Part Two: An Innocent Man.

'And seconds they seem like a lifetime –
A dream, recurring, a dream that can't come true.
And they'll pin it all on you…
After all you've been put through.'
Sadie – Alkaline Trio

The church was empty, deserted and silent.

As Sirius stepped painstakingly into the dusty building, he sighed sub-consciously at the change of background; outside, people were screaming and crying in the streets – the aftermath of Peter's final betrayal.

Grinding his teeth in fury, he crept across the church and sank down in the furthest, darkest corner, pulling his knees to his chest and setting his chin upon them.
The law enforcement squad would burst in here any minute to take drag him away to Azkaban, and Sirius was relishing the last few precious minutes of silence he might have ever again.

'What have I done, James?' he asked the high, painted ceiling hoarsely, tears pricking his eyes, 'What did I do to you and Lily?'

Drooping his head, he let the tears fall, wrinkling his nose as they trickled down his face and into his few-days growth of facial hair.

'What have I done to you Harry?' he whispered through his tears, putting his face into his hands and letting the grief wash over him in guilty waves.

There was a rustle of cobwebs and Sirius looked up just in time to see a rat scurry past fearfully.

Jumping to his feet with a strangled yell, he tore after it, scattering furniture as he took after the frightened mammal.

'COME BACK HERE YOU FILTHY MURDERER!' he roared as he sprinted back out of the cathedral, his eyes fixated on the podgy grey rat.

'GET BACK HERE YOU BETRAYER! You killed them, you idiotic son of a - !' he was unable to finish his sentence, as hands clasped themselves firmly on his shoulders wrestling him to the ground.

'Let go of me, I have to kill him!' he screamed, thrashing and shaking with fear and irrepressible fury, 'HE KILLED THEM!'

'No Black, you killed them!' spat one of his captors, shoving him into a standing position.

Opening his mouth to yell again, Sirius turned and looked the man straight in the eyes.
Stepping backwards, the captor began to shake at the look in his eyes – the elements of hatred and violence, guilt and anger, and for some strange reason, acceptance and remorse.

'Take him away.' He choked, before turning and fishing a muggle cigarette out of his pocket and pressing it to his lips.

As he was dragged away, Sirius' mind ran at a thousand miles an hour – Peter had betrayed them all… killed Lily… and James, his surrogate brother… left Harry parentless… doomed him to a lifetime of imprisonment…

With an ironic laugh, Sirius shook his head.
Wimpy, scared little Peter Pettigrew – he's started all of this…
The one boy, they'd never suspected because he was so frightened of everything, had turned out to be their undoing.

The laugh turned into another… and another… and into a hysterical, tearful laugh of guilt and grief… and of disbelief…

The laugh of a man who was being taken to a place where people went insane…

The laugh of an innocent man.