Disclaimer:

I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I own Sirius Black, more's the pity. Thank you, JKR for creating this amazing world and these very special people.

Author notes:

Message to my Twilight fic readers at the bottom.

Thanks to my friends on the Siriusly Sirius group for challenging me to write this story! I never thought I could write an HP story, but the idea of righting some terrible wrongs couldn't leave my mind. Sirius is my favorite adult character in the HP series, and I've never gotten over him dying and never being able to be a father to Harry. The series gives us a number of ways Sirius could have been cleared of all charges if anyone had bothered. I explore those things in this story, as well as showing a little of the grief I think he must have felt when he found his best friend dead. I hope you enjoy.

Sirius felt restless. An uneasy sense of wrongness had been growing in him all day. His auror team had completed a successful raid earlier in the day, picking up several known Death Eaters. He should be feeling victorious now, as he lay stretched out on his couch, but instead, his sense of something being dreadfully wrong continued to grow.

Sirius wished he could visit James. Seeing his best friend — more like a brother — always cheered him up. And there was his godson, James' and Lily's son, 15 months old now. It was the proudest day in his life, when James and Lily made Sirius their son's godfather and guardian. It was a sacred responsibility they placed on him, and Sirius knew he'd die to protect the little boy.

"Harry," Sirius thought. It was because of Harry, that the Potters were in hiding, because of that damned prophecy, predicting that one of two boys might possibly be the one to kill Voldemort. Sirius thought back to the day he learned the terrible news.

Sirius and James Potter had been friends since their first train ride to Hogwarts. Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew had joined their circle, and the four of them had spent their seven years in school doing everything together. When they'd learned that Remus was a werewolf, the other three had worked tirelessly to learn to become Animagi, in order to keep their friend company during the hours of his change. This had cemented their friendship together, forever, Sirius had believed. So, when James had begged the others to meet with him and Lily regarding urgent news, Sirius hadn't hesitated. He was only surprised that Peter had not shown up, claiming to be unable to get away.

"Padfoot, Moony," James said, "Dumbledore called Lily and I in to meet with him yesterday. He gave us some news that puts us in great danger."

"What was it?" Sirius asked, sitting on the floor to play with Harry.

"He said there was a prophecy," James said, "a prophecy saying that a boy, born as the seventh month dies, born to parents who have thrice defied Voldemort, that boy will either end up killing Voldemort or Voldemort will kill him. It says that neither can live while the other survives."

"I wrote it down," Lily added, "Let me read you the whole thing."

The four of them sat speechless after Lily finished reciting the prophecy.

"That could be Harry," Remus said, "July 31. Is there any other child it could be?"

"The Longbottoms have a boy, born the day before Harry," James said, "It could be either of them. Dumbledore wants us to go into hiding and has offered to do the Fidelius Charm with himself as Secret Keeper."

Sirius picked up his godson, holding him close to his chest.

"What do you want us to do, Prongs?" he asked, "You know we'll do anything. Does Peter know?"

"No, Wormtail couldn't make it today. Dumbledore didn't want us to tell anyone, but of course, Lily and I wanted to tell all of you."

"Mooey," Harry called, reaching toward Remus.

The adults laughed, lightening the tension in the room.

"Sirius," James said, no laughter in his voice now, "We want you to be our Secret Keeper. You know how the Fidelius Charm works of course."

"Sure. Once you're under the charm, nobody can find you unless the Secret Keeper tells them your location."

"Even if they knew your location before," Remus added, "It's a good idea Prongs."

"You don't mind that we asked Sirius do you?" Lily asked Remus.

"Absolutely not. You never know what could happen to me with my lycanthropy. I could die. I could get arrested if the ministry goes crazy. Sirius is the best choice."

"What did Dumbledore say when you told him you didn't want him to be the SK?" Sirius asked.

"Oh, you know him," James grinned, "He looked disapprovingly over his glasses and then said something to the effect of whatever you say."

"He still thinks of you as that crazy prankster I think," Lily said, "He doesn't realize how much serious you've become with the war and all."

"Um, Lils, I was already Sirius."

"Oh, knock it off, Padfoot."

"War does tend to make young people grow up," Remus said sadly.

"I still can't believe that prophecy," James said, "I mean, how could our Harry, or the little Longbottom boy be the one to vanquish Voldemort. He's just a baby. It's like he's got a sword hanging over his head now. I'm half tempted to grab Lily and Harry and run away, someplace they'll never think to look for us."

"Sirius," Lily began, "The most important thing is to protect Harry. No matter what happens to James and me."

Sirius stood up and went to hug Lily.

"I know. And you know I'll protect him with all that I am."

"We know that," James said, "If anything happens to us, you must do whatever you can to keep our boy safe."

"I made the promise when we had the godfather ceremony, and I'd happily make the unbreakable vow if it helps."

"That won't be necessary, Padfoot," James turned to Remus, "Moony, we're counting on you too. Teach our boy to love books the way you do. Of course, we want you both to teach him how to have fun, but teach him the important things of life too. Like friendship and honor and loyalty."

"And courage and love," Lily said, tears in her eyes, "We're counting on you both."

Sirius came back to the present, looking around at his flat, at the picture of the Potters on the mantel. Maybe he'd go for a visit on the weekend, he thought. He missed them. When his own family had thrown him out, Sirius had run to the Potters. James's parents had taken him in, no questions asked, no hesitation. He had become a part of their family. The elder Potters had died since, But James was still his brother. Lily had become a sister to him, and now there was his godson. His family. Spending time with them was exactly what he needed.

Sirius looked over at the clock. It was twenty to midnight. Maybe he should go check on Peter. That damned weird feeling wasn't going away. He needed to move, to do something. He hated inactivity.

It had been his idea to switch Secret Keepers. Everyone would expect him to be the one, but Sirius thought maybe they should not go with the obvious choice. One day he had suggested to James and Lily that they use Peter instead. Peter was little, a sort of hanger-on to their group. Over the past year, he had seemed to drift away a little and wasn't spending as much time with the Potters as Sirius and Remus. No one would suspect little Peter of being the Secret Keeper, Sirius believed. When they approached Peter with the idea he had been thrilled, stammering out his eagerness to help.

"Let everyone continue to think it's me," Sirius said, "We'll keep everyone guessing."

Sometimes, Sirius was amazed at all the secrets he held, all to keep one little boy safe. James had never gotten around to telling Peter about the prophecy. And Remus had been out of town when they'd done the Fidelius charm and still didn't know about the switch. Sirius was the only one who knew everything. Dumbledore suspected there was a spy in the Order of the Phoenix, and now Sirius was disinclined to trust nearly everyone.

He was worried about Remus. Could Moony be the spy? He knew about the prophecy after all. Could he be revealing other things to Voldemort's minions? Someone was definitely spilling information to the enemy, and some of that involved information about raids he or James had been on. Since the Fidelius had been set, James was no longer leaving his family, but still. Only a few people knew the details of things that had somehow gotten back to Voldemort.

With all his being, Sirius did not want to believe it could be Remus. But the Ministry was very hard on werewolves, and in some ways, it might not be so surprising if Remus turned to Voldemort. Sirius could hardly make himself imagine it, but his highest priority was keeping the Potters safe, and he would never take chances with that.

Sirius looked at the clock again. Ten to midnight. Shrugging into his coat, Sirius prepared to apparate to check on Peter. Peter was a timid guy, and it helped to encourage him a bit.

A small pop sounded and Sirius was in Peter's front yard. The house was dark and quiet. Peter was a night owl and wasn't usually in bed this early. He strode to the front door and knocked.

"Wormtail, it's me, are you in there?" he called.

There was no answer. Sirius knocked again.

"Come on, Wormtail," he muttered, "Answer the door."

Still, there was nothing. Sirius tried the front door. Peter often forgot to lock up when he went out. He moved swiftly around the small house, but there was no sign of Peter. There was no sign of a struggle or any kind of trouble either. Where could he be?

The sense of foreboding that had been hanging around Sirius all day crashed through him. He was alarmed, terrified. Something was wrong with the Potters, he knew it. He couldn't feel James. It was as if his friend was gone. Frantically, Sirius ran outside beyond the anti-apparition wards, not bothering to shut the front door. He apparated to Godric's Hollow, dreading what he would find.

Sirius rubbed his eyes. He must be dreaming, he thought. Surely, I'm back at my flat, stretched out on my couch. I fell asleep and I'm having a nightmare. It's got to be a nightmare.

The house was in shambles. There was a whole blasted in one side of it. Debris was scattered all over the yard. Worst of all, nobody was moving around outside or in, as far as he could tell.

"James!" Sirius screamed with all his voice, "James, Lily!"

Fighting back tears, he ran to the house, climbing in through the hole in the wall.

"James, where the hell are you, damn it. Answer me."

He walked cautious over the debris, trying to find any sign of life.

In what had been the entry way, Sirius saw something that made him want to vomit. A pair of broken glasses lay on the floor by a pile of tumbled objects. And on the other side of the pile, he saw a head of unruly black hair, hair that could never be tamed, no matter what anyone tried to do with it.

"James, brother," he whispered.

Sirius made his way through the wreckage, dropping to his knees next to the body of the best friend he had ever known.

"No, no, no, no, no!' Sirius wept, "James, please, wake up. Wake up. Don't be dead, please don't be dead."

James lay, sprawled across the floor. There was no obvious mark on his body. He was covered in dust from whatever explosion had occurred, but other than that, he looked like he should jump up any moment and laugh.

Grabbing one arm, Sirius shook James a little, trying to wake him up.

"C'mon, James, wake up, please wake up. We need you. Lilly, Harry, they need you. Wake up!"

He leaned his ear on his friend's chest, but there was no heartbeat, no rise and fall. James was truly dead.

Sirius stayed on his knees, weeping.

"My fault," he cried, "This is all my fault. If I hadn't suggested the switch. I'm going to kill that bastard little rat. I swear to you, my brother, I will not let him get away with this."

Memories of their days together flashed in a burst through his mind. The times they ran with Moony, the ways the rest of them tried to help James woo Lily, sometimes with disastrous or funny results. The day James came to him, laughing and crying over Lily being pregnant. The day Harry was born. The day James and Lily made him godfather . . .

"Harry!"

Sirius could hardly believe that for a few moments he hadn't thought of Harry or Lily. He been too stunned, too broken with grief.

"What the bloody hell kind of godfather am I?"

He raced up the stairs to Harry's room, thankful it was still there. A soft cry reached his ears. Harry was alive at least.

"Thank Merlin," Sirius whispered.

The sight of Harry's room caused Sirius to freeze for a second. There was Lily, dead, tumbled on the floor in front of Harry's crib. As with James, there was no mark on her. It had to have been the killing curse, Sirius knew, and his broken heart shattered a little more.

He knelt by Lily quickly, just to make sure there was nothing to be done for her. He kissed her cheek, tears falling on her lifeless face.

"I'll take care of him," he promised, "I'll tell him all about you and James. I'll raise him with all the values that matter to both of you. I'll keep him safe. I promise. I'll never break faith with you."

"Pafoo," Harry cried.

Sirius looked up. Harry was standing in his crib, his hands reaching out in the familiar pick-me-up gesture.

"Ok, little man," Sirius scooped him up, "I'm sorry, Harry. Sorry, you've only got me now. But I will take care of you. We'll find Uncle Moony, and we'll become our own family. Let's see if we can find anything of yours in this mess."

Sirius looked around the room. He'd been too devastated by the deaths of James and Lily when he'd first entered to notice that the room was in even worse shape than the floor below. Something monumental had happened here. He was amazed the floor was in tact and guessed that whatever had caused the explosion had started in here and blown outward. He hugged Harry closer to his chest, wondering how the boy had survived.

"Ouey," Harry rubbed at his forehead.

"Are you hurt? Let's get out of here before the place falls down around us. Then I'll check you over."

Once they were outside, Sirius took time to look Harry over thoroughly. Other than an oddly shaped mark, a cut, on his forehead, a sort of lightning bolt, he looked all right. Nothing was broken, and he wasn't bleeding anywhere but his forehead. What the hell had happened in that house? Sirius waved his wand and was able to stop the bleeding, but the mark did not go away.

"What should I do with you?" Sirius asked aloud, "I need to go find that traitor, Wormtail, but where can I take you? Where will you be safe till I get back?"

Just then he heard a pained cry. He spun around to see Hagrid, the Hogwarts game keeper, standing staring at the house, howling out his own grief at the destruction.

"Hagrid," Sirius moved to stand beside the man, who was nearly twice his own height.

"Sirius, are James and Lily—"

Sirius shook his head, and Hagrid went off into another wail of grief.

Sirius patted him on the shoulder, waiting for Hagrid to pull himself together.

"Dumbledore sent me to fetch little Harry," Hagrid choked out between sobs.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm to take him to his aunt and uncle."

"What the hell?" Sirius barked, "No way, Hagrid. Why does Dumbledore want you to take him there? I'm his legal guardian now."

"His aunt is his only blood relative," Hagrid said.

"That doesn't matter. Those people hate magic."

"Dumbledore told me to bring him. You'll have to argue it with him. But if he says it's the best place for Harry, then it must be."

"That's ridiculous," Sirius muttered.

But a sudden thought hit him. He'd been worrying about where to take Harry so he could go after Peter.

"Okay, you can take him. Temporarily. I have something to do. Wait here. I'll get you my flying motorbike. He likes that, and you can get to Little Whinging faster that way. But tell Dumbledore this isn't settled. I'm Harry's guardian, and I'll be taking him once I take care of something."

Sirius apparated back to his house. He flew his motorcycle back to Godric's Hollow. Once he'd showed Hagrid how to fly it and made sure Harry was safely settled, he kissed his godson softly.

"I'll be back for you, Harry. I promise."

With a nod to Hagrid, Sirius turned and apparated away.

He spent the next hours searching for Pettigrew. With each hour that passed, his anger grew till it was like a live thing, coiling and churning inside. Every time he remembered the still bodies of James and Lily, Sirius wanted to throw up. He knew all the rat's usual hangouts, and he was sure it was only a matter of time till he found him. Not only did Sirius want to kill Peter for the betrayal that led to the death of his best friend, but he had to remove Peter before he could be an even bigger threat to Harry. As long as Peter was alive, Harry would never be safe.

At last, Sirius made his way to the neighborhood around Peter's mother's home. He wouldn't have tried to hide in such an obvious place, but Pettigrew had never been the brightest guy in the bunch. Sirius wondered what had ever made Voldemort pick the rat of all people to be a spy.

And there, on a street a few blocks from the home of his mother, Sirius found his quarry at last.

"Peter Pettigrew, you miserable traitor," Sirius called, alerting Peter to his presence.

Sirius drew his wand and advanced on his former friend.

"How could you? Why did you? I'm going to kill you for this."

His words were a low angry hiss. Peter looked terrified for just a moment, but then a crafty look came over his face. He grinned a sneering look at Sirius, and then he began to yell for the whole neighborhood to hear.

"Sirius Black! Sirius Black! You killed them. You killed Lily and James Potter!"

People on the street stopped to stare.

"You killed them!" Peter continued to yell, "It's all your fault."

He flicked his wand, and a portion of the street blew apart. Several of the bystanders died instantly; others were injured, knocked unconscious from the blast.

Peter glanced at Sirius one more time. He waved his wand again, severing one of his fingers, letting it drop to the ground. Then he transformed into his rat form and disappeared down a manhole.

Sirius began to laugh hysterically. It was gut-wrenching angry laughter that seemed to rip his chest apart as it poured out of him. There was no amusement in the sound. It was a terrifying sound, the sound of someone going to pieces with anger and grief.

Suddenly, there was a series of pops. A group of wizards dressed in auror robes surrounded Sirius.

"Incarserus," one of them cried.

Ropes surrounded Sirius, making him unable to move or to reach for his wand.

The leader of the group stepped forward.

"Sirius Black, you are under arrest for the murders of James Potter, Lily Potter and Peter Pettigrew. We will take you to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, where you will be dealt with. Sirius, how could you?"

"I didn't," Sirius objected, "I didn't."

"You did. But the Dementors will take care of you. Stupefy."

When Sirius awoke, he discovered he was bound to a chair in the office of Barty Crouch, the head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department, his overall boss.

"Barty," he croaked out, "You've got to hurry. Let me go. We've got to find Peter Pettigrew—"

"You killed poor little Peter," Crouch snapped, "I can't believe it of you, Black. You've been so clever, haven't you? Kept us fooled by being such a determined auror. Turning in your own comrades to throw us off the track, were you?"

"No, no, please listen to me," Sirius cried, struggling against his bonds, "It wasn't me!"

"Don't give me that. We know you were the Potters' Secret Keeper, and now they're dead. And when Peter tried to capture you, you killed him. And a street full of muggles. It's Azkaban for you, Black. The Dementors will have fun with you."

Sirius went cold. His skin crawled at the thought of the Dementors. Just being around them from time to time in the course of his job nearly made him ill. They couldn't send him to the Dementors. Not without a trial. Not without learning the truth.

"I didn't betray James and Lily."

"Of course you'd say that," Crouch sneered.

"I'm telling the truth," Sirius insisted, "James was my best friend, closer than a brother. I'd never betray him. I'd die before I would do that."

"Of course you'd say that. Your family has always played around with the dark arts. They supported He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, even if they didn't do it openly. Why should I think you'd be any different?"

"I'm not like my family. Hell, I was sorted into Gryffindor. They disowned me. Everybody knows that."

"It's a nice cover story for your true loyalties," Crouch pointed out.

He picked up a wand lying on his desk.

"That's my wand," Sirius said.

"Yes, and I'm going to have the pleasure of snapping it in half now that you are awake to see me do it."

"You can't do that. Not till after my trial. You'll see. My trial will prove I'm innocent."

Crouch laughed.

"Trial?" he scoffed, "There will not be a trial for you. We don't need to clutter up the court with filth like you. We know the truth."

What little color remained in Sirius' face drained away. He thought he might faint from fear. No trial? Would they really hand him over to the Dementors without a trial? He would die in Azkaban, go crazy. He had seen it happen to others. Despair like he'd never known swept through him. What would happen to Harry if he was in prison?

Sirius tried to think. His thoughts were frantic, a jumbled mess. Wouldn't someone stand up and press for a trial? Wouldn't someone believe him?

"I want to see Dumbledore," Sirius stated, "Before you throw me away with the trash, I want to see Dumbledore."

Crouch was startled.

"Why? Dumbledore is a busy man. We don't want to bother him with your nonsense."

"Please," Sirius pleaded desperately, "Please, I'm begging, damn it. If you're not even going to give me a trial, please ask Dumbledore to meet with me. It's — it's urgent. If I wasn't bound to this chair, I'd get down on my knees."

Crouch sighed.

"Very well, Black," he agreed, "I'll see if Albus will speak to you. But you should know, he's quite devastated by your crimes, and he may not want to set eyes on you."

"He will. He must."

"We'll put you in one of the holding cells here, while we wait for an answer from Dumbledore. But I assure you, you'll be heading for Azkaban."

Sirius paced the small cell. His mind was full of memories of James. All the laughter, the pranks they'd played, the long talks. He remembered Lily's fiery temper and her wholehearted acceptance, once she fell in love with James. He alternated between the agony of grief and rage at Peter's betrayal. And fear, so much fear of what his future held. Where was Dumbledore? Why hadn't he come yet? He had to listen. He was Sirius' last hope. If Dumbledore wouldn't give him a chance to explain, then truly all hope would be gone.

There was the sound of footsteps down the corridor, and Sirius moved to the front of his cell. Dumbledore swept into view, his face grim, his blue eyes were not twinkling. Two aurors accompanied him.

"Thank you, gentlemen," Dumbledore turned to his escorts, "You can leave us alone now."

"But sir, that's not safe," one of them objected.

"You seriously believe that a man with no wand could catch me unaware and harm me?"

"No sir," the auror shuffled his feet.

"Then leave us. This man has asked to speak to me, and I will do so in private. If I need assistance I shall summon you."

The aurors left. Dumbledore conjured a chair and sat. He stared at Sirius, not speaking.

"Dumbledore, thank you for coming. I— I need your help."

"And why should I help you, Sirius?"

"Because I'm innocent. I didn't betray James and Lily. I didn't give information to Voldemort. Hell, the fact that I call him by his name should prove something. You know the Death Eaters never do. They always call him the Dark Lord. Crouch is going to send me to Azkaban without even a trial. But I'm innocent. Surely, you won't sit back and let an innocent man go there."

"You are the only one who could have done it," Dumbledore said calmly, "You were the Secret Keeper. James told me he was going to ask you."

"We switched. I got the brilliant idea," Sirius spoke the word brilliant with a snarl, "to switch to Peter. Nobody would suspect him. Voldemort would go after me, and in the meantime, the Potters would be safe. I didn't know. How could I know Peter would betray us?"

"Do you have any proof of this switch?"

Sirius sagged.

"James, Lily and I were the only ones who knew outside Peter. Remus was out of the country doing something for the Order, and we never got the chance to tell him."

"Then how do you expect me to believe you?"

"Dumbledore," Sirius dropped to his knees, "I know you are a legilimens. You can read my mind right now. Look in my head. You can get a pensieve."

Sirius snapped his fingers.

"Crouch has my wand. You can do the reverse spell, the Priori Incantatem. It will show that I never blew up that street or killed those muggles."

"You could have used a different wand," Dumbledore said.

"And what did I do with it then? The Aurors arrived before I could have thrown it away. But even if I'd had time, if you look in my mind, you'll see the truth. Please, Albus, you can't let them send me to the Dementors, not if there's the least chance I'm telling you the truth."

Dumbledore sighed and rose to his feet.

"You are correct, Mr. Black," he said, "If what you have told me is true, I will not stand by and see you go to Azkaban. I will speak to Crouch. We will do this in front of witnesses, so there can be no doubt."

Tears sprang to Sirius' eyes, and he scrubbed them away furiously.

"Thank you. You won't regret this. You'll see I'm telling the truth."

"My dear boy, if you are indeed innocent, I shall do all in my power to make sure you are free."

Sirius had hardly had time to begin his pacing again before a group of Aurors arrived to escort him back to Crouch's office.

"It seems you've convinced Dumbledore," Crouch grumbled, "We have a Pensieve, and just in case you have tampered with your memories of events, Dumbledore will do legilimency on you as well."

"I myself have already done the Priori Incantatem charm on your wand," Dumbledore told Sirius, "It shows only normal spells, household things, spells for lifting which might have been used to move debris. There is definitely no killing curse, no spell to blow up that muggle street."

"That does not prove anything on its own however," Crouch said, "You could have used another wand."

Dumbledore's pensieve was sitting in the middle of Crouch's desk.

"Now, Sirius, think of the memories you want us to see," Dumbledore said, "Not just tonight. Go back to the time you and James chose the Secret Keeper and performed the Fidelius Charm. I shall extract the memories for you, since we will not be giving you back your wand quite yet."

Dumbledore sat back with a sigh. The wand, the memories, then his own look into the boy's mind. There was no doubt now. Sirius Black was innocent, and Peter Pettigrew was the traitor. Not only had he been the one to tell Voldemort the whereabouts of the Potters, but he had also set his old friend up to take the fall.

"We'll never find him," Crouch complained, "Not if he can become a rat."

"We will have to wait," Dumbledore said, "Peter will make his way to some wizarding family I believe. He will not want to be out of touch with what is going on in our world. Someday, his master may return, and Peter will want to be in a position to know and to act."

"Dumbledore, you don't mean that you think You-Know-Who will come back?" Crouch said.

"I do believe it. Someday."

"In the meantime," Sirius interrupted the others, "Am I free to go?"

"Yes, yes, of course," Crouch said, "The Ministry is very sorry for the inconvenience, Sirius."

Sirius snorted.

"Since you've already told the world I was a traitor, I'd appreciate a formal apology in the Daily Prophet. I'd rather not have someone try to capture me, particularly not after I have Harry with me."

"Sirius, we need to speak about Harry," Dumbledore said, "Please, come to Hogwarts with me."

"All right, so what did you want to discuss?" Sirius asked, once they were settled in Dumbledore's office.

"Sirius, I don't think you realize all the facts. There was a prophecy—"

"I know about the prophecy. James and Lily told Remus and me."

Dumbledore pursed his lips together. He did not look pleased.

"I see. Well, on the night the Potters were killed, Voldemort had obviously decided to start with Harry, as the boy destined to vanquish him. But something strange happened. Lily tried to protect him and stood in front of her child, begging Voldemort to kill her instead. He offered to spare her life, and she sacrificed herself for Harry."

"James fought for them too," Sirius said.

"Of course he did," Dumbledore agreed, "But Lily was offered the chance to live, and she refused. This is deep magic, Sirius, something Voldemort would never consider. When Lily Potter refused to stand aside and gave up her life to save her child, she somehow placed a protection on him so strong that when Voldemort turned his wand on Harry, the curse rebounded on him. Harry survived, and Voldemort was, not killed outright. I do not believe he is gone forever. But he was ripped from his body, his body destroyed. Whatever he is, wherever he is, he is weak and bodiless, unable to do anything. For now."

"But you told Barty Crouch that you believe he will come back."

"I do believe it. And for that reason, Harry must have the best protection possible. I placed him with his aunt, because she is Lily's only living relative. This is another type of blood magic. As long as Harry can call home, the place where his mother's blood dwells, he is protected. Voldemort himself cannot break the wards that protect Harry."

"No, Dumbledore, no," Sirius stood up and began to pace, "Those people hate magic. They despise us and all that we are. Petunia, Lily's sister, broke Lily's heart. She never wanted anything to do with Harry. I am Harry's legal guardian, and I will not leave him with those people. They will not love him."

"I am sure you are mistaken. How would you plan to care for a child? There are still Death Eaters on the loose. Our whole world knows that Harry Potter defeated Voldemort. His followers will be after him, and if not them, the wizarding world will make him into a hero. No child should have that thrust upon him while he is so young."

"We can take care of that," Sirius said, "We can hide him, get a place in the country somewhere, use the Fidelius charm. You can be secret keeper this time. Remus can come and teach him, till he's ready to go to Hogwarts. I'll teach him. We can introduce him carefully into society. The Weasleys. They'd be good, all those kids, and aren't some of them near Harry's age?"

Dumbledore sighed. He was not getting through to Sirius. Fawkes, his Phoenix, flew down from his perch and settled on Dumbledore's knee, singing softly.

"There's got to be another way," Sirius said emphatically, "I won't let my godson live with those people. Under our laws, I am his guardian. It's legal, and I will fight it in court if I have to."

"All right, what if we compromise?"

"Compromise how?"

"What if we have Harry spend a certain amount of time every year with his aunt, and then the rest of the time, he will live with you."

"No."

"No? Why not?"

"Because by your own description of this blood magic, he won't call his aunt's house his home. Our home will be his."

"This is for Harry's protection, Sirius."

Sirius leaned forward over the desk.

"I know you're trying to do what you think is right," he said, "But believe me, this is not right. I know — knew Lily far better than you did. I knew how she felt about her sister. When she and James asked me to be guardian to Harry, she specifically said she did not want to risk the chance of him being sent to live with Petunia. You cannot go against his parents' own wishes."

"I'll make a bargain with you," Dumbledore said after a long pause, "We, you and I, shall go to the Dursleys tomorrow. We will drop in on them to check on Harry. If they are treating him as I hope they are, we will make a compromise so he lives with them but spends large amounts of time with you."

"I'll agree to go to their house," Sirius said, "Because I want you to see the truth. But as long as I am alive and free, I will not agree to him staying there. You'll see what I mean when we go."

"We will discuss it tomorrow. For now, go home and get a good sleep. You have had a harrowing couple of days, and you must be exhausted. Would you like me to ask Poppy for a sleeping potion for you?"

"Thanks, but no. I haven't had time to process everything that has happened. James—"

He trailed off, intense sadness filling him again.

"I have to try to contact Remus too. I thought, Dumbledore, I thought Remus was the spy at first. He and I were the only ones who knew about the prophecy. I thought it had to be one of us, and I knew it wasn't me."

Dumbledore looked compassionately at the distraught young man.

"Voldemort wouldn't have told his followers about the prophecy," he said, "But he would have told them he wanted the Potters dead. James and Lily were strong in the opposition, very visible. Peter knew this, of course."

Sirius sighed. Suddenly, he looked much older than his real age. The events of the past few days were taking their toll on him. He was exhausted, broken with the loss of his best friends, agonized with guilt that he had suggested the switch to Peter.

"I know," he said, "But because Remus and I knew the prophecy, I suspected him, and I bet he suspected me. I need to find him and make things right. We're the only friends we have left."

"You have and will have other friends," Dumbledore said gently, "But everyone knows the bond between you and James. I shall send a message to Remus and tell him to find you at your flat. By the way, where will you live with Harry?"

"My uncle left me a house in the country. I'm going to apparate over there and see what kind of shape it's in. Maybe I'll ask Kreecher to come and make it livable."

"If I may advise you, please try to find a way to show kindness to the elf. It is not his fault that your parents were the way they were. If you want him to befriend you, and more importantly Harry, if you expect him to be a part of keeping Harry safe, you must make peace with him."

"You're right. If it was just me . . . but with Harry to think of, I'll do what I can. I'll meet you here tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, try to sleep Sirius. Goodnight."

Poor boy, Dumbledore thought, as he watched Sirius leave his office, his body bowed under the weight of his grief. There was no sparkle of mischief in Sirius' eyes. In the matter of two days, he had grown up. Things would have been much easier if Sirius had been guilty. There'd have been no one to interfere with what he, Dumbledore, felt was best for Harry. But Dumbledore knew that he could not have let an innocent man go to prison. He could only hope that Sirius would see reason after the visit to the Dursleys.

The reunion between Sirius and Remus was bittersweet. They both cried and apologized and wept more for James and Lily.

"I'm so sorry I suspected you, Padfoot," Remus sobbed, "I should have known, of all of us, you'd be the least likely to betray James."

"And I should have known," Sirius replied, "Hell, Moony, after what James did for you, becoming an animagus and all, I should have known. Peter was the only one who didn't quite fit in. Why didn't I see it?"

The two friends held each other for a long time.

"Sirius, you're so loyal, you can't see or expect disloyalty in others."

"Well, now our task is to try to raise Harry and keep him safe. Will you help me, Remus?"

"Of course, I will. However you need me."

"I need you," Sirius said, "You, me and Harry. We're all any of us has left. We can become a family of our own. We'll teach him to be strong and confident. We'll prepare him for his future, but we'll also let him be a child. He needs to have fun, raise hell, chase girls, all the normal kid stuff. He needs all that first, before he's trained to be a weapon in the fight against Voldemort."

"Agreed. And you'll give him all of that."

"We'll give him all that."

Remus nodded.

"Do you want to bring the Weasleys into our secret?" Remus asked, "Harry should have friends his own age."

"Yes, Dumbledore and I already discussed them a bit," Sirius answered, "I trust them. And Molly will be able to give Harry the mothering touch he might need from time to time."

"Shall I arrange to talk to them while you go with Dumbledore tomorrow?"

"Good idea. Make sure you swear them to secrecy first. Of course, after we do all the charms, they couldn't give away our location anyway, but I want them to know. If they aren't sure they can be discreet, don't tell them anything."

"Got it. I'll plan to meet you at the house tomorrow afternoon."

"Thank you, Moony. I can't do this without you. I want to be all James and Lily—all they expected me to be for him, but I can't do it without you."

"You don't have to, Padfoot. We're in it together."

Sirius broke down again.

"I can't, can't stop thinking of James, lying there, looking like he should jump up and say boo. It hurts so much."

"I know it does. I know."

Sirius wondered if he should be embarrassed by his inability to hold back his tears and grief. But Moony would never tease him or try to humiliate him over it. Moony understood and shared the pain. Sirius thought he had to get some of it out of his system, so he could focus on being a father to Harry.

"I'll miss them every day for the rest of my life," he said, "But I need to get myself together now."

"You're going to be a great dad, Sirius," Remus told him, "I have no doubt of that."

"And you'll be Uncle Moony."

Remus smiled.

"Go get some rest now. Talk to Kreacher and get the house ready. I'll see you tomorrow."

The next morning, Sirius and Dumbledore apparated to the home of Arabella Fig and walked down to Number Four to the Dursleys. Dumbledore knocked on the door.

When Petunia opened the door and saw the two wizards standing there, she screamed, and tried to slam the door in their faces. Sirius put his foot in the door to block it.

"Hello, Petunia," Dumbledore said, "I am Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts. This is Sirius Black, a friend of Lily and James."

"You can't be here," she said, "We don't want your kind here."

"We came to check on Harry," Sirius told her, "We aren't leaving till we see him."

Vernon came to the door, scowling.

"Why do you want to see that freak?" he said, "You dumped him at our door like so much trash. Expected us, good normal people to take him in. Well, we did, and we're going to stamp that ma—that stuff out of him. He's nothing but a nuisance."

Sirius took one threatening step forward, raising his wand.

"Do not call him a freak," he snarled.

"He is a freak, just like his mother and father. We didn't want to mix with your kind, but since you've foisted him on us, we'll deal with it."

"I want to see him, now!"

Sirius blasted the door open and stormed into the room.

"Where is he?"

"We didn't want him using up any of our space. He's there."

Vernon pointed to the cupboard under the stairs. Sirius let out a bellow of wordless rage and ran to the door of the cupboard. Dumbledore looked angry, as few people had ever seen him.

"In my letter," he said sternly, "I asked you to treat Harry like one of your own."

"He's not mine," Petunia snapped, "I never wanted to see him, let alone have him living under my roof."

Sirius unlocked the cupboard and saw Harry, curled on a thin mattress on the floor. There was a red mark on his cheek, a bruise on his arm, as if someone had grabbed him and held too tightly. His fury was all-encompassing. He wanted to jinx Petunia and Vernon. How dare they treat a child this way?" Sirius gathered Harry into his arms.

"Harry, it's me," he said.

"Pafoo," Harry said, looking up into his face.

"Yes, it's me, Padfoot. You're coming to live with me."

Sirius turned to Dumbledore.

"Are you satisfied now?" he asked coolly, "I hope you are, because there's no way in hell my godson is staying with these creatures one more minute. I'll meet you back at Hogwarts. I want to have Poppy check him over. He's only been here a couple days, and he's got bruises. Bruises someone in this house gave him. He did not have those bruises when I checked him over the other night and did the healing charm on that cut on his forehead. He's not staying here one more minute."

Without another word, Sirius left, taking Harry away from the Dursleys forever.

The next few days flew by in a flurry of activity. Now that Sirius had been cleared of all charges, there were formalities to be taken care of in accord with James Potter's will. All James and Lily's money went to Harry, with a certain amount set aside in a special vault for Sirius to use for living expenses. Sirius had scoffed at that. He was the last of the Blacks, and he had all the galleons he would ever need. Dumbledore had advised adopting Harry officially, so that Harry would grow up feeling like he belonged with Sirius, and that was being processed. He had asked Kreacher to help him make a new home for his new family, and after many kind words, Kreacher was beginning to consider Sirius his master and had willingly gone to prepare the house where Sirius would bring Harry to live. Remus had agreed to come to live with them, but only if he could keep his own cottage, where he could go through the transformation each month without being any risk to Harry. Dumbledore had agreed with the idea of getting in touch with Arthur and Molly Weasley, and they were some of the few who would know the secret of where Harry Potter had gone.

At last the day had come. Dumbledore, Minerva, Hagrid, the Weasleys and Remus were gathered at the new home to witness the official finalization and confirmation of the adoption of Harry Potter by Sirius Black. Dumbledore himself performed the ceremony, magic that would seal them as a family from this day on.

"Do you, Sirius Black, promise to become father of this boy, to raise him as your own, to train him to be a wizard, worthy of his parents and of your line, to give him all he will need in security, protection and love?"

"I do so promise," Sirius answered solemnly.

"Do you, Remus Lupin, promise to uphold the wishes of James and Lily Potter, to support Sirius Black as he raises this boy, to treat him and consider him as part of your family?"

"I do so promise."

"Sirius Black, Do you accept this child to be your own, and will you from this day forth be his father?"

"I do so promise."

"And what shall his name be?" Dumbledore asked.

"His name is Harry James Potter-Black," Sirius answered, "He will have my name so he feels like he belongs with me. But I never want him to forget he is his father's son, and I won't let him give up Potter. Welcome, my godson, my son, Harry James Potter-Black."

Dumbledore waved his wand and lights sparkled from it, surrounding Sirius and Harry.

"Remus, please place your hands on Harry's head, as he is held in Sirius' arms."

Remus complied, and Dumbledore did a complicated wand movement. There was a blinding flash of light, and a golden chain seem to encircle the two men and Harry.

"Let it be done," Dumbledore said, "Today you create a new family. You will be stronger together, and your bonds of family can never be broken."

Everyone applauded. Sirius tossed Harry into the air, and Harry squealed with delight.

"Pafoo!" he screamed.

Sirius transformed and Harry clambered over the big black dog, tugging on his ears and giggling.

The group of adults who sat watching, smiled to see the happiness of Sirius and Harry. It could have all gone so differently with Harry cut off from his own world, left for years in a loveless home. But now, here he was, surrounded by people who loved him and who would die to protect him. They would all make sure he grew up strong and confident. Above all, Harry would grow up knowing he was loved. Seeing the look in the eyes of Sirius Black, as he watched Harry play with Ron Weasley, there was no doubt in anyone's mind. Sirius and Harry would learn together how to be a family. There would be laughter and tears along the way, but there would be love through it all.

As Sirius tucked Harry into bed that night and kissed his forehead, he whispered a kind of prayer to the friend and brother he had lost.

'I'll keep him safe Prongs. I'll never let him forget you. But I'll love him like my own, and he'll never want for anything. I swear it, on my life."

Harry turned over, his hand tucked under his cheek. Sirius bent to kiss him.

"I'm probably going to make a lot of mistakes with you, Harry," he whispered, stroking the messy mop of hair out of the boy's eyes, "But I'll do my best to be all that you need me to be. Goodnight, Harry James Potter-Black, my son."

Sirius tiptoed out of the room, leaving the door open, so he could hear if Harry cried in the night.

"I'm scared to death," he admitted to Remus, "I hope I don't screw this up."

"You won't. You're not that prankster you were just a couple years ago."

"You think not?" a mischievous twinkle came into his eyes, "I bet I can still come up with a good one now and then. After all, Harry needs to have fun too. But not tonight. My heart is too full of sorrow for that kind of thing now."

"And the world is too dangerous right now, too," Remus said, "But it will be interesting to see how things turn out. You'll be a great father, Sirius. Harry is fortunate to have you."

"I hope so, Moony, I truly hope so. I'll give my life to raise him and protect him. I'll die for him if I must."

"I know that, and so would I."

Harry began to cry, and Sirius raced to pick him up.

"Da!" Harry wailed, "Da, Ma—"

Sirius sat in a rocker, gently patting Harry's back and whispering to him, till the little boy settled down to sleep again.

"I know you must wonder where they are," Sirius said, "Someday, you'll understand. But for now, feel safe with my and know how much your Padfoot loves you. I don't know if I'll always do things right, and I'm not even sure what I'm doing at all. But we're family now, Harry, and somehow, I know, we'll figure it out together."

He sat there in the silence, rocking his son, thinking of his friend and hoping for a happy future.

"Together," Sirius whispered again, "Together forever, a family."

He put Harry back in his bed and left the room, vowing once more to his lost friend, that he would be the best father he could be.

"You'll never have cause to regret your choice, my brother," he thought.

Sirius fell asleep, knowing nothing would ever be the same again. But he was ready, ready to create their new family, ready to begin to be a father.

End notes:

Thank you to PadyandMoony for letting me use her name from her wonderful story, The Name is Potter Black. If you like Harry Potter fan fiction, check out my favorites, where you'll find a number of them, along with my Twilight favorites.

Now, to my faithful Seeing Bella readers, if any of you have read this story. I've been very busy with work and writing my novel. I still plan to write more stories for you all, and I may write more HP fiction, I'm not sure yet. But finishing my novel is the first priority writing wise. Down the road, there will be a few more Twilight stories, because they are all there in my head, and there may still be a sequel to SB. Hang in there. Thanks for your love and patience.

Sherry