Chapter fourteen
Disclaimer: JKR owns the messy haired awkward angsty Harry Potter that made her millions. I own the tall dreadlocked badass Harry Potter that sadly makes me fuck all.
\\/
As they entered Azkaban Prison, Harry gripped his wand tightly. It was like entering the depths of hell. A long tunnel lay ahead of them, made of the same mismatched bricks as the outer walls. A faint unpleasant dripping noise came from somewhere unseen, and the smell was overpowering enough that - had he not already seen the graveyard -Harry might have wondered if they left dead prisoners to rot in their cells.
The interior was dark; their only source of light was the shining silver pitbull that trotted ahead, pausing occasionally to sniff the floor. It seemed particularly life-like for a patronus - an impression further reinforced when it cocked a leg briefly, urinating a silver stream of vapour onto the floor into a puddle that dissipated like mist.
"Is that normal for a patronus?" Harry whispered.
Ahead of him, the old guard seemed to overhear Harry's quiet comment. "Oh yes" he said, turning around with a nasty smile. "When you cast patronuses every day, they do tend to take on a...a life of their own, shall we say."
The guard's mood had become positively buoyant as they walked further into the fortress, and the light faded behind them. Harry wondered if all the time alone on the island had twisted the man until joy and horror were reversed for him. There was a spring in his step and a cheerfulness to his countenance that was quite at odds to their grim surroundings. Harry also kept catching sight of Lucius Malfoy walking beside him, and had to remind himself it was only Mad-Eye. He shuddered at the thought of the alternative. Being alone in Azkaban with Lucius Malfoy was now going to be among his worst nightmares. The only point in their favour was that there were no dementors in sight - the patronus seemed to be keeping them well away.
"He's just a bit further," the guard shouted cheerfully. Now the walls were lined with cells - thick iron doors with rusty barred windows. They could hear muttering from them, and an occasional wail.
"WHO ARE YOU?" A man howled from the cell closest to Harry. Harry jumped violently, springing quickly away from the cell. "HELP - HELP ME!" The voice continued, and filthy hands appeared through the bars and rattled them.
"Mind yourself minister," their guide giggled, cracking the dirty fingers sharply against the bars with a thick cane he had been carrying. There was a yelp, and the prisoner withdrew, wailing. Harry had never imagined such a place could exist in his wildest nightmares.
"Masteeeeer!" A woman's voice shrieked from the darkness. "I knew you would come! I am waiting master! I, your most faithful-"
"Shut yer trap Lestrange," the guard shouted.
"Is that my sister-in-law?" Mad-Eye asked casually, perfectly mirroring Lucius Malfoy's disdainful voice.
"Aye that's our Bella. Fancy a visit?"
"I don't visit with criminals," Mad-Eye sniffed. "Just get us Black, and don't let us tarry with the filth any longer than necessary."
"He's just up here, in our secure unit."
Secure apparently meant freezing cold and pitch black. Considering their were no windows, Harry had to wonder if they kept the prisoners in the dark at all times. He noticed unlit torches mounted along the walls, and presumed they remained unlit to save on galleons. At the end of a long narrow corridor, there was a black door, with the most complex locking system Harry had ever seen. The bars over the window were rusty, and crusted with what looked like blood.
"Sirius Black," the guard said nastily, unlocking the door. "He's all yours Malfoy."
The door slowly creaked open, and they raised their wands in unison and directed them at the doorway. Slowly they peered in. There was a narrow cot at the other end of the tiny cell, padded with filthy straw. Harry had been wrong - there were windows, but they were tiny slits that couldn't be seen from the outside.
Sitting on the bed of straw dressed in rags, was Sirius Black. A thin strip of moonlight fell across the man's face. A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin.
"Get up," the guard commanded roughly, striding into the cell and shaking the man. The prisoner stretched, and stood up slowly, his face taking on a slightly maniacal smile as he took in the three of them. He was manacled at his wrists and feet; rusty chains that led to a socket in the wall.
"Come to finish me off Malfoy?" Sirius Black croaked. His voice was raw and unused, but unmistakably defiant.
"I wish," Mad-Eye sneered. "You're coming with me Black. Iure Sanguinis Funderet - sound familiar?"
Black paled visibly. "Narcissa didn't-"
"Of course she didn't!" Mad-Eye hissed. "Narcissa wants you dead! No it was that other cousin of yours - the soft-hearted one."
"Oh, you mean Bellatrix?" Black rasped, and Harry marvelled at a man that still had the spirit to crack jokes after ten years of this place.
"Shut up," Mad-Eye glared. "Guard - we'd like to go quickly."
"Ah yes," the guard smiled unpleasantly. The pitbull patronus had come to rest on its hindquarters by his feet. Periodically, it wagged its tail.
"I thought we might hit this little snag,"
"Snag?" Harry said warily.
"Yes. Black is bound by several enchantment's to prevent him from leaving his cell. To remove them, I'll have to let the patronus drop. Just cast us another one, would you minister? Just like you usually do when we release a prisoner. Otherwise we'll be swarming in dementors."
Harry froze. The guard's face was smug. It was suddenly clear that he realised - or at least suspected - that they were not who they claimed to be. From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Mad-Eye shift subtly to a defensive stance. Sirius Black looked intrigued by the sudden tension. But before Harry could speak or even draw his wand, the guards face suddenly stiffened and went blank. Then he crumpled to his knees, and toppled softly onto the cold stone floor - a pool of dark robes against a dark floor. The pitbull stuttered briefly and vanished, leaving only silver vapour.
"Expecto Patronum," Mad-Eye said hastily, and a large silver boar burst from the end of his wand, lighting up the room once more.
"Phew," Tonks said, pulling Harry's invisibility cloak off her shoulders with a twirl. "It was getting a bit hot under there. Hey, Mad-Eye, can I cast a patronus too? I don't fancy a trip down misery lane tonight. Between that clown on the floor, and crazy Aunt Bella, I don't really feel up to it."
Sirius looked thunderstruck, staring at Tonks as though he thought he was hallucinating. "Nymphadora?" He said uncertainly, staring at the violet-haired young auror. All his arrogant bluster had disappeared. His eyes flickered warily to the figure of Lucius Malfoy beside her.
"It's Tonks. But nice to see you again cousin."
"What's going on?"
"We're getting you out," Harry explained, leaning down to inspect the guard. "What was it Tonks? A stunner?"
"Yep."
"Nice work. Got the potion Mad-Eye?"
Mad-Eye pulled out the last flask of polyjuice, and passed it to Harry. Sirius looked bewildered. "Mad-Eye?" He said faintly, looking at the blond, aristocratic face of Lucius Malfoy.
"That's right," Moody growled.
"Then who's that?" Sirius said weakly, gesturing at Harry.
Harry straightened up. He had unfastened and removed the unfortunate guard's outer robe. Passing the robe to Tonks, he smiled at Sirius. "Harry Potter," he said casually. "Good to meet you at last, godfather."
\\/
The trip back was one of the most bizarre Harry had ever experienced. They handed Sirius the invisibility cloak, but advised him not to put it on until they were nearly at the exit. They locked the unconscious guard in the cell behind them. Harry was relieved that the guard had been so unpleasant - otherwise they might have felt considerably guiltier about leaving him behind for an indeterminate amount of time.
Tonks strained, until her features matched those of the guard, and she grew taller and broader. Then she pulled on the robe and cloak of an Azkaban Prison guard. Looking very much the part, they headed for the exit - Mad-Eye's silver boar leading the way. Every doorway they passed through shone brightly with magic as Sirius walked through.
"It's only because of Tonks that we can leave," Mad-Eye explained. "When Andromeda bound Sirius with Iure Sanguinis Funderet, she unwittingly allowed any member of his family to magically break through the enchantments binding him to this place."
"Lucky you knew a member of his family then," Harry commented.
Sirius said nothing. He was panting with exertion at the fast walk, and seemed overwhelmed.
As they reached the forked corridor where two different paths converged, the shrieking started again. MAAASTERERR!" Bellatrix Lestrange howled from somewhere in the prison.
"Bellatrix," Sirius said softly, coming to a halt. Harry tugged on the man's arm, but he was standing stock still and refused to move. Then he turned and began walking determinedly towards the source of the noise.
"No!" Harry said, looking helplessly at Mad-Eye and Tonks.
"Black, get back here," growled Mad-Eye.
"Come on Sirius, we haven't got long!" Tonks chimed in.
"I'll kill her," Sirius hissed, staring down the empty corridor into the blackness. "I might never get another chance to kill her."
"You can't! You don't even have a wand."
"I'll use my bare hands if I have to," Sirius growled.
"That's enough!" Mad-Eye said abruptly, striding over to Sirius. Grabbing the younger man by the arm, he marched him towards the exit. "We've only got fifteen minutes until the polyjuice wears off - we're out of here."
Sirius capitulated regretfully, and they continued. They could see the doorway just up ahead, and through the doorway, the midnight sky scattered with stars. They had almost made it out. However, something else was happening. As they drew closer to the exit, the darkness seemed to grow until it reached a suffocation pitch. Then a chill stole up Harry's neck. It started slowly, but increased. The silver boar up ahead flickered, then reappeared. But its outline was more indistinct.
Harry felt the unnatural cold begin to steal over the corridor. Light was sucked from the environment right up to the stars, which vanished. The cold was biting deeper and deeper into Harry's flesh...Then, around the corner, gliding noiselessly, came Dementors, ten or more of them, visible because they were of a denser darkness than their surroundings, with their black cloaks and their scabbed and rotting hands. Could they sense fear in the vicinity? Harry was sure of it: They seemed to be coming more quickly now, taking those dragging, rattling breaths he detested, tasting despair on the air, closing in —
"Expecto Patronum!" Tonks cried, and a rabbit burst from the end of her wand, gliding through the air and scattering the dementors. Sirius had fallen to his knees.
"No," he moaned, clutching his hair wildly. "No!"
"COME ON!" Mad-Eye roared, yanking Sirius to his feet and propelling him down the corridor towards the door. The dementors parted before the patronuses, but gathered again the moment they were past. Suddenly Harry saw a white face appear in the tunnel entrance. It was the first guard, the younger one. He looked panicked as they sprinted down the corridor towards him.
They burst out into the starry night, the boar and the rabbit moving in a circle around them, keeping the dementors at bay.
"What happened," the younger guard gasped, as the dementors began pouring out of the prison. Ten, twenty, a hundred of them. " Ex-expecto Patronum!"
Only vapour appeared from the young man's wand. "Marius!" He cried, looking at Tonks, still disguised as the older guard. "Marius what happened?" Then his eyes registered the rabbit patronus. "Who are you?" He wailed. A dementor paused in its path, and turned hopefully towards the guard. It glided towards him eagerly. Harry felt sick with horror, and helpless. Suddenly insisting on coming on this mission seemed downright foolhardy.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Another voice bellowed. A shining silver wolf was amongst them. A shining wolf that charged the dementors, chasing away the one that had been attacking the guard. The boar, the wolf and the rabbit between them could withstand the dementors. They stood, creating a shining silver oasis, surrounded on all sides by what seemed to be nearly a thousand dementors. The wraiths hovered in the air, by the edges of the silver light, waiting eagerly. Their scabbed hands stretched out hopefully every time there was a dip in the silver light.
Remus, Mad-Eye and Tonks stood in a triangle around the perimeter of the courtyard, their wands out as they directed their patronuses Harry and Sirius crouched over the guard, who had fallen to the ground in a dead faint. "What do we do?!" Harry shouted, over the crashing of the waves. It had begun to rain, and the freezing water drilled into them from above. Still, the dementors hovered. Waiting.
"Get to the Thestrals!" Remus shouted into the wind.
"What about the guard?"
"Leave him! Save yourselves!"
"He'll die!" Harry screamed.
"POTTER IF WE DON'T GET OUT OF HERE WE'LL ALL DIE," Mad-Eye shouted furiously. "NOW GET THE DAMN HORSES."
With one last tortured look at the guard, Harry pulled himself to his feet. "Stay here!" He directed at Sirius, who nodded. Sirius was staring at Remus with wide eyes, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Harry broke through the protective circle, and in seconds felt the dehabilitating cold seep into him. He could see the four Thestrals on the edge of the rocky outcrop. They were being soaked by the waves, but seemed quite unconcerned as they nosed the ground. Harry wound his fingers into the mane of the nearest one, and began tugging it towards the triangle. "Come on," he hissed. The Thestrals seemed to understand him, and began moving towards the others. Slowly, too slowly. Harry felt scabbed hands reaching for him, caressing him, and rotting breath.
Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very 's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder...And then, from far away, he heard screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. He wanted to help whoever it was, he tried to move his arms, but couldn't... a thick white fog was swirling around him, inside him -
"Come on, get on! Wake UP!" Someone shouted, shaking Harry. Harry looked up into the eyes of Mad-Eye Moody. The cold had receded, and they were bathed in a silver glow. Somehow, the patronuses seemed to have driven the dementors back inside the prison. The three patronuses stood guard over the doorway to Azkaban where the young guard was shakily locking the great iron doors securely.
"Get up Potter!" Mad-Eye growled, the gruff voice not disguising his concern.
Looking around, Harry saw Tonks on a Thestral already, and Sirius and Remus riding double on another. Remus seemed to be holding Sirius upright. Harry pulled himself to his feet wearily, feeling the cold in his bones. How he managed to get on his Thestral he would never know, but he somehow scrambled onto its back, and settled himself between the wing joints. Mad-Eye pushed Harry's invisibility cloak into his hands.
"All set!" Mad-Eye roared. "Tonks - you take Potter back to Hogwarts. I've got to get Black out of the country before they start looking for him."
"Got it!" Tonks called. "See you in the next life!"
"Hogwarts castle!"
Harry's Thestral rose into the air. With a beating of wings and a rush of freezing air, they were off - leaving the grim fortress and the dementors behind.
Harry fell asleep on the journey back. Chilled to the bone and exhausted by the events of the night, he nodded off on the back of the Thestral. The next thing he knew, then were touching down lightly at the foot of the Hogwarts gates. Tonks dismounted gracelessly beside Harry and helped him off as he stumbled. The light was just beginning to peer over the edge of the horizon - they had made it back just in time.
"You alright from here Potter?" Tonks asked, looking concerned.
"I'll be fine," Harry nodded. He felt shaky, but nothing sleep and breakfast wouldn't fix. "Don't worry about me. You get back."
"Alright. Look after yourself. I'm sure I'll see you again soon."
"Most likely. Are you going to meet Mad-Eye and Sirius?"
"No. They're going to be out of the country for a while until Black recovers. Someone has to stay in the auror office and hear what's going on."
"Good luck."
"Later Potter." With that, Tonks turned on the spot and disapparated with a crack. The Thestrals had already disappeared silently into the trees. With a sigh, Harry pushed open the gates and re-entered the school. He had just under an hour to make it back into Slytherin and relieve Neville.
\\/
"Harry, we need a word," one of the Weasley twins hissed in his ear. It was the morning after the escape, and the news of Sirius Black's escape from a high security cell in Azkaban Prison hadn't broken to the public yet. Neville had returned to Gryffindor tower slightly the worse for wear after a nervous night, and Harry had been keeping an eye out for the Weasleys ever since. He couldn't see anyone unusual in the dormitory - and certainly no Peter Pettigrew. He needed to find out where the mysterious man was.
"Meet me in room ten at lunchtime," Harry murmured back. He was so tired he could barely keep his head up. Pepperup potion had helped, but he still felt as though he was walking through a haze of exhaustion after the events of the previous night. Over breakfast he had told Ron and the others what had happened in whispers, and they had stared at him in amazement. Neville looked sick when Harry had mentioned seeing Bellatrix, and Harry immediately felt contrite for mentioning it.
"Sirius wanted to kill her right then and there," Harry commented. "And we would have done, if it hadn't been for the dementors. We had to get out fast though."
"I'm glad you didn't," Neville said his eyes burning with a fierce intensity. "One day I'm going to kill her myself." He said it so coldly and matter of factly that they all paused to stare at him.
"That will be a day to celebrate, my friend," Harry said after a moment, clapping him on the shoulder.
"I will," Neville insisted a little wildly.
"We believe you Neville," Hermione said, looking slightly frightened.
\\/
Harry met the Weasley twins at lunchtime as promised. They were waiting for him in the classroom already, the map spread out on a desk in front of them. They peered anxiously at him as he arrived, and double-checked something on the map.
"We should be fine. Filch is miles away," one of them said.
"We're allowed to be here," Harry said, amused.
"We're not allowed to be anywhere according to Filch."
"Can't imagine why."
"Us neither. Now let's not get sidetracked."
"Peter Pettigrew?"
"Not in the dormitory any longer."
"Where is he?" Harry asked anxiously.
"He went with the other Slytherin first years. He's sitting having lunch with them now, look here."
Harry leaned over the map. The great hall was clearly visible, and packed with little moving dots with names above them. The dot labelled Peter Pettigrew was easy to find - right between Ron and Daphne Greengrass. Overnight Harry had half wondered if he had imagined it. The flight had happened so fast he hadn't been able to mention it to anyone, not even Mad-Eye - and Sirius had been in no fit shape to discuss conspiracy theories. Harry wondered if Peter Pettigrew had an invisibility cloak too. But then that wouldn't explain why nobody had noticed a solid invisible human sitting next to them.
"He wasn't actually there," Harry said, frustrated.
"We could try and catch him for you?" One of the twins suggested hopefully. Harry thought it was George.
"Yes," Fred said, picking up where his brother left off. "Actually Harrikins, we had a proposition for you."
"Oh really?"
"Yes. You see-"
"After last night, we couldn't help but think-"
"How useful it must be to have an invisibility cloak."
"Such mischief to be wrought."
"So many pranks."
"The possibilities become endless."
"Go on," Harry said slowly.
"So we wondered-"
"If perhaps-"
"We could come to a deal," Fred finished, flourishing his hand at the map.
"We want to pool our resources."
"Pool our resources?" Harry said slowly, looking warily at the two trouble-makers, who both looked positively gleeful.
"Yes Harrikins. You can use the map whenever you need it, if we can borrow the cloak sometimes."
Harry considered it. "Oh dear Merlin," he groaned, dropping his head in his hands. The prospect of the Weasley twins in possession of an invisibility cloak was terrifying. Just the thought of the mayhem they could wreak was sobering. One thing was sure - there would never be a dull moment at Hogwarts again.
"Alright," Harry said at last. "But no using it for anything inappropriate. Harmless pranks only."
"You wound us Harry!" Fred exclaimed, clutching his hand to his breast. "Would we ever?"
"Undoubtably," Harry sighed. "Now I want to catch up on some sleep. Can you tell me if there's anyone in my dormitory at the moment?"
"Draco Malfoy"
"Great," Harry sighed. "Probably gift-wrapping the expensive men's products for daddy's birthday next week."
It was only a throwaway comment, but Harry almost saw the wheels start turning in Fred and George's heads. Their eyes took on a gleam, and it was scary to watch the wickedness take root. "Harry," George said, ever so casually. "You know our deal?"
"Yes..."
"Well...I don't suppose we could borrow the cloak this lunchtime? It's just...this might be the only opportunity we have to prank Lucius Malfoy ever."
"What opportunity?"
"The men's products," Fred said blissfully. "So many things we could put in there..."
Harry sighed deeply. He was going to refuse - say it was too risky. Then an image of Lucius Malfoy's smirking face at the trial as he attempted to have Sirius released into his custody swam lazily to the top of Harry's mind. "Alright." He said suddenly, surprising himself. "Do it."
\\/
It took a week for the news of Sirius's escape to break the news. It seemed that the Azkaban guards were only required to check in once a week, and their absence had finally been noted. The news story was designed to create panic:
SIRIUS BLACK ESCAPES FROM AZKABAN
Mass-murderer Sirius Black reported missing from Azkaban Prison - dead prison guard found locked in his cell.
Was it dark magic taught to him by his old master that helped Sirius Black escape the top security wizarding Prison on earth? And how do the ministry intend to recapture this dangerous prisoner? Those are the questions on everyone's lips as your reporter waits for more information outside the ministry this morning. Black was only days away from being freed when he made his escape, and the Wizarding community is flummoxed as to how he managed it. Rumours of Lord Lucius Malfoy and the Minister for Magic himself being involved have been heavily denied by the Wizengamot. However, another guard on duty at Azkaban that night said he clearly saw the two prestigious members of our community escaping with the prisoner in tow.
We were unable to reach either of the men for comment this morning. Albus Dumbledore stopped for a few word with us as he headed into the ministry this morning.
"It is a sad day in our society, when a man who has never been proven guilty, feels that escape and possible death is a preferred option than release into the hands of his family," Dumbledore told us. "Perhaps this lesson can be a stepping stone to changing our justice system for the better."
Public are warned that Black is extremely dangerous, and should not be approached for any reason. Should Black be sighted, immediately contact the Ministry of Magic.
Harry, however, had more reason to panic. The morning that the news story broke, Peter Pettigrew disappeared off the Marauders Map.
"Fuck!" He swore, after scanning the map thoroughly with Ron for several minutes. "He's not there!"
"Language Harry," Hermione chastised. They were bent over their books in the library, ostensibly studying for their exams. Harry was doing his best,but struggled when he had so many other things on his mind. He had written to Mad-Eye immediately with word of Peter Pettigrew's sudden appearance, but had been unable to contact the man. Mad-Eye had mentioned that he was talking Sirius abroad to recover out of sight of the ministry. It was likely that he had also made them unplottable so the ministry owls couldn't find them. Harry hadn't thought about how he would be unable to contact the old auror in an emergency. He wrote to Kingsley also, but the younger man was wary of doing anything rash without checking in with Mad-Eye first.
"What are we going to do," Harry groaned. "Pettigrew could have been our one chance to prove Sirius's innocence."
"He must have seen the story," Neville piped up. He was buried under a large pile of books that Hermione had piled around him, desperately trying to cram some last minute information into his head.
"I guess all we can do is watch out in case he comes back," Harry sighed.
\\/
The following morning, Harry rose at his usual time to go for a jog around the castle. Ron had asked if he could join Harry in a fit of pre-summer quidditch fitness, and the two boys set off at an easy pace. It was a bright spring morning, and incongruous flowers had begun to bloom around the edges of the forbidden forest. As they came into view of Hagrids hut, they noticed a plume of smoke rising into the air.
"Shall we go and say hello to Hagrid?" Harry suggested on the spur of the moment.
When they knocked on the door there was a great scuffling inside, and a crash as something was knocked to the ground. "Hagrid?" Harry called awkwardly. "It's just us. Sorry if we disturbed you, we thought you might be awake."
"Oh its you two," Hagrid said gruffly, opening the door a crack and peering through. "Anyone else with yeh?"
"Just us,"
"Alrigh' alrigh' come in. Be quick mind."
It was was stifling hot inside, and all the curtains were still drawn. Hagrid made them tea and offered them rock cakes, which they refused, claiming they could eat at breakfast. They fell into a companionable silence as they sipped the hot tea. Harry and Ron were sweating after their run though, and the room was becoming unbearably hot. "Any chance we could open a window in here Hagrid?" Harry asked. "It's boiling."
"Ah, no can do Harry," Hagrid said nervously. Harry noticed him glance at the fire. Harry looked at it, too.
"Hagrid — what's that?" But he already knew what it was. In the very heart of the fire, underneath the kettle, was a huge, black egg.
"Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard, "That's — er…"
"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."
"Won it," said Hagrid. "Few nights ago. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."
"Hagrid where on earth are you going to put it?" Harry asked, alarmed. "You're not keeping it in here, surely?"
"Ah well, there's always the forest. An' when he gets too big, there's a little cave up on the nearby mountain over there. I thought the wee one could spend a bit of time there when he's big enough."
"That's actually...not a terrible idea," Ron said thoughtfully. "Dragons like caves."
"An' there's lotsa rats an' other animals for him," Hagrid said eagerly, warming to the subject.
'What else do dragons need?" Harry said curiously.
"Ah well," Hagrid said knowledgeably. "Lotsa fire in the early days, and small rodents and things to eat. Easy to get. When they get a bit bigger, they're fairly self sufficient."
"Is this cave far enough away from the castle?" Harry asked warily.
"Oh its a way past Hogsmeade. Ridgebacks don't hunt humans anyway, when he gets bigger he'll move into the forests looking for bigger prey."
"A dragon. Unbelievable," Harry said with a sigh. "What's with this place? Cerberus one day, dragon the next..."
"How do you know about Fluffy?" Hagrid said.
"...Fluffy?"
Hagrid looked suddenly nervous as though he had said something he shouldn't have. "Ah its jus' you mentioned a Cerberus, tha's all."
"You mean the one guarding the philosopher's stone on the third floor? Harry interrupted. Hagrid stared.
"How do you know about the philosophers stone?" He said, looking gobsmacked. "Students aren't supposed to know 'about it!"
"My family know Nicholas Flamel" Harry said, not offering any other explanation. It seemed to mollify Hagrid though, who looked thoughtful.
"Good man Nicholas. Met him once when he came to see Dumbledore. Had a great chat about unicorn blood and using it in alchemy."
"Isn't it a crime to collect unicorn blood?" Harry asked warily.
"Aye. Greatest sin of all. Unless the unicorn gives it of its own free will, that is."
"Do unicorns often?"
"Never in living memory. In fact something's been killin' the school ones lately, it's got Dumbledore an' me real worried. I've been finding dead ones on the forest. Tis a monstour thing, to kill a unicorn."
"Someone's been killing unicorns?" Ron said, looking horrified.
"Someone. Or something."
\\/
Thanks for reading
Incidentally I had a reviewer who felt that dreadlocks didn't work on white guys unless they were "stoners, or insane." I've had dreadlocks for years, and I'm a straight-edge white girl. Opinions? I think we can all do what we like with our hair.
Oh and I also had a review calling my characters OOC. Well, of course. Events shape people, and my characters are experiencing things the original characters didn't experience. Therefore, they will be slightly different. The differences will become more pronounced as time goes on.
-Cas