Words: 1419
Description: My version of how Sirius found out what happened on October 31, 1981. This will be mostly canon, but with a twist at the end. Pretend Remus is at home rather than on Order Missions or something.
Story:
Sirius just knew. He just had this feeling that something was wrong. He couldn't shake the feeling the whole day.

Remus seemed a little uneasy as well, but he didn't voice his feelings.

As the two sat eating dinner, Sirius pushed his food around his plate with his fork. "What's the matter, love?" Remus asked softly.

Sirius shrugged. "When's the last time we heard from Peter?" He asked.

Remus looked take aback for a second. He thought about it. "Uh, two weeks? Two and a half?"

Sirius frowned and pushed his plate away. He stood kissing Remus's forehead. "I'm gonna pay him a visit. Make sure he's alright. I just have this bad feeling."

Remus nodded as Sirius grabbed the keys to his motorbike and a helmet. "Alright well, watch out for the trick-or-treaters."

Sirius offered a smile and a nod before slipping out the door.

Sirius revved the engine on his motorbike and took off into the sky, heading to where Peter still lived with this mother.

But he wasn't home. And his house was a mess.

Sirius's bad feeling intensified tenfold and he tore out of the house, flying to Godric's Hollow as quickly as he possibly could. 

His bike skidded across the driveway making a horrible sound as it did so, his precious motorbike that he loved so much. 

He felt weak in the knees as he approached the door and went to open it, only to find that it was slightly ajar already. He felt sick as he pushed the door open, terrified at what he might find. 

He felt his heart break clear in half when he saw James, his best friend in all the world, lying there on the floor, just past the entryway. He collapsed to his knees beside James, the breath knocked out of him in such a violent way that left him gasping. 

"No," he murmuring, eyes quickly filling with tears as he grabbed at James's shirt. "No, no, no. Please, no. James. James!"

He couldn't believe it. He couldn't, he couldn't, he couldn't. He'd just talked to James and Lily the day before, just saw Harry the day before. He couldn't wrap his head around it. His...his brother. 

He put his ear to James's chest, begging any entity in the sky to please, please, please let him be alright. But the familiar thump thump thump of James's heart wasn't there to greet him. 

He was dead.

And Sirius screamed until his throat was raw. 

Lily, Sirius thought and he pulled at his hair, stumbling away from James and up the stairs to the nursery. He saw her through the open door, laying sprawled on the ground beside the crib. Her hair was spread around her head in a serene scarlet halo. 

Sirius fell to the ground against the wall. He couldn't go in there, he just couldn't. He couldn't bear to see Harry. He could just imagine it, his precious little godson, dead in his crib. As if he were asleep. 

But then Sirius heard a sound from the nursery. His head shot up, eyes filling with just a little bit of hope. He stood on shaking legs and stumbled into the room, being careful to step over Lily so as not to disturb her.

He peeked into the crib, two green eyes staring back at him. Harry sat in his crib, near silently, a great scar on his forehead. Sirius reached out for his godson with trembling hands and Harry lifted his arms for Sirius to lift him up.

Sirius pulled him into his arms, rocking him a bit as he cried. Harry spotted his mum on the ground and started to cry, reaching out for her. "Mummy!" he cried. 

Sirius held him close, stepping out of the room and down the stairs, whispering, "I'm sorry, Harry, I'm sorry," over and over again. 

He had to step past James on his way out of the house. 

He slid to sit against the outside wall of the house, right next to the door. He cradled Harry in his arms, the both of them crying. All Sirius could think about was James and Lily, James and Lily, James and Lily. He was positive he'd never been in so much pain before in his life. 

This was different than anything else. This wasn't what it felt like after his mother would hit him with a good old cruciatus curse. This wasn't what it felt like wrestling a werewolf and coming out of it with some scratches. 

This was entirely new and so much worse. This wasn't anything physical. But oh, it hurt. It felt as if a dementor had come to suck out his soul.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there for. He just knew that he couldn't get up.

"Sirius Black?" A voice spoke and Sirius looked up, tears still streaming down his face. He stood, knees knocking together, holding Harry close. 

"Hagrid! Oh god, Hagrid, they're dead, they're dead and I don't know what to--" He cut himself off as something had just occurred to him. A murderous look flashed in his eyes. "Peter," he growled. 

Hagrid, big tears rolling down his face as he stared sorrowfully at Sirius's traumatized eyes and the dark and gloomy house behind him that was once filled with so much love and light. "Wha' do ya mean, Peter?"

"He was the secret keeper," Sirius said. "Oh Merlin, this is all my fault! Why did I--why did we trust him? He fucking sold them out! Hagrid, you have to believe me, Peter Pettigrew sold the Potters to Voldemort!"

Hagrid sniffled, blowing his nose loudly on a handkerchief. "I believe ya, mate. Dumbledore sent me fer the baby, though, mate. Said he 'as to go ter his aunt 'n uncle's."

Sirius turned away protectively, holding Harry away from Hagrid. "No, you can't take him. He's my godson, you can't take him. He's my responsibility. If I don't have the responsibility I'll do something stupid."

"But--"

"PLEASE!" Sirius shouted. Hagrid's expression softened. "Alrigh'. The aurors'll be here soon enough, I'll stay with you so yer don' mess up yer story. I believe ya, Sirius, I really do."

"Thank you, Hagrid," Sirius said and the two of them waited for the aurors.

When they arrived, Sirius told them everything. They were a little trigger happy and tried to arrest him but he screamed, "NO!", holding Harry tighter. He quickly explained that he was not the secret keeper, and that it was Peter Pettigrew. 

The aurors instantly put out a search for the newfound criminal and Sirius was allowed to leave. Hagrid escorted him back to his cottage where he lived with his fiance, Remus. 

Hagrid pounded on the door, Sirius just slightly behind him. 

Remus took a second to answer the door, but when he did, he was looking a bit disgruntled and Sirius guessed that he had been reading with a mug of hot chocolate or else a cup of tea. 

Remus looked startled when he saw Hagrid standing there with Sirius, baby Harry asleep in Sirius's arms. He gestured the two inside quickly, but Hagrid politely declined, blowing his nose loudly once more as he turned away. 

Once the door was closed, Remus turned to Sirius and Harry, noting the tear tracks on Sirius's face. 

"What...what happened?" Remus asked in a tone that suggested he'd already guessed. Sirius clutched Harry's small, sleeping body to his chest, afraid to let him go. Afraid that if he did, he'd lose Harry, too.

"James and Lily are dead, Remus," Sirius said. His voice was so croaky and just plain broken. 

Remus's eyes widened as his lip started to tremble. "But--"

This was truly some of the worst news Remus ever expected to get.  

Sirius just nodded, face crumbling once more as Remus pulled the both of them into his arms. The two men cried long into the night, an orphaned Harry sleeping fitfully between them. 

"It's just us now, Remus." 

"Just us."

Sirius used to love Halloween. He and James, Remus, and Peter would always dress up in strange costumes and execute the best Halloween pranks there ever was. Halloween used to be Sirius's favorite. 

But from that day on, he hated it. He refused to acknowledge the holiday. To him, his entire world demolished that day. 

That day, October 31, 1981.

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