Chapter 1: Bad News
"AHHH!" The shrill high-pitched screech echoed through the halls of the ministry. Several wizards appeared instantly. They found a witch screaming her head off. She stopped screaming when the wizards arrived but she was breathing rapidly and she had gone all pale. She pointed to an open doorway and several wizards entered the room wands out. Most of them, however, dropped them in shock. A dead body lay on the floor. This, however, wasn't just anybody. This was the minister of magic himself, Cornelius Fudge.
In no time at all wizards from the magical law enforcement office were on hand. Another wizard was examining the body, and a witch was looking around at the "crime scene".
"Who came to see the minister today?" A ministry official asked the frightened secretary witch who had discovered the dead minister.
"The minister met with a diplomat from Nigeria around 11:00 this morning. After lunch he met with no one except an assistant named Percy Weasley. He is often seen consulting the minister." She told the official.
"When did he leave?"
"Around 2:00PM, I think," The witch said. It was now 6:00 PM.
"No one has gone in or come out of that office since 2:00PM?"
"Yes, I brought him an owl from his wife and he came out to get some coffee about an hour ago," The witch told him. "I don't know anything, please..." She said starting to sob. She was so scared. The official moved away not finding out a whole lot from her. He went to speak to the wizard examining the body.
"What killed him?" The official asked.
"I don't know..." The wizard said looking thoughtfully at the body "There is no sign of a curse being performed or any sign of struggle. His wand was tucked in his jacket. This is most peculiar. I don't see any thing wrong except that he has no pulse." He stared at the body. Something was very unusual about it. He couldn't place it, but something was not right. "Perhaps a new curse has been invented," The old doctor said fearfully. Suddenly there was a horrible popping noise. It came from the body. Both men stood up suddenly. Then the body exploded, vaporizing. There was no trace of it ever being there.
Everyone was too stunned to speak. Perhaps this was a new and cruel dark curse...
His mouth was dry as sandpaper. Perhaps he could have a drink. After all, he had been gone for nearly three years. Media wasn't so strong anymore. Sirius slipped into a shadowy alley and suddenly appeared in human form crouching behind a trash can. He wished he had some better clothes, but this would have to do. He casually walked into the muggle coffee shop and ordered a nice glass of ice water, since he had no muggle money.
He sat down at a table and savored the icy taste of the water on his tongue. He ignored the look he got from the woman who worked the desk. She didn't appreciate the fact that he came in here for the sole purpose of drinking some free water.
Sirius casually glanced around the place. His eyes settled on the window for a while. He watched the bustle of the street outside as he sipped some water. He finished his water and began to wonder if he had enough nerve to go ask the lady for some more when he made eye contact with a man sitting by the window.
Sirius quickly averted his eyes but he was aware the man was still looking at him. Maybe I should leave, he thought.
Suddenly a shout rang out, "BLACK!" The man was standing up and advancing over to the table where Sirius sat. Damn! Sirius thought. In a flash he ran for the door. He headed towards the alley he had left only minutes before.
When the man followed Sirius into the alley he pulled out a wand. He was a wizard who had been enjoying a coffee in a muggle shop. Out of sight Sirius changed into dog form and padded off, unseen, he was sure however, that this would not go unnoticed.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all met for breakfast the next morning. It was their second day of term and they had just gotten their schedules. Good and bad news was in their new schedules. They no longer had potions with the Slytherins, they had it with the Hufflepuffs, but now instead of having Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, they had it with the Slytherins! Their schedules had flip-flopped from what it previously had been.
After grumbling about this for awhile the mail started to arrive. Hermione informed them that she had started ordering the Daily Prophet. "They've been saying for about two weeks now that every night one or two dementors keep leaving Azkaban. They are no where to be found. Fudge is saying that they are being replaced with trained officials and that the dementors won't come near villages but people have been worried," Hermione informed them both as she awaited her copy of today's Daily Prophet.
"Yeah," Ron began, "The ministry has been flooded with owls, Dad's been working late a lot lately," Just then the Newspaper arrived. A large picture of Fudge was on the front cover. Hermione expected more dementor news until she read the headline: MINISTER OF MAGIC MURDERED! She gasped and dropped the paper. She heard other students around her who got the paper do the same.
"Hermione," Ron said as he caught sight of the newspaper. His face went blank. He couldn't even talk. "How?"
"What is with you two this morning?" Harry asked snatching up the paper. His face went pale. He started reading the article.
"The minister of magic, Cornelius Fudge, was found lying on the floor, dead, by his secretary. When they examined the body they found no evidence of a curse being performed, however, after about an hour of studying the body, it vaporized into thin air leaving no traces behind. Ministry officials fear that a new curse has been created..."
It went on to tell more about the investigation and so forth. Harry scanned the newspaper and discovered something even more shocking than the minister of magic dead.
The headline read: Coincidence? I think not.
"Less than an hour after the minister was found dead in his office caused by a strange new curse Sirius Black was spotted by a wizard. He wasn't far from the ministry. He was enjoying a glass of water in a muggle coffee shop. After a fast paced chase Black disappeared into an alley. Most people believe that the escaped convict is responsible for the new curse performed on the minister. Officials are working hard to track him, but they are getting no where. Could Black be responsible for Fudge's death?"
Harry turned as white as a ghost. Sirius was in real trouble now. They were blaming him for the murder of the minister of magic! Harry didn't dare chance sending an owl to him, but how else would he know if Sirius was all right? This was not good. He slowly laid the paper down. Hermione instantly snatched it up and read aloud to Ron. She gasped as she realized the seriousness of the situation. What was going on here?
"AHHH!" The shrill high-pitched screech echoed through the halls of the ministry. Several wizards appeared instantly. They found a witch screaming her head off. She stopped screaming when the wizards arrived but she was breathing rapidly and she had gone all pale. She pointed to an open doorway and several wizards entered the room wands out. Most of them, however, dropped them in shock. A dead body lay on the floor. This, however, wasn't just anybody. This was the minister of magic himself, Cornelius Fudge.
In no time at all wizards from the magical law enforcement office were on hand. Another wizard was examining the body, and a witch was looking around at the "crime scene".
"Who came to see the minister today?" A ministry official asked the frightened secretary witch who had discovered the dead minister.
"The minister met with a diplomat from Nigeria around 11:00 this morning. After lunch he met with no one except an assistant named Percy Weasley. He is often seen consulting the minister." She told the official.
"When did he leave?"
"Around 2:00PM, I think," The witch said. It was now 6:00 PM.
"No one has gone in or come out of that office since 2:00PM?"
"Yes, I brought him an owl from his wife and he came out to get some coffee about an hour ago," The witch told him. "I don't know anything, please..." She said starting to sob. She was so scared. The official moved away not finding out a whole lot from her. He went to speak to the wizard examining the body.
"What killed him?" The official asked.
"I don't know..." The wizard said looking thoughtfully at the body "There is no sign of a curse being performed or any sign of struggle. His wand was tucked in his jacket. This is most peculiar. I don't see any thing wrong except that he has no pulse." He stared at the body. Something was very unusual about it. He couldn't place it, but something was not right. "Perhaps a new curse has been invented," The old doctor said fearfully. Suddenly there was a horrible popping noise. It came from the body. Both men stood up suddenly. Then the body exploded, vaporizing. There was no trace of it ever being there.
Everyone was too stunned to speak. Perhaps this was a new and cruel dark curse...
His mouth was dry as sandpaper. Perhaps he could have a drink. After all, he had been gone for nearly three years. Media wasn't so strong anymore. Sirius slipped into a shadowy alley and suddenly appeared in human form crouching behind a trash can. He wished he had some better clothes, but this would have to do. He casually walked into the muggle coffee shop and ordered a nice glass of ice water, since he had no muggle money.
He sat down at a table and savored the icy taste of the water on his tongue. He ignored the look he got from the woman who worked the desk. She didn't appreciate the fact that he came in here for the sole purpose of drinking some free water.
Sirius casually glanced around the place. His eyes settled on the window for a while. He watched the bustle of the street outside as he sipped some water. He finished his water and began to wonder if he had enough nerve to go ask the lady for some more when he made eye contact with a man sitting by the window.
Sirius quickly averted his eyes but he was aware the man was still looking at him. Maybe I should leave, he thought.
Suddenly a shout rang out, "BLACK!" The man was standing up and advancing over to the table where Sirius sat. Damn! Sirius thought. In a flash he ran for the door. He headed towards the alley he had left only minutes before.
When the man followed Sirius into the alley he pulled out a wand. He was a wizard who had been enjoying a coffee in a muggle shop. Out of sight Sirius changed into dog form and padded off, unseen, he was sure however, that this would not go unnoticed.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all met for breakfast the next morning. It was their second day of term and they had just gotten their schedules. Good and bad news was in their new schedules. They no longer had potions with the Slytherins, they had it with the Hufflepuffs, but now instead of having Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, they had it with the Slytherins! Their schedules had flip-flopped from what it previously had been.
After grumbling about this for awhile the mail started to arrive. Hermione informed them that she had started ordering the Daily Prophet. "They've been saying for about two weeks now that every night one or two dementors keep leaving Azkaban. They are no where to be found. Fudge is saying that they are being replaced with trained officials and that the dementors won't come near villages but people have been worried," Hermione informed them both as she awaited her copy of today's Daily Prophet.
"Yeah," Ron began, "The ministry has been flooded with owls, Dad's been working late a lot lately," Just then the Newspaper arrived. A large picture of Fudge was on the front cover. Hermione expected more dementor news until she read the headline: MINISTER OF MAGIC MURDERED! She gasped and dropped the paper. She heard other students around her who got the paper do the same.
"Hermione," Ron said as he caught sight of the newspaper. His face went blank. He couldn't even talk. "How?"
"What is with you two this morning?" Harry asked snatching up the paper. His face went pale. He started reading the article.
"The minister of magic, Cornelius Fudge, was found lying on the floor, dead, by his secretary. When they examined the body they found no evidence of a curse being performed, however, after about an hour of studying the body, it vaporized into thin air leaving no traces behind. Ministry officials fear that a new curse has been created..."
It went on to tell more about the investigation and so forth. Harry scanned the newspaper and discovered something even more shocking than the minister of magic dead.
The headline read: Coincidence? I think not.
"Less than an hour after the minister was found dead in his office caused by a strange new curse Sirius Black was spotted by a wizard. He wasn't far from the ministry. He was enjoying a glass of water in a muggle coffee shop. After a fast paced chase Black disappeared into an alley. Most people believe that the escaped convict is responsible for the new curse performed on the minister. Officials are working hard to track him, but they are getting no where. Could Black be responsible for Fudge's death?"
Harry turned as white as a ghost. Sirius was in real trouble now. They were blaming him for the murder of the minister of magic! Harry didn't dare chance sending an owl to him, but how else would he know if Sirius was all right? This was not good. He slowly laid the paper down. Hermione instantly snatched it up and read aloud to Ron. She gasped as she realized the seriousness of the situation. What was going on here?
