AN: I realise than in PoA Hagrid says that Sirius arrived after him but for the purposes of this story, he didn't OK? Or rather, in my preferred view, Hagrid's phrasing confused some people. Have recently changed the story again so that Sirius refers to Remus as Remus rather than Lupin. Mortified that I did it in the first place. I know nobody will be reading this any time soon. And at last, enjoy my favourite, and final, chapter.

Peter made some excuse and vanished back into the night.

"Prongs, I…"

"I have to go too, Padfoot. My family needs me."

He nodded in silent agreement, I know.

"Just don't die out there OK? I'll never speak to you again."

Sirius tried a weak grin. "And that would be a bad thing because…"

"Promise me."

"Alright…"

"Promise me you won't throw your life away… Shake on it." The hand in front of Sirius quivered gently and he grasped it firmly between his own. "I promise."

James embraced him quickly. "Get out of here then." He too tried a shaky grin. "Give Lucius Malfoy a good kick for me."

*

"James, I'm not leaving you!"

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's Him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off – "

Another look at her husband's face, pale but determined and Lily ran to the crib and gathered her infant son into her arms. Her hand was on the doorknob before she turned again.

James smiled briefly; one hand ran over his hair so it stuck up at the back. I love you, he mouthed.

The door slammed behind her as she stumbled out of the room and he turned back to the front door just in time to see it burst open.

"James Potter." The voice was calm, even amiable as it hissed "we meet again."

Somehow that same calm seemed to have descended over him and James was able to reply steadily. "For the last time Riddle."

Voldemort scowled slightly at the use of his former name but then smiled again, the same serpent smile. "You are correct. Twice before my hand has extended in friendship, twice it has been met with rebuke." Steely eyes flickered around the room before returning to the younger man's face. "There is no Dumbledore here to save you this time boy. There is no choice between good and evil; there is simply the choice between life and death." He held out his hand, long pale fingers, inviting. For a moment James hand moved towards the other. All you have to do is take it.

It was so simple. Why wasn't he moving?

Because this isn't right. This is Voldemort.

"Never!" he spat.

"You leave me no choice then. Such a pity," the long fingers raised the wand that had taken the lives of so many before him. "I hate destroying talent."

"Crucio!" James screamed, knowing the curse was Unforgivable but not caring.

But Voldemort was ready for him.

*

Upstairs Lily fumbled with the fireplace. "Light!" she yelled at it furiously. "Light, damn you! Adurat! Adurat! " Harry started to scream once more. "Shhhh Harry, please." But the baby did not understand or did not care and kept wailing.

"Accio Floo Powder." The small pot flew to her hand and Lily gathered up her small son in her arms.

Through the floorboards came the terrible sound of her husband's yell.

"Crucio!"

His voice full of anger, despair and the knowledge he was about to die.

"No," she whispered, knowing it was no use. Harry had now stopped balling and was now whimpering in her arms. She dropped the pot of Floo Powder and started back to the door.

"James…"

But as she reached for the handle it moved in her hand.

"Miss Evans."

"Mrs Potter," she corrected backing away.

"I did not think I would be the one to tell you." His face twisted into a hideous mockery of sympathy. "My dear you must know by now."

I love you.

I won't cry. She tasted salt on her lips. Not now. Not in front of him.

James…

More tears trickled down her face to join the fast forming pool at her chin. Now she was crying without restraint.

I love you.

Drops fell onto Harry's head and he started to wail once more.

"And here we have the star of this litttle show."

Despite everything Dumbledore had told her Lily still gasped as Voldemort's red eyes turned onto her son, as she saw the ravenous hunger reflecting in their depths.

"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please – I'll do anything - "

"Stand aside – stand aside, girl - " He was pulling his wand for his robes, the end moved towards Harry's head.

Not Harry.

The Floo Powder was still in her hand, if she could just make it to the fireplace…

But she knew she wouldn't be able too. Still sobbing quietly she bent over her child, kissed the downy top of his head.

I love you.

"Avada - "

"No!" She twisted quickly, shielding Harry from the Dark Lord's fury.

" - Kedavra!"

*

I love you James.

*

The Death Eater fell to the floor under the light of his curse. Grimacing Sirius walked forward and pulled the mask from the unconscious man's face. Robert Abby: one of the least talented wizards in his year.

It was actually insulting. He was supposed to be the Potter's Secret Keeper for Merlin's sake. Was this the best Voldemort could be bothered to send after him? Unless…

They knew there'd been a switch.

The owl fluttered onto his windowsill and Sirius ripped the paper from its leg, impatiently. The only two words were almost smudged beyond recognition.

The note fluttered onto the tiles as Sirius ran from the room.

He knows.

*

The motorbike screeched to a stop and Sirius half dismounted half fell off it. The Potter's house was now a pile of rubble in the middle of the quietly suburban street that had noticed nothing.

"No!" someone yelled wretchedly. "No!"

This time Sirius recognised his own voice. "James?!" he cried falling over the broken bricks as he ran.

There was no answer. "Lily?!" His voice cracked as he screamed brokenly for the woman who would never reply. "James, answer me!"

The once gleaming door hung limply from its hinges.

I made it myself, Prongs told him proudly.

Liar. You never so much as managed a decent set of bookends in Muggle Studies and you know it.

Well I might have had a little help, I admit…

The shiny red paint that James had lovingly applied flaked away in his hands as if the house had been abandoned for decades rather than minutes, hours. "James?!" he screamed again. The door came away in his hands landing with a thump among the dust and debris and Sirius peered into the gloom with difficulty.

His heart stopped.

James Potter lay in front of the fireplace, his hair grey with grime, his limbs spread-eagled across their cheap carpet.

For a moment Sirius just stood there, staring at the body that had been his best friend then with an anguished sob he fell to his knees beside James, clouds of dust enveloping them both.

"Prongs…wake up… please." He tugged pathetically on the corner of James robes as if perhaps the dead man was just pretending and would wake up, beam heartily at him and inform him it was all a joke and hadn't he been a fool to believe it all. "I'll never speak to you again, remember?" Sirius told him desperately. But Prongs would never reply. Crying unashamedly he cradled his best friend in his arms, the same rough embrace as the night he had switched with Peter.

This is all my fault.

Prongs still smelt the same: the same aroma of expensive after shave that Lily had hated, Harry's baby powder and the wild moors from where he had slipped away from his wife in the night and gone hunting with the Marauders.

Give Lucius Malfoy a good kick for me.

"Don't worry I will," he muttered into his friend's hair.

"Lily?" A voice bellowed outside as Sirius clutched James' body to him closer, shielding him from the intruder. "James?"

I'll be back. Quickly he removed his cloak and covered his friend with it so he wouldn't have to look at the wide staring eyes that no longer sparkled. Carefully, he picked his way out of the house and found the giant examining his motorbike. "Hagrid?"

"Sirius?" He started towards the trembling youth and Sirius stepped involuntarily back from him. "What 'appened? Where's Lily an' James?"

He pointed back into the ruins. "They're…" he stopped and shook his head trying to clear it. "I don't know what happened."

"Harry's still in there," Hagrid said, moving towards the house but Sirius shook his head again, mistaking it for a question. "You don' understand. Dumbledore told me ter come an' get 'im. He's still alive."

It took a moment for the news to sink in. "I'm not…" he stopped, turned pleading eyes onto Hagrid. "I can't go back in there."

"Stay 'ere then," the other advised striding into the ruin. "Watch out 'ncase the Death Eaters come back."

Sirius moved as far away from the house as he could, leaning on the motorbike for support. The Death Eaters. There was something he was supposed to remember. What was it?

He looked back to the house and then turned away as his vision clouded once more.

Promise me you won't throw your life away… Shake on it.

I promise.

After a while Hagrid reappeared, this time he too was shaking, beetle black eyes shining in the street lamps. "Got 'im."

"Give him to me Hagrid," Sirius managed. "I'm his Godfather. I'll look after him."

But Hagrid would not relinquish the child. "I can't Sirius. Got orders from Dumbledore 'imself."

Sirius argued for a while and then a thought struck him. "How did you know to come here?"

"Litle Peter Pettigrew turned up about midnight. Tol' Dumbledore 'e was worried somethink had 'appened to Lily an' James. O course Dumbledore 'ad already suspected somethink was up and sent me out 'ere to get Harry."

"Pettigrew?"

"Yer."

"How'd he know?" How did Voldemort get to James if Peter's still alive? Hagrid was saying something but Sirius wasn't listening. It was impossible unless Peter had betrayed them. "No," he breathed.

"Look I've gotta take 'im Sirius. You can come an' see 'im in the holidays or summat."

It had never been Remus, he realised grief stricken.

It had been Peter all the time.

Peter was the Death Eater.

He had wanted to know how to end the Fidelus charm.

And I told him how.

Sirius looked back at James' son, lying peacefully in Hagrid's arms. For a moment he wanted to seize this remnant of his best friend from the giant no matter what objection's Hagrid or even Albus Dumbledore raised. He leaned forward and stroked the hair away from Harry's face revealing Lily's eyes. The baby grabbed the outstretched finger and Sirius smiled slightly. Let Hagrid take him to Dumbledore. There was no reason that Harry couldn't live with him after the headmaster had seen he was safe and sound.

Except Dumbledore knew, or thought he knew, that Sirius had been the Potter's Secret Keeper. He knew nothing of the switch. Nobody did.

"Are you alright?" Hagrid asked, tentatively.

The only way he could prove what had happened would be to find Peter and force him to drink Veritaserum, to confess. Or you could, a small voice argued but he squashed it.

Nobody listens to the ravings of a murderer.

Bending, he removed his finger from his Godson's mouth and kissed him gently on the forehead. "Take him to Dumbledore," he told Hagrid lifelessly. "Take my motorbike." He stole one last look back at the house, which had finally broken the Marauders. "I won't need it anymore."

*

"Sirius I want to ask you something."

"Alright."

"Don't laugh."

Sirius grinned. "I won't."

"Liar."

"What can I say, I guess your bad influence has rubbed off on me."

James took a deep breath. "Will you be my Secret Keeper? Mine and Lily's?"

He laughed loudly, then louder still at James' expression. "I'd have been hurt if you asked anyone else."

Prongs enveloped him in a tight hug before breaking away, obviously embarrassed. "Thank you Padfoot. I knew I could count on you."