Unfortunate Circumstances
Chapter 2: Escape
A/N: This is at the beginning of the fourth movie.
Boy, was Azkaban depressing. It was damp and dark, and offered little protection from the weather. It was common for inmates to fall ill from the cold and damp, and though many recovered, some didn't. It was these conditions that led a certain Dodger Dent to attempt the impossible: escape from Azkaban.
It was ridiculous, but the now fourteen year-old Dodger was desperate. How anybody could manage this, she didn't know. She felt she had to clear the Dent name, and felt that escape was the only way to continue the thieving tradition.
Azkaban had heavily lowered its number of dementors and replaced them with standard wand-wielding guards as an experiment. The dementors proved to be far too dangerous. Dodger brought out her wand from her pocket, and opened the door. She then cautiously stepped out of her cell and into the corridor. Then, she silently jumped up onto the roof through a skylight into the moonlight. Funny. She thought escape from Azkaban would be more of a challenge.
That's when a guard owl gave out a shriek, attracting the attention of every guard on the grounds. It probably would've been important for her to see the owl first.
"Dodger Dent, I should've known you'd try and escape." Said a guard with his wand pointed in her direction. Dodger merely smirked and, with a flick of her wand, vanished leaving the guards ultimately confused.
She hadn't had her wand on her the whole time; she stole it from the warden's office. It was a classic Dent move to vanish into thin air.
News of Dodger's escape spread like wildfire throughout the wizard world. Every front page of the Daily Prophet had the same headline: "Thief Escapes From Azkaban!" with a moving photograph of Dodger when she was being led out of the courthouse a year ago.
There was lots of panic; for fear that Dodger might be armed and dangerous. Harry knew better. Dodger would fight, but she'd never kill anyone. Hermione, on the other hand, agreed with what others said and was yapping about it to him now.
"Harry, I've done some reading on Dodger's family." She began.
"And?" Harry questioned.
"And, her family's thieving reputation goes back to about 1300 BC. She was a born-to-be thief and you know it. I can't believe you ever trusted her."
"Dodger is my friend. She may not be the most honest person in the world but she's been my friend since I was six. The reason I trusted her was because she gave me reason to." Harry argued. He didn't like fighting with Hermione, because it's incredibly hard to win.
"Whatever. I think she's a no-good dirty thief, but believe what you want, Harry Potter." That said, Hermione walked in a different direction. Ron then appeared out of nowhere and started talking.
"Bloody hell, Harry, can you believe she escaped from Azkaban so easily? I wonder how she did it. It's bloody impossible you know?" Ron ranted.
"Yes, Ron, I know. And if it were impossible to escape from Azkaban, don't you think she would still be in Azkaban?" Harry had a point. It was no use complaining about the security level at the prison, while Dodger was out roaming the streets. Harry only hoped she hadn't gone mental because of the experience in Azkaban.
Dodger reappeared at her home on Privet Drive, where she saw the upstairs light on. Connor was usually home around this time, maybe she could take the Fur Morus and be on her way back. However, when she opened the door and turned on the light, the whole house was messy. Furniture was flung everywhere, vases broken, curtains torn, everything. The house had been ransacked.
"Dad? Dad!" Dodger called. No answer. "Dad! Are you here? Hello? Dad!"
Dodger frantically ran up the stairs to her father's study, where he lay on the floor, bruised and bloody with a family picture lying underneath his arm. Dodger's eyes welled up with tears, as she knelt down beside her father and hugged him like her life depended on it. The brutality of his wounds indicated that he was severely beaten.
At last, Dodger felt Connor stir. He turned to look up at his daughter, one eye swelled shut. Still, even in this condition, Connor was to Dodger the greatest man in the world. He then opened his mouth to speak, but Dodger stopped him.
"Shh. Be still, dad. Don't talk, there's nothing more you need take from this. It can wait." Dodger said through tears.
"Dodger, your mother's calling me. I have to go." Connor whispered hoarsely.
"No, dad! You can't leave, I'm only fourteen, and the Fur Morus was stolen, what do I have to live off of?" Dodger argued.
"You are destined to be a thief, Dodger. Use your God-given talent and steal back the Fur Morus. You escaped from Azkaban. You are ready to inherit the cane. Take it, and do our family name justice." That said, Connor closed his eyes, and let out his last breath. Dodger, too tough to cry, simply hugged her father for several seconds, then stood.
She then looked in her father's closet and brought out his cane. The minute she held the cane in her hand, Dodger felt a growing anger develop. She was going to get back at whoever did this, avenge her father, and steal back the Fur Morus. She took the picture Connor had under his arm out of the frame and put it in her pocket, then took his hat from atop his head and put it on. It was still a bit big, but Dodger knew she'd grow into it.
With this mission in mind and those thoughts in her head, Dodger left the house and went to the only place she could: Hogwarts.
A/N: Again, sorry it's so short. I write at 10-12 o'clock at night, so my brain doesn't function the best. I have testing at school for three days, so I might not get much done then. Don't forget to review! :)