Ch. 10 Of insatiable curiosity

Inside the Black House everything was suspiciously quiet, the doxies snoozed in the little crevices in the thick draperies. Up along the stairwell a small tuft of black hair could be seen hiding. Harry giggled softly and peered down between the wooden bars, then he began to swiftly crawl down the carpeted stairs, silent as a mouse.

Grandmother looked up from a book she was reading and arched one fine eyebrow, Harrison merely paused on his knees and gave her his best puppy dog face, her face twitched as if it was trying to smile then with a slight shake muttered 'hmph' and continued reading.

Harry beamed and kept low, crawling on his belly down the last flight of stairs. He began to tiptoe to the drawing room door which was ever so slightly open. As he came closer he saw the table was decorated in a new cloth and five brightly wrapped packages lay stacked atop one another. The silver one at the top even had a Bow Fairy. She adjusted the ribbons trailing from her and fluffed her curled wings, happy to be presented. Looking towards the door she saw Harry who froze, she cocked her head, white sparkly skin glittering. Harry smiled and waved at her, the fairy let out a musical giggle and waved back.

Suddenly Harry felt a non-painful tug on his ear and the drawing room door snapped shut. Spinning around he saw Kreacher standing there with a tapping foot and a fondly exasperated expression on his face.

"Young Master...just what are you doing?"

Harry grinned sheepishly, "Nooooothing."

Kreacher crossed his arms and raised a hairless eyebrow.

"It looks to Kreacher as if Master was trying to sneak a peek at his presents before it is finished,"

Harry rubbed his head but his grin did not disappear, it only grew wider. "It's always so pretty." He said happily, Kreacher had been shooing Harry away from his parties ever since the boy realized just what a party was.

Kreacher just couldn't be truly annoyed, especially on the little masters birthday. He gave a deep sigh and shook his head, smiling.

"Go on and play Young Master, I believe Master Phineus has something he'd like to give you before the party." Gifts were often a magic spell in and of themselves for children, as Harry grinned and ran up the stairs again towards the Library.

"Why are you always running young one?" Phineus remarked as Harry burst into the room.

"It makes me happy." Harry remarked, his uncle snorted.

"Hyper is more accurate." He muttered, then waved his hand.

"Do me a favor young one' he gestured to a medium sized jewelry box sitting below his portrait 'open this"

Harry had to stand on tiptoe to reach it, but he managed to open it, inside was a large golden ring. The boy picked it up and brought it to his face.

"What is it?" He asked examining it.

"It is the Black family ring, worn by the eldest heir." Harry put in on his ring finger and looked up.

"But I thought I wasn't really born a Black."

Phineus chuckled, "No you aren't, but I am and I say that you are the Black heir." The ring glowed and shrunk to fit the tiny finger. Harry sent his uncle a wide smile.

"Thank you Uncle!" He exclaimed happily then his face lit up in excitement, "I'm gonna go show Grandmother Walburga!" He zoomed out of the library, Phineus looked up and sighed with defeat.

Far away, another life away, over mountains and hills, over black choppy waters and cold grey stone there is a prison. It is not prison like muggles know, the name rings with darkness and fear. Every wizard tried to avoid talking about it, and if possible avoid going there at all costs.

Azkaban

On the lower level inside the cavernous fortress is a long hall with many cells, a lone guardsman wanders down the hallway, his wand in a state of Lumos. He is a young man just assigned to the prison and he would do anything to be sent away. This place was hell on earth he thought to himself.

"..Hey" a voice called out to him the young man, jumpy and frightened, yelped then pointed his wand at the cell where the voice came from. The tip of his wand illuminated a face hanging out from the cell, arms thrust through the bars as well so that the man was resting on them. Sunken black eyes, paper thin white skin and scraggly black hair hung to his shoulders. His dirty face rough with stubble.

"W-w-what do you want?" The boy stuttered

Sirius Black smiled, he knew he looked deranged, and well...scaring the piss out of these guards was the only fun he had in this shithole.

He reached up to scratch at his chin, fingernails scraped against short hairs loudly. They sent trimming and cleaning spells through the place every month or so, so that the prisoners didn't simply die by choking themselves with their own hair or cutting their wrists with long fingernails.

"You gonna finish that?" Sirius finally asked gesturing to the paper in the boys robe, a black and white quidditch player zoomed in and out of the main picture. The boy jumped then looked down at the paper, having forgotten he even had it.

"N-no." He said, fingers trembling he clutched the paper and held it out, rustling slightly as it trembled. Sirius reached up and took it, sending the terrified wizard one last smile he leaned forward and said.

"Thanks." Then retreated to sit on his bed, the guard blinked then without a word spun around and hurried away.

Sirius couldn't resist a chuckle as he opened up the newspaper and started to read, guys like that were such easy marks.

His smile quickly died as he turned the page to an article called 'The Boy Who lived and his Progress' in the picture was Albus Dumbledore with a hand on the shoulder of a short round faced boy who looked ever so slightly terrified at having his picture taken. Behind them stood a gaggle of little red heads and their two parents. The picture read, "The Boy Who Lived Neville Longbottom with his friends the Weasleys during summer vacation."

Sirius could care less about the short kid in the picture, or Dumbledore, he only had eyes for the boy in horn rimmed glasses standing behind Dumbledore, about 10 years old. And even then the only thing he could see...was a rat, a little brown rat with a missing toe.

Pettigew...was alive, he began to laugh, it echoed through the walls his voice cackling in near madness. He launched to his feet, shaking, oh he'd find the rat Sirius thought furiously as he clutched the paper staring with deranged eyes at the little traitor, he'd find him, and let the dog in him have some fun with the rodent. Throwing the paper aside it hit him.

Padfoot, what if the Dementors could only see what they can feel? If they couldn't feel Padfoot..then maybe...Sirius began to get excited...he peered out of the cell bars to check for guards. Seeing none he closed his eyes and breathed deep The change came quickly as he sunk to all fours, fur sprouting and fingernails changing to claws, teeth sharpening and ears shrinking then growing from his head.

Sirius shook his fur, then breathed in, his emaciated body drawing in on itself he stepped forward and through the bars. He slipped through easily, Sirius looked behind him, then snorted, shaking his fur. He loped towards the end of the hallway gaining speed as he ran towards a window, gathering what little strength he had left he aimed and leapt through the bars again. Landing outside with e heavy 'thump', Sirius rested for a moment. A rustle of cloth and he jerked up, at least twenty dementors were patrolling the beach. One quite near him paused and turned towards him, floating closer Sirius froze. The dementor seemed to be confused, turning one way then the other. The dog let out a breath as the floating spectre lost interest and continued down the beach. Sirius knew he had little time before they discovered him missing, so he forced himself up and ran forward again, launching himself into the sea.

Crashing into the water Sirius started to paddle, it would be a long swim, but he would rather die trying than turn back around to that...place. He didn't plan on dying though, his eyes glowed with rage and a small snarl made it way over the waves, no he had far too much fun planned with a couple of old friends.