Beyond the Lake

Epilogue

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Sirius Black walked into Peter Pettigrew's hiding place, checking to see that everything was all right. But Peter wasn't there, and there was no sign of a struggle. Something just didn't feel right. He had a sickening feeling in his stomach, and he thought immediately of Lily, James, and Harry, his godson. What if...He rode off on his motorcycle to Godric's Hollow. As soon as he did, he wished he never had.

The house was completely destroyed. He ran into the rubble and searched for his best friend. "James? Lily? Harry? Are you-"

He heard a small voice say innocently, "Siwius?" It was Harry. Harry was alive. Maybe, just maybe there was a small hope that Lily and James were, too.

He ran over to Harry and picked him up, grateful he was alive. On his forehead was an angry red scar in the shape of a lightning bolt. "The curse must've rebounded or something," Sirius muttered, awed.

But then he saw something that made his heart stop. Lily's red hair was blackened from the mess of the house, and her beautiful green eyes, that were once so happy, were just staring. She was dead. "James? James? Damn it, James! Prongs?" He started shouting for his best friend in a panic, dreading the next thing to happen.

Walking out of the rubble, still holding Harry, he almost tripped over something. It was probably just a stray piece of wood, and he looked down, about to kick it out of the way. "Lumos."

His wand light glared off of the object, and he realized that this wasn't wood. Those were James' glasses. "Prongs?" he whispered, knowing that this time, there wasn't going to be an answer.

"Sirius?" For a moment, that voice was James', and all his doubts were gone. But he turned around and saw Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts.

"When did you get here?"

"Been here, searchin' for Harry. Dumbledore wanted me ter take him to his aunt and uncle's."

"I'm his godfather, Hagrid. Let me take him."

"I know, but they're Dumbledore's orders."

"Fine," gave in Sirius, not wanting to fight or speak to Hagrid, nor anyone else for that matter. "Take my bike, too. You'll get there faster."

As Hagrid went over to get the bike, Sirius looked at Harry and said, "Good-bye Harry. We'll see each other again someday." He gave one last look to his godson as Hagrid took him and rode off.

When he couldn't see them anymore, he turned around and looked to where Godric's Hollow had once been. The wind was blowing debris all over, and a little slip of paper whacked his head. He caught it, looked down, and read, "Dear James," in Lily's neat scrawl. For the first time in years he broke into sobs. These deaths were his fault. Harry was an orphan because of him. Voldemort had done it. He had killed them, all because he had convinced Lily and James to switch himself and Peter. Peter.

Suddenly everything clicked into place. The spy. It had been Peter. Peter was the one Dumbledore was looking for. He had practically handed his best friends over to a spy, who, in turn, had given them to Lord Voldemort without a second thought. Anger flashed like lightning through him, and the only thing on his mind was revenge....

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