Chapter 5: The Truth Part 1

There was a moment of deafening silence after the headmaster spoke before both Lily and James began shouting.
"Petunia? But why? Honestly Dumbledore, you know she is the absolute worst! What were you thinking?"
"Petunia! As in Petunia Dursley, that no-good, horse faced-"
"She hates our kind! Despises it. My poor baby, left to be raised by the horrible woman. And that absolute horrible husband of hers."
"Magic hating, nosy, and rude woman. And don't even get me started on that walrus of a husband!" Dumbledore, finally tired of the loud voices and angry questions of which they didn't give him time to answer, held up his hands, just like he did when trying to silence an entire Great Hall of noisy students. It worked like a charm and instantly the young married couple fell silent.
"I understand that both of you may have certain animosity toward Lily's only sister, but you must understand that she was the only one with alive with direct bloodline to either of you. The only one who was capable of protecting Harry."
"We had several wizarding friends who were very capable of taking care of a baby. Harry had a godfather even. Why doesn't Sirius have him?" Lily argued. Dumbledore looked at her with a shred of confusion.
"Lily, you of all people should know why Sirius doesn't have Harry." All he got in response was two questioning stares. Dumbledore sighed. Perhaps the three year sleep had left them a little more disoriented than he had thought.
"After Sirius Black's display of blatant betrayal and murder on Halloween night and the following morning he was given a full life sentence at Azkaban. Of course Sirius wouldn't be allowed within a hundred feet of the boy."

James Potter POV

"Murder and betrayal? Who did he betray and murder? Are you sure we're talking about the same Sirius Black." As I had been much of this morning, I was totally confused. First, after being hit with a killing curse, I wake up three years later in Hogwarts Castle next to Lily, then learn my only child is currently
residing at the worst possible place ever, and now, to top it all off, Dumbledore was spewing all this nonsense about Sirius, only my best mate in the whole world, being a betraying murderer. My head was beginning to hurt.
"Yes, the same Sirius Black. I'm not sure if you remember, but the day before Halloween, you went under Fidelius Charm."
"Yes, of course we remember. It was my idea in the first place." Lily said testily.

"Well, the day after the spell was cast, Sirius betrayed you, selling you out almost immediately to Voldemort. On November 1st your other friend, Peter Pettigrew, hunted Sirius down out of grief and tried to get revenge for your deaths , I suppose, and it suffices to say that Peter didn't last very long. Sirius was carted off to Azkaban immediately." That didn't sound right at all, I knew that for a fact, but the whole night I 'died' was shrouded in a cloud of fog. I was still trying to figure out that mess of dense, dense fog when Lily gasped from next to me.

"James, of course, the switch! They never knew so of course they thought it was all Sirius! Professor, you've got it all wrong!" Both I and the old professor both looked at her like she was crazy. What was she on about?

"And what exactly do I have all wrong, Mrs. Potter?" Lily didn't answer him immediately, for she was staring at me expectantly. She sighed with exasperation when I sent her a lost look.

"Professor," Lily began, turning back to him. "Back before me and James...died James, Sirius, and I had a discussion on early morning, just before Halloween, I believe. It was about Sirius's post as our secret-keeper, he had a plan you see. One he thought was pretty ingenious, and we did too, at least until..." She broke off. Professor Dumbledore had to prod her on.

"And the plan, Lily?"

"Oh right, you see, Sirius felt that it was too obvious that he was our secret-keeper, so he felt that James and I should choose someone else, someone Voldemort and the Death Eaters would never expect." It was with what she said that a new memory sprang from my mind.

Flashback

October 22, 1981

2:37 a.m.

Potter Residence

Godric's Hollow

"Sirius Black, you better have a good reason for coming here without warning at two in the bloody morning." I hissed, glaring at him. He had a look of excitement lighting up his face.

"James," he panted, as though out of breath. "James, I just had the most wonderful plan just now and I just had to tell you. Can I come inside, please?" I looked at him for a second. The intruder alarms had woke me up not three minutes ago, alerting me that someone had apparated too close to the house, and here it is my best friend.

"Yeah, sure. Just be quiet. The baby is still asleep." He jumped inside and threw off his coat.

"You know how Lily and Professor Dumbledore have been taking about that Fiddly Charm thing?"

"The Fidelius charm? Sure, what about it."

"And you know how you wanted me to be secret-keeper?" He asked.

"Just get to the point, Sirius." I sighed. I was tired and wasn't in the mood for his games.

"Fine. After you asked me to be secret keeper, I was a little worried about something. I mean, every person who has ever known me and you would realize you had made me secret-keeper and would hunt me down. What if under something like the Cruciatus Curse or some Veritaserum, I crack and tell them where you, Lily, and Harry are?" I sighed.

"Sirius, I have complete confidence in your ability to keep us safe." I covered up a yawn as Sirius just shook his head.

"No, no James. Just hear me out. I have a wonderful idea. So, as I was saying, what if the Death Eaters catch me? What if they torture the truth out of me? Then I had the most wonderful idea in the world!" He paused, trying to go for dramatic effect.

"So what is it?" I asked, annoyed again at his antics.

"Okay, okay. We should make Wormtail the Secret-Keeper!" I stared him dumbfounded.

"It's a wonderful idea James, just think about it. No one would suspect we would make him the Secret-Keeper. It would be the ultimate trick!" I had to admit Sirius had an excellent point. No one would guess we had given the important job to Wormtail.

"Look. I'll talk to Lily about it, okay?"

Flashback End

Authors Note: I admit that it took me longer than it should have to upload this chapter, for which I apologize for. I promise to upload quicker next time :