Disclaimer - Anything that you recognize to belong to the Harry Potter universe is not mine, but J.K. Rowling's. The storyline and plot and any other characters, however, are the sole property of myself.

A/N: This is a rewrite of the first chapter. I've got a couple other rewrites to upload and those chapters will have the same note at the top. The general plot of the story has not and will not change, but I preferred these rewrites to what I originally posted. I think they do a better job at describing the feeling of the situation the characters are being placed in.

The thirty-first day of the tenth month in the year nineteen hundred eighty-one was one that would never be forgotten by anybody who had experienced it. Many things happened that night, both good and bad. Betrayal covered the night like a thick blanket—betrayal, murder, and heartbreak.

This story begins where many others do, just past eleven o'clock on Halloween night in the village of Godric's Hollow. The Dark Lord had already been here; he'd already murdered Lily and James Potter, and turned his wand against young Harry Potter. His curse, however, had rebounded upon its caster, driving Voldemort far away, and leaving the Potter family cottage as nothing but a pile of dirt and rubble.

A large form appeared before the destruction and took in the sight before him with wide, disbelieving. Rubeus Hagrid set forward slowly through the wrought-iron gate surrounding the Potters' front yard. He refused to look into the faces of James and Lily as he found them, not recognizing the fact that their eyes had been closed and their bodies placed in more natural positions than which they'd fallen. The mission he'd been sent on kept his grief at bay for the time being—he had to find Harry Potter and take the child to Dumbledore. Personally, he thought the Headmaster was being a bit too optimistic, thinking a baby could live through something like this. But Hagrid searched. He turned over large piles of wall, dug through rubble, never finding what he was searching for.

There was nothing for it—Harry Potter was just not there. But how could that be, unless the blast within the house, whatever had reduced it to what it now was, had destroyed Harry along with it. Tears built up in the half-giant's eyes at the very thought. With a heavy sigh, Hagrid left the ruined cottage knowing that the spells Dumbledore had placed over it, the ones that kept the Muggles away, wouldn't hold much longer, and he didn't want to be caught snooping around.

Dumbledore won't be happy, thought Hagrid as he went to the spot where he'd be taken back to the Hogwarts gate. He said the boy would be here… How he could have possibly known that is beyond me… But he wasn't there. Not even a ruddy sign of him. Hagrid had never failed an assignment set to him by Dumbledore and he wasn't looking forward to telling the Headmaster about this. There's a first for everything… With a quick turn on a specific spot of the street and a faint pop, Rubeus Hagrid was gone.

While Albus Dumbledore was receiving news that he'd been wrong, a rare and unfortunate occurrence, a wizard was flying through the air on a charmed motorbike, one arm busy steering the machine, the other protectively cradling something zipped in his black leather jacket. Anger and grief beyond anything he'd ever felt had been pushed to the back of his mind as duty took over. The bundle within the jacket squirmed and he looked down at it for a moment, seeing a tuft of black hair before it settled again and slept on. While his godson slept, Sirius Black rode on, not knowing what daylight would bring for them, but determined to fulfill his promise to his best friends.

Sunlight flooded through the curtains, waking Remus Lupin as suddenly as though he'd been slapped. Blue eyes snapped open and the young wizard pushed himself up in his bed, trying to still his trembling body. A nightmare… That was the only way to explain it. One of the worst, most vivid nightmares he'd ever had in his life. But as he woke, the images that he'd seen as clear as day were fading; all he was left with were the feelings of despair. Even those disappeared the longer he remained awake. By the time he'd taken a shower, dressed, and went into the kitchen to make breakfast, nothing was left of the dream…

That was until he sat down at the table and reached for the newspaper left by the Daily Prophet owl. The front page was covered with a bold headline reading 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Has Disappeared!'. Remus choked on his eggs and had to read the words five time before he really understood them. Hope that the words were true filled him—if they were true, it would mean the war was over; Lily, James, and Harry could come out of hiding… And then Remus actually read the article, needing to know for sure. A few phrases jumped out at him immediately: 'No sign of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has been found'… 'Auror James Potter and wife Lily dead… Young son Harry missing…'

The newspaper fell from Remus' grip as he read those last words.

No, it couldn't be true. Lily and James were in hiding, under the Fidelius Charm. Sirius was their Secret-Keeper. Only the Secret-Keeper could have given away their location. The implication of what his mind was suggesting made his brain hazy, his heart ache. Everything he'd thought over the last year, everything he'd discovered about Sirius, it was all flooding back. Sirius had betrayed them. He'd given up Lily and James and Harry to Voldemort, and now they were all dead… No, that wasn't quite true… The paper said Harry was missing.

"Oh my god," Remus breathed, his eyes blurry, his cheeks inexplicably wet. "What have you done, Sirius?"

Remus didn't even twitch as a burst of flame appeared in the center of his table. He reached out with a shaking hand to pick up the roll of parchment that had fallen there. He knew who it was from, but it took long minutes for his fingers to cooperate long enough to untie the string that held the scroll closed and unroll the parchment. And it took even longer for Remus to keep his eyes from blurring long enough to read what had been written.

Remus—

By now, I'm certain you have gained word of the unfortunate events of last night. It is my reluctant duty to inform you of the truth of the news. Lily and James Potter perished in the attempt to save their son from Lord Voldemort. I wish I could say their efforts were not in vain; however, Harry was not found in his parents' home as he should have been.

As you are aware, Sirius Black was Secret-Keeper for the Potters. There is only one conclusion I have been able to draw: Sirius was the traitor and the spy we have been searching for this past year. He was present in Godric's Hollow shortly following Voldemort's disappearance, and I believe he has taken young Harry. A search has been commenced, but nothing has yet been found. I will keep you informed. I am terribly sorry, Remus. I know what your friends meant to you.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Remus stared at the letter for some time, not knowing what he should do now, who he should contact. Only when he heard a sudden knock on the front door did he jump, knocking over his cup of coffee all over the newspaper. He ignored it and went to answer the door.

Standing on his front porch, looking exactly as he felt was Allyson Wylde, best friend to Lily Potter since their first day at Hogwarts. Her brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, though most of it was sticking out in several different directions and looked as though she'd been running her hands through it for several hours. "Hi," she said in a hollow voice, her eyes looking somewhere around Remus' knee. "Have you heard the great news? Voldemort's gone."

She then collapsed against the wizard's chest and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

He returned the embrace, not the least bit surprised that she showed no signs of actually crying. He wasn't even completely certain that his friend's tear ducts functioned correctly. Remus led Allyson into the kitchen where he sat her down and placed a cup of coffee in front of her before sitting in his own recently vacated seat. He busied himself with cleaning up his spilled coffee and pushed away the newspaper and letter Dumbledore had sent. "What have you heard?" he asked hoarsely.

"Not much," she replied several minutes later, once she'd realized where she was. "I got a call last night around midnight and all I was told was that there had been an attack. I met up with Mad-Eye outside the Ministry and he told me what little he knew – that Lily and James' house was attacked and he didn't think they lived through it. He wouldn't let me go see for myself; he actually used a body-bind spell on me for over an hour. Dumbledore showed up, confirmed they had died and that Harry has gone missing. There's no sign of where he's gone – no…" She choked a moment on her emotions. "There isn't a body to prove he's been killed as well, so Dumbledore is convinced somebody took him."

"Where's Sirius?" Remus asked, not quite ready to discuss Harry yet.

Allyson's face hardened. "I don't know," she said. "I went to his flat, but he wasn't there. His motorbike was gone." She sighed and began to sip at her coffee, then quite suddenly slammed her fists on the table. "We trusted him, Remus! How could he do this to us?"

Remus remained quite silent as he stared at his kitchen table. He thought it showed incredible self restraint not to point out to his angry, Auror-trained friend that he had been saying for months that he believed Sirius Black couldn't be trusted.

"And the worst part," the witch beside him began, her voice quite controlled now, "is that half the Auror squads have been given the weekend off to celebrate Voldemort's disappearance, and hardly anybody is bothered by the fact that the man who sold our best friends to Voldemort and quite possibly kidnapped their son is still out there somewhere. Mad-Eye and Dumbledore are the only ones who seem to find it important to search for them."

Remus sighed. "I take it you'll be joining their search?" Allyson nodded. "So will I," he said quietly.

"I figured as much," Allyson muttered as he stood to go change his clothes.

Three days later, Remus, wearing his best dress robes, Apparated to a cemetery in London only known by those in the wizarding community. He walked mechanically up the hill with Allyson and through the gates, not even glancing at those who'd stood guard keeping reporters and those who didn't belong there out. Dumbledore stood towards the front wearing black dress robes—Remus could never remember the Headmaster in such a plain color, nor could he recall seeing such a grave expression on the elder wizard's face.

"Hello, Remus, Allyson," Dumbledore said somberly, shaking their hands.

Remus nodded his greeting, his voice lost as he laid eyes on three caskets—two of which were open, but the third was closed and much smaller than the ones on either side of it.

It's for Harry, his mind supplied. But it's empty, because Harry is gone. Sirius took him and has probably killed him by now.

Allyson reached out with quick reflexes and grabbed Remus around the waist before he fell to the ground in sudden, overwhelming grief and led him to the closest chair. Remus buried his face in his hands and cried, just as he'd been doing for three days. He didn't know how long he sat like this, nor when Allyson had gotten up from his side, but it couldn't have been too long; when a hand grasped his shoulder and he looked around, people were just starting to fill the seats. He looked up into the face of the man whose had was still gripping his shoulder and felt only mild shock.

"Peter," Remus said hoarsely as the wizard sat beside him. He could vaguely see Allyson talking to Mad-Eye Moody in a corner. "Where've you been?"

Peter Pettigrew, looking quite shaken up, sighed heavily. "I've been with my aunt, visiting her cousin in France. I-I only just head the news last night and I came back as soon as I could."

Remus sniffed and nodded. "They're gone, Pete… All of them…"

"I know," Peter said, his voice tight. Further conversation was put on hold as Allyson sat on Peter's other side and the Minister of Magic stood to begin the funeral.

Hundreds of miles away, in a small abandoned cabin on the inside edge of the Forest of Dean, Sirius Black sat on a tattered sofa watching his young godson sleep on top of a blanket he'd found in a closet. He thought back to Halloween night and seeing his two best friends dead. It hadn't taken much thought on his part to figure out how it'd happened—Wormtail had betrayed them. The little rat had convinced Sirius to switch Secret-Keepers and all along he'd been one of Voldemort's supporters. For months, Sirius had believed Remus was the one who'd gone over to the dark side; he'd told Lily and James as much, though they'd never really believed it could be possible. The problem now was that the entire world, Dumbledore and Remus included, thought he, Sirius, had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper. And they probably also believed he'd betrayed them. Sirius knew the Ministry would be after him within hours, and unless Peter confessed his betrayal, Sirius would be chucked straight into Azkaban. That was something he couldn't risk, not now that he had Harry to care for. He'd found the little boy behind his mother, his forehead covered in blood. Just holding Harry sparked the need for Sirius to take him to run. If he was taken to Azkaban, who knew what would happen to Harry. He'd probably be sent to some foster family—the Ministry would never let Remus have him due to their stance against werewolves and it had never been made official that Allyson was named his godmother.

But what do we do now? Sirius wondered, reaching down to run a finger across the child's cheek. Harry whimpered a little and turned on his side, still sleeping soundly. I can't just walk into the Ministry of Magic with him—after they hex me, they'll take him away and I'll never see him again. And I can't let that happen… Not now…

He'd promised Lily and James when Harry was first born that if anything were to happen to them, he would take Harry and raise him as he would his own son. He'd already broken one promise to the Potters—the one about keeping them safe from Voldemort—and he was in no hurry to break another.

It hadn't fully hit him yet that he'd never again see James with that mischievous glint in his hazel eyes or Lily try to keep a straight face during the telling of a prank the Marauders had pulled in school. He'd been more preoccupied with the fact that he was no longer just a carefree bachelor—now he was responsible for a life and on the run from everything he ever knew. And there was also the thought of what he would do to Peter if he ever met him again.

What's this 'if' business? his mind asked him. You will see Wormtail again and he will pay for what he's done. But for now, you need to lay low…

He figured a week or so in hiding out might be enough; the Ministry would lose interest. That, however, was wishful thinking at its best. Unbeknownst to Sirius as he lay down beside his sleeping godson—he wouldn't know for a few days until he ventured to send for a copy of the Daily Prophet—that the Ministry of Magic was searching the country high and low for him and Harry.

A life in hiding… That's how the Boy-Who-Lived would be raised for at least the next few years of his life. He would grow to only know his godfather. The small cabin they'd picked for their hideout would be fixed up and covered in wards and charms to keep the Ministry off their trail. They themselves wouldn't live as recluses, but would wear glamour charms and adopt fake names whenever they left the safety of their home. It wasn't exactly how Lily and James Potter envisioned their son would grow up, but it was the best Sirius could do for the time being. As long as Harry was happy and healthy, nothing else mattered.

Peter opened the front door of Remus' cottage four days after the funeral of the Potter family and entered. "Remus?" he called out when he didn't immediately find his friend. "Moony, are you home?" He sighed when there was no answer. Remus had been quite withdrawn over the last few days, and understandably so—he'd just lost two of his best friends and the boy he considered his nephew, all to a man who was supposed to be his brother.

Or at least, that's what Remus believed.

Peter was the only person besides Sirius who knew the truth. He hadn't been in France with his aunt when the Dark Lord had gone for Lily and James; he'd been hiding out in his own home, pondering what he'd just done. It had been a necessity, he'd convinced himself. The Dark Lord would have killed him if he hadn't been able to hand over the Potters. He felt guilty, sure, but he ignored those feelings unless he was completely alone. He may have bore the Dark Mark, but he wasn't unfeeling. James had been a great friend to him and Peter would miss him…

Now, however, he was mostly thankful that no one suspected him. It'd been his own idea to keep the switch of Secret-Keepers from Sirius to himself a secret and as long as he kept everyone thinking that Sirius was the traitor and he'd stolen Harry, he'd never be found out, and he wouldn't have to finish out his life in Azkaban.

Fighting back an incredulous smile at how well his life was turning out, Peter went to Remus' bedroom, finding his friend still fast asleep even though it was nearing noon. Sighing, Peter quietly closed the door and went to Remus' kitchen for a butterbeer—he'd wait for Remus to wake.

But when he'd arrived in the kitchen, he met something odd: a brown barn owl swooping through the open window. It dropped a letter at Peter's feet, hooted solemnly, and left. The wizards stooped to pick it up and nearly dropped it again when he saw the handwriting on the front. He stifled a yelp by stuffing his fist into his mouth and went to the table to sit. The handwriting belonged to Sirius—how many times had Peter seen it? But why would Sirius be writing to Remus when he was supposed to be on the run from the Ministry? With wide eyes and trembling fingers, Peter opened the letter and read:

Moony,

I know you're probably surprised to hear from me, but I hope you'll read this instead of just burning it. Regardless of what you and that ticking bomb we call Allyson think right now, I have not betrayed Lily and James. I was never their Secret-Keeper—it was Peter. We switched at the last minute. I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but I was convinced you were the spy. I was blind, Remus. I didn't see the signs right in front of my eyes, no matter how obvious they made themselves at times. The only thing I could see where what my mind thought I wanted to see, that you had turned spy. It was my trust in the wrong person that led to the deaths of our best friends, and there is no way for me to begin correcting this very bad decision. I've never been more wrong in my life and for this you have my most humble apologies and I can only hope that with time, you will see the truth in what I have said.

I won't tell you where I am in case you decide you don't believe me and take this letter to the Ministry, but I wanted you to know that Harry is with me—he's alive, Remus, and he's well. The Prophet has said much different, I've noticed, but what they've said is not all true. I don't know how long Harry and I will be gone; maybe we'll leave the country for a while—I wouldn't mind a vacation after the last few years, personally. Regardless of our decision, I will keep you informed regularly. Take care of yourself, Remus, and of Allyson. I imagine you're going through much the same amount of emotions as I am. We'll get through this somehow, my friend.

Until then,

Harry & Sirius

Breathing heavily, Peter looked over his shoulder and down the hall to where Remus' bedroom door was still shut. Remus could never see this letter… Peter took out his wand, touched the tip to the parchment, and set fire to it. Once it had burned, he waved his wand over the ashes, making them disappear. Peter would have to be far more vigilant than he'd thought from now on. It seemed this whole keeping-self-out-of-Azkaban thing wouldn't be as easy as he originally thought.

A/N: If you've read, please review!