Chapter One – Before Azkaban

A/N: This is one of the few chapters that will be told in the third person.

Sirius was on edge. He was pacing the living room, looking anxiously outside at the setting sun. Peter had said he'd stop by after calling in on the Potters with news about their wellbeing. He said he'd stop by thirty minutes ago.

His wife, Thaila, entered the room, and set a small blonde headed girl down in a playpen. She crossed the room to her husband and placed her hands on his shoulders, preventing him from pacing the length of the room again. "You know where they're hiding," she whispered to her husband. "Go and check on them yourself. I can feel you itching to go and make sure everything's OK."

Sirius looked over at his daughter, playing quietly in her pen with coloured building blocks. "It's Tara's second birthday," he replied, "I can't just leave."

"Sirius, my dear," said Thaila. "She's two. In twelve years time she won't care what you were doing her second birthday. Go and check on Peter first. Make sure he's OK. Then go to see James and Lily. But," she added, holding onto Sirius' arm before he disapparated;"be careful. You don't want Voldemort following you to their home."

Sirius leaned in and kissed Thaila gently on the lips. "Don't worry. I'll take care. I love you."

With that he disapparated. A scared tear rolled down Thaila's cheek. "I love you too," she whispered.

A sound from Tara's playpen made Thaila turn around. Tara had built herself a tower of bricks, and then knocked them down again. Thaila moved over to the playpen and picked hers and Sirius' daughter out from it. Carrying her in one arm, Thaila sat down on the sofa with Tara on her knee. She pulled her daughter towards her and whispered into her hair, "One day, baby, one day all this will be over. I promise." She kissed Tara on the head, and Tara turned to giver her mother as big a hug as a two year old can give. Tara cuddled into her mother, and Thaila began rocking her daughter, humming a lullaby to her.

XXX

She didn't realise it, nor intend it, but Thaila Black fell asleep, with her daughter on her lap. She awakened to the sounds of popping in her living room. Tara remained asleep. Thaila opened her eyes to face Bartemius Crouch and Albus Dumbledore.

Being cautious so as not to wake Tara, Thaila laid Tara down on the sofa and stood up to meet Mr Crouch and Dumbledore at eye level. "What's going on?" she asked. "Has something happened to Sirius?"

Dumbledore placed his hands gently upon Thaila's shoulders. "Thaila," he said quietly. "I am afraid your husband has been sent to Azkaban Prison."

Thaila stared at Dumbledore. After a few moments she asked, "Why on earth would you send him to Azkaban? He's done nothing wrong!"

"Mrs. Black," said Mr. Crouch. "Were you aware that Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper for the location of the Potters?"

"What? No! He wasn't the Secret Keeper!" Thaila was still reeling from the news that her husband had been sent to the Wizarding Prison.

"Thaila," said Dumbledore calmly. "As far as the Ministry is aware, Sirius Black was indeed the Secret Keeper for the Potters. Unfortunately, tonight, he revealed where his loyalties truly lie. He gave up the secret of the Potters whereabouts to Lord Voldemort."

Mr. Crouch visibly shuddered at the name.

Thaila just stared wildly at Dumbledore. "No," she said. "He would never have done that! James is his best friend. He wasn't even the Secret Keeper!"

"I am afraid all evidence points to the contrary, Mrs. Black," replied Mr. Crouch. "After You-Know-Who murdered James and Lily Potter," – tears began streaming down Thaila's cheeks at his sentence – "Another friend of yours, Peter Pettigrew tracked down Sirius Black, accused him of selling the Potters out to Voldemort, in front of a street full of witnesses," he added, seeing Thaila shake her head, "Then your husband destroyed Peter Pettigrew. I am sorry," he added, almost as an afterthought. "We never thought it would come to this."

With that, Mr. Crouch disapparated. Dumbledore guided Thaila back to sit down on the sofa next to her still sleeping daughter. "Sirius was the last person we would have expected to sell his best friend out to Voldemort. I cannot begin to understand what you must be going through. Just know that the rest of us are still here for you, Thaila."

Thaila, her face now pale from the shock of Sirius being sent to Azkaban, turned to Dumbledore and asked, "Are Lily and James really dead?"

Dumbledore nodded silently.

"And Harry?"

"Harry is safe. I've sent him to his Aunt and Uncle in Surrey for his protection. It's for the best that he grows up away from the Wizarding world. Something about Harry destroyed Voldemort tonight. Voldemort has disappeared in the light of tonight's events."

"Voldemort's dead?" whispered Thaila.

"I don't believe so, Thaila. Merely weakened. But it was Harry who did it. Harry stopped Voldemort tonight. It's just a shame that he had to lose his parents in the process." Dumbledore paused for a moment. Then as an afterthought he added, "And that you had to lose your husband."

Thaila breathed deeply.

"Is there anyone I can call for you, Thaila?" asked Dumbledore. "Someone to just be with you for a short while?"

Thaila shook her head. "No thank you, Professor Dumbledore. I'll be alright. You and the Order have better things to be doing tonight. Thank you."

"Take care, Thaila. And take care of Tara. Sirius wouldn't have wanted any harm to come to his daughter." And with that, Dumbledore disapparated.