Sirius landed his motorcycle in front of Peter's hiding place and looked around. There was no one in sight. Well, that was almost a good sign. There shouldn't be; it was the middle of the night.

He climbed off his bike and walked up to the front door, not bothering to take off his helmet or black leather jacket. If this was James and Lily's house, or Remus' he wouldn't have knocked, but this was Peter. He didn't want to scare him half to death.

Sirius waited patiently for an answer, but there wasn't one. He knocked again, louder. Still no answer. Panic began to flood him. He opened the door slowly, hoping against hope that someone was still in there..."Peter?" he called.

The silence of the house did not stir. "Peter?" he said again, "Peter!"

No one answered. The panic in his stomach built up higher. He couldn't have...there was no way...he never would have thought...Sirius looked around wildly. Nothing was out of place. No sign of a struggle, no nothing. He walked around the house a little more, but again, nothing was out of place. He swore under his breath and got out as fast as he could, making for his motorbike.

Sirius jumped on his bike and took off as fast he could, without checking if anyone was watching. His heart was racing...if that little rat had...Come on, go faster! he urged urged the bike mentally, pushing on the gas harder and harder.

The bike was racing as fast as it could go, high above the earth, but Sirius didn't notice, just kept begging it silently to go faster, still jamming the gas pedal down as hard as he could.

There it was...their house...but wait, that wasn't their house...their house was still standing. "Oh my God," Sirius choked, "No...it can't be..." the bike landed with a thump, nearly killing him, but he jumped off it, too distracted to notice. "Oh my God...no...no..." his voice got steadily hoarser, but he kept running towards the ruin.

Hagrid was there, seemingly looking for something, but Sirius paid no attention to them...where were James and Lily...they had to be alive...

"Oh please," he prayed out loud, "Please, let them still be alive...please, you've got to listen to me...oh my God..." there were their bodies, just lying there, frozen in fear, James' face staring up at him, as if to say, "How could you, Sirius? How could you?" And Lily...her hair...her eyes...even greener than the eerie glow of the dark mark above her...she was almost alive..."Oh my God," Sirius whispered again. "No...James...Lily...no..." He couldn't help dropping to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "No..."

A shrill cry broke his thoughts. His heart suddenly sped up to a hundred miles an hour. "Oh my...I can't believe it..." Sirius made his way through the wreck and pulled Harry out of the rubble. "Harry, you're...you're...YOU'RE ALIVE!" he exclaimed, a crazy kind of joy coming over him as he hugged the child close to him. Harry immediately stopped crying.

"Oh, thank God you're safe," Sirius whispered, hugging him close. Then he quickly put Harry back down where he had been and walked back to Lily and James; he had a feeling no one would be very happy if they saw Sirius Black holding Harry Potter. After all, he hadn't told anyone but the Potters who was the Secret-Keeper, had he?

He was not a moment too soon. Hagrid came up from behind him and picked up Harry. Then he turned and seemed to notice Sirius for the first time. "Sirius Black! I should 'ave known you'd be 'ere."

Sirius managed a small smile, but didn't turn around. "Hagrid..." he said in a distant voice that, three years ago, he never would have believed was his own.

"It's all right, Sirius," Hagrid said, obviously trying to comfort him. "Lookit Harry, he's fine, an' You-Know-Who, he's gone..."

Sirius turned his white, shaking face towards Hagrid. "They're dead, Hagrid...I can't believe it..."

"It's a shame...James an' Lily..."

Sirius gulped. "Yes...look Hagrid, what're you doing with Harry?"

"Professor Dumbledore, he says bring 'im to 'im, an' he'll find a 'ome for 'im..."

"Give Harry to me, Hagrid, I'm his godfather. I'll look after him, I swear...you can tell Dumbledore, he'll understand. Please, Hagrid?"

But Hagrid shook his head. "I've got me orders from Dumbledore, I'll be takin' 'im there. Harry's ter go ter his aunt an' his uncle's. Dumbledore said so, sir."

"But Hagrid...I'm his godfather, I'll look after him good, come on, I can do better than Lily's sister! She's a Muggle, she hates everything to do with magic! Harry would never be happy in a place like that! Please?"

"Sorry, Sirius, but I can't, or Dumbledore'll be wantin' to know what's happened, I can' do that..."

Sirius sighed heavily. "It's all right, Hagrid, I understand. Look, take my motorbike, okay? I won't be needing it." Like hell he wouldn't. The next chance he got, Peter Pettigrew would be RUNNING for his LIFE, and if he EVER got his hands on the dirty little RAT...

Hagrid looked surprised, but he shrugged and climbed on the bike. "Good luck, Sirius."

"Thanks, Hagrid," Sirius said hollowly as the huge man took off. "I'll need it," he muttered, looking back at the ruins of James and Lily's house. "You die, Peter," he added, and stalked off.

As he walked down the cold and empty streets, the hot rage began to fill in him. He couldn't believe it...that dirty little rat...if it hadn't been for that stinky, filthy, rotten cheater, James and Lily...his best friends...they would still be alive. He bit his lip. If only he had known...how could he not have guessed?

Thinking back, Sirius realized what a fool he had been. Peter had been acting oddly for a year now. Avoiding their questions, shifty eyes, always looking like he was on his deathbed, or about to die...how could he not have known? I'm such an idiot, Sirius thought. If only he'd seen it sooner...but no, he'd thought it was just a stage.

"He'll grow out of it," Sirius remembered himself telling James confidently, "Peter's always been a little nervous. I bet it's nothing."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," James had replied, and they had never argued about it again.

If only he hadn't been so STUPID! He had been so sure...so confident...they would never suspect Peter, he was too insignificant. He remembered that argument, too. "Oh really, James, who would ever think it was Peter? He's so shy, he can't do anything but squeak." Oh, they had laughed at that. Even then, when Voldemort was practically breathing down their throats, they had laughed.

Guilt and anger washed over him. That dirty little rat...and he had picked him...trusted him...Sirius's footsteps picked up. He would find that rat, if it was the last thing he did, and he would make SURE that the last thing they found of him was his little finger.

In a box.

That's irony for you, Sirius thought as he opened his eyes slowly, wishing the daylight wouldn't creep in. It was kind of a surprise when it didn't. It was still pitch black in the cave, and he could hear Buckbeak snoring beside him. What time is it? he wondered absentmindedly, then remembered there was no way of telling. Looking down at his feet, he realized he should probably turn into a dog. But it was kind of nice to be in human form, even this close to England. Still...

With a sigh and a small pop, Sirius transformed into a dog and padded his way to the front of the cave. The moon was full tonight, he realized. Absentmindedly, he wondered where Remus was today. Then he sighed. He would give anything to see Remus again...their last meeting had been far too short.

His mind drifted back to his dreams. Peter. Damn rat. He would get him, if it was the last thing he did. He still had not changed his mind about that. Well, he would wait. He had waited fourteen years in Azkaban, and now he would wait here.

I hope you're having fun with your master, Peter, Sirius thought, not a ltitle bit evilly. He turned back to go into the cave. Because you sure as hell won't be when I catch up with you.

Sirius yawned, turned around three times, and laid down on the cold stone floor to go to sleep.

He would kill Peter later.

If Voldemort didn't do it for him.