Chapter 34: Rumors
Sirius rolled over and listened to the rain outside. It certainly wasn't what he pictured for summer weather, but then again he hadn't realized that the seasons were reversed this close to the Equator. There was a crack in the corner and Sirius peaked an eye open. Buckbeak was munching on a large rat.
"Happy to be free, I suppose," Sirius said lazily. He stretched and ran his hand through his newly cut and polished hair. He had to admit, the longer he was away from England and Azkaban, the better he felt. Still, Sirius wished things had turned out differently. If only he had thought to stun or petrify Wormtail than he, Harry, and Calamity might be vacationing here instead of him hiding out, waiting for Moony and Calamity to dodge the Ministry. Buckbeak gave another cracking sound as he munched. He looked at his watch and saw it was nearly lunch, so he stood and dressed.
"Sirius?"
Sirius looked up to see Calamity's friend Natalia, a Costa Rican doctor in her early twenties, looking at him timidly.
"Yes?"
"An owl came last night from Morocco. Dr. Erza-Mahoney says she's on her way back. She should be here later this afternoon, unless she gets held up."
"Held up?"
"She says that the Ministry was still watching them in Morocco. Will she be alright?"
Sirius smiled at the young woman's worry. "I'm sure she'll be fine. Calamity is a sneak."
"I'm off to the hospital, do you need anything," Natalia asked, her expression relieved from Sirius' encouragement.
"I'll be fine, thank you Dr. Mora."
Sirius spent the early afternoon relaxing next tot he window, reading some of Calamity's books. The rain began to clear, as it often did, and the smell of wet greenery floated into the room. He glanced over at Buckbeak. As if sensing his thoughts Buckbeak stood and shook himself.
"Getting antsy as well," Sirius asked with a smirk. He pushed the large windows open and brought Buckbeak to it. Beneath them was a long drop covered in green forest. Sirius climbed on Buckbeak and squeezed slightly. In a moment they were in the air, Buckbeak's wings flapping. He let out a call of excitement and Sirius patted his neck with a bark laugh. Wind whipped passed his face. Buckbeak dipped lower and Sirius could peer through the heavy tree leaves, glimpsing animals below as they lept from tree to tree or let out territorial calls their way.
"To be free is a beautiful thing," Sirius called to Buckbeak. Buckbeak snapped the air in response.
Moony was sitting in the kitchen reading the paper when Sirius returned a few hours later. They embraced as they had in the Shrieking Shack.
"Padfoot," Moony said with a smile. "You look better than last time I saw you."
"It's the food," Sirius said with a laugh.
"I think it's the hair cut," Moony joked. "You look less like a stray dog."
"I'll have you know that I'm adorable," Sirius said. He let Buckbeak's rope go and the Hippogriff returned to his corner laying down and resting his head.
"Tuckered him out, eh," Moony asked.
"Not everyone can handle my enthusiasm," Sirius replied. "Where's Calamity?"
"We landed here but Natalia called her to the Hospital. An emergency of some kind. Says she'll be back later."
"Very in demand that girl," Sirius said. "How'd you manage without her?"
"I speak some Spanish," Moony said with a shrug.
"You do? When did you learn that?"
"You've got to know more than one language, Padfoot. It's an interconnected world."
"Trying to get some Latin ladies, eh," Sirius teased. Moony rolled his eyes.
"That's offensive. You think I would only learn a language to-"
"Get some tail," Sirius finished. His smile widened. "Course, you already get one once a month, so maybe not."
Remus threw the paper he had been reading at Sirius, though he couldn't help and smile.
Sirius caught and unrolled the paper, looking it over. "The 422nd Quidditch World Cup final is happening later this month between Ireland and Bulgaria?" Sirius asked excitedly. "I'd love to see that."
"Been keeping up with your teams?"
"Not at all. How is Ireland?"
"Wrong marauder to ask, I'm afraid. Calamity might know."
Sirius made a sound of frustration. "Calamity didn't follow Quidditch. It was the only flaw she ever had."
"Well then maybe you'll make a new friend who does," Moony suggested.
"Reckon you know how to say Quidditch in Spanish?"
"It's just Quidditch."
Sirius looked up to see a tired looking Calamity coming through the door, Natalia and a few other doctors following her in. Calamity said something in Spanish and they began to grab plates and food from the pot on the stove.
"You speak it too?"
"Sirius, I helped rebuild hospitals down here, Of course I can speak a bit. Not everyone knows English," Calamity said.
"In Azkaban they do," Sirius said cheerfully. One of the male doctors coughed at the name. He looked at Sirius, then Calamity.
"Azkaban?"
"No es para preocuparse," said Remus cheerfully. Calamity nudged Sirius lightly.
"You're the worst at being incognito, by the way," she said with a smirk. "I saw you go by the hospital window."
"Buckbeak missed you," he joked wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek.
"Naturally," Calamity laughed.
"What's with the fieldtrip here, anyway," asked Sirius as Natalia led the rest of the doctors from the kitchen into the dining room. "Everything okay at the hospital?"
Calamity glanced over her shoulder then grabbed the three of them stew from the stove and motioned for them to sit.
"It's fine now, but Natalia has been telling me about the cases coming in. Normally we get a mixture of muggle and magic patients- some spells gone wrong, some Dengue Fever, maybe some Yellow Fever, but nothing too outlandish," she tasted the soup and made a face. With a wave of her wand the salt flew from the cupboard and began shaking itself into her bowl.
"But something is new," Moony said.
"No," Calamity said. "No, that's what worries me. Something is old. I dealt with three cases of the Cruciatus Curse today and I spotted an almost recovered woman who had a run in with a Drink of Despair. It's dark magic that doesn't normally show up this far south."
"No dark magic here," Sirius said skeptically.
"Dark magic, sure," Calamity said. "But those spells have a European twist to them. I would bet money that whoever used them was from Europe."
"A stop before the World Cup," Moony suggested. "Like our friends in China?"
"Friends in China," Sirius repeated.
Moony exchanged a look with Calamity before explaining what they had found out from the waiter and Rafael.
"Something is going on," said Calamity thoughtfully.
"Could just be over-excitement about the World Cup," suggested Moony, though he didn't sound very convinced. "Bulgaria and some of those Eastern countries see dark magic differently than the UK does."
"Maybe," Calamity agreed, but Sirius could tell she was still thinking about the hospital.
Sirius could hear a tapping on his window and for a moment he thought it was in his dream. he was so cozy in his warm bed. He inhaled, squeezing tightly to Calamity who made no movement next to him. Buckbeak made a noise of annoyance.
"Your lover," Calamity groaned rolling over to look at Sirius. "He's calling you."
"Best to get up then," said Sirius.
"Should I leave the room," she asked with a yawn, obviously not going anywhere. "Give you two some privacy?"
Sirius nudged her playfully, but she was already sound asleep again.
The tapping continued as Sirius approached the window to see a snowy white owl. It perched itself on the book shelf as he opened it, looking down at Buckbeak as if it were unsure how trustworthy the half eagle was.
Sirius took the letter from the owl and opened it, muttering a spell so Calamity's wand lit. It was a letter from Harry.
Dear Sirius,
Thanks for your last letter. That bird was enormous; it could hardly get through my window.
Things are the same as usual here. Dudley's diet isn't going too well. My aunt found him smuggling doughnuts into his room yesterday. They told him they'd have to cut his pocket money if he keeps doing it, so he got really angry and chucked his PlayStation out of the window. That's a sort of computer thing you can play games on. Bit stupid really, now he hasn't even got Mega-Mutilation Part Three to take his mind off things.
I'm okay, mainly because the Dursleys are terrified you might turn up and turn them all into bats if I ask you to.
A weird thing happened this morning, though. My scar hurt again. Last time that happened it was because Voldemort was at Hogwarts. But I don't reckon he can be anywhere near me now, can he? Do you know if curse scars sometimes hurt years afterward?
I'll send this with Hedwig when she gets back; she's off hunting at the moment. Say hello to Buckbeak for me.
Harry
P.S. If you want to contact me, I'll be at my friend Ron Weasley's for the rest of the summer. His dad's got us tickets for the Quidditch World Cup!
Sirius smiled. Harry was Prong's son alright. What Sirius wouldn't give to see Ireland against Bulgaria. Even just camping would be worth it. He remembered going with James in '74. His mother had almost said no, but luckily some other prestigious families were going, including Narcissa, so he had been able to convince her. He reread the letter once more, his smile faltering. Did scars hurt later? He glanced at Calamity. She was peacefully asleep. He'd ask in the morning.
Sirius crawled back into bed and fell into a dream world in which the young James Potter and Sirius were rushing about the campground, decked in their English gear. They had lost, but the game had been magnificent and they still had the final the next day between the Madagascar and Syrian teams. They tossed the Quaffle James had brought between the two of them, laughing and joking as Mr. and Mrs. Potter watched from their tent. In his sleep, Sirius smiled.
Sirius awoke to the smell of breakfast. Sun was streaming through his window and he rolled over touching the now empty bed where Calamity had been before.
"She's gone to check on Natalia and the hospital," Moony's voice said. Sirius sat up to see Moony chewing on some bacon, leaning back in a chair in a very Sirius sort of way. Sirius smirked, but it fell away as he saw the plate of food Moony was eating.
"Is that mine?"
"Was," Moony said mischievously. "I might have left you some in the kitchen."
"Get your own girlfriend," Sirius said throwing a pillow at him. "Then you can eat the food she leaves out for you."
"Harry wrote to you," Moony said. He held up the parchment and Sirius remembered the letter.
"He says his scar hurt again,' Sirius said. He watched Moony's face carefully. To the untrained eye, Moony looked unphased. But Sirius had known Moony in all sorts of state: happy, sad, werewolf, and concerned. For just a split second, Moony's expression tightened before relaxing again as if conciously forced to do so. It was just as Sirius feared.
"I have to go to him," Sirius said jumping up. He rushed around the room, throwing on robes and rushed to the kitchen. He'd need to grab some food for the road. it had taken him quite a while to get here on Buckbeak, so he'd need to carefully.
"Padfoot," Moony said following him as he rushed about. "Padfoot, you can't just leave. We have to can't just floo to London."
"I'll take Buckbeak."
"You'll be seen. You're not thinking straight."
"You know his scar shouldn't be hurting. Then you add it to what the waiter said and the cases in the hospital. Something is going on."
"I know your right," Moon said. "But that doesn't mean you just rush out of here. We need to be strategic."
"Harry NEEDS ME," Sirius barked.
"HE NEEDS YOU ALIVE!"
Sirius froze at Moony's volume. Moony ran his hand through his hair nervously, surprised by his own tone.
"Dumbledore's pulling Mad-Eye out of retirement, he mentioned it to me before Calamity and I left England," Moony continued more calmly. "Harry will be safe for now under their watch. Send Harry a letter letting him know you a re headed his way. It'll take a while to get to him. It'll give us time to plan."
"Mad-eye out of retirement," Sirius asked. "Than it's worse than I thought."
"Maybe," Moony said. He looked much older than he was. "Here." he handed Sirius a quill and parchment. "Then we'll start planning."
Sirius wrote hurriedly:
Harry -
I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumours that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore - they're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is. I'll be in touch soon. My best to Ron and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry.
Sirius
A/N: REVIEW, PLEASE!
