THE LOST DOG ' s. black

[8] the big reveal

    THE tension in Grimmauld Place was thick, pressing in from every corner. The Order was gathering for a meeting tonight—Molly, Moody, Kingsley, Bill, Charlie, Tonks—everyone. My nerves felt raw, every sound making me jump as I tried not to glance toward the spot where Sirius, hidden under the cloak, stood pressed against the wall.

Harry sat at the far end of the room, arms crossed, his green eyes flicking between me and the empty air near the doorway. He looked like he was barely holding it together, his gaze dark with curiosity and frustration. He hadn’t said a word since he’d discovered 1977 Sirius earlier that week, but the unspoken agreement between us was painfully clear: Keep quiet for now. But not for long.

I shifted in place, hyper-aware of the ticking clock. Sirius hadn’t wanted to sit this one out—"How bad could it be? I just stay quiet under the cloak"—but it was turning into a nightmare already. Moody’s magical eye kept twitching in our direction, like he could sense something was off. 

Tonks leaned toward Kingsley, grinning. “If the meeting’s late again, I’m blaming Moody. Bet he insisted on three extra detours.” 

Kingsley chuckled, but Moody shot her a sharp look. “Vigilance, Nymphadora,” he muttered, eye spinning wildly.

“Eloise,” Moody growled, his magical eye locking onto me. “There’s something not right about you.” 

A chill ran down my spine. “I—I don’t know what you mean,” I managed, my voice cracking slightly. 

The air in the room shifted as everyone began to notice the sudden attention on me. 

“What’s he on about?” Molly asked, frowning. “Eloise, what is it?” 

Harry straightened in his seat, looking suspiciously too calm. “Yeah, Eloise… anything you want to share?” 

My heart pounded in my ears. Harry knew exactly what he was doing. 

“Nothing!” I said too quickly. “There’s nothing—” 

And then.. Moody lunged.

The Invisibility Cloak whipped away as if torn by a gust of wind, and there, Sirius was standing in the middle of the room, blinking like a deer in headlights.

The world seemed to stop for one long, agonizing moment. 

“What in Merlin’s name—” Bill whispered, his jaw dropping. 

Molly gasped, clutching at her apron. “Sirius?! But—” She looked over to the corner, where older Sirius sat slouched in his chair, nursing a drink. “But—how—” 

“Bloody hell,” Kingsley muttered, staring between them. 

Tonks’s eyes went wide, her pink hair flashing to white in her shock. “What the— Why are there two of you?” 

Older Sirius had bolted upright, his drink forgotten, his face frozen in utter disbelief. His grey eyes locked on his younger self.

“WHAT THE—” Older Sirius started, looking half-deranged. “Who the bloody hell is this?!” 

Sirius, equally panicked, stepped forward with his wand raised, as if he expected a duel. “You tell me! What kind of twisted future do I walk into where I look like that?” 

“That?” Older Sirius’s voice cracked. “Who the hell do you think you are?” 

“Who do I think—? I’m you!” Younger Sirius shot back, running his hands through his hair in disbelief. “But I didn’t sign up for... this! You look ancient!”