((A/N: Ack! another chapter! Forgive me for any screw-ups or typos that might be here. Keep in mind, PoA and GoF spoilers. Duh. ^_- YAY! I made Venus cry!! Glad you liked it, L. I'm also glad that you got so caught up in it. ^_^ Don't worry. Happens to me, too. Anyway. I am suffering from a lack of interesting things to say, so I'll shut up and type. R/R!))
Ill-Fated and Innocent
Chapter 2
Wormtail
Sirius neither slept nor ate that night. He spent the whole time hunting for Peter Pettigrew. He was a black, furry mass of rage. He didn't notice his hunger or that he was growing tired. Sirius ran as fast as he could to the place he had last heard from Peter. A wizarding restaurant. There, he sniffed about furiously to catch the scent of Peter.
Or a rat.
Finally, he caught it. It was an old trail, but Sirius's keen dog nose could sense it. He followed it, losing it many times. And at such times he barely realized it, and ran as fast as he could anywhere. It didn't matter. He would have traveled around the entire world to find the traitor and he wouldn't have cared.
Sirius ran all night. Through neighborhoods, across fields and meadows, through cities. And it wasn't until the next morning that he found who he was looking for.
Peter was in a city far from the Potter's house. He wasn't dressed in a disguise or anything of the sort, but his normal clothing.
Of course, Sirius thought. That would attract too much attention. Especially from someone who was looking for him.
Peter did slink around a bit. He took any alleyways he could find and didn't talk to anyone, not even to apologize to a poor little old lady when he bumped into her.
The sky had grown cloudy over the night. Thunder rolled in the distance, threatening to pour rain down upon the earth. There was a slight breeze in the air.
Sirius watched the bumbling fool from an ally across a busy street from him. He growled, mouth foaming from running for so long. Then, feeling as thought the time was right, he transformed back into a human. The fur melted away into human flesh. His muzzle shortened and became a human face. His eyes changed from deep brown to amber. (A/N: I dunno what color eyes he has. So I just put amber. ^_^)) His tail slinked back into his spine.
He was human now. Sirius rose to his feet, stepping out of the shadows, and looked at Peter.
"Wormtail!" He called out. Peter stopped dead in his tracks and turned to see Sirius standing at the corner of the street across from him. Sirius pulled out his wand as the thunder sounded again. "You think you're smart, Peter? You think you're brave? We'll see."
Peter took a deep breath and ran into the middle of the street. People stepped aside to see what the fuss was about. Peter pulled out his wand and pointed it at Sirius.
"Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?" He cried. His face was one of a frightened child. He was simply obeying the Dark Lord's orders. The words were not his own.
Slowly, it dawned on Sirius, and slowly, his expression changed from anger to horror.
Of course. He should have known it was a trap. He was being framed. He had been blinded by his grief and fury and didn't think it through. He pointed his wand at Peter, ready to disarm him, but before he could do anything, Peter squeezed his eyes shut and threw his wand over his shoulder.
There was a blast of white light and a cracking, snapping sound louder than the thunder could ever be. Screams rang out over the city of those hit by the blast. Sirius held his arm in front of his face to shield his eyes from the blinding light.
Then it stopped.
Sirius lowered his arm and looked out to see what had happened. There was a huge crack in the road that went on for blocks. There were lifeless bodies littered about everywhere. Some people were still alive, but badly injured and moaning. Many people were screaming.
And all that was left where Peter once stood was a heap of bloody robes and a single finger.
Sirius surveyed the scene in horror.
Wormtail...
Why did you do this? After all we've done for you...Sirius thought bitterly.
Then a score of wizards Apparated onto the scene.
So this was it...
There would be no escape. Everyone at the Ministry of Magic thought he had committed this god-awful crime. They thought that he had committed these murders.
And they thought he had killed his best friend...
Peter was cleverer than he had thought.
Hunger and lack of sleep began to catch up to Sirius. He gave a lopsided smile and laughed. The laugh started soft, but when the Ministry wizards and witches got to him, he was laughing like a madman.
What else could go wrong? he thought.
The people of the Ministry of Magic came and grabbed him. Sirius didn't fight back. He was too tired and weary, both physically and emotionally, to do so. Then he saw a wizard pull his wand out and cry, "Stupify!"
The blast of sparkling magic his Sirius square in the chest. The impact felt like a hit with a sledgehammer. Then everything went black. Sirius Black collapsed, unconscious.
Remus Lupin sat at his desk.
James…dead….
And Peter? Who knew?
Sirius? A fate far worse than death if he was caught.
"Sirius…How could you? Like brothers, we were. We were brothers. He was your best friend…"
Suddenly, his window burst open and a barn owl flew in from the night and dropped a letter on the desk. Then it flew away. Remus looked at it, his chin resting on his folded hands. Then he picked up the letter and opened it.
Dear Remus Lupin,
The Ministry of Magic wishes to inform you that Sirius Black has been caught. He will be sent to Azkaban for a life sentence immediately .However, I regret to report that Peter Pettigrew has been killed by Black along with street full of people, muggles and wizards.
Sincerely,
The Minister of Magic
((A/N: forgot his name. I'm too lazy to look it up. /_-))
Remus dropped the letter and watched as it floated back onto his desk.
"My God, Sirius. What have you done to yourself? Why did you do it?" he wondered out loud. "James and Peter…?" He put his head in his hands, trying not to cry.
((A/N: EEK! Lame. Lame lame lame. Too fast. I must be getting a writer's block… But the next chapter will be better, I swear!! Please review! Later.))
