The man slumped against the wall of his prison. His head was bent to the side at an odd angle, and his tongue was lolling out of his mouth, as if it was begging for a tiny drop of water. He was covered in dirt and grime. His situation could have been described as drowning in his own filth. The man’s hair was greasy and uncombed, and matted bunches clung to the back of his neck because of perspiration. How was it possible to perspire in such icy cold conditions? Out of fear, perhaps.
One would have never known that his looks had once been his best feature.
He trembled from the cold, and his frozen ankles clattered on the stone floor. His uniform gave him no warmth whatsoever, and he longed desperately to huddle under some blankets in a nice, warm bed.
But he knew the chance of such a thing happening was slim.
The two mirages, stood before him, almost glowing in the dark cell. The man struggled not to yelp in fear.
“Sirius,” the black-haired one said sternly. “You’ve got to pull yourself together, Mate. You’re losing it.” He adjusted his glasses and stared blankly at the man who had tears leaking out of his eyes.
“How can I?” Sirius asked hoarsely. “I killed you! It’s my fault you’re dead!” He choked on his words. “I killed you,” he repeated, pointing at his chest.
The red-haired woman shook her head and sighed. “You didn’t kill us,” she said softly.
“Lily’s right,” the black-haired man agreed. “You didn’t kill us.” His brow furrowed, and he clenched his hands into fists. “That traitor Pettigrew did.”
“Pettigrew,” Sirius growled. He let off a high-pitched laugh. “I let him be Secret Keeper. I killed you. I killed you, James!” He began to sob. “James… Lily… I’m sorry…”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Lily told him quietly. “We are the ones who trusted Peter. You are not the one to be blamed.”
“Yes I am,” Sirius cried.
“No!” shouted James angrily. “Who first decided to let Peter be a Marauder? Me.”
“I agreed with you,” Sirius moaned.
“Who decided that it was best if he became an Animagus with us? Me.”
“It was my idea to become an Animagus in the first place!”
“Who trusted Peter to become Secret Keeper when you thought that it was best if you weren’t given the position?”
“I SHOULD HAVE JUST DIED!” Sirius screamed. “I SHOULD HAVE DIED FOR MY BEST FRIENDS!” He pulled himself up from the stone floor, using the wall as support. He took one wobbly step forwards, grimacing from the effort.
Sirius reached out, trying to touch the mirages, before collapsing in exhaustion. He shuddered at the freezing stones pressing on his cheek.
“I see your bodies over and over again,” he mumbled to James and Lily. “You’re lifeless…cold…empty…” He started to cry once more.
“Don’t let the Dementors do this to you,” Lily commanded. “Keep them out of your head. You need to keep your sanity, Sirius.”
“Too late,” Sirius mumbled. He began to shiver even more. “Too late.”
“No,” James said forcefully. “Not too late. Become a dog, Sirius. Go to your Animagus form. Become a dog.”
Sirius shook his head. “How will that help?” he coughed. “How?”
“Just do it!” the mirages shouted in unison.
Sirius obeyed. Soon he was no longer a filthy, thin, shivering man, but a dog. He was still thin, and still dirty, but it was a much less gruesome image.
He felt the difference immediately.
It was a little less cold. He was a little less unhappy. A little bit stronger.
And there was something that had changed a much more than a little bit. The horrible pictures in his head were slowly fading away.
I can’t see you! He thought to himself. James! Lily! I can’t see your—
He turned around, but the images of his friends had gone. Sirius suddenly wished that he hadn’t changed his form, just so he could see them again.
As all of the horrible things that haunted his mind slowly filed out of his thoughts, a new idea appeared, and Sirius could not let it go. He needed to escape, and do w hat he had longed to do since that day many months before.
Kill Peter Pettigrew.