Chapter Two: Aftermath and Meet The Dursleys
October 31 1981
Forest Outside Kent
Sirius Black was jolted awake by a searing heat emanating off the ring on his left index finger. He immediately shot out of his sleeping mat with a name on his lips, " James!"
Sirius quickly grabbed his wand holster, black t-shirt, dragon hide jacket and threw on a pair of jeans and muggle sneakers. The ring had already gone cold but he immediately knew the worst could be happening or had already happened.
When James and Sirius had first told Lily about the rings they had designed between the two of them to alert the other when either was in danger she had laughed at them and said the rumours back in Hogwarts about the two of them secretly being a couple was true. Worse off the fact that Sirius put his ring on the actual ring finger for marriage to take the piss out of James and make Lily howl with laughter didn't help, however both agreed that the rings would be useful in the event of am emergency.
When the rings heated up it meant that James or Sirius were in danger. The two kept each other aware of their movements via the enchanted mirrors therefore James always knew where to go to find Sirius and Sirius always knew where to find James, well that was before the secret-keeper had been changed to Peter because Sirius was too much of the obvious choice and in the event the Death Eaters caught up with him and tortured him he wouldn't be able to ever sell out James and Lily.
Peter was the least obvious choice and that was the reason Sirius chose him, their fourth Marauder had always been the most timid, sadly the most cowardly and the least to suspect with the task of being granted such a monumental secret . He was also the one most far removed from the war. Wormtail was a part of the Order but he was only part in name and only because he clung to James, Sirius and Remus and they let him because weak or not he was their friend and brother and they loved him. James most of all felt personally responsible for him and despite them being the same age was like a pseudo older brother to him, Remus loved him for his acceptance of his condition and still respected him for his skill in Charms and Potions. While Sirius did pick on him and prank him, it was mostly harmless and never to ridicule him in front of others plus if any Slytherin tried to get at him as well Sirius would absolutely maul them for his friend. They were the Marauders. They were his brothers. That's why he doubted Wormtail would ever....he wouldn't....but there was no time to even think like that especially when he might already be dead.
The fact that Sirius even knew where to teleport meant something was terribly wrong because if the Fidelius had fallen and James and Lily had been attacked then that meant.....he didn't even want to think about what it might mean as he spun just outside his tent and cracked away on the spot. A grim smile etched on his face and his hair flowing freely, fuck the ponytail there was no time.
He had a friend to save and Gryffindor courage dictated he had a snake to face as well. Win or lose he'd fight regardless.
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October 31 1981
Potter House
There was an intense ringing in his ears, was the first coherent thought Harry had when he came to, a room with debris scattered all around it. A throbbing pain in his head and his already limited infant vision swimming.
'Gods that bastard should've got me I'm sure of it,' Harry thought as he surveyed what damage he could take in. The roof of the house had exploded clean off, literally broken into a million pieces that now littered the floor, his cot had exploded as well and he was on the floor on what little strips of baby blanket remained. There was viscera, blood and bone that coated the walls of the room however. If Harry's head didn't feel like no adult man let alone baby's head should ever feel like he'd probably grin in grim satisfaction.
The irony of that Dark Wizard bastard blowing himself up while trying to kill him was not lost on him. Whatever his mother had done had probably worked against the bastard in the best way possible and although he immediately felt rage at her meaningless death, he was reminded that she along with his father had gone down the warrior's way.
Should he survive the night he would honour them.
Midway through his pondering his eyes began to refocus in sight and something in the corner of the room caught his eye. A literal moving shadow began to coalesce from different corners of the room, illuminated by the moonlight shining down through the open roof. The shadows coalesced in the centre of the room and made a blood curdling shriek that Harry's already fragile ears. The wildest part however was yet to come.
The shadows formed a wraith with the face of the Dark Lord (Harry had heard them use the name around the house time and again so he figured that to be whoever this was). The wraith turned towards him and glared balefully towards him while trying to swoop down at him. Harry stared it down without fear once again when something happened that actually made him break out in his baby cackle (gods he hated the sound but for once it was the sweetest sound he had ever heard).
The wraith was immediately repelled by an invisible barrier surrounding Harry and it even seemed as if he was weakened from said attack. Another shriek escaped the wraith.
One last glare towards the gleeful infant and the wraith shot out up through the destroyed roof and into the night sky.
'Bloody hell, so even having his body destroyed didn't finish the bastard off,' Harry was perplexed, ' magic is definitely insanely powerful in this world, judging by the fact he made easy work of my mother and father who definitely seemed as bright as bright young people can be I guess he had to be.'
Harry's vision focused and he was able to look at Lily's corpse properly now, he could see her from the back and his rage built up a second time despite the pain in his head, it was the second time he felt powerless and in a new lifetime no less, as he watched his parents die and could do nothing and that's what James and Lily were despite the short time they had spent as parents and child.
'This time it was my own fault that my parents were taken from me, all because of a damned prophecy.' Harry had heard snippets of what reasons had made a couple like James and Lily be shut-ins from the rest of normal society throughout his time with them and he already knew from Durran that he would be at the center of the case in this world, but experiencing it first hand before even being an adolescent was maddening. 'If I was a normal babe it would have been better, at least Renly never remembered the love of our parents.'
As Harry continued to muse over his parents death in this life, his thoughts were interrupted by a blood curdling scream from down below. "James!" he heard his uncle Sirius scream, "No!No!No! Get up you bloody prat, you have to get up Jamie, you're just tired I'm sure." He could hear the man delude himself about the death of his friend.
Harry however had to focus because there was no time to wallow in grief, a warrior had to keep moving and his family home tonight may as well have been a battlefield.
As much as it embarrassed him to do it, 'curse this infant body' Harry sucked in a deep breath before bellowing out his deepest baby wail. Downstairs he heard Sirius get up and start sprinting up the stairs, "Harry! Harry I'm coming Uncle Padfoot is coming!"
Sirius burst through the doorway and immediately scooped him up into his arms before he could even comprehend what was going on. The man acted fast and wrapped him in the remains of a rather large duvet he found on the bedroom floor. "Uncle Padfoot's here Harry," Sirius repeated as he rocked Harry back and forth.
Harry ceased crying almost immediately and reached his hand up to touch Sirius face as the young man leaned into the touch and looked at his Godfather's red rimmed eyes and tear stained face and his heart went out deeply for the man. Robert Baratheon had been a warrior and was born into a dangerous world where death was second nature, he had been used to losing people before he had even reached twenty-one name-days meanwhile this man who at this exact moment in time reminded him so much of his brother Ned when he brought Lyanna's body to Kingslanding, Sirius Black had probably lost a friend for the first time and worse his whole world in one night. "Si-si-sirus," Harry struggled to get words out to try to comfort him and tell him things would be alright but curse this infant body.
Sirius released a wet chuckle, "would you look at that little pup, your first words and sadly I can't rub it in James and Lily's faces." Sirius was definitely not going to heal in one night but he tightened his grip on his godson and walked towards the doorway. Sparing a sad glance at Lily but further strengthening his resolve to take Harry away from this place of death that had once been a home of love the young man soldiered forward. Sirius walked down the stairs, intentionally not looking towards or touching James body, a small part of him believing his friend was just exhausted and not- he didn't even want to finish that thought.
Just a few steps out the main house doors Sirius came across the first welcome sight he had seen the whole night. The giant of Hogwarts himself, Rubeus Hagrid came tumbling towards him shock on his face. "What the ruddy hell, happened here Sirius," Hagrid looked between the house Sirius and Harry rapidly.
"Voldemort happened Hagrid," the giant flinched but Sirius didn't care at the moment, " James and Lily are gone and by all shocking accounts my godson is still alive albeit with a scar on his forehead but he's a tough cookie, then again he is James and Lily's son he's too stubborn to let something like a Dark Lord get him."
" Dumbledore sent me here he felt that something was off at James and Lily's don't ask me how but I'm sad that it's too late," Hagrid was already starting to bawl his eyes out.
"Hagrid, listen there is no time for that right now," with some resolve Sirius fixed him with a steely gaze, " did Dumbledore tell you anything else?"
Hagrid was halfway through blubbering, " he said to take Harry to him by all means, said he was important."
Sirius clenched his jaw, he was angry at Dumbledore but he understood that a prophecy had been made about his godson that made him a target of the Dark Lord and made James and Lily have to go into hiding but Dumbledore's prioritisation of Harry at the core of everything made him extremely angry. He let out a sigh however, at the moment he had to think of Harry first and foremost and at this moment in time nowhere else was safer than with Albus Dumbledore for the lad, tonight had proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
"Do you still have the motorcycle I gave you Hagrid?" Sirius asked with a smirk.
"That ruddy thing, of course I do how else did yeh think I got here," Hagrid said in between sobs.
"Good," Sirius smirked as he handed Harry over to the half-giant who received the infant softly, " I'll follow you to wherever Harry is as is my duty as his Godfather and last source of family."
"What do yeh have tah do that can't allow yeh to come with us right now," Hagrid gently shook Harry who oddly stared at Sirius with what looked like conviction on his tiny baby face.
Sirius leaned over and kissed the lad on the forehead before flashing the large man and the babe a dangerous grin, " I'm not sure whether it will be revenge or retribution yet but once it's done let the Headmaster know that I'm coming for my boy and nothing and nobody will keep me from him."
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November 1st 1981
Surrey
Privet Drive
Albus Dumbledore felt every single one of his years tonight the most of all nights for sure.
His worst fears had come to pass and Tom had found the Potters, Bathilda had communicated earlier that night that there had been an explosion of magic from a house she shouldn't even have known existed, she had done it thinking it to be Death Eaters but Dumbledore immediately knew that the worst may have come to pass. Alas he had been stopping a massive Death Eater raid elsewhere at the time of the attack on the Potters, which now he realised was no doubt a clever ruse by Tom to draw him elsewhere while he went after his true prize: Harry Potter.
Dumbledore upon returning to Hogwarts and finally receiving Bathilda's message immediately sent Rubeus to the scene and upon being communicated with by his once student concerning the fate of the Potters, he immediately sent Minerva to begin observing the last relatives that Harry had in Vernon and Petunia Dursley. Meanwhile the boy in question had been in the hospital wing for the whole night and day.
A tabby cat jumped off the wall opposite Albus and purred at him. "Now, now, Minerva I know you've expressed your doubts already but please let us use English to deal out insults to one another," Albus said his eyes twinkling with mirth.
The cat transformed into a stern looking witch wearing green robes and a head full of brunette hair, "well since you want to hear it in plain English, I'll tell you again for the hundredth time Albus these people are terrible."
Dumbledore sighed exasperatedly, " I've told you Minerva nowhere else is as safe for Harry as we speak than here."
"You haven't fully explained why Albus and you know it," Minerva's Scottish brogue was heavy as she spoke in quiet anger, " The boy has a Godfather who loves him deeply although granted Black is definitely not the best role model he would at least grow loved and happy, not even Lily liked this woman and she was her own sister!"
Dumbledore did not completely disagree with Minerva contrary to her opinion, if anything he agreed with his Transfiguration mistress quite fervently. The sad truth however was the nature of Lily's sacrifice upon Albus' inspection of the magic used in the house that night, earlier on in the day had actually shown him that the ties of blood that would undoubtedly protect Harry from his vile former student due to Lily's spell would actually work best here where her sister and her own child lived. The old ritual that even Albus didn't know about and which spoke to Lily's capability and the astounding ends a mother would go to protect her child had given him an idea as to how to keep Harry safer than ever as well as separate him from the chaos the magical world would bring to him should he stay in it for now.
"The Boy Who Lived," Albus spoke wistfully and Minerva developed a sad frown, " I'd have him grow up far from our world, protected by magicks I cast myself and bound with the ties of blood here to his Aunt and cousin than be hounded by the sympathisers of Lord Voldemort or those who lack the tact to let the boy be nothing more than a normal boy in our world."
Minerva didn't fully agree with Albus but she could understand the logic behind his words, " I hope for all our sakes however that you do know what you're doing Albus."
"Trust me my dear, I hope so as well," Albus wore a sad smile, "Ah I can hear Rubeus coming through on that marvellous contraption of his, come along Minnie I want to get the lights out before they land."
Using the dilluminator to turn off the street lights Dumbledore and Minerva watched as Hagrid came down on the flying motorcycle.
"Hagrid, my dear boy I trust you had a good flight over here?" Albus cheerily asked the half-giant as he approached with the baby in his hands.
"Not a problem at all Headmaster and as always little Harry here was dead silent the whole way, actually smiling for the most part," Hagrid looked down at the boy who was actually looking towards the Headmaster and Minerva instead with a silent exploring gaze, " is this where Sirius will be meeting us to pick the boy up from."
Dumbledore frowned at that, while Sirius was by all rights the boy's guardian the man was so far absent and also despite Albus knowing the man was a close and personal friend of James being as far as both cousins by blood and brothers in all but name he felt uneasy towards him. James had told Albus in their routine weekly communication that Sirius was their secret-keeper for the Fidelius that Dumbledore had taught the former to cast however what didn't make sense was not only Voldemort finding out the secret without Sirius help but also the fact that the young man was the first on the scene after the deaths of James and Lily and that he gave away Harry to Hagrid albeit begrudgingly before disappearing into the night with cryptic words. Thus far Dumbledore did not feel trusting towards him and for now at least until the man could prove otherwise he would keep Harry safe even from Sirius until the latter proved himself to be on their side fully.
"We shall see in time Hagrid perhaps when young Sirius returns from wherever he has seen fit to go to," Albus said as Hagrid handed him young Harry and he began to walk to the door of house number 4. The Headmaster placed a letter on the boy's blanket as he placed him on the doorstep.
Harry was confused the entire time and just stared as the old man began to leave him on the doorstep after knocking loud enough to wake the dead.
The man walked a few more paces before disappearing altogether along with that Hagrid fellow and the old crone. Honestly where in hell's name was serious, Harry hopped he hadn't got himself killed in a bid to get revenge for their family. He doubted it had come to that, Sirius didn't have to face that monster so he was sure he was fine.
"Who the hell is making noise at this ruddy hour!" a man said as he yanked open the door for the sound of knocking (it definitely was a time delayed magic knock) to disappear and looked around from side to side for the culprit before looking down and getting confused by the baby on the porch.
"Vernon darling the doctor said to watch your blood pressure," a female voice said from just behind the man, " what is it dear?"
"Tuney, there seems to be a baby on our doorstep," the man said as he moved and the woman came into view and looked down at him as well.
The woman froze and said, "not a chance in hell as she shakily reached down towards him he suspected to pick him up she instead reached for the letter on the front of his blanket wrap.
As she begun to read the letter Harry saw the colour drain from the two's faces and saw them almost collapse in shock. He got a proper look at them now that they were very close. The man was large as fat as Wyman Manderly and clearly sour not jovial probably nor a fat man he'd ever want to be around. On the other hand the woman looked like a cross between a horse and a human being if they were ever allowed to do so, all in all a very bad looking couple.
"We've been saddled with a freak," they both said in unison.
Harry developed a deep frown, ' to whichever gods are listening please can Sirius get back here as soon as possible!'
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November 9th 1981
London
Near the Ministry of Magic
Sirius hadn't slept for more than a week just attempting to track the useless bastard.
His first hint that something was definitely off was when he showed up to where the rat had been keeping himself stashed away was the fact that it was completely empty, not in the way you'd expect from a person who had been abducted or tortured for information but rather from someone who was fleeing. That's exactly when the pit of hollowness building in his stomach had become a full blown pit of rage.
Sirius immediately began to search all of their old haunts and any place he could remotely think of looking for Peter hoping to find him and utterly destroy him for what he had done to James and Lily. He didn't even want answers just painful revenge. The why he had done it could hang for all the young Lord Black cared all that mattered was getting the bastard.
It seems his patience had finally paid off and Pettigrew had shown his stupid, snivelling face at the Ministry trying to get into the international port-key line no doubt. The moment he had spotted him in the atrium, the bastard had seen Sirius bloodshot eyes unkempt beginners of a beard and the way his hair hung loose and wild and immediately took off running. The latter chased after him flinging borderline dark spells whilst in pursuit.
It didn't take too long for a group of aurors to chase after the former heir of the house of Black as well, yelling all the while that he should cease and desist trying to kill Peter. Sirius blocked them out, he had a rat to kill.
They ran into Muggle London in the middle of an alleyway that luckily for Peter had some muggles walking through and making it difficult for them to navigate and worse for Sirius to kill the coward.
"Please help me," the snivelling coward said to one of the passer-by , " that man wants to kill me."
Two of the men in the alleyway immediately grabbed Sirius because of course he fit the bill especially with his current looks, as they restrained him and he tried to negotiate with them and talk some sense into them he saw Peter flash him a triumphant smile.
"You always thought me a weakling Sirius," Peter smirked as he threw a vial on the ground from within his bag, it immediately hit the ground and dispersed as a green gas that had the people hacking. The latter quickly proceeded to slice off his finger and even whimpered, "please Sirius no don't kill me!"
Sirius was confused but nevertheless despite the noxious fumes shouted back at Peter, " of course I'm going to kill you, you useless rat!"
Peter's smile widened, "that's all I needed for them to hear," he pointed towards the aurors that looked more distressed as they navigated the narrow pass frantically trying to get to the two men. "Thank you Sirius, my apologies for not staying for the show Incendio!"
Peter prodded his wand forward and a spark from his spell caused a massive explosion to ring through the area. The two guys who had been holding Sirius back were blown away as was everyone else himself included as he couldn't get a shield up while being restrained.
Sirius hurtled through the air, finally coming to a stop when he hit solid wall with his head and crumbled to the ground. His vision was blurred as he shook his head and slowly began to rise. He took in the sight before him and winched.
The muggles were burnt terribly many still screaming and some completely unresponsive. There were chunks of wall missing from the buildings they had been between and even more screams from the inside from whom he correctly assumed to be trapped muggles.
Sirius continued to take in the devastation and staggered holding a wall for support as he brought his fingers up to his throbbing head, his fingers came back slick with blood. It was flowing freely and he imagined the cut was substantial. Perhaps that's why he felt as if he would pass out at any moment.
The aurors who had chased him and Peter appeared to be none the worse for wear and despite his vision blurring he could see them, wands drawn and and advancing on him as a unit. "Sirius Black, you are under arrest!"
Sirius couldn't help but laugh despite the terrible situation, " that bloody bastard, well played," before the aurors could even speak again and using the last of his strength he shouted, " I still hope he bloody well died in the explosion!"
The first jet of red light already begun sailing his way by the time Sirius Black used the last of his strength to disappear in a loud crack.
Sirius Black was now a wanted man, from a dark house such as his its not shocking than he'd try to kill a friend associated with the light, sell out James and Lily Potter and kill 26 muggles in the process.
After all he was a Black. No good seeds amongst them.
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November 9th 1981
Unknown Location
With a loud cracking Sirius Black materialised in the drawing room of an opulent Manor, half-dazed and staggering.
He staggered towards a chair where a man sat holding open a large tome in his hand flipping the pages lazily despite his sudden appearance in the home.
"You've got to help me," Sirius said as he fell before the man his legs and body giving out completely, " please, I need to get that bastard and then get to my Ha--."
Sirius completely passed out on the floor.
The man stared dispassionately down at him and proceeded to close his book with a sigh. "Kael!" he shouted.
A second later a house-elf in a dark but regal looking full body cover appeared. "Yes Master," the elf spoke in a raspy voice.
The man leaned forward and his features were illuminated by the crackling fire in the fire-place grey eyes shone with intelligence and he wore elegant black flowing robes.
"Take care of my idiot heir," Arcturus Black looked dispassionately at his late son's only living heir, " I suppose it's time to figure out what the rabble have been up to in my absence."