After Seven

"I think - we think, that it would be a good idea for you to be their secret keeper."

"I thought that they wanted you?"

"It's safer this way. He would never suspect you, He will come after me. You'll be quite safe, although you'll go into hiding yourself. Just as a precaution."

"Yes, OK then."

"Really? Great! I didn't expect you to agree so fast... "

"Oh... well you know, it's for my friends. Anything to help."

"And are you sure you're OK?"

"Yes! I promise you, I'm fine. And you will go into hiding?"

"Yes. Come to see me tomorrow at seven. You know where to find me?"

"Of course. Till tomorrow then Sirius."

"Until tomorrow Peter."

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Sirius strode into the room, dark eyes staring ahead thoughtfully. He glanced out of the window. The night was peaceful and stars scattered the clear velvet sky, surrounding the almost full moon. Slowly, he pulled the curtains shut and walked back through to the dinning room. He would be eating alone.

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Peter stared out of his window in excitement, a slight smile lingering about his face. Laughing quietly to himself, he pulled the curtains shut quickly, and hurried into the dinning room. He would not be eating though. He had to prepare.

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Pouring out a glass of water, Sirius looked up, straining his ears for the sound of approaching footsteps to his door. The clock stuck seven. He was late.

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Nervous with anticipation, Peter finished his glass of water and looked to the door expectantly. Suddenly, he sensed someone watching him and turned in breathless excitement.

"Master!" he cried, and knelt to kiss the hem of Lord Vodemort's robes. He was kicked away impatiently.

"Well Wormtail? You say you have valuable information? I'm waiting."

"Yes Master, yes! It's the Potters; I am their secret keeper! I know where they are!"

No reply came; only a cruel, satisfied smile crept onto Voldemort's face.

"Show me."

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Seven thirty... eight...

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"You may leave now Peter. Go back home. Contact your friends and tell them everything is alright."

Peter reluctantly walked away. As he approached the end of the road where he should have continued walking straight, he turned and backtracked to James' and Lilly's house. Apparating into a tree, he peered through the window. Any moment now.

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Eight thirty... nine.

Sirius leapt to his feet, blocking out the maddening tick of the clock with his pacing. What was keeping Peter?

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Peter watched avidly as Voldemort entered the house calmly. In the next room, James looked up in terror, and leapt to his feet. Lily, who sat feeding Harry at the kitchen table looked up to James in fear.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off -"

"James, no! I love you... come, please come! I -" Lily sobbed desperately clutching his hand. He pulled it away and took his wand.

"GO!"

"I love you James" she whispered, and stumbled out of the room, holding Harry tight to her breast.

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Nine fifteen.

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The kitchen door burst open, and Voldemort leapt in. He looked at James holding his wand before him, his face set in determination. He laughed and drew his own wand.

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Quarter to ten.

Sirius stopped and ran to the front door. He opened it and looked around desperately for any sign of his friend. Nothing. Stepping out into the still, silent night, Sirius slammed the door behind him. It echoed loudly, sound reverberating off the trees and walls. He disapparated.

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"Stupefy!" James cried, unhindered by the laughter. Voldemort shielded it quickly.

"Cruciatus!"

James ducked, and the curse smashed the mantelpiece behind him.

"Impedimenta!"

It hit Voldemort squarely in the shoulder, and he froze.

"Stupefy!" James cried again, but missed by several inches. Voldemort forced himself to move, furious at being struck.

"Avada Kedavra!"

James shielded the curse, but felt the impact of it and was thrown back into the wall. He struggled to his feet, and saw his wand several feet ahead of him. Voldemort stood before him, grinning maliciously.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Green light rushed towards James. He fell.

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Sirius apparated in Peter's hiding place. It was perfectly quiet, only the leaves rustled gently in the light breeze. He looked around, and then slowly let himself in at the gate.

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Peter stared at James' limp body as Voldemort travelled up the stairs. He had not seen Lily escape. Only now did he feel regret, but it was short lived. Tearing his eyes away from his old friend, he clambered a little higher up the tree. Through the upstairs window, he saw Lily stood in the middle of the room, clutching Harry. Her face was pale and tear-stained. She was in shock. Peter could almost see the possible scenarios passing before her glistening eyes as her husbands last cries echoed around her head. A single tear slipped slowly down her cheek.

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Sirius banged on Peter's door desperately.

"Peter! Peter! It's Sirius! Open the door Peter! Peter! Reducto!"

The door blew open and Sirius ran in. He stopped in the hall and looked around him.

"Peter?"

He ran upstairs. Empty. Back down again. Empty. All of it, empty.

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Voldemort reached the landing, and looked at the closed doors in front of him. Which door to choose?

Lily, biting her lip hard, placed Harry in his cradle. She hurried to the window and looked out to the tree. Peter shrank back into the shadows. Pulling the window open, Lily leant out and desperately looked at the branch that so welcomingly reached out to the window. Perhaps she would have been able to make it on her own, but with Harry... she debated it desperately. Was it worth the risk?

There was a slam down the hall as Voldemort tried the far door. Lily panicked and looked around the room desperately for some rope or cloth... just something that could secure Harry to her. Nothing. Another slam. There were only three rooms upstairs. A desperate sob left her throat and she leant out of the window, looking down. The ground was so far...

The door blast open, and she turned quickly.

"Give me the boy."

Lily backed into the cradle, blocking it from view, mouthing wordlessly. Voldemort laughed. High pitched and cruel.

"Stand aside girl!"

"No please! Leave us! Please! I wont give you my son! Please, no!"

"Stand aside!"

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside, now... "

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead -"

"Stand aside! You do not have to die, it is the boy... stand aside!"

"I cant! Not Harry! Please... have mercy... have mercy... "

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Sirius looked around him. The house was quiet and still as the night. There was nothing to suggest a struggle. Why would Peter have left? Something was wrong. Maybe... Sirius ran back outside. Perhaps it was Peter who was the traitor. Had they been wrong about Remus?... and now Lily and James were in trouble. Sirius froze as realisation hit him. It was his fault. It was he who had spent hours persuading James that Peter would be the better choice. Persuading Dumbledore not to distrust Peter. He trembled. It was all his fault.

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Voldemort laughed coldly.

"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please - I'll do anything -"

"Stand aside - stand aside, girl -"

"No, please! Not Harry! Take me, just leave my son! Please! Anything!"

"Stand aside!"

"Please... "

Voldemort raised his wand. Lily screamed and sobbed, pleading with him, desperately crying for help. Harry began to cry, hearing his mother in such distress.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Lily was silenced, and met the floor with a light thud.

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It was all his fault.

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Triumphant, Voldemort turned his attention to the cradle, where baby Harry was crying for his mother. Stepping over Lily's body carelessly, Voldemort approached the child. Standing before it, he looked down at Harry, who gradually stopped crying and looked with innocent wide-eyed curiosity at his face. Voldemort ran one of his long white fingers down Harry's cheek. The child giggled. Voldemort sneered and clenched his fist around his wand.

"You have nothing to giggle about boy. Your mother is dead, your father is dead, and now... now it is your turn!"

And he laughed manically, pointing his wand between Harry's bright, wide, green eyes.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

An enormous explosion took place, and Peter fell from the tree, lying semi-conscious on the grass.

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Sirius disapparated.

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Slowly, Peter began to move. He immediately looked at the house of his best friend and his wife. It lay in ruins. There was no sign of his master anywhere, and from inside, he heard the distant cries of an infant.

Before he had time to work out what had gone wrong, someone apparated not ten feet from him. He guessed it was an Auror, and quickly transformed.

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Sirius apparated in the shadow of a large scorched tree beside the ruins of his best friend's home. He knew there was no need to go and look closer. It was clear what had happened. And it was all his fault. Sirius broke down on the grass, sobbing bitterly, his shoulders shaking.

Quietly, he swore vengeance on Peter. Hate consumed him and he trembled as he pulled himself to his feet. White and shaking, he stood and struggled to compose himself, listening to the silence of the wind. Suddenly, he heard a child crying. For a moment, Sirius froze, and then he ran into the smoking ruins. Carefully, he picked his way up the staircase, and hastened to the nursery room. In the middle of the floor, just in front of the cradle, lay Lily. Her red hair fanned out around her heard, and her eyes were wide and sad. Staring. Empty. He walked to Lily and took her hand. It was still warm. Sirius bowed his head for a moment, kissed her hand, and then closed her eyes forever.

With great effort, he got to his feet and looked into the cradle at his godson. He held Harry and walked around the room slowly, shushing him, eyeing the bleeding gash across his forehead. Once Harry had quietened, Sirius put him down and cleaned the wound carefully, blinking back the hot tears of fury and pain.

"I'm so sorry Harry. For everything. I'll be back, I promise."

And he left the room in search of James. It didn't take long to find him. Lying in the kitchen among the remains of their mantelpiece. Face set. Wand held firm. Determined and undefeated, even in death. Sirius went to his friend and knelt beside him, resting his hand on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry", he whispered. "I promise you, I wont let Peter get away with this. I promise you. And I'll take care of Harry. I'll tell him how much you loved him. And Lily. This is my fault. He wont get away with it. I'm so sorry."

He sat in silence, clutching James' shoulder for a few minutes, and then he got up quite suddenly and left the house abruptly, with the vague idea to get his motorbike and take Harry away. As he reached the gate, he looked back to the house. He would get Peter. He wouldn't let him live. It was unforgivable. Wrong. Behind him, a large rat scurried away until it disappeared into the darkness of the night.