For Every Action...

The pain in Sirius's head jerked him awake, and he knew the day would not improve. Clouds had rolled in sometime early that morning, obscuring the moon for its last visible hour. Now, the sun had risen, and it was one of those overcast days that was somehow painfully bright. He was unaccustomed to waking so early. Halloween morning he had slept until midday, but in twenty-four hours so much had changed. His body protested as he climbed out of bed. After roughly five hours of sleep, he was having difficulty mobilizing. Walking left did not seem to work. Neither did right. He was colliding with invisible walls, and was too much for his system to take.

"Dumbledore!" That hadn't projected as well as he thought it would. He cleared his throat. "Professor Dumbledore!" His rasp wasn't getting him anywhere, and it was quickly becoming painful. In anger he slammed into the "wall" and rebounded off. Now sprawled across the bed, he felt hopeless. He was in an undignified position, too tired to move, and couldn't get to Harry. "Damn you, Dumbledore." Outside, he was relieved to hear the damned one's voice, hoping he would be let out of his invisible prison. However, he was in conversation with someone else, someone whose stern voice was unyielding to Dumbledore's demands.

"I cannot believe you're permitting him to stay in the castle! What about security? You speak of some spy, who can you be certain it wasn't him? These days, anyone could be a spy, you can't tell anymore!"

"Mr. Crouch, do you honestly believe that Sirius would remain on Hogwarts grounds if I had qualms that he was a Death Eater, or associated with them in any way? We think he's the Secret-Keeper because he was so close to the Potters, but we know for sure until we question him. I would neither place students nor faculty in harm's way, nor harbor one of Voldemort's minions. Surely, you understand that."

"I surely understand that I am Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and you are obstructing my investigation."

"Yes, that fact is quite clear to me. However, as Headmaster of this school, I would say there are a few rights left to me. Do you agree, Bartemius?

"Be that as it may, you alerted me personally that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is missing from your Foe-Glass, and I must act quickly. I will call in the Minister if you continue to be unreasonable!" His voice had risen in pitch and it was evident that he could feel his power slipping away.

"If this is necessary-"

"Yes, it is. Now if you'll excuse me." He ended his sentence abruptly and almost instantaneously a tall wizard pushed open the door. Bartemius Crouch stood in the doorway and surveyed Sirius. He moved purposefully towards him, wand in hand. Albus followed closely at his heels. He was about to warn Crouch about the Binding Charm when he stumbled backwards. He turned, furious, and jutted a finger at Sirius. "What is that about?

"Bartemius, those are the precautionary measures I told you about. You'll see that they were effective in isolating Sirius to this one prescribed area." The twinkle was back in his eyes. This offered Sirius a small amount of reassurance, but he did not yet sigh in relief. Too many obstacles still cluttered the path. "I can lift them if you feel safe." He narrowed his eyes at Sirius. Under Crouch's gaze, he didn't feel nerves the same as when being surveyed by Dumbledore. In fact, he was starting to feel rather defiant. So many people had this confounded belief that Sirius was a criminal and it was provoking his temper.

"You really think so, Dumbledore? You can lift the wards, but one false move on his part and I change the spell I'm using on him. I need to be able to reach him to administer the Veritaserum, anyway."

"What! You can't let him do that, Dumbledore, why does everyone think I'm guilty? Can I at least see Harry?"

"An interview under the influence of Veritaserum will be conducted to clear your name. You made several incriminating statements last night. We must first examine your completely truthful testimony before you can see Harry, I'm afraid."

"Hagrid," Sirius grumbled. "Suppose I shouldn't have insulted him."

"What was that? Right, on to business." Mr. Crouch looked none too excited about this business. "We will keep a record of this interview, Mr. Black. I'm sure you consent to going under Veritaserum, am I correct in that assumption?" Sirius was not at all happy, but nodded. "From this moment on everything will be recorded with the Recording Spell. We shall begin now.

"Teneo hic indicium! I, Bartemius Crouch, Sr., will be administering Veritaserum to Sirius Black, alleged Secret-Keeper to James Potter and Lily Evans Potter, formerly of Godric's Hollow. The ultimate goal of this interrogation is to discover if Mr. Black is a Death Eater, or has affiliations with this organization. For Mr. Black's weight, he will ingest three drops of Veritaserum. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Order of Merlin, First Class, among other accolades, will stand as my witness to the events of this interview. I have measured 3 drops of Veritaserum, which Mr. Black will consume now."

Crouch continued to keep his wand trained on Sirius, and Dumbledore handed Sirius the tiny beaker of Truth Potion. He examined its contents, and tipped back the small amount. It almost reminded Sirius of water, but with a vague metallic accent. Immediately Sirius's mind went blank. His recent emotions suddenly fizzled, and he was left with nothing.

"Let's begin. For the record, what is your name?"

"Sirius Black."

"How are you feeling?"

"My ears are ringing."

"Yes, that's a reaction to the Veritaserum. That will subside as the potion wears off. Please tell me how you came to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper."

"I wasn't," he said . "James and I knew everyone would think I was the Secret Keeper, so we switched to Peter. We still acted like I was the Secret Keeper."

"Please clarify what Peter it is that you speak of."

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Who is Peter Pettigrew?"

"The Potter's Secret-Keeper. A traitor. A rat." Crouch glanced sideways at Dumbledore.

"This isn't supposed to be opinions, Albus."

"It's not opinions. If Sirius is saying he's a traitor, then that's what he believes to be true. Veritaserum does not enlighten you to the truths of the universe, it only unlocks what's known to the recipient."

Crouch set his jaw. "Moving on. Mr. Black, how is Peter Pettigrew a traitor?"

"He told Voldemort. About the Potters. He told the secret. He put them up for murder."

"Who is Remus Lupin?"

"My friend. I thought he was the spy, and I was wrong. It's because he's a-"

"Mr. Crouch, may I ask a question?" Dumbledore asked hurriedly. Crouch looked at Dumbledore with apprehension, but motioned for him to speak. "Who told you to go to Godric's Hollow?"

"No one. I didn't feel right. I went to Peter's house and he wasn't there. It didn't feel right. There was a black robe. I went there as fast as I could, but I was too late."

"One last question, and you may continue with your train of thought, Mr. Crouch. What occurred between you and Mr. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts School, in Godric's Hollow?"

"We argued. I said he wasn't a wizard. He said he thought I sounded like I killed James and Lily. Then, I tried to Stun him, but it didn't work. I grabbed Harry and ran to my motorcycle. We flew away."

"What is your relationship to Harry Potter?" Mr. Crouch was asking the questions again.

"He's my godson. I take care of him now that his parents are dead." Sirius's chest tightened, but he did not feel the need to cry nor experience any other emotion. Dumbledore looked at Sirius's glazed eyes and knew it was time to end.

"Mr. Crouch, it is my opinion that we have heard all we need . Shall we end the interview?" He looked to Dumbledore, and then to Sirius.

"Mr. Black, before we conclude, I must ask a standard question from the manufacturers of the potion, to make sure the Veritaserum has no ill effects. How do you feel?"

"I'm sad."

"I believe this concludes the interview. Thank you for consenting to the interrogation. We will use this information to further investigate the case. Finite Incantanum." He pocketed his wand. "I'll return to the Ministry and transcribe what was recorded. Thank you for allowing this. Do you have the counter-potion?" Dumbledore pulled it from the pocket of his robes.

"Thank you. I've always found it funny how the truth is often what we least want to hear." The two men nodded politely to each other and Crouch exited the ward alone. "Here, Sirius, three drops will reverse the effects." Dumbledore conjured another flask and measured the correct amount. Sirius downed the liquid and began to turn red in the face. Quickly, his limbs began to shake so uncontrollably that the glass threatened to fly from his hands. His unbridled emotion continued to build, and within moments he burst into anguished sobs. Madam Pomfrey came rushing out of the private office to see the commotion.

"Dumbledore, sedate him! He's going to hurt himself."

"Poppy, he was just placed under Veritaserum. You know that under normal conditions the individual will feel elevated emotional levels, and Sirius is going through quite an ordeal. His feelings were bottled up while under its influence, and now he's releasing them. He should feel a little relief after this." Madam Pomfrey nodded, but closed a silencing curtain around his bed.

"Blasted potion, look what it does to people. Excuse me, Professor, I need to check on someone else." She headed towards the back of the ward. Dumbledore waited patiently, peering inside the curtain from time to time. Finally, the cries subsided, and he emerged from the curtain.

"Thank you, sir. I'm going to wash up, but can I see Harry afterwards?" He was still shaking.

"Of course. I regret that you couldn't see him sooner." Sirius hurried away from Dumbledore, who departed in the opposite direction. The ward's only private room had been converted into a makeshift nursery. A bassinet was located centrally, and he moved towards it. Inside was a sleeping baby boy, who had been an orphan less than a day. Madam Pomfrey had done everything she could to heal his lightning bolt-shaped wound, but her efforts were fruitless. According to the matron, last night had been difficult for Harry. He'd woken her numerous times, wailing for his parents. Footsteps behind Dumbledore announced Sirius's arrival. Harry's godfather appeared apprehensive, but with Dumbledore's wordless encouragement he rushed to the crib.

"Harry, you're safe, I'm so glad you're safe." Sirius scooped him into his arms and gently rocked. "May, er, not to be rude, but could Harry and I be alone for a minute?" Dumbledore smiled and stepped out of the room.

"You know who you look like, right? Just like him. You'll be a testament, won't you? We're going to live together, Harry and Sirius, I can't even begin tell you all the adventures we'll have. Oh, God, you look just like him...." He brushed a lock of hair out of Harry's eyes. "That's quite the awful cut you've got there. It'll make you famous someday. You'll come here to Hogwarts and make everyone proud. Harry James Potter. You'll make us proud."

Harry opened his eyes and looked at Sirius, the first familiar face he'd seen since very early that morning. He smiled and revealed several well-spaced teeth.

"Would you like to meet Dumbledore now? I bet he'll still be Headmaster when you come here. He was, back when your father and I were at school." As Sirius reached the doorway, he felt a finger taken into Harry's chubby fist. That was the most reassuring gesture that he'd felt in a long time. When he emerged, Dumbledore was no longer there. "Well, Harry, what say we explore the ward? I don't think it's too early to begin your adventures."

They traversed the rows of beds together, with Sirius giving a running commentary. "See that bed? James always seemed to end up there, the times he got a bad break from a Bludger. I'd stay in that one, right next to it, knocked out myself, or faking it. We'd come down here after the full moon to visit Remus. He was always too tired to talk, but we'd tell him everything that had happened in class. Over there is where I sent Snape once. Actually, it was more than once, not to boast. Avoid that git, Harry, unless you're out to give him a hard time."

The sight of Dumbledore interrupted his nostalgia. "There he is. I'm sure he wanted to see you." Advancing on the Headmaster, Sirius saw that he was speaking to Madam Pomfrey.

"How is he feeling?" Dumbledore asked.

"He's still sleeping. The wizards under Mr. Crouch went to bring him in for questioning and found him passed out. They're holding him here until he wakes up and is given the news. Luckily, they were too thick to figure out what he is." The professor and matron were standing outside a bed with the curtains drawn, but Madam Pomfrey pulled them aside for Dumbledore to see. Sleeping in the bed was Remus Lupin.

His face was pale, and dark circles rimmed his eyes. Several rough gashes crisscrossed sunken cheeks. All alone, he was left to transform by himself, and was discovered by people who didn't even care about him, who were just on orders to return him to Hogwarts. He stirred, and tentatively opened an eye. Madam Pomfrey rushed towards him with a glass of water and ointment in her hands.

"Oh, good morning, dear. Would you rather have pumpkin juice? Stay still, now, let me work on those cuts." Remus accepted the water, but didn't drink. She applied the ointment to his face, and he winced. "There, see, it's getting better already. Would you like a mirror?" He shook his head and closed his eyes again. "No, you can't go back to bed, I'm afraid. The Headmaster needs to talk to you." Interest flickered in his eyes, but he still said nothing.

"Good morning, Remus. Did you need anything else before we begin? The house-elves can bring a nice breakfast spread if you'd like." He vehemently shook his head, looking a bit queasy. "All right, then. Let me know if you change your mind.

"Now, some truly unfortunate events unfolded last night, of which you were not informed for obvious reasons. Did you know that Peter was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?"

"No. Sirius was, wasn't he? Why would they switch?"

"You, like many others including myself, believed Sirius to be the Secret-Keeper. Apparently, that was why Lily and James changed their minds, to keep the attention off Peter. Did you know about the information being passed to the other side?"

"Yes, I knew about the spy. It's been rumored for months. Everyone thought it was me. So I've kept away these past few months...didn't want them to feel uncomfortable around me, there was nothing I could do to prove myself to them, I guess. Sure, I'd seen them, but not like it used to be. Sirius was the spy, then? What did he do?"

"No, Remus, he was not the spy, and I know you weren't. It was Peter."

"Peter? How was Peter the spy? No, he's too loyal to do that. Dumbledore, really, Peter? He...he didn't. He couldn't."

"Maybe that was part of the appeal: a spy that would be completely undetected. The Potters made Peter the Secret Keeper, and he divulged their location. Last night, Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow."

"No, no, it-it can't, be just couldn't...." Remus's voice trailed off, thick with unrestrained emotion. "He...I mean, did he kill them?" Sirius wanted to comfort his friend, as no one had been there to comfort him when he discovered the horrible truth, but he stayed in his hiding place.

"I'm so sorry, Remus, but it's true. Voldemort killed Lily and James." Peeking out from his hiding place, Sirius could see Remus mouthing astonished denials; the look on his face put Sirius through the torture all over again. They sat in silence for a long time as Remus absorbed the news.

"You said Lily and James. Did he kill Harry, too?" Remus's voice was quiet, yet it startled Sirius.

"That is where the events of the evening get complicated. Miraculously, Harry survived." He paused as Remus gasped. "I'm currently investigating what occurred, but it appears that the Killing Curse rebounded off Harry and struck Voldemort. There was an explosion, and the house is in ruins. Very little was recovered. Voldemort has disappeared from my Foe-Glass, although I don't believe he's gone forever. He has undergone so many changes during his quest for immortality that some part of him has been preserved." Dumbledore went on to recap the previous night's events. "Sirius went under Veritaserum today to clear his name, and now Aurors are searching for Peter. I know this is a lot to take in, Remus. Would you like to be left alone?"

"No, I just...I need a minute, but please stay." He rubbed his face, smearing the ointment, and rocked back and forth. Silent tears fell from his hazel eyes, and traced the scratches on his face. "Where is Harry?"

"He's here, in this room. Sirius is with him, and if he would bring him over we could all see each other." Sirius was momentarily staggered, but emerged from behind the curtain. Dumbledore always knew. He carried Harry over to Remus's bed and observed his friend's startled expression.

"Hello, Remus."

"Sirius! Bring Harry here, he's all right then?" Remus jumped up from his bed and moved towards the duo. "What happened to his head?"

"It's the mark of the curse that failed," said Dumbledore. "Madam Pomfrey employed all appropriate methods to heal it, but this is no ordinary wound. It is not like the ones Remus has upon his face. No one has ever survived the Killing Curse before. He's being called the Boy Who Lived."

Remus traced its shape slightly above Harry's forehead, and the baby laughed at him. He stepped away from Harry and shuddered.

"I can't look at him right now. It's too hard- I mean, I want to be there for him and I love him, but it's like looking at James, and I'll never do that again...." Remus placed a hand over his own forehead and closed his eyes. Sirius awkwardly rocked Harry while Dumbledore observed the situation.

"Perhaps Madam Pomfrey can take Harry now, and you two could meet with me in my office," he suggested. Sirius was relieved by the break in the silence, and nodded quickly. He and Dumbledore turned and looked at Remus, who was leaning against the bed frame.

"Yes, let's do that." He took drained the glass of water that the matron had given him earlier, and waited for Dumbledore to stand. They began to walk to the door, when Madam Pomfrey came from the converted nursery.

"Poppy, could you take him? I need to discuss some things with Sirius and Remus alone."

"Certainly, Dumbledore. I believe it's about time for a bottle."

"Goodbye, Harry. We'll have your godfather back to you soon."