exist. “Remy� smiled roguishly and gestured for Sirius to come sit to his left, which he did willingly. Sirius grinned sideways at his new companion: they had a lot of catching up to do.

-

"There's nothing you can do, Harry ... nothing .... He's gone."
-Remus Lupin ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

It took hours for Sirius to explain the entire story to Lupin. By the time he was done, the sun had long since set, but “Remy� looked as though he had never been more awake. His eyes were wide with childlike wonder.

“And you expect me to believe all of this?� he said after Sirius gave the details of falling through the veil and winding up in this world.

“I don’t just expect you to believe it, I need you to. I need your help to find my godson.� Sirius’s voice was that of a desperate man.

“That kind of a story sure would be hard to make up…�

“Every word is true.�

Remus frowned, as though he was in very deep thought. “You say that… that in this world of yours, I was a werewolf?� Sirius nodded. “Hold on, I think you should take a look at these.� He handed Sirius the stack of books that had been thrown at him by his (now ex-) girlfriend, Sharon. Sirius, turning one of the books over in his palm, suddenly noticed the name on the binding.

“Lupin? You wrote these?�

“Of course I did! Look at the covers.�

The covers of Lupin’s books featured dark nights, full moons, and most frequently of all, pictures of fearsome-looking wolves.

“You write novels... about werewolves?�

“I’ve been having dreams about them ever since I was a kid. Only in the dreams, I was the wolf, transforming in the light of the full moon, losing my human mind.� He paused. “What do you think it means?�

“I don’t know. Maybe you have some sort of connection with your real world self?�

“How do you know that this isn’t the real world?�

“That is irrelevant. Do you believe me, old friend?�

“Of course I believe you. I’m a fantasy writer. We make our living believing in magic.�

---

Sirius had no idea where to start searching for Harry, or who might have been Harry. It occurred to him that Lily might have a son named Harry, but that Harry wouldn’t be his godson. After all, he wouldn’t have James’s face or James’s jet-black hair. Those had been passed down to “Franklin.� Sirius silently cursed James.

“You know, all you have to do is give me an address, and I can get us there.� Remus gestured toward a black rectangle to the left of the steering wheel, which puzzled Sirius.

“You mean you can Apparate?�

Remus raised an eyebrow. “It’s called a GPS. They don’t have these where you’re from, I presume?� He pressed a button and the screen came to life, showing a map of the surrounding streets.

“Ah.� Sirius thought for a moment. There was only one address where there was the slightest chance that Harry might be. He had heard a lot about Privet Drive, and he had never planned on paying a visit. “Number Four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.�

“Surrey? Oh, that’s not far at all.�

Remus pushed a few more buttons, and the little rectangle suddenly came to life.

“Proceed one half of a kilometer and turn left.� The voice seemed to come out of nowhere, making Sirius jump.

“What was that?�

“I call her Betsey.�

“I see.�

As the Muggle vehicle lurched forward, the little dot on the illuminated map moved also, reminding Sirius of the Marauder’s map. Remus seemed to be too concentrated on operating the vehicle to talk, so Sirius picked up one of the werewolf novels and began to read. It was, admittedly, not that great.

“Park a few blocks away,� Sirius said when they reached Privet driving at around 2:30 a.m. “It’s the middle of the night – I’ll talk to them in the morning.�

Remus nodded and pulled over on the curb of Magnolia Crescent. After he turned the key and the beelike hum of the car subsided, they both fell asleep in their seats: Sirius with an uneasy feeling in his stomach about what the next day would hold, and Remus with a giddy feeling in his heart about the idea of having found a friend.


From what Sirius had heard about it, Number Four Privet Drive was not a very pleasant place. He figured it couldn’t be much worse than Grimmauld Place. He wasn’t sure whether he should ring or knock, but before he could do either, a stocky teenage boy, who had apparently spied him out the window, opened the door and frowned.

“Excuse me,� Sirius said in the most polite way possible, “Do you think I could talk to your mum or dad for a moment?�

The boy smirked. “I’m not seven, you know.� He turned around and called into the hall, “Mummy! Someone’s here!�

A woman came into view who must have been Petunia. She hardly bore any resemblance to Lily; perhaps they had similar noses, but that was where the similarities ended.

“Yes?�

“Are you… er… Petunia Evans?�

She raised one eyebrow at him. “Petunia Dursley. Evans is my maiden name – do I know you?�

“No, but I know Lily, your sister, and I uh…� Sirius paused and watched Petunia’s reaction to the mention of her sister. He had heard that she hated her, but her face seemed to light up a little bit at the sound of Lily’s name. “I wanted to pay her a visit, and I was wondering where I might find her.�

Petunia looked increasingly suspicious. “But how did you know -�

“A friend of Lily’s! How delightful!� A large, red-faced man came bounding into the doorway and cut Petunia off mid-sentence. “Yes, yes, of course we can help!�

“Vernon, we don’t know this man -�

“Nonsense!� He cut her off again. He seemed quite a lot jollier than Sirius had been anticipating. “Now, where was it that she and that nice Severus fellow moved to with the twins? ‘Twas somewhere in Wales, I believe….�

Sirius was no longer listening. For a moment or two, he actually felt as though his heart had stopped beating. Lily and Snape – Snivellus – the slimy git – first James, now this – twins? – it couldn’t be – no, no, no: thoughts streamed through Sirius’s mind at a thousand miles per second. He muttered a quick “thank you� to Vernon and hurried back to the car, where Remus was still lying asleep with his mouth curved up in a smile.

Something about that smile told Sirius that everything was going to be all right.

---

A Short Epilogue

Harry went on to save the modern world, but Sirius never saw his godson again. He and Remus (who got used to answering to his real name) became writing partners, and together they wrote a fantasy series about four best friends causing mischief in a school of magic named Hogwarts. This series, “The Marauders,� became an international bestseller.

Every night, Sirius thought of Harry and wondered about the fate of his world. For all he knew, Voldemort could have killed all of the Muggle-borns and taken over Europe. However, he had a feeling in his gut that told him Harry had been victorious.

“All was well.�
-J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

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