CHAPTER 10
A man with black hair and a pale face was hurrying on a motorcycle towards his friend's house. This scenario is quite average until you take in a few facts like this: The house was a ruin and had been blasted apart by an explosion just a few minutes ago, the man's motorcycle was not normal - after all it was flying, the man was steering dangerously as he had his eyes closed and navigated from memory.
As the wind whipped his hair and dried his tears of fear and rage, he looked like some deranged scientist who had made a flying motorbike and had lost control.
The reality couldn't have been more different. The man was not a muggle scientist at all, he was a wizard - Auror Sirius Black, prankster extraordinaire, best mate of James Potter, godfather to little Harry Potter, member of the Marauders, also known as "Padfoot" to his friends, and a would - be murderer.
Sirius skidded to a stop outside the village of Godric's Hollow in the sky as his breath caught and his heart stopped on seeing the green glow of the Dark Mark on the house of his beloved best mate. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed for the sight in front of him to change and let all this be a dream - a nightmare. But when he opened his eyes, it was all still there. He felt a wave of fury at Peter and sorrow crash over him and he revved his motorbike and rushed down.
He stopped at the door, took a deep breath and entered. He saw the living room was blackened with residue of a few stray spell but nothing much was damaged. His breath caught on seeing black messy hair in the hall way. He rushed there and found the body of his best mate James Potter lying there. His brother in all but blood. He broke into sobs and cradled his head.
After what felt like eternity, he stood up and went up the stairs. What he saw horrified him. The nursery had blown apart and it was thoroughly blackened. He saw some black robes and a wand lying in the doorway, that gave off a dirty feeling, and then saw something that made him break into another volley of fresh sobs. Lily, looking calm and peaceful with her beautiful hair spread everywhere, lying dead a few feet from Harry's crib.
But what shocked him the most was Harry's crib. It was glowing in different colours- red, blue, green and yellow. He stepped forward and noticed that it had enveloped Harry in a protective bubble and was emanating from a rune inscribed in his crib. He stared at it in fascination. The something made him shift his head and look at Lily. What he saw shocked him. There was a similar rune on Lily's wrist and it too was glowing faintly. He ran downstairs to check and sure enough, James's wrist too had the same rune glowing faintly.
Sirius's mind was racing. He knew something was to be done with the rune and done quickly or Aurors would come and arrest him for conspiring with Voldemort since he was assumed to be the Secret Keeper.
Suddenly he heard a baby's cry. He started up the stairs and on reaching Harry's crib whose glow had dimmed a little but was still there, and saw Harry amazingly alive and crying. And on noticing him, reaching for him. He immediately picked him up and the glow from the crib started fading rapidly. Sirius panicked and put Harry back down since the glow was obviously a protection charm. But as he leaned to put Harry into his crib, he saw a slip of paper. He kept Harry in and picked up the paper. He opened it to find James's familiar chicken scrawl. The note however didn't make sense. It said:
Sirius,
All's fine and dandy. Harry has gotten quite good at breaching the passwords. Remember that Rats are creating quite the menace here. Hope to see you soon.
James and Lily.
The note didn't make sense. What had James trying to tell him? Sirius looked at the paper more carefully. Something didn't settle about it in him.
"He called me Sirius.. Prongs never call me 'Sirius'.. Never in writing.. He'd always call me Padfoot.."
He read the paper again. The phrase ''All's fine and dandy caught his eye." He remembered how once, back in third year, James had gotten into the habit of using this phrase for anything that wasn't fine. He remembered the instance when Lily had rejected James by slapping him on the face. He was lamenting his fate and his very existence in the dorm when Peter had come and asked if he was alright. James had replied sarcastically that 'all was fine and dandy.' Peter had been really confused and since then it had become a joke among them.
Why would James use this phrase here though? Unless.. everything wasn't fine and dandy and he knew it. Sirius scanned the paper again and then thought about the part with Harry and the password.
"Password.. And Harry.. The phrase for the activation of the map.. we have had it as a password since forever.. so is that it?"
With trembling hands Sirius placed his wand tip at the paper and spoke:
"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."
The paper suddenly glowed and blanked. Then it lengthened and soon writing appeared on it. It was James' handwriting. It said:
Padfoot,
I know you are feeling guilty and angry and fearful and you think we are dead. But I assure you we are not dead. But don't let anyone take us to St. Mungos since there we'll not be considered alive nor will we be considered dead and we will become test subjects for the Healers. We really don't want that.
I know this actually makes no sense to you, but please believe me when say we are not dead. We knew He was going to come today and took precautionary measures against it.
Now we are in a comatose state. We are alive but our heartbeat, breathing everything has stopped. We are alive just because our soul is still intact inside our bodies and has not left it. I actually don't understand it very well. Lily will tell you more about it.
I want you to take Harry and using your wand draw a little of Harry's blood. Don't be too shocked. (And yes, we do need Harry's blood. You can't give yours. So stop thinking about that.) Keep the blood in a little bowl or vial or whatever you want. Then using the blood quill kept on the mantle, inscribe the rune which must be currently glowing on our wrists onto each of our hands - mine and Lily's. Blood would appear, and before it heals press a drop of Harry's blood to it. It would be helpful if you do it near the crib which by now must be glowing. Then we will hopefully wake up and explain everything.
And, Pads, if we don't wake up, then please take care of Harry and do not think that its your fault.
Now wipe the tears immediately, as they don't suit a Marauder Padfoot.
Prongs and Lils.
Sirius smiled at the last line and wiped his tears away. He had no doubt whatsoever that this was not a joke. He set about doing what the letter had told him to. He smiled tearfully at Harry who was staring at him wondering what was going on. He poked one hand through the glow and marvelled at the tingly sensation running through him.
Then he looked at Harry and said softly, "Harry, you trust Padfoot don't you?"
Harry blinked and smiled toothily.
Sirius couldn't help the smile that broke through on his face. He grinned feebly before taking out his wand and pointing it at Harry's arm. He didn't want to cut a major vein but since he had to take some blood, he had to be really careful.
He took a deep breath and prayed to whatever gods that were listening to forgive him for doing this. He then muttered "Incisio". He winced at the burning sensation suddenly appearing in his wand arm. It felt like it was about to fall off - it seemed like that bubble thing was punishing him. Then as soon as it had come, it disappeared. He breathed a sigh of relief.
A small cut appeared on Harry's arm and Harry's eyes filled with tears and he started crying loudly. Sirius cringed but he had no choice. He conjured a vial and put three - four drops of his blood in the vial.
Then he immediately set about healing Harry. He muttered "Emaculo Sano". The blood immediately cleared up and the skin joined together.
Harry was still crying so he shushed him.
"Shush Harry, its alright. I am really sorry about this but I have to wake up your Mummy and Daddy, so keep quiet for a little bit please?"
Harry stopped crying and looked at him with his big and currently wet green eyes.
"Mama and Dada?"
Sirius smiled sadly. "Yes Harry mummy and daddy."
Harry looked thoughtful but he didn't make another sound.
Then Sirius went and picked Lily's "body" cringing at how cold she seemed. He kept her near Harry's crib and then went to the hallway to bring James too. He felt tears prick his eyes as he touched James' cold face and looked into his "dead" eyes. With this sight in front, it seemed hard to believe that the letter he had just read had been written by the same man. He heard Harry cry and immediately picked James up and brought him to the nursery. As soon he laid him beside Lily and Harry's crib, the glow expanded and enveloped Lily and James in its protective embrace. Sirius blinked but then shrugged.
He went to the living room and brought the blood quill and then very hesitantly poked into the glow. A momentary sharp tingle ran through his veins but it wasn't burning like before. He put the Quill in James' cold hand and proceeded to guide his hand and drew the rune. The rune got etched onto his hand and it glowed white hot. He did the same with Lily and the rune glowed white on her wrist too. Then as he pulled back, without warning the rune and the glow started pulsing with colours - blue, green, yellow, red, again blue and finally a flash of white light lit up the room. It was so bright that Sirius was momentarily blinded.
When he could see again, he saw that the glow had faded entirely leaving behind a fascinated looking Harry and the still - too still forms of Lily and James.
Sirius thought that it hadn't worked like it was supposed to and he had messed up real bad, but then as he moved forward, a sight too good to be true greeted him - two people, who were to all appearances "dead" waking up as if they had just went into a deep sleep.
James and Lily stirred and opened their eyes.
Lily smiled and James said, "Hello Padfoot."
This was the last thing Sirius heard before he fainted.