Hi guys, so this is my first story on here - please try not to rip me to shreds, just imagine it instead if something is wrong, much appreciated. This story will hopefully be updated at least once a month, however, I am in year 13 (I think that means Senior year for you Americans) so I am very busy with my university applications and exams.

Chapter 1

As the morning dawned on the first of November, there was a crack that disturbed the peace and silence in Godric Hollow.

The young woman that had suddenly appeared didn't hesitate before running towards the end of a lane that she had grown up on. As she reached the last house she halted in her steps whilst a sob ripped its way up her chest, the once beautiful cottage that was full to the brim of life only mere hours ago, stood destroyed - the roof of the home had obviously caved in and the upstairs windows had shattered, littering the garden with broken shards.

Just as she stepped towards the little wooden gate at the beginning of the garden, a man stumbled out of the front door, clutching something small in his arms.

"Charlie!" Exclaimed the man in a hoarse voice as he stumbled towards the young woman. But just before he reached her she stepped forward and held her arms out in a gesture for the little bundle that was nested in the crook of the man's arm.

"Siri-" She began to say before another sob tore its way through her lips. The man didn't pass the swaddle over to the woman - instead, he grabbed her with his spare arm and pulled her into a tight hug, careful not to squish the bundle between them. He held her tightly until she pulled back to look him intently in the eyes.

"Lily and James are they- are they gone?" She finally managed to choke out the question that she dreaded the answer to.

It seemed like the man couldn't bring himself to answer her for he turned his head away from her, fat tears rolling down his cheeks in synchronization to the woman. This seemed to be the wrong answer for the women as she tried to get out of the man's grasp to check for herself. Yet he wouldn't let her go. He had already suffered looking at the man he had claimed as a brother, he couldn't even begin to imagine what she would feel if she saw her twin's glassed over eyes as he stared into the empty abyss.

"Sirius, let me go, please! I need to see them. They can't be dead! He can't be dead!" Near the end of her plea, she began to shout hysterically. Her whole body shook as the grief took over her, she continued shaking her head in denial - surely she would've known that something bad was going to happen to her twin. She should've known, she could've helped. These words repeated in her head, circling her mind like vultures preying on her show of weakness. She would've been consumed by the guilt if it wasn't for Sirius grabbing her head and raising it to look at him.

"Charlie, Charlie! Look at me please," She could see in his eyes that he was also falling to pieces but was keeping it together for the time being. "Think of Harry, we're all he has left. Please, Charlie, don't break on me now." As he said this he slowly let go of Charlie making sure that she was able to support herself before drawing the bundle from out of the crook in his arm.

As Charlie peered down into the cloth, she noticed a pair of familiar emerald green eyes peer curiously back at her. She gently moved the blanket away from his face so she could get a better look at him, to reassure herself that he was safe and unharmed. Or mostly unharmed.

"Paddy, he's hurt." She rushed out as she grabbed a handkerchief from her pocket. She, ever so carefully, wiped the blood away from his forehead to reveal a lightning bolt shaped cut that was already beginning to scar over. She stared at it, confused for a moment before looking up at her friend.

"Paddy, I don't understand, the Fidelius charm- you were their secret keeper were you not?" She watched as shame and guilt flooded his grey irises before he looked away for a second time that evening.

"I was at the beginning," He confessed as he looked down at the little boy still clutched in his arm. "But we switched."

The confession caused Charlie to gasp in disbelief. "Why hadn't I been told?"

This caused Sirius to look up at the grieving woman. "It was Peter's idea, he said how, because of your brother-in-law, that telling you that we had switched would be extremely risky. You were originally our first choice after me but with Thalia, we didn't want to risk you. James especially didn't want anything happening to you. So we choose Peter." His eyes darkened then but just as he was going to explain more, they were interrupted.

"Charlie, Sirius'? Where's 'arry?" The giant man, who had joined the two, asked.

"He's right here Hagrid. We have him. Why do you ask?" Charlie replied as she looked at the baby in mention.

"Dumbledore has asked me to take 'arry to his aunt's." Replied the larger man as he looked down at the two of them. He took a step forward as if to come to grab Harry out of Sirius' arm but before he could take another step, Charlie pushed Sirius behind her and faced Hagrid.

"I am his aunt Hagrid, therefore you don't need to take him anywhere." She stated coldly as she glared at the man who she viewed as unwanted at the time.

The man paused whilst realizing his mistake. He coughed roughly. " I mean his Muggle aunt. Dumbledore- "

"Isn't related, nor in charge of my nephew's wellbeing, therefore, he will not make the decision, I will be. Lily and James," She choked on her twin's name for a second. "Made Sirius his godfather meaning that he is to look after Harry. Not Petunia."

Hagrid hesitated before pressing on with Dumbledore's orders. "Now Charlie, you mus' know that both of your family situations aren't ideal at the current moment. Perhaps Albus is just thinking about that. Maybe he wants 'arry to go to his other aunt's 'til everythin' has calmed down in the wizardin' world." He could see that the thought of leaving Harry was too painful to think about for either of the two young adults.

Sirius finally piped up. "Hagrid, I'm his godfather, Lily and James made me promise to look after Harry if anything were to happen to them. I'm not about to break that promise, not now."

"But Sirius, 'arry will be safer in the muggle world. If he stayed with you, he would be at risk with all the death eaters still at large." Sirius realized that Hagrid was making a good point, especially with Peter out there somewhere.

With a sigh, Sirius began to hand Harry over to the giant, only to be stopped by Charlie who had a hysterical glint to her eyes.

"Sirius! What are you doing? You know what Petunia is like!" She cried as she clutched onto his arm tightly.

"He'll only be there for a year at most until it's safe," Sirius begged her to understand but she was falling into hysteria again as she began shouting for him not to let Harry go. Just as she was beginning to try and pull Harry out of her best friend's arms, another crack broke through the argument.

They all turned towards the new man who was running towards them with a worried expression on his face.

"Charlie!" He shouted as he sprinted towards her. They collided as he brought her into a fierce hug. "I was so worried, I woke up and you were gone."

He pulled away from her as he noticed their company. He paled as he observed the house then looked towards the bundle in Sirius' arm, which now had a little tuft of black hair poking out of the top. He brought his wife back into another hug and kept her there as they began to explain what had happened. To Charlie's grief, her husband agreed with Sirius and Hagrid.

"Charlie, It'll only be for a year or two, just until everything has calmed down." His arms tightened around her - mostly to comfort her but also to hold her back as Sirius began to hand Harry over to Hagrid, a mournful yet determined expression plastered across his face.

"Hagrid take my bike, I won't be needing it anymore." He stated as he purposely avoided looking in the direction of the woman who was currently struggling to get out of her husband's hold.

Hagrid accepted the offer and turned to leave with Harry clutched in his hand.

"Sirius why?! He's your godson!" Screamed Charlie as tears began to roll down her cheeks in an ever-growing stream.

Sirius then turned towards her after watching Hagrid leave. "I need to find Peter and hand him straight to the Dementors, it's what he deserves." He then apparated away from Godric's Hollow just as everyone began to wake up.

The couple stood outside of the ruins of the once happy Potter home before the man left - half carrying to the woman - as the crowd began to gather.