Title: Death to the traitor
Rating: M
Warning: Tragic story ahead and as usual the missing-comma-problem, Finders Keepers^^
Summary: NEVER AGAIN would his family be with him. Because Peter had told Voldemort. Peter had broken his oath of friendship. Peter had sold out Sirius' family. Peter had to DIE!
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I am not J. K. Rowling (T.T) therefore this world and the characters don't belong to me I just borrowed them :)
Death to the Traitor
31st of October 1981
Sirius was crouching behind a dustbin, looking around carefully. The sky was as black as the robes of Voldemort's followers and the animal in him felt the storm coming. An old and worn looking paper was blown through the street which was dark, dirty and completely deserted. Sirius transformed into his dog form and was accosted immediately with a plethora of atrocious smells. Damn his nose!
The black dog strolled down the street as if he was just another mutt in search of a moulding meal, in truth he was on high alert, prepared to jump at the slightest movement. He reached his destination, an old hovel that looked about ready to collapse like a house of cards. It was Peter's hideout since they made him secret keeper. The place was a real horror only topped by its protection spells which were… NON- EXISTENT?!
Sirius charged into the house without any thought to what he may find. The place was bursting with different smells, all human. But no one was to be found. In the middle of the room he found it, the one scent he would always be able to place, no matter where, no matter when, no matter how old he got. He would never forget!
Voldemort
And then it hit him, wafting from the corner. A vile smell that made his hackles rise, because the predator in him recognized and relished the pure, undisguised angst of prey trapped without means of escape. Sirius changed and looked around frantically. Peter had nearly died of fear but there was no body and not one piece of furniture was out of place and that could only mean…
No! NO!
Beyond caring if anyone saw him Sirius stormed out of the house and ran down the street, sprinting faster than ever before, because this time it was a matter of life and death. He dashed around the corner, knocking the dustbin over in the process, hopped onto his motorcycle and with a thunderous roar he was off into the sky. Sirius drove at breakneck speed, solely focusing on one and only one aim: saving his family. Once he had asked Lily why she was clasping her hands and Lily had tried to explain the concept of religion and god and praying to him. He had found it hilarious. Talking to someone who maybe didn't even exist? At least Merlin and Morgana had been real! But now, now he was praying. He was praying in earnest with every fiber of his soul to every deity he could think of, existent or not and hoping with all his might that someone was listening!
Please, don't let it be too late!
Godric's Hollow came into view and even though the motorcycle was still in the air and the night was darker than normal Sirius could see the severe destruction.
No, no, no, no, no, no, please NO!
The touchdown was hard and rocky but Sirius couldn't care less. He let the machine fall the moment it was standing and took off for the front door. Rushing into the hall, he tripped over something and hit the floor hard. Sirius shook his head, looked up and directly into the dull, lifeless eyes of his best friend. Time stopped.
He felt the blood draining from his face and his ears started ringing. His whole world zeroed in on this pair of eyes which would never shine, never laugh and never look at him ever again. He didn't feel the floor under his knees and hands, everything was fuzzy. A movement startled him. He saw his own hand reaching out, hovering over James' face. It was shaking, trembling like a leave until finally it touched a cheek. Cold, the cheek was ice cold and betrayed the fact that Sirius was too late. Hours too late. The ringing was getting louder and louder and suddenly the ringing became crying.
Sirius head shot up. Was he imagining things? No… the crying was real. Alive, someone was still alive! He ran up the stairs and through the door that had been blown to pieces. The first thing he noticed was Lily lying on the floor. His knees gave out under him. She was dead! He could see the green eyes just as dull and lifeless as James'. Still he was crawling over hoping against hope that she was only lying unconscious. He shook her like a four year old coming to his mother's bed because of a bad dream.
"Please, Lily…" His voice was barely there.
Nothing. No reaction, nothing. His world began to get fuzzy again, when he heard the wail for the second time. He turned his head and looked at the crib. On all fours he crawled over to it and saw his godson. He had a scar on his forehead but other than that he was alive. ALIVE! Sirius just stared.
Harry, realizing that someone was with him, stopped wailing. He opened his eyes to look at his godfather. The little one recognized the person before him and began smiling; he leaned forward and reached through the bars to touch his godfather's cheek with his hand.
Sirius felt the gentle and warm touch and the world collapsed on him. Before he knew it tears were streaming down his face. He was panting heavily and his emotions were wreaking havoc on his soul. Harry was smiling at him again and Sirius heart broke. He had been too late. Too late. Too late. TOO LATE! He hadn't been able to protect his best friends! They were dead! DEAD! But Harry was smiling at him, he was still smiling. Sirius tears hit the floor and shattered into thousand fragments of grief.
The animal in him put its head back and howled to the sky, a never ending cry of sorrow and the human let out an animalistic scream of heartbreaking loss.
Sirius banged his fists on the floor. He hit the ground again and again and again and again and it was never enough. With every blow more of his soul was swallowed up by grief, by anguish, by despair and most of all by pain! He couldn't look his godson in the eye anymore. He had failed. Failed, Failed, Failed! It had been his idea, it had been so brilliant. Who would think Peter the Secret Keeper?! It had been so easy, it had been his mistake and now it was too late to apologize.
"No, No, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOO!" Sirius was kneeling on the floor, hands bloody and hurting from hitting the ground with every NO he screamed. But the pain didn't register as it was nothing in comparison to the misery flowing down his cheeks, staining the carpet. He didn't notice Harry beginning to cry in fear and confusion again, he was too far gone.
He should have kept the post than he would be dead now and not his friends. He would have never told Voldemort what he wanted to hear. NEVER! NEVER!
"TRAITOR!"
His voice was hoarse now but his tears were still flowing freely. He wouldn't have noticed if a Death Eater came up from behind to off him, but if there had been one left he would be dead by now and he wouldn't have deserved it any other way.
Sirius heard the stairs creaking behind him. He may deserve it but Harry didn't! He couldn't safe his friends but he would not let down his godson! He needed to protect him! Sirius stood up and whirled around wand at the ready and came face to face with someone who was as desolate as him.
Hagrid stood where the door had been before it was blown to bits. His eyes were large, filled with sorrow and he just stood there looking completely lost. There were tear stains on his face and Sirius could see the red rims around his eyes. Hagrid had been crying too. Neither was moving, they just looked at the person mirroring their emotions and somewhere a clock began counting the hours. At twelve it stopped. Halloween was gone and so were two souls.
"Nothin' we can do no more." Hagrid was nearly bursting into tears.
Sirius sank to the floor again. It was one thing to know it but entirely different to hear it spoken out loud. It gave the truth a hint of finality and Sirius couldn't take finality. There had always been a way out in Hogwarts he and James had never… His hands began to beat the floor again and again and again and again and…
AGAIN
AGAIN
AGAIN
"Stop! STOP hurtin' yerself!" Hagrid grabbed his wrists and the blood dripped down onto the carpet, another stain right next to the tears. He began to tear up again and tried to free himself from Hagrids grip to go on where he had been stopped.
"NO! Think 'bout Harry! Yer the only one left! Ye have ter do what they… what they…" Hagrid couldn't finish anymore.
Sirius yielded and tried to look at his godson. Yes, he was the only one left. He had to be there for Harry. The havoc of his emotions settled a tiny bit and he turned to Hagrid.
"Why are you here?" His voice was strained and horse.
"My job's ter get Harry ter safety."
"I will…"
"No, Dumbledore has someplace safe. Lily's sister!"
Petunia?! Never! How could Dumbledore think that PETUNIA would want anything to do with the legacy of her sister?! She had abhorred Lily since the age of eleven. Sirius shot Hagrid an incredulous gaze.
"S'all in the blood, Dumbledore said." The half-giant looked out of his depth and shrugged his shoulders.
Blood? Of course Blood Magic, the oldest and most powerful form of magic there was. The one thing he could not offer, because they were not related by blood only by heart. If Dumbledore said Harry would be safe with Petunia than he would have to trust him. He wanted his godson safe more than anything else. Sirius nodded defeated. Hagrid stood up and went to get Harry; on his way out he stopped where Sirius still kneeled on the floor.
"Give 'im a hug."
He opened his arms and gave his godson the fiercest hug he had ever given before.
I am so sorry, Harry.
Hagrid took the little one again.
"Take my motorcycle."
The half-giant nodded and vanished through the door and down the steps. Sirius just stared on into nothingness. He couldn't move, even if the walls seemed to close in on him. The walls in a cheery yellow color.
"The nursery is going to be Gryffindor red! Just you watch Padfoot."
"Are you two daft?! Red induces aggression! The nursery is not going to be painted red!"
"Lily, come on don't be a spoil sport!"
"Over my dead body Sirius Black! The nursery walls will be yellow!"
"Yellooooow?"
"You will stop whining this instant James Potter! Yellow induces energy and a good mood and it is the natural version of gold which would make it a Gryffindor color too. Yellow it is!"
"Whatever you say, sweetheart."
"You're just giving up?! Prongs, come on!"
"She is the clever one."
"Listen to my husband Padfoot."
"All the yellow in Hogwarts didn't improve your mood and he is your son!"
"SIRIUS PADFOOT BLACK! I'm going to hex your lousy butt into next year!"
"Prongs save me!"
Never again.
Never again would Lily chase him around the table, wand at the ready and righteous fury in her eyes.
Never again would James, ever the brave, reckless Gryffindor, jump between them to save his best friend from the most painful death ever dished out.
Never again would Prongs stop Lily with a kiss until Sirius had to make retching noises to break them up.
Never again would Lily and James turn on him, suddenly teaming up and coming at him with tickling and color changing charms, tripping jinxes and sticking charms until he couldn't move anymore.
Never again would Lily use the poor, bound him to test her new makeup til James was laughing so hard tears where streaming down his face.
Never again would Lily stop her torture to look at him and start howling with laughter along with her husband.
Never again would his best friends laugh with him, talk with him, cheer and cry with him, comfort him, make him laugh, make him run for his life in fear of some serious tickling charms, make him feel at home.
NEVER AGAIN would his family be with him.
Because Peter had told Voldemort.
Peter had broken his oath of friendship.
Peter had betrayed everything they worked for, stood for, fought for and lost comrades for.
Peter had sold out Sirius' family.
Peter had to DIE!
Sirius threw his head back and let out a loud, frightening howl of rage and fury, promising his prey a deathly hunt of unforgiving vengeance. His animal side craved blood, the blood of the traitor!
Run little rat, RUN because I will hunt you down and tear you to pieces!
Sirius took his wand and used the darkest spell he was ever taught, a spell that was only ever given from the Lord of the Black family to a male heir. It needed blood; it thrived on the hatred flowing through human veins and utilized it to find the hiding place of the one person the Lord wanted dead the most.
"Ulcisci Inimicum Immiserabilis!"
The curse would need time. The more someone moved, the harder he was to locate. It didn't matter. The curse would find him and then Sirius would rip him to shreds. He looked at Lily on the cold, hard floor and made his decision. He took her carefully on his arms and brought her into the Potter bedroom. He laid her gently onto it. Then he went down the steps. He looked into the eyes of his best friend and took the body on his back. He could have levitated him but James didn't deserve that. He had been his best friend and he would treat him as such until the end. Sirius took James' body into the bedroom and arranged him next to Lily. Afterwards he lit a candle, trying to bring light into the darkness which would probably never recede again.
And then he waited, staring into space, stewing in his hatred. It began to consume him, all the dark emotions clawing at him. He sat there in quite vigil, waiting for the horror to pass. The sun came up but couldn't penetrate the aura of fury, hatred and pain that engulfed him since yesterday. He was nearly bursting with concentrated hate and he wanted to lash out! He was concentrating solely on his rage and didn't feel the time pass.
When the clock struck one Sirius knew where to find his prey.
Peter Pettigrew looked up and down the street. It was secluded and deserted. His Lord had sent him to London and Peter had no idea why but he was too scared to ask. Lily and James should be dead by now and so should their son. The others would shortly die as well. Only he would live.
There was a soft popping sound behind him. Peter looked around and directly into the burning, scorching, hatred filled eyes of Sirius Black. He saw his death reflected in those eyes. Saw his hard and painful demise. Peter began to shake but was rooted to the spot. The rat saw the predator that would hunt him down until the end of eternity, the predator without mercy.
"Run!" Sirius growled low and menacing.
His survival instincts kicked in and he turned tail and fled. If he wanted to live he had to stop the hunter! Peter ran out onto the next street, trying with all his might to make an escape.
Sirius had found him and now nothing in the world would make him loose his prey again. He gave chase down the street and the next street and the next, knocking down Muggles on his way. He didn't care. He could smell the fear coming from Peter and he reveled in it.
Peter should fear him.
Peter should be scared to death by him.
Peter should beg and plead and cry.
Peter should grovel.
Peter should scream like an animal driven into the corner, when he finally realized that nothing could save him. He would suffer the same fate as James and Lily but much, much worse.
At last Peter ran into a dead end. He turned around with wide, scared eyes. Sirius grin was vicious. He had him. The rat was trapped! Now he would tear him limb from limb until the blood would flood the street and the screams had died down. Sirius didn't hear the Muggles behind him, he was ready to pounce.
"Traitor! You killed Lily and James! It was your fault!" Pettigrew's voice was high and scared but clearly audible. Muggles stopped to look at the ruckus.
Sirius led out a scream of unmatched fury. HOW DARE HE!
Peter used his anger to run past him, Sirius turned around wand in hand and heard an unfamiliar incantation. In the next second an explosion disrupted the day. Sirius was thrown to the ground and when he got up, he didn't see the Muggles lying dead and all the others looking scared in the bright sunlight. He didn't see the crater. He only saw the finger. One single finger, lying on the ground near the crater. Peter's finger.
He blinked a few times and then he erupted in laughter, long, maniacal laughter. Peter had betrayed the light so Voldemort would let him live, he had run from Sirius and nearly succeeded and then he had blown himself to pieces. The laughter went on and on and on. Sirius couldn't stop. The sweet irony! The traitor, the MURDERER had killed himself in the end! One part of him was dissatisfied; he hadn't been able to off Peter himself. But his other half came to rest. The traitor had paid and only that mattered!
Sirius was still laughing when the aurors came.
He began to struggle and scream when they made a photograph before sending him to Azkaban for a crime he never committed without asking him one question.
The vocal screams died out eventually.
Azkaban killed everything in it slowly and painfully. No one could escape the Dementors. They tried to suck every last happy thought out of him. The hunter became the hunted, but Sirius didn't die, because being innocent had nothing to do with happiness. It was a fact. He hadn't betrayed Lily and James. He hadn't killed his friends, his family.
But he wasn't entirely blameless. He should have seen Peter for what he was. He should have noticed much sooner that evening. He should have saved his friends and he shouldn't have abandoned Harry. Yes, he was innocent but not without fault.
The vocal screams may have died out, but a small part of Sirius' heart and soul kept on crying, kept on screaming. They never stopped and they would go on until his end.
I am so sorry!
Ulcisci Inimicum Immiserabilis!
Ulcisci Inimicum: 'to punish the enemy' and 'to take vengeance on the enemy'
Immiserabilis: 'without mercy'