Mass Collision

38. Dead?

It seemed to take her forever to fall. Harry didn't quite see what happened, but he saw his godfather get hit by the spell, his friend rushed towards him, and the next thing anyone knew was he was flying in a different direction and she was flying through the veil.

She seemed content as she flew through. Her face looked at peace with the etchings of a proud expression, of laughter and excitement. Harry released Neville, though he was unaware of doing so. He was jumping down the steps again, pulling out his wand, as Dumbledore turned to the dais too.

Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing — Sirius hadn't fallen through the arch, he would get up any second. Natalia would fall through and land on the ground soon, ready to make a sarcastic joke about Bellatrix and then attack her.

But Sirius didn't get up. He didn't move, from where he was standing Harry couldn't see him at all. He didn't see Natalia reappear either, it was like she was just gone.

"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled, "NAT!"

He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. Sirius must be just beyond the side of Veil, just needing to take a breath. Natalia, she–she was just tired, she needed someone to pull her back.

But as he reached the ground and sprinted toward the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest, holding him back.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry —"

"Get him, save him, he didn't go through!"

"It's too late, Harry —"

"We can still reach him —"

Harry struggled hard and viciously, but Lupin would not let go. . . ."There's nothing you can do, Harry . . . nothing. . . . He's gone, she's gone too."

Harry shook his head, not wanting to believe it, it couldn't be true, none of it could. "He hasn't gone!" Harry yelled.

He did not believe it, he would not believe it; still he fought Remus with every bit of strength he had: Remus did not understand, people hid behind that curtain, he had heard them whispering the first time he had entered the room — Sirius was hiding, simply lurking out of sight —

"SIRIUS!" he bellowed, "SIRIUS!"

"He can't come back, Harry," said Remus, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain Harry. "He can't come back, because he's d —"

"HE — IS — NOT — DEAD!" roared Harry. "SIRIUS!"

There was movement going on around them, pointless bustling, the flashes of more spells. To Harry it was meaningless noise, the deflected curses flying past them did not matter, nothing mattered except that Lupin stop pretending that Sirius, who was standing feet from them behind that old curtain, was not going to emerge at any moment, shaking back his dark hair and eager to reenter the battle —

Remus dragged Harry away from the dais, Harry still staring at the archway, angry at Sirius now for keeping him waiting —

But some part of him realized, even as he fought to break free from Lupin, that Sirius had never kept him waiting before. . . . Sirius had risked everything, always, to see Harry, to help him. . . . If Sirius was not waking up, Natalia wasn't reappearing through the archway when Harry was yelling for them as though his life depended on it, the only possible explanation was that he could not come back. . . . That he really was . . .

Dumbledore had most of the remaining Death Eaters grouped in the middle of the room, seemingly immobilized by invisible ropes. Mad-Eye Moody had crawled across the room to where Tonks lay and was attempting to revive her. Behind the dais there were still flashes of light, grunts, and cries — Kingsley had run forward to continue Sirius's duel with Bellatrix.

"Harry?"

Neville had slid down the stone benches one by one to the place where Harry stood. Harry was no longer struggling against Lupin, who maintained a precautionary grip on his arm nevertheless.

"Harry . . . I'b really sorry. . . ." said Neville. His legs were still dancing uncontrollably. He didn't acknowledge Natalia. He couldn't, not yet, it wasn't real yet. "Was dat man — was Sirius Black a — a friend of yours?"

Harry nodded.

"Here," said Lupin quietly, and pointing his wand at Neville's legs he said, "Finite." The spell was lifted. Neville's legs fell back onto the floor and remained still. Lupin's face was pale. "Let's — let's find the others. Where are they all, Neville?"

Lupin turned away from the archway as he spoke. It sounded as though every word was causing him pain.

"Dey're all back dere," said Neville. "A brain addacked Ron bud I dink he's all righd — and Herbione's unconscious, bud we could feel a bulse —"

There was a loud bang and a yell from behind the dais. Harry saw Kingsley, yelling in pain, hit the ground. Bellatrix Lestrange turned ail and ran as Dumbledore whipped around. He aimed a spell at her but she deflected it. She was halfway up the steps now —

"Harry — no!" cried Lupin, but Harry had already ripped his arm from Lupin's slackened grip.

"SHE KILLED SIRIUS!" bellowed Harry. "SHE KILLED THEM— I'LL KILL HER!"

Neville almost tried to run after him, but Remus stopped him, "it's no use, Dumbledore has him."

Neville nodded, he looked towards the veil and saw something move, "Professor Lubin?" The werewolf looked where the fifth year was looking and saw movement. "Nad!" Neville got up with his newly unspelled legs and ran around the veil. "NAD!" He yelled, shaking her. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up.

"Who are you?" She asked, looking at Neville and he looked lost.

"Nada–"

"WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?" She screamed, backing away from them. "Why can't I remember anything?"

They heard groaning from the floor and turned to see Sirius sitting up. His eyes looked dazed and his head was spinning. For him, there was so much happening, it was like everything doubled.

'Ha, that must've been what my mother thought,' he laughed to himself, but stopped. What? He saw flashes of himself chasing a little boy. Their clothes were old, the signs around them were in a different language.

He could hear someone calling out his name– no not his– "Natalia, Nico, come on!" A girl, who looked extremely like the Slytherin girl yelled, and the young boy ran to her and inside the house while Sirius followed.

He didn't just have his memories, he had hers.

He sat up and looked around, dazed. He turned to the left and saw Remus looking at him with concerned eyes. He looked relieved and– he could see love in his eyes.

Then – he saw her. He shook his head slightly and looked down at his hands, one held his wand and the other– held the ring he found earlier.