Epilogue: Padfoot and Prongs

Downwards they ran through the Department of Mysteries, trying to find someone. They did come across a few Death Eaters, but they were impressed at how much bad shape they were in. Such as the one Death Eater who now had a baby's head.

Moody smirked at the sight of them, but Sirius was staring around wildly for any signs of the kids.

As they ran around, they could hear the sounds of screaming from below them, screams of agony.

"This way!" Kingsley shouted, and they ran. Sirius kept praying with all his heart that it wasn't Harry's voice he was hearing. But they came bursting through the doorway, and this had to be the Chamber of Death that he heard so much about. Below them, was Harry and a boy that he assumed was Neville Longbottom. But surrounding them had to be at least ten Death Eaters.

His blood boiling, excitement and fear rushing through his body, he charged ahead. Lucius Malfoy was there, trying to take the prophecy that was held in Harry's hands, raised his wand, but Tonks already aimed a Stunning Spell at him. Harry turned and dived off the dais as the fight began. It was chaos going off around him. Spells were being shot every which way, bodies were almost dancing around as they sent flashes of light at anything that moved.

Sirius was dueling with one of the masked freaks. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kingsley fighting two at once while Tonks was now taking on Bellatrix single handedly. But he was focusing solely on this loser, both dueling their hardest against the other.

He heard Harry's voice crying out over the noise though, "Protego!"

In panic, he charged at the Death Eater and sent him flying back and crashing into the wall before he spun around to see the Death Eater Dolohov there. He charged at them now, ramming Dolohov with his shoulder and getting him out of the way. With the two boys at his back, he began dueling Dolohov—their wands flashing like swords and causing sparks to fly.

Harry suddenly jumped up and froze Dolohov, causing him to land on the floor with a crash.

"Nice one!" shouted Sirius, forcing Harry's head down as a pair of Stunning Spells flew towards them. "Now I want you to get out of-" but he didn't finish as a jet of green light narrowly missed him. He glared around in time to see Tonks take a fall from halfway up the steps, her limp body falling from the stone seats.

Anger roared inside him at the sight of her. "Harry, take the prophecy, grab Neville and run!" he yelled as he went running towards her, this time ready to take her out once and for all. He knew how good she was, but he was probably one of the few who could beat her. At the least, he was going to draw her away from the others because he knew that she would never be able to resist a battle from him.

She roared in laughter when she saw him and the two of them were at each other's throats. Sirius was more than able to keep up with him, but neither was able to get one over the other. She was now looking angry with every second that they were fighting and Sirius couldn't help but taunt her when he ducked underneath a Stunning Spell.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" he laughed.

But that had been want cost him. Before he knew what happened, he was hit right in the chest by another spell. Pain filled his body, feeling like he had received a punch from an ironclad fist. It was as if time around him slowed down to a crawl. He felt himself falling backwards, unable to move to save himself…

As he fell, the last thing he saw was Harry running back down the stairs, his eyes on him. It wasn't until that moment did he realize the truth…

He did see Harry too much like James. If only he didn't look so much like him… was it because of that he wasn't able to fully let go of his best friend? He was messed up in the head, he always knew that. But it wasn't until that moment did he realize just how much he wanted to live. He wanted to keep fighting, to protect his godson and everyone else for as long as he could…

But it wasn't meant to be.

All he knew for sure was that he fell backwards and barely felt the veil brush past him and he tumbled right into the darkness. It happened so quickly that he didn't feel a thing… in fact, it was quicker and easier than falling asleep…

And he knew no more.

"Sirius…?"

Who was that?

"Sirius!"

It sounded so familiar…

"Oi! Padfoot! Wake up already!"

Just then, he felt someone pull hard on a lock of his hair and he let out a yell of anger, pushing the hand away. "Go away!" he yelled, having enjoyed the most peaceful night of sleep he had in years.

"Come on, Padfoot," teased the familiar voice. "You just gonna make me wait until you're done with your nap?"

Sirius froze, that voice, he knew that voice.

His eyes snapped open and he sat up, wincing at the bright light. He blinked several times, trying to make sense of what was going on. His vision cleared and he could see that he was lying on the floor of a familiar place… it was the Great Hall at Hogwarts. He was sure it was here… though it had been years since he'd been here.

But he wasn't even looking at that as he stared at the person standing next to him, grinning from ear to ear. At first he thought it was Harry, but this guy was older, his eyes a glint of mischief in that haze color.

"J-James?" he croaked.

He got shakily to his feet as he stared at him. It was James, just as how he last saw him. A cocky grin on his face, his hair a tangled mess like his son's, carrying himself tall and proud as when he was when they left school together.

"What's wrong?" James asked, "You look like you've seen a ghost?"

Sirius didn't know what to say. He reached out and touched James's shoulder with a shaking hand. He felt solid, he felt real… that was when he noticed his own hand. It wasn't thin and skeletal anymore. But it looked whole and healthy. He raised his hands and stared at how much younger they looked, how they looked before those nightmarish years in Azkaban. He looked around him and it was a wide place, looking just like the Great Hall once did, yet there was a strange silver mist that covered the place as well. This place was just like the Great Hall, yet, not like it…

But he couldn't care less about that at the moment as he stared at James, afraid to blink in case he disappeared.

"Prongs," he whispered and James grinned. "You're here?"

"Yes," he said happily.

"But," Sirius croaked out. "You're dead?"

"Yes again," James observed.

"Then…" Sirius said, as understanding washed over him. "Does that mean, I'm dead too?"

"Three questions right in a row," James chuckled, "That's a personal best for you."

Sirius cracked a smile, but it faded. "I remember," he said, "I was fighting my damn bitch of a cousin…"

"One hell of a way to go, mate," James commented.

"I can't believe we're related," Sirius stated.

"You could've been switched at birth?" he offered, and Sirius couldn't help but smile. This was their usual conversation whenever they talked about his family.

"Maybe," Sirius said, "I never did trust what my parents said." Just then, he realized something… "Harry…"

At the mention of his son, James's eyes turned sad and he looked away. Sirius felt as if someone was squeezing his heart.

"James, I…" Sirius gasped, pacing around, "I never meant for you to die! I honestly thought that what I was doing was to help keep you and your family safe! But if that wasn't good enough… do what you want to me."

James looked at him long and hard. "Do you really think that low of me, Paddy?" he asked incredulously. "I could never hate you. You're my best friend. I know that you thought you were doing the right thing. And at the time, it seemed to make sense. But it was Peter… not you to blame for that."

"But I was the one who suggested it!" Sirius yelled, pacing around, running his hands across his face, and realized that his face didn't feel as bone thin as it once did. "I was an idiot to ever believe that sneaky rat was on our side! I thought that I could trust him, and you ended up paying the price for all that! I let you guys die! If it wasn't for me, you would still be alive!"

"Sirius…" James whispered, but Sirius was going on, almost in a rant.

"I couldn't do anything right!" he yelled out desperately, practically pulling out his hair. "I let my desire for revenge take over, and instead of taking care of Harry, I let that damn rat get me sent off to prison! And stay stuck there for twelve godforsaken years! And by the time I get out, Harry's a teenager!"

And he went on and on about everything. How he was a failure, a complete idiot for trust Wormtail, for not being able to help anyone.

"That's more than what I could do for him," James whispered and Sirius stopped to look at him. James's eyes were full of sadness. "I was always there watching you both. And Remus too… with Lily." He gave a rather bitter smile. "It's just been killing her for not able to do anything to help him. Remember when she threatened to skin you alive when you used to take Harry out on your bike and used him to pick up girls?"

Sirius laughed, having forgotten about that over the years. "That's right," he smirked, "I got quite a few dates thanks to him. He was the cutest thing… girls just loved him. Not that it would help anymore."

"What are you talking about?" James laughed as he walked over to one of the tables and Sirius noticed that there was a small, handheld mirror there. That was funny, he didn't remember seeing one there a minute ago. "Look," James added and held up the mirror for him.

Sirius was expecting to see his wasted face and wasn't thrilled at the thought until James pressed it into his hands and he got a good hard look at himself. He stared…

He looked tall and handsome, and younger by far than he had been in years. He stared at his face, unable to believe it.

"You think that we would've let that ugly mug of yours like that?" James asked teasingly. Sirius stopped and stared at the sad face of his best friend. "I never blamed you," he told him. "Not once. I know that if it was the other way around, you wouldn't blame me."

"Why?" he whispered. "Why don't you hate me? It's my fault! I'm the reason that you were kill! That Lily was killed! It's my fault that Harry was forced to live on his own all these years! How can you not hate me?!"

James looked at him long and hard. "You're my best friend," he told him. "That's why.

Sirius felt tears in his eyes as he walked over and hugged him tightly. "I missed you," he whispered. "I've missed you so much."

"Me too," James said softly, returning the hug. "But like I said, it wasn't your fault. It's not like you were the one who killed me right? And it was Wormtail who's responsible for that."

Sirius felt as if a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders as he stood there with his friend, a feeling of joy he hadn't felt in years after being with his best friend again. He never really believed in heaven or hell before, he couldn't really see much point in it. But he had never been happier to be wrong. They pulled away.

"Is Lily here too?" he asked.

"She's still watching over Harry," James said and Sirius remembered.

"Is he alright?" he asked worriedly. "I don't know what happened after I… blimey, I was killed but a bloody curtain?"

James laughed. "It sounds so stupid when you put it like that. But why don't you just close your eyes and see for yourself?"

Sirius blinked at him in confusion, not understanding. But did what he suggested. He shut his eyes and thought about Harry. To his amazement, like a dream, he could see them. He was standing in the Atrium back at the Ministry. There was the forms of a fight, destroyed parts of that ugly statue laying scattered everywhere and Ministry officials were streaming in through the fireplaces. Harry was lying on the floor with Dumbledore there.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Dumbledore asked him worriedly.

"Yes," Harry whispered, shaking so badly that he wasn't able to speak in proper sentences anymore.

"That bastard," said a voice in Sirius's ear and he opened his eyes to see James standing there, a sour look on his face. "Fudge," he added. "You should hear some of the things that Lily says about him. I don't envy him one bit when she gets her hands on him. She's gonna slaughter him."

"Sounds like she's as protective as always," Sirius said softly, just glad to see that Harry was alive. "But… Harry's tough. He'll be fine."

"Maybe," James said grimly as he walked a few feet away. "But this won't make it any easier for him."

"I'm not worth crying over," Sirius muttered, shaking his head. "He shouldn't be worried about me. Not anymore. Why doesn't he ever care about himself?!"

"But he does," James pointed out, "Just as much as you care."

"James," Sirius said shaking his head, as James looked back at him, "I'm so sorry… I just…"

He trailed off, unable to say what was going on inside his head, but he didn't need to.

"Lily wants to see him," James interrupted, "She wants to hold him and tell him that it'll be ok… but at the same time, she doesn't want him on this side just yet." He looked grim. "I know the feeling."

He sighed as he looked over at him. "But I'm not too worried," he said, "He's tough as his mother. I only wish…" he sighed, unable to go on and Sirius wished that he could do something, anything to help take away the pain in his friend's face.

But James turned back to him, a faint smile back on, "Come on," he said, "We've got a lot of time to catch up on, and I know that Lily can't wait to see you again."

"But…" Sirius began, unable to really say what was going on inside his head before James clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Come on… if you really wanna make it up to me, then come with me already. We have a lot to talk about."

Sirius stared long and hard at James's face, and for the first time in years, he felt like things were gonna be alright. He smiled, a true smile this time, and nodded, a sense of peace that he could never remember feeling before entering his being and brought a sense of calm that put him at ease.

"If this is a dream," he said softly, "I don't mind at all."

"That's what I thought," James laughed a little, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Things have just been too quiet around here without you! God, what fun this is gonna be now."

Sirius laughed, before he shut his eyes and thought of Harry and Remus… He knew that he made a lot of mistakes in his life, and it pained him to think that they would have to pay the price for them, but he would be here to watch over them. He was going to support them, in spirit if nothing else…

"Yeah," he said, wiping the tears away. "Let's go… I've actually missed hearing Lily chew me out."

"Well, be ready for one," he laughed, "She's gonna give you the lecture of a lifetime for your bad drinking habits."

"I look forward to it," he smiled.

And arm-in-arm, he walked on with James, his heart so full of happiness, he thought for sure that it would burst.

(Yeah! It's finally over! How was it? Did you like it? I hope that this story helped ease the pain of Sirius's passing. He may be gone, but he's back with his partner in crime. He wishes he could be with Harry and Remus, but it just wasn't meant to be. I want to thank everyone who supported this story. Thank you all, and I hope this story lived up to your expectations.)