“Death is but, an enemy, that snatches our loved ones, taking them away to where they can never return. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is, but of course Death.”
He turned to see Dumbledore’s tall figure looking at him. His eyes still moist but mood composed. “Come, lets look for the kids. May be I know where we can find them.”
They were now standing outside the church with Miley on Sirius’ shoulder and Harry on Dumbledore’s, sleeping peacefully. “Come, lets walk.” They kept walking without a word. It felt a long time when Albus said, “Harry will obviously be famous – being the only wizard ever to have survived the killing curse, with nothing but a scar mark. He is our best hope, Sirius. And, a reminder of the violence that tore apart a family.” He stopped for a while and resumed, “Voldemort has chosen Harry. Marked Harry his equivalent and in doing so, marked his own reason for death.”
“But, he’s gone.”
“He will return, and Harry will be in terrible danger when he does.” “Of course, we will be there to help him, guide him and to make sure James’ and Lily’s deaths were not in vain. But, its his war at the end.” It came back to him as a blow. James’ and Lily’s deaths…. the words hit him hard. “Harry was saved of the enchantment Lily laid upon him by sacrificing herself. Harry will be safe, with his mother’s love, for life.” Albus took a break before saying further, “He has to be sent to Petunia, the Dursley’s, his last living relatives, as that would keep the charm intact till the time Harry lives there and takes to that place as his home.”
“But……I am his God father, and……”
Before he could speak further, Albus interrupted, “No, Sirius. He will be safer there. It would be sensible to keep him away from all this, till we can, he has a long way to go later on.”
Sirius looked at the children, sleeping peacefully, far away from the thoughts and worries, for what the future has in hold for them. He agreed but continued, “All this while you had just been talking about Harry and safeguarding him. What about Miley?”
“Ah……Ana……Miley…! Well…Harry has already been marked. He is the chosen one and become their prime target. We cannot risk Miley too by pushing her into it.”
Sirius could not understand. What was Albus trying to say?
“Well Sirius, Harry has already become the subject of their attention and that he will be till the time he returns and even later. We cannot make Miley too an object, to be specific an easy bait. As, Harry goes to the Dursley’s, Miley has to be sent into exile. She has to go, disappear.”
“But……”, Sirius couldnot understand, belive what he was hearing, What was Albus saying? Exile…Miley…No…this wont happen. He could not let this night take away everything he had.
“No one saw her and few knew about her.” Albus kept speaking at his normal tone. “Today when I take her from here, the world will forget, there ever was a fourth Potter, there ever was a Miley. I know it hurts, needless to say hurts me more so. So today when I take her, a charm will be cast, which will make everyone to forget about her existence. It works just like the ‘Fidelius Charm’, I am the Secret Keeper, and now, that I am passing on the secret to you, you too become one. I will take her and keep her safe you can count upon me. After all … I am … her … Great God Father.”
Sirius got startled to hear this, he looked at Albus with confused expressions, “But … James and Lily never told me …”
“Lysandra …… Lysandra Rosier, well … I am her God Father. Obviously not many know about this, for the very same reason as yours.”
“How do you … ….”
“But, that is not important Sirius. We need to rush with our arrangements. I am taking Miley with me. You stay here with Harry. I’ll send Hagrid to fetch Harry and to deliver him safely to the Dursley’s.”
“But …I’ll ….”
“Hagrid will be fine, and he’s right for the job. I take my leave here.”
He turned to leave, but came back patted on Sirius’ shoulders and said, “This is a terrible loss, but we need to to keep our peace intact and do the needful before further harm can be brought upon.” Saying this he turned and walked down the street, after several steps he disapparated. Sirius heard a distant pop.
There lay Harry, sleeping in his arms. He knew, he could cry now.
James and Lily’s death was a major blow, with Miley gone and Harry in constant danger. He felt a lump forming his throat, choking him, for a fraction of a second he too wanted to die. But no, he could not die now. There was so much to be done, keeping Harry safe and not to let their deaths and Lily’s sacrifice go in vain, after all he was Harry’s God Father.
How could this ever happen? So much had happened in one day. So much had been lost. The worst still was Peter’s betrayal. Oh how it felt, he himself was partly responsible, for it was he himself who had suggested Peter’s name, Lily’s doubts had been so very right. Oh James! How could we so blindly trust him? How could we never guess his hearts deeper inclination? He had to question Peter, and Peter had to be answerable for what all he has brought upon.
He could never recover from this loss. Never Ever. He had lost his family, once and for all.
Sirius crossed the street and went over to the other side and sat on the pavement bench.
Much had happened and much has to happen. But, it is the wait that would torture him. Torture him till he did not see Voldemort dead and Peter punished for betraying James, who has thought it a sin – not to trust friends. He could not stop his tears, his eyes burnt when he closed them. Everything started rushing to his mind, every memory with James. As fresh as it had ever been…
The day they had first met on the Platform 93/4, and immediately started off a conversation, they knew it from the very start that this friendship was to go a long way since that very first meeting. Their journey to Hogwarts, Their sorting in the same house, night outs, tours and detours under the cloak, Pranks they played together on people, their easy and favorite target Snape, …Snape … he has got his revenge, “I will kill him too, the more the better”.
Their life spent at Hogwarts was the golden period. The formation of the ‘Marauder’s Gang’ and Invention of ‘The Marauder’s Map’. James love for Lily, his advances and Lily’s efforts to avoid him … he laughed on the memory... How he finally left his people and James’ parents took him in as their son. They had been a family since then. James’ marriage with Lily – Sirius being their Best Man. Harry’s birth – Sirius Being announced the God Father.
Fragments of a lost life bit him hard on the heart, Peter’s betrayal gnawing at him, he felt something in his heart tearing apart. He could not take it any longer.
Life after the Prophecy had been so stressful. But, never ever had they thought this could happen. We never think of the worst for our loved ones. That feeling comes so natural. But no, it was lost … lost forever … lost to where, they could never return.
This could never happen. He could never believe it had happened. How could this have happened? They had tried every means to safeguard the place, and not many knew the secret, just he, Albus and Peter. Who could have leaked the secret?
He did not realize it when he started for Godric’s Hollow. Did not when he reached the street and finally in front of the house. I t was only when, he found himself standing in front of the house, across the hedge, that he saw people swarming the place. For a split second he felt, nothing had happened, the lights of the ground-floor were still on and he thought any moment he would be greeted by James and Lily, if he walked in. Everything was so quiet now. Just a few months ago he had visited, that seemed so long ago now.
But, soon facts flooded on him when he saw the upper story blasted off portion. People were surrounding the place, both muggles and wizards, and talking in hushed voices. Someone had called the muggle police, who were asking questions looking for witnesses. He saw the bodies. No, this cant be true. He saw them carrying out the bodies of his most beloved friends, companions, family, out on the stretcher, lifeless, the spark of life had left them long ago. First James’ followed by Lily’s. They were sending them away in the van. He wanted to run and stop them, call at them and never let anyone take them away. No voice came. But, no this was not to be done right now.
He had Harry’s and Miley’s responsibility on him, and a mission to find out, how had the secret leaked. And if, it was Peter, then look for him and kill him. He deserved much worse a treatment but that was not important now. But, where were Harry and Miley.
She had been waiting for this day all the month and when it finally came her happiness knew no bounds. But why could not she go out? She always used to see neighborhood children, her age, outside playing, through her window. Why could she not go out and play with them? Why could not she too have fun and live like other people did? Why they never, if hardly ever, went out? What was it that kept them imprisoned in their own place?
Oh she had again got invisible crying on the kitchen table. Lily did not know, she had started to realize, when she went invisible. Lily had again started to worry. Well, that was a great opportunity to go out and have a look, what it felt like. She had almost forgotten, how it felt like to be outside. It’s been so many months since they had been hiding. Hiding… Were they hiding from someone? What was it? Yes, they always looked tensed and alert. Was it anything to do with the ongoing tumults and cases of deaths?
It would just take a few minutes time and no one would know. She was after all, invisible.
She sheepishly sneaked out. But was she doing the right thing. Lily would be so furious if she comes to know. She still walked on till the gate and opened it. She heard faint voices of Lily calling her. Oh my god! Lily was calling. She hurriedly walked back in and went straight to the kitchen. She had forgotten to bolt the door.
Lily was worried and furious, she knew about her invisibility and was ordering her to go straight to bed. She did that unwillingly, as Lily had made sure by asking her to hold her hand. Lily left her to sleep, to get back Harry and put him to bed too.
Sleep was finally taking over her. She could hear faint voices of a bang, James shouting, and Lily’s screams. What was happening? She knew when Lily came in so very upset and worried and trying to barricade the entrance. She had gotten up, hearing all the tumult. What was going on? Why was Lily so worried and crying? Why was she crying?
And why was she barricading the entrance to the door. Whom was she trying to avoid. Who was there outside trying to come in? … Trying? … He was already in. it was the same hooded figure she had been seeing in her dreams all these months. She got so afraid. What was Lily trying to do? He had already directed his wand at her. No, he wanted to kill Harry. …Harry? … Why would someone want o kill Harry? What harm could he bring to someone? No, how much she wanted to help, but she was so afraid to do anything. She got up and hid behind the curtains. He had not seen her. Was she still invisible? Could she do something? But, what could she do? She had never done magic. She knew where Lily’s wand was. But she didn’t know how to use it properly. What was he doing? He had done magic on Lily. She saw her falling down. Why wasn’t she getting up? Didn’t she know what had happened? What had he done? She had seen this again and again in her dreams, but never thought it could be true. How she hoped it to be yet, another dream. He was raising hi wand at Harry. Harry had started crying. No, she wont let him harm Harry. Lily was trying to save him. Was this the reason, of their hiding? She did not know what happened, she just felt something went out of her and hit the wall. Next moment, the wall blasted off and the lights went out. The man was gone.
For a moment, she felt frozen to her place. But then she ran towards Lily and tried to wake her up. Harry was still crying. She had to do something. Save Harry, yes, this was what James had shouted and Lily had tried to do. She took Harry in her arm and run out of the room. Out into the hall where James’ body was lying. Out of the door into the garden. Out of into the street. She felt blinded by her own tears. She didn’t know what to do, where to go. She finally reached the market, there was no one around, people had left long ago, and everything was quiet now. Where people were enjoying the festivities, no one knew a family had been torn apart, the very being of the family was ripped, and the living were left stranded, with nowhere to go.
She heard ringing of the bells. There at the far corner was the church; lights were still on, she could hear a chorus, and directed herself towards it.
She was tired, too tired, with Harry in her arms sleeping peacefully. She had started to feel the chill in the atmosphere; it had been raining all day. She went into the church and lied down on the extreme corner chair, with Harry in her arms. All this time her mind had been occupied with so many thoughts; she had not realized the hunger, chill and the pain.
Was it her fault? She had forgotten to bolt the door, was it because of that, it had been easy for that man to get inside. Why had he wanted to kill Harry? Why had he killed her parents? Her eyes were burning of the pain of crying for so long. But, she was too tired. She knew they were safe here. There was so much she had not understood. Will she ever get the answers to these questions?
She never knew when she went off to sleep.
