Black

Black

Remus Lupin was lying on his bed, unable to sleep. He had been giving lessons to Harry about how to ward off Dementors...Harry, his best friend James' son. Well, ONE of his best friends. He remembered his school days, when he had had so much fun with the rest of the Marauders. Those seven years of his life...he still cherished them. He remembered how his friends had helped him make his life more meaningful; he remembered how James had always been so playful about everything; he remembered all their full-moon night adventures - him, James, Peter, and of course, Sirius; and he also remembered what Harry had said earlier that day...

"He deserves it..."

"You think so? Do you really think anyone deserves that?"

"Yes...For...for some things..."

Well, Harry must know the truth. What better did Remus expect of James Potter's son? Not knowing what he shouldn't know? Well, surely, they share the same blood...

But that wasn't what was bothering him at the moment. It was just that, he really couldn't imagine any Dementor nearing Sirius. He was his best friend; he couldn't have such a fate! He was closer to him than a brother...Closer to him than even James...

'But he is the reason James is here no more!' said a small voice in his head. 'He is the reason Lily is dead! He killed Peter, blasted him to pieces! And he is the reason Harry is parentless today...'

But how could he? How could Sirius Black, the best friend he had ever had in life, who would have given his life for his friends, how could he change to the wrong side? How could he support Voldemort? But that was the truth, and he had to accept it, even if he had difficulty in doing just that. For the past 13 years, he had tried to ignore his heart. He wouldn't have believed anyone if they had told him that Sirius had killed James and Lily. But what Sirius had done to Peter... After that, Remus had to believe the truth. There were so many muggles who stood witness for what had happened. Peter had screamed at Sirius in the middle of the road...

"You killed James and Lily! And now, I'm going to kill you!"

And, Sirus had just killed him... just blasted apart the whole road, to show his loyalty to his master, to his Lord Voldemort. Lupin had never actually liked Peter as much as his other friends, but this incident had totally changed everything. He had realised how loyal Peter was to his friends, unlike Sirius. He realised how much their friendship had meant to him! He had actually cornered Sirius, and fought like a hero. Peter had faced Sirius like a true man, even though he must have known the outcome of it...

'But wait a minute!' said another small truthful voice in his head - the voice he had tried to ignore for 13 years. 'That dent sound much like Peter, does it? Cornering anyone for the sake of someone else?'

I had just misunderstood Peter! Lupin tried to console himself. He tried telling himself that Peter had always been like that, only he, Lupin, had not actually understood the poor rat! Sirius had been acting strange for quite some time before James and Lily were killed. He never spoke to Lupin as he used to; their relationship wasn't what it had been before! He acted as if - as if he hated Lupin, and that surely was a mark of how he had changed to the dark side!

'But it could have been because he thought YOU were the traitor!'

NO! It was nothing like that! Sirius Black was the traitor, and he knows it well! He killed James and Lily! He is the reason I have no friends today! He accepted it himself that all this is true!

'Then again, that dent sound like Sirius either, does it? Not all things we see and hear are true...'

It was his way of showing his loyalty to the Dark Lord! And, if he wasn't the traitor - the murderer! - how do you explain Peter's death? Peter Pettigrew died for no fault of his! And everything that has happened is because of Sirius Black! He is a Murderer! He's a traitor!

'But he's also your friend...'

"SIRIUS BLACK IS NOT MY FRIEND! HE IS NOT MY FRIEND!" Remus Lupin shouted, not able to control his emotions. And someone heard him. In the dead of the night, he was a lonely figure, sobbing uncontrollably in his bed, as a big black, bear like dog let out a silent tear outside his window...