The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part Two

Here to Identify

Sirius walked through the corridors of the Ministry for Magic, flanked on either side by Gideon and Fabian Prewett. People turned and looked at him, saw the twins' solemn faces, and Sirius could just tell the way others were reacting they all just knew. They scattered out of the way, like getting bad news was a disease... Granted, there were not many people in the Ministry, it being Christmas afternoon and all, but those who were there were whispering in tourrents all around him.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to scream so that his voice would echo off the hollow walls of the atrium like their footsteps did as they walked through it, had his wands weighed at security, and Sirius attached his visitor badge to his chest.

The twins led Sirius to an elevator and they went down to level ten, where the grand courtroom and holding cells were, and Sirius followed along feeling numb and cold from the dark in the passage they walked through.

They came to a door in a hallway off the main corridor, just past the entry to the courtrooms. The door wasn't marked, but Sirius reckoned that nobody who didn't know where they were going would ever be this deep in the Ministry's guts anyway.

Fabian pushed the door opened and held it for Sirius and Gideon to step through.

Dorcas Meadows was sitting on a bench just inside. She held a jumper in her arms and she jumped up whe nshe saw Sirius and the twins. "Sirius," she said, stepping up to him quickly and engulfing him in a hug. "Are you alright?" she held him out to arm's length and looked him in the eyes.

"Let's just get it over with, alright?" Sirius said flatly. His voice held no inflection, no emotion.

Dorcas looked concerned and glanced at Fabian and Gideon.

Gideon shrugged.

Another wizard came then into the foyer where they stood, popping out from 'round a corner. He wore dark robes and protective goggles that were strapped to his head and long teal gloves that made him look like a mad scientist, Sirius thought. He spotted Sirius and his eyes instantly diverted from Sirius to Gideon. "You're here to identify?"

Gideon nodded.

Dorcas looked at Sirius again, "Honey, do you want me to go with you?"

Sirius shook his head no.

Fabian motioned for Gideon to stay with Dorcas and he and Sirius followed the mortian through the door he'd just come in from and down a short corridor lined with doors to a small room at the end, where the lights were harsh and bright in that way that muggle shops sometimes were. Sirius blinked against the bright white - everything in the room was chrome or white and it made his stomach sick.

There was a table in the middle and on it was a form covered by a white sheet.

Sirius stared at it. He wished now that he'd let Remus come along when Remus had asked, but he'd been very vehemenent in telling him no. Remus had seen enough of this type stuff. But Sirius knew now that maybe that was exactly why he should've let Remus come. Remus would know how to act. Sirius had no idea.

The mad scientist of a mortian muttered, "Be waiting out side..." and he shuffled out of the room and left Fabian and Sirius alone.

Sirius stood numb and still, not taking any steps closer to the table.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," Fabian said quietly. "I saw him. I don't have any doubts. We can just... fudge the paperwork a bit if you don't want to see him. The fact you're here is enough that I can just say that you came and the body was identified in my case file."

Sirius didn't move.

"Maybe it's best if you don't, actually," Fabian was rambling now, "I wouldn't want to see the body if it was --" he stopped mid-sentence, unable to finish the thought. Then, "Sirius I'm so bloody sorry, I can't imagine what you're feelin' right now, mate."