Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

Limbo.

Sirius, even now, had absolutely no idea what it was and how the Pillars intended to use it to invade his world.

Death was much easier to understand, he believed.

Only recently had he begun to have a feeling of belonging. Lupin’s loss had continued to sadden his heart, but in Harry, he had begun finding something to continue living for. Then, Lord Black Phoenix had given him more tasks, offering him another purpose... making him a part of something bigger.

Sirius had had trouble making peace with himself, with his old traumas.

Still, losing himself in the tasks Dumbledore gave him had been working in his favor, keeping his troubled mind occupied.

This night’s sudden visit to the Department of Mysteries was supposed to be nothing but one of those tasks.

Who would have thought that such a fate had been waiting for him here?

It was like after showing him a bright future — a future that he would have to fight for to come into being — fate pulled him right back toward the darkest times of his life.

No.

A part of Sirius’ mind rejected those hopeless thoughts.

He didn’t know what Limbo was, but it was definitely not Azkaban.

For years — that now felt like an eternity when he thought about it — he had fought hopelessness, clinging to the truth of his innocence while rotting in his Azkaban cell.

This was the same.

If that hopelessness couldn’t faze him, then this one shouldn’t faze him, either.

Moreover, the greatest hopeful fact about this entire tragedy was that, unlike the hopelessness that he had experienced before because of the Dementors, this hopelessness stemmed from the Pillars.

Because, unlike Dementors, the Pillars were people.

And people, no matter how much vengeance they held in their hearts, could be reasoned with.

Sirius, taking some solace in his reasoning, stood up and faced those people.

They were all looking at him.

They all were standing, donning their uniforms, ready to fight.

Tens of thousands of witches and wizards... waiting for something.

For what?

Sirius looked at Harry in hopes of finding an answer to that question and found nothing but hate and pain.

These were the eyes he had seen the little Harry from his world carry as well.

But, at that time, Harry had been looking at Voldemort, not at him.

"Harry..." Sirius began.

Voldemort’s wand flicked faster than his next word. "Crucio!"

Pain, from the depths of his soul, came sprouting as it overwhelmed him.

Sirius’ entire body twisted and turned as he fell, writhing on the stony floor of Hogwarts’ Great Hall, his eyes rolling back into his head.

This wasn’t the first time someone had cast a Cruciatus Curse upon him.

But this... the one used by Pillar Voldemort... it felt... weaker.

That was a grave misconception.

Sirius’ consciousness, which had hardened over time during his imprisonment, realized that bitter truth with uncanny precision.

The Cruciatus Curse felt weaker because it lasted for eternity.

Even if not literally, Sirius, foaming from the mouth, felt like days and weeks had passed since the torture began, giving no hint of stopping.

His nails came apart as he clawed at the floor.

His tongue was bitten in half as he clenched his teeth hard.

Blood came pouring out from his nose, ears, and the corners of his pupilless eyes.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, after what felt like months, the torture stopped.

Sirius’ ears rang with a low buzz.

A bloody darkness lingered in his periphery.

All over his body, he could feel needles, as long as fingers, stabbing deep into his bones.

Then, all those feelings were gone.

Sirius blinked and found himself lying on the floor, completely healed.

It was like the monstrous pain had never fallen upon him, making him wish for death.

Sirius, stunned, looked up and found Voldemort chuckling with a hideous grin on his face, with hundreds laughing along with him.

Not Harry.

"This isn’t you," Sirius pleaded, struggling to sit by planting his knees into the stones. "This isn’t any of you."

"You don’t know me," Harry hissed back through clenched teeth.

"Oh, but I do!" Sirius replied, bringing out a laugh. "No matter which world you come from, you will always be the Harry I called my godson."

"SHUT..." Harry stormed forward, taking out his wand... Dumbledore’s wand. He planted the tip of the Elder Wand into Sirius’ cheek, looming over him with fury in his eyes. "... UP!"

Sirius stared into those eyes.

Yes... they were the same.

"Harry... listen to me," Sirius said, hoping the boy within the old, vengeful man would hear him. "... I... We just lost Lupin on our side as well. I know how you feel. Revenge... is good. I want it, too. But I also know that you... you are not a killer. Thousands will die on our side, but... won’t your people... your friends suffer as well?"

A silence fell upon the world.

Harry slowly got up as Voldemort approached him from behind, both looming over Sirius now.

But Sirius couldn’t focus on either of their faces, his ears ringing with another sound that echoed against the sudden silence.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

"You think we don’t know about the experiments on Muggles and their weaponry in your world?" Voldemort hissed, lacking all smiles. "As much as I... abhorred Dumbledore’s existence in my world, the old fool was good at one particular thing... Making friends... beyond the Bubble. And..."

Voldemort and Harry slightly parted, letting Sirius look behind them, where all the wizards had parted as well, opening a wide lane.

On that lane, walking side by side, in perfect coordination, were blue... giants?

Nearly eight feet tall. Enormously broad. Blue armour. An inverted Greek letter on their shoulders. Colored and marked helmets. And... guns... as large as a person.

"... why train a bunch of Muggles, when..." Voldemort finished, looking at those giants, "... when you can hire the soldiers... ultimate soldiers."

"Don’t worry..." Harry said, clenching his fingers into fists. "No one will die from our side. I will make sure that...

"... They will make sure of that."

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