Chapter 32: The Day is Here

I awoke to find Remus leaning over me. He was not gagged anymore, and his hands were free. Lily and Erin sat near by, arms around each other. Erin was shivering. Peter was nowhere to be seen. I moaned and gingerly felt the back of my head. My hand touched something wet and sticky.  I pulled it away and glanced at the red stain covering my skin.

" Sirius. Are you okay?" Remus asked in a weak voice. He looked pale and he winced with every movement.

"Yeah I'm fine. But where are we? Are you okay?"

"Yes, we're fine." He said, helping me sit up, " We're some where in the forbidden forest."

"How did you get here?" Lily tore a piece of cloth from her robes.

" We got a note, that morning when you and James were at practice, saying to meet you at the tree." Lily said. Her voice was solid but her hands shook slightly as she held the strip of cloth to the back of my head. I let her, taking the time to look around and I saw that this was the clearing from my vision. This was it. That meant what I had seen had happened.

"Remus, what did he do to you?" I turned to Remus who refused to meet my eyes.

"Nothing." The girls exchanged looks. I knew what I had seen was real.

"Where's Voldemort and Beaker?"

"Beaker? What he got to do with anything?" Erin asked. I told them how Beaker had lured me out and stunned me. Remus looked as if he might take the Potions master and feed him one of the many poisons stocked in the Potions room. The girls looked shocked, if nothing else.

"That dirty rat." Remus growled. "How could Dumbledore trust him?" He wanted to say more but I held up my hand. I felt something. Something cold that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end and sent a penetrating fear to my heart. We heard feet crunching dry leaves in the undergrowth. Some one was coming.

Beaker pushed through the brushes, accompanied by a tall figure in a dark cloak. The sun chose that very moment to hide behind a cloud and it seemed so dark all of a sudden. A cold wind blew through the trees, chilling me to the bone. Shivers went up and down my spine and I was face to face with the man who had murdered my parents.

For that is who the cloaked figure was, the figure that brought darkness and fear with him. I could tell the other felt it too. The girls clung to each other and Remus began to shake. I was shaking too, but not from fear. For some strange reason, I didn't fear him. I knew what he could do and I was afraid he would hurt my friends. But I wasn't afraid he would hurt me. But the words of the woman rang through my head " As long as you live, he cannot kill your friends." But he can hurt them, I thought. And I swore that I would not let him.

"So our young friend has awakened." Voldemort spoke in an eerie high-pitched voice. He stared at me, his red eyes going straight through me, it seemed.

"Good." He continued " Now we can begin." .

I got to my feet. " What do you want from us?" He laughed

" I would have thought a bright young boy like you would have figured it out by now. Or at least had your little werewolf here tell you. He knows." Remus wouldn't meet my eyes. " Dumbledore doesn't want you to know, does he? He saw the signs, he knows. Doesn't think you can handle it, does he?"

"Handle what?"

"Why, your destiny. It is your destiny to join me. To join the Dark Arts."

" Never." My answer was soft, but my voice held so much hate for this man, I was surprised that I didn't growl as I spoke.  

"Suit yourself. But allow me to change your mind. The werewolf has had quite a lot today. I don't think he would survive another bout.  Let's see." His gaze swept toward the girls. I reached for my wand. He didn't notice. "Ahh yes. The blond. You have feelings for her, don't you?"

I pulled out my wand and pointed it at him. " Don't you touch her." A growl crept into my voice.

He smiled a cruel smile and instead pointed the wand at me.

" I had wished to draw this out, but if you are willing to die. Then so be it." Then he muttered a curse. A band of green light shot out from his wand. I jumped, but not fast enough. I felt a burning heat scorch my left side. I felt blood soak my robes and my life seemed to flow out with it.

"NO!" I heard Remus yell. Erin screamed. And Lily began to sob. I lay there for a few minutes trying to breathe, trying to keep my heart beating, my blood flowing. I could feel my life leaving me. My breathing slowed and things went fuzzy. I faintly heard sobbing. I heard screaming too. My friends, crying, begging, pleading. Someone held my head, cradling it carefully. My vision was too blurry to make out who it was. My eyes closed and the sounds faded.

The crying had gone, but in its place was something else. Someone was humming. A soft quiet voice was humming a song. It sounded so familiar. It comforted me and haunted me at the same time.

Then she spoke.
"Siri. Wake up baby. Wake up, Sirius. Your friends need you."

"Mum?" I reached towards the voice, blind in the darkness.

" Yes, my son. Now get up. They need you." The sound of someone sobbing echoed in the dark. I blinked, confused.

"But I'm dead."

"Not yet. It's not your time.  You still have a few hours before the protection wears off.  Stand, Siri. You are needed." Then I opened my eyes. Remus's face stared down at me, his eyes wide. I sat up, blinking, and I found that I could move, that I could stand. And I did so.

I felt no pain as I got up and stood tall. I could tell from his face this was the last thing Voldemort expected. Then before any one could say anything I jumped. I forgot I was only a kid and he was a powerful dark wizard. I knew only one thing. This man, if you could call him that, had killed my parents and needed to hurt him. I managed a few good punches, before he threw me off. Then when he was distracted, I yelled at the others " Run! Go get help!" Remus jumped up just as I was thrown to the ground.  I got to my feet and took off, running with my friends by my side.  He was angry now and threw a volume of curses at us. We ran for the safety of the trees, ducking behind them, trying to ward him off.

"Run, Remus! I'll hold him off. Go to the castle. Go get help."

"I'm not leaving you." He panted, fighting a cramp in his side.

"You're the faster runner. I'm the better cursor. Now go." He didn't move. "GO!" He ran, grabbing Lily's arm as he did so.  But just as they reached the edge Voldemort sent one well-aimed curse toward them and it hit its mark.

"Erin!" I yelled. I ran to her and held her up. She tried to get up but couldn't. " GO!" I shouted to the others. " GO, I'll help her." Remus didn't move, staring at Erin on the ground. I pointed my wand at him, determined to make him go, to cast an Unforgivable if I had to. Lily pulled him towards the castle. They ran and I watched them go.

 But that distraction was all Voldemort needed. He smiled and sent another curse Erin's way. I saw it coming and pulled her out of harms way. Unfortunately we were in the clearing, open space now. No cover. Beaker watched a smile on his thin face.

"Join me, Black! Or lose all you hold dear!"

"Never! You killed my parents! Why would I ever join you?"

" Because you have power. Great power. Don't you ever feel tired of playing second to Potter all the time?"

"No." That feeling had never occurred to me. Feel jealous of James? Why?

" I could make you great. I could make you second in command. You have the power. Just say yes."

Again the small voice in my mind spoke up. Yes, say yes.

" Oh please. Like that's gonna work again." I shouted at him. Voldemort only sent another curse my way. I dodged it and hide Erin and myself behind a tree.  Voldemort stalked closer, a grin on his thin white lips.

" Fight like a man, Black. At least act like your father. Even if he was a filthy muggle, he was still brave and I respect that, but he never stood a chance. And your mother. Poor stupid girl. Rather die than save her own life."

"She died to protect me." I shot at him, aiming a curse at his wand. He blocked it with little effort.

" Didn't anyone ever tell you the truth? She died screaming like a little pig. In the end she begged me to take you but she was just too annoying to let live." He cackled as he advanced on me.

"You're lying!" He had to be, he had to be, I told myself.

" How do you know?" His voice was whispering the very thing that was haunting my own memory. Then he yelled " Expelliamus!" and my wand flew out of my hand. Erin managed to stand up. But I stood in front of her. My mind raced franticly as I searched for an escape. But nothing came. We were trapped.

" Now you will tell me here and now. Why can't I touch you? "

" I don't know." And I didn't.

"Why is a fifthly half blood like you one of the Heirs?" There was that word again, heir.

" What's an Heir?"

" You know very well." he sneered. But I shook my head.

" Despite what you think, I have no idea." I yelled back, "I don't know and I don't care!"

" Brave, very brave. However, your bravery cannot save you this time. Just like it couldn't save your mother. " I narrowed my eyes, my hands clenching at my sides.

"I'm not scared of you, Voldemort." My voice was a whisper, but he heard me. He nodded.

"Perhaps not, but maybe, I can persuade you to change your mind." He raised his wand and pointed it straight between my eyes. " Adava Kedavra!"

Then without warning he moved his wand and the spell shot out, a blast of red light.

" NO!" I was pushed to the side. I fell to the ground. Erin fell on me, rolled off, and lay still.

I jumped up. I didn't look at Erin. I didn't want to know.

" Well, you have a loyal little friend. But don't cry, you will be joining her soon." And he sent another curse at me. Again I wasn't fast enough and a blast hit me in the right shoulder. I could see Voldemort's evil smile over me. I had no strength to call out. I closed my eyes and waited for the end. It didn't come. I opened my eyes. I tried to get up and got very shakily to my feet. I pointed my wand at him for one last curse. I didn't know what I was going to say. But a strange calm fell over me and I said three words.

 I had no idea where the spell came from or what it did. I had never learned it or heard it before. It was almost as if the words came from somewhere deep inside of me. As soon as I said them, a golden beam of light shot out of my wand and hit Voldemort. He screamed and jumped back. I lost what little energy I had and fell back, still keeping my wand pointed at him though. It was all I could do to keep standing up.

But Voldemort stepped back.

"Have it your way. But I am warning you. Black. You will never rest. I will be watching you. And though you may have bought yourself a little time, I doubt you will be around to enjoy it." He laughed in that high-pitched laugh and with a whirl of wind and fire he was gone.

I collapsed. I felt like all the strength had been drained out of me. My shoulder and my side exploded in fresh waves of pain. I suddenly and swiftly became aware of the amount of blood on my cloak. But I still reached over to Erin.

She lay still. A look a terror was plainly vivid on her face. I reach out and closed her dark blue eyes. She was cold as ice. I knew, I could feel it.

She was dead. Another person had died for me. Tears soaked my face and I reached out and pulled her close. I didn't know if anyone would ever find us, or if I would be alive when they did and I decided I didn't care. The girl I loved was dead. The girl I was planning to marry. I lay on the cool wet grass and held her close. My thoughts ran together, all jumbled. I couldn't pick one out from the other and I was too tired to bother. I was just too tired to care anymore. Slowly but surely I let the darkness overtake me.