Gone
His heart was beating loud in his ears. He didn't pay attention to anything else around him. His main focus was on the house looming up ahead. The right corner of the second floor where Harry's room had been looked as if a bomb had gone off. Smoke filtered into the sky from the dark ashy rubble. Sirius was running up the street faster than he had ever run before. He was panicking bad. The hard pants pounding out of his chest threatened to suffocate him.
It can't be true... It's not true... it's a lie, Sirius thought desperatley, pumping his arms harder as he ran. Crap, crap, crap, crap.
A few minutes ago he had found out from Remus that Voldemort had gone to James and Lily's house. He had murdered them and their son, Harry. From the looks of the Potter house there had been a battle going on. He just hoped Voldemort was the one that lost. When Sirius finally reached the front lawn he froze, his breath catching in his throat. The front door was hanging by one of its hindges with a black mark in the middle of the door as if someone had blasted something into the wood to open the door.
Sirius ran to the front door and at its threshold he slowed down. He cautiously moved inside. The entry was dark, but empty and at the end of it was a light coming from the kitchen. He slowly went deeper into the house and at the end of the entry hall, he stopped. He gulped in a breath, a painful croak escaping his throat. Lying on the floor about six feet away from him was his best friend and someone who was like a brother to him: James Potter was dead.
James' hazel eyes were wide open with fear and anger, his mouth slightly open. He was laying partway against the wall as if he had fallen onto the floor. His wand lay a few inches from his outstretched hand. His skin already looked paler than usual...the colour of dead. Sirius choked on a sob. Tears streamed down Sirius' face as he looked at his dead friend who layed frozen on the floor. He raised a hand to cover his mouth. He knelt beside James' body and sobbed as flashbacks raced through his mind one after another.
Sirius stared up at the Hogwarts Express when a boy with messy black hair stood beside him.
"This your first year too?" the boy asked.
"Yup," Sirius answered staring at the train's shiny metal body.
"I can't wait to go there," he said excitedly.
"Lots of fun and pranks," both boys said in unison.
They looked at each other, surprised and grinned. The boy stuck his hand out.
"I'm James Potter," the boy said.
"Sirius Black."
They shook hands and from that moment on it was like fate had sealed them as best friends in that simple gesture.
"Come on, Padfoot! We have to go there now!" James yelled excitedly.
Both James and Sirius were running to the Quidditch pitch with their broomsticks over their shoulders for Quidditch try outs. Sirius really didn't want to get up early to go for some stupid tryouts but trying to tell Prongs that was like telling mother nature not to rain that morning. He panted out a groan, his feet feeling sore.
"Come on, Prongs! The try outs will be held all day. Can't we slow down? There's no rush," Sirius complained.
"There is no way in hell we're slowing down. And if we wait till later to try out who knows they may have the positions already filled up with someone they want," James said grinning and he laughed cheerfully as Sirius groaned.
He felt pain exploding in his head and everything was black when he heard someone's voice call his name. Sirius opened his eyes and slowly his surroundings were becoming a bit clearer, but still hazy. He could see the Whomping Willow waving its branches around behind James head. His best friend looked down at him worriedly as he spoke.
"It's okay, Sirius. Everything will be all right. I'll help you. I'll get you to the Hospital Wing and once the nurse fixes that oversized head of yours we can have some cake," James said gently.
The calmness in his voice made Sirius feel better. He closed his eyes, allowing darkness to take over him, knowing that he was in good hands and safe.
Sirius stood in front of a large mansion, staring up at its many floors. Right away he felt out of place. He shouldn't be here, he thought dismally. Before he could change his mind to leave the double doors opened. James stood on the steps and not one word was spoken. Sirius shifted uncomfortably on the balls of his feet and James ruffled up his hair, making it even more messy.
A few seconds of what had felt like hours passed before James spoke.
"You gonna stand in the rain all day? Get inside Sirius. Mom made up a room next to mine. Since we have so many empty ones she says that can be yours for as long as you want. She's always wanted a second son. I think she gets tired of me after a while," he joked. "The bedroom is all set so you can go straight to bed if you want."
They didn't have to mention as to what happened or why Sirius was on his door step. He already knew that Sirius had run away from home.
Sirius sobbed uncontrollably, gasping for breath as if he was drowning. Memory after memory was that of James and himself laughing, pulling pranks, having fun, and just being best friends and brothers, but now that was all over. There would never be any more of those. James was dead. It shouldn't have been him. He officially had no family left.
Sirius reached over to close James' eyes and his slightly opened mouth. Anyone looking at him would have thought he was asleep. Asleep forever...
"Everything will be all right. It's going to be okay, James...goodbye," Sirius whispered.
He sucked in another sob when a cry suddenly echoed throughout the house. Sirius froze, his breath escaping his body in shock.
"Oh my god..." he gasped with wide eyes.
It was then he realized that Harry James Potter was still alive and everything was going to be okay. He did have at least one family left and he would make sure nothing would happen to him too. He would make sure of it.