Disclaimer: I own nothing except Swara

CHAPTER 1

I never thought I would visit this house in my life. I had one encounter with Lily's sister, and that was one too many. Making out the unmistakable purple robes of Albus Dumbledore, I sprinted over to Number 4 Privet Drive. "Professor, Professor!"

He looked over at me. McGonagall was there as well. I must've been a sight. Bedraggled hair, debris on my clothes, tear streaks on my face. I would grieve later. Right now, I had to make sure my godson was alright. "Where is he? Where is Harry?" I demanded.

Dumbledore looked at me over those half-moon glasses. "Hagrid is bringing him. I have a letter for his aunt. She'll take him in."

I snorted derisively. "Petunia will never accept Harry. She hated Lily, hated James, hated everything about the wizarding world! You cannot leave him here where he will be unloved!"

Those blue eyes held pity in them. Here I was, a woman who lost best friends, her parents, and now was about to lose her godson. I was as much an orphan as Harry. "I trust that Petunia Dursley will understand the situation and open her home to him. It is the only place he will be safe."

It was McGonagall who jumped in this time. "But Albus, I've watched these people all day. They are obsessed with normalcy. They will not tolerate a magical child or any accidental magic."

"Be that as it may, Petunia is Lily's sister. The same blood that ran through Lily runs through Petunia. Being in her house will protect Harry. I cannot explain much more than this, but it has to be Petunia," Dumbledore said with an air of finality just as the whirring of a familiar motorbike sounded from above. Sirius! Sirius would convince Dumbledore.

But it was not Sirius on the motorbike. It was Hagrid carrying a bundle in his arms. "Where is Sirius?" I asked.

"He wer at the house. He had young Harry in his arms. Wanted to take him, but I said it wer Professor Dumbledore's orders, an' he lent me his motorbike," Hagrid said.

I put my arms out for my godson, and the weight of his small body in my arms nearly made me cry. "Oh Harry. I've got you, little one."

"I'm afraid it's time to bid goodbye to Harry, Swara," Dumbledore said, extracting a letter from his robe.

I tried one last time. "Sir, you cannot leave him without a family. I know Petunia and Vernon. They will never accept him! James and Lily wouldn't have wanted this," I said, playing my trump card. "They would've wanted Harry to stay with Sirius and I, his godparents."

Dumbledore stroked my head. Once, the gesture would've been comforting. "He will be safe here. You know as well as I that Voldemort is not dead, only vanquished. Living in Petunia's house will give Harry the protection he needs," he said, while gently grabbing Harry from me. "I know this is not easy for you, Swara. But it's what is best for Harry." He had played his trump card, using Harry's well-being against me.

I visibly sagged. I was just tired. James and Lily were gone. Harry was not mine. "Can I at least visit him?" I asked, desperate for something, anything.

Once again, those blue eyes held immeasurable sadness. Or was that my own grief, reflected in them? "It may only antagonize them, while calling attention to Harry," he said, aware that he was breaking my already broken heart.

I nodded dejectedly. I took one last look at my godson before Apparating to Godric's Hallow before I did something stupid like cry.

The place was in shambles. "Sirius?" I called out, expecting to see him. I scrunched my nose in confusion. Hagrid said he was here. "Sirius?" I called again.

I eyed the house warily. He might still be inside. I took a step forward before stopping, fear weighing my body down like an anchor. I did not want to go inside, not to a place where I would see their bodies, where I would see evidence of the happy life they led in shambles. Just as I gathered the courage to enter the house, a squadron of Aurors had me surrounded, wands pointed menacingly. "What is going on?" I asked.

"You must come with us for questioning," one of them said. "Hand over your wand."

"Why?" I asked, not understanding what this was about. Suddenly, Moody appeared. I sighed in relief. He would sort this out.

But before I could get a word out, my wand flew from my hand to his. "Swara Patel, you are under arrest for conspiring with Sirius Black and You-Know-Who to murder James and Lily Potter."

I heard the words. I heard them multiple times since they seemed to ring in my ears. I understood nothing though. Sirius and I? Kill James and Lily? Impossible!

The burly Aurors grabbed my hands and tied them behind my back, and that's when I found my voice. "Alastor, what you are talking about? I did not kill James and Lily! Neither did Sirius! What is going on?" I shouted. He ignored me.

"Alastor, please. You know me. You know Sirius. We would never do such a thing! We would never follow Voldemort! James, tell him!" I screamed, calling to the one person who always had my back, before realizing that he would never answer.

I crumpled to the ground, shivering because of the cold or my tears freezing on my cheeks or my grief or the cruelty of this world that just took took took without giving anything back in return.

One of the Aurors grabbed me and I felt like I was being squeezed through the tube. We had Apparated into one of the trial rooms at the Ministry. Dumbledore, to my great relief, was there. He would sort out this madness. Sirius, however, was not there.

"Is your name Swara Patel?" the presiding judge, Barty Crouch, asked me.

"Yes."

"Ms. Patel, we have captured the criminal, Sirius Black, in a Muggle street after he killed 13 Muggles and Peter Pettigrew. We have also convicted him in the crime of turning James and Lily Potter over to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Crouch stated, not realizing how my heart fell through the floor. Peter, dead? At Sirius' hand?

"No, you don't understand-"

"SILENCE!" Crouch ordered. "Were you or were you not close with the Potters? Close enough to have their trust and be a valuable ally for You-Know-Who?"

"We were best friends, but I never-"

"And were you engaged to the other accused, Sirius Black?"

"Yes, we are but-"

"The court will see that the accused had opportunity-"

"LISTEN TO ME!" I interrupted. "Yes, Lily and James were my best friends. Yes, Sirius is my fiancé. But neither Sirius nor I had anything to do with their mur...with their deaths," I choked out. I turned to Albus. "Tell them, Professor!"

He stepped forward. "I do not believe that Ms. Patel betrayed the Potters. I can vouch that she was not the Secret Keeper and could not have divulged their location to Voldemort. Just before you captured her, she was with me. Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid can also attest to this."

The jury began to talk amongst themselves. I grinned. They would not disregard Dumbledore's testimony. "Where is Sirius?" I asked.

No one responded. I repeated my question, specifically at Dumbledore. He didn't respond, and that's when I realized that Dumbledore never said anything about Sirius. He only said he didn't believe I betrayed James and Lily. Fear crept up my throat, and I shouted, "WHERE IS SIRIUS?"

Finally, Crouch answered. "Sirius Black is being transported to Azkaban as we speak. He was found guilty of the murders of 13 Muggles, Peter Pettigrew, and the Potters."

I was stunned. This was not possible. This was not possible. I turned to Dumbledore, my only lifeline. "Professor, that's a lie! You know it is! You know Sirius would never betray James and Lily, never betray the Order!" I screamed. "How can you let this happen? What about a trial? What about due process?" Some of the wizards backed away from me. Good.

"I'm sorry, Swara. I know it's hard for you to believe, but Sirius confessed. He was the Secret Keeper, the only one who could've given up their location," Dumbledore said firmly.

I reeled back in disbelief. Why was Professor Dumbledore lying? "No! They told me you were the Secret-Keeper!" James and Lily had told me so. They wouldn't lie to me. My best friend wouldn't lie to me.

"We agreed that the fewer people who knew, the better. James and Lily told the others I was the Secret-Keeper, to keep the Death Eaters off Sirius' tail," Dumbledore said, still with that somber pity in his eyes. At the sight of it, my anger flared up.

"DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT! LIKE I'M SOME CHILD, STUPID AND A MOMENT AWAY FROM BREAKING!" I screamed. I wanted to pull my hair out. "SIRIUS WOULD NEVER BETRAY LILY AND JAMES! HOW COULD YOU HAVE CONVICTED HIM WITHOUT A TRIAL! DID YOU USE VERITASERUM? PRIORI INCANTATUM? YOU SORRY EXCUSES OF HUMAN BEINGS!"

At my insinuation that he didn't do his job properly, Crouch arose from his stupor. A bit stiffly, he said, "There was no need for such measures when Black confessed. And, as I'm sure you know, those methods can be tricked by an extremely skilled Dark wizard of Black's caliber."

I was stunned. I looked again beseechingly to Dumbledore, who just looked away. Suddenly, a kind, familiar face popped in my head. "Remus!" I gasped. "Ask Remus Lupin! He'll tell you that Sirius would never do such a thing! Ask him!"

A Ministry witch wearing garishly pink clothes spoke up, "Unfortunately, the Ministry does not consider the testimonials of...let's say unsavory creatures."

"Unsavory creatures? He's a person. He's a wizard! And he's someone who can attest to Sirius' innocence!" I turned my fury on Crouch. "Are you so blind that you'll put anyone in Azkaban!"

Crouch, apparently, was done with me. "All in favor of conviction?" No one raised their hands. "All in favor of acquittal?" Every official, including the toad in pink, raised their wands.

"Acquitted." Crouch banged his gavel. He turned to Dumbledore. "I suggest you escort Ms. Patel from the premises, Albus."

I was too stunned to protest when Dumbledore steered me out of the room. "Come, Swara. Let's get you home."

I stopped moving. Home. The flat Sirius and I shared. The flat Sirius was in just a few hours ago, lounging on the couch. "No." My voice was hoarse.

Dumbledore raised a brow. "No?"

"I need to go to Azkaban," I said, resolutely. "I need to see him."

"He's not allowed any visitors, Swara."

"I need to see him! He needs to know that there's still one person in this god-forsaken world who believes him, who trusts him!" I shouted.

Dumbledore sighed. "Swara," he began, in a voice meant to soothe a nervous child, "Sirius confessed, and he was the Secret Keeper. I know you loved him, but he was not the man you thought he was."

"That's what you think. I know Sirius," I said.

If he was getting frustrated, he did a good job of hiding it. "Let's discuss this tomorrow. It's been a long night, Swara, for all of us. You should rest."

At the thought of going home, my chest constricted so much that I felt like I was being sucked in a vacuum. "I can't. Go home, that is." I stared at the ground.

Dumbledore, to his credit, didn't ask me to elaborate. "Then let's get you to Hogwarts. Make you a nice cup of tea."

Hogwarts was just as bad. 7 years of memories. I shook my head. "I would like to be alone tonight." When he looked as though he was about to protest, I added, "But I will stop by tomorrow to talk."

Realizing that he wasn't going to win, Dumbledore solemnly nodded. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked to the telephone booth. I could feel his eyes on me long after I knew they weren't.

I ended up in Godric's Hallow. I forced one foot in front of the other and stepped into the house. The front door was blown off, and a chill had settled in every corner of the once vibrant and warm home. The Ministry must've taken the bodies already. Good. I didn't want my last sight of James and Lily to be their empty eyes. Vrrr-rrbb! A stuttered, mechanical sound had me holding my wand at the ready. But my eyes fell on a toy broomstick, pathetically twitching in the corner of the room. Sirius and I had bought it for Harry's first birthday, though we didn't get to see him open it, Lily assured us that it was his favorite present.

I could see Harry exuberantly laughing, his little hands gripping the slick handle, and James running after him. I hadn't cried yet, forcing myself to keep those infinitely precious tears inside. But now, thinking of the Ministry taking away James and Lily's bodies, Harry under the care of Petunia, Sirius in jail, Peter dead, Remus God knows where, my whole life in shambles, I wept. Desperately.

Time was such a fickle thing. In a mere night, it had ripped my entire life away from me. In a mere night, it had created an orphan. In a mere night, it extinguished the happiness of seven people, ruined all prospects of a bright future, destroyed all dreams, hopes, wishes, and the most desperate desires. I didn't give a damn that Voldemort was gone. The price was too high.

I looked once last time at the ruins. Hesitating only a moment, I waved my wand. The lamps righted themselves, the debris settled back into the walls, floor dusted itself. I trudged up the steps and did the same, taking special care with the nursery, charming the mobile so it slowly spun, removing the blast marks on the wall. When I finished, I stepped out of the house, looking up at it. I had left the lamps on. If anyone walked inside, it would like just like it had a day ago, but I could never restore the people missing. The light flickered inside, but the house was still empty.