A/N: This idea came about in an effort to show Sirius more responsible and able to take up the mantle of being Harry's godfather. Nearly all of my stories are very Harry centric. When I was writing this from first person Sirius, I found myself still writing scenes with Harry while not with Sirius. I pictured a thirteen year old Harry getting the idea that he needs to work harder at being a Potter once he finds out some things. My inspiration petered out in chapter five. I have written recently on a couple of other stories but the inspiration was short-lived. I still have 8 more stories I'm working on. One even has 13 chapters and is close to being finished. If only. I've had traction on those unfinished more recently so they will stay on my hard drive for now waiting for additional inspiration.
Sirius the Black
by Roff
Chapter One
It sucked to be me.
All those years in that hell hole and I was completely innocent of the crimes I was accused of and put in prison for, all without a trial I might add.
I had been slowly losing my mind as the dementors in the prison were steadily but surely driving me mad. Dementors were minor demons that some crazy and powerful wizard summoned into the world a long time ago. They promptly killed him for his trouble.
Wizards since then had learned to control them somewhat and now they were used to guard the wizard prison. No one had figured out yet how to send them back or destroy them so they were put to work for the Ministry of Magic in London.
I could transform into Padfoot, my grim dog form, and lessen the effects from the dementors but after so many years, it was getting to me anyway. I suppose it was the lack of hope I had of ever being free again and getting out of that place.
Azkaban, it was the prison for magicals in Britain. It was guaranteed to drive you around the twist.
In fact, I had pretty much given up hope completely and was ready to allow myself to fall contentedly into that madness that was always so close on the edges of my mind. It was always encroaching and trying to take over. However, I continually held onto the knowledge of my innocence. It was something the dementors could not take away from me.
The Black family was well-known for their ability with the mind arts. I wasn't as dark as the rest of my family, but I was still a Black. I suppose that was another reason that prison had a difficult time breaking me.
On a particularly dark day when I was fairly ready to give up, something suddenly changed my outlook. It was something that I could focus on. It was something that could motivate me. It was something that drove away all the madness that was closing in. It was something that caused my mind to clear.
It was the newspaper.
The Daily Prophet to be exact.
No, hold on. Let me explain. The Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was visiting the prison for an inspection, or something like that, and he had that day's Daily Prophet in his hand. He was done with it so pushed it through the bars of my door when I asked to read it.
Right on the front page was a picture of the Weasley family who had taken a trip to Egypt for a holiday. The thing that caught my eye was what was sitting on the shoulder of the youngest Weasley boy.
It was a rat.
That was not an ordinary rat either. It wasn't a simple pet. It was my ex-friend, Peter Pettigrew, in his animagus form. He was the one that was guilty. He was the one that betrayed us. He was the one that was the secret keeper for the Potters, not me. He was the one that told Voldemort where they lived. He was the one that tricked me and made it look like I was the guilty one.
It didn't help that I made people believe I was the secret keeper just to help protect Peter. After all, I was James Potter's closest friend. We were like brothers. Naturally, everyone thought I was their secret keeper for the Fidelius on their house.
Seeing Peter and where he was hiding gave me a new incentive, not only to live, but to break out of that god forsaken place. After reading some of the story in the paper and looking at the date, I realized that the Weasley boy was my godson's age. That means Peter was at Hogwarts with Harry Potter, pretending to be a pet rat.
There was no way I was going to let Peter hurt my godson.
With my mind focused and clear, my chance came when one of the guards came to give me my meal. I had been listless for a while so he didn't bother stunning me so he could drop off my food. He just kept his wand on me as he brought it in.
I was accused of killing Peter and a whole bunch of Muggles using only one spell. In fact, supposedly all that was left of Peter was a finger. Therefore, I had the reputation of being a powerful and very dangerous wizard, so they took few chances with me.
This time, however, I was laying very still on my cot and flat on my back with my eyes open and not blinking. Many prisoners died in Azkaban after they gave up so the guards were accustomed to verifying if a prisoner was still alive. He eased over cautiously and bent over me to look into my eyes so he could check to see if anyone was still at home.
As soon as his eyes looked into mine, I had him. He tried to fight me off mentally and he almost did since I was weak, but I pushed harder, broke through his mind shields, and managed to make him sleep before he could mount a stronger mental defense or use his wand. Evidently, once he was in a mental struggle with me, he couldn't remember or focus enough to use his wand.
That played into my favor.
I picked up his wand and used it to float him up onto my cot and tucked him in with a couple of flicks. Then cleaned up the mess he left from dropping the meal they were going to feed me. The guard's wand was difficult to use but it was all I had at the moment. I then went out the door, shutting and locking it behind me. My emotions were heightened and the guard's patronus disappeared once he was asleep, so it was no surprise to see a dementor was coming my way. I quickly placed his wand on the floor since I had no pockets and changed into my animagus form.
I then picked up the wand in my mouth and ran toward the front of the building and the guard offices. The dementor seemed to have lost interest once I was no longer human so floated off in another direction.
Once I reached the guard offices, I changed back and peaked inside the bars of the door. Only one guard was on duty and it was the captain. The rest of the guards must have been all out delivering meals. I poked the wand through the bars and stunned the man.
I then floated the keys off his belt up to me and through the bars so I could open the door. Once I had the door open I went into the office and checked his wand to see if it worked better. It did so I left the guard's wand on the desk and used the captain's wand instead. It still wasn't close enough so I then looked for any extra wands in the office.
"Accio wands!" I silently cast.
I heard a rattle in a cabinet so I opened the cabinet and found some more wands. My wand had been snapped but some prisoners in the less secure part of the prison were serving shorter sentences and would get their wands back when they were released. This cabinet held those wands.
I went through them quickly and found another that was an even closer fit, still not close enough yet though. It was just the best I would be able to do for now. I traded it out and gave the captain back his wand, even though he was not aware of it.
I also found some clothes in a box on a shelf in the cabinet. It was full of shrunken clothes in labeled bags. I found mine, along with my wand holster, expanded them back to normal size, then stripped down before casting some cleaning charms on myself. I got dressed and vanished my worn out prison rags. I also used a teeth cleaning spell a few times until my mouth was minty fresh and my teeth were sparkling white.
I noticed my clothes were a little big on me. I definitely lost a lot of weight with the slop they fed you. I was basically skin and bones.
I put everything back the way I found it with a wave of my borrowed wand. After I unlocked the door to the outside, I left it open and then put the keys back on the captain's belt. I thought I heard a guard coming back so I made haste and got out of there, closing the doors behind me.
I slipped the borrowed wand into my wand holster and turned back into Padfoot. I had a bit of a swim ahead of me and my grim form would be better suited to handle it than my human one. I hit the water with a splash and dog paddled my way toward shore.
The water was freezing cold but the fur coat I had on as Padfoot helped. Once I reached the shore I shook off the water like a normal dog would until I had most of it flung off of me. I then took off running fast since I knew I had about a mile to go to get completely out of the wards surrounding the prison.
I was running through trees and brush. It felt so good to be free again, out of that prison, and away from the dementors.
When I felt myself pass through the wards, I stopped and turned back into myself. I then cast a warming charm and gave my clothes a nice straightening.
"Kreacher?" I called.
It took a few seconds but the Black family house elf appeared before me with a crack.
"Kreacher comes when blood-traitor master calls," the old elf told me in his croaky voice.
"I see you've been spending too much time with my dear mother's portrait, Kreacher. You should be very careful with how you address me. I'm quite sure I am now the head of the Black family as my grandfather, Arcturus, planned. It would not take long to replace you if you cannot behave as a proper elf."
"Kreacher will try to do better, master."
"You can prove that by transporting me safely and comfortably back to the house of Black. That is an order and I am ready to go now."
Kreacher grabbed my hand and off we went via elf travel to the home of my family, such as it was.
When we landed in the foyer, I looked around in disgust. The place was filthy and smelled rotten.
"Kreacher! What is the meaning of this? Is this how you keep the ancient and noble house of Black? You let it come to ruin? Have you no pride in the house you have served since you were old enough to take on your duties?"
"Kreacher is sorry but there is an evil in this house that is causing much of the problems," he said shamefully.
"What evil is that, Kreacher?" I asked warily.
"There is a nasty, evil locket Master Regulus commanded Kreacher to destroy, but Kreacher has failed his beloved master."
"Why have you failed, Kreacher?" I asked as I walked into the lounge with Kreacher following me.
"Kreacher has tried and tried but no matter what Kreacher tries the locket will not be destroyed."
I used the wand to clean a chair to sit in. I then sat down as I asked another question, "Kreacher, do you know what happened to my brother?"
"Kreacher knows," he said sadly.
"Tell me what happened to Regulus, Kreacher," I told him more gently.
"Master Regulus commanded Kreacher to go with the dark lord to help him because he needed an elf to help. Master Regulus also commanded Kreacher to come back to him when the dark lord was finished with Kreacher. The dark lord placed the locket in a carved out stone bowl which was in a cave by the seaside. The cave was filled with water and inferi. The dark lord then poured a potion over the locket and made Kreacher drink it until it was all gone. He then made the potion refill itself over the locket in the bowl automatically, laughed, and left Kreacher there to die."
I shook my head in disgust.
"Kreacher was in great pain and was thirsty so Kreacher crawled to the water and took a drink. The inferi reached up and pulled Kreacher down into the water. Kreacher fought the inferi but could not get loose. Kreacher then remembered Master Regulus commanding Kreacher to return so Kreacher did."
I nodded, encouraging him.
"Master Regulus took great care of Kreacher and Kreacher told Master Regulus what the dark lord did in the cave. Master Regulus spent some time in the library after that. Then when Kreacher was well again, Master Regulus had Kreacher take him to the cave and Master Regulus had another locket he was going to swap with the one in the potion."
"Really? Regulus did that?" I asked wondering since my little brother was a Death Eater.
Kreacher nodded than continued. "Master Regulus tried everything he could think of to swap the lockets but the only way was to drink the potion. Kreacher was ready to drink it again for Master Regulus but he would not allow it. Master Regulus drank it instead.
"Once Master Regulus was done and was in pain, Kreacher swapped out the lockets for him. The potion filled right back up after Kreacher did that. Master regulus told Kreacher to take the locket back home and destroy it. Kreacher tried to take Master Regulus too, but Master Regulus refused to return. Master Regulus then fell into the water and never came back up. The inferi took him," he said very sad.
I thought about that for a few seconds before asking another question.
"Did he ever mention what he thought the locket was?"
"Master Regulus used a word Kreacher did not know."
"What did he say?"
"Master Regulus said, ore- crucks, Kreacher thinks."
"Horcrux?"
"Yes, that is what Master Regulus said it was."
"That is one of the most despicable things one can ever create, Kreacher."
"The locket is very vile, master."
"Yes, it is," I agreed. "Kreacher, I know you loved Regulus and he loved you too. Thanks for helping him do what he needed to do against the dark lord."
"But Kreacher has failed his Master Regulus!" he said tearfully.
"Not to worry, Kreacher. I will help you destroy this locket. Between the two of us, we will fulfill my little brother's dying wish."
Kreacher looked up to me with renewed hope in his face.
"Now, can you bring me the locket?"
Kreacher smiled then popped away only to return a few seconds later with the locket. I could tell just by being in the presence of it how evil it was. It practically made me sick.
"Kreacher, please fetch me that small lead container from the master bedroom that my mother kept her jewelry in. Just dump the jewelry out on the counter. We'll put the locket in there for now until I figure out how to destroy it."
After the locket was placed in the lead container and the lid locked shut, the old house suddenly felt a little less oppressive.
Kreacher gave a small sigh.
"First things first. Please bring me the storage trunk of family wands, Kreacher. This one is borrowed and I need a closer fit."
Kreacher popped out and returned with the trunk of wands. He set it in front of me. I immediately started testing all the many wands, looking for a better fit.
"Now, let's get this house in working order. If you need help then go find another house elf that needs work. I'll bind him or her to the Black family. Make sure you tell no one about me or that you know where I am. I have to hide until I can get my name cleared."
"Yes, master," he said nodding happily in agreement.
"Also, within the next two days, I need you to take my measurements and go buy me some proper clothes befitting the Lord Black and head of house. I'll make do with what I can find in the house until then. Right now, I want this place put back to rights. I can help some but I need to study in the library to find out how to destroy that locket."
"Kreacher will clean the kitchen first and make master a very nice meal."
"Thanks, Kreacher. I could definitely use some good food."
I finally found a good wand to use that was extremely close. It belonged to a relative from about 800 years ago. I then went to the library and started cleaning so I could start studying about horcruxes. I also needed to find where Harry was located so I could protect him. It was summer so I didn't have to worry about him being at Hogwarts quite yet. This means, I had a little bit of spare time to get better from my stay in Azkaban.
I wanted to be healthy enough so I could be of more use to him. I needed normalcy away from those dementors and good meals to eat. While my body heals I planned to work on my mind so I could strengthen it to be as strong as possible.
My occlumency shields had suffered while I was locked up so it was important to build them back up again.
After I ate, I sent Kreacher to buy some nutrient potions to help with my physical conditioning. I also had him restock the potions ingredients in the potions lab. There were many potions I could brew myself that would be beneficial to my recovery, some being part of private Black family knowledge.
While he was in Diagon Alley he also bought a nice eagle owl for me. He was mostly a dark brown color, proud, but eager to please. I named him Artemis.
His first job was to take a note to my account manager at Gringotts so I could get a private portkey to the bank. I could then handle all the needed documents as the new head of House Black and see if they can lend a hand on a couple of things.
Kreacher ended up deciding he would not find another elf to help. He seemed contented and happy to clean up and repair the old house now that the locket's evilness was blocked. Evidently, the taint from the locket had been doing a number on him. All the portraits seemed to be better too, including my overly cranky mother.
I could see from the evilness of the locket, how much damage it could do over the many years in one house that was already dark with magic. It was time to turn it around.
Artemis made a second trip for me, carrying a note from me to Harry. What I didn't know at the time was that Harry had used accidental magic on Vernon's sister after she insulted his parents. Harry blew her up like a balloon and she floated away. The Ministry had to find her, deflate her, and obliviate her.
Harry had gone to his room and grabbed his things such as his trunk, owl, and owl cage. He then left and ended up taking the Knight Bus to the Leaky Cauldron. Artemis found him there and delivered the letter.
Harry didn't recognize the owl but took the letter anyway. He saw who it was from and immediately shoved it in his pocket so he could read it when he was alone. The Weasley family for some reason had showed up there too. Many had warned him about me already and that I had escaped from Azkaban, a feat that had not been done before.
When he was back in his room by himself, he finally was able to read the letter from me.
Harry,
The first thing you need to know is I'm your godfather. Your father, James, and I were the closest any two friends could possibly be. I was his best man at his wedding. Your mother, Lily, became a very close friend to me too.
When your parents went into hiding under the Fidelius, it was naturally assumed that I would be the secret keeper. Why not? James and I were as close as brothers. However, I had the grand idea to make Peter Pettigrew, one of our other friends, the secret keeper instead. No one would suspect it. I would then pretend that I was secret keeper all along so that would protect Peter. Your father agreed with me.
What we didn't know was Peter was a traitor. He had already joined Voldemort so betrayed your parents and you, heck, he betrayed all of us. I'm still hurting due to the loss of your parents and I'm sure Remus is too. The four of us were known as the Marauders when we were at Hogwarts and became very close friends.
In the Marauders, your father James was named Prongs, Remus Lupin was named Moony, Peter Pettigrew was named Wormtail, and I was named Padfoot. We had some great times so it was a very hard thing to take when Peter betrayed us.
What you need to know immediately is Peter is still alive. He framed me for your parents murders, turned into a rat, and then escaped into the sewers. I was sent to Azkaban without even a semblance of a trial. I recently escaped so I'm in hiding until I can clear my name.
The important point is Peter is an animagus which is how he can turn into a rat, hence his name Wormtail. I saw him on the shoulder of the youngest Weasley boy on the front page of the Daily Prophet the other day. I realized he was your age and would be at Hogwarts with you. That's what lit a fire under me to escape. I need to protect you from that rat.
They say all that was left of Peter was a finger. There is no spell that will leave only a finger. I also noticed the rat in the picture was missing a front toe, but I would recognize Wormtail with or without it.
Make sure someone with authority knows that Weasley boy's pet rat is an animagus and a very dangerous one. Do not ever be in the same room with that rat, especially with no one else around. Peter is a Death Eater, so be very careful.
I'm looking forward to seeing you in person, but we can converse as much as you like until then using our owls. Artemis is a new addition but he's a great owl and eager to be of service.
I've already been to Gringotts and made you my heir. I'm the new head of the Black family, meaning I am Lord Black or the Black, and I currently don't have any children nor am I in a position to bring a witch into my life. I need to get my name cleared before that happens.
Please stay safe, Harry!
Love from your godfather,
Sirius (Padfoot) Black
Harry began conversing with me back and forth using Artemis and Hedwig. Harry knew many would frown at him for doing it, but for some reason he seemed to believe me. He told me he had vague dreams when he was much younger of a big black dog named Padfoot he used to play with.
Harry and the Weasleys were staying for a few days before school started at the Leaky Cauldron so Harry and I were able to send letters back and forth, sometimes even twice a day since the Leaky Cauldron was not all that far from the Black house, at least for an owl anyway.
I was still continually warning him about Peter, so Harry lowered the last letter slowly and looked over on the other bed that Ron had been using. Sure enough Scabbers was curled up on the bed asleep. Harry quietly reached over and picked up his wand. He then readied himself and cast a stunner at the rat.
"Stupefy!" he cast suddenly before the rat could realize anything was happening.
The red spell caught the rat dead center. Harry then hurried up and grabbed Hedwig's cage. He then floated the rat in the cage and locked the door with the locking spell. Next, he took off to find Mr. Weasley. He was down in the pub with his family.
Harry went up to him in a hurry carrying the rat in his bird cage.
"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Weasley!"
"Yes, Harry? What is it?" he asked standing from the table wondering what the problem was.
"Sorry to interrupt," Harry said a little out of breath, "but do you know a spell to check and see if an animal is an animagus?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. Why do you ask?"
"Can you please cast that spell on this rat in Hedwig's cage?"
"Hey, isn't that Scabbers?" asked Ron worried.
"Yes, but I have a feeling that isn't his real name, Ron. Can you please do that now, Mr. Weasley? I have him stunned but he may wake up any minute."
"Very well. Set the cage on the table, Harry."
Harry did and stepped back a couple of steps.
Mr. Weasley cast the spell and the rat glowed red. Had he been a common rat he would have glowed blue.
"My word!" exclaimed Mr. Weasley. "That rat is an animagus! Stand back everyone."
The whole pub was watching now.
Mr. Weasley unlocked and opened the door to the cage with a couple of flicks of his wand. He then floated the rat out of the cage and placed him on the floor. Next, he cast another spell that forced the rat to change back to human form. Suddenly before everyone in the pub, Peter Pettigrew was laying there.
Quickly, Mr. Weasley cast another spell which tied up Peter with ropes just in case he woke up soon.
"Well, I'll be," someone said. "Peter Pettigrew in the flesh. I thought he was dead."
Harry moved over to Peter and pulled his left sleeve up, working it past the ropes until all could see the mark on his arm.
"He's a death eater!" a couple of them said at the same time in shock.
Mr. Weasley sent off a patronus to the Ministry. It only took about 2 minutes before Kingsley and Madam Bones were stepping out of the floo. They walked over and looked at the prisoner on the floor. Two more aurors came through after them.
"Would someone like to explain what happened?" asked Madam Bones.
Mr. Weasley gestured to Harry for the explanation so Harry stepped forward.
"I went up to my room to read a letter I received via owl. Ron's rat was on the other bed. My letter made me believe that Ron's rat was an animagus so I stunned him and brought him to Mr. Weasley so he could check and see if the rat was really an animagus. Obviously, he is."
"Can I see this letter you received, Mr. Potter?" asked Madam Bones.
"It's a private letter, but I will consider allowing you to read it if you can tell me when Sirius Black received a trial before being thrown into Azkaban."
"Mr. Potter, he must have received a trial. It's illegal to be thrown into Azkaban without first being convicted of your crimes," she insisted.
"I would hope so. But, does anyone remember a trial? Better yet, are there any records of a trial?"
Harry could see many were thinking back on when all that happened but none seemed to be able to come up with a definite memory of a trial for Sirius Black.
"I can't remember his trial specifically," replied Madam Bones, "there were so many back then, but I can check the records, Mr. Potter."
"Please do that and after you do, let me know if he ever received a trial, please. I'll be glad to let you see my private letter then."
"Would it not be easier to just let me see it now?" she asked.
"Madam Bones, as you can see our prisoner who was supposedly killed by Sirius Black, is very much alive and when asked if anyone could remember if Sirius Black received a trial, not a soul in here, and there are quite a few, could remember anything about it, not one bit.
"Given that Peter here is a Death Eater and we now know Sirius Black didn't kill him, then what else is wrong with everything Sirius Black was accused of? It could be he was not guilty of any of it, given Peter has been in hiding this whole time and can turn into a rat to escape.
"No, I need proof that Sirius Black had a trial and was fairly convicted of the crimes he supposedly committed. We already know he was not guilty of at least one of them and I assume once you question Peter here, you will be even more informed about what happened that day. I think he has a lot to hide, Madam Bones."
"Very well, Mr. Potter. We will question Pettigrew and verify whether or not Black had a trial."
"Thank you, Madam Bones. I would appreciate if you informed me of your findings. I also have reason to believe that Peter was my parent's secret keeper and not Sirius Black."
"And why would you think that? she asked.
"Oh, an owl brought me some information that caused me to question the given beliefs. I think we need evidence don't you?"
"That we do, Mr. Potter." She then turned to her aurors. "Take Pettigrew back to the Ministry and lock him up. Make sure he can't transform into a rat and absolutely no one is to question him until I do. Understood?"
"Yes, Director," they answered.
"You've given me a lot to think about. I'll certainly be in touch, Mr. Potter," she said as she and Kingsley walked toward the floo.
"Director, if Sirius didn't get a trial," Kingsley was saying, "then this is going to open a big can of worms."
"You've got that right," she said just before she took the floo back to the Ministry with Kingsley following her.
