You're Not Alone

Chapter 1 – I'm here

Sirius Black sat in his small dusty kitchen in his normal house in Kent. His day had gone as normal as any, he'd gone to the pub after shopping for Harry's Christmas present, even though it was months until Christmas, Sirius loved that kid so much and spoilt him rotten. He'd bought Harry a stuffed dog, stag, werewolf and rat and a miniature Quidditch ball set. He had then gone to the local pub, chatted up some muggle girls and headed home.

Now it was about 8 o'clock on the night on Halloween. He was sitting in his kitchen with a bottle of butterbeer in hand, looking around his kitchen he saw pictures hanging around the walls, mostly of Harry, James and Lily or the Marauders – His best friends. Even though he had been friends with James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew for over 10 years he still couldn't get over how lucky he was to have such loyal and honest friends.

There was a picture of the Marauders when they were about 15 with bags and bags of cakes and drinks they had sneaked from the Hogwarts kitchen under the invisibility cloak using the marauders map.

There was another picture of Lily Potter holding baby Harry the day he had been born and James smiling by her side. Sirius and Remus had their fingers in each of his tiny warm hands and peter was tickling his tummy, they all looked lovingly at the child with bright green eyes who was smiling up at all of them. That was the day Sirius had been asked to be Harry's godfather and Sirius grinned at the memory, which had to be one of the best days of his life.

Still lying on the table was a picture of Harry racing around on the toy broomstick Sirius had got him for his first birthday. Excitement and joy filled the young child's eyes. Next to the picture was the letter from Lily Potter Sirius had received that came with the picture, thanking Sirius for the present. Sirius sighed, he carried the letter around with him everywhere because it was the last time the Potters had contacted him and he missed them so much. When he felt sad he would read the letter, even though he now knew the letter by heart there was something that made him happy by just looking at Lily's neat writing. It was proof that her, James and Harry were all okay.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of young muggle children knocking on his neighbours doors crying 'trick-or-treat' the second the door was opened. A few minutes later he heard the next door neighbour's door close and the children walk excitedly away. He knew they would approach his house at any second so he got his large bowl full of weird muggle sweets and chocolate such as Haribo and Cadburys ready.

He soon heard a knock on his door and opened it to see about 6 children dressed up in 'scary' outfits who all grinned up at him and chorused 'trick-or-treat'. He chuckled and handed the sweets out into the children's buckets. They all muttered 'thank you' and skipped merrily down the path to their next victim.

Sirius closed the door smiling to himself as he thought about the Halloween in his 3rd year when himself and James had gone around Gryffindor dormitories changing the colour of people's skin and hair so they looked like human pumpkins!

His face fell though as he thought about his best friend, James Potter, sitting at his home in Godric's Hollow with Lily and Harry. They were trapped there, waiting for Voldemort to find out where they were hiding and try to kill them. Sirius desperately wanted to talk to his best friend. But since he had been changed from being secret keeper for the Potters he couldn't visit them. Suddenly a thought hit him; he remembered the mirrors that James and himself had bought so that they could contact him. How could he have forgotten? He searched through the messy drawer shoving aside quills and pieces of parchment until he found a square mirror.

He looked into it and called "James."

He called his best friends name a few times, but there was no answer, no lonely brown eyes filled the screen of the mirror. There was something not quite right about the silence that was behind the screen. Sirius knew something must be wrong because even though he hadn't contacted James in a while, he knew that James always carried the mirror around with him and always answered straight away, whether he was hoping for news, or just a chat with his best friend, but he always answered.

Sirius put the mirror on the coffee table and started pacing the room. A million thoughts rushed into his head on what could be up with James; he quickly pushed them out of his mind and debated over what to do. He decided he would fly over to James' house just to check that everything was alright. James was his best friend and Sirius would do anything for him. He rushed to his garage and jumped onto his flying motorcycle, he started the engine and flew through the garage doors, the wind ruffling his hair as he went higher and higher into the dark, starless sky.

10 minutes later he landed in Godric's Hollow outside the Potter's house. He took off his helmet and goggles and spun around to face the house. He gasped at the sight that filled his eyes.

James and Lily Potters once beautiful house, with rhododendrons climbing up the wall and various other flowers bordering the edge, was now a wreck. The neat hedge and gate surrounding the little house was exactly the same, and the house stood quite firmly, but the top right bit of the house was completely blown apart. There was rubble scattered all around the grass and all the windows were all shattered. Sirius let out a cry and rushed forward into the rubble. He knew there was no hope for any of the Potters, but he knew he had to check. He walked through the open front door and into the closest room. There was broken glass, pictures and furniture, but in the middle of all the mess lay James Potter, the moonlight that was coming through the shattered window was shining off his pale body. At the sight tears immediately filled Sirius' gray eyes.

Sirius changed into his animagus form, for that was the form in which he had had some of the greatest times with James Potter. Sirius didn't want to go any further into the house, where he knew he'd find his godson and best friends wife (also the most beautiful woman he'd ever known) lying pale and lifeless, just like James so he snuggled next to James and cried. Sirius Orion Black never cried, but his best friend was dead, the reason Sirius was in Gryffindor was lying lifeless on the floor of his home, the person who was like a brother to him was dead. Sirius lay there for what seemed like years, and quite frankly he wanted to be there years, he wanted to never leave, he wanted to stay with his best friend forever, reflecting on all the fun and amazing times they had together, all the hilarious pranks they played.

His sad thoughts were interrupted by a small cry, Sirius ignored it at first thinking he had just imagined his godson he missed so much already. However when the cry got louder, Sirius finally got up. He knew it was his mind playing tricks on him, but he had to try and make that cry stop, not because it was annoying, no Sirius would give anything to hear that cry, but he'd give anything to hear that cry off a real, living person, not out of his own head. Sirius followed the sound and padded up the stairs and turned right to Harry's nursery. As he got closer, it sounded more real, but Sirius kept convincing himself not to get his hopes up Voldemort wouldn't leave a one year old unharmed. He made his way into the blown up nursery, which was completely rubble, the moonlight shone through the massive hole in the roof. He caught sight of some beautiful red hair from underneath Harry's upturned cot and another cry escaped his mouth. Inside the cot was a small, unmoving bundle with some jet black hair sticking out of the top. Sirius closed his eyes, he knew his mind had been playing tricks on him and he couldn't bear to see anymore. He heard the cry again and cursed his mind for causing him this much pain and regret.

Sirius turned to leave, but as he was doing so the bundle did move. Sirius padded forward and nudged the bundle with his wet nose. It moved again. Sirius couldn't believe what he was seeing. He changed back into his human form and picked Harry up. Bright green eyes looked into his kind grey ones. Harry giggled and another tear slid down Sirius' pale cheek.

This little boy didn't know that he would never see his parents again, never watch fascinated as James turned into a stag and back, clapping his tiny hands and begging for more, he would never be cuddled by his mother again.

Sirius spotted a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt and he made a mental note to ask Dumbledore when he next saw him.

Sirius looked at the little boy's happy face again and knew it was his job now to look after Harry, to keep him safe. He held the little boy close to his chest and made his way outside.

Sirius briefly wondered what had happened to Voldemort but his mind quickly turned to Peter Pettigrew. This man had supposedly been one of his best friends, but he had betrayed James. Sirius wanted revenge. He wanted to rip Peter limb from limb and burn the pieces. How could Peter have done this to such kind and wonderful people? He wanted to get revenge.

Sirius walked down the stairs and past the lifeless form of James, as he did so Harry put his arm towards James and whispered "Dada,".

Another tear slid down Sirius' cheek as he stepped out of the front door and stood gazing at the house of the Potters for a few minutes, Harry in his arms. He heard a gasp behind him and spun round while whipping his wand out.

"Sirius, Sirius, it's jus' me!" Sirius saw the silhouette of a very large man standing before him.

"Oh Hagrid it's just you!" Sirius said lowering his wand, Harry still firmly in his arms.

"Yeah, yeah it's jus' me," Hagrid mumbled, tears trickling down his face as he stared at Lily and James' house, "anyway, I'm here 'cause Dumbledore needs me to take 'Arry, I think he's found a new home for 'I'm."

Sirius stared at Hagrid open mouthed, "But he's my godson, I'll look after him." He clutched Harry to his chest protectively.

"Sorry Sirius, Dumbledore's orders," Hagrid said, his black beetle eyes now looking at the small baby Harry who was chewing on the blanket he was wrapped in.

Sirius looked at the little baby too. He was torn between letting Hagrid take Harry so he could go and rip Peter Pettigrew's guts out. He gave Harry to Hagrid, knowing he had no choice when it came to Dumbledore.

"You can borrow my motorbike if you want, it flies."

"Thanks Sirius,"

Sirius smiled, he was about to apparate to see if he could find Pettigrew and make him regretted being born, when a small voice from behind him whispered 'Siri'.

Sirius spun around and the little boy was reaching his hands out for Sirius.

Peter can wait, Sirius decided. This little boy needed him.

"Um Hagrid," Sirius called, "Do you mind if I come, I would like to speak with Dumbledore."

"No problem," Hagrid replied.

Sirius jumped onto the motorbike and started the engine. The three of them lifted off into the air and sped off towards Surrey.

They landed in a very quiet and tidy neighbourhood from what Sirius could see by the pale light of the moon. Hagrid jumped off and walked towards two silhouettes, they were both tall and thin, one a bit taller than the other. Sirius followed with Harry clutched tightly in his arms.

"Professor Dumbledore sir, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said, halting next to the two figures.

"Good evening Hagrid, and Mr Black," Dumbledore said smiling at Sirius, the smile didn't make his eyes twinkle however like they normally did.

"Hello, is there any reason as to why you are not letting my godson live with me?"

"Well we just figured that since you betrayed Lily and James to Voldemort you might do the same with Harry." McGonagall snapped.

Sirius couldn't believe what he was hearing; Dumbledore thought HE had betrayed Lily and James! "WHAT," Sirius shouted, while Dumbledore shushed him, "don't bloody shush me, you think I betrayed Lily and James?"

"Well you were their secret keeper," said Dumbledore, quite calmly.

"No, we changed it to Pettigrew a few weeks ago," Sirius said, a bit calmer now he realised that Dumbledore didn't know about their change of secret keeper.

Dumbledore stared into Sirius' eyes for a few moments before speaking "Sirius, listen I did think that it was terribly unlikely that you would do such a thing to James and Lily but one can never be too careful. Do you mind if I quickly give you some Veritaserum, just to make sure? " Dumbledore asked.

"Sirius sighed, he had nothing to hide and he wanted to get this over with so he could take Harry back to the safety of his home, "Yeah, I guess that's fine,"

Dumbledore reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a tube of Veritaserum and poured a few drops into Sirius' open mouth. Sirius was still clutching a warm and sleeping Harry to his chest.

"What's my name?" Dumbledore asked.

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," Sirius replied instantly, he hated being under the influence of Veritaserum because he had absolutely no control, but he knew he had to do this in order to be allowed to look after Harry.

"Okay and what's your name?"

"Sirius Orion Black"

"Who was the secret keeper for the Potters?"

"I was until a few months ago when James and Lily changed it to Peter Pettigrew because they thought it would be really obvious that I was their secret keeper, so that's why they changed it,"

Dumbledore smiled, "One more thing, do you promise to look after Harry like he was your own?"

"Of course I will," Sirius replied.

Dumbledore nodded his head and placed his wand on Sirius' head and muttered an incantation, Sirius immediately felt the Veritaserum leave him.

"Thank you Sirius," Dumbledore said.

"That's ok, so can I look after my godson?"

"Yes, but the boy will be famous now because he has survived Voldemort so you need to make sure he doesn't let it get to his head."

"Yeah, yeah, please can we go, I need to get Harry to bed."

Dumbledore smiled, "Yes, of course."

Sirius turned around and jumped onto his motorbike and sped off into the pitch black sky. Harry, who had fallen asleep on the way woke up and looked at Sirius, Sirius stared into Harry's emerald green eyes. Sirius knew Harry might have realised vaguely what had happened as he looked at Sirius with concern.

Sirius bent his head down and whispered into Harry's tiny ear, "Don't worry Harry, I'm here."