Chapter 1:

A month.

It had been a month since Voldemort was defeated. It had been a month since James and Lily had died.

It had been a month since Albus Dumbledore had hidden Harry Potter somewhere and no matter how many times he'd been asked, he had refused to give away the child's location. A fact that made my anger and desperation increase every time Dumbledore refused to even meet me, much less let me know where he had hidden my godson.

In a perfect world, I would've understood, maybe even appreciated, Dumbledore's tenacity in keeping Harry safe. But since this is not a perfect world, all I could do was keep pestering him.

My eyes drifted back to the letter clutched in my hands. The last letter sent by my god brother, James Potter, a few months before his death. I focused on the name Sirius Black and huffed in irritation. James had mentioned that Sirius Black had taken his oaths as Harry's Godfather, and how James still couldn't believe that he was a father even after Harry was already a year old...

I put the letter back in my desk and picked up another bit of parchment and a quill. I couldn't meet Harry, but that didn't mean I couldn't get answers.

James Potter had trusted Sirius Black. And now, Sirius Black would answer why he had broken that trust.

I couldn't believe it was this easy to get into Azkaban. A carefully worded letter and a few galleons and suddenly, you're inside the prison and no one would know. It had taken just a few hours to accomplish this from the moment I sent the letter.

I followed the Head of the Guards, a man named Jefferson, to the High Security Cells that housed those who were deemed too dangerous to even mingle with the other prisoners.

Jefferson stopped outside a set of metal doors and turned. "He'll be through those doors, ma'am. His is the only cell in there with a dementor standing guard at all times."

I nodded, even though I felt sick at the thought of a dementor being near anyone day and night.

"I need the dementor to...step away. If his thoughts are clouded, he won't be able to answer any questions I have."

Jefferson hesitated. "I could ensure that the dementor be at the other end of the corridor. But removing it entirely from the room would be...unwise."

I sighed and nodded.

Jefferson inhaled sharply and pushed the doors open. My fingers twitched towards the anti-dementor ward pinned at the top of my cloak, but I shook my hand and forced myself to stay calm.

Jefferson took out his wand and said something to the creature and pointed towards the other end of the corridor.

As soon as it was settled in place, he walked back towards me and nodded. "You have thirty minutes ma'am."

I didn't acknowledge him as I slowly walked towards the cell. In the past month, I had envisioned killing this man in about a thousand different ways. I had even planned to break into Azkaban and take him away with me to torture him. And now that I was here, I suddenly felt lost at what I should do.

I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to curse him so bad that seven generations of the Black Family would sit up in their crypt and ask him what he'd done.

But all plans went out the window the moment I looked at him.

He was standing a few feet away from the bars, dressed in robes that were starting to develop holes. He looked haggard, like he hadn't had a good meal for days. His hair was starting to look matted because of all the dust and such. But his eyes...

His eyes were full of grief and fury.

His eyes were the same eyes I saw every time I looked in a mirror.

I slipped my wand out of my holster and cast a privacy charm around us. Jefferson could see us, but he wouldn't be able to hear anything we say.

My hands shook as I raised my wand at him. He looked up at me, looking first at my face before looking at the wand pointed at his heart.

His voice was raspy. "I figured I would be killed in here. I just didn't expect them to bring in someone from the outside."

I blinked at how...normal he sounded. Even a couple of weeks at Azkaban could send you into a fugue state. How was he so normal? Didn't the dementors affect him, especially him, of all people?

It didn't matter, I guess. I wanted answers and he could give them to me. Even if I had to force him to.

I took a deep breath. "Why did you betray James and Lilly Potter?"

His eyes twinkled with some emotion I couldn't understand. He took a few steps forward and grabbed the bars. He looked at me intently.

"I didn't betray James and Lily."

Liar.

"You did. You were their Secret Keeper and you sold them out to Voldemort! How could you?! James loved you like his own brother and yet..."

My voice broke. I took a shuddering breath as I tried to keep my emotions in check.

Sirius shook his head. "I was never their Secret Keeper. I was a decoy. I would never do anything to harm James, Lily or Harry. I couldn't. I wouldn't. I would kill myself before I allowed even a scratch on them."

I scoffed. "You expect me to trust you?"

He smiled, as if he was waiting for me to ask this question. He took a step back and placed his hand over his heart.

"I, Sirius Orion Black, do solemnly swear that I did not betray the Potter's to Voldemort nor was I their Secret Keeper. This I swear on my magic. So mote it be."

Sirius literally glowed as the vow settled on him. He raised his hand, palm up and a small ball of light appeared over his hand. He let it glow for a few moments before closing his fist, extinguishing the light.

I lowered my wand, not wanting to believe and yet...

"If you didn't betray the Potter's, then who did?"

Sirius exhaled sharply. "Peter Pettigrew."

I stared at him. "Peter Pettigrew? The same Peter Pettigrew whom you murdered in broad daylight?"

"Peter isn't dead!" He snapped. "He escaped. He blew up those muggles and he escaped by turning into a rat."

"He's an animagus?"

"Yes. Honestly, we should've known he wasn't to be trusted after seeing his animagus form. We were fools."

I held up a hand, stopping him from saying anything more. I could feel a headache coming on.

"Tell me everything."

"Peter was the Secret Keeper. But we made it known that I was because everyone expected it to be me. That way Peter would've been safe and so would the Potters. That night...when I'd realized what happened and how, I started hunting him down. I cornered him in the Muggle world, but he had an escape plan. He shouted for everyone to hear about how I had betrayed James and Lily and..." Sirius took a deep calming breath. "He blew up a pipeline with a blasting curse. I barely had time to conjure up a shield to protect myself. He escaped by turning into a rat and running off with the other sewer rats."

"If you're telling the truth," I hesitated, "then why didn't you say all this in your trial?"

He snorted. "I didn't get a trial. I went to sleep in a ministry cell and woke up here."

I gaped at him. "Do you mean to tell me that you've been here for a month and you didn't get a trial? What about visitors? Anyone?"

He shook his head. "You're the first person I've seen here besides the guard who brings me food."

"Oh for fu-" I stopped myself before I could say more.

I took a few calming breaths before I brought down the cell and focused on him. "We're- No. I am getting you out of here. I don't care who I have to curse or kill, but you won't spend another night in Azkaban!"

He tilted his head, his eyes shinning with what looked like hope. "You can do that?"

"I know people who can."

He nodded. "I didn't ask who you were."

I flushed. "Oh right. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Venauora Rose. James Potter is-" I swallowed back the lump in my throat. "He was my god brother. I am also Harry's secret third godparent."

He leaned forward, eagerness in his eyes. "Is Harry with you? How is he? Is he okay? Is he adjusting without his parents? Is he-"

I interrupted him. "He isn't with me. Though I'm looking for him. Dumbledore has kept him hidden. At first I thought he would've been with some other magical family but there has been no news of it."

"What about the Longbottoms? Harry was supposed to go to them if something happened to me."

I winced. "The Longbottoms are...indisposed. Your cousin, Bellatrix, and a few of her friends tortured them for information on Harry. They're in St. Mungo's for treatment. It doesn't seem like they'll recover."

He sighed and rubbed his chin. "I heard Bellatrix was here but I didn't know why." He frowned. "So where is Harry?"

I shrugged. "My guess? He's probably in the Muggle world. If he was with a magical family, that would've been reported somewhere. And Dumbledore is so reluctant to share information about him or his whereabouts."

"How much do you trust Albus Dumbledore?"

I smiled sadly. "Not even a little bit. But he's the only lead I have on finding Harry."

He bit his lip. "Do you know about Lily's sister?"

"Petunia? Yes I do know about her. James has told me tales of Lily's magic hating sister. Why?"

He hesitated. "Well... logically, if Harry was placed in the Muggle world, then wouldn't Lily's sister be the only choice? I mean, she is Harry's last remaining relative."

"But she hates magic! Even Dumbledore wouldn't be that stupid."

He shrugged. "Dumbledore did place a lot of value in family and love."

I rubbed the thumb and index finger of my right hand together, a habit I had picked up to calm myself whenever I felt really angry.

"Do you know where Petunia might be?"

"No clue. Though I did hear she married a man named Dursley. Lily was upset she wasn't invited to the wedding."

I nodded. That was enough information to find her. If Harry was with her...no. He had to be with her. If he wasn't, I promised myself to raze the whole of Magical Britain until I found him.

I looked at Sirius. "I'll get you out. I promise. And I'll find Harry and make sure he's safe with me."

He shook his head. "Find Harry first. I can wait. It's not like I'm going anywhere." He smiled ruefully.

I nodded and after a moment, took off my coat and handed it to him through the bars.

"This will keep you warm. It's lined with charms to even make the floor comfortable."

His eyes widened in surprise. "I can't accept this."

"You can and you will. I insist." He was standing close to the bars so it was easy for me to drape the jacket over his left shoulder.

He swallowed. "Thank you."

"I'll make sure it's not taken from you. Goodbye Sirius. We'll meet again when you are a free man."

He nodded.

I cancelled the privacy charm and walked back to the entrance.

I stopped next to Jefferson. "Make sure that the jacket I gave him stays with him." I turned to look at him with hard eyes. "If I find out that someone took the jacket away or mistreated him in any manner, I will gladly demolish this place."

He swallowed nervously. "As you will, ma'am."

He almost stumbled in his hurry to lead the way to outside.

I needed a new plan.

And fortunately, I had one already forming in my mind.