In the early morning, one particular street in a city five miles from Godric’s Hollow, was deserted, save for a dog with short black hair. The dog sniffed at the air and scanned the street before turning into a man with a pop. There were dark circles under his eyes, which looked a little bloodshot. He had cried a little and hadn’t slept all night. He was on the hunt for one man, and had finally tracked him down to that particular area.
“Peter Pettigrew!” called out an angry and grief-ridden Sirius Black. “Show your cowardly face!”
A short, pudgy man with blonde hair and watery blue eyes stepped slowly out of the shadows of a nearby alley. He looked nervous when he saw Sirius. The man with short black hair and stormy grey eyes approached Peter, looking like a bull ready to charge.
“Sirius, old friend,” Peter began in a feeble voice. “It’s nice to see you again, but Lily and James’ deaths were unfor-”
“You traitor!” Sirius yelled. “You DARE act like you feel sorry for Lily and James? You sold them to Voldemort!”
Peter flinched at the Dark Lord’s name. His face then contorted itself into on he though conveyed an emotion of deepest anguish and despair, but only succeeded in creating one of fear and patheticism.
“But Sirius, I would never sell them out. I would rather d-”
“Liar!” he roared. You were their Secret Keeper when they died. Only you could’ve told him where to go!”
Peter began to think frantically, How do I get out of this? I need to fake my own death, and for that I need witnesses. He looked up and down the empty street, hoping someone would come along.
“Believe me, Sirius,” he pleaded. “I didn’t tell him! He must’ve found out where they lived on his own. After all, they say he has many unnatural powers.”
“I’ll never believe you again!” growled Sirius. “James and Lily trusted you with their lives, and you betrayed them!”
Before saying anything else, Peter glanced around the street again. A few homeless men were peeking out of alleyways and some other Muggles were coming outside from nearby houses and moving closer to investigate the source of all the yelling.
“No, no I never betrayed them!” he shrieked.
He walked into the middle of the road, and Sirius, taking the bait, did the same. They were standing about five feet apart. Peter slid his wand into the waist of his pants and hid it with his shirt and robes, blocking it from view. As Peter expected, Sirius still looked furious, but had not noticed his slight motions.
“How can you lie to my face?” he snarled menacingly. “You stand there and lie your filthy head off, when you sold them out!”
Peter took a look around and saw a large number of people either staring at the two oddly dressed men in the street or just talking in whispers to each other.
Perfect, Peter thought, a smile crawling onto his face. He placed his wand arm directly at his side, ready to grab it at a moment’s notice. Now for my disappearing act.
He disposed of the smirk adorning his face and changed it to a sad frown, looking as if he would cry. For good measure, he forced a tear to fall down his face. He advanced closer to Sirius. He wanted to make sure Sirius remembered this for the rest of his life.
“Lily and James, Sirius!” Peter howled in feigned misery, loud enough for the surrounding Muggles to hear. “How could you?”
Sirius whipped out his wand, but before he could utter a single incantation, the street behind Peter exploded, and in the next second, Peter was gone. In his place was a lone finger resting on a pile of his robes.
He looked around at the devastation that had taken place behind his former friend. Bodies littered the street, and a good part of the street had been blown apart. Sewer water was spilling out of a crater, washing most of the blood off the street. The surviving Muggles were screaming in terror, running around. Sirius let his arms fall to his sides, and his wand hung from his fingertips as he watched a rat scamper through a sewer grate and disappear. Instantly, he knew what had happened to Peter.
Peter’s gone and it looks like I did all this. The Ministry’s going to send me to Azkaban for life. I’ve already lost Lily and James. I’ve even lost Harry, even though he’s alive. Oh, this is a cruel fate for having done nothing.
Sirius allowed a little smile to escape. Then he began to laugh. At first his laugh was slow, then he threw back his head and began laughing hard with no restraint, feeling somewhat relieved of the emotions that were flowing through him.
Within two minutes, the Junior Minister of the Department of Magical Catastrophes (A/N: You know that’s Fudge, right?) arrived with a small entourage from his department.
“My God!” gasped Fudge, surveying the scene laid out before his startled eyes.
One of the wizards Disapparated, returning soon after with a squad of Obliviators and what looked like half of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad. Those whom had just arrived looked just as shocked as Fudge had been. Recovering quickly, the Obliviators went to hear what the Muggles had seen before wiping their memories of anything magical they had seen.
The witches and wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad were cautiously approaching Sirius, their wands out and ready. Sirius took no note of them and continued laughing, also allowing tears to roll down his cheeks in an extra release of the pain and anguish that burned dully inside his heart. They Apparated him to Azkaban, and with a pop, they were gone, Sirius’ laughter with them.
~*~
A/N: Many big hugs and thanks to mugglegurl for your Beta work on this. I couldn't have done it with out you help. Tell me what you think in a review. If you liked it, didn't like it, or anything else. I want some input.