Rewrite The Stars

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Sirius Black stood defiantly against the looming threat of Death Eaters, his wand held high, fighting alongside his fellow Order members and his goddaughter, Adhara. The dark, cavernous room crackled with malevolent energy as tension filled the air. It reminded him of the days fighting alongside James. Adhara was so much like him. He would have been proud if only he understood the heart attack-inducing stunts she pulled—like fleeing school to race to the Ministry. But he'd get some answers once they finished defeating and rounding up these Death Eaters.

"Nice one, Ara!" Sirius beamed as he watched her disarm another Death Eater, knocking him out.

Bellatrix Lestrange heard his voice echo throughout the chamber. Her features twisted into a sinister grin as she aimed her wand directly at Sirius. He and the Potter girl were fighting side by side, and Bellatrix's eyes danced with delight. With a malevolent voice dripping with madness, she hissed, "Avada Kedavra!" A blinding green light erupted from the tip of her wand, hurtling towards Sirius with deadly intent. In that split second, time seemed to slow down. Sirius's eyes locked onto the one person who mattered most to him in this world—Adhara. She stood there, a vision of beauty and innocence, her eyes wide with horror as she witnessed the unfolding tragedy. "SIRIUS!!" Adhara's anguished cry pierced through the chaos, her voice laced with unbearable pain. She took a desperate step forward, reaching out towards him, her heartrending pleas echoing through the chamber. But before she could bridge the tragic gap, another figure emerged from the shadows.

Remus Lupin acted swiftly. He surged forward, arms outstretched, and held Adhara back, tears streaming down both their faces. His grip was firm but gentle, a barrier that separated her from the impending horror. Sirius's eyes remained fixed on Adhara, the image of her tear-streaked face etching itself into his mind. He longed to reach out to her, to comfort her, but it was a futile wish. He felt an indescribable pain surge through his body. His vision blurred, and his world turned to darkness. With his last breath, his heart ached for Adhara, for the life they would never share, for the future he had hoped to see her embrace. And then, with grace and finality, his body fell backward, disappearing into the mysterious veil that stood as a portal to the unknown. Sirius Black was gone, leaving only the haunting echo of his goddaughter's cries and the heartbreak etched on the faces of those who loved him.

As Sirius Black landed on the cold, unforgiving floor of the afterlife, he knew he was dead. But the darkness surrounding him was unlike anything he had ever imagined. It wasn't the void he had expected. There was no James waiting to greet him, or the small part of him that hoped to be reunited with his brother, Regulus. It was an empty space filled with nothing but him and the darkness. Then he heard something. A small little laugh, as if a baby was giggling at something, but it sounded familiar. Memories, emotions, and experiences that weren't his own. They were Adhara's. In the midst of this haunting darkness, he was bombarded by a flood of Adhara's memories, experiences she had never shared with him. These were the hidden fragments of her past, a heart-wrenching tale that unfolded before his eyes.

He witnessed the night when Voldemort ruthlessly murdered Adhara's parents, James and Lily. Adhara, just a helpless child, had watched in terror as her mother, Lily, had tried to abandon her in a desperate bid to save herself. Why did Adhara never tell him that Lily—that she—Voldemort had shown no mercy, killing Lily as well, before attempting to end Adhara's life? Tears welled up in Sirius's eyes as he watched how alone and terrified Adhara had been, trapped in the clutches of the Dursleys. They had subjected her to unimaginable cruelty—abuse, starvation, berating, bullying, and even physical harm—all while forcing her to live in a cupboard under the stairs. His heart ached at the thought of how she had been made to believe she was unloved and worthless.

But then, he witnessed the moment when Adhara received her letter, learning her true name, Adhara Potter, and the revelation of her magical heritage. Hagrid's arrival on her eleventh birthday had marked the beginning of her journey into the wizarding world, and she had discovered that she had been dubbed "The Girl Who Lived!"—in other words, the savior of the wizarding world. Sirius's heart swelled with pride as he watched Adhara navigate the pressures placed upon her, the adoration and betrayal of those around her, and the manipulation she had endured as a pawn in Dumbledore's grand plan. He couldn't help but wonder how he had never noticed the depth of her struggles before, or how manipulative Dumbledore had truly been. Then, he saw the day they had met all over again, this time paying close attention to the hope in her eyes, the hope that someone, that he, could love her for who she was.

His heart broke anew as he watched the tragic losses she had suffered, including his own death. But it didn't end there. Sirius saw a future that hadn't yet come to pass. He witnessed the torture, pain, and torment Adhara would endure at the hands of Voldemort, Bellatrix, and countless others. He saw her unyielding determination to find and destroy the Horcruxes, her battles against Death Eaters and Snatchers, her near-death encounter with Fenrir Greyback during a full moon. The images were overwhelming, culminating in the final battle at Hogwarts, where Adhara would make the ultimate sacrifice for a world that had never fully appreciated her. She was a scared and innocent child, thrust into a destiny she never asked for, and she would give everything to protect a world that had often failed to see the true depths of her courage and kindness.

As these visions unfolded, Sirius's spirit was filled with a profound sense of sorrow and love for his goddaughter. He understood now the immense burden she carried and the strength she possessed. In the midst of the swirling memories and emotions, a deep, bone-chilling voice pierced through the darkness. It echoed ominously, sending shivers down Sirius's spectral spine. He turned toward the source of the voice, and there, standing before him, was a figure cloaked in shadows. "I imagine... you know who... I am...," the figure whispered, its voice resonating with power and agelessness. Sirius, though taken aback, felt a strange sense of calm wash over him. "W-Why did you show me this? Her memories. Why am I here?" Sirius asked. "I have observed your anguish ... and your love ... for Adhara. Your willingness to protect her... I offer you a chance ... to lessen her pain, ...  to give her a life of happiness ... before she becomes who ... she's meant to be."

Sirius, taken aback by the revelation and the gravity of Death's words, listened intently. His spirit ached for Adhara, and he would do anything to ensure her happiness. Death continued, "But the chance comes with a price... You must accept a new identity... that of Leo Black... A secret son of your past self... You will be reborn as the same age as Adhara... However... you will never be able to reveal... your true identity or the knowledge... of her future that you have witnessed... You will no longer be her godfather... The second you go back to the past... the Sirius Black in that time... that is locked in Azkaban will die..." Death presented an offer that both astonished and intrigued him. To return to Adhara's first year at Hogwarts and to protect her from the shadows without her ever knowing his true identity or the knowledge he had gained from her memories.

Though he would no longer be Sirius Black, her godfather, Sirius hesitated for only a moment, torn between the desire to protect Adhara and the knowledge that he wouldn't be reunited with James. But the chance to be by her side, to ensure she had a life filled with love and happiness, was too compelling to resist. With determination and a newfound sense of purpose, Sirius nodded and accepted Death's offer. "I'll do it!" Curiosity burning within him, he couldn't help but ask, "Why have you given me this chance?" Death's shadowy form seemed to shift, and there was a hint of a smile beneath the hood of its cloak. "Adhara Potter... is special... to me... I wish for her to experience a life of... happiness... before her eventual destiny..." With that, Death extended a bony shadowed hand, and Sirius grasped it, sealing the deal that would take him back in time, into a new identity, and on a path to protect the one person who had come to mean everything to him, all in the service of Death's divine plan.