A/N: Written for the Transfiguration Assignment.
Task: For the first assignment of the second term, write about one of the known animagus using their animal form.
He was fading away, he was sure of it.
The animagus transformation was more painful than it had ever been before, every inch of his nerves and sinews being converted slowly and horribly into another being, another form.
He could feel his mind getting clearer, even though the pain throbbed and swirled around his body. The presence of the Dementors faded away slightly as well, and he no longer felt as empty and cold as he had been before. He became more of himself, as the transformation wore on, and he was able to think clearly, unlike when he had been a human.
Sirius Black, in his canine form, caught a rat rather clumsily, and ate it, relishing in how the hot blood slid down his throat, and imagining that the rat was Peter, that treacherous betrayer.
He thought about the news that he had read about his godson, the Boy Who Lived, the living image of James and Lily Potter, two of the few people that he had loved the most in his life, and who were now dead.
The mist of the Dementors was brought forwards again, and he forced himself to push that out of his mind, and concentrated on his godson, of the life that they would lead together after he had broken out of his prison. He caught another rat, and then another, to build up his waning strength.
Something had to be done. He looked down at his emaciated canine frame, the black fur on his stomach slightly distended from eating those rats. He caught one last rat, and planned his escape.
The Dementors had moved on from his cell, and Sirius took his chance, walking steadily on all four paws through the bars with little difficulty. He was so pitifully thin.
He walked calmly amongst the Dementors, hiding only when a human walked past. He thought about Harry, to ward off the Dementor mist. He thought about his own Hogwarts days, happy and carefree they were. He thought about Marlene McKinnon, the girl he had loved once, and who was as mischievous as him. He thought about Lupin, the friend that was always there for him, and whom he loved dearly as well. He did not think about Lily and James.
And so, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban, swimming away as quickly as he could from that accursed island, towards his future, and towards Harry Potter.