Chapter 41: Harry

James was at work and I was at home " Lily sitting". That's what we called taking care of Lily. She was in her ninth month and very moody, as very pregnant women tend to be.  James and Remus were at work. Addi and Mari were shopping for baby things. I had no idea where Peter was. I hadn't seen him in a few weeks. Anyway things were quiet. Lily was taking a nap and I was seeing how many cards I could stack. I saw a muggle do that. They made a pyramid out of cards and I wanted to see if I could do it without magic. Plus with muggle cards, there's no danger that they'll explode.

"SIRIUS!" I jerked, sending a shower of cards to the floor. I ran in to the bedroom. Lily was clutching her stomach.

" Ow! Sirius, its time."

" Time? Time for what? Oh yeah. Okay er, do that funny breathing thing."

"Lamaze, Sirius. Lamaze." She grinned at me through her pain.

" Yeah, Lamaze whatever. We need to get you to the hospital. No wait, James has the car. Er, can't apperate. Oh god!"

"Sirius, relax."

" Relax, sure right. I'm fine. I'm relaxed. I am perfectly relaxed. Except that I have no idea what to do and am rapidly loosing control of this situation."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay. Think " I hit myself in the head.

" Does it work?" Lily asked.

"No. It just looks like it does."

"Here's a little help. How did you get here?" She had that tone as if she were speaking to a child.

"I rode. But Lily, you can't ride on a motorbike."

"Says who?"

" James's gonna kill me if something happens."

"SOMETHING is going to happen if you don't hurry."

" Oh right. The Shadow, it is then."
" Okay once we get there I'll call James. He'll bring the stuff." She nodded. It was a stressful trip to the hospital.

"Sirius, do you see that car following us?" Lily shouted over the roar of the wind

" Yeah, so?" I shouted back.

" That's a police car. They want you to pull over." I groaned but pulled over.

The car pulled up behind us. An overly large muggle in a uniform got out. He glared at me.

" Kid, do you know how fast you were going?"

" No, not really, but you see, we kinda have a small emergency."

" I don't care. No one breaks a law on my watch."

" But,"

" No buts. Now you have earned yourself a ticket. "Lily's grip on my shoulder tightened as another contraction began.

" Look, you bloody git, I have an emergency here. I don't care about your stupid ticket. Now will you please let us go to the hospital?"
" I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere expect to the county jail to explain your little attitude problem."

"I have an attitude problem? You have a hearing problem. Now excuse us please, we have somewhere to be and unless you feel up to delivering a baby I suggest you let us pass."

" Now look here 'buddy' I do not like being talked to this way…" I think he said more but after that I stopped listening. Instead I grinned over my shoulder at Lily. I revved the engine and shot down the highway. The guy shout at our retreating backs,  stumbled to his car, then sped off after us. I glanced behind me. He was coming in fast. I thought hard. If he stopped us again, we wouldn't get there in time. Lily and the baby could be in danger. I had no idea how to deliver the baby and I was really not prepared to  bare James's wrath if that happened either. There was only one thing I could thing of. The newest modification. But I hadn't tested it yet. Still I needed an escape and fast.

First thing  to do was to find a deserted road. Couldn't very well do it in the middle of the highway. The ministry would be on my tail before  you could say, "Every flavor beans."

"Lily, hang on!"

I swerved on to a side road. The police car followed us. I reached out and flipped a small switch on the side of the handlebars. For a second nothing happened. Then we began to rise.

" Sirius, what's happening?" Lily  tightened her grip on my waist

" Hold on." We were flying. I let out a yell of triumph. The cop was staring after us, gaping. Then I flipped another small button. We were now invisible. I loved flying on my bike. James had warned me about trying it. But I loved it. So did Lily, but now wasn't really the time. I landed softly about a mile away from the hospital. Why they were using a muggle hospital, I don't know. I pulled up and parked it. I cast an anti theft spell and we dashed inside. Lily was taken to delivery and I went to call James.

" James Potter." He sounded irritated and cranky.

" Hey Prongs. What up?"

" Oh Padfoot, sorry. It's just that new reporter for the Daily Prophet. Something Skeeter. She's been calling me non-stop. She wants the 'inside scope on what it's like to be the worlds youngest auror.' Driving me mad."

" So she's given up on me then, has she? That's good to hear."

" So what's up?"

"Oh nothing much. I finally did that muggle card trick, I got that new charm on the bike to work and, oh yeah. Your wife's in labor."

"WHAT?"

" I think that's about it."

"Padfoot, I'm going to kill you."

"Well, I suggest you wait and get your arse down here." There was silence.

"Prongs?" Nothing " Prongs?" I tried again.  "Jamie?"

"Yes?" He tapped me on the shoulder.

" Yah! Don't do that!"

"Where is she?"

"I pointed. He was gone. The next time I saw him was eight hours later. By then quite a group had gathered in the waiting room. Remus and Addi, Mari, Dumbledore, Mr. and Mrs. Evens, even Petunia. A quiet uneasiness had settled over us. Remus and I played cards the muggle way. It distracted us because the cards just never acted the way they were supposed to. They just sat there and we ended up yelling at them. We got some very strange stares and some bloke asked us if we knew of a place called St. Happy's for the mentally challenged. Remus got confused and he took the many cups of coffee he was offered by Mr. Evens, who unknowingly let lose a maniac. Remus ran down the halls, chasing nurses. After  about fifteen minutes of terror in which I  chased, attacked, and subdued  him, Addi and Mari spent their time trying to explain to us the difference between caffeine and decaffeinated coffee and why decaffeinated was good.

Mr. and Mrs. Evens sat quietly and watched,  sometimes talking to Dumbledore or scolding Petunia, who fidgeted and looked extremely nervous being surrounded by so many wizards. Then just as we thought we couldn't stand it anymore, James burst in. I don't think he could have been smiling harder, despite the green cap and gown he was still wearing from the delivery room.  We all crowded around him.

"Well?"

"What it is?"

"Is Lily okay?"

"Is the baby okay?" He dragged us all into a small room on the next floor. Inside, Lily was lying on a bed, beaming. When James came in, she shone with a light that filled the room. They kissed and Remus snapped a picture. It was then I noticed the small bundle in her arms.

"Sirius, I'd like you to meet your godson. Harris James Potter." She handed the bundle over to me. I took it carefully in my arms. I pulled back the blanket to reveal my first glimpse of my godson. I was jolted when I saw him. He looked just like James. Same goofy messy hair, same kind and yet fun loving face. He opened his eyes. I got another shock. I expected baby blue or James's dark midnight. But they weren't. They were a brilliant green. Lily's eyes. He gurgled. I couldn't do anything but stare in wonder at this boy. I felt something, a tie almost to him. This boy was something special. He was my godson, my best friends son. I knew in that moment I would do anything for this boy. For James's son. I didn't really notice Remus taking a picture, I was so absorbed in watching my godson.

" Harry, this is Padfoot, your godfather." James told his newborn son. " Now I want you to listen good. He is going to take care of you in case anything happens to your mother and I. He is going to teach you how to be a troublemaker and the best prankster of all time. Trust me, he's the expert." Harry chose that moment to make a phht noise. And we all laughed. James took him back and Harry was passed around to everyone else. I noticed Dumbledore gave him thoughtful look, then glancing at me.

Harry brought so much happiness to our lives, which over the next year were going to take a turn for the worst.

Voldemort came back from his "vacation" refreshed and ready to resume his rein of terror. Those of us at the League worked harder than ever. When we weren't out on a raid, we were going over files and documents trying to figure out his next move. I was hardly ever at home. I know it was hard on Mari. But she understood.

My daughter Cassiopeia Celina Black was born on March 17, St Patrick's day. She weighed six pounds even. She had my black hair and grey eyes. Remus said that it must be a marauder tradition for kids to look like their fathers, because Harry looked like James and Cassi, as we called her, looked like me. I kept the tradition of being named after stars or constellations alive. She was the light in my life. Every night I came home I watched her sleep. She was so innocent. She had no idea what was going on around her. She didn't know that there was panic and fear in every ones hearts. She didn't know that at any minute Voldemort could come crashing through the door and take her parents from her. She didn't know that every time her father held her, it might be for the last time. She didn't know what kind of world she had been born into. And I vowed she would never have to grow up like we did. Always afraid. I vowed we would stop Voldemort if I died trying. Although it was Harry would stripped him of his powers. Although with a newborn baby, Voldemorts attacks, raids, and the ever increasing pile of targets, I averaged about three to four hours of sleep a night.  And that was on a good night.

It was July, Harry's first birthday that we first knew something was wrong. We had all cleared our schedules. Even Peter was there. We hadn't seen much of him the last year. But we hadn't seen much of anyone lately. It was a chance to see each other, catch up on each other's lives.

Anyway for Harry's birthday, Lily planned a picnic. We lay out on the grass laughing and joking. Mari and I had a water fight down by the lake and we managed to " persuade" the others to join. Cassi would giggle every now and then. Harry was walking and we all took delight in watching him. He could already say some words. Mama was Lily. Dada was James and Mooy was Remus, while Pafoo was me. I'm not even sure he knew my real name. I spent enough time over there and I babysat him all the time. And sometimes during those long sitting jobs I would transform just for the fun of it. Harry loved to ride on my back.

After a while we just sat there. No one said anything. We just watched the sun go down and for a second we forgot the dark shadow that hovered over all of us. I think that was the last time we were all together.

None of us knew it then, but in a few months time, we would lose each other forever.