Chapter 10: Chasing Trains

Sirius had been traveling north for the last couple of weeks, stopping only for food and water. He slept in alleyways and inside old, abandoned buildings, feeling a sense of relief for the rest. It didn't matter if he slept on cold and hard stone; it was a warm and feather-soft bed compared to the years of cold nightmares that he had grown accustomed to. His more sensible state of mind told him he should travel by night and rest by day, but for now, his exhausted body begged for recovery.

For weeks Sirius continued north, growing stronger each day in the fresh air and sunshine. Once or twice a Muggle would take pity on the starved, shaggy mongrel and give him a few bits of food to eat, but most of the time he was either not seen or was simply avoided by Muggles.

After traveling through farmlands, cities, and small suburban neighborhoods, Sirius Black finally found his way to Kings Cross Station early morning on September 1. He looked up at the familiar sign of the train station and a boatload of memories came flooding back to him. This was it. The place where he first met James.

He sat all alone in the train compartment, ecstatic that he was finally leaving home and getting away from his so-called family.

*Flashback*

He had been sitting in an empty compartment and was looking out the window, feelings of joy and fear flooding through his body as he watched as they all left the station and he heard the door open. He turned to see a scrawny boy around his age, coming in. "Is there anyone else sitting here?" he asked.

Sirius shook his head and the boy came in. "Name's James. James Potter," he said cheerfully and held out his hand. Sirius couldn't help but grin too as he reached over and shook it. "Sirius," he told him. "Just call me Sirius."

At that moment a pretty girl with long red hair came in, tears beginning to form in her eyes; not that either boy noticed at first. They were so busy talking that they barely paid her any attention, at least until a boy with oily hair came in looking for her. He walked over and sat across from her before she gave him one look and then looked back out the window.

Sirius was having so much fun with James that they didn't even listen in on their conversation until he heard the other boy say with excitement, "But we're going! This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

They both looked at them just as the boy said, "You'd better be in Slytherin."

"Slytherin?" James called out with a hint of laughter as if he couldn't imagine anyone wanting such a ridiculous request. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

The smile had been wiped of Sirius's face and he said with his head down, "My whole family have been in Slytherin." He could only imagine what they would say if he was in another House.

"Blimey," said James looking at him in surprise, "and I thought you seemed all right!"

Sirius grinned, immediately liking this kid.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition," that was his biggest ambition after all. Who wants to follow what the rest of your family has to say? "Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

James lifted his arm up as if holding a sword and called out dramatically, "'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad."

The other boy let out a snort and James quickly rounded on him, "Got a problem with that?"

"No," said the boy with a sneer, "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy – "

Sirius immediately hated this guy and barked, "Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?"

James roared with laughter as the girl stood up, looking red and looked at them with strong dislike before saying to the boy, "Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Oooooo…" They both imitated as James tried to trip Severus on the way out.

"See ya, Snivellus!" he yelled as the door shut. The girl gave them both a disgusted look before she and Snivellus both left. James laughed as he turned to face him. "You know?" he asked him. "I think this could be the start of a beautiful partnership."

*End of Flashback*

Sirius smiled in his dog form at the old memories. James had been right of course, it was the start of a beautiful and wonderful friendship. If only those days didn't have to end.

He came out from the alley, looking around cautiously, and the crept across the street and into the station. It was so packed with people that he was having a hard time getting through to the platforms between nine and ten.

But thankfully, he was able to move so gracefully as Padfoot that he was able to eventfully find his way. He got many strange looks, but no one paid him any mind, most likely thinking that he was just a stray, or someone's pet coming to the station.

Let them think whatever they want. Sirius reached the barrier wall, and looked around one last time to make sure that no one was looking before he went charging through. And suddenly he was on Platform Nine and ¾ as if he had done it a million types before. The scarlet engine was sitting there, looking exactly like the last time he saw it over a decade ago.

Sirius felt tears forming in his eyes, longing to jump on board, meet up with his friends, and to head back to the school. But he felt the need to smash his head against the wall to come back to the present.

He had to get on the train. All he had to do was hide in the back in the luggage compartment, and then he would arrive at Hogwarts in no…

Oh, no… someone was coming behind him…

He looked around him and spotted a pillar in the corner of the station—the perfect place to hide in. He quickly dove behind it and cautiously looked out to see who it was. He felt his jaw drop. There was no way—it just couldn't be.

A man had just come through the barrier behind him, and if he had been looking up, he would've seen the giant dog standing there. But he was trying to fasten the lock on his briefcase which gave Sirius just enough time to hide. But as he looked, he knew that it was the same man he had seen weeks ago when he broke out of prison.

Remus Lupin… Moony…

Half joy, half grief was flooding his whole body. He wanted to transform and talk to him, let him know what happened to him all those years ago. To tell him that it was Peter who betrayed them all. But he was smart enough to stay where he was. As soon as Remus saw him, he would be dead. He might not have looked it, but out of all of them, Remus was one of the Marauders best duelists… second only to James of course.

And Sirius didn't even have a wand on him… oh, he didn't stand a chance, even with Remus in his weakened state. He gritted his teeth and watched painfully as his last old friend walked to the train, carrying his battered case with peeling letters. Sirius risked a better look by sticking his head out from behind the pillar… Professor R. J. Lupin.

Professor? Remus was a teacher? When did that happen? Oh, those lucky kids! Remus was the perfect example of a good teacher, patient, kind, and loved kids… in fact, he was the one helping Peter and other students get through their exams.

He wished that he let Wormtail fail.

But that didn't answer the question to why he was here and… oh, right. He was supposed to be a mad killer… he forgot about that. Remus must've been asked to travel with the students to watch out for him. Damn, looks like there was no chance of him sneaking on board now. Didn't matter… he would just follow the tracks after everyone else had left. Sure that would take ages longer, but it was the only opinion he had left. The only people who knew that he was an Animagus were going to be on that train.

Just his luck.

He watched Remus's every move like a hawk as he slowly climbed on board the train. He looked so pale and weak… right, there was a full moon the day before yesterday. He staggered slightly on his own footing and leaned against the train door to take several breaths as though every move was painful for him.

Sirius backed further into his shadowy corner, and waited. He better get comfy… he knew that he would be there for a few hours as Ministry workers were sure to come. But there was no chance he could leave now—not after coming this far.

And so he waited…

Hours later, people started streaming onto the platform as he hid in the shadows, watching all the happy families coming with their children, and Sirius felt a pang of his heart. Wizards and Muggles mingled together while hundreds of students—of all ages—were smiling and looking excited, even the little first-years who were scared stiff. He watched them all, feeling jealous of all these families; and dreaming of that glorious castle.

And then saw a flash of black hair out of the corner of his eyes.

He turned his head, and he felt his jaw drop in astonishment once again. Just coming through the barrier was a boy with black hair and green eyes.

He looked up immediately, his heart actually skipping a beat. James?

No, it couldn't be James. How many times did he have to tell himself that?

But he wasn't as depressed as he usually was when he thought of his dead best friend. There was only one person it could be… Harry.

He felt as though something had squeezed his heart tightly. This was the first time he'd seen him since that night back in Surrey. He couldn't really make his face out so well in the darkness back then, but here in this bright morning light it was easy.

A teenage boy that looked just like James… but his eyes were identical to his mothers. He was once again faced with the temptation of running out to greet him. But he had to force himself to stay back—Remus was around—along with half the Ministry that were sure to be on the look-out for him.

But he still had to dig his claws into the floor so hard that he made deep gashing into the cement. Sirius longed to reach out to him, to hold him in a loving embrace. Instead, he had to settle for the closest thing he could to doing that and watch him.

He never once took his eyes off Harry; following his movements even more so than he did with Remus—as if afraid that if he blinked, the boy would disappear. Harry stopped not too far away from him, oh, this was torture! He was only ten feet away at least! So close that he could reach out and touch him as he stood next to the man with red hair… wait, red hair?

Walking right beside his godson was the man that he had seen in the Daily Prophet… Arthur Weasley! It had to be him! The same receding hair, lopsided glasses, and kind face… he long since memorized that picture, it was him! Oh, this was bad!

The father of the boy who was keeping Peter as a pet was with Harry? Oh, this couldn't be good. He watched with baited breath, hoping that he was wrong…

But then more red-headed Weasleys came through behind them. Most of the family that was in that photograph: the tall boy with a Head Boy badge pinned to his chest and wearing a pompous looking expression, twin boys that looked so identical that it was like you were seeing double, a plump woman with a motherly face—who could only be Mrs. Weasley, a pretty young girl who was talking to her mother as she passed out sandwiches, and… NO!

At last, the tall boy with freckles who had Peter on his shoulder while they were in Egypt—closely followed by a girl with brown bushy hair had just come through the wall and were talking to Harry. He watched their laughing faces and he knew that they just had to be friends.

'Oh, this is just perfect,' he thought sarcastically. So not only was Peter hiding out and living a comfortable life as a pet rat, but his owner was one of Harry's friends? Anger was boiling inside him… a longing to attack that rat was so strong that he had to sink his fangs into his leg to stop himself from charging out.

No, he couldn't attack! Not now! No matter how close Peter was, if he attacked now then he would be caught and sent back to Azkaban for sure and Peter would get away again! Besides, he couldn't even see the little rat… what could he do? Now that he knew this, it just increased the desperation of the problem. Harry was in even more danger than he first thought. The poor kid… the one responsible for his parent's deaths was probably sharing a dorm room with him for years!

Fury that he never felt before to such a degree was eating him inside out. He focused instead on Harry's face, trying to calm down.

It was then he saw that the boy's thin face didn't look exactly like James had been. James had been bright, and fully of laughter and jokes. The air of someone who had come from a happy and even pampered home life.

But Harry's face was much sadder, much quieter… almost as if he had spent years living in misery and was only now starting to recover.

Concerned, Sirius took a step forward, and wondered what was going on when Arthur Weasley pulled his little boy aside. He watched as the older man talked every quietly to him, looking very pale and anxious. Sirius wished he could hear what they were talking about, but with all these voices mingling together, it would be impossible to do so even with his canine hearing. But now sooner had he thought that, a voice called out above all the others and it had come from Mrs. Weasley. "Arthur! Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!"

"He's coming, Molly!" he called back, but he was now talking quickly and urgently to Harry who was looking more confused by the second. The train started to move…

"Arthur, quickly!" Steam was billowing from the train and it had started to move. Harry ran to the compartment door and Peter's owner threw it open and stood back to let him on.

Harry, the girl, and all the other Weasley children hung out of the train and waved goodbye to them and he watched as his godson disappeared from his sight.

He lay down and tried to block out the pain that was filling his heart as if Dementors were nearby. It should've been James and Lily to be here and watched Harry leave. It should've been the boy's parents and possibly even a few brothers and sisters there to watch him go.

But he had to be an idiot and do something so stupid as to suggest Peter… he would never forgive himself for that.

He watched until the train was long out of his sights and the families all started to leave. He stayed where he was hidden until every single parent, friend, and child had turned and left through the barrier.

He waited a few extra minutes to make sure that he was completely alone before he finally crawled out and into the open again. He walked to the side of the train tracks and looked in the direction of where the train left. Looks like he's going to have to walk the rest of the way.

With a sigh, he jumped down onto the tracks and began to walk along them knowing that this was going to be one long journey. But it comforted him to know that Harry would be safe, at least for the moment. He would be at Hogwarts in just a few hours and surrounded by magical walls and teachers who would protect him.

Of course, there was no way that they could protect him from the rat inside the walls. How can you expect someone to protect your only reason for living now from someone who is supposed to be dead? He walked just a little bit faster, hoping that he was just being paranoid and focused on the real problem now. He had to get to Hogwarts—one way or another. It wasn't until about ten minutes later did he realized that all dogs may chase cars… but only one would be crazy enough to chase trains?

With a bark of laughter he began to run, feeling more alive than he had been in years. Next stop… Hogwarts…

(Yeah! I'm finally done with this chapter. I know I've been neglecting this story, I'm sorry, but I've had a bad case of writer's block all week. Next chapter, Sirius finally makes it to Hogwarts! Hope you enjoyed it and the rest are soon to come. Thank you.)