The Wizarding Afterlife

The Marauders: Reunion in Progress

*J.K. Rowling owns all of the characters.*

"A CURTAIN." echoed James, stifling his laugh. "I mean, siriusly, Padfoot?"

It was nighttime, and there were stars in the sky. Sirius's footsteps echoed through the path of a small village. Houses loomed on each side of the street, lampposts blinking outside them.

James was teasing him-again.

"It is dramatic, Prongs!" he protested. Lily was laughing beside him. "I fell quite handsomely, just so you know!"

"Yeah, yeah." his best friend waved off. "You sure did, mate."

He never expected the afterlife to be colorful. Around them were lit homes, the people cheery and warm. Sparks of light burst from every corner, dumping sweets, and children chased after them. With a sigh, Sirius stretched his arms, savoring the peace he had found.

To his right, James was twirling a laughing Lily. He locked eyes with her, staring as if she were the only person on Earth. His gestures reflected everything-the feelings, the love. Sirius smiled. Harry would be thrilled to know that his parents were safe, enjoying the life they had built here.

And now, Sirius was part of it.

A few walks later, they were facing an unlit home. It was destroyed, and there was a gaping hole in the roof. Sighing, James pulled out his wand to fix the damage, his expression turning sour. From the state of this house, Sirius guessed they hadn't returned in years.

"I thought you lost your wand on that night." he said, not meaning to emphasize the last word. Prongs winced a little. "Is there some kind of shop here, then?"

"Oh, even better," James grinned, suddenly pleased. "Normally, Lily and I roam around the WWA."

"WWA?" he asked, dumbfounded. "Please don't tell me it's a coup d'etat organization."

"Thankfully, no." Lily laughed, shaking her head. "It stands for 'Wizarding World Afterlife'." she supplied. "I know it's weird, but there's also a Diagon Alley here."

"Which, my dear good man," James explained, "leads us to the afterlife version of Ollivanders, so you can imagine how I got a wand again."

"Wicked," Sirius breathed, speechless.

"I know." his best friend grinned. Then he cleared his throat. "Anyway, do you remember this place, Padfoot?"

"Well," Sirius began, "there is that lane over there," he pointed at a road towards the church. "The resemblance is uncanny. I thought that was Church Lane!" he admitted. "Only, Church Lane is in-"

"Godric's Hollow," Lily smiled, as if sharing a secret. "We are in Godric's Hollow, Black. Well..." she amended, "the afterlife version, that is."

Since they got here, all Sirius felt was nostalgia-loads of it; from the homes, the roads, the trees. Now, it all made sense. This was home, his true home, where he finally escaped Walburga's wrath and became brothers with James-the best moment of his life.

"Starting with last names again?" Sirius teased. "You haven't done that in years, Lils!"

"It felt good," Lily admitted, smiling. "I wanted to give it a try. Siriusly."

"Okay." Sirius laughed. "Now that joke is getting old. Drumroll, please!"

"You've never changed!" Lily grinned.

"...Merlin, it's ruined!" James whined, catching their attention. He grabbed a piece of the gate-what was left of it, anyway-and showed it to them. It was bent at an awkward angle, and there were fractions just laying on the ground, badly damaged.

"Not a problem." Lily said, pulling out her wand. "I'll handle this, Potter."

"Sure, Evans-I mean, Mrs. Potter." James replied, still dazed about Lily carrying his surname. Sirius facepalmed. This was it: true love à la Prongs, everyone.

"Reparo." Lily breathed, flicking her wand as the gate renewed itself. She smiled proudly. "Care to do the honors of unlocking this thing, Sirius?"

"My pleasure," Sirius bowed, being the gentleman he is. Then, he waved his wand. "Alohomora!"

The gate parted with a creak. James pushed it open to let Lily in, he and Sirius following behind. They avoided the tall grass near the entrance, approaching the door. Heart racing, Lily twisted the knob-and braced herself.

Aside from layers of dust, the lounge looked tidy.

There were couches over a large carpet, the colors that of Gryffindor's. Pillows of different sizes filled chairs and sofas, and a coffee table was placed at the very center. Moving pictures hung on walls, all dating back to James's proposal until Harry's birth.

"Are you sure about this, Prongs?" Sirius asked, seeing James's tight expression. "I mean, with all that has happened here-"

"It's still home for me," James decided, wiping dust off a sofa. Then he sat on it. "And for Lily as well. We could never leave this place, mate." he smiled. "That is, if you want to join us, too."

"Are you kidding me?" Sirius asked, his smile widening. "It sounds like a retirement option, but I'm in! Someone needs to clean the household, eventually." he smirked. "No offense, Prongs, but you don't exactly fit that description."

"I agree," Lily nodded, laughing when James crossed his arms like a child.

"O-Oi!" Prongs protested. "We were cleaning buddies back then!"

"True." Sirius said, but there was mischief in his voice. "You bribed me each time, if I recall."

"It was a pretty good offer!" James exclaimed, unbothered by his admission. "A dozen Chocolate Frogs! I immediately became broke, Padfoot!"

"Let's talk about something else." Lily suggested, stifling a laugh as she sat next to James, who was still rolling his eyes. "Sirius, why don't you tell us more about...Harry?"

"Yeah," James agreed, letting the subject go. "Yeah, I'd love that."

At that notion, Sirius sat beside him, thinking of what he would say. There were so many things to be proud about, actually, but only one would make James scream. And that's what Sirius would tell them.

"Harry's the youngest Seeker in a century," he managed, seeing Prongs's eyes light up. "McGonagall let him take the position when he was eleven-"

"My boy," James cried, possibly blinking out tears, "Harry, my Harry, he's a legend!My boy, that lad inherited my talent! Lily, can you believe it?" he said, his grin wide. "Merlin, youngest in a century! This is beyond awe-spiring! Lily, it's-"

"Yes...yes, dear." Lily smiled, patting an overjoyed James on the back. "I'm proud as well."

"This is-this is beyond the control of the cosmos!" he exclaimed. Sirius grinned. "He's got talent! Blimey, thank Minnie!"

When James finally calmed down, and Lily was all-ears, Sirius told them of Harry's many adventures. Well, he suspected they knew those, anyway, and just wanted to hear them again.

Meanwhile, back in the Wizarding World, the Battle of Hogwarts has just begun. You must excuse me. Time is difficult to tell in the afterlife; you could spend a day or two here, not knowing years have just passed in the real world! But now, I suppose it's time.

Mates, let's visit another character: Remus Lupin.

(Photo taken from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One", and was originally a GIF.)