Hello! Thank you for the reviews! This chapter is being posted today instead of tomorrow because I am working tomorrow night and am unable to post so instead of making you guys wait an extra day, I figured I would update today!

Twisting Time

Chapter Four

There were many choices Sirius Black could make. Dumbledore had made it very clear. The question that pounded inside his head told him he did have to think carefully in what he chose to do, what he chose to prioritise. There was not a simple answer to it.

What to do next?

That was the choice, the question that he had to provide an answer for.

One thing he was sure about preventing was Harry never getting involved with Voldemort in any way. The same for Neville Longbottom. James had told him Harry wasn't the only child the Prophecy had referred to. It could have meant Harry's classmate but Voldemort had chosen Harry. Had actively sought out the Potters over the Longbottom's yet if he was unable to reach Harry due to the change Sirius had made to the Secret Keeper would he defer to Neville? Would Neville's mother sacrifice her life for her son? Harry had only lived because Lily had chosen to die over living. There was no guarantee Alice Longbottom would be given the same choice. If Voldemort targeted the Longbottoms and succeeded in killing them without being defeated he would still turn his attention back to Harry. He would want to ensure all potential threats were eliminated.

Voldemort had to be stopped before he could ruin those two families' lives. There were multiple targets he had to think of. His cousin, the Malfoy's, the Dark Lord, Pettigrew… But how could he solve them all? At the moment Voldemort and Pettigrew were the most dangerous.

Dumbledore had told him not to do this on his own, had told him to trust James and Lily but how could he when he had killed them? If they knew what he had done, asked them to do, they would hate him. They wouldn't be able to look at him in the face. No, talking to James and Lily about where he came from was out of the equation. They would never know – it was for their own and his safety.

His crazy plan to trap Voldemort was worth refining and considering especially if it worked but he couldn't delay putting James and Lily under the Fidelius Charm. They had to go deeper into hiding. The problem was, was that information was likely to get back to Voldemort and then he would hunt for Sirius because Pettigrew wouldn't be the Secret Keeper… Unless Sirius went into hiding whilst he figured out what he could do. But again, like telling James and Lily the truth, it wasn't an option he could take but if he absolutely had to, he would. He'd been given a second chance and he wasn't going to waste it by going into hiding.

He did, however, want to take out Pettigrew. He was not going to let that rat continue to deceive the whole Order. The problem was Pettigrew would know. Sirius had to be careful not to slip up he knew Pettigrew's true allegiances.

"He might be useful in leading Voldemort to me when I trap him though…" mused Sirius quietly; hand on his chin, as he sat back on his chair in his living room. If Sirius was to trap Voldemort they could use Pettigrew then as they'd be able to expose him for the traitor he was…

For now he would leave Pettigrew, no matter how much he wanted to go out and kill the traitor. For appearances sake and for any plans he may concoct to work, Pettigrew had a part to play. And putting the rat in jail was not going to help Sirius.

There were so many more things that could go wrong. So many more people could die who had lived if Sirius messed up. Every choice he made would have to be planned meticulously. He couldn't take risks – well risks he hadn't planned for anyway.

He leaned forward, running a hand down his face. "For now ensuring James, Lily and Harry's safety is my priority. That is my choice."

Finding a way to defeat Voldemort would have to come later.

A few hours later Sirius found himself back at Godric's Hollow, sitting with Lily and James in their living room whilst Harry slept in his crib upstairs.

"Have you asked Dumbledore?" queried Sirius.

Lily nodded, swallowing visibly. "Yes. He has consented to be our Secret Keeper."

Sirius breathed out in relief. "When will he perform it?"

"Tomorrow," answered James. "The quicker the better. It is common knowledge the Potter family has connections in Godric's Hollow. I'm surprised Voldemort hasn't come knocking yet."

Sirius shuddered. "Godric's Hollow does have protections of its own. The last thing Voldemort would want is to be forced to kill a lot of Wizarding families by guessing where you lived. Each wizarding family here has magical protections around it. If he attacks the wrong one, the Ministry and the Order can arrive in time. He'll want to know your actual address before coming to the village so he can make a clean escape." He had always wondered why Voldemort had taken over a year after Harry was born to actively hunt him down. And when he had decided to go after Harry it would have been relatively simple for Voldemort to find them, if they hadn't been warned in advance. He didn't want James and Lily living unprotected for any longer.

James nodded. "That is true. I don't like going into hiding but I can't let him get my son."

"He won't," promised Sirius. That he was sure of. Voldemort would only get to Harry over his dead body.

"Is Professor Dumbledore going to tell anyone where we are?" asked Lily carefully. "Just in case something happens to him…"

"Yes. He will give me the Secret."

"Moony and Wormtail?" probed James, watching Sirius carefully.

Sirius swallowed. He had to be careful here. James would find it difficult to believe any of his friends would ever betray him. "No, the less they know the better it is for them. The less likely they will become targets themselves."

"I don't think either of them would betray us," stated James proudly. "We made a promise to never break."

Sirius remembered. It had been in fifth year when they had first achieved the animagus transformation, promising one another they would always be there for each other and would die before they could betray anyone. "School boy promises are worth nothing in the real world, Prongs," admitted Sirius, swallowing as he realised to Peter that promise had meant nothing to him. For Sirius, James and Remus it had meant everything.

James rose to his feet, slight anger crossing his face. "Moony and Wormtail would never betray me!"

Sirius bowed his head. For the sake of appearance he had to agree. "I know."

Lily cocked her head to the side, a curious expression on her face. "When we saw you this morning you said we couldn't trust Wormy…"

Sirius grimaced. He alone knew the whole truth. He had lived a life of betrayal. He had seen his whole world ripped apart by the actions of another, yet to James and Lily it was inconceivable any of their friends would ever do anything that would harm them. They trusted Pettigrew with their lives on Sirius' suggestion and he had killed them for it. No, they could not understand. "Everyone is a suspect, even me."

"But you would nev-" James protested but Sirius held up a hand to silence him.

"No, James. No one is safe. Dumbledore wants one other person to know where you are unless something happens to him. He's chosen me," explained Sirius, though he wasn't exactly stating the full truth. Dumbledore was only telling him the Secret because Sirius was insisting he knew. "But until we can catch the traitor who is passing your movements to Voldemort we can't be sure of anyone's loyalty. Moony spends half his time with the werewolves these days and Pett-Wormtail is spending more time away from us and disappearing at odd times." Then a thought struck him. "Don't you wonder why he never takes his jumper off even when he's hot and sweating?"

"That doesn't mean…" Lily trailed off, looking doubtful.

"See. I don't want to believe anyone could betray us but in the current climate who knows who Voldemort has reached and turned to his side?" said Sirius quietly. It was a valid point and Sirius knew the reason Dumbledore had suspected him originally was because of all the family members he had on the other side. He thought power would corrupt Sirius and he'd walk over to the path he had fought against for so long.

James ran a hand through his thick, messy hair and leaned back. "I hate this war. I hate what it is doing to us. I just want it to end."

"So do I Prongs, but until we can kill Voldemort, the war won't end," Sirius pointed out wearily.

"He's too fast," said Lily. "James and I have duelled him before. Hardly any of our curses struck him."

James nodded vigorously. "Lily's right. We were lucky to escape him the three times we've duelled him. You would have to be incredibly lucky to defeat him."

Like Harry was, thought Sirius, and that was only because of his complete and utter lack of understanding of love. "I know. But he isn't infallible. Everyone has their weaknesses. Voldemort does too. It is just a matter of finding them and exploiting them to our advantage."

"I doubt Voldemort would ever let anyone get close enough to him for weaknesses to be discovered," said Lily quietly. "He may have his favourites but I doubt he trusts anyone completely."

Sirius nodded. "True. But I think if we plan our moves carefully we stand a high chance of defeating him. It's just a matter of waiting for the opportune moment to arrive."

Sunday 25th October 1981

"It is done."

Sirius looked up from the settee as Albus Dumbledore tumbled gracefully out of his fireplace and into his flat. "The charm has been performed?" He needed clarification.

The old man inclined his head. "It has. I now hold the Secret to the whereabouts of James and Lily Potter. They are located at Potter Cottage, Godric's Lane, Godric's Hollow."

Sirius swallowed. He now knew the location of the Potters and could access their home if he needed to do so. He didn't intend to visit them that often. It would be safer for them if visiting was kept to as little as possible. "Thanks," he murmured in appreciation.

Dumbledore moved to sit down upon the chair facing Sirius. "Have you considered what your next step will be?"

Sirius nodded, putting down the Daily Prophet he had been reading, and sitting up straighter. "Yes. James and Lily are safe, for now. I do want to focus on stopping Voldemort for good but I know rushing into it isn't going to help. We need to plan this properly. Is it…" he hesitated, unsure whether to ask the question or not, "…worth it? Can we truly trap him?"

"I believe it is possible," answered Dumbledore, "as long as the trap is laid long in advance. Power would be on our side if we are the puppeteers. And what about Peter Pettigrew?"

"Leave him for now," suggested Sirius, "I think he could play a crucial part in our plan."

"Very well," Dumbledore smiled. "I am used to taking the lead not deferring to others."

Sirius snorted. "I'm honestly surprised you are letting me. I thought you'd fight harder against what I wanted to do but you seem to be encouraging me."

"I have my reasons. I do not wish for Lily and James to die," answered the Headmaster. "All we can do, Sirius, is hope we can end the war soon. Whilst I am their Secret Keeper, they will not be betrayed and the war will not end on Halloween night. We have a solution to trapping Voldemort if we can however it does need refinement and there is only so long we can use before we must put it into place or risk the Longbottom's as well. In your world, Harry is the child of prophecy and whilst it is unlikely Voldemort will target Neville Longbottom, the possibility remains if he is unable to reach Harry. Therefore we must act as soon as we can."

Sirius sighed. "But can we be ready? Trapping Voldemort isn't going to be easy."

Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled. "Not if we plan it right."

Thursday 29th October 1981

He was on his knees, bowing to his Lord, his form trembling with every breath he took.

"Tell me… Pettigrew… Who is the Secret Keeper for the Potters?" the cold voice demanded.

Peter knew he had no choice. He had chosen to join the Dark Lord, believing he could save his friends and his own life in the process but he had never dared to dream it would mean betraying his friends when his Master began hunting them. If his friends learned what he was, what he had done they would abandon him.

I joined because I was promised they wouldn't be harmed. But they lied to me.

He was stuck as a Death Eater because he was too afraid to back out and die. The consequences of his choices meant he could end up being the reason his friends were killed. He didn't want to betray them yet he didn't want to die either. In the end he knew if he was asked to betray his friends, the coward in him would always choose his friends death's over his own.

Peter sighed.

"You know what the consequences are if you do not deign to give me an answer," the cold voice added after a few minutes silence.

Swallowing, Peter kept his head down and let the words tumble from his lips. "Sirius Black is their Secret Keeper."

After all he had been told by James they intended to ask Sirius. Why would he refuse them?

They'll kill me if they ever find out I gave Sirius away.

On October thirty-first nineteen eighty-one, James and Lily Potter lived.

Wednesday 4th November 1981

He was getting impatient. Days had passed since the coward had told him who the Secret Keeper was.

Yet Black remained well hidden. No one had seen hide nor hair of him for a week. At least Black's disappearance proved Pettigrew was not lying to him. If Black did not hold the Secret to the Potters location then he would not have gone underground.

If his usual sources could not provide him with Black's location then perhaps his most loyal servants would do better.

Yes… they will not fail me…

Friday 6th November 1981

He'd been in hiding for nearly two weeks now and James and Lily and Harry were still safe in Godric's Hollow and Halloween had passed by without any incident. Yet Sirius was stuck. A spy had informed Dumbledore that Voldemort was seeking him believing him to be the Secret Keeper for the Potters. Though Sirius had suspected this he had hoped suspicion wouldn't fall on him quite as soon as it had. Against his better wishes but following Dumbledore's advice, Sirius had decided to go into hiding though only until he was ready to implement his plan. It did give him time to work on his plan, something of which he would not have had if he'd remained in the open.

Sirius doubted he'd be able to leave his new home. Though he was not under a Fidelius Charm, Dumbledore had set up powerful wards around the Muggle flat he was now living in. Staying in his old place would have been foolish since it would make locating him much easier. He could have gone to Hogwarts but Sirius hadn't wished to put the students in danger by residing there.

The last thing Sirius needed was to be found by Death Eaters. Not right now and especially not with the knowledge he had in his head. It was a hitch in their plans that Sirius had expected at some point but not to occur this soon, though he really should have expected it with James and Lily safe under the Fidelius.

He hated this chair he was sitting in. It was so… uncomfortable. He stretched his legs out and ruffled out the pieces of parchment next to him. Since being stuck in confinement, Sirius had been researching spells, using books Dumbledore had loaned him, and trying to figure out a decent plan with which they could trap Voldemort.

Sirius hoped if he was able to stay hidden until he was ready to lay his trap then perhaps he'd be able to lure Voldemort out. It would only be a matter of time before the Dark Lord decided to hunt him down himself without resorting to using his followers.

The helpful aspect of hiding was that he had hours upon hours to think up every positive and negative point and everything that could go wrong with his crazy plan (turns out there was plenty). Half the time he was tempted to torch the parchment and forget about but what kept him going was Harry.

He would be able to stop his godson from having a destiny he should never have had.

Sirius ran his eyes over the different spells he had picked out of the books. Most were forgotten spells, many which hadn't been used in years but highly likely to prevent Voldemort from escaping. The problem was ensuring Voldemort did not have his wand on him which was the only part of the plan Sirius was having trouble on. How could he disarm one of the most skilled duellists in the world?

As he turned the page of Olde Magic and Curses, his senses tingled and he stiffened.

Something was wrong, very wrong.

Magic crackled the air.

Sirius reached for his wand-

The door burst open with a cascading crash.

To be continued...

Please let me know what you think!

Yeah update a day earlier and I end the chapter with this! Oops!

Sirius musing on what he needs to prioritise: which is James, Lily and Harry's safety. He's now done that with Dumbledore being Secret Keeper and is working on a way to put into action his crazy idea. It isn't going to be something he will rush in to, it will be a plan that evolves over the course of the next few chapters before he even considers trying to trap Voldemort to defeat him - to at least give the Wizarding World the breather it needs.

So... Dumbledore is Secret Keeper but no one knows... Wormtail believes Sirius is and has set Voldemort on Sirius which is not something he needs right now when he doesn't want to go into hiding but has to for his own safety due to his knowledge of the future. So Sirius needs to hide away until Voldemort focuses on someone else.

I also wanted to mention that I think if Voldemort had gone after the Longbottoms I don't think he would have been defeated. Harry was only protected because Lily chose to die. She was only given that choice by Voldemort because Snape asked him to spare her. I don't think he would have extended the same courtesy to Alice Longbottom.

And finally Peter Pettigrew... that was hard getting into his head. It's not known why he joined the Death Eaters but I don't think he is as evil as fans have made him out to be (I'm not defending him...) It got me thinking he was Secret Keeper for at least a week before James and Lily died so that suggests to me he did try to protect them but ultimately when summoned to Voldemort he would have told him to save his own skin. I don't think Peter would have run off to Voldemort as soon as being Secret Keeper if he truly wanted to betray his friends - I think he was coerced, but willingly gave Voldemort the information in the end. It will be interesting to see if JKR ever reveals more about why Pettigrew did turn on his friends and joined the Death Eaters: sometimes it could have been the very simple reason of he thought he was doing the right thing and wanted to protect his friends by doing so. But, yes, I just wanted to explain my reasoning as to why I tried to show Pettigrew in a different light.

I hope to update next week but I am holiday so my update my be later in the week if I am unable to get an internet connection!

Until next time,

the-writer1988