Okay, here's the next chapter! Sorry it's so short, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. The next one is longer, I promise!

Now, thanks goes as always to Sparx and Trish, my beta-reader and my muse!

Thanks too to anyone who reviewed. You feed my muse and make me write, and especially translate the story, something I really don't like to do. So please, if you read it, review.

And, without anymore ado, on to the story!

Chapter 4

Normally, Sirius wouldn't even think about Voldemort's words. He would have recognized them as what they were: an attempt to confuse him and make him talk. But these weren't "normal" circumstances. He had been tortured with the "Cruciatus"-curse, had had to block an attempt to read his mind, and was surrounded by dementors.

And against his will he started to think about Voldemort's words.

"Nonsense!" he told himself strictly. 'James would never do that. He was afraid for Lily and Harry, he wanted to protect them. And I offered myself. And would I really prefer James or Peter to be here instead? - No, surely not. Peter? Didn't He say something about "refuses to take someone else, someone less obvious". How would he know that? No one knew, besides me, James, Lily and Peter.'

Suddenly realization hit him, and he felt like he had been hit into the stomach. 'Peter? Had Lily been right? She had to, there's no other explanation. Oh, how could you?' The feeling of disappointment and anger drove the despair away. If he could get his hands on Peter. 'Only, for this you first have to get out of here'.

When Voldemort came back later, Sirius was more defiant then He had him expected to be.

"You can keep your lies to yourself, I won't believe you anyway!" Sirius greeted him.

"As you wish." He turned around to the dementors. "You leave!" Then he touched the sign on his arm.

The dementors left the room, and a short time after about two dozen men or women (Sirius couldn't see that) came in. They wore black, hooded robes and masks in front of their faces.

"He doesn't want to talk, use the "Cruciatus"-curse, until he does - or until he passes out." With those orders Voldemort turned around, and sat on the throne-like chair at the wall, the chair which he had drawn into the air. The arms of the chair looked like snakes winding themselves around branches, and over the head a huge basilisk threatened everyone.

The first one of the black-clad figures approached Sirius and "Crucio!" - again a searing pain embraced him. Every one of his nerve ends felt like it was on fire, and he felt from a great distance how he writhed in the shackles that were holding him.

Sometime, the pain ended, and Sirius could take a deep breath, before the next figure continued. "Crucio!" And the next one. "Crucio!" The breaks between the different men were becoming smaller, and the pain from one curse lessened just slightly until the next one was cast. Then there was one, whose spell was inflicting less pain than the other ones.

Not none, but less than at the others. If the wizard was bad at this spell? Sirius didn't know the answer, but was happy about the short break. He tried to not let the difference show, but he was worried. He couldn't bear this much longer. He already felt his strength dwindling. It was just a matter of time until he would break down. Finally darkness embraced him, he fell unconscious.

When he awakened again, he was almost alone in the room. Just one of the Death Eater had been left behind. 'Perhaps to tell the other ones when I'm awake' Sirius mused, and acted unconscious. But a tiny movement must have caught the Death Eater's eye, as the black man came slowly nearer. When he was finally standing right in front of Sirius, the man took away his mask.

"YOU!"

"Yes, it's me. And please, listen to me quietly, before you call the guards." The man said in his usual cold voice, and with a sneer.

It was Sirius' old enemy, Severus Snape.