Amelia sat in the middle of Sirius' cell, staring at nothing as she tried to organize her thoughts.

How could we all have been so wrong?

But Amelia could see the answer. Because this was James and Sirius, the ringleaders of their little group at Hogwarts, always getting into trouble, yet always seeming to be getting away with far more than they were ever caught doing. They were canny is what they were. Sirius was the obvious choice. They were always so inseparable. Which made Sirius' plan of the decoy so seemingly brilliant. The Death Eaters would all have come after him, and ignore Peter completely. But if – if Peter was the traitor, it would have resulted in disaster.

It fit. Peter, the fumbling, nervous, hanger-on. Peter, who never would have been in the Order were it not for his close friendship with James, Sirius and Remus. Peter, who looked for someone to protect him. It fit ever so much better than James' best friend, Sirius I-hate-my-pureblood-Slytherin-family Black.

Amelia gasped for breath. She was crying.

How could we have missed it?

All the misdirection. Laid down to trick and trip the Death Eaters . . . and it was their friends who were caught in the trap instead.

Six years. Six years of questions, of pain and anger and not understanding. And it was all a lie. Sirius was innocent. Her friend was innocent.

And there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

No proof. Everyone who knew had known Sirius was the Secret-Keeper. Everyone thought Peter was dead, and there was no way to find him. One rat? Among the thousands lurking in sewers and basements all across Britain? That's assuming he was even still in the country!

And what could Sirius even say? Peter Pettigrew is an Animagus. How do I know he's an Animagus? Well, I helped him. Because Peter could never have become an Animagus without James and Sirius helping him. No he isn't registered. I'm also an Animagus. I've been one for – twelve? – years now. No, I'm not registered either. Yes, I know it is illegal. I did it to help my friend! Er – he's a werewolf. We all turned into Animagi to hang out with a dangerous werewolf. What can I say? We were teenage hooligans.

A slightly hysterical laugh escaped from Amelia's throat. She clamped a hand over her mouth. He's innocent and there's nothing I can do. Amelia thought she was all cried out, but more tears came. They were all dead. Her friends from Hogwarts. Frannie, Mary, Marlene, Lily. Her friends from the Order had fared even worse. Fabian, Edgar, Benjy, Dorcas – Alice and Frank. And now this. Instead of James dead, Peter dead, and Sirius a traitor it turned out to be James dead, Peter a traitor, and Sirius, imprisoned but innocent. The very information that could prove his innocence also condemned him.

"Sirius," she called softly, shaking his shoulder. "Sirius, wake up. I want to talk to you." He didn't respond, so Amelia called louder. "Sirius!" But he didn't wake up. "Oh, Circe, no. Dammit!" How long had she been here? A few hours at least? And he had yet to stir once. "Dammit," she repeated. "Not now!"

She looked around for anything that might help. By the cell door was an untouched tray of food. What did she know about Azkaban? Aside from the dementors and that everyone went mad? People got quiet and stopped eating towards the end.

"Oh – oh, no." Sirius wasn't asleep, or even unconscious. He was trapped. Trapped within his own mind. Amelia swore colorfully.

"It's not so surprising really," she muttered. "Six years with the dementors and memories like those?" She frantically patted her pockets. There had to be something she could do. All she had was a handkerchief, a bag with a trowel, and – a candy bar. Chocolate. Bless Halloween. She hurriedly unwrapped the chocolate bar, broke off a small piece, and placed it on Sirius' tongue.

"Come on, come on," she whispered, watching the chocolate slowly melt. She fed him another piece, and another, but still he didn't respond. "Dammit!" She sighed. "Fine, I'll go back in." Pulling up his eyelids again, she whispered, "Legimens!" This time when the cell swam around her, Amelia was not surprised.

She gasped when she saw the scene in Sirius' memory. A cottage she had just seen in another memory – and so recently in life. The gate wasn't rusted, the hedge was still neat, the lawn wasn't overgrown, but rubble already lay scattered in the yard. The Potters' house was unmistakable. As was the large figure standing in front holding a small bundle delicately in his enormous hands.

Harry. Hagrid carried the baby boy away from his ruined home.

Amelia felt a lump rise in her throat. If she went into the house – she would see them – lying there – dead –

With a roar, Sirius' motorbike dropped down on the path. He was ashen and wide-eyed as he took in the destruction of the house. He was shaking his head in denial and he was unsteady as he walked over to Hagrid.

"It's true?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"I know ye were close to them," Hagrid said as gently as someone his size could. "He must'a come fer 'em last night. They went together, though. They woulda wanted that. Harry survived. They'd'a been glad fer that, too."

Sirius stood there, white and trembling, staring at Hagrid without comprehension. He shook his head and his gaze focused on Harry. His face cleared slightly and softened a bit as he looked at his godson. "Give Harry to me, Hagrid. I – I'm his godfather. I'll look after him now that – that they're – gone."

But Hagrid shook his head. "I can't do that. Dumbledore says Harry is going ter go ter his aunt an' uncle."

Sirius blinked. "The Dursleys? Harry is going to the Dursleys? But they don't like magic! They never got along with James and Lily! How can Harry live with them?"

"It isn't fer me to decide. Dumbledore says bring him to his aunt an' uncle's an' that's what I'm going ter do," Hagrid said firmly.

Sirius opened his mouth as if to argue further but stopped. "Alright. You can take my motorbike to take Harry there. I won't need it anymore."

"That'll be a mite useful I think. Thanks," Hagrid told him.

But Sirius was no longer looking at Hagrid; he was instead looking past him, his eyes locked on the doorway.

"I'm sorry," Hagrid said. "Ye couldn't've found nicer folks than them."

Sirius nodded and Hagrid strode over to the bike. Sirius' parting of "good luck" was lost in the roar as the bike rose into the sky.

In the sudden silence, Sirius stood transfixed, rooted in place. After a long moment he took a stumbling step forward, then another, making his way to the door of the cottage. He walked stiffly, as if in a daze, but he collapsed in the hallway beside the body of his best friend.

"I did this," he whispered brokenly. "I did this." And Amelia watched Sirius change. Now he was the Sirius who lay in Azkaban, trapped in his own worst nightmares. "I did this."

She had to break him out of this. If she didn't, he would die, and Amelia couldn't let him die. There had been too much death already. She couldn't lose anyone else.

Amelia withdrew from Sirius' mind to feed him more chocolate. She had no way of knowing if it was helping or not. She returned to find Sirius still trapped in the Potters' hallway, beside James.

"This is my fault. I killed you. I killed you and I killed Lily. My fault. All my fault. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I did this. I killed you. I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"No it isn't."

"What?" Amelia was astonished when Sirius looked up at her.

She swallowed nervously. "This isn't your fault. This – this is because of Peter, not you. You didn't do this."

"This happened because of me!" he wailed.

"No. This happened because someone you and James and Lily – and all of us – trusted betrayed that trust."

"He couldn't have done this if I hadn't convinced James and Lily to use Peter instead. Wormtail. He is a worm. He's a lying, little, treacherous rat! And I let him do this!"

"No," she argued. "No," she repeated softly. "This isn't your fault. James wouldn't want you to blame yourself. Then Peter wins again."

Sirius looked at her with bloodshot eyes. "James is dead."

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Lily is dead. Reggie. Benjy. Gideon and Fabian. They're all dead. How many did he betray? How many died because Wormtail sold them out to Voldemort?"

"I – I don't know." She hadn't thought about it. She determinedly avoided looking at the staircase. Up the stairs lay the nursery, empty now, save for Lily's body beneath a ruined roof.

"What about Edgar? Caradoc? Dorcas? Mary? Are you dead Amelia? Did he kill you too?" Sirius demanded.

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm not dead." But she could have been. She could have died on more than one occasion. Or worse. The memory of the vacant expressions on Alice and Frank's faces haunted her.

"Why am I still here? I let them die. I let him kill them."

"No. You are innocent. It wasn't you. It was Peter." Please, please understand. If you don't – if you won't – then I will have failed.

"Peter. Wormtail. I convinced James and Lily to put their lives in his hands. I convinced them to put their son's life in his hands. I failed them all," Sirius said morosely.

"Dammit, Sirius!" she exploded. "You didn't fail! The only mistake you made was putting your trust in the wrong person! That isn't your fault! You didn't fail! You did not betray them. You did not kill them. You did not fail them! And their son yet lives."

"Harry? Ha-have you – seen him?" Sirius asked tentatively.

At least I broke him out of one rut. "Yes, I have seen him. He turned seven a few months ago, and he's the spitting image of James. Except for his eyes. He has Lily's eyes." Amelia left out the part where the Dursleys seemed to have no intention of ever telling the boy of his magical heritage. They'd have no choice in a few years. When Harry neared his eleventh birthday she had no doubt that Hogwarts would be sending him a letter.

His aunt and uncle could keep him ignorant all they wanted, but there was no denying the boy was a wizard. And for all the Dursleys' anti-magic mania, as long as Amelia blended in with the Muggles around her, they took no notice of the woman passing them on the street.

"I'm his godfather," Sirius said.

"Yes, and Alice is his godmother." As soon as the words left her mouth, Amelia wished she could take them back.

"How is Alice?" asked Sirius. "And Frank? They had a son Harry's age – Neville, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Amelia answered. "They're both still alive." She left it at that. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't.

"Remus?"

"He's still around. I haven't seen him in a while," Amelia admitted. "He's getting by. You know how it is with wizards and werewolves."

Sirius nodded, unsurprised. He looked at her thoughtfully.

"Why are you here?" he asked, pulling himself off the floor, finally.

She answered with the first thing that came out of her mouth. "I couldn't let you die," she said truthfully. She had her answers already. If that was really all she was after, she could have left by now. So many had died. She wouldn't let another one slip away.

Sirius studied her, a glimmer of something in his eyes. He stepped forward and Amelia didn't recognize his intentions until just before their lips met. She was too surprised to pull away at first. She found herself melting into the kiss instead. Sirius leaned closer and Amelia pulled away, reason returning like a rush of cold water.

"I-I'm – I'm sorry," she stammered, face flushed. "I shouldn't be here. I h-have to go." She bolted toward the cottage door and paused outside, trying to compose herself. She hastily withdrew from his mind.

On the cot, Sirius was stirring. With a swish of her wand, Amelia banished her soundproofing spell. She then tucked her wand up her sleeve and transformed back into an owl. The remainder of the unwrapped chocolate was left on the edge of the bed.

It was simpler to compose herself as an owl, her emotions less complex. Amelia perched on the foot of the bed, motionless. When Sirius opened his eyes and saw the owl in his cell, he was taken aback. He blinked and shook his head repeatedly. Amelia fluttered her wings. Sirius' gaze darted from the chocolate to the owl and back in disbelief. Confusion was writ on his face when neither disappeared.

Amelia clacked her beak softly and flew up to the window.

Sirius looked up at her, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You were just as broken as me, weren't you?" he asked.

Memory returned.

Amelia fled into the grey mist.