What gave people the idea Sirius was Voldemort's No. 2?

[Julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 23953

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., keith.fraser at s... wrote:
> I mean, it seems a big imaginative leap from Sirius betraying the 
> Potters to him being Deputy Big Bad. Did Death Eaters (Pettigrew?) 
> spread misinformative rumours after the event?
> 


I agree and on top of that- wouldn't the real bad guys have known it 
wasn't him- not that they would have cleared his name or anything but 
wouldn't have mayber Snape or Karkoroff (spelling?) have maybe known 
something to clear him?

I guess PP was spreading some good rumors before and after- wouldn't 
take much with the likes of Rita Skeeter around.

Julie