Harry sat up. His clothes were wet, as if he'd been lying on the floor for quite some time. He glanced around the area he was in. It reminded him of some place he'd been before. Somewhere that had meant a lot to him. But he didn't know what.

Harry got to his feet. His shoes squeaked on the floor, like they had at the muggle school. Harry turned in a slow circle. He was in a hallway, the stones, the light. This was a place he'd been before and gotten lost in. This was a place that had meant a lot to him.

Down the hall he walked, ignoring the squeaky noises his shoes made. After all, he didn't know how he'd ended up here. Perhaps a portkey, the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters could be waiting around any corner. It made him feel insecure, as if someone was watching him.

Finally the hall ended and Harry tugged on the door in front of him. It opened and let him into a room that he remembered far too well. The circular shape, the veil in the centre. It still flapped due to the non-existent breeze. The odd magic of the Department of Mysteries once again spooked Harry.

More than anything Harry wanted to rush down and make Sirius appear again. His death was no longer as fresh but with so many other deaths no one had time to grieve. It seemed as if someone Harry knew was dying every week, if not everyday. He didn't know everyone personally, some of them were his classmates, Order members, muggles he'd gone to school with.

“Prongslet!”

Harry jumped at the voice. He'd convinced himself ages ago that this particular voice was gone for ever, that the only place he could hear it was in a pensieve. But he was willing to accept a miracle. Harry took a step closer to the veil and stopped.

How do I know this isn't a trap that the Dark Lord set up? Father was always warning me to think before I act. Using polyjuice potion to turn someone into Sirius would be a useful way of capturing me. And if I'm lost we will most definitely loose the war.

“Harry, come on!” Sirius started walking away from the veil, up the steps toward Harry. “It's been ages seen last saw you.”

With his beloved godfather growing closer and closer, Harry lost all sense of tactics and possible traps. “Sirius!” He let his godfather engulf him in a warm hug and relaxed as much as possible. “I really missed you.”

“Same here.” Sirius finally broke the hug and pushed Harry away to look him over. “You haven't been taking care your yourself. Harry, it's important to keep up your strength.”

Harry nodded, not really paying attention to the words. Sirius was alive and well that was all he cared about, nothing else mattered. “Sirius, I thought you died. It was so horrible, and then my father too. . .” His voice trailed off and he glanced at Sirius's face, terrified at how the man would react to him having Severus Snape as a father.

“He was a good father to you Harry, pity you can't seem to hold on to your parents.” Sirius's let out his bark life laugh. “Man pup, I really missed you. Let's play.”

Harry glanced around. “Where? We're in the Department of Mysteries, there isn't really a convenient park to play at.”

Sirius gave his godson an odd look. “What are you talking about?” He pointed over Harry's shoulder. “There's a park right there. It looks just like the one that I use to play at.” He turned into his dog form and bounded over and began to roll in the grass.

Harry shrugged, he wasn't sure exactly what was going on, or where he was. The only idea he had was that a portkey had brought him to the Ministry and he was in an area of the Department of Mysteries that he'd never been in before.

He reached the park and sat down on the grass next to Padfoot, watching in surprise as the veil room disappeared and the only thing he could see was parkland and trees and playground equipment.

“Harry, come and play!”

Harry drew in a breath sharply at the sound of another voice he never expected to hear again. “Ron. I. . . it can't be you.”

Ron gave Harry an odd smile. “Why not? Don't you want to have some fun? I never thought that you'd rather study with Hermione instead of having some fun outside.”

Harry was growing more confused. “I saw you die. I was at your funeral. You body is buried near the burrow. This can't really be you.”

“Why not?” Ron leapt off the playground and sat on the grass next to Harry, running his fingers through the large dog's hair. “It is me mate. You know me. What would make you think I'm dead? Were you listening to Trelawney again?”

Harry smiled and looked away. “As if I'd ever listen to that batty old hag.” He looked at his former best friend and godfather. “This is awesome, but does it mean I'm dead?”

Padfoot shifted back to human form and Sirius put his arm around Harry's shoulders. “You're not dead and you're not allowed to die. I want you to start eating more, sleeping. I know that's what your father would want and he's a decent guy when he'd with you. Most of the time.”

Harry stood up and brushed off the back of his jeans. But he didn't remember putting jeans on. He'd been wearing robes that morning once he'd gotten up and they'd somehow been exchanged with jeans. And nice jeans that really fit him well.

“Harry . . . “

Harry looked around at the sound of his voice. “Did you two hear that?”

“Hear what?” Ron asked, confused as always. “I didn't hear anything.”

“Harry . . .”

“There it is again!” Harry glanced around, but no Death Eaters came out from behind the trees. “It's getting louder.”

“Harry. . . “

This time the voice was loud enough that Harry took a step in its direction.

“Where are you going?” Sirius put a hand on his arm. “Stay with us Harry, Prongslet. I don't want to loose you again.”

Harry pulled his arm out of Sirius's grasp roughly and headed towards the voice. He knew he had to find it, had to get to it.

After a few steps and helpless calls from Ron and Sirius the playground disappeared. Harry was somewhere new. Surrounded by white clouds of steam and fog. At least they were quite warm, almost like a bathroom while someone was taking a steaming hot shower.

“Harry . . .“

Harry took another step in the direction of the voice. He could see a figure in the steam now. A figure that was getting larger and more intimidating all the time, and it was calling his name.