The Black Sheep

Chapter 1

Disclaimer - Anything you recognise belongs to the amazing JK Rowling

Chapter 1

Lily settled Harry in his cot fast asleep, while James put his sleeping goddaughter Lyra in the travel cot on the far side of the room. The two toddlers were having a late nap, but Lily and James figured it was okay. Lyra's father, the the pairs best friend was coming back later along with another marauder Peter so they could celebrate halloween. While Lily and James were in hiding they couldn't really take their son Harry out trick or treating (and he and Lyra were a little young anyway Lily thought though she wouldn't admit that to her husband and the man who was James' brother in all but blood), and so Sirius opted to stay in with them, decorating pumpkins and dressing up the two children. Sirius was due to report to Albus Dumbledore beforehand though and so he left his daughter with two of the people he trusted most, especially since it had been a while since Harry and Lyra had seen each other, and even at a young age they were inseperable much to their parents delight.

Lily and James went quietly back downstairs, laughing and chatting as James made them botha cup of tea and Lily began putting up pumpkin string lights and hanging up muggle paper skeletons. The pair worked quickly to decorate the house for their friends and were pretty much finished when they heard the gate squeak. Curoius, James looked out the window. Peter always apparated into the garden, and Sirius nearly always brought his bike, that he always landed in the driveway, and never needed to open the gate.. Seeing the robed man he ran towards the door, dragging Lily with him.

"He's here! Take Harry and Lyra and leave, I'll hold him off," James shouted and Lily wasted running into Harry's room, the tots still snoring away, unaware of the danger. She went to Harry's cot first, as it was nearer the door and she heard the door creak behind her.

"Stand aside, and I'll let you live," the voice made the hairs on Lily's neck stand. There was no way to get both of them out, and she had left her wand in the kitchen, not expecting to need it until their friends arrived. Lily quickly spun around.

"I won't let you touch Harry!" she said trying to block the cot from his view, relieved he hadn't noticed Lyra's on the other side of the room yet. "Please not Harry."

"There's no need for you to die, Lily. All I want is the boy." Voldemort said calmly, "Stand aside." When Lily stayed where she was quietly begging him to leave her son, Voldemort raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"

There was a flash of green and Lily fell to the floor, as Harry began to whimper having woken up just moments before. Voldemort turned his wand now on the infant, finally he had him! "Avada Kedavra!" he shouted, but as the spell hit Harry in backfired and hit Voldemort instead.

When Sirius arrived at the Potter's home in Godric's Hallow he knew instantly something was wrong. Running into the house he first came across James, and he had to fight himself to not fall to his knees. He knew if James was gone he had to check on Lyra, Harry and Lily. He took the stairs two at a time and as he pushed open Harry's door he let out a breath of relief hearing his daughter and godson crying, knowing they were alive. Fighting back a sob when he saw Lily he quickly picked up Harry and went to pick up Lyra. cudding them close and walking back down the stairs and outside, trying to calm them as his heart sank once.

Peter.

Voldemort must got to him. Tortured him, used Imperious...Sirius couldn't bare the thought. It was him who insisted on changing the secret keeper to Peter. It was all his fault.

"Sirius?" Sirius snapped out of his thoughts and saw Hagrid standing in front of him, "Is it true? James an' Lily?" the half giant had tears in his eyes as Sirius nodded, unable to say the words. The pair stood in silence, both not knowing what more there was to say. Eventually Hagrid spoke once more, "Give 'Arry to me Sirius. Albus 'll be wanting me to bring 'im."

"I'm his godfather, he should stay with me," Sirius said, but realised it was futile arguing. "Take the bike, you'll get to him quicker and Harry will be safer. Tell Dumbledore I'm coing to speak to him about this though."

"'e's proberly already expecting yeh. Are yeh sure about the bike though?" Hagrid asked gentling taking the small boy from Sirius' arms.

"Yeah, I don't need it," Sirius said. His home (which had been under Fidelius, only James, Lily, Peter, Remus and Dumbledore had known where) was a mere few streets away. Waving goodbye to Hagrid and his godson, he snuggled Lyra closer and began their short walk home. Sirius was already planning to floo call his cousin Andromeda, to come and look after Lyra so he could check on Peter and see how he was after this, though Sirius worried what he would find.

Walking in the muggle village he and Lyra lived in, he heard a light snore letting him know his daughter had fell back asleep. Several muggles were wandering around, presumably still celebrating Halloween and unaware of the tragedy that had happened. Sirius stopped suddenly, not sure if he could believe his eyes.

There was Peter, in the middle of the street, who seemed as oblivious as the muggles around him. He locked eye with his friend and visibly paled, looking for an escape route. Raged boiled up inside Sirius, finally understanding. Finally realising the truth of why his best friends were gone and his godson left an orphan.

Before Sirius could say a word Peter was shouting, drawing the attention of everyone around him. "How could you Sirius? James and Lily? They were your friends! How could you betray them like this?!" Stunned Sirius stared at the man for a moment, unable to say anything, and Peter taking the opportunity, took his wand out of his pocket slightly and muttered a spell.

BOOM!

Sirius crouched down covering Lyra with his body, and was shocked to find that he felt nothing but the vibration. Looking up he saw everyone but Peter lying on the ground, some in small pools of blood. All of them were nearer Peter than he was and Sirius knew how lucky he and his now screaming daughter were. Moving to check on the muggles, wand out ready to cast healing spells if necessary, he heard a muffled scream. He looked up to see his former friend blood dripping from a stub that was moments ago a full finger and watched as he grinned and turned into the same rat he had seem transform hundreds of times before, as aurors began to apparate into the village wands pointing at him.

Realising what Peter had done, he laughed, not knowing how else to react to everything that had happened that night. Lyra smiled seeing hearing this.

"Black! Hand over the child! You aren't getting away with this. There's anti-apparation wards up!" one of the dozen aurors shouted, wand raised and walking forward slowly.

Snapping out of his breakdown, Sirius held Lyra closer to him. "She's my daughter, she's going no where!"

"We aren't going to hurt her," another aurora explained calmly, glad to hear this. He wasn't sure about his colleagues but he had wondered if the small child would be the next victim of the man before them, "You are under arrest Black, and we need to get her somewhere safe!"

Knowing he had seconds longer with his daughter, he looked at her looking back at him. "I love you Lyra, I'll come back to you, I promise. Daddy just needs to sort this out." Sirius kissed the top of her head and felt her be snatched quickly but gently from his arms. Lyra began to cry once more, her own arms outstretched, reaching for her dad as the aurors rushed over to him hitting him with a full body bind, before the wards were taken down and she was apparated away.