Potter | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 193

The Halloween that year was rainy and windy. Jenna noticed that Sirius looked more stressed than the last few days for some reason as he paced around the house anxiously. But it was right after sunset that he'd finally had enough.

"Look, Jenna... I — I think I'll be going out for some while," said Sirius, avoiding her gaze.

"What?" Jenna shook her head briskly. "No. No way! It's too dangerous, Sirius!"

"I'll be back soon. I promise."

"But they might be able to track you down if you use magic for transportation!" Jenna tried to reason. "Where would you want to go, anyway?"

"I just want to go out for a bit of fresh air. I'm getting frustrated, sitting around the house for days on end," he said. "And I can take my motorbike. I'll even put a disillusionment Charm on it so they wouldn't be able to track me. How's that?"

"Well, I'm coming with you, then —"

"No, Jenny." He shook his head. "It's not safe for you out there."

"But —"

"I'll be back soon," said Sirius, smiling down at her as he placed his hands on either side of her face, kissing her lips softly.

At last, Jenna nodded and so Sirius winked at her one last time to show himself cheerful before turning on his heels and leaving the house, his smile fading the moment he closed the door behind him.

The truth was, right before Lily and James were going to place the Fidelius Charm around their house, Sirius had made a suggestion.

He had said that it was too obvious to make him the Secret Keeper and that Voldemort would probably suspect him. They had to choose someone less obvious. Someone weaker and safer.

So he suggested Peter as their Secret Keeper and Lily and James agreed to put their trust and faith on their other friend.

Sirius had arranged everything that night to check up on Peter's hiding place to make sure that he was all right. So flying across the sky and through the rainy night with his motorbike, he made his way toward where Peter was hiding.

        But the moment he entered the house, his heart sank when he found the place empty and suspiciously quiet.

At first he thought that Peter had been attacked, just like the McKinnons. But when he walked in and looked around more carefully, he realized that there was no sign of a struggle.

And that was when it hit him.

      "Oh, no..." Sirius took a shaky breath, taking a step back with his eyes wide in horror, pulling at the back of his hair. "What have I done..."

***

While Lily was upstairs getting ready for bed, James was sitting in the living room with Harry, making puffs of colored smoke erupt from his wand for the amusement of the small black-haired boy in his blue pajamas. Harry was laughing and trying to catch the smoke, to grab it in his small fist.

       "My stinky little boy..." James laughed, watching his son admirably.

       But just then, his attention was caught when Lily stepped into the living room, her dark-red hair falling over her face.

      "Here, give Harry to me," she told James rather sleepily. "I'll put him to bed. It's been a long day."

       "Yeah, all right." James nodded, scooping up his son and handing him to his wife. He then threw his wand down upon the sofa and stretched, yawning.

       "Aww, look at you..." Lily smiled down at Harry as he kept laughing in her arms, grabbing a handful of his mother's long hair. "It's always a struggle, trying to get you to sleep."

       She then giggled as Harry made a small happy squeak that sounded like, 'Mamma!'

       But just then, they both froze on the spot when they heard the door to their house creak open. Lily held on tighter to Harry and James's face went pale as he sprit into the hall.

       Lily stayed put, her heartbeat picking up and her arms trembling as she held Harry. But she came to a halt when she heard James yell from the hall,

       "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"

       With her eyes watering up with tears, Lily made a run for upstairs. She had no other place to go. She couldn't Apparate because of the enchantments they had put around their house to prevent it for their own safety. But now it was too late.

      Lily tried to close the door shot behind her, but she let out a scream when she heard the sound of laughter and a loud thud when someone yelled, "Avada Kedavra!"

       The green light had filled the cramped hallway, it lit the pram pushed
against the wall, it made the banisters glare like lightning rods, and James Potter fell, his eyes staring up without seeing.

       "No, no... James..." Lily sobbed, holding onto Harry for dear life with her eyes frozen on the door.

      But the door soon opened and she saw his figure... cold like ice and as pale as a ghost.

       At his sight, Lily dropped Harry into the crib behind her and threw her arms wide to shield him, as if it would help. As if she could save her son.

       "Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

      "Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside, now."

     "Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead —"

       "This is my last warning —"

       "Not Harry! Please... have mercy... have mercy... Not Harry! Please — I'll do anything —"

      "AVADA KEDAVRA!"