In the new year, the situation in the Wizarding World deteriorated considerably. Marlene McKinnon and her family had only been the first members of the Order to fall victim to Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Others followed and the intervals between attacks became shorter. At the end of February, the brothers Gideon and Fabian Prewett were ambushed. They were attacked by five Death Eaters, and in the end, despite their heroic resistance, were overpowered and killed. All they found of Benjy Fenwick were pieces. Edgar Bones and his family were assaulted in April.

In early May, Sirius received an urgent message from James. He jumped on his motorcycle and rushed to Godric's Hollow. Lily and James were terribly upset. "We have been attacked again. This time it was Voldemort himself. We were just on our way to Hogwarts to meet Dumbledore. Luckily, Harry wasn't with us. We barely managed to escape". Sirius didn't know what to say. Lily was so shaken that she retreated to her bedroom with Harry. James said, "Sirius, I swear, this was the first time I've ever been afraid for our lives. We've been in tricky situations before. But this time it was different. Voldemort is much more dangerous than his followers. If I had been alone, I would have been less afraid. For all his abilities, Voldemort is only a mediocre flier after all. But with Lily by my side, I had to protect her. And I'm telling you. He knows spells I've never heard of".

Sirius looked at him for a moment, dumbfounded. "Oh dear. Remember that parcel Mercuria gave us at Christmas? With the photos of the court transcripts, she examined? I put it on a shelf in Harry's room, and I was going to look at it later. And then I forgot about it. Let's see what she has discovered". He pulled his wand out of his pocket and called out, "Accio parcel". It came flying into his hand. He placed it on the table, opened it and took out the photos. They shared them among themselves. Mercuria had been very systematic. The crucial passages were marked with a highlighter. The texts were either in Flemish or French and she had attached a translation to each photo. James looked up, "Well, I must say, Mercuria definitely has a knack for spotting important details. Look, this is obviously an extract from an interrogation. 'Suffocatio'. You can suffocate your opponent with this. Okay, we could have thought of that on our own. Please remember how we racked our brains to eliminate our opponents without having to use the Killing Curse. 'Cremo corpus alcis'. To burn someone in a deadly fire'". "Isn't that what 'Incendio' is for?". "Yes, but that's an all-purpose spell that you can use to ignite all sorts of things. But this spell mainly targets humans and the fire it conjures up is impossible to extinguish. Originally probably meant for burning corpses, the spell seems to work on the living as well". Sirius held up another photo. "That sounds good: 'Caecare'. You can blind an attacker with this". They found some more useful spells that were unknown to them.

Finally, James held up two photos. "What's this? Mercuria has forgotten to enclose the translation". Sirius said, "The back is written on". James turned the two photos over. "I don't know what this is about. She probably did forget the translation". Sirius shook his head. "No way. She wouldn't do that. She works far too meticulously to make such a simple error". He took the photographs and examined them closely. "I know a little French by now, but I can't understand this. And there are some materials listed on the back. Gold, silver, larimar, flint stone, rock crystal, diamond. Those are components of jewellery. Most of them are quite expensive. I just wonder what she needs them for". He looked at his friend. "James, I've had this funny feeling for some time that Mercuria is hatching something. And I'm very sure that these two photos here just got mixed in with the others by mistake. We need to find out what this is all about. It could be important. Anyway, it's not about a spell". He made his friend a duplicate of the two pages and pocketed his copies. "Ok, let's investigate and see what it's all about. In fact, why don't you just ask her?". "Because she wouldn't tell me. She must have her reasons for making such a secret of it". James nodded. "Fine, we'll both ask around".

Two weeks later, Sirius heard that Caradac Dearborn had disappeared. He remembered the meeting of the Order members before Christmas. At the time he had wondered how many of their fellows would still be present at the next meeting. In the meantime, almost one third had died or disappeared. In mid-June he learned that Dorcas Meadowes had been killed. Voldemort himself had confronted and murdered her. For the first time he was really worried that in the end the Dark Lord would get the upper hand. Quite a long time, the letter from the future had led him to believe that Voldemort would eventually disappear. It was simply impossible that they would still be fighting him nineteen years from now. At the rate casualties were mounting in their group, it was hard to imagine they would last much longer. Therefore, he increased his underground activities to a degree that he barely slept anymore and eventually found himself on the verge of a collapse. When he flew to Godric's Hollow for Harry's first birthday, James took him aside. "Sirius. Do yourself and everyone else a favour and take a short break. Pick up Mercuria and take a few days off with her. You're completely frazzled. It is pointless for anyone if you collapse from total exhaustion. You need to relax and clear your head. It won't change a damn thing if you disappear for a fortnight or so. Trust me. It's better this way. When you'll come back, we'll start all over again". Sirius glanced briefly at his godson. He had given Harry a toy broomstick and the boy was zooming around the room excitedly in his glee. He nodded and said goodbye. Before he left, he handed the Invisibility Cloak back to James. "I don't need it any more at the moment".

James had been right. Two weeks at the Belgian seaside with Mercuria helped Sirius to overcome his doubts and on his return, he threw himself into the resistance with newfound enthusiasm. In the middle of October, he again visited his friends in Godric's Hollow. He was surprised to meet Professor Dumbledore there too. He sat down with his friends in the kitchen. "What happened?". James looked tired and sad. But it was Dumbledore who enlightened him. "Two years ago, I had some interviews with new teachers. One of the applicants was Sybil Trelawney. She had applied for the position of Divination teacher". Sirius looked at the others, puzzled. "Yeah, so?". "I met with them in a separate room at the 'Hog's Head'. At the end of the interview, Sybil made a prophecy". Sirius waited for him to carry on. "In essence, it said that the one who will vanquish the Dark Lord was near. And that he would be born at the end of the seventh month, which is July, to those who had already resisted the Dark Lord three times. The Dark Lord would mark him as one of his own". Sirius did not understand. "Why are you coming up with this now?". Dumbledore breathed heavily. "When Professor Trelawney made the prophecy, someone listening at the door overheard her. I won't tell you who it was. That person picked up the first part only. The part I quoted". "What does the second part say?". Dumbledore told them. "Why am I telling you this now? The eavesdropper at the door sought me out yesterday. Apparently, Voldemort has decided who is the one referred to in the prophecy. There are two boys who fit the bill. Harry and Neville Longbottom. Both were born at the end of July. Alice and Frank were attacked three times by Voldemort or his men. As were Lily and James". Sirius looked at him, puzzled, then he slowly understood and shook his head. "But that's impossible. What makes him think that?". Dumbledore continued, "Whatever the reason he chose Harry, he will hunt him down and try to kill him. We are currently discussing what we can do to prevent this".

James looked up. "There is a new spell. Fidelius Charm. It's already been used once or twice and from what I heard, I think it perfectly fits our requirements. Albus explained to me what to do. The object to be protected is hidden in the memory of a person, the secret-keeper, and is then not visible to anyone who is not specifically invited. Voldemort can walk past the window here and he will not see us". Sirius nodded. "That sounds reassuring. When are you going to apply it?". "In a few days. I have a couple of things to arrange before we protect the house". Dumbledore rose. "I must return to Hogwarts. You know what to do. Good luck". He disapparated. Lily went upstairs to look after Harry.

"Why don't you use the Fidelius Charm now? Voldemort could arrive here at any moment?". "Sirius. I still must deal with the artifact. Remember? I had told you about it the same night you showed us the letter. And then there's something else". James looked at him excitedly. "Remember those two photos that accidentally got into Mercuria's parcel? The ones we couldn't figure out what they meant? Yesterday, Bathilda visited us, and I showed them to her. She asked, where these photos came from, and she said that it was just unbelievable. The language is French. Medieval French. Obviously, it differs considerably from the modern language. But someone who knows both Latin and French will understand it". Sirius was amazed. This meant that Mercuria had been able to read the text. Both read and understand it. "Bathilda said that something was missing. That there must have been a drawing attached to it". Sirius asked curiously "What is it?". James shook his head. "Bathilda is sure these are instructions for creating a time-turner". When Sirius' glass shattered on the floor, they flinched. "That little Satan. James, she's been taking us for a ride. So, we were right to suspect that these photos ended up in the parcel by accident. Mercuria never intended to give them to us". James nodded. Sirius swore "She knew what she had found there all along and she didn't tell us. Well, wait till I get my hands on you, you little bitch. I'm really stupid, too. The Belgians warned me at the time. That she was dangerous and could create unique things. But I thought they were talking about portraits. Instead, from the moment I told her about the letter from the future, she has been searching for instructions on how to build a time-turner. And eventually she unearthed some. I have been wondering why she has been digging so diligently through old documents. James, she has built a time-turner. She really did create one, I'm sure of it. Now what?". "It is self-explanatory though that only a wizard can activate a time-turner. Mercuria may have created the piece. But without a wizard to then set it in motion, she cannot use it to travel back in time". James sat back. "Clever thing. Ever since we told her about the letter, she's been afraid that the past has been altered in such a way that your common future might have been compromised. She built the time-turner to enable herself to intervene if your lives took a different course than intended. Still, it seems impossible that it has been activated already. Asking a wizard to activate a time-turner is a very dangerous thing to do. Even someone you absolutely trust, or a close friend might be tempted to take the piece for him or herself. I bet she wouldn't risk taking anyone into her confidence except the three of us. She is keeping it in the back of her hand to use if need be". Sirius said, "That little git. I'll be seeing her for my birthday. I'll make her give me the time-turner then".

James said, "Coming back to our problem. Give me a week. Then you can use the Fidelius Charm. You will be our secret-keeper, won't you?". "Of course. If that's what you want, I'll do it. But perhaps it is better to ask someone else". "Who do you have in mind?". "Peter". James thought about it. After a while he said " Perhaps it's not a bad idea. No one would suspect that we have chosen him. After all, everyone would assume we'd pick the most powerful wizard we know. No one will doubt that it's you. But do you think he can do such complicated magic?". "I'll help him. And after that, I'll make him hide. I'll find a suitable hideout and take care of him there. Don't worry about it. It will work out fine".

In the last week of October, they met again. This time Peter joined them. He was excited and eager to support his friends. When it was time to use the Fidelius Charm, Sirius hugged Harry, Lily and James and said reassuringly, "Relax. Everything will be alright". He then stepped out in front of the house with Peter and whispered the secret words into the ears of his nervous friend. It only worked at the third attempt, and Sirius watched as his friends' house disappeared before his very eyes. He embraced Peter enthusiastically and then flew him on his motorbike to the hiding place he had chosen for his friend. As he made his way to his own flat, he was convinced that Lily and James had received the best possible protection and now were unassailable.

On Sunday night, Sirius' world as he knew it shattered with a big bang. Peter had betrayed his friends to the Dark Lord, who had immediately set about to eliminate the threat Harry held for him. Voldemort had invaded the house in Godric's Hollow, murdered James and Lily, and then turned his attention to Harry. His attack on the toddler cost him his power and his outer appearance and made Harry a legend in the Wizarding World. Days later, Sirius himself had been outsmarted by Peter when by chance he bumped into the traitor in the street. The instance it took Sirius to realise what was going on had been enough for Peter to cut off a finger, cause a massacre among the Muggles in the street, assume his Animagus shape and as a rat disappear into the sewers. Sirius was arrested and without being given a trial transferred to the Wizarding prison of Azkaban where he was kept as a top-security prisoner. His hope that it would all turn out to be a terrible mistake crushed quickly.

It took Sirius several days to recover from the shock. He lay in his cell and tried to understand what had happened. He remembered that Mercuria had warned him about Peter. He laughed bitterly. Apparently, Peter had found someone who had shone brighter than James and himself. Since nothing in Peter's hiding place indicated that a fight had taken place, Sirius suspected that he had approached Voldemort of his own accord. At the same time, he was convinced that Mercuria would intervene. Had she not created a time-turner for this very situation? James and Lily had been murdered and he himself was in prison on false charges without having had the chance to redeem himself in a court of law. He could not think of a better moment to use a time-turner. On the other hand, now that the only three people whom she could trust unreservedly were no longer able to help, to whom should Mercuria turn to activate the piece? The longer he waited, the more he despaired and after a while he lost all hope that help would come from outside. In the end, only the conviction that he was innocent saved him from losing his mind. And a date he had carved into a hidden corner of his cell: 30.06.2000. In moments of deepest agony, he glanced at the figures and felt a small glimmer of hope. On that day he would be alive and free. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could shake his faith in this.