Chapter 25

Together Again

(Final Goodbyes)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other things I have said in the other disclaimers. As well, I included a 'wizard priest' and a couple of somewhat Christian ideas about death, so please do not get offended because I know the world of magic and religion don't exactly get along. I included them because I wanted to keep the flow of the chapter, and of course, Harry DOES have a 'godfather'. I also don't know much about the structure of a funeral ceremony, so don't send me flames about it! Also, it might seem to someone that Sirius is treated as if he was a saint and that he was THAT great (he is great, of course, but not all the characters thought this coughs while saying something like 'Professor Snape'). The thing is, a lot of people tend to exclude every bad thing about someone if that certain someone is dead. Wow, that's really long... Keep reading...

Author's Note: Oh my goodness!!! It's the last chapter!!!!!!!!!! (wails and blows nose really hard into a tissue, and then throws tissue on some random person). I worked for practically TWO YEARS on this thing, and now it's finished!!! (wails more and blows nose more into another tissue, and then throws it at another random person who throws it back and swears, and then I swear back and go back to author's note). Anyway, it's the last chapter, SO READ IT AND REVIEW!!! Oh, and NO FLAMES! I absolutely accept constructive criticism, but if you don't have enough manners to not do flames, well, just don't do them! Oh, recap: Harry went to the meeting of the Ministries of Magic, they accepted the Monarchy, Cornelius Fudge told Remus and Harry told they found the body of Sirius Black. Oh, and I will state thank yous to anyone who put it reviews (and when I mean reviews, I mean NO FLAMES). READ AND REVIEW!!!

Harry could not believe the very words Cornelius Fudge had spoken, nor could he feel or think of anything to say or do. He was terribly upset the year before that Sirius never had a funeral, but now, he could maybe have the chance to say goodbye. How did they find his body though? It was behind that mysterious veil. So many questions swirled inside Harry's brain. He glared at Remus beside him, who was stunned.

"H-how d-did they find h-his body?" stuttered Remus, looking astonished and dazed at Cornelius Fudge.

"We received the report of the death of Sirius Black," answered Fudge. "Knowing that he was trying to save Harry and he was against the Death Eaters, we know that he wasn't a criminal like we thought he was for all these years. We later retrieved his body in the Chamber of Death."

"The what?" questioned Harry, who was now trembling from this new information.

"The Chamber of Death, the chamber behind the veil in Courtroom Ten. It's a secret tool used by the Ministry of Magic to kill over-the-top horrible criminals who just won't stop, well, being criminals. It was produced during the term of the second previous Minister, the Minister of Magic before Millicent Bagnold. It was created by a very ancient and powerful spell. Behind that tattered veil is a porthole, which sucks the life and soul out of anyone who falls into it. Charms all around the inside of the porthole are used to destroy the person of the life inside their body. Swirls of Avada Kedavra spells spin around the victim. The porthole also leads to another porthole, which is the Other Side, the Universe of the Dead."

"If it's a porthole to the Other Side, how did they find his body?" asked Harry confusingly.

"Believe it or not, the pit in which the victim drops in is not bottomless. It's not exactly a floor, but it's the edge of the porthole which the body lies on. It's only the life and soul that is taken away, not the body. The corpse is brought up by charms and is laid to rest in a grave. If a body is left there for 5 years, the charms would body the corpse too. Thankfully, we found the body before 5 years were up."

It was hard for Harry to digest the things the Minister was saying to him and Remus. No wonder it had seemed so mysterious, thought Harry. He couldn't imagine what it was like to fall into a porthole that led your soul to the Other Side, and Sirius had to suffer that. What was the Other Side like?

"He's not rotting, is he?" questioned Harry.

He couldn't believe what he had just asked. Of all the many questions he could have asked, he questioned if Sirius' body was rotting. How stupid was he?

"Rotting, what are you talking about?" asked Fudge confusingly. "Lupin, why is this boy talking about 'rotting', as if Sirius Black's body is some kind of decaying vegetable or fruit?"

"He has lived with a Muggle family all his life," explained Remus. "You have to excuse him. Harry, wizards and witches don't rot. Their magic preserves their bodies."

"I - I never knew that," stuttered Harry.

It was strange to think that if he died, he'd never rot. Just thinking about being dead and rotting just made him think of Sirius, and then he suddenly thought of Cedric and his parents...

"Where is Sirius' body being kept?" asked Remus.

"The body was sent to Morty & Son's Mortuary. Here's their card and owl post address," said Fudge, handing Remus and Harry a business card. "You'll have to send them a letter soon to tell them when the funeral will be."

Harry looked down at the card:

Morty & Son's Mortuary

Owl post: Big White Building at the Corner of the Road

1313 Corkview Road

East London Web site: www.morty&sonmortuary.com

We take care of your loved ones with the best care possible.

"Did Sirius Black have any living relatives?" asked Fudge.

"His parents are dead, but he has a lot of cousins," responded Remus. "He didn't really like his cousins. They have a tendency to be stuck-up. They're one of those pureblood families that despise Muggles and Muggle-borns."

"I see," said Fudge. "Maybe they'd like to say goodbye to Sirius Black, you never know. Did you want me to call the London Wizard Graveyard?"

"No, I think Harry and I think it's best to put Sirius in the Godric's Hollow Graveyard next to the graves of Lily and James Potter."

Harry flinched to hear the Remus' response.

"The graves of Lily and James Potter?" questioned Harry. "They have graves?"

"Of course they do!" said Remus. "It's in Godric's Hollow. You never knew?"

"No one told me that!" said Harry angrily. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you knew," said Remus. "Well, it was a bit suspicious that you weren't at the funeral."

"There was a funeral?" questioned Harry. "I never knew there was a funeral!"

"There was, Harry. I didn't know that you never knew. We should be off now. Goodbye, Mr. Fudge!"

"Good day to you both, and I'm very sorry for your loss."

"We appreciate the gratitude," said Remus. "Come on, Harry, we have to go."

"Fine," sighed Harry, as he pulled in his chair and left the room.

They walked out of Fudge's office and down the hall of paintings, while anger and confusion consumed Harry. He couldn't believe that all this time when he thought that his parents were gone without a trace, their graves were there in Godric's Hollow. Why hadn't the Dursleys told him? They lied to him about how his parents died, but why did they have to keep the secret of where they were buried? Harry felt like his whole entire life was empty, that it would have made everything easier to visit their graves. He absolutely hated the Dursleys. He didn't want to go home to them.

"Can't I stay with you instead of going to the Dursleys?" asked Harry, trying to control the tears that he wanted to weep as they passed the Auror Headquarters.

"I'm sorry, Harry. You know that Dumbledore wants you to stay with your mother's sister and her family."

"What, he wants me to stay with them so they can lie to me even more?"

"Harry, it was awful of them to keep this hidden from you. At least you'll be able to see your parents' graves now."

"They didn't even take me to the funeral," murmured Harry. "Even if I was a baby, I could have been there where everyone was saying 'goodbye' to them. It's so unfair! Everyone else got to say goodbye but me, and I'm their son! I hate the Dursleys! I HATE THEM!"

"Harry, you have to calm down."

"Calm down?" said Harry, as he stopped right in front of the elevator where they waited for the elevator doors to open. "How can I calm down? My parents had a funeral and I didn't even attend. They were laid to rest and I wasn't even there! My life seems so empty!"

The elevator doors opened and Harry and Remus joined the crowd of people. Harry leaned in the corner, looking up at the memos flying about.

"You don't know how awful I feel that you didn't get to say a final goodbye to them," told Remus, looking caringly at Harry.

"You don't know how awful I feel!" shouted Harry.

"If I could create a time machine to go back in time to let you be at your parents' funeral, I would."

"But you can't, and there aren't any time machines," muttered Harry. "There aren't and there probably will never be any."

"Harry, please understand!" pleaded Remus.

"You could have written a letter to see how I was doing!"

"I had no idea what the address was," said Remus. "I asked Dumbledore for the address, but he told me that the Dursleys wouldn't accept letters from our kind. It wasn't even a good place for a baby, Harry. There were so many people crying, it was awful."

"Did Sirius go?" asked Harry.

"No, they'd put him in Azkaban by then."

"Wonderful, the person that I could really talk to is dead too!"

"Level Eight, Main Floor," stated the cool female voice.

"This is our stop," said Remus as a chunk of the people walked out of the elevator. Harry, with his arms crossed angrily, and Remus walked through the hallway and into the telephone booth.

"At least you'll finally say goodbye to Sirius," said Remus.

"It's not the same."

"Harry, why are you complaining to me? I've been trying to help you through this, and you keep on shoving your anger into my face. I want to help you!"

"You can't. No one can help me."

The telephone booth rose up into the London street and made a cling once the telephone booth was established into its original place.

"Thank you for visiting the Ministry of Magic, and have a nice day," said the voice.

Remus opened the door for Harry, but Harry completely ignored him and walked out into the street. Remus tried to run after him and followed him into the alleyway. Remus got out his BCB and beamed out the Thunderbird. As Remus gently slid in, Harry opened the door on his side and slammed the car violently. He tried not to look at Remus at all. Remus started the car and drove into the street, on their way to #4 Privet Drive.

"Do we have to go back?" questioned Harry.

"Yes we do," stated Remus. "You know that."

"I want to stay with you, not those creeps who made my life miserable."

"They're trying to fix things up," said Remus.

"They're doing a bad job of it!"

"Why do you want to go to my house anyway? You're obviously mad at me."

"I'm mad at everyone and everything right now!"

"I'm not your punching bag, Harry! I told you in the beginning of the year that you have to control your anger. I know you feel awful and you want to ask questions, but you have to realize that I'm trying to make you feel better! Harry, I'm your mentor. I'm trying to help you out, but you keep pushing me away. All my best friends are dead, including one friend that went to serve Lord Voldemort and helped kill one of my other friends. You're all I've got. I might have friends at the Auror Headquarters, but none like you!"

At that moment, tears started to fall from Remus' eyes and onto his face. For the first time, Remus was crying. Harry couldn't believe that he was making him cry. He felt awful about his behaviour.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," apologized Harry. "I'm just really angry right now."

"I'm trying to understand," said Remus, choking up words with his tears in his face. "It's unfortunate you couldn't be at the funeral, but maybe the Dursleys thought you were too young for a funeral. I couldn't go to funerals until I was 11 years old. They're miserable places, Harry. It's never too late to say goodbye. At least you can say goodbye to your parents when you're old enough to take it. You probably wouldn't have remembered anyway."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You were mad, you needed to let off some steam. You're a teenager, you're going through emotional changes. I should have understood. You've changed a lot from last year."

"I was an angry mess last year."

"Exactly, and now you're handling it a bit better. Look at me, a grown man crying! I can't believe this."

Remus quickly tried to wipe his tears away, and tried to focus on the road.

"It's okay to cry," said Harry. "I cried a bunch of times during this year. I didn't care if anyone thought I was an emotional git or something, I just wanted to cry."

"You're right. Why haven't you cried now?"

"I can't," said Harry, with a sore throat from holding back tears. "I just don't feel like it."

"Don't worry, just cry. It made me feel a bit better."

As if he opened locks of a river, Harry let out his tears. They trickled down his cheeks as the wind blew them to the side. As he wiped away the tears, more came dropping down. After a long while of crying, his throat was a bit sore and his face was cold, but he felt a lot better.

"You feel better?" asked Remus.

"Yeah, my anger's cooling down. I'm just so angry at the Dursleys!"

"They'll explain it to you after, I'm sure. I'd like you to think tonight and tomorrow about who you want to invite to the party, and when the date should be. In a couple of days, I'll pick you up and we'll discuss it. We'll send a letter to the mortuary and we'll have to pick a coffin for Sirius."

"That'll be hard," said Harry.

"I know a wizard priest down in Godric's Hollow," said Remus. "He did the ceremony for your parents too."

"There are wizard priests? I didn't know that."

"What, you think the wizarding world is sacrilegious? We have faiths too, you know. A lot of Muggles think bad about us because of religion. They're thinking about Dark Magic. We're not like that."

"That's good to know."

"I'm going to send letters to people in Sirius' family to see if they want to come. I doubt most of them will come, other than Tonks and all the other cast-out relatives, but I feel like I should. It's like those sayings, 'You wouldn't go but it would be nice to be invited'. I think I should invite them just in case."

"Anybody else you're sure to invite?"

"I'm not sure, but I have a few ideas of who to invite. I'd probably invite the Order of the Phoenix, because they were the last people that knew him. I could invite the Hogwarts professors we knew like Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagoll - "

"You're not going to invite Professor Snape, are you?"

"Actually, I was going to invite him - "

"Sirius hated him! You know that!"

"I know, but Snape might want to say something before he's laid to rest. Is there anyone you would like to invite?"

"I would invite Hermione and Ron," said Harry. "They knew him too. I would like it if Joy and Glory were there - "

"You call them by their first names?"

"Remus, one's one of my best friends and one's my girlfriend. Of course I call them by their first name! To continue, I would like them to be there even though they didn't know Sirius. Glory's my girlfriend, and her godmother died too, so she'd know how it was like."

"You mean Millicent Bagnold? I saw you talking to her portrait at the Ministry. She was a wonderful Minister. She supported the equalization of werewolves, which I really liked about her. Unfortunately, she was already retired when I was bitten.

"It would be an honour if they could be there. Sirius would have been a future subject, so it makes sense. Plus, they know you three who knew Sirius. Their great-great-great-grandfather is, of course, the founder of the Order - "

"Remus, I get the point."

"Oh," said Remus. "I'll stop talking about that now. Did you want to invite the Dursleys? They'd get to visit Lily's and James' graves - "

"Don't even mention their names," interrupted Harry. "After what they did to me, I never want to speak to them again."

"Fine," sighed Remus. "Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

"I guess not," mumbled Harry.

Harry was busy thinking, and trying to realize what was happening. They had found Sirius' body! Yet as the news sunk in, it was hard for him to think if he should be happy for sad. He was still holding back a few extra tears.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," denied Harry, as he laid his elbow on the side of the car, as the wind whipped in his face.

After a long drive, they finally arrived in Privet Drive and Remus parallel-parked his convertible in front of the Dursleys driveway. He walked to Harry's side of the car and opened it, yet Harry remained inside with his arms crossed.

"You've got to face them sooner or later," told Remus.

"I'm not going in."

"You're being very stubborn."

"I never got to be stubborn," said Harry. "They always treated me like dirt. I never got to do a lot of things during my childhood, including going to my parents' funeral!"

"You can talk to them about it once you're inside."

"I know what their answer is. They hated my parents and I. Why would they want to go all the way to Godric's Hollow for their funeral, and to bring me along?"

"They might have more reasons," said Remus. "Harry, I have to leave soon. I've got a bunch of Auror files to review."

"Fine," muttered Harry, as he got out of the car and closed the door.

Remus and Harry walked to the entrance and Remus rang the doorbell. Aunt Petunia opened the door and let them in.

"Come in!" she said, with a subtle smile.

Harry and Remus stepped inside. Remus greeted Petunia and shook her hand, while Harry took off his shoes.

"Harry, what was that meeting all about?" asked Petunia.

"I don't want to talk to you!" said Harry angrily, as he ran up the stairs into his room.

As he slammed the door of his bedroom, he heard the whispers exchanged from Remus to Aunt Petunia about what happened. Harry lied on his bed and looked up at the ceiling, just as his aunt slowly walked up the stairs. She opened the door and entered the room. Her arms were crossed and her mouth was a straight line.

"Remus told me why you're angry," uttered his aunt.

"Yeah, I heard you both whispering," said Harry, now looking at his aunt. "Are you going to explain to me how much you hated my sister, or are you going to reveal another secret that you've kept from me all these years?"

"I'm very sorry we didn't tell you about your parents' funeral and their graves," sighed Petunia, walking closer to Harry's bed. "We completely forgot to tell you. We've just been so angry at you for so long that we're just now adjusting to the change."

"You've already told me so many times why you hated me," mumbled Harry.

"I don't think we actually explained it thoroughly to you," said Aunt Petunia, who slowly sat on Harry's bed. He got up and sat down with his legs crossed. "When your sister got her letter from Hogwarts, my parents were absolutely thrilled. I had always tried to do my best at making them proud of me, but my sister was just so smart and talented that she outshined me. I just adored those small moments when they were happy for me.

"When they found out your mother was a witch, they threw me aside and became so loving to her. They were thrilled to have a witch in the family. It was as if they abandoned me. She took away my parents' attention from me. I felt like an orphan. "I hated magic for two reasons. The first reason was because my sister was a witch. The second reason is that I was so scared of magic."

Harry looked up at her. He never knew she was afraid of it.

"A few days before she got her letter, my sister got angry at me for taking one of her dolls. She got so mad at me that the step of stairs that I was standing on exploded, and I fell from the stairs. I was so close to being badly hurt, like being paralysed or breaking one or both of my legs. After I found out she was a witch, I was afraid of the things she could do."

"I never knew," said Harry. "I'm sorry that happened."

"It's not your fault."

"Why does Uncle Vernon hate magic so much?" asked Harry.

"His family always hated magic. His ancestors were the kind of people who burned witches at the stake."

"All right," said Harry. "Are you still mad at my mom?"

"Harry, I will never be able to look back at my childhood without feeling the pain and loneliness I felt because your mother was a witch. It was as if she took away my childhood. Nonetheless, I've realized that she wasn't trying to push my parents away from me. She did try to be nice to me. I've recognized that it was more of my parents' fault that they didn't pay attention to me. Even so, I'm still a bit jealous of the love that they gave her and not me. Your mother, however, was a nice person."

Harry wasn't sure what to think of the explanation. He had found out the year before that his father was a bit of a bully, and he had found out before that he was a mischievous prankster. He felt deeply sorry for Aunt Petunia. He really liked the fact that his mother was a nice person, but why did his grandparents have to push his aunt aside and make her feel so miserable?

"So is that the reason you didn't bring me to the funeral?" asked Harry. "You hated my parents?"

"Yes, and because we didn't think it was appropriate to bring a baby to a funeral."

"That's what Remus told me."

"If you want, we could go to the funeral with you," offered Petunia. "I would actually like to finally say 'goodbye' to my sister. It wasn't really her fault how I was treated."

"I'll check with Remus," said Harry.

"Supper's almost ready. You should go and wash up."

Just as Aunt Petunia stood up from Harry's bed, Harry asked her a question.

"Do all of you still hate me?" asked Harry.

"No," admitted Aunt Petunia. "We're starting to get used to you now. The truth is, I never hated you. Deep down, I always loved you."

As she said this, she went out of the room and went down to the kitchen, with a small tear dropping down her cheek.

"Welcome to Cromwell Coffins," greeted the tiny bald man in a dress robe at the large white desk. "I'm Mr. Cromwell. How may I help you two?"

Harry and Remus were at the Victorian-style building of 'Cromwell Coffins'(which sold coffins, of course) that was next to Morty & Son's Mortuary. Harry and Remus had already made their guest list. Remus had sent letters to all of Sirius' family, but their replies confirmed that none of his family (other than the still-living cast-out relatives) wanted to be there. Harry thought it very sad that Sirius' own family didn't want to be at his funeral. Even so, all of the members of the Order of the Phoenix, the professors who taught Sirius at Hogwarts, Hermione and her family, the Weasleys, Princesses Glory and Joy, Mudungus, Ms. Figgs, Hagrid, Luna Lovegood and Neville who had seen Sirius die (Neville would be bringing his grandmother) and even Buckbeak would attend. Harry and him decided that his funeral would be on the 16th of July. Harry went with Remus to pick out a coffin for Sirius.

"We're Remus Lupin and Harry Potter," introduced Remus. "We have an appointment at this time to find a coffin for Sirius Black."

"Yes, I heard about his death in The Daily Prophet," said Mr. Cromwell. "So sad, so sad... I remember seeing the appointment written in this book here - "

The little old man pulled out a large book and flipped through its pages. He looked closely at the spot where his finger was pointed.

"Yes, yes! I see right here: appointment at 2 o'clock with Mr. Remus Lupin and Mr. Harry Potter. Harry Potter?"

Mr. Cromwell's eyes widened greatly as he looked up at Harry, glaring at the scar.

"It - it's Harry Potter!" exclaimed Mr. Cromwell.

"Yes, I'm Harry Potter," sighed Harry.

"I'm so glad to meet you!" said Mr. Cromwell, shaking Harry's hand rigorously. "Follow me to the showcase room."

Harry and Remus followed Mr. Cromwell into an ancient white-painted door (which was starting to chip) that had a sign in big letters reading: COFFIN SHOWCASE ROOM. The man opened the door and led them into a giant room filled with coffins of every kind displayed around the room.

"I'll leave you two to choose," said Mr. Cromwell as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Do you have an idea what you have in mind?" asked Remus to Harry as he scratched his head and looked around the room.

"No," mumbled Harry.

Harry and Remus walked around the room and looked at all the coffins. There were ones made with mahogany, ones made with lighter woods and even a few made with metal. There were ones with silk insides, cotton insides or ones with wool. Many types of coffins were on display, but it was hard for Harry to choose.

"Do you think the inside of it should be silk?" asked Remus, looking at some silk ones.

"Sure," sighed Harry.

"Harry, we're going to have to pick one."

"I - I just can't pick one!" stated Harry. "I just can't picture Sirius in a coffin."

"I'm sorry you have to do this. I should have known."

"It's all right. It's just hard to pick... What about this one," said Harry, pointing to a long and nicely-carved polished dark-wood coffin with white silk inside.

"It's really nice," said Remus, examining it. "It should fit Sirius. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I said that."

"It feels weird, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. Let's look at how much it costs," suggested Remus, as he looked at the label in front of the coffin. "Good price. I think we found our coffin."

Remus picked up one of the label-cards placed near the label, as Harry followed Remus out of the showcase room and ordered at the desk. As Remus spoke to Mr. Cromwell, Harry stared blankly into space and thought about his whole situation. In his third year when he first found out about Sirius Black as a criminal, he never thought that he'd be in this situation, nor did he think about it during his 5th year. He was starting to feel a bit more comfortable about the death of Sirius, and the fact that they had found his body. Yes, he was a bit depressed, but it didn't made him feel so miserable anymore.

"Everything is set, Mr. Lupin," stated Mr. Cromwell, closing his large book. "The coffin will be sent to the mortuary for preparation of the funeral. Have a nice day."

"You too. Harry, let's go."

"Er, okay."

Harry made his way with Remus out of the room, out of the building and to the parking lot.

"You looked completely blank in there," remarked Lupin. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am," answered Harry, getting into the Thunderbird. "I was just thinking, which is what I've been doing a lot this year."

"That's what happens when you're 16 years old," said Remus. "You're always thinking deeply."

"I was thinking how I would have never known I'd be here right now, ordering Sirius Black's coffin, when I first found out about him in my 3rd year."

"I know what you mean," sighed Remus. "I have to get you home. You're going to be driven to Godric's Hollow by the Dursleys?"

"They're going to drop me off at the wake at the church, explore the town, and then meet me at the burial ceremony in the afternoon. And Remus?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Uhm... You see, last year Sirius gave me... these two mirrors to talk to each other..."

"The present he gave you for Christmas? I remember that."

"I was wondering... Could I put one of the mirrors in his coffin? It would make me feel better. Okay, that sounded weirder than it did - "

"Don't worry, Harry. Of course you can put one of the mirrors in the coffin."

"It's just that I can't stand looking at both of those mirrors and not feel awful. In a way, knowing that he has one of them - "

"-makes you feel like you're connected with him somehow, which makes you feel that you haven't lost him completely?"

"Yeah, exactly. I'm glad you understand."

"Harry, I'm you're mentor. I understand everything."

Remus quickly turned on the convertible and drove off into the road to the Dursleys.

As July 16th approached, the more preparations Harry and Remus had to do, from talking to the priest who would do the ceremony, to picking the graveyard, the writings on the tombstone, the dress robe Sirius would be buried in, etc. Day after day, Harry started to feel a bit more comfortable about the fact that Sirius would be having a funeral.

When the 16th of July had finally come, Harry's stomach was in a knot and his throat was dry and sore. All the comfort and stability he had established during the process of the funeral vanished, and now he was as depressed and woeful as ever. He was scared to see Sirius again, and it felt torture to say 'goodbye' to the godfather he had loved so much. As he looked outside his window, he noticed it was a dark and gloomy day, which was the perfect setting to reflect his feelings and the emotion he was experiencing at that moment.

In the morning, he looked under his bed and retrieved one of the two mirrors that Sirius had given him. He looked into it the same way he had when Remus gave the second one to him, and the same way when he opened his present at the end of the year right after Sirius died. He held the mirror to his chest, wanting so badly to change back time and to have used the mirrors to contact Sirius instead of the fireplace.

Harry and the Dursleys dressed up in their best clothes (Harry was wearing the suit the Dursleys gave him for his birthday) and went into the car right after breakfast. They had a quick and early breakfast, and it was 8 o'clock by the time they went on their way. It was a very long drive to Godric's Hollow, and on the way there they passed many graveyards. Those tombstones made Harry shiver mercilessly and gave him the dry and tightening feeling in his throat, while he was still holding onto the mirror. The Dursleys weren't so happy themselves, but Harry just stared depressingly out of the window with a pained expression on his face.

After at least an hour of being in the car, the Harry and the Dursleys got to the small and welcoming village of Godric's Hollow. It seemed like such a wonderful place that Harry knew why his parents had settled there. Uncle Vernon stopped right in front of a small brick-built church with lovely flowers in the front, with a welcoming sign and the description of Sunday's sermon. Harry could see a few of the people they invited entering the church, and he felt a bit better that he would be surrounded by those he knew.

"Here we are," declared Uncle Vernon, parking the car on the left of the church. "Off you go, Harry, and we'll meet you at the graveyard. You'll get yourself lunch?"

"Remus wanted to show me a restaurant my parents loved to go to," answered Harry, as he got out of the car. "I'll have lunch there."

"Good!"

Uncle Vernon started the car again and drove off in the dusty road. Harry fixed his tie and walked up the stairs. The knot in his stomach was getting tighter, and nerves started to swell up in him. Every step made his hands more sweaty and clammy, and he felt like he wanted to vomit.

Once Harry entered the church, he realized there was a long line of guests, and Remus, in a black suit, was shaking all their hands and greeting them, with their gratitude and telling him how sorry they were back. Remus looked in Harry's direction and realized he was there. He waved for Harry to approach him, and Harry quickly rushed over to him.

"Hey, Harry," said Remus in a low voice. "I'm glad you made it."

"Of course I'd make it," said Harry.

"That's true. So you decided to wear Muggle clothes too?"

"I didn't have any black dress robes. I couldn't bear to wear anything but black today."

"Me too, but I kind of decided to wear my suit because I didn't want to draw too much attention from Muggles. Would you help me greet the guests? You'll be able to give your... mirror... and say your goodbyes to... Sirius... at the end."

"Aren't you going to go last too?"

"I went before everyone came."

"I'm okay with that," said Harry.

He was actually quite relieved, because he was so nervous that he didn't really want to say goodbye. He was so afraid to see Sirius again. He laid the mirror on a table close to him and started to greet the guests.

In the entrance entered Hagrid and the Grangers. Harry could tell that Hermione and her parents were wearing their best clothes, while Hagrid wore the nice dress robe Joy gave him for Christmas. Hagrid and the Grangers followed the line and shook Harry and Remus' hand.

" 'Ello, 'Arry! 'Ello, Lupin!" greeted Hagrid, shaking their hands with a lot of strength.

"Hi, Hagrid," said Harry, as he forced a smile. "We're glad you could make it."

"It's the least I could do. That Black was a good man, 'e never really 'urt anybody. We're all 'urtin' for him."

"Thank you, Hagrid," said Remus.

Even though Hagrid, and many of the other guests tried to say things that would make Remus and Harry feel better, they didn't. Every thing that the guests said made Harry feel worse, and made him want to tear at each moment. After Hagrid was the Grangers.

"Hello, Harry, and hello, Remus!" greeted Hermione with a light grin, as she shook both their hands. Her parents shook their hands too.

"Hello, Hermione," welcomed Harry.

"We're glad you could come," said Remus with a welcoming smile.

"It was our pleasure," said Mrs. Granger. "Our Hermione said she knew this Sirius Black well. It seems awful that he had to die like this."

"Yes it was," sighed Harry, who could remember the expression on Sirius' face when he fell behind the veil.

Hermione and her parents followed the line into the church for the wake of Sirius to say their goodbyes. Afterwards, the Weasley family came in their black dress robes. Everyone in the family was there, from Bill to Ginny, and both parents looked curiously at the church. They quickly lined up to greet Harry and Remus.

"Hello, dears," said Mrs. Weasley, shaking their hands.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," greeted Remus.

"It was nice for you to have come," said Harry.

"Harry, it wouldn't be the same if we didn't come! We know you're hurting. Sirius was a bit stubborn at times, but we all miss him."

"Hi, Harry and Remus!" greeted Mr. Weasley. "We're very sorry for your loss. He was a very loving person, even though he was misunderstood."

"We appreciate it," said Remus.

"Oy, Harry!" said Fred. "We're really sorry your godfather died."

"Yeah, one of the original marauders," sighed George. "A legend is gone."

"All pranksters will miss him."

"Thanks," said Harry, who was a bit cheered up by the sarcasm but quite offended by it too.

"Hi, Harry," said Ginny shyly. "Hello, Remus. We were glad to come. It's the least we could do."

"We appreciate it," said Remus.

"He didn't deserve to die like that. He was a good person."

"Hello, Harry and Mr. Lupin," said Percy seriously, shaking their hands. "Our family and the Ministry grieve for your loss, and we hope you accept our humble gratitude."

"We do," said Harry, angry that Percy didn't care if Sirius was dead or not.

"Hello, Harry and Remus!" said Charlie, all tanned and giving them both hardy hand-shakes and grins. "I didn't get to meet Sirius because I was in Romania, but Mum made him sound really nice and jolly. I'm really sorry that you lost him."

"We're grateful for your concern," said Remus.

"Hello, Remus and Harry!" said Bill, looking quite cool with his ponytail. "I was really lucky to meet Sirius when he was alive. He was so nice to donate the House of Black to the Order. We all miss him."

"Thanks," sighed Harry.

"Hi, Harry! Hi, Remus!" greeted Ron with a smile. Of all the people, Harry was glad Ron could make it.

"Hey, Ron."

"Listen, I'm so sorry that your godfather died like that. I didn't quite see him die, but Neville told me about it. It's so awful. The Ministry shouldn't have been after him like that! It wasn't even him who was with You-Know-Who!"

"I know," sighed Harry, choking up words. "They shouldn't have."

"If you want to tell me anything, you can tell me, all right?"

"Thanks, Ron."

After the Weasleys were many other guests, including Luna Lovegood wearing black-painted corks on her ears with her father. She was deeply sorry for Harry and was very kind to him. Neville came with his Grandma, and was really sorry that Sirius had been killed. The Death Eater who had killed Sirius was the one who made Neville's parents go insane, so he was one of the very few who really understood him. Many of the members of the Order of the Phoenix, including the Aurors with Remus, like Tonks, came to the wake.

"Really sorry for you, kid!" said Tonks with short brown hair. Tonks' mother, Andromeda, was being her (she looked like her daughter, with short brown hair too). Tonks gave Harry a warm wink to cheer him up (which didn't). "Sirius was pretty cool."

"Thanks, Tonks," said Harry.

Following them was Mudungus, who tried not to look so stingy for the wake. Ms. Figgs followed him, and had hit him in the head with her purse because he was talking to one of the members of the Order about stolen cauldron tools.

The Hogwarts professors who taught Sirius came after, looking deeply sad that they had lost a former student.

"Sirius might have been quite the prankster, but he was always very entertaining and put a smile on everyone's faces," said Professor McGonagoll. "Everyone at Hogwarts would have missed him."

"We're grateful for your concern," sighed Remus.

"He was a wonderful student, even though him and James got a bit hysterical," said Professor Flitwick, blowing his nose and weeping in a tiny tissue. He had to stand on his toes to reach Harry and Remus' hands. "They always made the class more enjoyable."

"Thank you, Professor Flitwick," said Harry.

A few teachers that Harry didn't know came, but he still welcomed them. Professor Snape, looking very stern with his oily hair brushed back, came into the church. Harry held his breath as Snape joined the line.

"Hello, Potter and Lupin," said Snape sternly, giving them simple handshakes.

"Hello, Professor Snape," said Harry shyly.

Harry was afraid that Snape would say something very mean to him, and the one thing Harry didn't need at that moment were insults when his heart was crumbling inside his chest with sorrow.

"We're gracious that you could make it," said Remus.

"I felt that it was my duty to pay respect to Black," stated Snape. "It was kind of him to lend his family's house to the Order of the Phoenix, and I suppose he was quite... misunderstood... by the Ministry. He was a brave person, and in a way I'd like to say sorry that our past wasn't so wonderful."

"Thank you so much, Severus," said Remus, starting to smile. "We thank you for the gratitude."

"You're welcome," said Snape bluntly, as he followed the line into the church.

Harry looked out the entrance to the church, and spotted a long limousine stopping in front of the chapel and letting Glory, Joy and their parents out, all of them in black robes (which were actually rather nice), and parking in the church parking lot. All of them walked up the stairs and into the church. They quickly approached Harry and Remus and shook their hands.

"Hello, Harry and Remus," greeted Glory warmly, shaking their hands and looking at Harry adoringly.

"Hi," said Joy, shaking their hands and giving them a large smile (which wasn't one of her famous smiles, but the kinds that tried to make others smile).

"Hello, Harry and Remus," said Liona, their mother.

"We're very sorry for your loss," said Emmanuel, their father.

"It's an honour for all of you to have made it," said Remus, bowing down to Joy and Glory.

"It was an honour to be invited," said Liona. "You both deserve as much love as all of us can give."

"We appreciate it," sighed Harry.

"We didn't exactly know your godfather, but we understand the pain you're going through," said Glory.

"Thank you," said Remus.

The family walked into the church with the others, but Glory stayed behind to whisper in Harry's ear.

"I'll talk to you later, all right?" she whispered.

"Sure," sighed Harry.

Glory gave Harry a peck on the cheek and went into the church with everybody else.

"You're very lucky to have such a wonderful girl who understands what you're going through," said a familiar voice behind him, "especially because she's my great-great-great-granddaughter."

Harry turned around to see Professor Dumbledore with a kind smile and a warm twinkle in his eye. He walked slowly to them. He outstretched his hand and gave them hardy handshakes.

"It's wonderful to see you two, Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin, at a time when we all need to be together."

"We really appreciate you being here, Professor Dumbledore," said Harry.

"It was my pleasure. It is an awful thing to grieve alone, but to grieve together makes it less horrid. We all grieve the loss of our dear and brave friend Sirius Black."

"We're gracious for your concern," said Remus.

"Sirius was a wonderful student, and showed us that life was for living. Remember, Remus, you might think you've lost a friend, but we know that we've gained an angel above, watching us."

"I - I really appreciate that," said Remus.

"Besides, you've gained another friend too," said Dumbledore nodding at Harry.

"You're right. James has a wonderful son, and he's now a great friend of mine," said Remus, smiling at Harry. Harry felt a lot warmer inside at that moment.

"And Harry, remember that Sirius will never be gone, because his memory and love are still inside you. He loved you very much, like a son even. He will always be watching you from above."

"Thank you so much," said Harry, trying to hold back the fountain of emotions ready to pour out.

"I will see you at the burial," said Dumbledore, following the rest of the witches and wizards into the church.

"Do we go in now?" asked Harry.

"No, we're going to stay out here to greet those coming out."

"All right," sighed Harry, who was glad to put off his goodbye to Sirius once more.

He was still so scared to say goodbye. As everyone walked out of the chapel, a few crying and almost all of them more glum than before, Harry and Remus shook their hands again and said such things as 'thank you for coming'. Soon enough, there was no one in the church except for Remus and Harry.

"I'll go in now," said Harry, following a long sigh. He picked up his mirror from the table, held it to his side and walked into the chapel.

As he stepped into the large room, he looked around. There were crosses hung, and tens of benches in rows going from the front to the back. There was an altar and table at the front. It was the basic Protestant church, but it was simple yet welcoming. At the front of the altar stood the coffin that Harry and Remus chose. Because of the angle he was looking at, he couldn't see Sirius' body.

He slowly walked down the church's aisle, every step sounding like large click-clacks on hard stone that bounced off the walls everywhere. Even if it was the middle of July, the chapel was abnormally bitter cold and its chill seeped into his soul. The more he got closer to the coffin, the more achy and scared he became. He tried to walk slowly to his godfather's coffin so that the awful sight wouldn't be too soon.

After many slow and painful steps, gripping more onto the mirror with every move he made, he finally arrived at the coffin, and glared inside.

It was Sirius Black, dead, with his eyes closed, his long hair flat on the silk pillows in the coffin, wearing a nice black dress robe and a peaceful smile on his face. Harry's hand shivered, and then his whole body trembled with fright. The sight of Sirius brought him back to the instant that he died: the shocked expression in Sirius' eyes when the spell hit him on the chest, the look of mingled fear and surprise, the way he fell behind the veil, into the Chamber of Death...

His face looked so different from what it looked like then. The smile on his face seemed so peaceful. Harry couldn't do anything but wonder if he was in peace, that he was now experiencing something better, in a more wonderful place. He looked almost relieved and happy, that all the pain he suffered was all washed away. Harry hoped that wonderful place he was in now was better than the cold coffin he was lying in then.

Every single moment he experienced with Sirius and about Sirius, from the time he first heard about him loose from Azkaban to the things he did with Remus to prepare for Sirius' funeral, flashed through his mind in an instant. As all these things flashed through his head, he couldn't utter a word to say. It was as if his mouth was frozen shut. Finally, he was able to speak.

"So... here I am," sighed Harry. He could not believe that that was all he could say. He tried to think of more. "It's been so long since the last time I saw your face. Back then, it looked so awful in an expression that makes me tremble every second I think about it. Now, you're in a better place with a smile on your face. You look happy."

Harry let out a deep sigh of sorrow as he finished saying the things he had just said.

"You shouldn't have died," sighed Harry, his voice shaking. "I was the one who thought that Lord Voldemort was torturing you. I tried to save you, but I later found out at the Ministry that I was wrong, that Voldemort was trying to use me to get his weapon, because he knew that I was the one who always tried to be the hero. Unfortunately, me trying to be the hero led to your end...

"You would not believe the pain I felt when I saw you fall behind that... veil... I never wanted to lose you. You were my godfather! It took me months to get you off my mind, and the truth is, I still can't stop thinking about it.

"It's been... so hard... to get over your death this year. I can't even count the many times that I've cried myself to sleep over your death, or have woken up pouring in cold sweat after a dream of how you died. Luckily, I have Remus by my side, who helped me to get through everything. I don't know what I'd do without him. Even so, he's not my godfather, and he's not you.

"You missed so much this year. I met the Princesses for Magic, and they're great. Joy's one of my best friends and Glory's my girlfriend. I started to date Cho, the crush I had for 3 years, but she turned out to be a scam. She used me. I felt horrible, and I wish I could have shared the moment with you. Even so, I got over it really quickly, because I later fell in love with Glory. She's so much like me, and she lost her godmother too. I became Quidditch captain, and our team won the Cup! You should have seen it, it was so great. It was crazy what happened this year with Malfoy, Glory and Voldemort. It was nuts. The Dursleys are nice to me now too! Aunt Petunia is actually a lot more loving than I thought."

Harry stared more at Sirius. It wasn't like Sirius was really listening to what he was saying. It made Harry feel so much better to say what he wanted to say to Sirius, but the fact that Sirius wasn't actually listening made it all bitter.

"Listen to me, I'm talking to a dead person!" shouted Harry, feeling quite embarrassed. "Sirius, wherever you are, the fact is I miss you! I miss you, okay? The very second that you fell behind that veil, my life had been turned upside down! Even with Remus, no one could replace a godfather like you! There were times that were so awful, and all I wanted was you to be there!

"I was so worried for you when I thought Voldemort was going to kill you that I rushed to the Ministry to save you. I didn't realize that he was using me, because I always want to be the hero. If I didn't always try to be the hero, you wouldn't be dead. It's all my fault that you're dead. If I didn't take those visions so seriously... it's just...

"IT'S ALL MY FAULT! DO YOU HEAR ME, SIRIUS? IT WAS ALL MY FAULT THAT YOU'RE DEAD! IT'S ALL MY FAULT! IF I WASN'T SUCH A HERO, YOU WOULD STILL BE HERE! You'd still... be here..."

Suddenly as if a dam was opened, Harry burst out crying, not able to control his emotions. Tears, tears and more tears ran swiftly down his face. As hard as he tried, he couldn't stop the rush of sorrow streaming through him. All the times he had spent with Sirius rushed through his head, and he immediately thought of the exact moment Sirius died. It was all his fault. If it wasn't for him trying to save the day all the time, Sirius wouldn't have gone to the Ministry to try and save him and Bellatrix wouldn't have killed him. He was so angry with himself. 'It's all my fault', he kept on saying to himself.

After minutes of nothing but large amounts of crying, he started to calm down, still filling awful with himself. He tried to wipe his face of tears, his face was all red. He heard a blow of wind coming from an open window in the church, and the room became a lot warmer. Harry felt a warm presence right beside him, and he quickly turned around to see a ghostly image of Sirius Black in a nice white dress robe, a glowing appearance and a welcoming smile on his face under his flowing hair.

"Hey, Harry!" said the appearance of Sirius, winking at Harry.

Harry was so confused at what he was seeing right then. He glared at Sirius' corpse, which was still in the coffin, yet he still glared at Sirius' ghostly appearance. Was he hallucinating? He was so scared he started trembling.

"S-sir-rius?" stuttered Harry.

"Don't worry, Harry. Don't be afraid. It's only me, Sirius."

"W-what a-are you d-d-doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," said Sirius, laying his hand on Harry's shoulder. Even if his appearance seemed transparent, Harry could still feel his godfather's hand on his shoulder.

"W-what d-do youw-want to t-talk to m-me about?"

"I wanted to talk you about how I died. Well, I don't exactly want to say 'how' I died. Nobody 'up there' wants to talk about it too much actually. It makes a good conversation starter, but after you know, you don't really want to talk about it again. It's horrible. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that it wasn't your fault, Harry."

"Yes it was!" shouted Harry, feeling so guilty. "I tried to be the hero, and you ended up dead trying to save me!"

"Harry, don't blame yourself!" said Sirius, gripping on both of Harry's shoulders. "It's wonderful that you want to save people. If you weren't the hero in many situations, Voldemort would have gotten to power a lot sooner or someone would have ended up dead from him! Everyone is proud of you that you like to take charge of things and save the day, because you usually do! Voldemort was the one who took advantage of that and used you! He's the only one to blame, and those awful Death Eaters who helped him too. Other than that, no one's to blame! I tried to blame myself, but I found out it wasn't my fault either. I tried to make sure nothing bad would happen, like a good godfather should."

"But I shouldn't be the hero, it gets me into trouble!"

"Harry, it does the opposite. I watched you this year when you were face-to-face with Voldemort, or Princess Glory... I'm not too sure which one. Anyway, you were so close to - 'it' - but you didn't coward-out!"

"I didn't do anything! Everyone thinks I saved the day, but didn't."

"Harry, I saw it. Even if you didn't really battle or anything, you kept your chin up and faced it. You were brave, and that's all that matters. When your friends were whimpering, you were determined to stop it. That effort means a lot."

"Y-you saw it?"

"Of course I did! I'm always watching you, and so are James and Lily. We're all watching you, and we're proud of you. Even Cedric Diggory peaks on you once and a while to check out 'how Harry's doin' and all'. We don't want you to stop being the hero, because if you're not the hero, there won't be any hero, which can result in drastic consequences. Your parents are so proud of you that you will not believe."

"R-really?" asked Harry, with a smile appearing on his face. My parents are so proud of me, thought Harry. All the dread that he felt about himself was going away.

"Of course! Please, Harry, don't try and make your life miserable over me. You shouldn't, when you can be embracing life! You've got a wonderful girlfriend for instance! I'm proud of you on that, I tell you! Royalty and my godson... Your mother's glorified. She always loved the idea of the Monarchy of Magic. Anyway, I'm not worth moping about all your life. Have fun! All right, I have to go now. Goodbye, Harry!"

Harry blinked, and suddenly Sirius was gone. The church became empty and cold again. Harry couldn't understand what had happened. Was it all his imagination? Despite what Sirius said, Harry felt miserable again. He wanted to ask Sirius more questions.

"Sirius?" called out Harry in a whisper. "Sirius, come back! I miss you."

Harry's eyes became watery and they started to drip with tears. As he started to cry again, he could hear a door creaking open and large clumpy footsteps going towards him. Harry wanted to be alone now.

"Go away," said Harry, not looking at the person coming near him. Who was it? The footsteps approached even quicker. "Go away!" shouted Harry again. The person was now very close to Harry. Harry would turn around and tell them to go. "I TOLD YOU TO GO- Oh. Hi, Glory."

It was Glory who was approaching Harry, looking lovingly at him. Harry was really ashamed of himself (and embarrassed) that he had said those things.

"Remus wanted me to check on you," said Glory softly. "You were talking for a really long time. Are you all right?"

"I'm not too sure," sighed Harry.

"You were shouting," remarked Glory. "You thought it was your fault that he died."

"Yeah, I thought that. I understand it's not my fault now, but it's Lord Voldemort's."

"I'm glad you understand that now. I heard another voice. Was it Sirius you were talking to?"

Harry looked shocked at Glory, and stood there silent, not knowing what to say. Did she really know?

"Er, no, it was only me shouting at myself."

"You saw Sirius' appearance, didn't you?" asked Glory. "An angel?"

Harry looked at her surprisingly. She did know what he'd seen. Was what he saw really an angel?

"I-I guess so," said Harry, glaring at Sirius' coffin.

"He talked to you, didn't he? My godmother did the same a few months after she died. It really touched me. Are you finished saying your final goodbyes to Sirius?"

"Almost," said Harry. "I just have to do one more thing."

Harry, who had gripped onto the mirror the whole entire time, laid the mirror onto the chest of the dead Sirius. He felt a bit better.

"Goodbye, Sirius," sighed Harry. He turned back to speak to Glory. "I'm finished now."

"All right. I have to go, but I'll meet you at the funeral."

"Sure. I'll see you then."

"Bye, Harry," she said, as she gave Harry another peck on the cheek.

As she walked out of the church, Harry touched his cheek, which was still warm from her kiss. He was grateful that he had her for a girlfriend. He took a last look at Sirius, and rushed out of the room to where Remus was leaning on the wall near the entrance.

"Hey, Harry!" he said. "Are we going to that restaurant I told you about? The one your parents loved to go to?"

"Sure," said Harry, as the walked out of the church into the parking lot where Remus' Thunderbird was.

They both hopped into the vehicle and drove into the town, where they stopped at a large restaurant called, 'Aunt Sue's Restaurant'. It was a very old building, with cracks near the edges of the windows and corners. It was made in grey brick with large semi-circle-shaped windows. The large sign showcasing the name of the restaurant in large cursive painted letters hung right beneath the tile roof. Harry could smell the delicious food all the way from its parking lot.

"I can smell the food from here," said Harry. "Is it a Muggle restaurant?"

"Yeah, it is. It's a great restaurant. The owner, Sue Baker-Smith, is a witch, although she's extremely friendly with Muggles. She was a friend of your parents. She's 66 years old now, even if she's as youthful as ever. Let's get in there, I'm starving!"

Harry and Remus went into the old building and a whiff of delicious foods took their breaths away. The restaurant was decorated with nice potted plants, set-up tables and green and red walls surrounding the room, with a hard-wood floor to finish. The flowers on each table brightened up the room even more. A chubby lady with an apron holding a pad of paper, menus in her hand and a pen stuck behind her ear noticed Harry and Remus at the entrance and quickly went to them.

"Hello, Remus!" greeted the lady cheerfully. "What brings you to Godric's Hollow?"

"I'm here for Sirius' funeral, Sue," said Remus. "The burial's in the afternoon and I wanted to show Harry his parents' favourite restaurant."

"Harry Potter?" questioned Sue, looking closely at Harry with her hand gripped onto his face gently. "Why, it is!"

"It was the scar that gave it away, wasn't it?" asked Harry, as she pulled her hand away.

"The scar? Oh that, right on your forehead! No, it's not that. You're the spinning image of James Potter, and you have Lily's eyes! I don't need to see a scar to realize you're James and Lily's son, dear! He's such a charming lad, Remus!"

"He is," agreed Remus.

"Why, silly me! I should give you two a table. By the way, Remus, I'm so sorry that Sirius Black died. I read about that in The Daily Prophet. How horrible! He was a sweet thing too. Follow me and I'll show you to your table."

Sue showed them to a table set for two near the window. They both quickly sat down and she handed them menus.

"I'll come back later when you're ready to order," said the owner, as she walked away to serve some others.

"She seems nice," said Harry, looking at the menu of delicious foods.

"Of course she is!"

Harry and Remus had a wonderful time eating their delicious food. Harry had ordered the stir-fry shrimp dish with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob while Remus had the grilled steak with fries and mixed vegetables. Harry watched Remus gobble up the steak rapidly and sloppily. When Remus noticed Harry was watching him eat, he excused himself.

"Sorry," apologized Remus, blushing a bit. "It's a week until the full moon and I'm already getting a bit carnivorous."

Harry didn't mention at all about the appearance of Sirius during lunch, nor during that whole entire day. He didn't really want to talk about it. He wasn't ready.

Afterwards, Harry got to order a large chocolate sundae with a giant cherry on top. He looked very immature (and Remus even told him so), but he didn't really care. Those few years of his childhood were pretty awful, and all he wanted to do was let loose one way or another.

Once they paid the bill and said bye to the friendly owner, Harry and his mentor went into the Thunderbird and drove around Godric's Hollow so Remus could show Harry a few of the places his parents liked. They didn't get to stop anywhere because they were supposed to be at the burial in an hour. Driving to the graveyard, Harry had a yearning idea to go to a place he felt necessary to go, which Remus had completely ignored to show Harry.

"Remus?" asked Harry, feeling a bit shy to ask. "Can we go to where my parents' house was?"

Remus, shocked at the request, stopped at the side of the road and looked at Harry.

"Y-you're sure you want to go there?" asked Remus, looking at Harry with a curious look. "It might bring bad memories. I - I'm not sure if you should go - "

"Remus, I have to go there. Of all the places to see other than my parents' grave, it should be their house."

"S-sure," agreed Remus, turning the car back on and going back from where they were before to take a few different turns.

Remus drove into a little part of the town with many old and cozy brick houses in rows, which seemed like a welcoming neighbourhood. He made a left turn and went into a nice avenue with tall houses. At the very end of the road was an empty patch of land with no house. Harry could see the square form of where the house would have been, and the centre of the lot where the house would have been was completely black, as if there was some kind of explosion. Remus stopped in front of the remains of what almost looked like a former driveway.

"This is where your - your parents died," sighed Remus, trying to turn his head away from the sight.

"This is it," mumbled Harry to himself, not believing he was finally there. He unlocked the door and left the car, taking one slow step onto the lot.

"You're going there?" questioned Remus. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I have to," sighed Harry, looking back at Remus. "It just feels right, in a way."

"Whatever," said Remus, looking away. Harry could tell he didn't like this place. Harry didn't feel like this was a wonderful place either.

He walked slowly onto the lot, examining every inch of it. He couldn't believe that almost 17 years ago he would have called that place home. It seemed pretty abandoned. He approached the large burnt area of the place. He walked around the area, seeing if any memories would come back. Just by standing in the middle of the lot, he could suddenly imagine how his parents looked like: a young couple with smiles on their faces. As he stepped farther away in the area, he could see flashes of the horrible remains and spots of his memory that he had of that night, the flash of green light, his mother's cry and the large cackle...

He couldn't stand the memory of that awful time, and quickly gave a few last glances and sped back into the car. He opened the door, took his seat in the front and buckled up.

"Are you all right?" asked Remus looking concerned.

"I think so."

"I'm sorry I kind of freaked out. It's just that I hate this lot so much. To think that James - that James was... I can't say it. Sorry, Harry, but I still think I'm a bit sensitive about it."

"Are you a bit sensitive about Sirius' death too?" asked Harry.

"I am. It's just so hard to lose such great friends in such horrible ways. In the beginning, I'm usually so stunned I take it a bit easy. When it becomes a longer time and I have to deal with it more, the pain sinks in, and practically tortures me."

"It must have scarred you," implied Harry, thinking about the end of his school year when he listened to Ron and his near death experience and the Princesses' experiences in war.

"Exactly, it did just that. We should go," said Remus, trying to quickly change the subject.

Remus turned on the car and sped out of the neighbourhood in the direction of the graveyard. They drove off into the town to a parking lot near the giant field of tombstones and statues, with a few trees standing beside the graves of the deceased. Harry and Remus quickly got out of the car. Harry wasn't sure if he could handle what was coming up.

"We're here," stated Remus, turning off the Thunderbird. He and Harry got out of the convertible, closed its roof and locked it.

They slowly walked into the paths throughout the graveyard. It felt so intense to Harry, that so many dead loved ones of so many laid in their final resting places right in that green field. He glared at the tombstones on each side of him as the afternoon sun beamed down. He could see in the distance rows of chairs set up near Sirius' coffin and grave with a priest getting ready beside it. Harry held his breath as he and Remus approached the priest.

"Good afternoon!" greeted the priest, who was a tall old man with large glasses and a cheery face.

"Hello, Father Luke," said Remus, shaking the priest's hand. "This is Harry Potter."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry," said the priest, shaking Harry's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," said Harry. "You knew my parents?"

"In fact I did. I wed them, and I did the ceremony of their burial. It's really sad about their death. Your parents were good people, Harry."

"I appreciate that," sighed Harry, with appearance of the lot still in his head.

"Sirius was a good man too," sighed the priest. "It's awful he's gone too."

Harry looked at Remus, who was starting to look uncomfortable. Harry looked behind Sirius' coffin and could see a bit of his tombstone. He glared at the right where his parents' tombstones lied. It was hard to believe he was so close to them. Unfortunately, he didn't have time then to visit their graves.

The guests arrived quickly, and the priest, Remus and Harry greeted them all as they sat down in the row of chairs. The Dursleys finally arrived and greeted them (Uncle Vernon and Dudley were quite uncomfortable). Even Buckbeak came with a member of the Hippogryph Society of Great Britain bringing him. Buckbeak wasn't as wild and joyful like the last time Harry saw him. Even the hippogryph was sad that Sirius was gone.

At 3 o'clock, Harry took his seat in between Remus and Aunt Petunia as the priest started the ceremony.

"We gather here today to honour, remember, and to lay to rest the body of Sirius Black," stated Father Luke, "who was a loving godfather, trusting best friend and a good friend and neighbour to us all. As we lay this wonderful wizard to rest, we try and remember the life of this young man who died too soon.

"This part I am about to say was written with great help from Sirius' best friend Remus Lupin by special request," stated Father Luke. He cleared his throat and spoke what Remus had wanted to say. "Learning about the life of Sirius Black, I found out that his family was a pure-blood family, who despised anyone who wasn't pure blood. Sirius realized at an early age that this was the wrong thing to do, and he saw passed those who weren't pureblood and still knew that they were good people. We could see already that Sirius was a good person and knew from right and wrong, even though his family believed something else.

"During school, he befriended James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin, who was also a werewolf (Remus was a bit embarrassed that his secret was revealed to such a large crowd, and he tried to look around to see if anyone was having any shocked expression on their face). We see again that Sirius saw passed this and saw the good in one who others would despise. At his time at Hogwarts, he was quite the prankster, but he always put a smile on someone's face or a bit of excitement in anyone's day. He was a great person to be around.

"A few years afterwards, he became the best man of James Potter and the godfather of James and Lily's son, Harry. He was a loved person. Unfortunately, he was framed of being the associate of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the murderer to many Muggles. He was sent in Azkaban for reasons untrue, yet he still survived. He was a survivor.

"He later escaped and had to hide from the Ministry of Magic, who still thought he was a criminal. Many people thought he was a criminal, and that is unfortunate because many people weren't able to see the genuine person behind the false accusations made against him. Even in secret, he was kind and loving.

"At the end of June of last year, his godson went to the Ministry trying to save him, for he thought Sirius was being tortured. Members of the Order of the Phoenix, Aurors and Sirius went to save the youngsters, who were in grave danger. There, trying to save his godson and duelling his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius was shot by a spell from his cousin and fell into what the Ministry call, 'the Chamber of Death', and he was unfairly killed.

"We are very unfortunate that he died, but are fortunate to have found his body, and to have gained an angel high above. This man will rest in our memories and hearts forever with a warming glow. His love, care and memory will never be forgotten. We often forget to live life to the fullest. Even if his last years alive were glum, he did in fact live life to the fullest when he had the chance. We will remember him from the grave and beyond. I will now read a passage from the Bible."

As Father Luke said a passage in the Bible that was most touching, Harry thought of the wonderful speech that was made. Remus told Harry before that he made a special request to the priest that what he wanted to say would be said, although he didn't feel like saying it. Remus was too shy, and he felt that at the funeral he would be too sorrowful to say words such as those he wanted to say. Harry thought again of all the times he had spent with Sirius, and was glad he ever knew him. Father Luke finished off the passage and continued talking.

"We will now lay to rest Sirius Black and that his spirit will go on forever in heaven. May God look after him and all of us who are mourning. Amen."

The priest took out his wand (the Dursleys were shocked at this) and started to lower the coffin down into its grave. An immediate woeful emotion swept over Harry, and tears were urging to pour out behind his watery eyes. He felt as if to say, 'No, Sirius, please don't leave us', yet he didn't. He could hear others crying, such as Ginny Weasley and her mother. Even Hagrid was crying.

Suddenly, he burst into tears, not being able to control it. He tried to cover his face. He didn't want to make a scene like this at Sirius' funeral. Oh Sirius! he thought to himself. Immediately beside him, he could hear cries coming out of Remus. Remus hugged Harry, and so did Aunt Petunia. Sirius' coffin was finally laid down into the ground.

The priest made a concluding statement, and afterwards those at the funeral went to look at Sirius' grave and say goodbye to each other. Harry couldn't say goodbye to anyone, because he was too busy crying. It was worse than when he had seen Sirius' body in the church. Remus had to leave Harry alone to say goodbye to all the guests, and Aunt Petunia went to visit her sister's grave, so for a while he was crying all by himself.

When he had gotten a hold on himself, almost everyone was gone except for the Dursleys, Remus, and the Princesses and their parents. He was angry at Hermione and Ron for not waiting to say goodbye to him, but he guessed they had to leave quickly. Harry quickly wiped his face with his sleeve. He had made a fool of himself in front of everyone.

Joy and Glory sat down on both sides next to him.

"Are you okay?" asked Joy.

"I think so," choked Harry, trying to clean his face of tears with a tissue in his pocket.

"We saw you crying when Sirius' body was laid to rest," said Glory, gliding her hands softly down on his cheek. "You reminded me of how I looked like when my godmother died, although I cried during the whole thing. I can't even count how many times I cried and howled after her death."

"You're really lucky to have Glory," said Joy. "She's had experience with a lot of the things you're dealing with. But remember, you also have me if you want to talk to anybody. I wish Ron and Hermione could have stayed a bit longer, but they had to go. It was getting late."

"I wondered about that," admitted Harry.

"Are you going to go see your godfather's grave?" asked Glory.

"Yeah. I also wanted to see my parents' graves. I never got to see theirs'."

"Oh, that's horrible!" gasped Joy. "Come on, let's go see them."

Harry stood up with both of them and walked over to Sirius' grave. It was a polished, grey semi-circle stone which had words engraved on it. It said on the stone:

R.I.P.

Sirius Black

1960 - 1996

A loving godfather, a trusting best friend and

a good friend to anyone who knew him well.

"He was so young," sighed Joy.

"I know, he was only 36," stated Harry.

Harry gave a long stare at the gravestone, and down at the grave. With Sirius' coffin sunken six feet under, it felt as if his godfather was now gone for good. As the afternoon sun shined high up in the sky in an intense fluorescent glow, its rays lit up the coffin in the ground and its polished stone, making Harry think of the angel-like Sirius he had spoken to in the church. He dearly missed Sirius, yet thinking about his angel and that he was in a better place made him less sorrowful.

"Are these the graves of your parents?" asked Glory, pointing to the two graves beside Sirius'.

"They are," sighed Harry, walking closer to their burial places.

He knelt down on one knee to the ground and glided his fingertips onto the two stones right beside Sirius. They were two brown polished rectangle-stones rising up from the ground. Touching their tombstones and kneeling down in their resting places, he felt a bit like he was with his parents. A tender, loving, and yet mysterious sensation came over him just standing there, almost the same feeling he felt when he saw his family in the Mirror of Erised, but it was so different from it. It was almost as if their small family was all together again, even if his parents were dead.

Harry read closely both the engravings on the stones. On his mother's stone, it said:

Lily (Evans) Potter

1960 - 1981

A wonderful wife, mother and daughter,

and loyal friend to many.

She suffered a legendary and horrible death, trying to save her son,

and her memory will live on.

On his father's stone, it said:

James Potter

1960 - 1981

A great best friend, a loving father and husband,

and a memorable person to all.

He died trying to save his family and suffered an unthinkable death,

and his memory will live on with his wife's.

He could just sit down there for days and days, knowing that his parents were there and not completely gone from the face of the earth, and that they were watching him. His knees almost gave away, as they were trembling so much from the intense feeling he was experiencing.

"I would really like to be alone right now," said Harry, looking up at both the girls.

"We completely understand," said Joy with a sweet smile. "We'll go talk to the Dursleys about the invitation for the stay of 2 weeks at the palace."

"We'll hopefully see you soon, Harry!" said Glory, giving him a caring wink.

Both girls left Harry and went to the Dursleys, who were eager to talk to them. Harry could hear behind him gasps and excited yelps as they explained their invitation.

"You know, Muggle jewellery is very much like witch jewellery, and our mother is starting a jewel line," Harry heard Joy tell Aunt Petunia. He stared back at the grave stones. Checking to see if anyone was looking at him or was near to him, he started to speak to his deceased parents.

"I know that I'm not really talking to you both or anything, but I never really got to say goodbye to either of you," said Harry. "I'm still mad at the Dursleys for not bringing me, even though they had their reasons. I wish you were still here, even if you're in a better place.

"When I first found out when I started to go to Hogwarts of how you both were like, I found out how nice you were. I loved getting comments that I seemed so much like you, Dad, and that I had your green eyes, Mum. I always try and learn more about you, because I never got to know you that well in the first place. I wish I did, because you both seem like wonderful people.

"You both shouldn't have died the way you did, and I appreciate it so much what you gave me. Every time I hear that Mum died for me and tried to protect me, it makes me feel... a bit more special and proud that I had... parents like you two.

"I did find out a few bad things. Last year, I found out how ruthless Dad was to Professor Snape, and that brought me down. I know there's a story behind it, and I want to know it, but I don't think I'll ever know. I really want to know more about you, but I think Remus is a bit 'sensitive' about the whole thing, with Sirius gone too.

"There's so many things that you missed when I was growing up. I was so abused by the Dursleys after you died and after I got my letter from Hogwarts. I did so many things that when I look back and think about them, they're unbelievable. I saved the Philosopher's Stone from Professor Quirrell's and Lord Voldemort's clutches. I caught the one who was opening the Chamber of Secrets, and I slew the monster within, which is by the way a basilisk. I found Sirius Black and found out his true story, even if everyone else thought he was a criminal. Actually, I saved him from getting a kiss from a Dementor. I participated in the TriWizard Tournament, and won, although it didn't feel good. I witnessed Lord Voldemort being brought back to power, and believe me, it was horrible. Last year, I taught Defence Against the Dark Arts, and I helped Arthur Weasley get help because I knew he was attacked. I also tried to save Sirius... but of course... Anyway, I destroyed what Voldemort was trying to get, which is all right.

"This year, Voldemort was possessing Princess Glory, and I didn't exactly do anything, but in a way, I stopped Voldemort possessing Glory, and now he's not as powerful as he was before.

"By just talking about Voldemort, I realize that it's all his fault that Sirius and you two are dead, and that my life isn't as wonderful as it could have been. Yet, it made me stronger, and it kind of makes me closer to Glory, who I'm dating. I know you'd be proud, Mum. Sirius told me about it. Dumbledore told me about the Prophecy that was made before I was born, that I'm the only one who can kill Voldemort, and that I have a special power that he doesn't know about. I still don't know what that power is, and I hope I'll know someday. The Prophecy said at the end, one will have to kill the other. With you both and Sirius in my mind, I will try and destroy Voldemort, whenever the time comes. And if I don't..."

Harry thought for a moment about what would happen if Voldemort killed him. He trembled at the thought, and he felt like he wanted to bleed worry by thinking about it. Would he fail? Would he complete the Prophecy, and not complete his duty to destroy Voldemort? Would he be killed the same awful way his parents did?

"If I don't destroy him... then I'll be with you two again. I hope that doesn't come too soon, and I will try my hardest to destroy him, in your honour, in Sirius' honour, and in Cedric's honour. I will destroy him once and for all, and that the wizarding world will soon see peace once again, like it did when he tried to kill me before."

"Harry, we have to go!" called Uncle Vernon, honking at the horn in his car.

"I have to go, and I'll try and make you both happy, and you too Sirius," he said, looking back at Sirius' grave. "I'll keep you all in my heart, I promise, and I'll make all you three proud of me."

As a couple more tears dropped down to his face, he touched their gravestones for the last time, and stood up.

"Goodbye," whispered Harry, as he walked away from his parents gravestones and into the future, not knowing what would happen. But with his parents watching over him, he knew he would do whatever it takes to make them proud and to one day, maybe, beat Lord Voldemort.

Author's Note: I love this chapter!! (cries even more). I felt very emotional during this chapter because, well, it has a lot of emotion in it. I'm sorry if Harry seemed somewhat wussy, but when someone's dead, you just 'let it go'. At least I think so. Anyway, here are my thank yous:

Angel Princess Stephanie - My first reviewer! What can I say? That you every SO much for that, because you gave me a lot of confidence for my writing. THANK YOU!!!

Kala Black - It was a bit of a harsh review, but truthfully, it was my first harsh review. I'm glad you liked it.

Duke20104 - Thanks so much for reviewing, and I'm glad you liked the story!

SailorPanda15 - You reviewed twice? That was awesome! Thanks a bunch and I'm glad you liked it. Oh, and your welcome for the review I gave you.

hell'squeen - Thanks for the review! You know what, I liked having Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia not being so mean to Harry too.

magicrules - Thanks SO much for reviewing twice! I thought it was good to not have writer's block while putting it on the site (though I did get a bunch while writing it). I'm glad you liked Remus' character too!

harrypottergirl - Thanks for reviewing, and for your questions: (1) Thanks for telling me about only driving in England when you're 17, and by the way, I'm Canadian (Oh, Canada!) and (2) Harry could drive 'very carefully', but I'm sure Harry's cast is hard enough for him to drive and it was already healing too.

JeanieBeanie33 - I am absolutely sure you gave me my best review of all time! Thanks SOOOOO MUCH!!!! And you reviewed twice, that's even better! Thank you!

Rhinemjr - Wow, 5 reviews! You've been my most consistent reviewer, and I thank you SO much for reviewing! I'm really glad you liked it!

g3tog4unlog on - Thanks for reviewing, but for your question, werewolves can only be hurt be 'real silver', and the Thunderbird only had the colour of silver.

Voldie on Varsity Track - Thanks for reviewing and I glad you liked it! Vernon and Petunia may seem out of character, but I thought I should have changed them because of the 'talk' Harry's friends gave them.

BlueGryphon - Thanks for reviewing and the compliment, and sorry, I didn't know you had to be 17 to drive in England.

Christian - Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you liked the story!

Fire Maiden Kiya - Thanks so much for FINALLY reviewing! I really liked the compliments.

Kami - Thanks for reviewing, and I'm happy you liked it.

puppy-luva - Thank you SO much for reviewing twice, and that comment about some people not reviewing gave me a lot of confidence. THANKS!

maaz - Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you want to keep on reading the story when you've got exams, but I'm too busy to send them.

IRM Karmada Dothlthleig - Hey, thanks so much for the review, and thank you for giving me some pointers on that few, slow actions thing. It comes in really helpful when creating other stories!

drache5824 - Thanks for reviewing, and here's the answer to your question about why anyone needs to perfect the wolfsbane potion: as a perfectionist, I know that ANYTHING can be perfected. Some ways of perfecting the wolfsbane potion are to make the transformation process less painful (because in the 3rd book I think Remus says that it's painful to transform), to let the werewolf have less canine characteristics and more human ones so he'll be a bit less dangerous (or in the wolfbane's case, more less dangerous), the potion could work a lot quicker, and of course, you can always perfect the taste! And the answer of the question for your second: in the first chapter, I stated that I wasn't going to include a few things mentioned in the 5th book, including Lucius Malfoy's arrest (even though I decided by the 3rd chapter that I would include Cho Chang and Harry's previous relationship). This is because I started writing the story before the 5th book was even published, and by the time I read the book, I was almost finished my story and Lucius Malfoy happened to be a very large part in the story. Wow, that's a lot of answering, isn't it?

Wytil - Thank you for reviewing twice, and yes, it was an interesting way for old Voldie to screw up. It was difficult and yet very fun to plan out his downfall. And Fudge isn't a clone, at least, I hope not.

Gryffindorquidditch - Thanks for reviewing, and I'm very glad you liked the story and my Hogwarts song. I'm actually quite proud of that song, so thank you for complimenting it!