You do not know the powers the Dark Lord Possesses.

What if Sirius had been the secret keeper?

AN: Dark. don't read if you're of a sensitive disposition.


Consciousness returned to Sirius slowly, so it took him a few moments to realise that he had been captured.

The room he was in was dark and he couldn't hear anyone, so he started struggling at the ropes which bound him to a chair.

"Good morning, Mister Black."

The sudden appearance of bright lights made Sirius wince. When he opened his eyes again, he froze in horror.

The Dark Lord Voldemort was standing across from him.

They were alone in a windowless, plain room.

"Thank you for joining me," Voldemort continued. "I apologise for the manner of your being brought here, but you have something I want."

"I won't tell you anything," Sirius said. He almost kept the quiver out of his voice.

Voldemort shook his head, almost sadly. "Yes, you will," he said firmly. "But the lengths I will have to go to to convince you is entirely up to you."

Sirius felt the shiver go down his back at the words, but he strengthened his resolve. He would rather die than betray James and Lily.

"I've got a better idea. Why don't you go—"

"Crucio."


Sirius wasn't sure how much time had passed, how many times he had been subjected to Voldemort's Curses, all he knew was that he wanted it to stop.

"Just kill me already," he gasped out in one of his reprieves.

"I'm ashamed of you, Mister Black," Voldemort said. "You come from such noble heritage and I've been informed that you were reasonably accomplished at school. If I kill you, then I won't get what I want and I always get what I want."

"I won't… I won't betray them."

"You're only making this harder on yourself, but perhaps we should try something new."

Sirius knew how ominous that sounded, but he was just relieved that the pain was going to stop.

Behind him, he heard the sound of a door opening. A figure in a Death Eater mask and robes came into view, an unconscious woman levitating before them.

With a gesture, the Death Eater was dismissed, and with a second, the woman opened her eyes.

"Wh— where am I?"

Then she screamed at the sight of Voldemort.

"Crucio."

The woman screamed again, even more shrilly.

"Stop it!" Sirius shouted. "Stop!"

Voldemort relented, and Silenced the woman. "You seemed like the type who would suffer at seeing others hurt," he said, then he Cursed her again, her voice still suppressed by Voldemort's spell.

"And I do not need to be as careful with her as I do with you," he said, even as she writhed. "And if she does die, there are plenty more Muggles out there. Millions of the worthless beasts."

Sirius wanted to protest, but he knew it would be useless. He wanted to offer to take her place, but couldn't bring himself to say the words.


"Please, just tell him what he wants to know," she pleaded.

"I can't," Sirius insisted. "My friends…"

"Please!"

"Crucio."

It was a short application, only a minute or so.

"He has the power to end it. To stop your suffering," Voldemort told the Muggle. "But still he refuses."

The woman looked at Sirius, tears in her eyes.

"Crucio."


"Oh, what a shame. Suffocated. You see," Voldemort said, his voice light and academic, "the victim tenses so much from the pain that their diaphragm is locked in place. By the third or fourth minute, the brain is starved of oxygen."

Sirius stared at her dead body. It hadn't been his hand, but she was dead because of him. He hadn't even known her name.

"Please," Sirius whispered.

The door opened again and a Death Eater entered again. Sirius couldn't tell if it was the same one as before.

The woman's body was removed and another Muggle, a man this time, was brought in.

"I wonder how many you will watch die before you give up," Voldemort said, sounding genuinely curious. "Crucio."


"I'm begging you! Do it to me, instead!"

"Ah! So there is the Gryffindor. I was beginning to wonder. But I decide what happens here. Then again, maybe physical pain has grown a little stale."

With a wave of Voldemort's wand, Sirius' bonds fell to the floor. Sirius looked at Voldemort fearfully, not knowing what he had planned next.

Voldemort pointed his wand at Sirius, who flinched, but no pain came this time.

"Imperio."

A wonderful, freeing feeling came over Sirius. All of the pain and terror of the past hours vanished.

Kill him.

When Sirius became aware of himself again, he looked down to see his hands covered in blood.

He couldn't stop the bile rising in his throat.


Sirius lost count of how many poor, defenceless Muggles he saw tortured. Voldemort had a seemingly limitless supply of horrifying fates he could subject them to.

The next one was young, younger than any of the others so far.

"What a pretty thing," Voldemort said. "What should I have you do to her?"

"Okay!" Sirius shouted, tears streaming down his face. "The Potters live at Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow."

"Avada Kedavra."

For a moment, Sirius thought he was dead and he was almost happy, then he noticed that the young woman was collapsed on the ground.

"Almost ten hours? I must be losing my touch," Voldemort said to himself.

Sirius despaired. He hadn't even lasted half a day.

"You have done a great service for Magical Britain," Voldemort told him.

"Just kill me," Sirius said.

"No. That would be too easy. In fact, I will instruct my followers to leave you untouched. In fact…"

Voldemort pointed his wand at Sirius and his world spun.

"What did you do?" Sirius slurred.

"We can't have you killing yourself, can we? It's probably one of my nicest Curses."

Sirius thought he would weep or vomit, but he just had no energy left.

"Now, I have an appointment in Godric's Hollow," Voldemort strode to the door and opened it. "We're finished here. Kill the rest of the Muggles. Take Black to Saint Mungo's."

"Wait…" Sirius said. His friends…

"Goodbye, Mister Black. Perhaps we'll meet again."

Sirius took a shaky step forwards, but the Death Eater's wand flashed red and the world went dark.


"You should have known, Sirius," Lupin said darkly. "That if Voldemort didn't kill you, then we would."

At his side, Peter nodded grimly.

"You don't understand," Sirius said. "You don't know the power the Dark Lord Possesses."