Chapter 9

Dumbledore stood from his chair so fast it fell to the floor with a loud thud. His blue eyes were round and had lost every trace of their normal twinkle. His jaw hung open as he stared at the young couple before him. James's face was wet with recently shed tears, and he was holding Lily tightly to his chest. His wife was sobbing hysterically. Her face and eyes were as red as her messy hair.

"What," he asked in a voice just above a whisper.

The younger man swallowed thickly. "H-he took him," James repeated. "Sirius took Harry."

"When did this happen," Dumbledore asked quickly.

"Not ten minutes ago," James said. Lily let out another horrible cry, and her knees buckled. James lowered her into one of the chairs before the headmaster's desk. McGonagall rushed forward to offer what little comfort she could to her former student. James leaned forward on the desk. "What can we do?"

Dumbledore was silent. He didn't know what to say. There was nothing that could be said. Sirius had brought Harry to Voldemort, and Voldemort desperately wanted Harry dead. Voldemort would never let the child live. As much as it tore at his heart, Dumbledore had to admit that Harry was not likely alive anymore.

"James," Dumbledore said softly, "it's too late."

James slammed his fist onto the desk as Lily screamed again. "Don't say that!" James roared. "Don't ever say something like that! Harry—Harry can't be—Sirius could never do something like that!"

"The Sirius we knew," Dumbledore said, sounding sterner than he meant to be. "And Voldemort always would."

James didn't say anything but stood fuming at his former headmaster. Fury flashed through his hazel eyes, and his already unruly hair was standing near on end. Several of the old headmaster's possessions were rattling on the shelves as a result of raw magic radiating from James's anger.

"James, we have to face facts here, despite how much it hurts," Dumbledore said, eyes downcast and holding in tears at the loss of the precious young boy and the frantic heartbreak it was causing his parents.

With a desperate roar of rage, James grabbed hold of a small model of the solar system on Dumbledore's desk and hurled it at the wall. The small silver model shattered into a hundred pieces. Dumbledore stood quietly. James turned and kicked the other chair in front of the desk. It fell to the ground and rolled over a few times. One of the legs broke off. James stormed around the office, kicking and throwing things as he came to them.

He finally dropped to the floor beside the shelf where the Sorting Hat rested. He buried his face in his hands, letting out a sob. Lily shot out of the chair and down to her husband. They clung tightly to each other, overcome with grief at the loss of their son.

James held Lily closely. His heart was broken. That was all there was too it. The Dark side had taken everything from him except for Lily. They had taken his parents, his best friend—his brother in all but blood, and his son. He had almost nothing left. He couldn't take much more of this. It would destroy him.

Dumbledore pursed his lips together, taking several deep breaths through his nose in attempts to remain calm. He looked over to his phoenix, stroking its red head softly. "Fawkes, assemble the entire Order for an emergency meeting," he said softly. In a flash of fire, the phoenix was gone. He motioned to the Transfiguration professor, and they left the room, giving the grieving couple time alone.

They walked briskly down the hall towards the room that had been set apart for emergency Order meetings. McGonagall was trying desperately to keep from shedding tears. Members arrived as quickly as they could. Those with young children took a few extra minutes to drop them off at the Hospital Wing for Madam Pomfrey to watch. Molly and Arthur Weasley were the last to arrive as the twins had needed scolding again.

Dumbledore stood at the head of the table, Fawkes perched on the back of his chair. He rubbed his eyes under his half moon spectacles before looking out at the expectant faces before him. "I'm afraid I have some terrible news," he said in a sorrow filled voice. Several people glanced at each other before turning their full attentions back to their leader. Dumbledore noticed the particularly desperate looks on the faces of Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. They had obviously noticed Lily and James's absence.

"Earlier this afternoon, Lily and James's baby was kidnapped," he said. "Harry has been taken to Voledmort. He is not likely alive anymore."

Remus and Peter were on their feet in a flash. "No," Peter said. Remus's amber eyes were flashing with anger. "There's no way."

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid it's true," he said. Fawkes let out a sad note.

"But Harry's just a baby," Molly said shakily. "What would You-Know-Who want with him?"

Moody nodded in agreement. "I can get why he'd want the Potters. They've bested him on more than one occasion."

Remus and Peter were frowning at Dumbledore. It was the old headmaster's guess that Lily and James had shared the information of the Prophesy with their closest friends. They would understand the significance of Harry's death to the general wizarding world. Dumbledore sighed. He was quite sure that he had interpreted the Prophesy correctly, for Voldemort had come to the same conclusions as he had. But there was always the slight possibility that they had both made a mistake. Dumbledore shuddered to think that Harry had been killed for nothing, but he knew that he could not tell the other Order members that the only supposed chance of stopping Voldemort was gone. It would crush their spirits, and the world would surely fall into darkness. He could not let that happen. While he had adored Harry as grandfather would, there were other innocent children out there, innocent people. He would never sit back and let them be destroyed too.

"It is true that killing Harry is a way to break Lily and James's spirits. Voldemort would jump at any chance to do that," he said softly. "Harry's death will be a gaping hole in some of us for years to come, I do not deny that, but now you must all see how important it is that we end this war. We must find a way to stop Voldemort and his followers before more innocents can be taken, before more families can be ripped apart."

The room was tensely silent. Peter and Remus still stood, stony gazes locked on their former headmaster. "They are in my office," Dumbledore said softly. The two young men tore from the meeting room and down the halls of the castle. Students wandering about jumped towards the walls to avoid collisions. They arrived at the stone gargoyle and began to spout off sweets names. Finally, at Droobles Best Blowing Gum, it jumped aside to reveal the spinning staircase. Remus and Peter ran up the stairs two at a time and burst into the office.

Lily and James were still sitting on the floor. James had controlled his tears again and was continuing to hold his sobbing wife. Remus and Peter walked slowly into the room and towards their friends. They sat down on the floor beside them. James ran his hand over Lily's hair and looked up at Remus, drops of his tears still on his glasses lenses. "He told the Order," Remus said thickly. James's jaw tightened. Remus grimaced as he asked, "Prongs, it—it wasn't—?" James buried his face in Lily's hair, and the other two had their answer. Sirius had done it.

Remus and Peter looked at each other over their friends' heads. Peter had tears swimming in his eyes, and Remus was fighting to keep his own down. Someone needed to be strong for Lily and James right now. He would do his best, but it wouldn't be enough. Nothing could bring Harry back now. Remus grinded his teeth together as he thought of Sirius.

James had been wrong. The Sirius they knew was gone forever. They couldn't reach him. If he had taken an infant—an infant he had adored more than life itself—to the darkest wizard in a hundred years to be brutally murdered, then there was no turning back. Sirius had been corrupted fully by the Death Eaters. He had lost all feelings and ghosts of memories from before he had been kidnapped. They would never be able to reach him. James had been wrong.

Peter folded his arms over his knees and rested his forehead on them. He was trying with all his might not to burst into tears at the thought of Harry gone. It didn't seem real. He had just seen the baby yesterday when he and Remus had gone over to the Potters' for lunch. To think that they would never get to play with him, help James teach him how to fly, tell him stories of their days at Hogwarts, it was too much to bear.

Peter couldn't believe what Sirius had done. He knew Remus was torn about it too. They all were. Sirius had loved the baby like nothing else. So why? Even when people were Obliviated, they retained their personalities. Sure, the first few months at Hogwarts Sirius had been just as nasty as the rest of the Slytherins. He had called the Muggle-borns mudbloods. He and James had screamed at each other nearly every day. But then he had come out of it. Somehow James had found a small piece of Sirius's real heart and had latched onto it. He had brought Sirius out from his shell and helped him to become the wonderful and loyal friend they had all known. Had the Death Eaters gotten that deep into Sirius's mind that they were able to alter his true self? Peter shuddered to think of it.

He lifted his beady eyes to James and Lily. This was a big double hit, a low blow, even for Voldemort. Remus had placed a comforting hand on James's shoulder. Peter shifted closer to his friends. He knew, just as well as Remus, that nothing they said or did could ever begin to mend the wounds on Lily and James's hearts. He hoped that by being there, they could at least offer their friends a shoulder to cry on. It was all they could do.


The Dark Lord stood from his throne. His followers were standing in their designated spots around the room. Sirius stood tall and proud at the right hand side of the Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort began his business. He reviewed lost followers and converted ones. He discussed plans for attacks and takeovers. He conferred with the wealthy the finances of the war.

The meeting, after nearly two hours, was drawing to a close. "We have one final order of business," he hissed. With a dreadful smile, he glanced at Sirius saying, "Sirius has managed to succeed where we have all failed. He has captured the child of the Potters."

"So the brat is dead," Lucius asked.

"Far from it," Voldemort said. The Death Eaters shot glances at each other from under their hoods. Some whispered. Voldemort raised a hand for silence, which was given immediately. He motioned to Sirius.

"Mother," Sirius said. Walburga emerged from the shadows behind the Dark Lord's throne. Harry was sleeping peacefully in her arms. She smiled at the baby as she handed him over to her son.

"Aunt," Bella asked in shock. Walburga said nothing. She merely disappeared back into the shadows. "My Lord," Bella turned to the Dark Lord. The snake like man smirked.

"Young Harry is now as one of us," he said with pride and satisfaction. "In accordance with my orders, Sirius has agreed to take the child in and raise him as his own son. Harry will become a great and loyal follower of our dark way." Harry stirred in Sirius's arms. Very seriously, leaving no room for objections, he continued, "The boy is to never know that he is not a Black."

"And I'm sure the fact that he looks just like Potter will never come under his notice," Bella hissed. The Dark Lord turned on her with fury written all over this face. Bella cowered, nearly throwing herself to the ground at his feet. She was quite fortunate that he merely hissed at her to stand.

"To answer Bella's concerns," Sirius said, "the Black family does unfortunately share relations with the Potters, on a distance scale, of course. Improbable as it may be, it is not impossible that Harry just happened to display physical likeliness to his distant relatives."

Harry let out a loud yawn and opened his eyes. Lucius frowned. "The Potter boy has green eyes," he said.

"Come now, Lucius," Voldemort said almost pleasantly, "Magic provides means to do something as simple as changing eye color. I have never met a Black with the eye color so notable as the mudblood's. Neither Potter has grey eyes, and the dominant eye color in the Black family is grey. It makes sense, yes?"

The Death Eaters agreed quickly with their master. Minutes later, the Dark Lord dismissed his followers. The Black brothers and their relatives adjourned back to the family manor. They went into the parlor, where Narcissa and Walburga were waiting with tea. Draco was playing on the floor. Sirius lowered Harry to floor, and he crawled over to his cousin. The adults watched the children for a few moments before Bella noted, "He needs a mother, Sirius."

"So I've heard," Sirius said.

Bella did not take his tone as warning to cease the discussion. "Your mother can't raise him. Watch him occasionally, fine, but she has done her duty by raising you and Regulus. She has been the lady of the family for many years and even saw to your responsibilities while you were gone."

Sirius turned to glare at her. "I could not help that," he said.

Bella scoffed, "Perhaps not, but you must seriously look into finding a wife for yourself. I shudder to think of what the child would be like with only you to raise him."

"Can't be worse off than the Potters doing it," Rodolphus said.

Sirius turned to him with blazing eyes. "Hold your tongue, Rodolphus," he snapped. "There is to be no more mentioning of Harry as anything other than my son. I thought the Dark Lord made that clear? Do you need reminding?" He had pulled out his wand, which was now pointed dangerously at Rodolphus's nose.

The older man blinked nervously at the wand. He held up his hands in defense. "I meant nothing by it, Sirius," he said slowly.

"Drop the wand, Sirius," Bella ordered.

"This is my house, Bella," Sirius reminded her. "You do not give orders here." He flicked his cold grey eyes back to his cousin's husband. "Rodolphus, take this as a warning. If you say anything again, I will kill you." With that, Sirius turned and scooped Harry up from the floor, sweeping from the room.

Sirius marched up the stairs with the baby in his arms. He walked into the nursery and turned the lighting down. He lowered Harry into the crib and watched as the baby walked around, playing with the numerous toys hanging from the sides. Sirius frowned at the thought of idiots like Rodolphus who could possibly ruin it all. He hoped that they would gain some sense as time passed. Harry wasn't to know he wasn't a Black. Sirius resolved to curse the next imbecile who said otherwise into oblivion.

Harry fell back onto his haunches and looked up at Sirius with wide grey eyes. Sirius stared back. "Daddy," Harry asked.

Sirius nodded. "Yes," he said. "I'm your daddy."

Harry looked rather confused. "No Daddy," he said, laughing as though Sirius's words were quite amusing. He pointed at Sirius and said, "Padfoo!"

"No," Sirius said sharply. Harry blinked. Sirius pointed at himself and said, "Daddy." Harry did not seem to know what to do with this information. He merely stared back up at Sirius. The head of the Black family ran a hand through his hair tiredly. This was going to be a long process.

The women were right. Sirius needed to quickly find a wife. He didn't have time to be a single parent. If Harry was going to be raised properly, he needed someone to be solely committed to it. Sirius had been raised mostly by his mother, until he had reached a certain age, of course. His father had then taught him how to manage the family.

Sirius reached down and stroked Harry's messy jet of black hair. He offered the baby a small smile. "I'll have to find someone very strong for you, won't I," he said. "The Dark Lord will always be watching you. We'll make you strong."

Harry smiled up at him. He reached his chubby arms for Sirius and said, "Dog." Sirius raised a dark brow. "Dog. Doggy," Harry cried. Sirius had no idea what the child was talking about. There were no dogs anywhere around the manor.

"No, Harry," Sirius said. He rested his hand on the side of his son's face. He smiled. His son. It filled him with an odd sense of pride. Sirius didn't understand it. This boy meant nothing to him. He had only had him for a day. It was very strange.

Sirius shook his head and lowered his hand as Harry yawned. Sirius laid the boy down and pulled a blanket over him. "Go to sleep, son," he said. Harry obliged after a long yawn. Sirius smiled again and walked from the room.