For His Protection

11. No More

Sirius was exhausted by the time Harry actually fell asleep.  He had played with him until he thought his heart was content, then tried to rock him to sleep.  When that didn't work, he had tried walking him around the room.  Even at one year, he was a heavy little guy if you held him for very long.  Finally, when Sirius had used a levitation spell to float several objects in front of Harry's awestruck eyes, he had fallen right to sleep.  Sirius picked him up and took him to his crib.  He was now stationed in the bedroom, in a chair beside of him, one he had brought from the living room.  He stared up at the clock, growing more and more worried every minute that Serena didn't return.  He wondered why it was taking her so long if they were just talking.  Of course, three years is a lot of ground to cover, he reasoned.  He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.  He knew he wouldn't get any sleep until she came back, but that didn't mean he couldn't rest his eyes a bit.

Sirius's flew back open ten minutes later when he heard a loud boom in the living room.  He checked Harry to make sure he had not woken.  Luckily, his eyes were still closed.  His hand flew to his wand and he drew it, prepared for anything.  He jumped to his feet and rushed over to the door.  There was a huge hole where the door used to be.  He noticed that right away.  But he didn't start to panic until he noticed the Death Eaters filing in one by one.  By the time they were all in, he counted six.  He was good at dueling, but not that good.  There was no way he could take all of them by himself.  They would kill him and then they would kill Harry, and that was not an option.  He silently groaned, and prayed Serena would get back before that happened.  Until she returned, he was on his own, and his first priority was his godson.

"They're not here!" a woman screeched.  Sirius groaned silently.  He knew that voice anywhere.  It was his crazy cousin.

"Patience, Bellatrix," a scruffy voice said, confirming her identity.  "I'm pretty sure this isn't the only room in the house."

"Of course it isn't," another woman declared.  "And the baby is probably in the bedroom.  She would want to protect it."

A man's voice came next.  "I don't think they're here.  Surely they would have popped out by now.  Goyle made a rather nasty noise when he blew a hole in the protection spell surrounding this place.  And the wall."

Sirius groaned again.  The Malfoys, Bellatrix, Goyle, and he could only assume that the other Death Eater was Crabbe.  The two seemed to be inseperable.  He needed help...and fast.

"Let's go check the bedroom then," Bellatrix suggested.  "We haven't got all night."

Sirius ducked back behind the door in a hurry,  the wheels in his head turning.  He had no idea what to do.  He could cast protection charms on the door and slam it in their faces, but then they would know that he and Harry were in there.  He could attack them while they were coming through the door and run, but there was no guarantee that Harry would be safe that way either...especially since he didn't have a broomstick with him.  He could summon his, but it would take it too long to get to him.  He was trapped, which meant that he and Harry were surely dead.  What would Serena say when she came home and found their dead bodies?  What would she do?  He shook that line of thought from his mind.  He wasn't about to give up.  Not now.  Attacking as they came through the door was his best option, so that's what he was going to go with.

"Such a quaint little place," Bellatrix cooed mockingly.  "I think I'll tear it to bits after I've killed the boy."  By the sound of her voice, he knew she was close.  Sirius tightened his grip on his wand.  He had to be ready.

"Who says you get to kill him?" Crabbe asked.  "Why should we let you have all the glory if the Master returns?"

Bellatrix rounded on him.  "When he returns."  She turned back around and continued toward the bedroom.