October 31st, 1981

"Peter! It's me-Sirius! Open up!"

There was silence at the end of the door. Nervous sweat trickled down Sirius's brow as he took his wand out of his back pocket (How many times had his mentor Alastor Moody told him not to put his wand there?) and tried the door.

It opened quietly with little effort.

"Lumos." Sirius looked about the room carefully. The whole flat was completely intact. There were no signs of a struggle and yet…

He couldn't help feeling as if something were wrong-very wrong. Call it auror's instinct, or what Lily teased James with-his "Spidey Sense."

He mounted his flying motorbike once again and flew off to Godric's Hollow.

"No," he whispered. All of Godric's Hollow was in ruins-the Fidelis Charm destroyed.

There was a single person still around. For a moment, Sirius imagined Peter standing there, and he felt the rush of an urge to seize the man he'd once called friend and kill him.

But it was Hagrid.

"What happened?" Sirius asked hoarsely. Hagrid turned to look at him holding-

"Harry?" Sirius asked, astounded. The only injury the boy seemed to have obtained was a lightning-shaped cut on his forehead.

"Voldemort's gone," Hagrid said. "Dunno how but Harry-he destroyed 'im. Jus' a baby too…"

"James and Lily?" Sirius asked, barely a twinge of hope in the question.

Hagrid shook his head sadly. "Dead-both dead. I'm sorry Sirius."

Sirius fought the tears springing to his eyes. "Hagrid-I-I am Harry's Godfather. Shouldn't I-couldn't I…?"

"I'm sorry Sirius," Hagrid said with genuine sympathy. "Harry's ter live with his aun' and uncle. Dumbledore's orders…"

Sirius's shoulders slumped. "Yeah…I suppose…Well take my motorbike."

Hagrid looked surprised. "Bu' you love that motorbike Sirius-"

"I won't be needing it anymore," Sirius said vaguely and depressedly. "Just…get Harry safe, alright?"

With a soft pop, Sirius disapparated to Peter's house again.

His mind was spinning. It wasn't Remus. It was never Remus. Why didn't he ever see it before? Voldemort had nothing Remus would ever want. Remus didn't want power or protection…but Peter…

He felt a hot wave of fury. Peter ruined everything! James and Lily were dead, and Harry was an orphan…

"Peter!" he growled on seeing sight of the short, plump man.

Peter Pettigrew jumped, a look of terror on his face.

"Sirius…what are you doing here? I just heard about James and Lily…so terrible…" He was nervous and jumpy-the dirty rat.

"You killed them Peter! You betrayed James and Lily! I'll kill you!" Sirius shouted at him, the hot wave of fury in his chest expanding towards the man who he once called his friend.

By now there were a bunch of Muggles coming, attracted to the scene by the noise. Peter's hide-out had been on a Muggle street-safe from the wizarding population.

"I didn't betray James and Lily! You did!" Peter wailed. Sirius realized too late that Peter did have his wand-behind his back. At least a dozen Muggles were blasted away and Peter screamed. Sirius saw through the dust and debris Peter transforming into his rat form and slinking into the sewers.

Suddenly Sirius started laughing-madly and uncontrollably. Curse Peter! He must have hexed him!

The laughing spell forced him to his knees. I'm sorry James, he thought. I'm sorry Lily. I'm sorry Harry. I'm sorry Remus…

Remus would think him a traitor. Remus would think Peter dead and him a traitor. He-Sirius Black-was going to Azkaban.

Then the Ministry of Magic came, taking Sirius to twelve years of hell.