A/N: Question: Does anyone know what happens to the soul of a person who had been kissed by a dementor? Thanks.

Chapter 8: Black's Story

Christmas that year had been a success. The prank was pulled, James and Jennifer were reunited, everything was going great. Soon, the party ended, but everyone stayed overnight.

The next morning,

"Hi Dad." Vega said to Sirius who was alone in the dinning room eating breakfast.

"Hi Honey. Do you need anything?" Sirius asked.

"Well, yes." She said nervously. "You see, the gang and I were looking up something in our books, and we came across something else. Kind of. It was what we were looking for, but it mentioned you."

Sirius paled. He had an idea of what was coming up.

"And I was wondering if I can have the full story." Vega finished.

"Come on." He said leading her out of Harry's house. "We should probably find a quiet place to do this."

0000

When they got into the Shrieking Shack,

"Dad. Are you sure about this?" Vega asked nervously.

"It's ok. I know the people who used to make all the noises." Sirius told her not mentioning he was one of those people. "Now, for the story. What was the passage?"

"It was in our History book. Binns had briefly mentioned it forgetting that not everyone knew what something was. Ariel looked it up and freaked. When we asked her what was wrong, she showed us the passage."

"What did it say?" Sirius asked.

"Azakan. An impenetrable fortress guarded by Dementors. In 1993, the first ever breakout occurred. The convict was Sirius Black. He was convicted of murdering 12 muggles and the wizard, Peter Pettigrew. 2 years after his breakout, he was found innocent when Peter Pettigrew was apprehended alive, well, and wearing the Dark Mark." she quoted.

Sirius closed his eyes and sighed.

"I should have known this day would come." He said to himself. "Have a seat." He told her pointing to the bed.

She obeyed.

"Alright. You remember how when you were seven, I told you about Voldemort and how he was after the Potters?"

Vega nodded. "You were blamed for their deaths." She said.

"That's right. You're old enough now to know the whole truth. The original plan was for me to be the Secret Keeper. But I had figured that would be too obvious. To keep James, Lily, and Harry safe, I persuaded them to switch. None of us had any idea it was Peter Pettigrew. After that night, I went after him. I wanted to kill him. I wish I had. However, he beat me to the punch."

"What do you mean?" Vega asked.

"I cornered him. But he called out to where people could here him that I betrayed the Potters. Then he cut off his finger and killed 12 muggles. In the blast, he escaped."

Vega remained silent.

"The Aurors showed up. I was laughing at how he had outwitted me. In school, Pettigrew always needed our help. And there he was, using what we taught him against us. Crouch sent me to Azkaban without a trial. About 12 years later, I saw a picture of Peter in a disguise. I knew him anywhere. I busted out and went after him. Two years later, after I accidentally brought James and Lily back, there was a Death Eater attack. We managed to capture Peter and I was cleared." Sirius finished the story.

Vega now had so many questions.

"If you have any questions, then I'll try to answer them." Sirius added seriously (A/N: pun not intended).

"How long had you known Pettigrew?" she asked

"Since my first year." He answered.

"Why didn't you suspect him?"

"Because he was practically a squib. Voldemort wouldn't want someone like him. We knew that there was a spy amongst us, but we didn't know who. James was cleared when it was his son who was in the most danger. So, it was me, Remus, or Peter. I still feel guilty about this, but I suspected Remus and he suspected me."

"Why did he suspect you?"

"Because the Blacks were well known for always being on the Dark side." He told her.

Vega remembered her mother mentioning the Howler her father received his first day.

"Why did you suspect Uncle Remus? Because he was the only one left?"

Sirius took a deep breath.

"That was one reason. I'll let him tell you the other one."

"Why?"

"I'm not even sure he's told Colin."

"How did Pettigrew escape?"

"He was a rat animagus." He said truthfully

Her mouth dropped.

"And he was practically a SQUIB! McGonagall said it's hard."

"Unless you have the right resources." He grinned for the first time in the conversation.

"How did you escape?"

"Not here and not now. I'll tell you some other time. Your mother would have my head if I told you."

"Ok?"

0000

"Has anyone seen Sirius and Vega?" James asked the gang at breakfast.

"No." Ron said with his mouth full.

"Vega said she had something to ask him." Megan told him.

"You don't think she waited until "literally" after Christmas do you?" Ariel asked.

"Possibly." Adam said.

"That still doesn't answer the question." Spica said.

"Would it help if we told you she was going to ask about something we read?" Colin asked.

"Depends on what you read." Remus told his son.

"It was about Azkaban." Megan informed them.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Remus, John, Melissa, Spica, Lily, James, Sara, and the rest of the Weasleys all choked on whatever was in their mouths.

"I had a feeling they knew." Colin whispered to Adam.

"What does Azkaban have to do with anything?" Jenny asked. (She had not been informed yet)

"What is Azkaban?" Joe asked his wife.

"It's a prison for wizards." Jenny said. "I heard it's horrible. So, what does it have to do with Sirius?"

Lily and James looked at each other.

"It's a long and sad story Sis." James told her.

"Does it have anything to do with Mum and Dad's deaths?"

"Well, it concerns their murderer." James truthfully informed her.

Just then, the front door opened.

"Will you be alright?" Sirius' voice was heard.

"I think so. Thanks for telling me the truth." Vega was heard.

"I'm going to go see if they're ok." Spica said excusing herself.

0000

"Well?" Megan prompted her best friend. "What happened? Where did you go? What did you learn?"

"Calm down Meg." Vega told her. "I asked him and we went to the shrieking shack."

"The Shrieking Shack?" Colin asked.

"Isn't that supposed to be haunted?" Adam added.

"Dad said that he knew the people making the racket." Vega informed her friends.

"What did you learn?" Megan asked again

"Was Uncle Sirius really sent to Azkaban?" Adam asked.

"Yes." Vega answered solemnly.

"How did Pettigrew escape?" Ariel asked.

"Turns out, he was an unregistered rat animagus." Vega told her friends.

"WHAT!"

0000

Downstairs, the adults were gathered around Sirius.

"How much did you tell her?" Remus asked.

"I told her about what happened and Peter being an animagus." Sirius told his friend.

"Pettigrew was an animagus?" Jenny asked.

"Jenny?" Joe asked.

"A wizard who can turn into an animal at will." She told her husband.

"Yeah. We taught him." James told her.

"You're one too!" Jennifer exclaimed.

"Did I forget to mention that?" James asked innocently.

"Yes."

"Oops."

"I didn't tell her about us though." Sirius said. "She still has no idea about the meanings of Moony, Mistoffolees, Padfoot, Prongs, Vixy, Bushtail, Adolpha, and Easter."

"What about Archimedes, Nat, Red, Tiria, Bucktooth, and Flattail?" Harry asked.

"Not a clue." Sirius told his godson.

"Good. I can join her club." Jenny said.

"As can we." Molly said entering the conversation after cleaning up breakfast with Arthur. (Bill, Charlie, and Percy had to head back to work early.) Fred and George stayed.

The 13 animagi all looked at each other, sighed, and transformed.

"That explains a lot." Joe said as he saw the cat, dog, stag, fox, squirrel, wolf, rabbit, owl, bat, robin, otter, and the two beavers.

"WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!" Molly asked her four kids after everyone transformed back.

"Our 7th year and their 5th" George told his mother.

"And my 4th." Ginny added.

"How come you aren't one Remus?" Jenny asked.

"Well, before Easter here discovered the cure, I had lycanthropy." Remus admitted.

"WHAT!" Jenny and Joe screamed (Jenny had told Joe about what that was when they were discussing different ailments in the magical world. He was also a doctor.)

"Why did you think his nickname was Moony?" Sirius asked.

TBC

KNOCK KNOCK

Pause

KNOCK KNOCK

Pause again.

KNOCK KNOCK BANG KNOCK BANG POUND THUMP