Now or Never

Prologue

Sirius ran out to his bike. There was something wrong, he knew it. He wasn´t quite sure how he knew or exactly what was wrong, but he knew he felt it. That was all that mattered.

He kicked his motorcycle to life and sped out of his garage, taking to the air as soon as he was outside. He turned in the direction of Peter´s hiding place and took off, hoping against hope that everything was all right.

He drove for nearly an hour. When he´d finally reached Peter´s place he stormed straight inside, not even bothering to knock. He went straight for the bedroom, but Peter wasn´t there. It was nearly eleven, though, and Peter was usually asleep by then, even on Halloween.

For a second he assumed that the Death Eaters had gotten there and taken him away. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. Even Peter could struggle against them a little bit. This could only mean one thing... but how could that be? Peter would never betray them.

Or would he?

Sirius didn´t want to think about it, didn´t want to believe it. But the facts were clear, staring him straight in the face, and, if he was right, he was quickly running out of time.

He ran out of the room, hopped back on his bike, and flew away. He was headed for the Potters´ house.

The sight that greeted him when he finally arrived was one he knew he would remember forever. The entire house had been leveled--the ground was littered with rubble, half covering barely recognizable figures. A fire was burning right in front of him. Absently, he took out his wand and extinguished it.

Then he walked forward, shifting through the rubble for the bodies of two of his dearest friends, wondering at the ability of Peter--Slytherin or not--to betray them after all they´d done for him. Sirius had been in Slytherin himself, but he´d never even thought of doing something so horrible. Even so, this was completely his fault; if he hadn´t been so insistent that they use Peter, if he hadn´t been such a bloody coward, so afraid of the torture that he would sure have to endure from the Death Eaters if he´d been found. His own fear had put James, Lily, and Harry straight in Voldemort´s hands.

James had been wrong, he reflected as he uncovered the cold body of his best friend since childhood, we were cowards, the both of us--Slytherins to the core. And both of us have made mistakes we´ll regret forever.

It was then that he heard the crying. It was a sound he´d heard often, and he could think of only one being that possessed that particular sound--his Godson.

He looked up, trying to identify the direction that his Godson´s voice was coming from even though he was sure it was just part of his fevered imagination. When he finally located the are, he pulled away the rubble as fast as he could, eventually uncovering the still form of Lily, her arms clutched around a bundle of blankets. He wrenched the frozen limbs apart, picking up the bawling baby in awe, pushing aside the small tuft of jet-black hair to reveal the bleeding lightning-shaped cut.

"How in the name of Merlin...?" he whispered.

"I don´ reckon yeh´ll ever find out," came a deep voice from behind Sirius that made him jump slightly before he spun around, wand out and a hex on his lips.

"Hagrid!" he gasped instead, "don´t do that!"

"Sorry `bout that. Forgot how jumpy yeh were," Hagrid apologized.

"Yeah, well, it happens," Sirius shrugged. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I´m t´ take Harry ter his aunt and uncle. Dumbledore´s orders."

Sirius looked down at the now-silent child in his arms that was calmly playing with his shoulder-length hair and shook his head.

"You can´t, Hagrid. I´m Harry´s Godfather, James and Lily left him in my care. And James... I promised him, years ago. If he died...if anything happened to him, I´d take care of whatever children he had."

"But Dumbledore--"

"No! Hagrid, you don´t understand! I´ve got to take care of Harry. I promised James.... And I´ll be damned if I go back on this promise. Not after what I´ve done...." The last part was said in a whisper low enough that Hagrid didn´t hear him.

"Sirius--" Hagrid began, but was cut of by the voice of a desperate Sirius again.

"Please, Hagrid. Tell Dumbledore that I´m sorry, that he was gone when you get here; tell him anything, just don´t take him away from me."

For a few minutes, Hagrid and Sirius stared at each other. Neither seemed willing to back down, neither wanted to give Harry up. But the distant sound of sirens brought them back to reality. Gazes broken, Hagrid backed down.

"Take him," Hagrid said gruffly. "I´ll tell Dumbledore the truth. No sense in hidin´ somethin´ from him that he´ll find out anyway."

"Thanks, Hagrid," Sirius replied with the smallest of smile. "I owe you one."

With a final despairing glance at what was left of the Potters´ house, he hopped back on his bike and took off for one of the only two safe haves left for him, Harry held gently in his arms.

It was going to be a long ride.