A/N: Here's another chapter. Enjoy:))

Chapter 99: Gut feelings

We spotted a large black dog next to the door at Hog's head. My worries that he might be kept at the headquarters vanished that moment, and we walked up to him.

"Siri-Snuffles! We're so happy you're here." Harry turned to Hermione. "You didn't have to hit me so hard."

"It would've been worse if you screamed Sirius' name out in the open."

"That's true. And she didn't hit you that hard. I barely felt it. Now, shall we go inside? It's cold here."

No one in the pub said anything about us getting inside with a dog, but then again, after running through mud, he was still cleaner then any glass in there.

We ordered Butterbeers and found a table in a dark corner. I could barely make out the four human shapes, let alone see their faces. That was good; if we couldn't see each other, that meant no one could see us either. Sirius transformed back and hugged each of us.

"How are you all? How's school?"

"Awful, but at least we have the DA. It really helps people. And not just with homework and for OWLs, but for the stress and sadness caused by the toad. You would be surprised what an awful effect she has on the first years. I've never seen such frightened and empty eyes at little kids. But this, what we are doing, it's helping them. We can finally really help them."

"That's great. But doesn't she suspect anything?"

"Not that we've noticed. Only that she put her personal Inquisitorial Squad patrol along with the prefects. We're still safe from them though."

"Look, you guys know that I was the first to support you when you started this thing; but I'm starting to think it wasn't such a good idea. I mean, what if she catches you? She already has a problem with the two of you because she thinks you're lying, she's already biased against you. Who knows what she'll do if she finds out about it?"

"Well, she might wipe out the Blood Quills again, and-"

"BLOOD QUILLS?! She's used them you? They're banned by law. They've been banned for over a century."

"Calm down. First of all, we're fine. We got over that. And second of all, Mione, the DA was your idea. What happened with being 'prepared for exams and able to defend ourselves'?"

"I know what I said, and I still believe in that, but look how many first and second years joined. We expected older students to participate, they know the risks and are ready to face them. But what about the little ones ? They won't be able to suffer her sadistic punishments."

"Maybe, but what can we do? We all talked about the risks at the first meeting. They were there as well. We could protect the younger students. If she does catch us, she doesn't need to find out avour them as well."

"I hope you're right."

"Now, depressive discussion apart, how is everything else? Quidditch, friendships, love..." Sirius said, looking at Hermione intently.

"Really Sirius? We're good. How are you? Harry has been worried about you."

"I'm not that alone anymore. Remus started spending more time at Grimmauld Place, Tonks as well, Molly and Arthur are thinking about staying with me during the school year. Buckbeak doesn't scream as much as he did before, and my mother's portrait doesn't get triggered as easy as before. It's getting better."

"And what about you? I mean, after all those years..."

"I can sleep much better now. I'm not cold anymore. I'm starting to get rid of everything that Azkaban means."

"Now let's eat something."

"Typical Ron, only thinking about his stomach"

"We're glad it's all good Sirius."

And then it wasn't anymore. The next morning, all that everyone was talking about was the mass breakout from Azkaban. Some of the most dangerous followers of Voldemort "mysteriously" got out of the prison. A big whole suddenly appeared on the side of the prison, and some prisoners just disappeared from their cells. They were free now, and the blame fell, of course, on Sirius.

They said that he was the most loyal follower of his, that the Death Eaters followed his example to get out, all the usual stuff. It was infuriating, how they kept saying it was his fault any time something happened. After all that time spent in that awful place, he still wasn't free.

I turned around from the Gryffindor kid who told us all the news, determined to get out of the Great Hall and get away from this. But then I saw Neville, livid, with the paper in his shaking hands. He looked like he was about to throw up.

"Neville, are you ok?"

"Um, one, one of the escapees is the woman who, umm"

"Bellatrix Lestrange, Death Eater, murderer, pure blood fanatic, basically every bad thing you could say about a wizard. I know, and I know what you want to say, but you are safe at Hogwarts."

"But she- I have to face her."

"Look, just because she did what she did to your parents that doesn't mean you have to fight her. You can make them proud in other ways. And I am sure that she will pay for her sins. It's inevitable. It's ok, everything will fall into place eventually. Now, we have to get to class. "

"Right."

Over the next days, all sorts of rumours and gossip spread around the school about the breakout and there was a certain tension growing bigger and bigger. I couldn't quite place it, but it definitely was there. When I asked Luna, she said something along the lines that 'fate is inevitable sometimes, but everything goes well if we go along with it'. She probably knew something and it was likely that we were going to find out anyways, so I didn't press her to tell me more.

That didn't make the wait any more bearable.