AN: Here's the new chapter: I think I was a little bit quicker than the last time. Thank it to my new beta reader: The Royal Navigator! I hope she will nag me enough to write faster!

Enjoy! And please let me know what you think about the story! Thank you!

Chapter 7: Dark night

Darkness surrounded him, but he heard them moving around and he heard the screams. They came from two different people and Sirius guessed that one of them was a woman. Sirius didn't really know where he was and could only guess how much time went by since he was captured, but he knew that he was in a multi-level building. He suspected that he was in the basement because he heard voices coming from above.

He heard the door open. Being in darkness all the time made his hearing more sensitive than ever. At least three people came in and one of them was a woman. Probably Bellatrix... She was the only female Death Eater who visited him frequently.

"Are you awake, blood-traitor?"

Yes, it was definitely Bellatrix.

"I see that you are!"

There was venom in her voice but this was nothing new. Bellatrix Lestrange was always angry... but there was something more to it this time and Sirius didn't think that he was up to a raging Bella. He had a 'nice meeting' with Lucius Malfoy and his two goons: Crabbe and Goyle a few days ago. That one left him with a broken shoulder and a few broken ribs, not to mention the countless cuts and bruises. And before that he had a turn with non other than Severus Snape who used some kind of potion on him that Sirius couldn't identify but caused a lot of pain and extreme weakness.

Oh, and don't forget the one before Snape: the Dark Lord himself visited him and that was something to remember for sure. But that was more than one and a half weeks ago because after that Sirius was unconscious for at least two days. He, however, wasn't sure.

And now Bella...a furious Bella. This assumption was confirmed by what came next.

"Crucio!"

The Death Eaters had thrown the curse at him countless times, and he realized that it became worse and worse every time. His body was writhing as it tried to escape from the pain. He couldn't control it, even though his mind knew that there was no sense in it. Especially since the heavy chains held him firmly in place.

"I have news for you..." Bellatrix said but didn't raise the curse while somebody punched him hard in the ribs that left Sirius gasping with pain. This must have been Rodolphus Lestrange, he never left his wife's side.

The next blow came into his face, and he felt his nose break. Blood filled his mouth. Because of this and the pain, he didn't realize at first what Bellatrix was saying.

"Your precious little friend is dead..."

"What...?" he choked out, the voice unrecognizable to his own ears.

"Potter and his mudblood wife are dead!" Bella repeated.

Sirius swallowed the blood in his throat.

"...don't believe you..."

Somebody hit him in the stomach, this time not with bare hands but with something hard, maybe a club.

"I don't care if you believe or not!" she snapped at him. "I didn't come to chat, I came to find out what kind of protection you used on the boy."

"I don't know... what you're talking about..." his words came out in a slur.

Bellatrix practically shrieked at him and the pain caused by the Cruciatus intensified. Sirius cried out. Somebody yanked his head back by the hair and he heard a voice next to his ear.

"The Potter brat... he was protected by some kind of defensive magic. What was it?" it was Rabastan Lestrange.

Sirius's brain wasn't working as fast as normal, but he realized one thing.

"Harry's alive?" he whispered.

He felt the tip of a wand poking into his back and the former voice said.

"Crucio!"

He didn't know how this was possible but the pain doubled and his body arched, the shackles around his wrists cut into his flesh and he felt blood running down his chin as he bit into his tongue.

"What did you use?" Bella asked again but Sirius couldn't have answered even if he had wanted to.

He felt distantly Rodolphus hit him again and again. Something cracked loudly and someone screamed...

Sirius shot up in his bed, the scream stifled by his hand on his mouth. His body was covered in perspiration and he was trembling slightly. This was a recurring nightmare. It wasn't even a real nightmare. It was a memory and every time he had it, he felt as if he were back in that cold basement, in the magic-induced darkness with the fear and the pain.

He knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep so instead he got up. The animagus suspected that the vivid dream was partially caused by the fake-dementor's affect, partially because he talked to Harry about James and Lily, and also because he met Lucius Malfoy again.

After the study-circle he was due to appear in Dumbledore's office where he had to apologize to Malfoy for his improper behavior. It took a lot of self-control and he was kind of proud of himself because even a year ago he would knock Malfoy out for seeing the smug grin on the blonde wizard's face.

He walked over to the window and opened it. Outside it was already quite cold, and he was wearing only his pajama pants but he was grateful for the coldness right now. It somehow made him feel alive.

From the window he could see the outlines of the Forbidden Forest and his thoughts turned to Remus Lupin. If he came to Hogwarts then he had to be hiding in the Forest. Remus knew the place better than anybody else, probably better than Sirius himself.

He remembered clearly when first Moody and then Dumbledore tried to explain him what happened. At that time he wasn't himself and it was hard to digest that James, Lily and Peter were dead and that Remus was in Azkaban. On top of that he was unconscious for two months, and Harry was taken to the Dursleys and so on and so on...it was too much for his confused mind.

It took months until he started to comprehend everything. That was when he began to write letters to the Ministry: he wanted clearance to meet Remus and to get the custody over Harry. A few years ago he read those letters again and he could understand why nobody listened to him. The letters were agitated and incoherent at places.

Some people still thought that he was crazy but he knew he could think clearly now. Despite this he still believed that Remus wasn't a traitor. He needed to believe this...

The only problem was that every bit of evidence suggested the opposite.

He sighed, turned away from the window and quickly got dressed. This night was as good as any to start looking for Remus and venturing a trip in the Forbidden Forest.

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Harry couldn't sleep.

He was sitting on the window seat near his bed in the dormitory and was watching the Forbidden Forest. Or he didn't really watched it he just stared outside and thought about things: his parents mostly.

Before he sat in the window he looked through the album that he had received from Hagrid. To his surprise he found a picture of Professor Black. He was in a photo that was taken at his parents' wedding. They were all smiling and waving at the camera and Professor Black looked very different. Harry watched the picture for several minutes until he realized what made the difference: there was a rough sparkle in his eyes that was absent now.

Was it caused by the death of his parents?

Anyway, he decided that he would ask more questions about his parents as soon as he got the opportunity...

"Harry...?"

It was Ron's sleepy voice from behind.

"Yes."

"What are you doing up so late?"

"I couldn't sleep."

He heard as Ron getting out of bed.

"Is something interesting out there?" Ron asked and joined him on the windowsill.

He wanted to say no, but then he caught a glimpse of somebody moving at the edge of the Forest.

"Do you see that?" he asked.

"Yes."

They couldn't make out the face of the stranger but suddenly he disappeared and an animal appeared in its place.

"What the...?" Ron started but Harry grabbed his hand.

"Come!"

"But where?"

"After that man!"

"But why?"

"Don't know but I feel that it's important..."

"What if its Lupin?"

"I don't think so."

"Then at least wait until I put on my shoes..."

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A dark shadow was moving in the depth of the Forbidden Forest.

Once he had a name, two actually. He was Remus Lupin. And he was Moony to his best friends. Now he was only a lost soul. He couldn't remember much of his past. He remembered only the darkness and the cold. The touch of the dementors. And he remembered this place: the Forest and the castle.

From where he was standing he could see the lights in the windows. It was beautiful. Lupin was drawn to the castle, but at the same time he feared to go nearer. He remembered warmth when he looked at the building, but he knew that it would be dangerous to go there.

They thought that he was a murderer and a traitor... but he wasn't... he wasn't... This was the only thing that was clear for him. That has been clear for him for the last twelve years.

Suddenly his head jerked up. He felt a scent, a very familiar scent. Once it meant friendship but now…he didn't know what to expect. He trembled slightly and then slipped back into the darkness.

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