Curses flashed past him, just missing his ear as he sent one straight back. The adrenaline was pumping through his veins, oh it had been so long, so long since he had felt this way: useful, alive. Harry… he had to protect Harry. The pride swelled in his chest as he fought alongside the teenager who was so much like his father, it almost hurt to look at him. Another curse flew over his head, singing his hair and he dove to his right, throwing one in return to the raven-haired witch he had once called 'cousin'. Harry, where… no time, another curse, another deflect. The light was dancing in her eyes, her mad, mad eyes, her spells becoming more and more ferocious and he slips, his foot catching on a loose stone and the light in her eyes turns victorious as pain erupts inside his chest… he is falling.

Everything is dark.

So bright… Sirius opened his eyes, feeling as though he had just woken from a deep sleep. His head was hazy, he felt dizzy. All he could see was white light; it surrounded everything, it was everything. He was floating in mid-air, totally weightless, as the light seemed to grow brighter. His ears pricked up and he looked around wildly as soft whispers echoed around him, too soft to properly understand.

"Is anyone there?" he tried to call, though his voice was barely a croak. Where am I?

Suddenly, he felt a huge push forward and he was hurtling through the light which grew brighter and brighter until he forced his eyes closed. The light pierced through his eyelids, blinding him with its white-hot purity. A yell tore out of his throat, he moved faster and faster through the seemingly unending light. The whispers grew louder; he could hear snatches of conversation.

A harsh male voice: "Stick to the plan…"

A woman, begging: "Please no, don't go after him!"

A jubilant man, younger sounding the first… one he recognised! "At bloody last!"

"James!" Sirius hollered, attempting to peek one eye open, "Prongs, is that you?"

More voices joined in and the chatter became a loud buzz as all the conversations merged into one.

"James! Where am I?" he yelled desperately.

All at once, the voices were silenced and he stopped dead. The light began to fade, his feet landed on something hard and he stumbled, unused to the feeling of bearing his weight after his flight. He looked around; his surroundings were beginning to come into focus and a lone figure walked slowly towards him. The man was dressed in plain grey robes and carrying a roll of parchment tucked underneath his arm. Jet black hair curled around the nape of his neck and he had a winning smile that didn't quite meet his bright blue eyes: Sirius instantly distrusted him. His whole manner suggested he could become dangerous, quickly. Eventually the stranger stopped a few feet away from him and unrolled his parchment.

"We were wondering when you were going to arrive, Mr Black," he said.

"What is … all of this?" Sirius asked, beginning to get frustrated as he gestured around him. "What's going on?"

"You, my dear fellow, are dead."

The words hit him surprisingly hard, considering he had come to that same conclusion the moment he had woken in the light. The last thing he could remember was Bellatrix… damn. He opened his mouth to speak but the questions died on his lips.

"Follow me… we have a lot of information to get through before your training begins." Without waiting for Sirius to reply, the stranger turned and set off back the way he had come. Sirius frowned and jogged to catch up with him.

"Training for what?"

"Please wait until we get there to ask any questions – you will likely have a lot more once we arrive."

Sirius grabbed the strange man and forced him to stop and turn to look at him. "Arrive where?"

The man glared at him, Sirius glared straight back.

"The Control Room. You are to begin your initiation at once."

Stay tuned to find out what exactly the Control Room is...