He
looked around in surprise. Where was he? How had he come here? This
place didn't look familiar. It looked like an empty Great Hall, but
without the enchanted ceiling, without the people he had seen before.
No tables stood on the stone floor, and he could sense nothing at
all, not a single emotion. The Great Hall had always been filled with
feelings. In his own time, he felt pleasure, reassurance and
happiness in its people. Last time he had visited it, the place had
been flooding with tears, desperation, sadness, but also a strange
feeling of solidarity. They were in this together...
They had been
in it together, he realised, now thinking back at his last moments.
He had felt anger going through him. He saw Antonin Dolohov, grinning
madly at him and making the feared movements with his wand... And
then there was coldness. No more feeling, no more thoughts, no more
images. Just a terrible cold. Then the swooshing sound, and finding
himself here.
He forced his thoughts back to Dolohov. What had
happened? He remembered duelling with Dolohov, and suddenly he froze
in his thoughts. Tonks. Dora. She had been there – fighting
Dolohov, just as he had, until... What had happened to her? Was she
... here, too? He looked around, but still didn't see any other
living soul.
Living. That was the problem – he wasn't living
any more. Dolohov had killed him by using Avada Kedavra. He was here,
in ... heaven? He had never believed in heaven, or anything like it.
Sure, magic made afterlife more attractive, and more exciting, but
could it provide the dead with a whole new world? He didn't think
so.
Still... He definitely still felt
alive and okay. Was he okay? He surveyed himself for a moment, and
was surprised to find that no pains tortured him. He had always
carried a scar of his transformations with him, but it seemed to be
gone now.
He relaxed a little, but kept aware. Years of war had
usually prevented him from feeling safe.
Suddenly he felt a small
jolt of excitement. If he was indeed dead, and –his heart gave a
little leap, as far as it could- he was in heaven, then maybe there
were more people. Dobby, Mad-Eye, and there were probably more who
had died in the Battle... And maybe –his heart gave another leap-
even further back, Dumbledore, Sirius, and ... Lily and James?
He
started walking towards the obvious place: the heavy wooden door at
the end of the strange room. It stood ajar and he could see a strange
light shining behind it. He carefully walked through it and looked
around.
An
open space. Trees and bushes were illuminated in the light. And
people. Dozens, hundreds of people, walking like little ants and
standing in groups. Were this people who had died? He looked around
for familiar faces, but was disappointed. Obviously, these people
were wizards and witches. Most of them wore the right clothes and
they just didn't look
like Muggles. But he had hoped for something more. He started walking
towards the nearest group, watching the people carefully as he
approached. They eyed him suspicously for a moment, and he could see
they were judging him. Apparently he wasn't interesting enough,
because they turned away again and continued their
conversation.
"Remus," he suddenly heard a voice. He turned
around so quickly he almost lost his balance. Looking up, he saw a
face that lifted his mood. Mad-Eye. Alastor. He was coming towards
him, looking quite relaxed and unconcerned, though his magical eye
was casting weary looks around. "Alastor," Remus said relieved.
"There's some people who'd want to see you," Mad-Eye growled,
not taking his normal eye off Remus.
"Where am I?" Remus asked, without his normal subtlety. Mad-Eye gave a barking laugh, a laugh that reminded Remus of someone else – but before he had time to think about that, Mad-Eye answered. "Surely you've figured that out by now? They're over there." He pointed at a bunch of trees.
"Mad-Eye,
have you seen Tonks here?"
Remus asked, no longer able to control the question that had been on
his mind ever since he arrived here. "No," Mad-Eye said honestly.
"But that's not so hard, seeing the amount of people. They're
waiting." And he walked away.
Remus walked in the direction
Mad-Eye had indicated. He had no idea who were waiting, but he had a
hope... An impossible hope? After all, it was two years ago... And
even longer ago, sixteen long years... Remus sighed. He really wanted
to see Dora, to hold her in her arms, to have her here. But
apparently she wasn't here. Remus wasn't sure whether he should
be happy or sad about that. It meant she wasn't dead – but not
here to join him, either.
He was near the trees now. It was less
crowded here and the people stood in silent groups, not walking
around much. Just then a small group of people appeared out of the
larger group, walking fast towards him. Two dark men, huge smiles on
their faces, as they approached their old friend and gave him a bear
hug. Remus could not believe it; his old friends, his dead friends...
The Marauders. Re-united?
Finally they let go of him and Remus
looked in the familiar faces. Sirius looked much younger than he had
looked when Remus had last seen him, during that dreadful night in
the Ministry. His black hair was clean and just like it had been
before; his grey eyes looked alive, despite Sirius's current state
of being. Remus was immediately reminded of Harry when he looked at
James. They were of about the same height, they both had the same way
of walking, their hair as untidy as it had ever been... The only
differences were James's hazel eyes, which shone brightly in his
young face, and the big smile on his face. Remus hadn't seen that
smile on Harry's face for a long time – too long, in Remus's
opinion. Harry – what had happened to him? But his thoughts were
cut off by Sirius.
"Moony... Where are you?" Sirius grinned at
him, and Remus grinned back, not being fully able to cope with this.
He had his friends back, at last. His face fell when he realized that
one was still missing – Peter Pettigrew, the fourth Marauder. But
he wasn't a friend anymore; his betrayal had cost him that.
"Remus! You've got no idea how long I've waited for you
here," James said, looking rather serious. "How have you been?"
"Well, not really well lately, have I?" Remus answered with a smile. "Death usually is something good to happen to anyone." James looked at him, and so did Sirius.
"What
happened?" Sirius asked. "How come you're... here?"
Remus
told them the whole story. His old friends were good listeners –
making the right sounds at the right time, grinning
when they needed to. James smiled broadly when he heard about his
son's role in all this. "Knew he'd be great," he muttered.
Sirius
gave him a friendly punch and said: "You knew that already, so
let's just listen to Moony, shall we?"
Both of them got angry
when they heard who had killed Remus. Dolohov and the Marauders had
always had a hateful relationship.
When Remus explained what had
happened during his last moments, he couldn't go on. He looked away
and blinked, trying to keep his tears back. "It's
okay, Moony," James said, still rather serious, unlike what Remus
remembered of him. Sirius just looked at him.
"Dora..." Remus stuttered. "She was there, too... I don't know what happened to her..."
"Dora?" James said eagerly. "A woman? You... Wow! Got married?"
"Became a father, too", Remus said proudly.
"Congratulations!" James said, before realising what he just had done. "Sorry", he muttered ashamed.
"That's okay", Remus answered. "He'll have a life. I hope he knows what his father died for. And... Harry is his godfather."
"You made my son godfather?" James roared, shooting a quick glance towards Sirius, who was oddly quiet, "good! Is he doing well?"
"He
didn't have much time to fulfil
his duty as godfather," Remus said, thinking back. "He was busy
with-"
At that time, they heard a distant bang
and their surroundings went white. "What..." Remus heard Sirius
shout. "Prongs? Moony?"
"I'm
here", Remus called back.
He
landed softly on forest ground. Looking around, he realized where he
was. Hogwarts. He saw Sirius, James and Lily, standing nearby. Remus
watched Lily for a short moment. She looked fine, like she had, but
there was a definite air of sadness around her, mixed with pride.
--
Then
he saw Harry. He looked exhausted and sad; however, his face lifted
when he saw his company. His mother looked at him, achingly, trying
to see every detail of him. Then she
spoke. "You've been so brave," she said in that soft voice
Remus knew so well.
Harry looked at her without saying anything.
James spoke next, told Harry what we all felt.
"Does it hurt?"
Harry looked ashamed at having asked that question, but Sirius had
enough subtlety not to mention that. "Dying? Not at all," said
Sirius. He looked a bit tense now, more than before, but still
grinning. Remus wondered if he was thinking back at his own death,
too. "Quicker and easier than falling asleep."
"And
he will want it to be quick. He wants it over," Remus added.
"I
didn't want you to die." He looked around. "Any of
you.
I'm sorry-",he looked at Remus, "-right after you'd had your
son... Remus, I'm sorry-"
"I
am sorry too," Remus answered. "Sorry I will never know him...
but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand. I was
trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life."
Remus really meant these words. He
knew it was going to be tough for his son, growing up in a word
without parents, dead parents, one of which had been known as a
werewolf... A world, on its way to rebuild itself. A lighter, happier
world, with the always present darkness gone.
"Until the very
end," he heard James say, and he forced himself back from the
thoughts about Dora he had had. Remus was sure she was dead now;
otherwise Harry would have acted differently.
"They won't be
able to see you?" Harry asked. No one had to ask who "they"
were.
"We
are part of you," answered Sirius, and Remus realized that was
true. "Invisible to anyone else." Harry looked at Lily, then
said: "stay close to me" in a voice that made him shiver. A
determined voice. Remus knew what that meant, and he feared for
Harry's friends. But he knew it was necessary. And they set
off.
Walking felt comfortable, even though their destination
wasn't. Remus was reunited with the people he cared most for now;
no matter what the circumstances were. Dementors were approaching
them, but no
one had difficulty shielding them off. Harry seemed relaxed and yet
tense, ready to strike, to react on anything he heard. Remus realized
that was a side-effect of the war, and he knew he had been that way
once, too.
They stopped when two Death Eaters, Yaxley and Dolohov,
appeared near them. They looked straight at Lily, James, Sirius and
Remus, but could apparently not see them. They decided to go back to
see what would be the plans now, and Harry silently followed them,
glancing at Lily and James.
In the middle of a large clearing
burnt a big fire, around which a crowd of Death Eaters sat.
Remus quickly recognized Rowle, the Malfoys, Bellatrix, and with a
jolt in his stomach also Fenrir Greyback. They seemed to be waiting
for someone and all had their eyes fixed upon the white figure in the
middle, which looked up when Yaxley and Dolohov entered.
"No
sign of him, my Lord," Dolohov said. His voice trembled slightly.
Voldemort talked, but Remus did not listen. His eyes were fixed
upon Fenrir Greyback. The one who had bitten him. The one who had got
him into more trouble than Remus had ever wished. His hate against
Greyback had always been almost too great
to control, but it now seemed to grow to an outburst.
"I
was, it seems, mistaken," Remus suddenly heard Voldemort say, who
had risen his cold voice.
"You weren't." Harry appeared
from under the Cloak and at that same time, all went black. Remus
felt a powerful tug near his left ear and he heard someone yell:
"HARRY!" before he abruptly fell onto the ground. He stood up
quickly and calmed down a bit when he saw where he was – the same
place he had first arrived, the glade surrounded by trees. James,
Sirius and Lily were getting on their feet too, and outside their
little circle stood –
"Dora!" Remus rushed over to her,
meeting her halfway to envelop her in a huge hug. She embraced him,
too, placing kisses in his neck. After a while, Remus reluctantly let
go of her.
"Oh... you have no idea..." he mumbled as Dora
looked around, interested as always in seeing new places. She looked
back at him.
"Where are we?" she demanded. Remus thought about that for a moment, then sighed and said: "Do you know what happened?" Dora was about to answer when James caught Remus's attention.
"Hey, Moony, aren't you going to introduce us?" Remus hid a smile. James had always been the hopeless one at introductions.
"Well, Dora, this is James, James Potter, as you probably know. And this lovely lady here is Lily. James, Lily, this is my wife Nymphadora Tonks." "Nympha-" James started.
"Don't you dare call me that way," Dora said threateningly. "Just call me Tonks, and you'll be fine." Then she saw Sirius. "Sirius!" she said, and she launched herself into a hug. James looked confused at this, but then his face cleared.
"Nympha! I know you! I've heard of you: Sirius used to talk about you... Blimey, haven't you grown!" Tonks broke apart and looked at James more intently.
"Well, you'd suppose so," she said. "I don't remember you... Have we met?" James nodded, and Dora shrugged, before turning back to Sirius. "So, how's ... how have you been?" Sirius talked to her for a minute, while James, Remus and Lily talked softly, waiting for Sirius to join in. Eventually Dora went back to Remus and grabbed his hand.
"I've missed you," she said softly.
"We haven't seen each other for just an hour or so," Remus said, half-laughing.
"Still,
I missed you." She looked at him. "How... I mean, what happened?"
"You were there," Remus said, surprised. "No, I mean just then.
You were all standing there, talking, and the next moment you were
gone. Where'd you go?"
Remus turned to James, Sirius and
Lily. "What did
happen?" he asked them. "Why did we go back in the first place?"
"Back?" Dora asked, but Remus ignored her.
"He had a stone," James said. "The Resurrection Stone, I suspect."
"What, you mean the one from the story?" Sirius asked incredulously.
"Well, I've always thought my Cloak was one of them, too," James said, frowning. "Which, I'm glad, made it safely to my son."
"Your son?" Dora gasped. "Did you just go back to Harry... to Hogwarts? Did you see him? Is he still alive?"
"He is," Lily assured her. "He was going to fight Voldemort when we left." Tonks sighed, then sat down on the grass. "I don't know about you, but I'm dead tired."
"So am I," Remus said, and sat down next to her. Dora leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. James and Sirius both looked amused and about to say something, but they decided not to when they saw the look on Remus's face.
They sat down too,
and the next hours were filled with chatter. Remus soon noticed he
didn't get hungry or thirsty, nor did he have any other need. Just
sitting here, talking was perfect.
Eventually Dora had fallen
asleep, leaning heavily on his shoulder. Remus looked down at her and
sighed happily.
"I was right, then?" Sirius
asked. Remus looked up, wondering what Sirius was talking about. Then
he remembered.
"I guess you were," he said.
"Right about what?" James asked. "Them?" He nodded towards Remus and Dora.
"I always thought they'd end up together," Sirius said happily. "They are perfect. Aren't you?" he added to Remus.
"Well... We did have a great fight. And I have always thought she would be better off with someone younger, richer and handsomer. But she didn't think so, apparently." He sighed and lay his head on Dora's pink hair.
Remus wouldn't have minded going on like this forever. Shortly after this, however, they were interrupted by a tall, pale man with extremely greasy hair. James jumped up so quickly he almost fell.
"What're you doing here?" he asked darkly.
"The same as you, I presume," Severus Snape answered. "Being dead." James looked at Snape for a while. "What happened to you?" he asked abruptly.
"Since when have you cared for me, Potter?" Snape retorted, spitting out the last word.
"I don't," James said shortly. "I just... well, I s'pose death has made me softer. Which is only better in your case." Sirius stood up, too, and moved next to James. Remus, however, did not move.
"You have some things to explain, Severus," he said quietly. "I, for one, would like to know why you killed Albus."
"You killed Al- WHAT?" Sirius and James were furious. "You killed..." They made movements as to grab Snape, but Remus hushed them. Severus's dark eyes found his. "A greater plan," he said simply. "A plan, too grand to explain now." Then he saw Lily, and his face got a curious expression. "Lily..." he said.
"Sev," Lily said, tears starting to fill her eyes. "Sev?" James asked. "Since when have you two been on first-name base?" Lily looked at her husband, tears now openly going down her cheeks. "There's a lot you don't know, James," she said quietly.
Half an hour later Snape, and mainly Lily, had
explained everything they had wanted to tell, leaving a thumbstruck
James. Sirius looked shocked, too, and Remus could understand why. He
was very surprised, too. He shortly looked at Dora. She was still
asleep, moving closer to him unconsciously.
"But that still
doesn't explain why you protected Harry." James frowned. His
brain had been working very hard over the last thirty minutes.
"Is that not clear by now, Potter?" Snape snarled. He hadn't lost much of his usual behaviour. He looked at Lily, whose eyes had softened.
"Even after all this time?" she asked him, and her voice was gentle.
"Always," Snape answered.