Sirius Black was born on Halloween twenty-one years before. He was
seated at his desk in a pair of kakis and a white button down shirt with
three buttons undone, the tie he was wearing he threw across onto his
coffee table. His wand lay across from him next to about a million pieces
of parchment he had to go through. His quill was dripping with pitch-black
ink as he went through countless names of Identified deatheaters.
The large mutt that Sirius had adopted nosed his way into the room. "Hey, Snuffles," said Sirius kindly turning in his chair a little, glad to get away from all the work. Snuffles looked concerned about something "What's the matter, hey pup? That squirrel get away again?" He pet the longhaired dog, part Newfoundland and part Irish setter. The dog looked up at him with huge amber eyes. "You miss mummy, eh?" he asked.
Snuffles nodded.
"Yeah, do you think mum should move in with us?" asked Sirius stroking the dog's head.
Again Snuffles agreed.
Sirius smiled. Snuffles was the first dog Padfoot had ever owned. His mother had never liked living things. "Yeah, maybe soon, maybe Mummy and I'll get married." He continued to pet the large black animal while looking over at a picture of he, Amethyst and Snuffles (who was a huge puppy at the time) on his desk. "Soon." Sirius had a dreamy look in his eyes as he thought about that. Then he looked over his messy living room. In the far corner a couch was covered in newspaper clippings and reports for the Order and the ministry, where he worked as an Auror. Black English Breakfast tea sat getting colder and colder on his desk, hidden by parchment. Sometimes he thought about going into hiding just to avoid all this work.
Sirius's wandering eyes found the clock on the wall. "Jesus! I gotta go pup," he said the dog cocked his head to the right watching Sirius as he jumped to his feet. "These reports can wait, Moody might kill me but they can wait." He pulled on a sweatshirt messing up his short black hair. "Thanks," he added as the dog handed him his black robe.
Snuffles licked Sirius's hand as the wizard grabbed his keys to his motorcycle. The motorcycle Amethyst had given him two years ago to the date as a birthday present. He stepped out into the cold night. The wind was fierce and his black hair blew into his face.
Soon he was silhouetted against the moon. An uneasy feeling was growing in Sirius's stomach as he flew. He was going to check up on Peter, the Potter's Secret Keeper to make sure that he was alive and well. He was scared that Remus had led Voldemort to Peter and now he was dead. But Remus couldn't know, no that son of a bitch would lead Lord Voldemort to Sirius's own house. The Potters and Peter were fine. With that his motorcycle landed on Peter's lawn with a gentle bump. Little did Sirius know that at that very minute James Potter was falling onto his living room floor never again to see his best friend.
It seemed the wind was harder here and he shivered. No lights were on inside and Peter wasn't there to greet him. Peter Pettigrew hated being alone, and when the lights were on he felt safer, so why was he sitting in the dark.
"Oi Wormtail!" Shouted Sirius knocking at the door. No answer. He waited only for a second, "WORMTAIL!" he shouted. Then clutching his wand in hand he unlocked the door. "Wormie?" he called through the house. All the lights were out, his fire was out too. Sirius was very scared now, he raced upstairs calling Peter's name. He didn't like this. No struggle, it was like Peter just up and left. Then it hit him hard. It was never Remus.
Sirius ran like hell out to his motorcycle starting it instantaneously. He took to the skies like a cannonball. His hair whipped behind him as he sped through a cloudless sky. Sirius nearly made sky pizza out of a group of pigeons that were flying nonchalantly over London.
A huge lump grew in his throat as he tore through the sky, a cloud of jet black smoke rose up blocking the moon from view in Godric's Hollow. Padfoot swallowed hard and flew down on his motorcycle.
Nothing in the world would prepare him for this. This vision was imbedded in his memory for all of time. His memories of that night would haunt him until his death. The house was totally destroyed. Rubble covered the area where the Potter's house once stood. The wall with the fireplace was still standing, although the chimney had almost completely fallen. The staircase's frame still stood winding like two metal serpents into the wall of solid gray smog.
Fragments of his friend's former life lay in the wreckage, the handle of a white porcelain cup lay next to Sirius's right sneaker, part of the red couch was sticking like a shark fin twelve feet away. He fell to his knees and began sifting through the remains; if there was a tiny sliver of hope that James was alive he wouldn't let him die. The palm of his hand found something glass and blood began to drip from the cut. He pulled out the glass.
It was James's eyeglasses. The metal was bent beyond repair and a few pieces of the shattered glass still clung to the frame. Sirius fell back still clutching the once round glasses. "No!" he screamed to the deep dark night. His voice sounded almost like a howl of a lonely dog. "Please no, James." Tears welled up in his eyes and Sirius began to cry.
"'Oose there?" asked a rough voice made weak with emotion, the intimidating frame of Rubious Hagrid came into view from his left hidden by the scattered remains of the once fine two story house at 3 Lennon Lane.
"Hagrid?" Sirius sighed softly his whole body was shaking. He squeezed the glasses in his right hand. He continued to cry trying to hide it from the half giant. "There gone, they're really dead."
"Come 'ere," said Hagrid sadly; he hugged Sirius with one long arm. In one garbage can lid sized hand he held a bundle of blankets. "'E's gone too."
"What," Sirius looked confusedly, "you-you mean, Lord Voldemort?" He studied the sky, no evil green skull cut through it, why wouldn't he leave the dark mark?
Hagrid had taken a few steps back when Sirius had spoken Voldemort's name. "Yes, I dunno 'ow, I dunno why, but you-know-'oo's gone. An' 'Arry's still 'ere."
The blanket's Hagrid held began to stir and Sirius could see one tiny fist clench then loosen. "Harry," he whispered taking the blankets gently from Hagrid. A huge gash split the center of the tiny child's forehead other then that he was unharmed. "How did he-? He destroyed Voldemort? Or banished Him or something?" Harry opened one green eye, and said softly, "Pa'foo'?" Sirius smiled, as Harry repeated himself.
"Hagrid, I'm Harry's godfather, let me take him," Sirius said calmly his voice no longer shaking, "let me take him back to my place, I'll raise him."
Hagrid shook his mane of scruffy black hair. "Orders from Dumbledore, I've gotta bring 'im directly to Dumbledore." Sirius frowned as Hagrid took back the baby.
"If Dumbledore thinks its best." Sirius looked up into the stars that were starting to cut through the smoke. "But take my Motorcycle, okay?"
Hagrid shook his head, "I couldn' take that from you,"
"Take it, you'll make better time. I won't need it.anymore." He added slowly. Then he smiled, "You'll fit, the modifications I made'll make sure of that."
"alright, alright. I'll see ya again real soon, Sirius." Said the half giant as he climbed onto the motorcycle. Sirius watched them as they vanished into the horizon. Then he turned, he had something to do, it was time for the rat to step into the trap.
"Enjoy today, Wormtail," he whispered to the lightening sky, he clutched his wand, "because its your last one as a free man."
The large mutt that Sirius had adopted nosed his way into the room. "Hey, Snuffles," said Sirius kindly turning in his chair a little, glad to get away from all the work. Snuffles looked concerned about something "What's the matter, hey pup? That squirrel get away again?" He pet the longhaired dog, part Newfoundland and part Irish setter. The dog looked up at him with huge amber eyes. "You miss mummy, eh?" he asked.
Snuffles nodded.
"Yeah, do you think mum should move in with us?" asked Sirius stroking the dog's head.
Again Snuffles agreed.
Sirius smiled. Snuffles was the first dog Padfoot had ever owned. His mother had never liked living things. "Yeah, maybe soon, maybe Mummy and I'll get married." He continued to pet the large black animal while looking over at a picture of he, Amethyst and Snuffles (who was a huge puppy at the time) on his desk. "Soon." Sirius had a dreamy look in his eyes as he thought about that. Then he looked over his messy living room. In the far corner a couch was covered in newspaper clippings and reports for the Order and the ministry, where he worked as an Auror. Black English Breakfast tea sat getting colder and colder on his desk, hidden by parchment. Sometimes he thought about going into hiding just to avoid all this work.
Sirius's wandering eyes found the clock on the wall. "Jesus! I gotta go pup," he said the dog cocked his head to the right watching Sirius as he jumped to his feet. "These reports can wait, Moody might kill me but they can wait." He pulled on a sweatshirt messing up his short black hair. "Thanks," he added as the dog handed him his black robe.
Snuffles licked Sirius's hand as the wizard grabbed his keys to his motorcycle. The motorcycle Amethyst had given him two years ago to the date as a birthday present. He stepped out into the cold night. The wind was fierce and his black hair blew into his face.
Soon he was silhouetted against the moon. An uneasy feeling was growing in Sirius's stomach as he flew. He was going to check up on Peter, the Potter's Secret Keeper to make sure that he was alive and well. He was scared that Remus had led Voldemort to Peter and now he was dead. But Remus couldn't know, no that son of a bitch would lead Lord Voldemort to Sirius's own house. The Potters and Peter were fine. With that his motorcycle landed on Peter's lawn with a gentle bump. Little did Sirius know that at that very minute James Potter was falling onto his living room floor never again to see his best friend.
It seemed the wind was harder here and he shivered. No lights were on inside and Peter wasn't there to greet him. Peter Pettigrew hated being alone, and when the lights were on he felt safer, so why was he sitting in the dark.
"Oi Wormtail!" Shouted Sirius knocking at the door. No answer. He waited only for a second, "WORMTAIL!" he shouted. Then clutching his wand in hand he unlocked the door. "Wormie?" he called through the house. All the lights were out, his fire was out too. Sirius was very scared now, he raced upstairs calling Peter's name. He didn't like this. No struggle, it was like Peter just up and left. Then it hit him hard. It was never Remus.
Sirius ran like hell out to his motorcycle starting it instantaneously. He took to the skies like a cannonball. His hair whipped behind him as he sped through a cloudless sky. Sirius nearly made sky pizza out of a group of pigeons that were flying nonchalantly over London.
A huge lump grew in his throat as he tore through the sky, a cloud of jet black smoke rose up blocking the moon from view in Godric's Hollow. Padfoot swallowed hard and flew down on his motorcycle.
Nothing in the world would prepare him for this. This vision was imbedded in his memory for all of time. His memories of that night would haunt him until his death. The house was totally destroyed. Rubble covered the area where the Potter's house once stood. The wall with the fireplace was still standing, although the chimney had almost completely fallen. The staircase's frame still stood winding like two metal serpents into the wall of solid gray smog.
Fragments of his friend's former life lay in the wreckage, the handle of a white porcelain cup lay next to Sirius's right sneaker, part of the red couch was sticking like a shark fin twelve feet away. He fell to his knees and began sifting through the remains; if there was a tiny sliver of hope that James was alive he wouldn't let him die. The palm of his hand found something glass and blood began to drip from the cut. He pulled out the glass.
It was James's eyeglasses. The metal was bent beyond repair and a few pieces of the shattered glass still clung to the frame. Sirius fell back still clutching the once round glasses. "No!" he screamed to the deep dark night. His voice sounded almost like a howl of a lonely dog. "Please no, James." Tears welled up in his eyes and Sirius began to cry.
"'Oose there?" asked a rough voice made weak with emotion, the intimidating frame of Rubious Hagrid came into view from his left hidden by the scattered remains of the once fine two story house at 3 Lennon Lane.
"Hagrid?" Sirius sighed softly his whole body was shaking. He squeezed the glasses in his right hand. He continued to cry trying to hide it from the half giant. "There gone, they're really dead."
"Come 'ere," said Hagrid sadly; he hugged Sirius with one long arm. In one garbage can lid sized hand he held a bundle of blankets. "'E's gone too."
"What," Sirius looked confusedly, "you-you mean, Lord Voldemort?" He studied the sky, no evil green skull cut through it, why wouldn't he leave the dark mark?
Hagrid had taken a few steps back when Sirius had spoken Voldemort's name. "Yes, I dunno 'ow, I dunno why, but you-know-'oo's gone. An' 'Arry's still 'ere."
The blanket's Hagrid held began to stir and Sirius could see one tiny fist clench then loosen. "Harry," he whispered taking the blankets gently from Hagrid. A huge gash split the center of the tiny child's forehead other then that he was unharmed. "How did he-? He destroyed Voldemort? Or banished Him or something?" Harry opened one green eye, and said softly, "Pa'foo'?" Sirius smiled, as Harry repeated himself.
"Hagrid, I'm Harry's godfather, let me take him," Sirius said calmly his voice no longer shaking, "let me take him back to my place, I'll raise him."
Hagrid shook his mane of scruffy black hair. "Orders from Dumbledore, I've gotta bring 'im directly to Dumbledore." Sirius frowned as Hagrid took back the baby.
"If Dumbledore thinks its best." Sirius looked up into the stars that were starting to cut through the smoke. "But take my Motorcycle, okay?"
Hagrid shook his head, "I couldn' take that from you,"
"Take it, you'll make better time. I won't need it.anymore." He added slowly. Then he smiled, "You'll fit, the modifications I made'll make sure of that."
"alright, alright. I'll see ya again real soon, Sirius." Said the half giant as he climbed onto the motorcycle. Sirius watched them as they vanished into the horizon. Then he turned, he had something to do, it was time for the rat to step into the trap.
"Enjoy today, Wormtail," he whispered to the lightening sky, he clutched his wand, "because its your last one as a free man."