The Sirius Black Story

[*Jess*]

Ok...well, um...here's my fanfic..please click HERE (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=19002) to post some Feedback on this! (Please do..I need all the feedback I can get!!) So, yeah..Enjoy the story! I'll be posting a continuation soon!! ;)

The Sirius Black Story

Sirius Black glanced down at his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. ‘Come on,’ he murmured, urging his flying motorcycle to move faster. ‘I’m going to be late!’ It was nearly nine o’clock, and he needed to be at Peter’s. He leant into the handlebars, spurring the bicycle on. The cool breeze whipped through his wild, dark hair, and bursts of cloud streaked past him, disappearing into the velvety night sky.
A few moments later, Sirius began his descent. The sudden downward motion made the wind blow directly into his face, forcing him to squint his eyes in order to see the ground, which was getting closer by the second. He wrapped his fingers around the brake on the handlebar and squeezed, causing the bike to slow as he hit the hard earth with a thud. Sirius lurched to a stop, kicked down the stand and jumped off the motorcycle.
Before him stood a run down old house, which gave the impression that it was going to give way at any moment. The decrepit dwelling looked as though it had been vacant for many years: the garden was an overgrown disaster; paint was peeling from the old weatherboard exterior, the front windows had large cracks through them and were covered in cobwebs and the picket fence had collapsed into the dying remains of an old pear tree growing in the flowerbed behind it. But Sirius knew better than to think the building was not in use- this was Peter Pettigrew’s hiding place.
Sirius walked quickly through a gap in the fence where he supposed a gate had once been located, and hurried up the unkempt garden path. He stepped up to the front door and took a quick look around him, but the only sound was that of the cool night air rustling the leaves of the ancient pear tree. No one was there- good. Sirius reached out his hand, curled it into a fist and rapped three times on the door. He could hear his knocks echoing through the house. He frowned slightly. ‘Perhaps he’s in the back room,’ he thought to himself. He knocked again, but still nothing happened. Sirius glanced around the garden again, and then slowly turned back towards the entrance. ‘Peter?’ he called quietly, uncertainty rippling through his voice. ‘Peter?’ he repeated, more loudly this time. No answer.
Sirius plunged one hand into his robes, his fingers closing around his wand, while he stretched out the other hand and grasped the doorknob. He expected the door to be locked, and was about to perform the Alohomora charm when a particularly strong gust of wind sprang up, blowing into Sirius, who stumbled forward into the door. It creaked open, and Sirius held his breath. Why wasn’t it locked?
He stepped over the threshold into the deserted hallway. Sirius stared around, looking for something, anything-some sign of life. The dusty floorboards creaked under his weight as he moved swiftly down the corridor, searching for his friend.
‘Peter!’ he called boldly, staring into the darkness. ‘PETER!’
He realised he had come to the end of the house. There was nowhere else to look. Peter was gone, and there was no sign of a struggle. Something wasn’t right.
Sirius was staring around, running his fingers through his hair in angst when his heart gave a sudden jolt. ‘No,’ he muttered. ‘Not Peter, he couldn’t have…’ then it dawned on him. ‘Lily and James,’ he whispered.
Sirius turned on his heel and ran for the door. He bolted down the garden path, jumped onto his motorcycle and revved the engine. ‘Come on- COME ON!’ the engine roared to life and Sirius kicked off the ground, soaring into the starry sky. ‘It’s not true,’ he told himself over and over. ‘They’re fine, Peter must have changed his hiding place…it’s not true…’
Sirius’s heart raced as he began his descent into Godric’s Hollow. As he neared the ground a large cloud of fog obscured his vision. ‘Fog?’ Sirius thought, puzzled. ‘Fog- in the middle of summer?’ But then, as he took a deep breath, he realised- it wasn’t fog…it was smoke.
Sirius landed outside the Potter’s house…or at least what was left of it. He jumped off the bike and ran towards the ruins. ‘JAMES!’ he cried. ‘LILY!’
He stumbled in his haste and fell forwards, hitting the ground hard. He sat up and stared into the smouldering remnants, white and shaking. A single tear rolled down his cheek and dropped silently onto his robes.
‘Sirius?’ a voice behind him said quietly. Sirius tore his eyes away from the wreckage- he knew that voice.
H-Hagrid,’ he whispered unsteadily. ‘H-Hagrid, I-’
‘No need ter say anythin’…I know…’ Hagrid, looking pale and shaken, pulled him up off the ground and into a quick, one-armed hug. Sirius pulled away and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
‘When…when did it…?’
‘Abou’ ten minutes ago…don’ know how he did it…what with the Fidelius Charm an’ all…’ Hagrid trailed off. Sirius looked at the ground but didn’t say anything. He knew how Voldemort had done it…he knew how he had overcome the Fidelius Charm…it all boiled down to a man named Peter Pettigrew.
‘But…but the house, Hagrid. What happened to the house?’
‘Well, I dun’ know…but- but he’s gone…he’s finally gone…’ Sirius looked at Hagrid, bewildered. Who had finally gone?
‘Who, Hagrid? Who’s gone?’
‘Blimey, yeh haven’t heard? He Who Must Not Be Named, Sirius!’
Sirius gaped at him in shock. ‘Gone? But…but how?’
‘I dun’ know…but he is. Anyway, I’ve got ter be goin’, got to take him to Surrey…’
‘W-what’s that, Hagrid? Take who?’
‘Harry, Sirius,’ Hagrid said gently. ‘I’ve got ter take Harry.’
Sirius’s breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t even thought of his godson. ‘No…no, not Harry too…’
‘Harry’s fine,’ Hagrid said. ‘See fer yerself.’ He lowered his arm and, with his free hand, pulled back the cloth. Sirius sighed with relief. Inside was his godson, fast asleep and clearly alive. Then Sirius’s eyes travelled up to Harry’s forehead, and he saw a great cut across it, in the shape of a lightning bolt. He stared at it. Where had it come from? But he didn’t have a chance to ask- Hagrid was already bundling Harry up again, and was turning to leave.
‘Hagrid,’ he said suddenly. ‘Give Harry to me, Hagrid, I’m his godfather, I’ll look after him-’
‘Oh, Sirius, I’m sorry, but I can’t.’ Hagrid said, shifting his feet uncomfortably.
‘What do you mean you can’t? I’m his godfather- James and Lily named me guardian, he’s my responsibility-’
‘I’m sorry, Sirius, but Dumbledore’s orders are ter take the boy ter his aunt and uncle’s house in Surrey.’ Hagrid told him.
‘To the Muggles? Not Lily’s sister- I…I know about her and her husband, they won’t treat him properly…they-they don’t understand us…please Hagrid, Harry should be with me, he belongs with me now, you can’t take him…’
‘Look, Sirius, I’ve got ter take him, I’m here on Dumbledore’s orders, and tha’s tha’.’ Hagrid told him, firmly.
Sirius sighed, defeated. Then he thought of something. ‘Hagrid,’ he said quietly. ‘Hagrid, take my bike. It-it’ll be faster…take Harry to his- his aunt and uncle’s on it. I…I won’t be needing it anymore.’
Hagrid looked at him for a moment, and then nodded. He swung himself onto the motorcycle and looked back at Sirius. ‘Take care,’ he said. Sirius nodded.
‘Goodbye, Harry,’ Sirius said softly. ‘I’ll see you again soon.’
Hagrid gave him a grave smile. ‘See yeh,’ he said grimly, and he flew away into the night. Sirius watched them disappear, and then turned back towards the remains of his best friend’s house. Muggles were starting to gather around the ruins, and Sirius knew that he needed to go.
‘I’m going to find him, James,’ he said quietly. ‘I’ll find Peter.’ And with a swish of his cloak, he Disapparated.



Sirius woke early the next day, having slept the night outside the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. He would have rented a room, but he knew what was going to happen: Dumbledore had thought that he, Sirius, had been Lily and James’s Secret Keeper. The Ministry of Magic would have been told by now…they would be looking for him. But Sirius was not deterred- he had a good idea as to where Peter would be.
Sirius slipped out of Diagon Alley before the stores opened and moved quickly down the streets of London, searching. It wasn’t until mid-morning that he found Peter, who was skulking along, a block away from St. Mungo’s. Peter didn’t notice Sirius until he was right upon him.
‘Hello, Peter,’ Sirius spat. Pettigrew whirled around in shock.
‘S-Sirius-’ he stuttered, ‘w-what are you doing here?’
‘Don’t play dumb, Peter, you stinking piece of filth,’ Sirius said softly, his rage rising. ‘I know what you did…you killed Lily and James…and now I’m going to kill you.’
‘D-don’t know what you m-mean, Sirius,’ Pettigrew said, looking panicky.
‘Don’t lie to me, Peter! I know you were their Secret Keeper!’ Sirius snarled.
Peter looked terrified- but then he gave a small smile. He opened his mouth to speak, and his face contorted, looking desperate. ‘Lily and James, Sirius! How could you!’ Sirius stared at him in disbelief. What was he doing?
Muggles were turning to look at them after hearing Peter’s cry. Pettigrew pulled out his wand, and Sirius did the same.
‘You’re not going to try to kill me, are you, Peter?’ Sirius muttered angrily. ‘You never were good with your wand…’
Muggles had stopped walking now and were gazing at the two wizards with their mouths open; apparently mesmerised by the scene taking place before their eyes. But Sirius didn’t care- Muggles or no Muggles; he was going to avenge Lily and James. Pettigrew looked at him, gave another tiny smile, and waved his wand. Sirius gasped and threw his hands over his face. There was a flash of green light, a huge explosion, and the street disappeared into an enormous crater, which was so deep that it had cracked open the sewer beneath. Sirius looked up; Peter was gone.
Sirius stared into the remnants of the road. Muggles lay everywhere, either dead or bleeding profusely, others looking on in shock, screaming. Sirius looked to where Peter had been. There was nothing but a bloodstained pile of robes lying on the pavement…
It took a moment for Sirius to comprehend what had just happened. Then he realised: Peter had tried to kill him…and had blown himself up in the process. Sirius began to laugh. It was too amazing to be true. He clutched his sides, doubled up in the hilarity of it all for what seemed like an eternity. He didn’t even notice when the wizards from the Department of Magical Catastrophes and the Magical Law Enforcement Squad arrived. In fact, he only realised they were there when he was being bound by magical rope and escorted from the scene.
‘W-wait!’ he said suddenly. ‘What are you doing? I haven’t done anything! You don’t understand…you can’t take me! Please…!’



:D By Jess 2003 :D

[*Jess*]

Ok guys...this chapter was a little rushed, but I felt bad coz I hadn't posted anything to do with the story for a while, so plz
forgive me..lol. When I find the time I'll edit this to make it better, but please read it, and give me some feedback in the Fanfic Feedback section!



~* 12 years later…*~

‘Yes, yes, let’s just get through this inspection quickly…I’ve got a meeting with the Head of the Department of Magical Transportation in an hour…something about a huge breach of the Underage Apparation law…’
When these words floated into his cell, Sirius Black was lying on his hard bed, staring blankly at a spot on the stone ceiling above him. The sound of this voice, however, jerked his mind back to reality. ‘Fudge,’ he murmured.
The word had barely left his mouth when Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic himself, strode into view at the end of the corridor that lay outside Sirius’s cell. Sirius stood up and ambled over to the door of his chamber, which was covered in stiff iron bars. The Dementors that usually stood guard on either side of the entrance had disappeared from it, as they were gliding at Fudge’s side, leading him down the corridor. Fudge did not seem overly happy about this.
Sirius pushed his long, matted hair out of his eyes as Fudge approached. He liked to look as normal as he could during the inspections. Sirius noticed that Fudge had a copy of the Daily Prophet scrunched tightly in his hand.
‘’Afternoon, Minister,’ Sirius croaked- his voice had long forgotten what it felt like to be regularly used.
Fudge, who had been hurrying past Sirius’s cell, gasped and took a step back. ‘B-Black,’ he muttered, trying to regain some composure. ‘Er…w-what can I do for you?’
‘I was just wondering if you were done with that copy of the Prophet.’ Sirius said. Fudge looked rather taken aback by this request. ‘I miss doing the crosswords,’ Sirius added with a wink. Fudge stared at him, looking terrified. Then, in one swift motion, he thrust the paper to Sirius through the bars and rushed away and out of sight.

Sirius smiled to himself, retreated to the back of his cell and slumped to the floor, leaning his back against the cold stone wall. His mind felt clearer than it had in years, and that was saying something. For twelve long years, Sirius had found himself trapped inside his own mind, always plagued by the same thoughts and memories, going over them again and again in his mind…Convincing his best friend, James Potter, to name Peter Pettigrew his Secret Keeper…He, Sirius, arriving at Peter’s house to find him gone…Arriving at The Potter’s house only to find that he had been too late to save them…and watching Hagrid fly away with his small godson, Harry. Sirius sighed. He had tried, many times, to think of the happy periods in his life. He had tried to remember his school days at Hogwarts, and staying with James and his parents during the summer break…but nothing ever came to him. The Dementors had sucked the happiness right out of him during his first few weeks in Azkaban…. and how long ago those first few weeks seemed now. Twelve years had passed since then…
Sirius shook his head, pulling himself out of the daze, and looked down at the paper in his hands. He really was looking forward to doing the crossword…but not as much as he was looking forward to reading about the world outside Azkaban’s walls.
The unfolded the Daily Prophet, shook the hair out of his eyes and looked down at the cover. A large wizarding family was waving happily up at him from a moving black and white picture the front page. Above them was the bold heading, MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE, and there was a small article below:

Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.
A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, ‘We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank.’
The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.

Sirius read the article leisurely, and then looked back at the photograph, his eyes moving slowly over each smiling face. ‘Five of the children at Hogwarts,’ he murmured to himself. He looked over the young faces in the photograph. There was a boy of about seventeen wearing horn-rimmed glasses, who, Sirius thought, looked strangely smug about something. There was also a small girl who was clutching her mother’s hand, twin boys, grinning and waving energetically, and then, in the centre of the picture, was a tall, lanky sort of boy, who looked about Harry’s age. Sirius smiled, looking at the boy, wondering if he was a friend of his godson’s. Then Sirius noticed something sitting on the boy’s shoulder. Sirius leaned in closer, straining his eyes. It was…a rat. Sirius’s eyes widened as he stared the creature, which was twitching nervously. But no…it couldn’t be…they’d found his finger in the street…then he saw it. The rat was missing a toe on its front paw. Sirius gasped. ‘Peter Pettigrew…’ he said softly. ‘Well, well, well…’ Sirius gazed at the rat, trying to grasp this idea. It seemed impossible, and yet…Sirius’s heart gave a sudden jolt as he remembered the article ‘…the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend…’ His mind jumped to the boy in the centre of the picture…the one who could very easily be the same age as Harry…
‘He could be in Harry’s dormitory…’ Sirius thought desperately. ‘And at the slightest hint that Voldemort is returning to power, Peter will be there, perfectly positioned to act…’
Sirius ran (or at least tried to run) his fingers through his matted hair, a habit of his that flared up when he was trying to think.
‘I’ve got to do something,’ he thought to himself. ‘I’ve got to help Harry. I’ve got to get out of here!’
As he thought this, though, a shrill horn blasted from somewhere in the fortress, a signal that the lights were about to be turned out in the compound. Sirius jumped and quickly tore the picture of the Weasley family out of the Daily Prophet. He didn’t want to lose it. He folded the picture carefully and slid it under his dirty mattress before jumping in to bed.
The lights went out a few moments later, and Sirius lay awake for a long while, thinking. Hours later he fell into a troubled sleep, every so often mumbling the words, ‘He’s at Hogwarts…he’s at Hogwarts…’

:D By Jess 2003 :D

[*Jess*]

Ok, ok... this is very very rushed...lol...but hopefully you'll get the gist of it!! I hope you like it..don't forget to give me some feedback in the FanFic Feedback Section :agree:! It's just called 'The Sirius Black Story' Feedback. Thanks guys...enjoy!! ;) :cool: :clap: :D


Sirius awoke the next morning to the familiar sound of the piercing horn that blasted through the air of the Azkaban fortress each daybreak and sundown. He opened his eyes and slowly rolled over on his lumpy, grimy mattress. He sat up and looked out the door of his cell. The Dementors weren’t there- they were probably getting food for him from the kitchens. Sirius’s mind began to work. What was it he had been thinking about the night before? Harry…yes, he was sure it was something to do with Harry…and Peter Pettigrew…
He was just beginning to put two and two together when a familiar wave of cold swept over him- the Dementors had returned to guard his cell. Sirius felt the energy drain from him and he slowly fell back down onto his bed, his body curled in a ball. He heard the door to his cell open and a loud clunk as a metal plate was dropped onto the cold stone floor. Then the door slid shut and there was silence once more as the Dementors glided back to their usual places outside the cell.
Sirius shivered and closed his eyes. ‘I need to transform,’ he told himself, feeling his thoughts becoming hazier by the second. ‘I must transform…’
Then, suddenly, Sirius felt his body begin to change- he was getting smaller, black fur was covering him, his face was lengthening…
A few moments later, Sirius sat up and jumped off his bed, landing silently on the hard floor. He had successfully transformed into a big, black dog.
He looked up at the Dementors outside his cell. One of them turned it’s hooded head towards him. Sirius held his breath- he knew the Dementor had sensed the change. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the creature turned back to its post, and Sirius let out a sigh of relief.
Sirius crossed the floor of his cell silently on padded paws and sniffed at the plate of food. A strange, grey liquid was floating around the rim of the plate, and bits of mouldy bread were swimming in a thick, porridge-like substance in the centre. Sirius eyed it disdainfully, debating with himself as to whether or not to eat it, until his rumbling stomach got the better of him. He wolfed the food down quickly, trying to ignore the foul taste that was filling his mouth, and then retreated to the far corner of his cell, where he curled up on the cold stone floor.
He much preferred being a dog than a human in Azkaban. His life felt less complicated, somehow, as a dog. He knew his transformations were the only thing that had kept him sane all these years.
Sirius began to think about Harry once again as he lay there, curled up in his corner. ‘I’ve got to get out of here,’ he thought to himself. ‘I’ve got to help him!’

*

Three days later, Sirius was still a dog. He had, in the time since he had read the article from the Daily Prophet, thought of the perfect plan to escape from the Azkaban compound- and tonight was the night to do it.
He lay all day in his corner, not even getting up to eat- he had the article from the Daily Prophet folded up in his mouth, ready to go. He wanted the Dementors to think that he had finally gone insane, just like the other prisoners. Finally, the time came. A horn blasted through the silent, late afternoon air to signal sundown. The door to his cell slid open, and a Dementor appeared, holding a metal plate of food in it’s slimy, decaying hand.
‘Please,’ Sirius thought desperately. ‘Please…let this work…’
He took a deep breath and bounded silently to the open cell door and slipped past the Dementor, through the bars and out into the besmirched corridor. He wheeled around and looked back into his cell. The Dementor had stopped, and was gliding slowly around in a circle. It had felt him leave the cell- there wasn’t much time. Sirius turned on his heel and scampered down the dingy corridor as fast as his four legs would take him. Even though he was weak, he could feel the adrenalin rushing through him, spurring him on…

He passed cell after cell, each of them flashing past like dark, greyish-black blurs. He could feel the sightless faces of the many Dementors surrounding the cells turning towards him, leaving their posts to glide silently after him down the hall…
Sirius had reached the edge of the Azkaban compound. In front of him was an enormous barrier, several storeys high, made entirely of metal bars, like a giant cell wall. Sirius skidded to a halt in front of it and stared up in dismay. What was he to do?
He whirled around and saw the Dementors closing in, coming through the many doorways and corridors that he had just left behind. Sirius spun back to face the wall of bars. There was just one thing to do.
He ran at it. Sirius screwed up his eyes at the last second; afraid of what would happen if he didn’t make it…afraid he was going to collide with the hard, metallic bars…
But he didn’t. Sirius opened his eyes. It was awfully lucky that he was so thin. He had slipped through the gap between two of the bars. He could feel the cold metal grazing his furry sides. This was exactly what he had been hoping for. Sirius let out a sharp bark of triumph. He had done it. But then his bark suddenly turned from one of jubilation to one of panic as he felt himself falling. He plummeted through the cold night air for what seemed like an eternity, howling in alarm. Finally his limp body hit the icy ocean with a hard smack. He could feel himself sinking beneath the surface…further and further into the black depths of water beneath him…his head was spinning…he couldn’t breathe…he was going to drown…
Suddenly he inhaled a lung-full of water. Sirius choked. ‘No…’ he thought to himself. ‘I’m not going to die…not now…I’ve waited too long…’
Weakly, he kicked out with his legs and pushed himself towards the top of the water. ‘Just a little further…’ he told himself. ‘Come on…just a little further…’ But he could barely even think. It felt as though water was flooding into his brain…
At last he felt his head break through the surface. The chilly night air hit his sopping, hairy face, and he gulped it down gratefully, filling his lungs. He floated there insensibly for a few minutes, his heart beating rapidly, breathing in the cool air. Finally he turned back to look at the Azkaban fortress. He could see the shapes of hundreds of Dementors gliding around the perimeter, lights flashing everywhere, searching…searching for him. Sirius turned and began to dog-paddle as fast as he could through the water towards the dark outline of land on the horizon. He had done it- he was free.

:D By Jess 2003 :D

[*Jess*]

Omgosh..I've actually written the next instalment already!! Yay for me!! I hope you all like it..don't forget to give me some feedback! Click HERE (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=19002) to be taken directly to the Fanfic Feedback section! Thanks guys! :tu: :) :blush:




Sirius could feel the energy draining from his body with each stroke he made through the dark, turbulent water. ‘Just a little further,’ his head kept telling him. ‘Not long now…’
The thick black fur covering him was drenched and kept pulling him under the waves, as though heavy weights had been secured around his body, dragging him down. The salty water was continually splashing up into his eyes, making it almost impossible to see, but Sirius could not give up- he wasn’t going to drown here…his eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the sliver of land scraping the edge of the horizon ahead…
It felt as though he had been swimming for hours, though he knew it couldn’t have been that long; for over the rushing of sea water that was filling his ears, he could still hear the distant sound of warning sirens blaring in the Azkaban prison somewhere behind him.
Finally, after what seemed like days, Sirius felt his paws make contact with wet sand beneath the water. He struggled forwards, half walking, half pushed along by the now-gentle current towards the shoreline. Slowly, very slowly, Sirius pulled himself out of the ocean and onto dry, sandy land. The last dregs of energy that had helped him reach the coast melted away. Sirius staggered, struggling to pull his hind legs out of the sea, but found that they didn’t want to move. So he fell forwards, exhausted, and hit the cold, hard sand with a dull thud as gentle waves lapped the shore around him, occasionally washing over his already saturated body.

How long he lay there, Sirius did not know. After a while, though, he mustered up all his strength and rolled over onto his shaggy back, shaking the sand out of his eyes as he did so. He looked up at the star-spangled, inky sky that stretched out endlessly above his head, watching the stars twinkling and winking down at him cheerfully. Sirius watched them for a long time, until light began to appear in the east. He smiled to himself, watching peacefully as the sky gradually lightened. He had not seen a sunrise in such a long time…it had been twelve long years, in fact, since the last occasion. Then, as the cold grey light of dawn washed over the serene seaside setting, Sirius knew he needed to leave, even though a part of him wanted to stay there forever. ‘Harry needs you,’ a small voice in the back of his mind reminded him. ‘The Dementors will be here soon. You need to go.’ Sirius shook himself out of his daze and looked out towards the tiny island on the horizon. The little voice was right…the Ministry of Magic would have been notified by now. They’d be ordering the Dementors out to look for him any minute…
Sirius stood up, trying to shake off the sand that had stuck to his now-damp fur. He wanted to change back into a human, now that he had made it to shore, but he knew better. The entire wizarding world knew him as a vicious, heartless murderer…no one would be happy to see him. He sighed miserably. How was he even going to get to Harry, let alone be able to speak with him? That, he did not know, but he did know that if he was going to get to Hogwarts before Christmas, he was going to have to leave now. So he bounded off down the beach, towards a dense forest that connected with the sand nearly a mile away, as the first beams of sunshine appeared in the east.

*

Sirius made his way through the thick forest over the next day. Although it was much easier to negotiate the dark, inflexible shrubs and complicated tree root systems as a dog than as a human, Sirius still found it a slow, gruelling process, as his fur (which, like his actual hair, was rather long) kept getting caught in twigs and small plants, delaying him greatly. He was understandably grateful, therefore, to find himself at the edge of the woodland the next morning. The problem was, though, that he now had to figure out where he wanted to go. Should he head straight for Hogwarts, and think of some way to talk to Harry without anyone finding out about him? Or, instead, should he travel to the village of Hogsmeade and wait until the new term started before making his way to the school? ‘But then,’ said that small voice in his head, ‘why not go to Surrey, and see Harry before you make your way to Hogwarts? Surely it couldn’t hurt to see him, after all. It’s been so long since you’ve seen him. Go on. It’d be fine.’
Sirius spat out the folded up Daily Prophet article he had been storing inside his cheek and looked at it, hoping that the editorial would give him the answer he was looking for. The article, however, did nothing of the sort- the Weasley family, though now looking rather sodden, was still waving up at him as energetically as ever. Sirius sighed and scooped the article up into his mouth, then pondered his options for a few moments. ‘Maybe…’ he thought to himself. ‘Maybe it really wouldn’t hurt. I haven’t seen Harry for twelve years…it’d do me some good…maybe-maybe he’ll even look a bit like…like James…’ Sirius smiled to himself, thinking of his best friend. ‘Perhaps Harry will be just like him…’ he mused to himself. ‘…that would be brilliant…’ he suddenly caught himself, annoyed that he had let his mind go so far. ‘No. He’s dead.’ He told himself firmly. ‘James is gone. Nothing’s going to bring him back. Snap out of it, Black.’ Yet although he told himself this so determinedly, Sirius still felt his heart sink at the thought of his best friend. ‘This is about Harry,’ he reminded himself quickly. ‘Harry. You escaped from Azkaban to help James’s son, not James himself.’ At this thought, Sirius trotted out of the last trees along the forest border and down the narrow lane that ran along beside it, heading for Surrey and his godson.

:D By Jess 2003 :D

[*Jess*]

Yay..another instalment!! This one's quite long, too, (well, it's long for me!) I'm proud to say!! Enjoy, and don't 4get the Feedback!! :D


It took Sirius several long days of travelling through rough countryside and woodlands before he came to a big city. It was, if possible, even harder to journey through the busy suburban streets, as they were constantly congested with traffic and people commuting into the city centre for work everyday. Sirius had to avoid being seen; he was, of course, still a dog, but it was because of this that he had to be careful, or he could be taken to a Muggle Animal Shelter.
Finally, after two full days of winding his way through the hectic urban streets, he found himself at the very edge of Little Whinging, Surrey: the suburb where Harry lived with his Aunt and Uncle.
Sirius looked around for a public phone booth. He soon found one on a deserted street corner. Dusk was now enveloping the quiet neighbourhood, and the few people who had braved the afternoon heat had now retreated into the cool of their air-conditioned living rooms. This was perfect for Sirius; this way he could sneak into the phone booth without any Muggles watching on suspiciously. He trotted up the hot concrete sidewalk, trying to act as doggishly as possible, and then slipped into the phone box through the glass door, which was standing slightly ajar. Once inside, Sirius jumped up and, with his mouth, managed to pull down the stack of old phone books that had been piled in a disorganized heap next to the speaking apparatus. Sirius stood up and peered out the door of the booth. There wasn’t a single person in sight. So, taking a deep breath, he pulled back inside the box, and turned back into a human. The moment he was his normal self again, Sirius reached out and wrenched the door shut with a snap. Then, crouching as low as he could, he began to flip through the telephone books.
‘Dursley…D…Dursley…’ he muttered to himself. Sirius wasn’t entirely sure how he had remembered the surname of Harry’s Aunt and Uncle…perhaps he had heard Lily talking about them once, long before. All he knew was that he was sure that was their name…and what was Lily’s sister’s name again? P…P…Penelope? No, that wasn’t it…Petra? No, not that either…P…P…Petunia? Maybe. That name rang a bell…
Sirius’s eyes travelled down the ‘D’ column. ‘Durnest…Dursal…Durslei…Dursley! Yes, that must be it:

DURSLEY

V P 4 Privet Dr Lttl Whin. (02) 359-024

Sirius grinned and tore the page out of the book. Then he spat out another piece of paper from his mouth. It was the article he had ripped out of the Daily Prophet all those weeks ago. After being in his mouth for so long, the Weasley family were looking a little worse for wear- their hair was now sopping wet and dripping all over their already drenched clothes. Mrs. Weasley looked up at Sirius reprovingly, took a handkerchief out of her pocket and was attempting to dry her daughter, who tried indignantly to push her away but to no avail; Mr. Weasley had removed his glasses and was wiping them on his robes, the smug-looking late-teen kept giving Sirius outraged glares while he polished a small badge that read HB, but the twins and, to a lesser extent, the lanky boy around Harry’s age, were giving Sirius the thumbs up sign, winking and cheering- apparently glad he had caused such disturbance. Sirius smiled down at them then folded the article back up, along with the page from the phone book, and placed them back inside his cheek. He quickly piled the phone books back up then, with another quick look outside the booth, turned back into a dog. Sirius slipped out of the phone box and set off up the street at a trot, heading for Number 4, Privet Drive.

Later that evening, Sirius came to the top of Harry’s street. Night had fallen completely over the silent neighbourhood, draining away the day’s heat and leaving only lingering warmth hanging in the air, highlighted by the balmy breeze now sweeping through the many, identical parched gardens.
Sirius sat down on the street corner, unsure of where to go. He couldn’t very well just meander up to the Dursley’s front door-while Sirius didn’t know much about his godson’s relatives, the small snippets he had heard about them over the years from Lily and James made him sure he wouldn’t be welcome in their home.
He looked up at the street sign above him. It pointed two ways, with two separate names inscribed upon it: one, pointing down Harry’s street, read Privet Drive, while the other, pointing away to the left, read, To Magnolia Crescent. Sirius looked between the two of them. Perhaps he could go and wait around in this ‘Magnolia Crescent’ until morning. Then, maybe in daylight, he could catch a glimpse of his godson before setting out for Hogsmeade. Yes, he said to himself. Good idea…no need to hang around Privet Drive unnecessarily- the neighbours might get suspicious.
As Sirius was contemplating this idea, a muffled yell of fury pierced the night air. Sirius jumped and looked down the street- it had come from Number 4.
‘MARGE!’ the deep male voice shrieked. ‘NOOOOOOO!’
Sirius stared down the road at the front window of Harry’s house. Shapes were moving behind the curtains- one appeared to be floating in the air, big and round, while others flitted about beneath it. Several neighbours were peering out their windows from behind their curtains, and some had even opened their front doors slightly, peeking out at the source of the noise. All was quiet for a minute, until the same strong, angry voice cut through the air.
‘COME BACK IN HERE! COME BACK AND PUT HER RIGHT!’
The front door suddenly burst open, and warm yellow light fell out of it, spilling down the garden path. Silhouetted against the light, with his back to the street, was the shape of a young, rather skinny boy, a large trunk and birdcage at his side, and a wand held out in front of him, pointed at a large, beefy man.
‘I’m going,’ the boy said, somewhat shakily. ‘I’ve had enough.’
He stuffed the wand back into the waistband of his baggy jeans, snatched up the birdcage (the owl inside it flapping about irritably) and hauled the trunk down the front steps and out into the street. Sirius’s heart gave a jolt as the boy turned around and light from the nearest streetlamp fell on his face: it was his godson, Harry.

Sirius knew it was Harry the moment he saw his face- it had to be. It was like looking at James again, except with a few small differences. Harry’s nose was a little bit smaller and his eyes glinted bright green in the streetlamp’s light, as opposed to James’s, which were grey…those green eyes were Lily’s.
Sirius sat, frozen to the spot. It was very lucky that he was hidden in the shadows, or Harry would have spotted him by now. He was unsure of what to do. Harry was walking towards him as quickly as he could, but slowed by the heaviness of his trunk. Sirius had to think fast. He looked around for a source of inspiration, and whacked his head against the street sign’s metallic pole. Stars burst in front of his eyes and he swayed on the spot, dazed. As the stars vanished, though, he could hear Harry’s footsteps growing closer. Quick, he said to himself. Quick, where are you going to go? He looked up at the street sign, cursing it for giving him such a bad headache, when he saw it: To Magnolia Crescent. There was no time to think about it. This was it. Sirius bounded away silently in the direction that the sign was pointing, just as Harry reached the corner of Privet Drive.

Sirius scampered off towards Magnolia Crescent, the evening air rushing through his dark, matted fur. He passed two more streets (Selington Street and Wisteria Walk) before he came to Magnolia Crescent.
Sirius slowed and, panting slightly, came to a stop outside a small, narrow alley that stood between a house and its fence. He sat down on the pavement, thinking that he had lost his godson. Not that he had wanted to, but he couldn’t risk being seen by Harry…not yet, at least.
The moment he had thought this, though, he was sure he had jinxed himself- for right then, Harry appeared at the top of Magnolia Crescent, quite red in the face from pulling along his trunk and the owl cage. Sirius jumped and hurried down the alleyway and out of sight as Harry stopped right outside it, sitting down on the house’s front fence. Sirius held his breath, retreating further into the shadows. Several minutes passed, and Harry had not moved. He just sat, quite still, on the low garden wall. After about ten minutes, Harry bent down and opened his trunk, apparently searching for something. Sirius shifted his position a little, his muscles cramping painfully from being in the same stance for so long. Then it happened. Harry, who had been bending low over his trunk, sat up quickly, looking around. Sirius’s eyes widened- surely he hadn’t heard him? But Harry bent down again, once more rummaging through his trunk. A moment later, though, he sat up abruptly, clutching his wand tightly. He spun around and stared down Sirius’s alley.
‘Lumos,’ he whispered, and a thin beam of light burst out of the wand tip. He held the wand high above his head and moved it slowly over the alleyway, searching. Sirius froze as the light washed over him. For a split second, their eyes met, and Sirius’s heart jumped. The next second, though, Harry had taken a step behind him, and his legs collided with his open trunk, causing him to lose his footing and fall backwards. His wand dropped from his hand as he flung his arm out to break his fall. Sirius watched on in shock. Then it dawned on him- he knew what was going to happen…
BANG!
A blinding flash of light blazed through the street as a triple-decker, violently purple bus appeared out of nowhere and screeched to a halt just inches from where Harry had been lying seconds before- Harry had rolled out of the way just in time.
The light from the bus’s giant headlamps flooded the alleyway and Sirius jumped out of the way, behind the fence, watching, as a conductor in purple uniform jumped down from the vehicle and landed next to Harry.
‘Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve-’
The conductor stopped speaking mid-sentence when he noticed Harry, who was still on the ground. The Knight Bus employee stared down at Harry for a moment, then said, ‘What were you doin’ down there?’ dropping his professional manner immediately.
‘Fell over,’ replied Harry.
‘’Choo fall over for?’ Stan sneered.
‘I didn’t do it on purpose,’ said Harry angrily. Then he turned to look back down the alleyway. Sirius shrunk back behind the fence a little more.
‘’Choo looking at?’ Stan asked nosily.
‘There was this big black thing, like a dog…but massive…’
‘Woss that on your ‘ead?’ Stan asked suddenly, as Harry flattened his fringe nervously. Sirius frowned to himself- he couldn’t think what that was about.
‘Woss your name?’ Stan asked perseveringly.
‘Neville Longbottom,’ said Harry quickly. Sirius frowned even more. Neville Longbottom? Why on earth would he say that? ‘So…so this bus, did you say it goes anywhere?’ Harry hurried on.
‘Yep, anywhere you like, long’s it’s on land. Can’t do nuffink underwater. ‘Ere, you did flag us down, dincha? Stuck out your wand hand, dincha?’
‘Yes,’ said Harry hastily. ‘Listen, how much would it be to get to London?’
‘Eleven Sickles, but for firteen you get ‘ot chocolate, and for fifteen you get an ‘ot-water bottle an’ a toofbrush in the colour of your choice.’
Sirius listened on in interest. Why would Harry want to go to London? He watched as Harry shoved some silver into Stan’s hand, and then as he helped the conductor lift his trunk and the owl cage up into the bus and out of sight. The doors swung shut behind them and the bus vanished with a crack. Sirius looked at the ground. The euphoria he had felt at seeing his godson for the first time in twelve years was ebbing away. He cast one last look at the spot where Harry had been standing just moments before, then turned away and started heading north, toward the village of Hogsmeade.

:D By Jess 2003 :D