The ruins of the once quaint home were still smoking, leaving an acrid taste in the air and haze over the surrounding area. Looking up in fearful disbelief Sirius could just make out through the smoke the wreckage of the second floor of the house, the rest had been blown away, tearing a whole into which Sirius could just make out the pale blue of some wallpaper. He was standing at the gate of the garden path, his right hand resting with a white knuckled gip to the railing. It all felt like a nightmare to him. An awful, abysmal nightmare that had the dreamlike quality all dreams possess of seeming both too real and yet not real enough at the same time.
He turned back around with an effort to face the half giant man, holding a bundle of blue cloth in his arms.
"Are you sure?" Sirius asked, his voice breaking a fraction at the end, "are you sure they're both gone?" It seemed foolish to ask, Sirius knew better than most that when the Dark Lord came he left little but death behind, but he still couldn't help himself. It seemed an impossibility to him that James, his best friend for the last ten years and Lily, one of the few woman that Sirius could honestly say he trusted implicitly, could be dead. Death, Sirius thought, couldn't work like that. Shouldn't work like that.
It shouldn't come stealing in in the night and take from the world two people who most certainly didn't deserve it. It shouldn't leave a one year old boy an orphan, and a proud family name centuries old all but extinguished. It shouldn't. And yet, Sirius couldn't deny that it had.
Hagrid looked down at Sirius mournfully.
"'M sorry Sirius, I really am. But they ain't here no more. They're both gone". Hagrid looked away and heaved a great sob. "Just wee littl A'rry here now".
"Is he okay Hagrid? Is he hurt at all?" Sirius knew that his voice was bordering on the desperate but he couldn't find it in him to care. If there was ever a time it was okay to be desperate it was this.
"I think so. He were sniffing a wee bit earlia but he seems to h've quietened down now. Poor wee boy". Hagrid sobbed again, a huge heaving one. "His 'hole family Sirius. Gone, jus' like that".
Sirius could feel his eyes begin to burn and he turned away back to the house for a moment. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. God, it hurt. It hurt more than anything he'd ever felt before. He runed back around.
"Can I hold him Hagrid? I just want to, want to see if he's alright". Hagrid shuffled forward.
"Yeah, of course yeh can Sirius". Sirius held out his arms and Hagrid deposited the little blue bundle into his hands. Sirius looked down at the sleeping face of his godson. He looked alright, Sirius supposed, but almost unconsciously his finger reached out to trace the new lighting bolt shaped scar on Harry's forehead. A sad smile tugged at Sirius' lips. Harry looked a lot like James when sleeping.
"Not his whole family Hagrid. He's still got me" Sirius replied, and he turned back around. "Give him to me Hagrid. I'll take care of him. He's my godson after all". Hagrid shook his head vehemently.
"No, Sirius, I can't. I'v got stric' orders from Dumbledore to bring Harry straight to him. He'll take care of him Sirius, yeh know he will".
To Dumbledore? It made sense Sirius supposed. He was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared, and if anyone could hide Harry away it would be him.
And yet, looking down at the bundle in his arms it seemed wrong to him. Sirius didn't like the idea of giving Harry away. He'd been through so much already, and Sirius was really the only family Harry had left. Except for… Except for the Dursleys.
Dumbledore wouldn't, would he? Sirius and Dumbledore knew both just how much James had despised Lily's family, and it would be a lie to say Lily was particularly fond of them herself. The Dursleys had never made quiet their hatred of Lily and her world. Sirius couldn't imagine them raising Harry. At least not willingly.
True, it seemed unlikely that the Dark Lord's followers would ever consider Harry being raised there, in a muggle home, but was it really the best option. Magic could hide people too, and Sirius knew deep down that James would never have wanted his son raised by people like the Dursleys. Sirius knew what he had to do
"I can't Hagrid. I can't let him give him to them. James and Lily would never have wanted it". He looked up at Hagrid. "I'm sorry".
Hagrid shook his head again. "Come on now Sirius, yeh can't be meaning that. Dumbledore know what he's doin. He's doin what he thinks is best for 'Arry."
"They would never would have wanted that for him Hagrid, I know it. Dumbledore does too, and I understand he's doing what he thinks is best but I can't let him do it. I'm his godfather, he's my responsibility now". Sirius looked at Hagrid and he could see the man was close to tears. "Trust me Hagrid, you know I'll do right by him". Hagrid's shiny dark eyes stred into Sirius' grey ones. After what seemed like an eternity but must have really been less than a minute Hagrid nodded slowly.
"A'right Sirius. I know yeh. I know yeh'll do what's right for 'Arry. Take care of 'im, yeh hear".
"Till my last breath". Seemingly contented Hagrid turned and started to walk away. Sirius too turned around and starting walking in the opposite direction to where he'd parked his motorbike, staring down at the peaceful face of his godson as he did so. "I've got you Harry. I'll take of you, I swear. I'll do them proud".