~Always By Your Side~
Chapter 1: From the Ruins
A/N: This is the beginning of my third story, and the beginning of my favorite. Remember, reviews are always appreciated, especially constructive criticism. When you review my story, I tend to read and review stories on your usernames too. So please, tell me what you think about this story, and R/R! Thank you!
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Coasting silently down a street on a motorcycle, a cloaked figure blended into the dark shadows lining the streets of London. A sliver of a pale moon dimly lit up the darkening Halloween evening, as the blustery wind whistled through the trees, shaking the treetops, and a hazy mist covered the scene.
Inconspicuously, the bike continued on its way, carrying its rider to a small brick house a few miles from the bustling city. The dark outline of the person could hardly be made out as it made its way of the path, the billowing cloak melting into the darkness. The figure apparently rapped some type of signal on the door for the inhabitant to answer to.
But there was no response.
The person in the cloak finally drew back his hood to peer into the window. The strikingly attractive features of Sirius Black were thrown into sharp relief by the lantern hanging on the side of the house. Sirius Black was the top Auror of the Defense Division in the Ministry of Magic, and was also the famous 'black sheep' of the Black family, turning against the norm of his bloodline, to fight the Dark Side, rather than join it.
Sirius contemplated the situation at hand for a moment. He had arranged beforehand to check up on Peter Pettigrew-the resident of the house-to make sure James and Lily Potter's Secret-Keeper was safe from Voldemort or his faithful Death Eaters. There was no reason for Peter not to be home.
Yet, as Sirius confirmed his suspicions with a spell, there was no sign of the house being broken into by force.
Sirius tried to think positively. Perhaps Peter had just gone out to stretch his legs and had forgotten about Sirius' appointment. Sirius felt the need to reassure himself that his friend had not been harmed-especially since that danger had been a risk of the plan that Sirius had come up with to protect the Potters.
The Potters had originally chosen Sirius to be their Secret-Keeper, which was the person who alone held the location of a person, object, or place inside their soul – hidden by the complex Fidelius Charm that had been performed a week ago. This was the Potters' best chance of survival, for unless the Secret-Keeper chose to divulge the knowledge as to where the Potters were hidden, Voldemort could be looking through their living room window, and still be unable to spot them. However, Sirius had been convinced that Voldemort would be sure to go after him – as it was common knowledge that James trusted Sirius beyond measure – and had persuaded the Potters to change to Peter, without anyone else having knowledge of the switch they had made. So if Peter was in danger, it was Sirius' fault.
No matter how hard Sirius tried to think of perfectly reasonable scenarios, no amount of positive thinking helped. Something was definitely wrong with this picture; Sirius could feel it. The atmosphere was one thick with tension and anticipation, surrounding and capturing the house in a web of confusion. The signs just didn't match up.
Suddenly, Sirius had an instinctive urge to go make sure Lily and James were still safe.
He hopped on his black motorcycle and gunned the engine. He hit the flying gear and sped off towards Godric's Hollow. As he flew over rooftops at a fairly fast speed, Sirius felt a wave of apprehension wash over his being for no legitimate reason. Perhaps it was his concern – for three of his best friends – getting a little out of hand, playing on his stress. Yes, that must be it, Sirius tried to convince himself.
However, his instincts born of being an Auror for five years – ever since he graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – were denying him the pleasure of self-delusion.
Every fiber in his body was humming with tense energy. A tight knot had formed in the region of his stomach, and anxiety was forcing him to unconsciously sharpen his instincts and senses; his ears became finely tuned, straining to hear any unusual sounds, as his intense blue eyes were kept keenly peeled, darting to and fro.
Sirius landed from the air as he got closer to Godric's Hollow, the pleasant house in which James and Lily Potter were presently residing in, with their year-old son Harry.
Sirius smiled as he thought of the adorable, happy-go-lucky baby, who had been blessed with James' easygoing nature, Lily's intelligence, and appearance compiled from both his parents' more prominent physical features. He had inherited Lily's stunning green eyes, while receiving everything else from James – from the unruly black hair to the knobbly knees.
Harry, although only one year old, was already familiar with James' and Lily's friends. Sirius, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin – their mutual best friend – had witnessed almost every day of Harry's life, stopping by Godric's Hollow almost every day. Harry had grown to know Sirius, Peter, and Remus like adopted uncles who fawned over the baby and showered him with extravagant gifts.
While Sirius had been thinking fondly of Harry, he had arrived to the Potters' street. It was then that Sirius saw a sight that would always haunt his nightmares, a sight that made his heart stop beating and his blood run ice-cold.
There was a bright green symbol of a skull consuming a snake – the dreaded symbol of Lord Voldemort, the symbol that alone made people shriek in fear of the dark wizard it represented. The sign had been casted high into the inky sky, illuminating the stars with an eerie glow. The house itself was in ruins. It seemed the roof had collapsed from a violent explosion from the inside and had caused the walls of the ancient home to cave in upon itself.
Sirius' mouth twisted into a bitter smile, his eyes once so merrily dancing holding a cold, haunted quality – and he began to laugh at the pure irony of it all; he had been working furiously to protect Lily and James from their enemy, and it had never occurred to him that one of their close number would betray them.
Sirius' shoulders were shaking, as a manic laugh pierced the night. The air was heavy with sorrow, and it deadened the short, ingenuine sound. Sirius didn't know what else to do but laugh; he knew if he didn't laugh, he would start crying, and crying meant that he accepted the truth, which he refused to do. So Sirius laughed, even though a part of him had shriveled up and died inside, although two of his closest and most trusted friends had been cruelly murdered.
And slowly, as he acknowledged the truth that his friends were dead, his laugh dissolved into uncontrollable sobs that wracked his body. Sirius felt guilt weigh his heart down, making it sink as if it were made of stone or lead. He felt responsible for the Potters' deaths, since he had come up with the "foolproof, brilliant" plan. Sirius sunk down onto the pavement, tears flowing unchecked, splattering the ground. He stayed in that position until at last all his tears had dried up, and the initial shock had passed – somewhat.
Sirius went inside the house to save any belongings that held sentimental value; everything valuable was in the Potters' Gringotts bank account. He knew that the Magical Investigation Division of the Ministry of Magic would be here soon, and would sell or destroy all remaining belongings. He went around, collecting items in a dull trance. Only when he saw James on the floor did he break down once again. He couldn't bear to look at his best friend, eyes telling him that he had known his last moment was spent. In the doorway of Harry's nursery room, Sirius found Lily dead too, brilliant eyes wide with fright and pain. But before he could launch himself into more tears, he heard a sound coming from Harry's crib!
Cautiously making his way toward the bed, Sirius peered over the railing, and found himself staring right into Harry's brilliant green eyes. Sirius felt his jaw drop in disbelief. How was it possible for Harry to be alive? Somehow, miraculously, Harry had made it alive, and Sirius was overjoyed. He took comfort that he could at least protect the Potters' child for them, as he had failed to do for Lily and James.
Quickly, Sirius packed up a few things necessary for Harry, and carried him outside. He shrunk his bike and bag of things, stuck them into his pocket, and Apparated to the point nearest to Hogwarts, holding tightly onto Harry.
With a crack like a whip, Harry and Sirius appeared at the Apparition point not far from Hogwarts. Sirius un-shrunk his motocycle, and, securely holding Harry, set off in the direction of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – and Professor Dumbledore.
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