Magic

2: Innocent

Sirius Black paced around his cell in Askaban.

"He's at Hogwarts, he's at Hogwarts, he's at Hogwarts," he muttered under his breath. He pressed his hands against his temples.

'No, not again. I can't go there again,' he thought bitterly.

The thoughts of that night had invaded his brain again. James was on the ground, dead. Lily was on the floor next to Harry's crib. The poor little boy was crying his eyes out. There was a fresh scar on his forehead. Sirius had left Godric's Hollow and gone after Peter Pettigrew. Tears of regret and anger ran down his cheeks. It had been his fault. He was the one who told James not to have him as Secret Keeper. He was the one who told him that Remus was a traitor. He was the one who told James to trust that filthy rat. Sirius had tried to kill Peter when he realized what had happened, but instead Peter had framed him with the murder of James and Lily Potter and the murder of 13 Muggles. Even though 12 years had passed, Sirius still felt as angry as he had at that moment.

He sighed. His emotions were getting the best of him again. He couldn't let that happen. He needed to be sane for when he sought revenge. He needed to be sane for when he escaped and went to Hogwarts. But most importantly, he needed to be sane for when he saw his best friend's son again.

Sirius walked into the shadows so that no one saw what he was about to do. He changed into a big black dog and laid down on the ground. He placed his head on his paws. When he was too overloaded with emotions, he changed into a dog. That way, his emotions were simpler, and it would hurt less to remember.

The dog closed its eyes slowly.

'I'm innocent. I didn't kill them. I don't belong here,' he said to himself.

His innocence and the thought of seeing the only thing left of his best friend were the only things keeping him alive. They were the only things keeping him sane.