[Spitfire : Chapter Twenty-Five]

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11 November, 1993

Wendy Collins was on a mission. Her clothes were the finest of leather; an outfit she normally wore on her most dangerous Auror missions. On her belt was a sheath for a large knife, in case her wand was knocked out of her hand. Wendy didn't try to make herself fit into the Diagon Alley crowd. While everyone was in long robes to spare them from the cold, she looked like she was on a mission to assassinate Lord Voldemort. Truthfully, she prepared herself as if that was what she was going to do; she was about to fight someone equally as terrible.

It was almost five months since the Ministry allowed the escape of one of the most dangerous criminal in the world. Something they did a lot; take Gellert Grindelwald for example. Wendy was ready to take on the man she had once called friend, brother. He was the reason everything in life went wrong for her, he was the reason why James and Lily were dead; why Peter was dead. After the death of Aspen, everything went downhill for them both. Their friendship officially shattered to pieces when he simply gave away her goddaughter to Dumbledore.

As Wendy walked down the crowded streets of Diagon Alley, she was ready to kill. She already had the anger boiling up inside her. There had been rumors of a large black dog prowling the streets, people referred to it as the Grimm. Wendy knew what it was, what it really was. She had seen Sirius Black in his patronus form many times; it was his favorite party trick.

"Hey, watch it!" Called a wizard, his attire unruly and a cigar hanging out of his mouth.

Wendy ignored him, her mind set on making her way to the alley; that was where the shop bakers would throw away their trash. Sirius Black was an overdramatic boy, always fishing for the best, but he was used to receiving the scraps; his family hated him. After thirteen or so years in prison the only belongings, the had being the blue and white striped uniform on his back and the chains magically clasped around his wrists, leftover or discarded foods would be a heaven to him.

"Miss, you shouldn't be back here alone." Called the raspy voice, intrigued by the woman who shoved past him. He crushed his cigar against the damp brick wall and placed it in his pocket. Wendy glanced at the man before continuing her way. he snickered. "at least let me accompany you, beautiful."

"I'm alright, thanks." Wendy muttered, attempting to keep her voice low in case a certain dog were to hear her. She glanced around the dark alley, it was about four feet wide in width surrounded by the backs of shops and bakeries. Beside every door was a bright green dumpster, rather muggle looking except for the lack of a bottoms Whenever the rubbish piled to the top it would all magically disappear.

"C'mon, sweetheart." He to follow her, now she had a better view of his face. His skin was pale and looked thin as a sheet of paper, there were purple splotches littering his features from his chin to his brows; most likely bruises from fights. Despite his look, he bore a seductive grin, that's probably how he lured women to walk with him.

"I said I'm alright." Wendy hissed louder, visibly clutching her wand so he'd stay away. He didn't. He continuing pestering her.

"There's no need to be a little bitch." He stated, attempting to catch up with her so they walked side by side. "I'm only trying to help, this is a sketchy area. A little dame like you would be the glory hole for the creeps around here. Allow me to be a gentlemen and help."

"I can take care of myself, thank you." Wendy insisted, cracking her knuckles aggressively. If this low life ruined her chances on killing Sirius Black she'll have to kill him instead.

    "Are you sure about that?" He asked, looking her up and down. She couldn't tell if he was trying to get a look at her parts or was making fun of her height.

    "I'm absolutely positive," Wendy stated. "piss off before I hex horns to grow out of your eye sockets."

    "Aggressive." He purred, stepping closer. "I like that."

    "Oh, piss off." Wendy sighed, rolling her eyes. She fastened her pace while carefully looking around for a large shaggy-black dog.

    The man grabbed her arm. In a matter of seconds the man was screaming and on the ground, squirming violently. Wendy was taken aback for a few moments, glancing at the wand in her hand; she hadn't done anything. Through the dark shadows of the alley she could see the man struggling with something, someone. Biting the man's arm was a large dog, it growled viciously; tearing at the clothing and skin of the man.

    Wendy was frozen, the screams of the man muted in her ears and all her attention was directed to the dog. It was very thin, bald patches of skin were scattered everywhere; it looked like it got in a fight with a hippogriff and lost. Her blood ran cold at the familiarity, the last time she saw Sirius Black in his patronus form was when he was making baby Harry Potter giggle by carrying him on his back. A few weeks before the Potters went in hiding. Back then, he was healthy looking; somehow very well-groomed. As if he went to the groomers for himself.

     "Freaking help me!" The man begged, still thrashing as the dog aggressively attacked him. He managed to kick the dog in the face. "Stupid mutt!" he kicked it again in the stomach; the dog collapsed. "You ought to be put down!" He pulled out a crooked wand with his bleeding arm, pointing it at the mutt.

    "Avada—"

     In a matter of seconds, Wendy had her own wand pressed against the man's neck. He gulped, lowering his wand. Wendy stared dead into the dogs eyes while speaking to the obnoxious wizard. "As Head Auror of the British Ministry of Magic, I will say this once; get the hell out of here before I take you in."

    Yes ma'am." He squeaked, scrambling away from her and the dog. Once he was gone, and the alley was empty, Wendy directed he wand towards the face of the mutt looking up at her.

    "Reveal yourself, Black." She ordered, her voice hard as stone.

    The dog bowed its head before its spine began to arch, the fur began to recede to reveal sickly pale skin; a grey tint to it. It grew taller and taller and the snout faded away, instead there was the familiar face of a boy she once loved as a brother. His chin was unshaven and had blood smearing around his mouth, his hair, his precious hair, was in tangled knots. His grey eyes no longer held gleam and instead were as dark as the clouds of an upcoming thunderstorm. In front of her stood the notorious Sirius Black, her heart raced a mile a minute.

    "You've captured me," Sirius rasped, bearing a smirk on his face while he raised his hands in surrender. "going to lock me up now, eh?"

    "You son of a bitch!" Wendy growled, shoving him into the brick wall and positioning her forearm across his neck. "You backstabbing lard of—"

    "It's lovely to see you too, Collins." Sirius groaned, wincing at the arm that was slowly cutting off his airways. He didn't fight back, Wendy couldn't tell if it was because he wanted to talk to her out of it was because he was too weak. Maybe both.

     "Don't act like we're friends," Wendy hissed. "we haven't been friends since you gave her up."

    His expression darkened, the grin on his face vanishing. He was excited to see Wendy. From what he remembered of her, she was loyal beyond comprehension; he might have assumed she'd had been loyal to him during his untrue sentencing. He was wrong. She had changed, she was meaner now, braver. She was also sad, almost as sad as he was.

    "Before we leave to the Ministry," Sirius started, ignoring her previous statement. "could we get some dinner first? I'm absolutely famished, I'd like to have a last meal this time before I'm locked up for the rest of my life."

    "How did you do it?" Wendy asked. "How did you escape?"

    "Steak sounds about nice but I don't think my stomach will handle it." Sirius continued. "I've been on a diet of moldy bread and water this past decade and few."

    "Make a deal with someone?" Wendy asked. "Get broken out by some of your Death Eater friends?"

    "I'm not a Death Eater." He lowly stated, his eyes glaring at the shorter girl pinning him. Hogwarts Wendy would've jumped at the tone, by then, she was amused by it; she was getting under the skin of the man she hated almost as much as Voldemort himself. A certain question couldn't help but pang in her chest; why did he sound so angry at the accusation?

    "And I'm not holding a wand to your neck." Wendy retorted. "Was it one of your cousins? That Bellatrix Lestrange is rather nuts, but she's in shackles as well, isn't she?"

    "You've changed quite a bit, Wend." Sirius frowned, his body tense.

    "You have no idea." She growled. "Tell me, Black, why'd you do it?"

    "I didn't."

    "They were your best friends, James; he was your brother!" Wendy continued, her emotional barrier slowly cracking as her eyes filled with tears. "Was it because of Aspen? Or did you kill her too, was it all apart of your families scheme?"

    "Don't you dare bring Aspen into this!" Sirius growled, finally pushing Wendy off of himself with a burst of energy. Wendy stumbled back but kept her wand held high, angrier than she was before, if possible. "I loved her more than myself, I wouldn't have don't anything to hurt her." His expression morphed into a plead. "I didn't hurt James or Lily, either, I didn't do any of it, Wend. You've got to believe me."

    "I trusted you," Wendy stated. "you were my brother, I trusted you as much as Aspen did. I even trusted you after you gave away Cassie. And you've betrayed it all, you ruined everything; all our, ahem, my friends are dead. We should've never trusted a Black, I should've been more cautious around you. As much as I hate to say it, you are one amazing actor, Black."

    "I didn't do it." Sirius repeated, shaking his head. He seemed to grow more unhinged by the second, his voice was shaky and had an aggressive tone to it; like any moment he was going to attack. Blacks were known to be psychotic, Wendy wouldn't have been surprised if he tried something. "Collins, you have to let me explain. I didn't do it."

     "You think I'll believe a word you say," Wendy scoffed. "Merlin you're an idiot, a psychotic murdering idiot. The Ministry found you at the scene of the crime, both crimes."

    "Yes, because the Ministry never makes mistakes." Sirius mumbled, wiping his face stressfully as he looked around the alley. No one seemed to notice or really care about the two who were fighting. "It was all one giant mistake, Collins, I-I didn't directly kill James or Lily. I would never, t-they were my family—"

    "You're such a coward that you can't even confess to the whole crime." Wendy laughed incredulously. "Were you ever who you acted to be? Did you love James or Lily, did you love Harry? Pete? Did you even love Aspen?"

    "Of course I loved them," Sirius growled, stepping forward. Wendy growled and shoved him, due to his weak state he fell onto the ground. Instead of hopping back up to attack her, like how she expected, he slowly positioned himself to sit against the wall. Tears were coming out of his eyes. "I loved them all, I should've protected them. I would've died for them Collins, please, you need to let me explain."

    Wendy paused for a second, flashes of the boy she once knew swept through her mind; she shook her head in disappointment at herself. "You've got ten seconds, Black, try anything and you'll end up how Pete ended up."

    "You mean, alive?"

    "Wendy blinked. "What?"

     He looked up at her, an unreadable gleam in his eye. "Pete's alive, Collins, and he's the reason why James and Lily are d—gone."

    "You're insane." Wendy laughed. Peter couldn't be alive, they found his body blown to pieces; his finger being the only remnant that he was ever alive before. Sirius Black had killed him after he orphaned Harry Potter and slaughtered a dozen muggles.

    "Maybe," Sirius said. "but Peter is the cause of all of this. You wonder how I escaped . . . it's because I turned into my animagus form. Dementors can't detect animals. What did they ever find of Pete? His finger, not a body, but a finger."

    "So you're saying that Pete cut off his finger and escaped in his animagus form?" Wendy asked, disbelieving. Sirius nodded. She laughed. "Nonsense, the witnesses said they saw you blow him up. They saw his blood and guts splattered at the scene and you laughing like a madman."

    "Lies," Sirius shook his head, getting up shakily. "all of it, lies. They hadn't any proof I was the true perpetrator. They only set it on me because I'm a Black. I have no mark." He showed her his bare forearms. "I despise Voldemort as much as I do Pettigrew. I'm innocent Wendy, Peter was the spy; that's why he was never around."

    "Peter, he was t-too cowardly to be a spy." Wendy shook her head. "He flinched at the name of Voldemort harder than an actual muggleborn. You're lying, Black, you're trying to trick me—"

    "I'm all for tricks, Collins, but I swear it on the memory of . . . of Aspen, that I am telling the truth." Sirius said, frowning. "I was never the secret keeper, Pete was. I volunteered him after thinking I would be too obvious of a choice; I should've noticed. I'm part of the reason James and Lily are dead, that Harry grew up with those hateful lards."

    "But even Dumbledore said—"

    "Dumbledore is human, he makes mistakes."

    "I don't believe you."

    "Use veritaserum on me."

    "Veritaserum can be tampered with." Wendy said, keeping her voice even. Internally, her chest felt like it was being crushed into a ball of parchment.

    "It can't," Sirius stated. "not even Merlin could've fought the effects of veritaserum; Dumbledore said it himself."

    "Dumbledore can make mistakes."

    "Wendy." Sirius stated, his grey eyes looking into her hazel ones. "Peter Pettigrew is alive, he killed James and Lily. And he's in Hogwarts, he's in Hogwarts with Harry. Please say you believe me, I wouldn't dare hurt my friends. N-not on purpose, anyway."

    "I can't believe I'm about to say this," Wendy lowered her wand. "but fine, I believe you."

    "Thank Merlin." he croaked, allowing the tears to finally drop. It left stains on his cheeks due to all the dirt and grime covering his pale skin. "We need to save Harry, Wend, he's in trouble. Y-You need to help me, I can't live knowing that Pettigrew is right under the nose of my godson, that he's still alive after all he did. Turn me in all you want, bring me to the Minister yourself, use me to gain more popularity. Just help me make sure Harry is okay."

    "And what about Cassie, hm?" Wendy asked, tilting her head as she stared up at the man. Now that she wasn't blinded by rage she noticed all the new characteristics about him. During his Hogwarts days he made sure everything about him was perfect. But now, due to being locked up, he had large bags under his eyes. Everything about him looked deranged except for the stormy grey in his pupils; they still showed the boy she once knew. They revealed the truth in his words, they showed the sadness he had stored inside him.

    He gulped, looking down to his feet. "Peter wouldn't go after her."

    "How do you know that?" Wendy asked, stepping forward. "If you're saying that he's such a monster, what makes killing Cassie different than killing Harry?"

    "Because Pete is a coward, Voldemort wanted Harry dead; the prophecy said so." Sirius explained, his expression sorrowful. "The prophecy said nothing about Cassie, he wouldn't go after her, s-she'll be fine."

    "If I help you, Black, then I need solid proof." Wendy said carefully. "And I want us to work together, to help both Harry and Cassie."

    "You don't want to turn me in?" Sirius croaked, Wendy's heart leapt in pity.

    "If what you're saying is the truth, then Peter's the one that deserves to be turned in Wendy said, her face darkening. "He's the one who deserves to be dead."

    Sirius' lip quirked. "I'm glad we're on the same page."

    "Don't get too friendly, Black." Wendy glared. "I'm still positively pissed at you."

    "You've changed Collins." Sirius frowned. "Though, I've changed as well."

    "That's what happens when you have your fair share with death." Wendy mumbled. "And, just so you know, I'm not Head of the Auror Office anymore."

    "But you said—"

    "I know what I said." Wendy stopped him. She wished she still held that position; damned Alexander Sleet. "But it's not important, I need to get you off these streets so you can prove your innocence once and for all."

    "That's a great plan," Sirius sighed in relief. With a few bone crackles, Sirius had transfigured himself into his patronus. Wendy was left baffled by the entire situation while she directed the tired dog to her flat in London. She left her flat that morning with the mission to kill a man and never return, instead, she was returning with said man with a new opinion on him and a new opinion on someone else. Maybe when they were finished killing Peter Pettigrew, Sirius would help her kill Fenrir Greyback.

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Authors Note:

MY BABY IS HERE. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I was on vacation August first through fifth and only started writing this chapter yesterday! Hopefully after this I'll update faster. And don't worry, there is more Sirius content to come—this chapter is only a part one of the Sirius+Wendy revenge-seeking duo. Vote and comment if you've enjoyed!

August 6, 2019
3,137 words