Azkaban. Strange, how one word can change your life forever. Especially when it comes from the mouth of the man responsible for where you will spend the rest of your earthly days. For his crimes involving the murder of Peter Pettigrew, the Potters, and twelve muggles, Sirius Black is hereby sentenced to a lifetime imprisonment in Azkaban. One sentence, life changing. After that, I was never the same. My name is Sirius Black, and this is my story.

It began when my best friend James Potter and his new wife Lily, who he had been chasing around for years, needed a Secret Keeper. He obviously chose me. Unfortunately, I was cocky enough to suggest to my best friend that he was wrong and he should choose a weakly one instead. Being just as—if not more—cocky than I, James agreed. We decided on Peter Pettigrew, a mutual friend of ours. He became James's Secret Keeper. We didn't even tell Remus. What a mistake that was. He could have stood up for me, instead of standing in the sidelines. Wanting to defend his friend, but wondering if that same friend killed James Potter.

I was a fool.

Actually, in retrospect, we were all fools. However, I must agree that I was the greatest fool.

I can just hear you, it wasn't your fault! Remus shouldn't have believed that you killed James!

It is my fault. I shouldn't have convinced James to switch me with Pettigrew. If I hadn't, Pettigrew would never have been able to betray James. It's my fault. It's my fault that Harry doesn't know his father. It's my fault Remus is alone during the full moon. It's my fault.

Maybe I should just give in to the dementors. Yeah, I should. I as good as killed James, anyway. Might as well just make it official.

Wait a minute…I was put in here for the 'murder' of Pettigrew, not the murder of James. If Remus can think straight enough to figure out I didn't do it, he might be able to find Pettigrew and ensure my freedom! So I shouldn't give in to the dementors.

Here comes Fudge. Maybe he can give me the latest edition of the Daily Prophet. I really miss the crosswords.

Yes! He gave it to me, accompanied by a curious look. Now, if only I had a pencil to fill in the blanks…Wait…STOP THE PRESSES! HALT EVERYTHING! There, on the front cover, the front-page picture. It was a wizarding family…along with a rat. I heard from the criminals that had only recently come in that all they found of Pettigrew was a finger. The rat in the picture was missing a finger. Got to get out of here. Got to make a to-do list. (1) Find Peter Pettigrew. Easily done, the article says that boy the rat 'belongs' to attends Hogwarts…with Harry. The perfect place to be to attack him at a moment's notice. (2) Escape Azkaban. Easy, just slip out as Padfoot and swim to England. (3) Contact Remus. Don't know where he is. Here it is, the classifieds. Remus Lupin, wanting work. Lives near London. Jeeze, how could Remus sink so low? Everyone knows that that's where all the crimes happen! Unless Remus couldn't afford anything else… (4) Show Peter Pettigrew to the Ministry and ensure freedom. First I've got to find Pettigrew. (5) Kill Peter Pettigrew. To make up for the twelve years I've spent in this hellhole. (6) Find my godson. Yes, find Harry and see if he would like to live with me…or if I have to live in my parents' house all alone. (7) Contact Albus. If Harry won't live with me, I'll find someone that will!

I always loved making to-do lists. They're just so calming.

I'm going to get out of here. Then I shout to the skies, "I'm going to get you, Peter Pettigrew, and you will rue the day your actions sent an innocent man to Azkaban!"