Chapter 08

Albus Dumbledore advised James and Lily to go underground with the Fidelio charm. The Potters did so, moving to Godric's Hollow, they thought of Sirius Black to be their secret guardian. However, Sirius felt this was a rather obvious move, as he and James were best friends, so he suggested that another less obvious friend, Peter Pettigrew, be the secret guardian instead. In the interests of confidentiality, the Potters agreed and told no one else, not even Dumbledore, a big mistake.

Pettigrew had been working as a double agent for the Death Eaters, and out of fear or jealousy, he revealed the Potters' location to Lord Voldemort. Having been informed of half of the prophecy by a follower, Voldemort concluded that his mortal enemy was Harry Potter, for all the coincidences that had occurred.

He went to the Potter house in Godric's Hollow when he arrived he saw through the window James, Lily, and Harry in the same room, James was playing with Harry. He felt it trigger something, it was the feeling of a wire being cut.

James reached his son to Lily, shouting for her to take him to safety. Then Voldemort entered the house, intending to kill the child, but first, he would amuse himself for a few seconds. He underestimated the pair, but they were like mice before a great snake, he let them lead him to the baby, obviously, they would try to protect the child. He overcame the obstacles left against him and found them locked in a room with furniture blocking the door, time was pressing, and he had to accomplish his goal before help arrived.

Voldemort warned them several times to tell where the boy was, but they refused to stop protecting their son. He tortured them, their screams assuaging some of his discomforts, then thought to punish the useless Pettigrew for failing in his mission. Filled with rage and anger, he decided to kill them, but as he hurled the killing curse at the unconscious wizard and the babbling witch who watched him clench something in her fist, not understanding why, the curse ricocheted off an invisible wall, struck his body, killing him, and drove his completely unstable soul out of his body. The soul ripped from the destroyed body, emitted a muted scream, and after swirling, fled out into the night sky.

Albus Dumbledore was immediately alerted by one of his artifacts that something important had happened, he was not ready to leave, so he sent a messenger patronus to the Order member whose location was closest to the Potters' house, while he managed to get there.

At some point during the attack Peter Pettigrew in his animal form visited the house, he didn't get involved in the fight, he stood there shivering like a rat waiting. When his master screamed, he searched desperately for the boy, he knew what Lord Voldemort would do to him for giving him the wrong information.

It was a shock what happened to Voldemort, so he picked up the Dark Lord's wand, planning to hide it. Perhaps this act would mitigate his punishment when Voldemort returned to form, in his mind he could not conceive that the dark lord had been defeated.

The next few hours were chaotic. Sirius received an alert message in Godric's Hollow when he was at his workstation, thinking immediately of his friend he made an immediate appearance to get there, ignoring the other Aurors on duty who took a few minutes to follow him. He arrived and found the house visible, silent, the door shattered, and signs of a struggle. He ran up the stairs and found his damaged friends being checked by Sturgis Podmore, a member of the Order. The boy was not with them.

In desperation, he searched the house without success, remembered the suitcase and went to check it, but it was empty. Then he went to the bodies he thought dead.

- "Careful, Black," - Said Sturgis.

- "Report, Mr. Sturgis," - Asked a senior auror suddenly a few paces away.

Sirius was crying as he tried to help them, while Sturgis, who worked in the administrative area of the department, explained his theory of what had happened and what he found when he arrived. He lied that he had come to visit the family and was met with such a sight.

- "They're breathing, thank Merlin," - Said Sirius with relief, - "Harry! Sir, we must find the boy! My godson is one year old, these are my friends James Potter and his wife Lily."

- "I already know Auror Potter, Mr. Black. Stay calm, we need to check the area," - He said as he gave directions to the others, - "The enchantment tissue is torn, but at least the anti-muggles still have some effect."

Medical staff rushed the couple away, the Aurors secured the house to prevent further contamination of the scene. Two soft bangs were heard in front of the house.

- "You can't go in," - Said an auror.

- "My sister and her family live here. Her name is Lily Potter."

Severus Snape hoped it was just his wife's fears, Petunia was overly insistent on checking that the Potters were all right. They left the twins asleep in Alfred's care, and when he realized he remembered the address, he became a little worried.

- "Petunia!" - Sirius exclaimed agitated, - "Is Harry with you? I can't find him anywhere, maybe he's been kidnapped or..."

- "Harry must be hiding in the safe room," - Eleanor declared, pushing the wizards out of her way.

- "I'll take care of it," - Sirius apologized to his colleague, - "Petunia wait!"

Arriving at the entrance, Sirius motioned for them to be let through, Eleanor glanced at the place and trotted up the stairs. She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Sirius, who read it in intrigue, understanding everything when he managed to remember and see the door to the attic.

Severus was horrified at the scene as they moved on. He helped his wife open the entrance to the attic, the music was still playing. The boy was asleep, tears streaking down his cheeks.

- "Did you know that?" - Sirius asked with a lighter heart because at least his godson was safe.

- "Of course," - Severus replied as he watched his wife take the sleeping child in her arms, - "Is Lily all right?" - He asked with hope and fear.

- "James and Lily were taken to St. Mungo's, they're barely alive..." - Answered the wizard.

Eleanor was helped down, and Sirius came over to pat his godson and take him in his arms.

- "I'm going to get his things, Severus please help me, we have to put away clothes, and toys, as much as possible. We'll take Harry with us, Sirius please deal with the healers until we can go. The cat? Where's the cat?"

As if waiting to be remembered, a gray-striped cat emerged from under a basket.

- "Severus, get the cat," - She asked with a bag in her hand.

- "Why?" - Asked the wizard, placing some stuffed animals in a conjured bag.

- "We're not abandoning anyone. Lily's owl must be hunting, and if he doesn't, he'll come home. James's pet, on the other hand, needs looking after. He's a witness who needs a safe place to get over the trauma."

- "Let Black take care of it. No one guarantees he's polite, he can pick fights with our pets. They say pets take after their owners." - Sirius was about to say something. - "Shut your mouth, Black," - Severus threatened with a wolf plushie ready to throw, that was the last toy to go.

- "It would be quicker if we could use magic freely, but that would make further investigation difficult," - Sirius commented, cooing at Harry, who groaned.

- "Right, should I pack some luggage for Lily and James? They'll need it when they're discharged, won't they?" - Eleanor asked.

Nervously Sirius nodded. She set the bag aside and went into the master bedroom, then returned to Harry's bedroom and dragged the enchanted suitcase into the master bedroom. It was beneficial that the suitcase wasn't heavy, she didn't know exactly what to bring, so she took everything she could find.

Minutes later, they had to show what they were taking and allow them to check with magic to see if they were hiding anything questionable.

Eleanor and Severus took the survivors and belongings home. Harry was placed with his cousins, half awoke, and clung to his aunt for safety. Severus gave a child-adjusted dose of a mild dream potion.

James' cat Tabby was greeted with curiosity by the dogs. The cats understandably growled and meowed at the invader of their territory, Eleanor explained to them to behave well with the guest. Then, Severus realized that his wife possessed a certain "fascination magic", that is, the faculty of suggestion, the tone of her voice, and the imperceptible aura she emitted when she wished to be obeyed, he thought it was surely something innate and unconscious in her, worrying in a way, it was fortunate that he practiced the mental arts.

In the morning, the new feline took up a space by the window, elegant sphynx Ludo and Vico, allowed to do so, stood in front of him and looked out together, apparently during the night while the humans slept they came to an understanding.

Eleanor prepared breakfast while Severus tried to find out how Lily and James' condition was going, as they had been informed before they went to bed that they had a guarded prognosis.

Marco and Polo entertained the children, Harry was told he would be staying with them because his parents had to travel while he slept, and none of the adults had the head to come up with a better excuse.

Theoretically apart from James and Lily, Sirius Black was the only person who knew that Pettigrew had been their Secret Keeper, while the Aurors suspected Sirius for the 'breaking' of the Fidelius charm, his reaction and the family's reaction lessened their suspicions. The head of the team that attended Godric's Hollow knew of Potter and Black's relationship, a bond of almost siblings, before acting he needed to gather evidence to know if Black was guilty or innocent, another in his place would immediately drag him in, supplemented by his surname.

When Sirius remembered Pettigrew, he went to check on him, his hiding place was empty with no sign of a struggle, and Sirius angrily went in search of Peter in the hope of avenging his friends.

At the time of the attack, the village was practically deserted, everyone was undercover and busy. Pettigrew moved slowly anyway, hiding for a few minutes between stops, carrying a wand in the form of a rat he didn't make much progress, so he was forced to return to his human form, hide the wand, and sneak among the few people who went home after meeting with friends, in some house he could enter to spend the night hidden as a rodent, and the next day he would decide what to do.

In the early morning, Sirius found him in the street outside Lily and James's house. Sirius cornered him and asked him why he had betrayed him, and also reproached him for not being very active in the Order last year, for this and other reasons he suspected him of being a traitor. Through various situations, it eventually became apparent to the Order that there was a spy in their ranks.

Half of Godric's Hollow came out to see the cause of all the screaming, Pettigrew reacted, blaming Sirius for the attack on Lily and James, shouted that Sirius had betrayed the Potters for all to hear, accusing him of being a Death Eater as well. Before Black could draw his wand, Pettigrew quickly pulled his wand from his back and then killed 12 Muggles by blowing up the street with an explosive curse, which created a crater large enough to show the sewer pipes. He then faked his death by cutting off his finger and leaving it behind as he transformed into a rat and fled.

The Aurors found Sirius laughing his head off, unbeknownst to them, he was under the effects of a tickling spell. There were a dozen dead Muggles and a wizard as well. They quickly reacted, grabbed Sirius, and took him to Azkaban, without trial. The surviving Muggles who witnessed the event had their memories wiped, and the Muggle Worthy Excuses Committee gave them an excuse that there was a gas leak.

Severus was alerted to what had happened by Lucius, who wanted to know firsthand what happened to the Potters and their master. The Potions Master still did not know Voldemort's fate, but he did have some knowledge of what might have happened, from the conjectures he made from overhearing comments at the scene during the inspection.

- "Petunia," - The wizard called to his wife, - "Sirius was arrested for being a Death Eater, killing Pettigrew, killing Muggles, and betraying Lily and James. He will be imprisoned in Azkaban without trial."

- "Shit, I didn't think it would happen. Well, I hoped it wouldn't, the Blacks have a bad reputation," - Eleanor replied, taking off her cooking apron.

- "Why is that?" - Said Severus ironically.

- "Whatever it is, it's unfair in this case. Can you ask Lucius to help him?"

- "Perhaps."

- "Breakfast is ready and served. I let the children play because they look amused, and considering what happened to Harry..."

- "As much as I don't like Black, I no longer wish for him to go to Azkaban. Go get your handbag, I'll ask Lucius to go with you to get Black out. I'll look after the children, then we'll go to the hospital, I called, and they informed me that they are still undergoing treatment, and no visitors are allowed yet. You were right not to spend the night at the hospital, the children would have been restless without our presence."

Eleanor kissed him accepting his idea, trotting over to the children to tell them she was going to buy something delicious for dessert, she reached for her purse and privately summoned the house elf to give her quick directions, asking her to get some treats from the bakery.

- "Madam can leave everything in Alfred's hands. I will prepare something without the children noticing."

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- "You are all fools! I am Petunia Snape, Lily Potter's sister, James Potter's sister-in-law, which means I am FAMILY of the victims. And I am telling you that Sirius Black was never the secret keeper, it was Pettigrew. For security reasons, the true identity of the keeper was kept secret, which would be an obvious decision to anyone."

- "Madam, please remain calm. Even if what you say is true, there are still the murder charges," - Replied the auror.

- "Good heavens, am I speaking in another language?! I've been telling you for half an hour now that Pettigrew is alive, he's missing a finger, but he's alive and kicking. The bastard mocks everyone, and he's got bad breath, the rat. He's an animagus! A fat, dirty rat! Check Sirius Black's wand and you'll confirm he's innocent."

- "Auror Ferris," - Said Lucius, slurring his words softly, - "Mrs. Snape is part of my family, I am the godfather of her children. The accused is my wife's cousin, you see my interest, in this case, in particular, shall we settle this with lawyers?"

The Auror was undeterred, neither Malfoy's economic power nor the woman's attempt at persuasion would make him look weak in front of his boss. - "I'll review the case, the Head is in a meeting with the Minister, how can you be sure Pettigrew is alive?"

- "Weeds never die, nobody, no murder, I don't think someone so slippery is dead. He betrayed my family, he betrayed his friends, and all he has left to do is run away. Sirius Black should not be in Azkaban, there was no trial, and there is no sentence ordering his confinement in that prison. Please, at least let him be detained outside of Azkaban until they prove he is innocent," - Eleanor requested wearily.

- "Petunia, you have made your point. Go home, let me take care of the rest on my way. I'll be in touch as soon as Sirius is released," - Said Lucius smugly.

Personally, he didn't 'give a damn' about Sirius Black's fate, but as Severus suggested, intervening would enhance his image as a family man and encourage reasonable doubt about his 'non' relationship with the death eater. Besides, Sirius would be indebted to him, and every beneficial action, however small, is useful.

Due to misconceptions, many believed that Black drew his wand and killed Pettigrew before the other had a chance to defend himself, so it was surprising that someone from the family of one of the victims came forward to testify. It was also conflicting that a suspected Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, would plead for Black. However, there were those among the Aurors who knew Sirius closely and believed he might be innocent, especially given the confirmation that he was not the secret keeper.

The Head of Aurors was reluctant to accept Sirius Black's innocence, so Malfoy's lawyer had to take the case to the Minister, who, being in a good mood and reviewing the evidence presented, sealed Sirius's immediate release. The whole process took 3 days of verbal wrestling, persuasion, and evaluation of the wand by a prestigious expert, who also analyzed the area of homicide, as well as the autopsies.

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Lucius Malfoy, like others, was "requested" to testify for accusations against him, forewarned of the possibility he had the perfect alibis and used make-up for his dark mark. Petunia very accurately commented on something called "special effects", which muggles used to represent an action or disguise themselves to exemplify fantastic beings, among other virtues. The idea of a fake and a good job of covering it up with make-up made it seem as if he had no mark at all, and of course, his intelligence and dexterity also helped to divert them from a more thorough exploration.

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Remus Lupin believed that Sirius had betrayed them and killed Pettigrew, after reading the newspaper and hearing the news from Dumbledore. Harry was taken by his aunt, which was logical and to be expected, the headmaster said he would talk to them once things calmed down.

He visited his friends, and he passed Severus who had a sad expression, not wanting to bother him, he decided to postpone his visit for a while, he would talk to the healers to know the progress of his health.

The Potions Master felt heartbroken for Lily when they were informed that the Potter couple would be in an induced coma for a while, there was no guarantee that when they woke up they would be the same, the effects of the cruciatus could have seriously affected them. For now, their magic levels were low, and many internal injuries, and compromised organs whose restoration was yet to be assessed for success. There was a chance that in the end, they would die anyway. Severus wept disconsolately at the sight of Lily's delicate body, her complexion as pale as death.

The morning after the attack on the Potters, the news was published in newspapers across the country. As well as the news of Voldemort's destruction, without specifying the source, it was reported that the dreaded dark lord had been defeated by the pair.

Dumbledore was very influential in this theory, hours later being allowed in and determining after a few flourishes of the wand that Voldemort was no longer a physical presence.

The night following the news proved to be the great upheaval of Bagnold's rule in office, as wizards across the country began to celebrate the fall of Voldemort and the end of the First Magical War, in what became "a night of full-scale violations of the International Statute of Magical Secrecy". Bagnold defended these celebrations by claiming that he would deny wizards and witches their "inalienable right to revelry".

Pettigrew hid like a rat, hoping to avoid Lord Voldemort's other supporters. As the dark lord had met his undoing on Peter's information, the Death Eaters suspected him of being a traitor. He feared that if they found him before the Ministry did, the Death Eaters who had escaped imprisonment, such as Lucius Malfoy and Corban Yaxley, would kill him for leaving their organization in such a chaotic state. Looking for a magical family to take him in, he went to Devon first, and was found by a five-year-old boy, Percy Weasley, who adopted him as his pet and named him "Scabbers".

When the truth about Sirius's innocence was announced, a reward was also offered for the capture of Peter Pettigrew alive, however, it was not made public that he was an animagus, as it would generate panic and a rat chase would be inconvenient, notorious, cause more problems.

Remus felt very bad about not trusting his friend Sirius and misunderstanding everything, so he took it upon himself to take care of Sirius, those days exposed to the dementors led to him being in recovery for a few days. Eventually, he would get his personality back, he hoped that together they could support James and his family.