Chapter 1: Changed Fate
OCT. 31,1981 Godric's Hollow
Sirius had known something was wrong when he checked on Peter, only to find him missing.
He immediately apparated himself and his motorcycle to Godric's Hollow only to find the house looking like a bomb had gone off inside. He raced to the door only to find it open and the body of his honorary brother lying just inside the threshold.
Fighting the desire to howl in despair, he forced himself to pass James' body and head upstairs. It was eerie the way many parts of the cottage seemed intact but he knew from the outside that the damage seemed to center on little Harry's nursery.
When he got to the nursery, he found Lily's body and Voldemort's. James had told him they were being targeted by the bloody dark wanker because of a prophecy about Harry, so Sirius was astounded to find a dazed, bleeding, sobbing but still alive Harry.
He was shocked but also overjoyed that Harry had somehow survived. "I've got you, Harry" he tried to sooth the sobbing child.
"MAMA!" Harry wailed and tried to flail himself free.
Sirius tightened his grip, but Harry still struggled. Afraid he would either hurt Harry by holding him too tight or that he would drop him as Harry struggled, Sirius cast a sleep charm on the toddler.
Almost at once the boy went limp. The poor little tyke must have already been exhausted. Sirius noticed there was quite a bit of blood on Harry. He checked Harry carefully.
Aside from the lighting bolt cut on his forehead, a couple of scrapes and bruises, and an absolutely disgusting nappy Harry appeared to be mostly unscathed which left Sirius wondering where the blood on his chest had come from.
The rest of the cottage and it's occupants were anything but unscathed. He noticed blood on Lily's hand maybe the blood on Harry was hers. Sirius found clean clothes and a fresh nappy for Harry and did his best to clean him up and change him without waking him.
As he did it, it occurred to him that only he and Peter knew about the switch in secret keepers. Given James and Lily were dead, that meant that Peter was the spy and only the two of them knew it. Furthermore since "everyone knew" he was the secret keeper, everyone would be pointing their fingers to him as the spy.
Given his family he wouldn't be given the benefit of the doubt. In fact, in the current political climate he wasn't even sure he'd get a trial. A trial would clear him but Sirius knew how wizards thought, even now Peter was probably coming up with more ways to frame Sirius for this and maybe worse crimes.
With Death eater connections like Lucius Malfoy, it wouldn't be that hard for him. Malfoy would gleefully help Peter. Because in the absence of Regulus it would mean his son, Draco, would likely be named the Black heir. He couldn't let the wizards imprison him, James and Lily were depending on him to see to Harry.
James had said a mere day ago, "Padfoot, Lily wasn't to crazy about naming you godfather, she thinks you're a hothead who doesn't think. I need you to swear if something happens, you'll think before you do anything and Harry will be your top priority ahead of everyone and everything. I," he paused.
"Had a nightmare last night. I didn't tell Lily, but I've got a really bad feeling about the next few days, and Padfoot, I've been getting the willies the last few times Albus has shown up. He looks at Harry and I just get a bad feeling. In the larger sense I trust Albus, but I don't trust him with Harry.""
"I can't. If something happens to Lily and I, I want you to take Harry and disappear. I know I'm asking you to give up just about everything, but I'm asking because I trust you over and above Peter or Remus."
"I want you to teach him everything you know and then find him teachers to teach him everything they know and don't bring him back till he is ready for anyone and anything. I don't want my son to grow up as a pawn in a chess game for the Wizarding world, I'm counting on you."
Sirius had first tried to brush it off as Prongs suffering from cabin fever. But in the end he had promised, not realizing until now that James' dream was more than just a dream. His temper wanted to hunt down Peter and kill him; but he had promised James to take Harry and disappear.
He thought carefully for a moment, then he carried Harry to Lily and James bedroom and set him in the center of their bed. The attic access was in this room, he went up and grabbed the trunks that had brought the Potter belongings to the cottage.
James and Lily had only brought a couple of heirlooms from the manor since they preferred a simple lifestyle, mostly due to Lily's lower middle class muggle upbringing.
Sirius reflected that had James insisted they stay at Potter Manor despite Lily's discomfort with the Potter wealth, his family might still be alive. Sirius took two blankets and after levitating Lily's body down next to James he covered Lily and James' bodies. In the nursery he opened the first compartment of the first trunk and summoned and packed all of Harry's belongings.
He also grabbed Harry's baby book and the cross-stitch sampler Alice had made commemorating Harry's birth. Leaving the nursery he went to James and Lily's room, he wasn't sure what things of his parent's belongings would hold meaning for Harry so he packed everything except their everyday robes and the furniture in the second compartment.
Leaving Harry asleep on the bed he went downstairs packing the rooms in the many compartments of the trunks from the attic. He took special care to get all the photo albums and journals, and the small items around the house that he knew Lily had made. He also made sure to take everything of value. Harry's survival of Moldyshort's attack would make Harry a celebrity and anything left in the house would become a collector's item.
Sirius had no intentions of letting anyone have anything of Harry's that had value or sentiment attached. The trunks quickly filled and Sirius shrank them to tuck them in his pockets. He went back upstairs and wrapped Harry in a blanket with a warming charm on it.
At the last minute he remembered the stroller and the portable crib Lily kept on the sun porch out back. Leaving Harry on the bed once again, he quickly rushed down the stairs and onto the porch.
Once there he quickly collapsed the crib and shrank it and the stroller. He noticed the sling that all of them sometimes used to carry Harry and put it on. He headed outside to his motorcycle and put everything into the saddlebags.
He went in to get Harry only to meet Hagrid carrying him down the stairs. "Hagrid...Give Harry to me." When the large man shook his head no, Sirius tried again, "Hagrid, I'm his godfather, I'll look after him-"
"No, Dumbledore said he's to go to his aunt and uncle. I'm to take him there immediately."
"His aunt and uncle! But they're muggles, they hate magic. I'll take care of Harry he'll get everything he needs. Just hand him here." Sirius was furious, Albus was obviously wasting no time. The idea of Harry going into Petunia's, or worse Vernon's hands was unthinkable.
He felt the grief stricken part of himself want to give up, Hagrid had spell resistance due to his giant heritage; the simple man's loyalty to Dumbledore was legend. He thought through his repertoire of spells and suddenly he remembered a spell he'd learned from a witch that worked with dragons. The super charged stunner made it so two people could handle a hurt dragon, but she'd said it took a lot from the caster.
"No. Albus is trustin' me to get the poor mite to his family."
"Can I at least give him a hug and kiss goodbye then?"
"Course." Hagrid carefully handed Harry to Sirius.
Sirius half turned so Hagrid wouldn't see him draw his wand. He send a quick prayer to the powers that be this would work. He turned back to Hagrid pointing his wand to the center of Hagrid chest "UNBEWUSSTE!" to his great relief the giant man's eyes rolled back in his head and he toppled over.
Sirius felt like he did after his first week of auror training, completely wiped out. He carefully tucked Harry into the sling then climbed on his motorcycle and started it. His next move was to get to Gringott's, he and Harry would need a few things. But first he better swing by his apartment.
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