The pub was noisy with the cool outside air being driven away by the chatter and heat coming off the swarm of people inside. Groups of people laughed as they joked about their various costumes as men tried in vain to come up with witty pickup lines based on how a girl was dressed. After hearing an extremely distasteful line in regards to a woman's cat costume led to a man walking away with a large red hand print on his face and his drink running down his shirt a tall man sitting alone in a corner smiled and downed the last of his drink. He walked over to the woman in the cat costume and passed her a napkin.
"Here, you have a mean slap but you also got some of his drink on you" his voice was deep and rich. The woman glared at him and snatched the offered napkin out of his hand and began dapping at the wet spots. The man held his hands up defensively.
"I wasn't going to say anything you just looked like you needed a napkin" He laughed as he spoke pushing his long dark hair away from his grey eyes. "I'll leave you be. Unless you want a drink to replace the one you knocked over?" He cocked an eyebrow and gave a smirk.
"Fine, But it's just a drink. Although it is better than his attempt" She spat out her words and jerked her head in the direction of the man who was now being laughed at by his friends.
"I don't think there is much worse than what he tried. "
She laughed allowing her features to soften just slightly.
"My names Darcy, and I'll have a gin and tonic with lime"
"Sirius Black pleasure to meet you and I'll just go get it."

"No way he actually said that?" Sirius' laugh came out short almost like a bark as he brushed the hair out of his now hazy eyes.
"Oh yes he did and then proceeded to boast about his member. Of course when I pulled down his pants in the middle of the club it was revealed it was an extreme exaggeration" Darcy's hand rested on Sirius' the pub was beginning to dwindle as people either moved on to the next venue or wandered home either alone or with company. Sirius looked into Darcy's piercing blue eyes and gave a drunken but genuine smile. Just as he was about to lean in for a kiss a sudden jolt of ice ran down his spine and throughout his nerves expelling the drunken euphoria within him and replacing it with an overwhelming amount of dread. Darcy looked at him concerned making him realise his feelings were showing on his face.
"is something wrong?" she asked. Sirius stood and pulled his long coat over his arms.
"I'm sorry it's just I got a really bad feeling and I have some friends that I have been worried about and feel I need to check on them." His words ran together as he stammered out the words "but I have had a really nice time and if you'd be okay with it I was wondering if I could get your number?" Darcy had a look of disappointment but smiled and wrote out her number.
"I could come with you if you like?" she asked a hopeful smile on her face
"I'm sorry they don't exactly live in a great area. Thanks though here is some money for cab." Sirius handed her a 50-pound note. "I hope to see you again" He kissed her on the cheek and ran out the door bumping into several heavily inebriated patrons who yelled obscenities after him. Darcy finished her drink and walked outside only to find no trace of him and hailed a cab.

"Fuck fuck fuck no no no" Sirius searched Peters house only to find no trace of him and personal effects and clothing missing. "That little shit I will tear him apart" Sirius ran into the backyard and apparated to Godrics hollow.
The sight before him was devastating. The house was in ruins with the door blown open. Sirius' vision tunnelled as he walked towards the door. He could see a foot within the doorway and as he staggered forwards he saw the still corpse of his best friend. Sirius let out a howl that would make a werewolf feel sympathetic. It was a howl of pain, loss, sorrow and devastation. He walked up the stairs and towards the room that had been most damaged, He realised that it was Harry's nursery. Flinging open the door the animagus discovered a half giant lifting a crying child from a cot and trying to calm him while the boys' mother lay dead not two metres away.
"oh god no lily." Sirius' voice was heavy and crackled as he felt his throat close as he choked back tears. Hagrid turned to the voice lifting the enormous crossbow and pointing it at Sirius who now knelt next to Lily's still warm body. Upon seeing who it was the giant holstered his crossbow and walked over placing a hand on Sirius' shoulder
"Ther, Ther Sirius. I know it must hurt you more than anyone. But take solace in the fact harry made it. God only knows how. It were him, You-know-who." Hagrid's' grizzly face was wet with tears and fear.
"Give him to me Hagrid I'm his godfather I'll take him" Sirius' throat ached as he said the words.
"Sorry lad, I've orders to take him to Dumbledore. Bout to leave now, get the lad away from…this" Hagrid lifted Sirius up and put an arm around him and led him down the stairs.
"Hagrid I'll… I'll come with you. We can take my bike. You can drive and I'll hold harry in the sidecar." A gentle smile appeared on the giants' face.
"Alright then. I'm sure ol Dumbledore will want to speak to you."
Sirius pulled the shrunken bike from his coat pocket and expanded it before hitting the buttons to extend it to Hagrid's size and release the side car. Sirius crawled in and cradled harry in his arms who merely looked up at his godfather and cooed "pafoo" before nestling in and falling asleep. Hagrid roared the bike into life

The extraordinarily normal residents of privet drive little whinging were blissfully unaware of the tall bearded man and the woman who had recently been a cat currently occupying their street. They remained in their perfectly average sleep when a large motorcycle roared over the treetops carrying a shockingly abnormal sized man as well as a foolishly dressed young man carrying an infant. Nevertheless, Albus Dumbledore smiled lightly as he saw Hagrid only to frown and draw his wand when he saw the unexpected passenger. Minerva McGonagall saw the movement and followed suit.
"Sirius" Dumbledore's voice was commanding and seemed to push all noise out of the area. "I did not expect to see you hear. In fact, I thought I would never see you again." Dumbledore wore a scowl that was terrifying to see on an otherwise grandfatherly face.
"What why?" Sirius had now added confusion to his nag of emotions before clarity dawned upon him. "Of course, we told you I was going to be the secret keeper. Before you do anything let me just hand Harry and my wand to Hagrid." Sirius made a slow and deliberate movement of pulling out his wand and handing it to Hagrid who embraced the tiny child with a surprising delicacy. "Albus I swear it wasn't me. We realised I was obvious and thought peter would be a better choice. He is the one who did this. Look into my mind feed me veritaserum hell mainline it directly into fucking my veins and the answer will always be the same. I could never do this to James or Lily, let alone deprive harry of his parents." Sirius looked at the old wizard despondent and broken.
"Language Mr Black" Admonished his former head of house quietly causing a small smile to appear on both Sirius and Dumbledore's face.
"The fact you were willing to hand over your wand and harry to ensure that he would not be harmed should I have detained you proves more to me than any potion. I am sorry my boy for your loss. For all our loss. We will of course clear everything but for now we must give harry to his family" Dumbledore placed his hand on Sirius' shoulder meeting his gaze with twinkling blue eyes. Dumbledore of course believed Sirius but a touch of legelimancy was not unwarranted.
"What do you mean headmaster? Lily and James wanted me to take care of harry. What do you mean family?" Sirius had a look of horror on his face.
"Lily's sister petunia should raise the boy, away from the wizarding world and any threats or pressures that would be put upon him." The reply was solemn and grave. "It would also allow for a great protection with the blood bond between lily and her sister."
"No no Professor you don't understand! Petunia hates magic, she refuses to acknowledge it and her only message in regards to harry was that she hoped it wouldn't be a freak like… like his parents" Sirius found it difficult to say the names of his two dead friends. "Please let me take him. I will take him far away and make sure he is comfortable with who he is and is happy. Please Albus, I've already lost most of my world today. Don't make me lose it all" Sirius' grey eyes had tears flowing freely, tears that he had been holding back all night. In an uncharacteristic display of emotion McGonagall wrapped him in her arms and let him cry into her shoulder.
"He is right Albus" her Scottish burr soft and caring "I've heard lily speak of her sister and have witnessed them in the past. He will not be treated well here. He will be hated. You always say love is more important than anything. It's time to show it." She patted the back of Sirius' head while Dumbledore pondered what he had heard. He walked over to Hagrid who had been listening intently while swaying with young harry in his arms. Looking at the child who was so sweetly sleeping Dumbledore sighed.
"Very well. I feel you both may be right. But tell me before we sort out any particulars, where do you plan on taking him if you can't stay in Britain." Sirius' head snapped around as he rose from McGonagall's comfort.
"Well I suppose somewhere that has similarities to Britain such as language. Somewhere friendly and good and away from all this." Sirius bowed his head for a few seconds while in thought before an idea occurred to him "How about Australia?"