a zledm007 fan fic

[choki]

who is the 4th person? oh zledm007...u do know how to keep us waiting with suspense

[zledm007]

I appologize to anyone who's been reading for the lengthy delay for the next installment. Anyway, here's the next.....


As the door opened, Sirius peered into the old cottage into which he was being led. It appeared as nothing more than he expected, nothing more than its outside appearance would suggest. The cottage appeared to be about fifty years old, but in relatively decent shape; weathered, but together. Its grass-woven roof covered an interior much resembling that of an old fairy tale: simple yet delightful.

The three old friends walked into a nice sitting/living area fit for any occasion, off of which there were three rooms, presumably to bedrooms and a lavatory. In the center of the room was a table, around which were three chairs, set for tea. “Have a seat Sirius, you look exhausted.” Said a very concerned Lily. Sirius graciously obeyed. “Oh, James dear, could you get us another chair, I seem to have forgotten it in all the excitement.”

“I would, Lily, but it seems there isn’t a need for one at the moment.” Replied James.

“Oh, did he run off again? He really needs to stop that nonsense, he’s going to get himself in quite a bit of trouble.”

“Don’t worry so much Lily, he can handle himself fine, he’s a fine wizard and he knows the land better than either of us.”

“I know, but it worries me. After all, he is only fourteen.”

“Excuse me,” Sirius interjected as Lily poured the tea, “but whom, exactly are we talking about?”

“Oh, it’s not important really,” James replied as he shot a glare towards Lily seemingly warning her not to say anything. “You’ll meet Tom soon enough. And don’t worry, he’s a good kid. He just likes to run off at night and explore the countryside.”

“You mean the forest? And I thought it was dangerous.” Inquired Sirius.

“Yes, but like I said, Tom knows this land better than either of us and we’ve been here fifteen years. He’ll be fine. You, on the other hand, you Sirius, have a lot to learn. Come Lily, join us for our tea.

[Ferrus]

Wow!! excellent stuff! I like the way you keep the tension all the way.

[Meg Boyd]

Great work my friend...glad to see you back and super glad to see more of this delicious story back...

sorry if this is a double post, but i don't think BaO likes my absence

[zledm007]

here's the next installment. it's a little more dull than the others, but you gotta have those you know? Oh, and it's the start of Chapter Two


Chapter Two

The next morning Sirius woke up in one of the bedrooms adjacent to the main room of the cottage. The room was of decent size, not enormous but large enough for one or two people to fit comfortably, and decorated with pictures of people Sirius had known at one point in his life, some of whom he knew to have been with not more than a day ago. Oddly though, the moving images contained in the pictures were of the people what seemed to be at least fifteen years in the past. None were newer. One that was Sirius took a particular interest in was that of a very young boy, no older than one, with shining emerald green eyes to accompany his darkening hair located just above the headboard of the bed he found himself in. He knew in an instant who it was. He heard a knock at the door. “Sirius, are you awake? I thought I heard you rummaging around in there.” It was James.

“What? Oh, yeah, I’m awake.” Sirius replied still mesmerized by the picture of his godson.

“Good, Lily’s got breakfast ready if you’d like some.”

“O.K., sure, I’ll be out in a minute.” Once he was able to retract his eyes from the portrait of Harry, Sirius began scanning the other photos in the room noticing the faces of some of his own good friends. First he noticed a rather rambunctious portrait of a young Arthur Weasley accompanied by his wife and four children. Next to this were several fifteen-year-old portraits of many of Sirius’ other friends: Remus Lupin, Minerva McGonagall, and, amongst others, Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore’s portrait was the only one in which the image of the man looked no different than the last time Sirius remembered seeing him no longer than a day past, but the frame was obviously aged quite a few years.

“Sirius dear,” Lily called, “your breakfast is getting cold.”

“Oh, right. I’m on my way. It smells delicious by the way.”

[zledm007]

Sirius, still bewildered by the last 24 hours, sat down to a delicious home-cooked breakfast he hadn‘t had in years. It was as if time had rewound itself fifteen years, to a better, happier time in everyone’s life. Back then, it wasn’t at all unusual for these three friends, James, Lily, and Sirius, to sit around a table set for three, eating Lily’s home-cooked waffles and scrambled eggs, talking about everything, and nothing, at the same time. Even as he looked around, Sirius couldn’t tell the difference, until he looked in a mirror. It had been fifteen years, but James an Lilly, as it appeared, hadn’t aged a day, while he, himself, had aged far more than fifteen years. A year in Azkaban is enough to age a man one hundred years, much less fourteen years of dementors. It all puzzled him so much, and the silence wasn’t helping. “Lily, this is delicious as ever. You certainly haven’t lost your touch. And James, you really have found yourself quite a nice place.”

“Well, thank you Sirius. It’s so good to finally see you again, however sad it may be.” Lily was always so gracious.

“I’m sorry, but this all really makes so little sense to me. Last thing I remember, I’m fighting an horrendous battle, death eaters around every corner, and now I’m here, with you two, dead fifteen years. You’re both now quite alive, and haven’t aged a day.”

“After breakfast, lets go for a walk, shall we?” James hesitantly offered, looking towards Lily, who nodded in approval.

“That would be magnificent.” The three finished their breakfast and cleared the table. James made sure Lily would be alright alone for a while, as he and Sirius made for the door.

They walked through the door into an unchanged world. As it was the day before, the forest was hazy, still, and eerily quiet. Something about it made Sirius uncomfortable, and the haste James had made only a day earlier to the cottage certainly wasn’t helping. That, however, was near dusk, it was now day. A somewhat comforting thought.

“Sirius, what I’m about to tell you will not come easy. Lord knows I about fainted when I first heard it,” James began. “But as difficult as this will be to hear, you must promise me you’ll stay with me, Sirius. These are dangerous times, and your arrival will only help us.”

“After the last day and a half, James, anything you tell me will be a comfort.”

“Sirius, you’re in a world we’ve come to know as ’the other side.’ In some ways, no, in many ways, it is parallel to the world you, and we, came from. In others, it is very different. Sirius, you’ve died.” At this Sirius stopped in his tracks--in part because of shock, but mostly because it all started to slowly make sense to him. “The minute anyone dies, they find themselves in this world. Fifteen years ago, Lily and I found ourselves here, puzzled and as bewildered as you. It took us months to discern what had happened, and even longer to digest. But, Sirius, I’m afraid you don’t have the luxury of that time. This world, like that of the living, is on the brink of war, one of the many parallels we’ve discovered. It seems the Dark Lord’s presence here is as strong, if not stronger, than it is there. How’s he’s doing it, we’re not sure. No one has been able to simultaneously exist on both worlds, but he seems to be doing it. It’s as if he’s not living, but not yet dead.” They came up to a pond with water as green as the haze surrounding them, and sat on an elegant, aged bench that appeared ready to fall apart at any moment. “At first, people thought that Lily and I were the cause of the darkness surrounding us. It seems its invasion of this previously heavenly place coincided with our arrival. In time, as new people arrived, what has come to be known as the truth, surfaced.”

“Is the fight here as severe as it is on the other, well, other side?” Sirius could hardly grasp what he was hearing.

“From what we can gather, it is. For a good while, Lily and I were very much in the dark as to what was going on. It was once we met Tom that it all started coming together. He really is quite a brilliant young man. You’ll like him.”

“Why have you not aged, James?”

“That’s a mystery we’ve simply come to accept as such. It seems that once you arrive in this world, you remain in whatever condition you’re in, including your age, presumably forever. It’s sad the number of children we see. Most of them arrived within the two years preceding Lily and myself.”

“Sure, the years of Voldemort’s greatest power.”

“This is what we’ve deduced. They’ve begun to arrive again, Sirius. It worries us.”

[FawkesthePhoenix]

all hail the mighty writer! you've got me completly hooked.

[zledm007]

Silence consumed the two old friends. For a while, they sat, seemingly admiring the stillness of the green murky water before them. At the same time, as if they’d planned it, James and Sirius stood and began the long walk back to the cottage. For some time, neither could find anything to say, until conversation slowly began creeping back into the fold. The further they walked from the pond, and the closer they came to the cottage, the more it felt like old times. Like Padfoot and Prongs going for a stroll, pondering their next devious act. Now, of course, the much older, and wiser, duo simply reminisced in the deeds of the past.

“Remember the time we found old Snape outside of the--” They stopped dead in their tracks. Where the Potter cottage should be, lay a pile of ash and rubble. Only the table at which James, Lily, and Sirius had that morning eaten a delicious home-cooked breakfast, and a few bricks from the fireplace, remained. There was no sign of Lily. The only life around them was a small boy, no older than fifteen, sitting cross legged in opposite where the front door of the cottage only that morning stood. His head was buried in in his folded arms, and all evidence pointed to tears. Sirius and James looked momentarily at each other, and then at the boy, who slowly stood and walked towards them.

At first sight, Sirius knew this boy, but could not remember where from. He was a normal sized boy, in his seeming early teenage years, had short, light brown hair, and appeared to be in fair physical condition. He couldn’t pinpoint who this boy was, but something inside of him told Sirius this boy was no one to be associated with. As the boy approached, James embraced him as his own child.

“James, I came back shortly before midday, and this is what I found,” the boy sobbed. “I’ve searched the place up and down, but there’s not a sign of Lily to be found. I knew this would happen, I just knew it. He wouldn’t wait too long, he’d always been so ’fond’ of Lily.”

“Don’t worry, son, it’ll be alright. I’m sure she got away.” Sirius could do nothing but stand silently, again, bewildered. Finally he mustered a small cough. “Oh, Sirius, I’m so sorry. Where are my manners? Tom, this is the best friend I’ve known, Sirius Black. Sirius, Tom.”

“Ehem, pleased to meet you, Tom.” He couldn't rid himself of the terrible feeling this boy was no good. Something didn’t feel right. He needed to talk to James, but, at the moment, there were more pressing matters.

“Likewise Mr. Black,” Tom’s tears began to subside. He turned back to James, “What do we do James? He couldn’t have gotten to her, could he?”

“Likely not,” James reassured the boy. “Had he, he would’ve left something to assure us he had. As much as the Dark Lord likes killing, and yes, Sirius, it seems you can kill the dead, it he seems he enjoys much more the lament of those who have lost. And, in our case, it would have been, for him, a feast . We must go to the city. I have and old friend who will know where to find her.” After rummaging around the ruined cottage and gathering a few things still in tact enough to be useful, they were off. James shot Sirius a reassuring look, but this world’s newest inhabitant was still very wary of the whole situation. He had to talk to James about this boy. If his time in Azkaban had taught him anything, it was who you could, and could not, trust.