IF THEY LIVED (Harry Potter)

32|RUN

"Hogwarts."

Sirius could feel his soul leaving his body. He could feel everything around him turn into a blur. He heard echoes of his surroundings: he heard laughter and he heard crying. He heard his own breathing, his own heartbeat. He felt the blood on his hands settling down in his skin and he felt his tears making contact with his lips.

It was over. All of this had been for nothing. In the end a simple little look gave it all away. He should have slit his throat... He should have killed them both... 

Suddenly he felt something slap him across the cheek. The blurriness shifted and the echoes stopped. 

"Black," he heard Voldemort address him. "How do we get to Hogwarts?"

"How am I supposed to know that?" Sirius spat angrily.

"Don't lie to me," Voldemort hissed and Sirius looked away from him, before he could make eye contact, "or I will have to kill the Mudblood."

"Are you saying that if I tell you, you are going to call her the Knight Bus and wish her a safe journey home?" Sirius said bitterly. "Don't make me laugh." 

"You have clearly made up your mind," Voldemort said and pointed his wand at Lily. Sirius looked away and closed his eyes. He felt his chest sinking and another wave of tears leave his eyes. Nothing happened. Why was nothing happening?

Suddenly he felt a pair of strong arms grabbing him, pulling him to his knees and dragging him towards Lily. He tried to fight them, but there was no use - he was kneeling in front of his friend - he was kneeling in front of his friend, whom he had just sentenced to die. 

He felt his wrists getting tied up behind his back and the Death Eater's firm fingers on his cheeks, forcing him to look at Lily, who was still lying on the floor spread-eagle, her face full of bruises and her left arm covered with blood. 

"You will watch," he heard Voldemort say calmly. He heard Bellatrix snigger and the door opening.

"My Lord," came a deep, emotionless voice from the direction of the door. Voldemort looked up.

"Severus," he said pleasantly, "how nice of you to join us."

Snape's even footsteps were approaching him steadily.

"We were just talking about how we could get to Hogwarts without that old fool noticing us," Voldemort informed him, "and Black would rather have the Mudblood die."

"I might know of a way to get to the Hogwarts grounds unnoticed," Snape said after a small amount of silence and Sirius groaned silently. Voldemort looked at Snape, signaling him to continue. "There is a secret passage, located-"

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Sirius heard Lily shout with all the energy she had left. "PLEASE DON'T TELL HIM! PLEASE!"

"- in the Shrieking Shack," Snape finished his sentence, apparently completely unaware of Lily's presence. Voldemort grinned and lowered his wand. 

"The Shrieking Shak it is then," he said calmly and looked around the room. "Take the Blood Traitor and Mudblood along, they just might be of use."

"My Lord," Bellatrix said, "do you want us to call-"

"There will be no need," Voldemort said firmly and disapparated. Sirius looked around. Malfoy and Snape had also disapparated. 

"I will take this one and you take the Mudblood," the Death Eater, who was holding Sirius, said and Sirius recognized him to be Dolohov. The other Death Eater - Nott - nodded and grabbed Lily, who was still crying, by the arm.