Chapter 2
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CHAPTER TWO
When Sirius flooed Peter and he didn't answer he knew immediately that something was wrong. Peter was supposed to be in hiding. As in he wasn't to leave his house. Before he'd always answered almost immediately including a few days ago when Sirius had flooed him to tell him about Albus's death. His lack of response had Sirius immediately running out to his motorcycle and heading over to Peter's heavily warded apartment. Except it wasn't warded at all anymore.
Sirius forced the door and nearly ran inside terrified of finding a grisly and bloody scene. Instead, the apartment was neat as a pin. A sick feeling in his stomach Sirius crossed to the bedroom and opened the door the first thing he noticed was the open closet door all the clothing removed. Then he saw the photo on the bed. It was one of Peter and Ivy she was sitting on the kitchen counter at the Potter's home in Godric's Hollow Peter standing behind her one hand on her waist to keep her from tipping over as she grinned up at him holding up a biscuit for him to take a bite of. It was ripped in half.
"Peter what did you do?" He hissed in disbelief. He had to get to James, Lily, and Ivy. He didn't want to believe what his instincts were telling him. That they'd been betrayed, stabbed in the backs by the person they'd trusted the most but neither could he deny the doubts the evidence had raised in his mind. If it had just been the clothes missing he may have believed that Peter had panicked when Albus died and ran but the missing wards and torn picture told a different story.
In the years to come he never would fully remember the mad drive/flight to Godric's hollow. He would however always remember his first sight of the house. Still hidden from the muggle neighbors with simple wards the house seemed to have a hole in the roof part of the house having fallen in smoke drifting up from it.
He quickly landed the motorcycle and flung himself off of it running for the door. It was already cracked open and when Sirius shoved it the rest of the way open he saw James. A low cry escaped his throat at the sight of his brother in all but blood laying at the foot of the stairs still in a way he'd never been in life. Even when asleep James had tossed and kicked never being still. His eyes were still open glazed and unfocused behind his round glasses, wand still clutched in his right hand. "James?" Sirius whispered dropping to his knees. Begging pleading. Surely he was wrong James couldn't be...couldn't be... He reached out touching his cheek finding he was already cold and he let out a louder cry as sobs took over his body.
His fault. This was his fault. He was the one who'd encouraged James to use Peter as his secret keeper.
The rat. Peter. Sirius's teeth gritted his face twisted in an almost animalistic snarl much like his animagus form. He was going to find Peter. Find him and kill him. That train of thought was cut off by the sound of crying from upstairs. For a few moments the sight of James's body had driven from his mind the thought of the other two people would should be in the house. Lily the little sister he'd never wanted until he had her and Ivy the bright sparkly little creature who'd become the center of their world the moment she was born.
He nearly stumbled running up the stairs prayers to every deity he could think of running through his mind. Just let Lily and Ivy be okay. Please please, please. He knew James well enough to know that he would have been more than willing to sacrifice his life to protect his wife and child. When he shoved the door to the nursery open half of the prayer crumbled to dust.
Lily laying on the floor in a very similar pose to James her brilliant red hair spilling over the floor eyes wide in fear and shock. Her wand was lying on the floor across the room as if You-know-who had disarmed her before killing her. Before he could do more than let out a low moan of grief he heard the crying again. It was coming from the crib.
Sirius looked over terrified of what he would see. That his hearing was playing with him and the murder of his family had finally driven him over the edge and he would see Ivy's lifeless body as well. Instead, he saw his precious little goddaughter curled into a fetal position crying pitifully.
"IVY!?" At the sound of his voice, the toddler raised her head to look up at him. Her little face was streaked with tears and blood from a cut on her forehead red and blotchy from what seemed to have been hours of crying. Her brilliant green eyes filled with tears the whites almost completely red.
At the sight of him she started crying louder scrambling into a sitting position and holding her arms out to him demandingly. "Pa'foot pa'foot."
Sirius stepped around Lily's body to get to the crib and scooped the little girl into his arms. Relief and grief warring in his chest. Ivy curled as close to him as she could get her tiny body shaking with sobs her hands clenching in his shirt so hard she was pinching his skin underneath. She immediately started what they called her toddler babble and even though he had gotten pretty good at interpreting he only understood a few of the words through her sobs. "Mummy falled." "Bad bad man." "Green light." and most heartbreakingly. "Want dada. Pa'foo want dada."
"I know baby. I know. I'm here now. I got you." He soothed gently rubbing her back just holding her for a moment hardly able to believe that she had survived whatever had happened here. He carried her over to the changing table keeping his body between her and her mother's body. He sat Ivy on the table conjuring a washcloth and carefully cleaning the blood off her little face and studying the cut there. The lightning bolt shape had him frowning but he would have to think about it later. He then quickly changed her diaper and replaced her onesie with a clean one topped with jeans a sweater and a jacket. He had to do it with one hand as she latched onto his sleeve and refused to release him as if afraid he'd disappear on her.
"Pa'foo fix mummy." Ivy pleaded eyes huge. Sirius didn't want to cry in front of his goddaughter but the pleading request the first one she'd ever made that he couldn't fulfill broke his heart. He would have given his life in a heartbeat to be able to do as she asked. Not just because he felt guilty for Lily and James's death, but because he knew Ivy would undoubtedly be infinitely better off with her mummy than him.
"I can't." Sirius whispered even knowing that the 15-month-old as smart as she was would never be able to understand. It would be years before she'd be able to fully grasp what this night had cost her.
"Moo'ey can." She whimpered. Moony. Oh Merlin he wished Moony were here. He was so much better at the comforting stuff. Sirius was the fun godfather. The one who indulged and spoiled Ivy. Another thing to feel guilty about. Suspecting Moony was the spy when it was now obvious who it had been. He should have trusted his heart. Trusted the man he knew Moony was instead of suspecting him because of the wolf that was a part of him.
"We are going to see Aunt Minerva." Sirius informed the little girl who let out a whimper of displeasure. She'd never actually met Minerva but had seen her through the floo often enough to recognize her. She definitely wasn't the comforting solid presence Remus was to her. He wanted to get her to Hogwarts though behind the wards to Poppy who could look at the cut on her forehead and check her over to make sure she was okay. He could take her to Saint Mungos if he didn't like what Poppy told him.
He scooped her into his arms and paused by the crib taking out her blanket and the stuffed deer she'd been sleeping with lately. As he did he saw the robe on the floor along with a pile of ash and a wand. His eyes widened and a gasp of surprise escaped his throat.
Sirius knew he should have thought about where you-know-who had gone but seeing two of the people he loved most in the world dead and his precious goddaughter injured and distraught had knocked the thought out of his head. He recognized the wand though. Yew wands weren't very common after all. Had he been destroyed? Had Ivy actually fulfilled the prophecy? The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches. He snuggled Ivy even closer. He should contact Amelia or Moody so they could come and secure the scene but knew if he did they'd be caught here for hours. Not to mention someone may decide that Ivy would be better off elsewhere. Sirius knew that in James and Lily's wills he was granted guardianship if anything happened to them followed by the Longbottoms, then Minerva, and then the Tonks, and finally as a last resort Horace Slughorn. (It was wartime and Lily was determined to make sure her daughter would go to someone who would love her and keep her safe.) He would be able to get her back eventually but he wasn't going to take the risk of having her taken in the first place. The only other people he would have trusted to keep her safe were Albus who was dead and Remus who was still somewhere in Ireland negotiating with a werewolf pack that he thought they may be able to lure away from You-know-whos side. So Ivy stayed with him.
"We're gonna take my motorbike." Sirius informed her gently grabbing the diaper bag Lily always kept ready just in case. He'd had special enchantments added to the sidecar shortly before Ivy was born with the thought of making it safe for his goddaughter to ride in. Lily had still screeched like a banshee the first time he'd suggested taking her for a ride. He'd never forget the way James, Remus, and Peter had just smirked. She had made him promise to never mention it again until she was at least five. There was no choice though. He couldn't apparate with a child so young, and they had disconnected the floo.
"Kay Pa'foo." Ivy muttered trustingly wrapped in her blanket clutching her deer in one arm and him with the other hand. He carried her down the stairs pulling the blanket over her head which was resting on his chest so she wouldn't see James. He knelt next to the bike and placed her in the muggle car seat he'd set in the sidecar with magic. It had stabilizing charms, warming charms, and extra straps to keep her safe and she let him fasten her in quietly tears still in her eyes. He lay a gentle kiss on her forehead then glanced at the house once more before mounting the bike and taking off towards Hogsmeade.
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Technically Hogwarts was hidden. Logically if you could find Hogsmeade you could find Hogwarts after all most students spent five years walking back and forth on weekends. Sirius rode his bike right up to the gates and stepped off scooping the now sleeping Ivy out of the sidecar and went up to the gates ringing the bell.
He expected it would take a while for anyone to come as it was the middle of the night, but he was wrong. Maybe because it was Halloween night and Hagrid was looking out for troublemaking students, or maybe the half-giant just didn't need a lot of sleep but it was only minutes before he saw his large form striding to the gate later in his big hand held aloft.
"Sirius. Wha' are yeh doin' here this time a nigh'?" Hagrid asked his dark beetle eyes bright with friendly curiosity until he saw the sleeping child in Sirius's arms. It wasn't hard to figure out who she was. Firstly she had James's wild curls and secondly because Ivy Potter was the only child who'd be with Sirius Black. "Ohh, James an' Lily." He said his voice already starting to quiver.
"I'm afraid so Hagrid." Sirius said his voice husky with grief and exhaustion. "She needs to see Poppy and I need to talk to Minerva."
"Course, Course. Les get 'er inside." Hagrid sniffled tears starting to run down his cheeks to disappear into his thick beard. "Save time if yeh send a Patronus." He suggested.
Sirius carefully balanced Ivy and pulled out his wand quickly casting his Patronus and sending it to ask Poppy and Minerva to meet him in the hospital wing. Hagrid and Sirius were silent the rest of the walk up to the castle and up the stairs except for the occasional sniff. Sirius tried to pretend they were all Hagrid's.
Both Poppy and Minerva were waiting for them when they arrived at the hospital ward. Minerva was wearing her nightclothes covered with her robes her hair covered Poppy already in her nurse's robes. Sirius had never seen her in anything else.
"Mr. Black what..." Minerva's voice choked off as she saw the looks on both his and Hagrid's face as well as the sleeping child in his arms. "Oh no." She whispered softly her hand going to her mouth understanding just as quickly as Hagrid what had happened.
"'unt 'nerva." Ivy murmured sleepily obviously recognizing her voice and accent.
"She has a cut of some kind on her forehead. I don't know how long she was alone but I think she was crying for hours." Sirius informed Poppy.
Poppy stepped closer. "Come here darlin' let's get a look at you shall we." Poppy asked her voice soft and gentle holding her arms out to the toddler. She held tighter to her godfather for a moment not used to strangers but the woman's kind eyes and gentle expression must have won her over because she went to her willingly.
Sirius kept his eyes on her as Poppy took her over to one of the beds before casting a quick look around the ward seeing only what looked like a couple of sleeping first years who'd probably over-indulged as the Halloween feast.
"Mr. Black." Minerva said softly and when he didn't answer she put a gentle hand on his arm. "Sirius?"
He jumped slightly and looked over at her in surprise. "Minerva, could you floo Amelia and Moody? Please?"
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"Everyone thought you were the Potter's secret keeper Sirius." Amelia made it as a statement but it was clearly a question. The three of them were sitting in the hospital in front of the fire drinking tea, and if Minerva had poured a bit of whiskey in her and Sirius's no one was mentioning it.
Moody had already come and gone heading back to Godric's Hollow with a group of his most trusted Aurors to secure the scene and handle things with the muggle authorities While Poppy was still fussing over Ivy on the closest bed.
"Thats what we wanted everyone to think. We didn't tell anyone not even Albus or Remus." Sirius answered gazing into the fire. "It seemed safer. Everyone would think it was me meanwhile Peter went into hiding as well. You-know-who could chase me all over the world if he wanted but even if they caught me it wouldn't help him." Sirius's gaze a humorless smile. "None of us expected this from little Peter. He was afraid of his own shadow but we thought he was loyal. Hell. I don't know where he got the courage to approach You-know-who anyway. Or maybe the Death eaters came to him?" Sirius shook his head. "I don't know it doesn't matter anyway. I need to be out there hunting Peter." Fury blazed in his eyes. "I need to catch that filthy rat traitor."
He started to stand but Minerva reached out grabbing his arm. "Don't you dare even think about it Mr. Black."
Sirius looked over at him in surprise. "Minerv..."
"No. You have a greater calling at the moment." She nodded to the bed where Ivy was laying while Poppy was urging potions for dehydration down her throat. "You are the only thing that baby has right now. You are the only person here that she knows. You made a solemn vow when you became her Godfather. A solemn vow to James and Lily. What would they tell you to do right now? Do you really think you can do more than Alastor Moody. That man is not only perhaps the most proficient Auror ever seen who filled half the cells in Azkaban single-handedly he trained James. He loved that boy like his own son. Not only that but Frank Longbottom is with him and the alliance between the Longbottom and Potter families is legendary. They will catch Peter. Your job is to take care of Ivy." Sirius glanced over at his sleepy-eyed goddaughter and nodded sitting back down. "Sirius since there is no one else who can vouch for Peter being the secret keeper would you be willing to make a statement under Veritaserum?" Amelia asked. Sirius nodded. "As long as I can keep Ivy with me." He ran a hand over his face. "I have to protect her. I can't let her out of my sight. Not with anyone but Remus." He looked over to Minerva. "Have you heard from Remus?" There was a vulnerable aching tone to his question that surprised both women a bit. "Earlier today. He just found out about Albus. He should be home within the next few days. Without Albus's assurances, the werewolf pack refused the alliance. Of course, I don't think it mattes so much anymore If Ivy really vanquished You-know-who." Minerva said. "Let's not encourage that theory," Amelia suggested. "Things will be hard enough for the child growing up in the shadow of her parent's murder. It's far more likely that Lily or James was responsible for You-know-whos destruction and that is the story we should promote." Sirius and Minerva both nodded but all three were looking at the little toddler being coddled by the medwitch wondering exactly what had happened early that night. Not to mention what kind of future the girl would have if she truly had that much power.