I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long. I've been trying to deal with school work- like that works. Also had my birthday recently - one more year and I can drive… I've also been trying to get through a dance show, which has taken up every evening for a week. I also managed to walk into a door and get pushed off a table. Not a good time for me.

As an additional reminder, I don't own Scissor Sisters and their lyrics to Return to Oz (good song); neither do I presume that I am Freddie Mercury and wrote Bohemian Rhapsody. I am not that great.

There is a mention of rape in this chapter- no description, just a mention.

Only the bad witches are ugly.

Sirius and Jack ran desperately across the moor. They'd broken into a house near a small village called Little Hangleton. The Order had been told by one of their more dubious contacts that Voldemort's weak points were detailed inside the house. Personally, Sirius thought it was a wild goose chase, but Dumbledore thought the chance was too good to miss. Sirius had kept watch outside the house, but he couldn't prevent Jack from setting off an alarm and alerting the Death Eaters who were now chasing them. The blasts from the spells licked at their heels.

"Split up!" Jack shouted. Sirius swerved off, his breath ragged in his throat. He knew that his energy was almost all used up. He just had to hope that he had more energy than the Death Eaters behind him. Whatever happened, he had to make sure Jack got out. Jack was the one who'd seen the information inside the house. He was the one who might be able to destroy Voldemort.

"Stupefy!" Sirius felt the spell strike him between the shoulder blades. He stumbled onto the ground. His final thought before he slipped into merciful unconsciousness was of Jack. Let him escape. Don't hurt him.

-

Sirius woke up in a tiny dark cell. His head felt like he'd been on a major bender the night before and- he checked his pockets- his wand was gone. He hadn't expected anything else. In fact, he'd probably have been rather disappointed in Voldemort if he'd been left with his wand.

He got up slowly, holding on to the wall for support. He was alone, and could barely see in the gloom. He tried to walk forward, and could only manage three of his long strides before he met the other wall. Time for a change in tactics.

"Hello? I'm hungry." No reply. He started to hit the door. "Come on, speak to me!" Again, no response. He hit the door in anger and turned away. He slowly became aware of a dripping noise. His night sight was gradually improving, and he could see, barely, where water was dripping down from the ceiling. He knew that it was unlikely, at best, that he'd be fed and watered. He tugged off his shoe and placed it underneath the drip. At least that way he'd get some water.

With that done, he settled back. It irritated him that there was nothing he could do, but without any response from the outside, it would be better for him to conserve his energy.

Sirius woke up, blinking his eyes sleepily. He hadn't meant to doze off, but it had happened. He scrambled to his feet and across to the door, where he saw what had disturbed him.

Two Death Eaters were dragging something along the corridor towards him. Their faces were shrouded by their hooded robes, but he doubted he would have ever remembered their faces anyway. It was a major fault of his.

They stopped outside his cell. One of them unlocked the door while the other one covered him. Good military strategy, Sirius thought ruefully. They chucked their burden into the cell and slammed the door. One of them spoke through the door, and Sirius could just hear the sneer in his voice.

"Take a good look at him. That's what you'll look like soon." Sirius bit his tongue, knowing that whatever he said, someone else would probably get punished. He tugged the person onto their front, and gasped.

It was Jack. He looked awful. His eyes were both swollen. His nose had been broken, and the dried blood caked the lower half of his face. Several of his fingernails had been pulled out. He breathed in, making a horrible rasping sound, and winced in pain. Sirius thought he must have broken ribs.

"Not a pretty picture, huh?" he rasped.

"Hey, don't speak. Here, have some water." Sirius poured the water he'd collected into Jack's mouth. "They did you up pretty good."

"Yeah." Jack's eyes suddenly became intent. "Sirius, promise me something."

"Sure, anything."

"You've got to find him. You've got to look after him. I can't. I'm gonna die."

"Don't talk like that."

"In the house, there was a book. It had predictions. Lord Voldemort wanted them." Jack broke off, a cough racking his entire body.

"Who do I have to find?"

"The Boy Who Lived. He will destroy the Dark Lord on his second birthday, but he must be with someone who can perform the spells."

"What spells?"

"The Book Of The Dead."

Sirius shook his head. "Who's the 'Boy Who Lived'?"

Jack grasped Sirius' hand, tears in his eyes. "Promise me you'll find him and look after him."

Sirius sighed. "Of course. I will, I promise. But you need to rest. Sleep."

The door slammed back. Sirius blinked in the sudden light. The Death Eaters almost strutted into the room. Sirius almost burst out laughing before the spell hit him again.

When he awoke this time he was strapped to a table in a dark room. He shook his head to clear some of his muzzy thoughts from his brain- being stunned twice in a matter of hours tended to give you a headache.

"Ah, Black. You're awake." Lucius Malfoy. The Order had known for ages that Malfoy had to be a Death Eater, but they'd never had any concrete proof. For Sirius, the fact that he was Lucius Malfoy was proof enough. "The Dark Lord has been asking questions, and you have the answers."

"Bugger off. I won't tell you anything."

"We'll see." He smiled maliciously. "For wizards, there is only really the Cruciatus curse to cause pain. But Muggles…they've been quite inventive in one respect. Their torture methods are so… extensive. I only had time to try out a few on O'Neill. He broke pathetically easily."

Sirius sighed. "Can't we get this over with?"

"Fine." Malfoy came forward, and punched him in the face. Sirius was repeatedly pounded. His nose broke on the third blow with a loud crack, but he didn't cry out. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction. Suddenly Malfoy stepped away. Sirius could feel the blood from his nose pouring down his face. Then he felt the straps behind him being untied, but before he could move Malfoy pointed his wand and said, "Impedimenta." Sirius was pulled helplessly across the room to where a barrel of water was stood.

"Going to wash my face, Malfoy?"

Sirius was grabbed by the hair, and his head pushed down into the barrel. He fought to get out, the water filling his world, his eyes, his ears. Then he was pulled up, spluttering and blinking.

"Are you ready to talk?"

"Go to hell." This time he was ready. He took a deep breath before he was plunged into the water again. He was in for longer this time. He was close to passing out before he was pulled out. Malfoy repeated it for five minutes before becoming bored.

He threw Sirius down upon the ground, where he lay panting. "Don't worry, Black. I'm not leaving you alone for long. Someone else will be along in a minute… and they want to be your friend…" Sirius knew what that meant.

Sirius shut his eyes desperately, hoping against hope that the next time he opened them it would all turn out to be a dream. No luck. He was strapped on the table again, bloody and exhausted, and guilty. Very, very guilty. He'd cracked eventually, during his rape. He'd told them that he knew nothing, Jack was the one who'd found the prophecy.

Now Jack was being tortured. Malfoy was using the Cruciatus curse repeatedly, hoping to obtain a result. His screams were piercing through Sirius' head, twisting the knife of guilt further in.

The door to the room swung open. "Malfoy." Voldemort walked in, followed by several Death Eaters. Sirius could see Snape among them, but he couldn't conjure up the old hate. Not when he hated himself so much.

Malfoy turned, and bowed obsequiously. "My Lord. Black told us that O'Neill is the one with the knowledge."

Voldemort turned his red eyes on Sirius, who shook. "Yes. He tells the truth." He turned back to Jack, who was lying in a huddle on the floor. "Tell me, O'Neill. Tell me what the prophecy said."

Jack giggled helplessly. "There's a wind up man walking round and round- what once was Emerald City's now a crystal town." He waved at Malfoy. "Scaramouche? Will you do the fandango?"

"Stop it, O'Neill. Playing will not gain you leniency from the Dark Lord."

"Ah." He tapped the side of his nose. "Bismilah, Beezlebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me!" He finished with an ear splitting screech. Sirius looked on with worried eyes. He wasn't sure if Jack was faking. If he was, it was a dangerous gamble.

Voldemort stepped forward with his wand drawn. "Legilimens." He shut his eyes briefly, then opened them again. "You idiot, Malfoy. His brain is destroyed. You used the Cruciatus curse too many times. I have no use for him now." Voldemort turned and raised a thin hand lazily.

In the split second before the curse was said, Jack shouted, "Tin man! Save Padfoot!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Sirius shut his eyes in pain as the green light filled the room. When he opened them again he could see Snape stood in the shadows, his eyes unreadable.

Sirius looked up painfully as the door to his cell creaked open. Snape stood in the doorway. "Get out," he hissed.

Sirius stared at him in disbelief. "Why…"

"I'm not doing this for you. Jack wanted me to. Get out." Sirius stood up, wincing as his legs protested, and walked towards the door.

"I'm sorry, Snape. I know he was your-"

"Shut up! Just leave now, by the brown door." And with that Snape pushed Sirius along the corridor.

I know, I know. It's a rubbish chapter. It sounded a lot better in my head. If anyone has any ideas for what I can do with Sirius and Jack, now that everyone knows Jack is a wizard, I'd be grateful if you said. Review or email me, I usually get round to reading them once a week.

Also- any plot thingys I've left hanging- why Snape helped Sirius (even though you probably already know)- will be told in the next instalment.