A/N: Last chapter! Yay! So, I've finally written a Harry Potter fanfiction. Peer pressure, that's all I have to say. Speaking of which, there are some people I'd like to thank. Like...all the little people who helped me reach this pinnacle of fanfiction stardom (coughs). Right. Well, that leaves one little person; namely, Aquarius4. Give her a big round of applause folks! Without all her invaluable contributions, this fanfiction would not exist. So I'm dedicating it to her! Happy Birthday! (well...really, really early birthday!) Does this mean that I don't have to buy her a present?! (ignores glare directed her way by Aquarius4) Bye!

Disclaimer: Fanfiction, I disclaim you! waves arms theatrically Yeah, still not mine.

Sirius Black advanced on Peter Pettigrew dangerously, his wand pointed straight at Pettigrew's chest like an accusation. All around him, people stopped and stared, both at the look in Sirius's face, and at the presence of the wand. Sirius and Pettigrew were both oblivious.

Pettigrew's face tightened and his eyes darted around, evaluating every form of escape. "Don't even think about it, Peter," Sirius whispered, enjoying Pettigrew's terror. Suddenly, Pettigrew's eyes widened. In a loud stage voice, Pettigrew announced, "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?" Sirius blinked, too stunned to do anything. Meanwhile, Pettigrew had whipped out his wand and muttered a quick curse. There was an explosion, and Sirius's reflexes took control.

"Stupefy!" he called, already knowing it was too late. A jet of red light shot out of his wand and hit a building. Pettigrew was already gone. Through the dust and Muggle screams, Sirius stood, shocked. Then, in a flash, he understood. Nobody but Lily, James, Sirius and Pettigrew knew that the Potters had changed their Secret Keeper. Two of those people were dead, and one had just conveniently disappeared. Everyone would think Sirius had betrayed James, and now there was nobody there to say otherwise. The brilliance of it was overwhelming. For the first time in his life, Peter Pettigrew had outsmarted Sirius Black. There was nothing else to do, so Sirius did the only thing he could think of: he began to laugh. Once he'd started, Sirius couldn't stop. The laughter wasn't his; in fact, he wasn't sure exactly where it was coming from. He laughed, even though he felt like crying until the world ended. Eventually, the two urges melded together into some unrecognizable noise that was halfway in between.

When the Ministry came, it just made Sirius laugh harder. How ironic. He was going to Azkaban for a crime he'd been trying for years to prevent. The Ministry wizards looked absolutely terrified of him, which also struck him as incredibly hilarious at the time.

"Alright, I'm coming. Don't worry; I'm not going to kill you! You can put your wands away, too, if you really want to. No? Well, it's your choice. But I won't resist. There's nobody left to benefit from my freedom except me, and I don't particularly want it. There's nobody left to believe the truth." Sirius laughed again.

"We know the truth!" one young Ministry official shouted bravely. Sirius glanced at him in surprise. The man looked like he was about to wet himself, but he continued anyway. "You killed them all! James and Lily Potter; Peter Pettigrew; you were working for You-Know-Who all along!" Sirius grinned at him viciously, though his fears had been confirmed. Another official growled,

"Shut it, Fudge."

As Sirius was being dragged into Azkaban, a sudden thought occurred to him.

Moony! There had been someone left to believe him. Now, of course, Sirius had lost his chance. Remus, like the rest of the wizarding world, believed him a traitor and a murderer. Sirius didn't particularly care about the world, but he wished there was some way to tell Remus the truth. Sirius didn't even want to contemplate how he would take the news. It was just another thing for Sirius to feel guilty about for twelve long years.