Chapter 2
"NO!!!" she exclaimed, "No, It's impossible! He wouldn't. couldn't. never. I won't believe it!"
"You must believe it Rebecca, for it is true," rationalised Dumbledore, "I know that it is incredible, were it not for the evidence against him I would not believe it myself but an entire street full of muggles witnessed him doing it."
"No," she said, "You know Sirius, he wouldn't do something like that. He loved Lily and James more than anyone in the world, he would never harm them."
"I know, my dear, but you have to consider. We knew someone had to be passing information on to Voldemort and it makes sense, there is no other explanation."
"There has to be," Rebecca said as she fell back onto her chair, "You know Sirius, you know how much he loves. loved them."
"You don't seem to understand," Dumbledore said, taking her hand, "We have witnesses who saw him kill Pettigrew."
"What about Pettigrew? It could have been him. You don't know for sure..."
"Rebecca, calm down, you're upset, understandably. Peter Pettigrew a spy for Voldemort? It's impossible. The muggle witnesses say he cornered Sirius and . . ."
"But it must have been a fake!" Rebecca stood up quickly, releasing her hands from Dumbledore's grasp. She was shaking uncontrollably.
"Now, Rebecca," said Dumbledore, rising to his feet also. "Try to be rational. You have had a terrible shock. Try to put Sirius out of your mind and allow yourself to grieve for Lily and James."
"That is exactly what I can't do," she said, "I have already lost two friends tonight, I am not going to let Voldemort take another from me."
"Rebecca, please, Voldemort did not take Sirius. Sirius went of his own accord, probably a long time ago. He must have been spying for Voldemort for months."
"But."
"No Rebecca, you know I am right. How could Pettigrew have possibly given James and Lily to Voldemort? He couldn't have known where they were. Sirius was their Secret Keeper, you know that charm could not be broken."
"Maybe they switched. Maybe Peter became their Secret Keeper instead of Sirius as a ruse! To fool Voldemort."
"Rebecca, do you know what you're saying? Fool Lord Voldemort? Impossible!"
"No, not impossible. A double bluff, it makes sense. Voldemort would have known that they would have used Sirius as Secret Keeper, He would never think they would use Pettigrew."
Dumbledore laughed mirthlessly. "Come now Rebecca. How could Peter fake his own death? They found parts of him all over the street."
"Maybe he disapparated. I don't know! He could have done it with Voldemort on his side."
"Hush now Rebecca. You're just upset. I understand."
"I am perfectly calm," she said, standing straight and tall as if to prove it, "I know Sirius would never do that, ever! He and James were like brothers."
Rebecca swallowed back tears as she thought of James.
"You never trusted Peter, I know you didn't," said Dumbledore, "But that's no reason to suspect him. He died a hero's death . . ."
Rebecca laughed slightly hysterically. "A hero? Pettigrew?"
"Now Rebecca, I know he may not have been particularly brave or clever, but he certainly redeemed himself in the end."
"You don't get it do you?" she asked, frowning, "I loved Lily and James as much as anyone. More, even. Lily was my best friend. But now I've lost them both. I'm not going to believe that Sirius would have harmed them. I won't lose him too. "
"Rebecca."
"Listen to me. I know Sirius; I know that he wouldn't hurt anyone, especially not Lily and James. Has anyone heard his side of the story?"
"The evidence against him was so strong that Barty Crouch - well you know how he feels about the Dark Arts."
"He didn't even get a trial?"
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "You have to understand the kind of proof they had. I myself had to give evidence that he was the Potters' Secret Keeper."
"You gave evidence?" Rebecca slumped in her chair. "He didn't even get to defend himself."
Dumbledore avoided her gaze.
"So what now? What happens now?"
"What do you mean?"
"To Sirius, to Harry."
"Sirius will go to Azkaban, where he belongs." Rebecca said nothing. She had always trusted Dumbledore. Throughout school he had been a source of inspiration to her, and later he had been a friend. But now. for him to betray Sirius like this. she hated him.
"And Harry?"
"He will go to his aunt and uncle."
"The muggles? I am his godmother: he should come to me."
"I'm sorry Rebecca, but if Sirius is on the Dark Side, we have to. that is to say- we can't take any risks."
"You think I.?" Rebecca's jaw fell open.
"And from what you have told me tonight, I'm sorry Rebecca, we can't risk it."
Rebecca stood up.
"Thank you very much."
She walked out the room without looking back.
*******************************************************************
Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K. Rowling
"NO!!!" she exclaimed, "No, It's impossible! He wouldn't. couldn't. never. I won't believe it!"
"You must believe it Rebecca, for it is true," rationalised Dumbledore, "I know that it is incredible, were it not for the evidence against him I would not believe it myself but an entire street full of muggles witnessed him doing it."
"No," she said, "You know Sirius, he wouldn't do something like that. He loved Lily and James more than anyone in the world, he would never harm them."
"I know, my dear, but you have to consider. We knew someone had to be passing information on to Voldemort and it makes sense, there is no other explanation."
"There has to be," Rebecca said as she fell back onto her chair, "You know Sirius, you know how much he loves. loved them."
"You don't seem to understand," Dumbledore said, taking her hand, "We have witnesses who saw him kill Pettigrew."
"What about Pettigrew? It could have been him. You don't know for sure..."
"Rebecca, calm down, you're upset, understandably. Peter Pettigrew a spy for Voldemort? It's impossible. The muggle witnesses say he cornered Sirius and . . ."
"But it must have been a fake!" Rebecca stood up quickly, releasing her hands from Dumbledore's grasp. She was shaking uncontrollably.
"Now, Rebecca," said Dumbledore, rising to his feet also. "Try to be rational. You have had a terrible shock. Try to put Sirius out of your mind and allow yourself to grieve for Lily and James."
"That is exactly what I can't do," she said, "I have already lost two friends tonight, I am not going to let Voldemort take another from me."
"Rebecca, please, Voldemort did not take Sirius. Sirius went of his own accord, probably a long time ago. He must have been spying for Voldemort for months."
"But."
"No Rebecca, you know I am right. How could Pettigrew have possibly given James and Lily to Voldemort? He couldn't have known where they were. Sirius was their Secret Keeper, you know that charm could not be broken."
"Maybe they switched. Maybe Peter became their Secret Keeper instead of Sirius as a ruse! To fool Voldemort."
"Rebecca, do you know what you're saying? Fool Lord Voldemort? Impossible!"
"No, not impossible. A double bluff, it makes sense. Voldemort would have known that they would have used Sirius as Secret Keeper, He would never think they would use Pettigrew."
Dumbledore laughed mirthlessly. "Come now Rebecca. How could Peter fake his own death? They found parts of him all over the street."
"Maybe he disapparated. I don't know! He could have done it with Voldemort on his side."
"Hush now Rebecca. You're just upset. I understand."
"I am perfectly calm," she said, standing straight and tall as if to prove it, "I know Sirius would never do that, ever! He and James were like brothers."
Rebecca swallowed back tears as she thought of James.
"You never trusted Peter, I know you didn't," said Dumbledore, "But that's no reason to suspect him. He died a hero's death . . ."
Rebecca laughed slightly hysterically. "A hero? Pettigrew?"
"Now Rebecca, I know he may not have been particularly brave or clever, but he certainly redeemed himself in the end."
"You don't get it do you?" she asked, frowning, "I loved Lily and James as much as anyone. More, even. Lily was my best friend. But now I've lost them both. I'm not going to believe that Sirius would have harmed them. I won't lose him too. "
"Rebecca."
"Listen to me. I know Sirius; I know that he wouldn't hurt anyone, especially not Lily and James. Has anyone heard his side of the story?"
"The evidence against him was so strong that Barty Crouch - well you know how he feels about the Dark Arts."
"He didn't even get a trial?"
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "You have to understand the kind of proof they had. I myself had to give evidence that he was the Potters' Secret Keeper."
"You gave evidence?" Rebecca slumped in her chair. "He didn't even get to defend himself."
Dumbledore avoided her gaze.
"So what now? What happens now?"
"What do you mean?"
"To Sirius, to Harry."
"Sirius will go to Azkaban, where he belongs." Rebecca said nothing. She had always trusted Dumbledore. Throughout school he had been a source of inspiration to her, and later he had been a friend. But now. for him to betray Sirius like this. she hated him.
"And Harry?"
"He will go to his aunt and uncle."
"The muggles? I am his godmother: he should come to me."
"I'm sorry Rebecca, but if Sirius is on the Dark Side, we have to. that is to say- we can't take any risks."
"You think I.?" Rebecca's jaw fell open.
"And from what you have told me tonight, I'm sorry Rebecca, we can't risk it."
Rebecca stood up.
"Thank you very much."
She walked out the room without looking back.
*******************************************************************
Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K. Rowling
