Sirius Black attempted to stand after falling for what seemed like an eternity. He quickly glanced around him to take in his surroundings. But there were not many 'surroundings' to take in. It seemed as though he was in a room that was completely empty, save for a bed and a dresser. Steadying himself on his feet, he began to walk around the room, trying to figure out what had happened to him.

The last thing he remembered was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange in one of the rooms at the Ministry, and then all of a sudden, he had fallen backwards into what seemed like a dark, bottomless pit.

All at once, the thoughts of what may be happening hit him, and he felt his head begin to spin. He started banging his head on the walls, and screaming at the top of his lungs, hoping that someone would hear him. He yelled for Harry, Ron, Hermione, Remus, Dumbledore, and everyone else that he had been trying to help. But no one answered him, and if he was completely honest with himself, he had not really thought anyone would answer. Falling to his knees next to the bed, Sirius put his face in his hands. Tears began to cascade down his face, filling his hands with the proof of his anguish.

As quickly as he had started crying, he stopped and hurriedly jumped to his feet, running to the opposite side of the room. He began following the outline of the walls in a desperate search for a door; he had to find a door to leave this horrid place. Sirius wanted to know what was going on, and he wanted the answers fast.

Upon reaching the middle of one of the walls, he noticed that there was an outline of a door, and he reached down in an attempt to open it, his hand searching for a doorknob. But there wasn't one. Sirius growled in frustration. How was he supposed to open a door if it didn't have a handle? He was just about to try and break down the obstacle when he suddenly remembered that he had a wand -- a member of the Order had given him one before he set off to the Ministry, -- and he quickly pulled it out of his front pocket, pointing it at the door.

"Alohomora." At once the door burst open, but the sight on the other side was not something Sirius had expected. The room was brightly lit, and sounds of laughter could be heard echoing throughout it. Pictures hung on the walls.

But it was not the smell of fresh paint or the sight of the picture-adorned walls or the new furniture that captivated Sirius's attention. While as nice and welcoming as all these things were, it was two people sitting around a rectangular table in the center of the room that made his heart stop. Two people he had not seen in over a decade sat, laughing and having a good time, directly before his eyes.

James and Lily Potter.

Happiness and confusion were the only things Sirius could feel. He didn't notice that he had already begun to enter the room at a fast pace - His feet simply carried him forwards, his mind seeming to be stalled and his body acting without conscious command. And in no time at all, he was standing right in front of his best friend and his best friend's wife. They both looked up at him with smiles upon their faces, love and admiration in their eyes. James quickly stood up and embraced Sirius in a hug that seemed as though it lasted incessantly.

Sirius didn't want the hug to end, but he knew that it must. He wanted to know what was going on, and he wanted to know why James and Lily were there. None of it made sense to him and seeing his best friend made everything seem more confusing and unbelieveable.

"We really had no idea that you'd get here so soon. It's great to see you even if the circumstances aren't the best. Of course you know James, it has been non-stop talk about you since 'it' happened." Lily stated, shivering at the thought of that fateful night when her and James had lost their lives. after James and Sirius broke from the hug and went to sit around the table with Lily. Sirius glanced at the pair sitting in front of him, and although he had an idea of what had happened to him, he still had many questions that he wanted answered. He just couldn't bring himself to ruin the reunion with the couple. He sat there smiling for what seemed like an eternity, when he finally decided it was time to ask them his questions.

"Really? I would have thought that you guys would have only talked about Harry. I never thought you would think of me, too." Sirius smiled to himself after hearing what Lily had said. "I really don't want to end this happy reunion, but I do have some questions that I want answered, and I don't think I can wait any longer."

James nodded in understanding and sat patiently waiting for Sirius to begin asking the questions he knew were going to come no matter what. "Well, first off, what happened? Where am I? Why am I here?" The questions came pouring out before he could stop himself. He thought that the questions may have seemed simple, but he was confused and wanted the answers.

"Well, Padfoot, you're -- I can't believe we're the ones that have to tell you this, but I guess it would be better hearing it from us then from someone else. You must understand that what has happened is permanent, and there is no way for you to undo what is already done." He took a breath, and stared into Sirius's eyes, trying to judge his friend's understanding before continuing. "Remember how you were fighting Bellatrix in the Ministry?" Sirius nodded. "Well, she -- uh -- she hit you with a spell, and you fell backwards ... Well, the veil that you fell through actually leads to here, to the --" James sighed, and he didn't think he could continue, but he knew he had to. "To the World of the Dead." James paused for a moment and continued to look at Sirius, worried how his best friend was taking the news. He nocited, however, that Sirius was still confused as to what had happened, and where he was.

"I still don't fully understand," Sirius stated, calmly. He looked over at Lily as if hoping the answer would be written on her face. But when he made eye contact with her, she quickly turned away from him, instead focusing on her husband.

James sighed, exhaling his breath slowly before he started to speak again. "Padfoot," he said, looking intently at Sirius as he spoke, "you're -- you're dead. The veil leads to the World of the Dead, which means you can't go back. There's no way for you to communicate with anyone besides us and the others that have passed on before you; the dead can only really communicate with the dead."

At this, Sirius jumped up, and began to tear apart the room. James and Lily sat quietly waiting for him to calm down, and once Sirius took his seat again, James continued to explain. "I'm sorry, Padfoot, but this is the truth. It is the reason why you are here, and why you can now see and speak with us. We know it's going to take some time for you to accept this and become used to the fact that you're never going to be able to see anyone on the other side again, and we are willing to wait."

Sirius was barely paying any attention to either James or Lily, however. "How could this have happened?" he screamed. "What's going to happen to Harry if I'm dead? Who's going to watch over him, and make sure that those disgusting Muggles don't torture him?" he yelled. Slamming his fists down on the table, Sirius turned away from his friends. He didn't want them to look at him; he didn't want to admit that they were right, and that he would never see Harry again. He didn't want to accept the fact that he was truly dead, and that such was the only reason why he was sitting there with his best friend and his best friend's wife. Sirius had missed them both for so many years, had longed to see James once more, but now that it had happened, Sirius wished he could go back and do everything over again. He didn't want to be dead. He had to protect Harry; he had to take care of him. And he couldn't do that if he was dead.

"Harry will be fine," whispered James, as if he could read Sirius's mind and was pulling the thoughts right out of his head. "And you know that, Padfoot." he said. "Harry's almost an adult, and he knows how to take care of himself. He's dealt with the Dursleys since he was a baby, and once he is an adult, he will be able to do as he pleases and won't have to see them anymore." James continued to stare at Sirius, who wasn't meeting his friends gaze and was instead staring at the floor. Walking over to the chair next to Sirius, James sat down and, placing his arm around the other man, continued to talk.

"Padfoot, I've thought about you ever since that night. I've thought about Harry, too. I've missed both of you for so long, and now, after all this time, I have my best friend back. Although it wasn't by choice, I'm still greatful to have you with us now. If I could change everything, you'd still be fighting alongside Harry, and Lily and I would be right there with you."

Sirius looked up at his best friend, and then quickly glanced over at Lily, who had her face buried in her hands. Her body shook as she continued to cry, and Sirius stood up and walked over to her. He pulled her off of the chair and began to hug her. "I know you've never really liked me, but we're older now, and I care about you a lot. Please stop crying, everything is going to be fine." Lily hugged Sirius back, and slowly she began to stop crying. She wiped her face, smiled up at Sirius, and took her seat again.

"Alright, can you now explain to me, please, where am I?" Sirius asked as he sat down once more. He looked from Lily to James, expecting them to answer right away. The pair looked at each other, trying to figure out which one of them should tell him.

James won, so Lily began to speak.

"Well, Sirius, you are in your version of the 'afterlife'," she said. "You see, when each person passes on, they end up in 'their' idea of the afterlife. But, since not everyone thinks the same thing, there are many different views on what the afterlife is. I assume the reason that James and I are here is that we all think alike, so our visions of the afterlife are all similar. This is the way we pictured it, and so did you. It's more than likely Remus, Harry, and the other members of the Order are going to think just as we did, as well." Lily looked over at Sirius as she finished explaining the situation to him.

He returned her stare, still somewhat confused, but nodded his head anyway. Sirius had always known that James thought the same as he did, but he had never thought that Lily would, too. They had just seemed so different from each other, after all. But, he thought, seeing as how she and James were married, Sirius assumbed that they must have discussed death and the afterlife with each other at some point, agreeing that they both viewed it in the same way in the end.

Sirius looked over at his best friend, and noticed that James was nodding his head in agreement with Lily. He smiled, thinking and began to think back to when they were younger, and how the two of them used to pick on Lily when they attended Hogwarts. Not once did Sirius think that James would ever marry her; with the way Lily turned him down at every turn, if anyone had suggested to Sirius that he'd see the two of them married, he'd have laughed in the person's face and declared them mad.

But time had passed, all three of them had changed ... and that 'mad' person turned out to be correct as James and Lily actually married each other. Once that had happened, Sirius had gotten to know Lily a lot better than he had for seven years while at school. He suddenly began to fully appreciate at once how lucky he was to have such great friends. If it weren't for them, he knew, he would probably be sitting in this room alone, still wondering what was going on and why.

Then again, a traitorous thought slipped into his head. If we have never been friends, I might still be alive. But he cut the idea off instantly. Sirius didn't want to think that way. He loved being friends with the couple; they were more his family than anyone else had ever been, and he couldn't think of his life without them. A part of him told him that things might have been easier - He wouldn't be dead, for one; he wouldn't have spent a dozen years in Azkaban ... But how happy would I have been? he thought, the wondering suddenly interruped as he jumped when James began talking to him.

"Padfoot, we would like to know exactly what was going on before you ended up here," he said, hesitating slightly before continuing, "That is, if you can remember."

Sirius sighed. "Of course I can remember," he said, "it was hell. For the past year or so, Harry had been having nightmares because the scar on his forehead is linked to Voldemort; he could see where he was, and what he was doing, but only if he knew where he was at the time. Earlier today, he apparently had telling him that Voldemort had captured me, and I believe Harry said that he was torturing me, and was about to kill me." Sirius took a breath, and continued his story. "He used the Floo network to contact me at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, but that nasty house-elf, Kreacher, told him I left.

"So Harry thought that I was really captured by Voldemort, and he recognized the Department of Mysteries. He told Ron and Hermione what he saw, and they quickly left to rescue me. If it wasn't for that stupid house-elf, I'd still be alive, and Harry and his friends would still be safe behind the walls of Hogwarts." He slammed his fists down on the table and took a deep breath, struggling to calm himself. "I was notified of what had happened and left for the Ministry. When I got there, most of the Order was already fighting, and Harry and his friends were alongside them. Bellatrix attacked me, and we began to fight each other. She sent a spell at me that, like you said, sent me backwards, and as hard as I tried, I couldn't stop myself from falling behind the veil. The last thing I heard was Harry scream." Sirius shook his head and put his face in his hands. "I should have tried harder," he mumbled. "I should have tried harder."

"Sirius, you did the best that you could," whispered Lily. "No one could have stopped themselves from falling. Harry will understand ... but I am certain he will try and seek revenge on Bellatrix ..., and that scares me." She shook her head, but kept her eyes on Sirius the whole time. He nodded his head in agreement, and noticeing as he did so that James did the same.

Sirius knew Harry very well, despite the short amount of time he actually got to spend with his godson, and he began to worry that Lily was right, that he would indeed seek revenge. Knowing his cousin like he did, Sirius knew that Bellatrix was one of the worste witches Voldemort had on his side, and he knew that she would drive Harry into insanity if Voldemort did not kill him first. Harry was powerful, it was true, but he was no match for her, and yet Sirius knew that Harry would think differently.

He thought back to when he had first laid eyes on Harry. The boy had looked so much like James that he knew it was him at once. There could be no mistaking him for anyone else. And then, he remembered how, almost a year after that initial glimpse, Harry had reacted when he saw Sirius. He had despised him. But he hadn't known the truth about what had happened, so Sirius didn't take it personally. He knew that he would have to explain to Harry what really happened the night his parents had died, and that he would have to tell him who really had betrayed James and Lily. Harry would understand after that, Sirius knew, and once Harry had knwon the truth, Sirius had asked him to move in with him ... But that offer wasn't able to be accepted. Harry had to stay with the Dursleys in order for him to be protected.

"Well, I still should have tried harder," he exclaimed. "There had to have been some way for me to stop myself from falling through the damn curtain." Sirius screamed. In his mind, he knew that James and Lily were telling the truth, and that there was no possible way he could have survived ... But he had always been stubborn, and he didn't want to admit that. There had to have been something else he could have done, and the thought that he may have been able to stop himself was driving him insane.

Sirius struggled to tear his mind from these thoughts and focus on something else. Even though Lily and James had explained just about everything to him already, though admittedly, not everything made complete sense to him, Sirius still had some questions left to ask. "Who else is here?" he asked, looking from James to Lily and back again, trying to see who would provide him with answers. "Are there any other places in this 'World of the Dead' besides this one?"

James looked up at Sirius and began to answer his questions. "Well, so far, no one else has pictured the afterlife like he have, so right now we are the only people here. But to answer your second question, yes, there are other places besides this. The only problem is that you would have to be the one that creates the other places."

"And how am I supposed to 'create' another place?" Sirius asked.

"Well," said James, still staring at Sirius, "you have to picture it in your mind. The walls, the doors, what ever is inside of the room, everything. In order for it to work right, you have to make sure that your mind is completely free of everything else. It's hard to do, but after a while, it is possible."

Sirius looked around the room, and noticing as he did so that there weren't any other doors, except for the one he'd come through upon entering, that is. He decided he would see if James was right, so he concentrated on the end of the room, trying to picture a door, the walls, and everything else that James had mentioned. He wanted the door to lead to a place where he could see if Harry was alright.

But nothing seemed to happen, though, and such a fact disappointed him, making him growl in frustration.

"Padfoot, I know you," said James, and Sirius turned his attention away from the wall and back towards his friend. "There is only one way to see if everyone is alright, but I'm not too sure if you're ready to see that yet. It is the way we check in on Harry from time to time to see if he is safe." James smiled at Sirius as he spke this. He began to stand, but Lily stopped him.

"James, I think we should explain this more before we show him everything," she said. "He still seems to be confused."

"I'm not confused. I just want to know if Harry is alright. I want to know if they're all alright. It's driving me crazy not knowing how everything ended." Sirius stated, looking over at Lily.

Lily let go of James's arm and stood. She reached her hand out to Sirius, who also stood and took it willingly.

"Alright, if you think you're ready, we'll show you. There's just one thing," replied Lily as she began to take a few steps towards a doorway that had just appeared.

"What is it?" asked Sirius.

"You have to understand that no matter what you see, they can't see you. There is no way of speaking to them or touching them. Trust me, if there was, you would have seen us and spoken to us before this."

"Alright, I understand." Lily and James led Sirius over to the door, pulled out their wands, and opened it.

"Oh my god!" screamed Sirius as the door opened, and he took a look inside.