Thankfully, everything went smoothly and the motorcycle roared to life as soon as Hagrid used the kickstarter and it quickly sped off towards the rural area. It was only once being outside of town limits that Hagrid dared to turn on the flight mode and the motorcycle took off into the skies. Only then did Hagrid relax a bit and asked the questions that he had.
"What is this about trusting the wrong man? Thought you're the secret-keeper?" he finally asked.
"Originally, yes. However, I convinced James and Lily that someone totally unexpected would be better. I should have listened to them, but I thought myself so smart. I convinced them to switch the duty to Peter..." Only now did it start to sink in for him that things had changed forever.
"You say...?" It seemed, Hagrid as well only now began to understand the gravity of the consequences. It seemed he had not wanted to accept that two of his friends were dead, but now reality was catching up.
"Hagrid, fly towards Hogwarts. I need to meet with Dumbledore as fast as possible. I have to tell him everything... I'll even insist on Aurors und under Veritaserum. No way I want Peter to get away with what he did. I want everyone to know of his crime."
Hagrid nodded silently, clearly fighting with his own growing grief, steering the motorcycle north towards Hogwarts.
Sirius knew the flight would take several hours, even with the magical enhancements that raised the speed of the motorcycle, but he didn't want to leave Harry out of his sight right now. Thank all goodness he'd included charms that diverted air resistance, or the wind would slap them bad. Looking at the unconscious Harry in his arms, Sirius' expression firmed.
No, Peter, I won't let you get away with doing this to Harry.
...at the same time...
Peter was not the brightest wizard in the world by far, but even he knew that it would be very unhealthy to stay in the United Kingdom, now that the war was pretty much lost and Sirius would nail him to the cross by telling everyone of his involvement in the murder of the Potters. The damning tattoo on his arm, even though it was starting to pale after the Dark Lord's physical death, was as much as a death sentence.
Oh, I know, people like Malfoy or Nott will just lie and throw around money to keep their vests clean. No chance I'll let them throw me to the wolves so that they can save their own skin, he thought while finally reaching his destination.
Running into the little hideout he'd set up when realizing he would make a permanent commitment to Voldemort and would become a hunted man by the authorities, he quickly grabbed what he needed and was about to leave, when he got unannounced visitors.
"Where do you think you are going, you little toad?!"
Peter stopped dead in his tracks when being held at wandpoint by two robed and masked Death Eaters. However, he did recognize the voice and knew that Amycus Carrow was not exactly the most patient man.
"He looks like a rat trying to leave the sinking ship." Yes, and that woman was without doubt Alecto, Amycus' sister, who was his equal when it came to cruelty.
"S-sinking ship is a very good analogy!" Pettigrew gasped, pulling up his sleeve to show the paling Dark Mark.
The sight of the mark paling baffled the Carrows, who quickly pulled up their own sleeves and saw to their horror that their marks were fading as well. "What's going on?" Amycus gasped while pulling off his mask.
"T-the Dark Lord ... he left to kill the boy tonight. I don't k-know what exactly happened. There ... was an explosion, and..." Pettigrew finally showed them Voldemort's wand.
"No..." Alecto whispered, feeling like a world was collapsing for her. "We have lost?"
Amycus on the other hand reacted with violence. "Where did you get this?!" he screamed, slamming Pettigrew against the wall, staring to choke him.
Panicked, Pettigrew tried to prevent the male Carrow from killing him on the spot. "D-d-dark Lord ... still alive ... only b-b-body dead ..." he croaked, afraid that Carrow would actually strangle him to death.
Alecto gave her brother a stinging hex, forcing him to let go. "Idiot, don't kill him!" she hissed, then gave Pettigrew her attention. "Talk now, or regret staying silent!"
Pettigrew knew to not press his luck, a survival instinct that had served him well over the years. "The Dark Lord's body was blown apart, b-but his spirit lives on. I saw it. I have no idea how, only that he told me w-without words he would rise again... With our help."
"Ah, and that means you want to skip country, right?" Alecto accused him, implying that he wouldn't try to help Voldemort once he was far away.
"You honestly think the Dark Lord would stay here?" Despite being a coward, he couldn't help but to scoff at the idea. "Also, wouldn't you leave as well? Think about what will happen next and what the Dark Lord will think of you, if you don't help him."
The Carrow siblings blanched when realizing what would happen. Even though they were not the sharpest tools in the shed, they knew where the wind would be blowing to.
Without Voldemort, the whole organization would collapse quickly. Those with money or influence would act like they had been forced to do it, while those less fortunate would take the fall. They knew both of them would fall under the latter category, and their rich, famous and handsome brother would bail them out. The mere idea that they could become indebted to him was unbearable.