Trojan Horse – Part VII: The Beacons
From Clee to heaven the beacon burns,
The shires have seen it plain,
From north and south the sign returns
And beacons burn again.
From 1887, by A. E. Housman
This opening to this story came to me in a flash after I read that verse, so here you go.
~
'If only we had a broomstick,' said Sirius for the fourth time. Arion only gave him a dirty look. 'Or anything that might fly. But we can't do anything to that stool.' He sighed and looked from the unbarred window of the highest tower of Carlisle Castle. They were so high that the bushes and trees on the ground looked very small. 'There's not even a carpet.'
'It's a prison, what did you expect?' snapped Arion irritably. 'Besides, how would you go about making a carpet fly when you haven't even got a wand?'
Sirius didn't answer for a moment. He stared out at the sky as it began to turn from blue to navy. The window faced south, but he could see the edges of the pink clouds that marked the sunset. Something caught his eye.
'Arion, what's this?'
Arion, who was sitting on the stool, seemingly lost in thought, looked up. 'What?'
'This light. Come look.'
Arion went and joined Sirius at the window. On the hilltop far off was a blaze of light. Sirius looked again, and saw that there was another light on a hill even further off.
'They're beacons,' said Arion, his voice twanging despite his calm expression. 'To show that there's an emergency.'
'For us or the Muggles?'
'For us, of course.'
'It's a bit pointless, isn't it? I thought only the Muggles had to do things like that,' asked Sirius curiously, looking at the points of light on the dark hills.
'It's an ancient system. When the beacons are lit, it shows that there is some emergency that means that all people should be ready for whatever the danger of the time is. Right now it shows that Voldemort is trying to rise to power.'
'Well, I already knew that,' said Sirius with a scowl. 'It's a bit late for warning us, isn't it?'
'It proves that Hogwarts is safe,' said Arion. 'That's the only place where they could have been started, I think.'
'You sure?'
'I know there's a tower on the top of the school, one of the most important towers.' He frowned. 'I suppose it could be a trap, but I think it's a good sign.'
Sirius looked at the string of blazing fires that rose from hilltop to hilltop. From the roof of the building, he heard the cry of a raven, and he made a face.
'It seems a bit of an odd way to spread the news,' he commented. 'Why don't they just send out an owl or something? Won't it be in all the papers anyhow?'
Arion frowned in thought. 'That's true. There must be something to prevent them. I don't know. Well, it's good that they're alerting the country, however they go about it.'
'What will the beacons do? I mean, everyone can see them, but what will people do about it?'
'Well, first of all, they will take precautions to make sure their homes are safe, and everyone will be on the lookout for Voldemort. More importantly, in London they'll make preparations for trouble, and they'll investigate wherever it was that the beacons were started. So if there is trouble at Hogwarts, they'll get help from the Ministry.'
'The Ministry? Well, I suppose it might help.' Sirius sounded as if he doubted this. He looked down at the town of Carlisle. 'What do the Muggles think of all our beacons?'
'Oh, they don't see them, it's all kept concealed.' He glanced at the smoky chimneys and gleaming street-lights of Carlisle with distaste. 'Not that they'd care anyway.'
He was going to say more, when they heard marching footsteps on the stairs. Arion and Sirius looked at each other. Arion breathed in deeply and sat a little straighter. Sirius left the window and went to join him.
They heard the key turn in the lock and the door swung open. Three guards appeared.
'What do you want?' asked Arion in a strong voice.
None of them spoke, but they strode across the room and seized Arion. With a flash of a wand, they bound him in chains. Sirius braced himself for the same thing to happen to him, but he was ignored. As they began to march Arion to the door, he wanted to call out to him, ask where he was going and what would happen, but he would not allow himself to show any weakness before the guards.
The door slammed was slammed shut and locked. He heard the clank of Arion's march down the long spiral staircase as it echoed through the silent castle, and then it faded into silence. He shivered. Alone, he could not keep the nagging fears away. It's not so bad, he told himself. There aren't any Dementors here.
The sky was dark now. Sirius crossed to the window and looked out at the beacons that still blazed in the distance. He hoped Arion was right and Hogwarts was safe. The beacon's lights were mirrored in the starry sky, and he could just see the moon rising.
He wondered where Remus was tonight. He had been alive when everything had gone black, Sirius recalled, alive though barely. It did not surprise him that Remus had taken the courage to attack Voldemort. What an unexpected adversary, he thought, a werewolf leaping on your throat. He wondered if Voldemort would become a werewolf with a slight shiver. That wasn't so good. But there was no way he could find out that, or anything. It was so maddening, being locked up here when the world could be falling to pieces around him.
After he and everyone around him had fallen unconscious under the strength of Dumbledore's spell, he had known nothing until he woke up here, a prisoner in one of Voldemort's strongholds. He had no idea that this old Muggle place was being used, and Arion had been equally surprised. It had been Arion, of course, who had recognised that they were in Carlisle Castle. He had also told Sirius some unpleasant stories about executions – of Muggles, of course – that had taken place here in the past. In the old days their heads had been stuck on the gates of the city.
Sirius paced around the cell. A sudden cry made him flinch and sent a shiver down his spine. For a moment he was dragged back in his mind to a very different cell. But no, this cry was not as terrible as the ones he still heard in his nightmares, it lacked the same despair and desolation. Those shouts would haunt him forever, he knew.
The cry came again, and he shuddered. Automatically, the way he had done when he was in Azkaban, he concentrated for a second, flickered and vanished. At once, he wished he hadn't. The screams were far louder to Padfoot's ears, and he knew all too well what they signified. Arion was being tortured. He could not hear words in the cries, just pain.
He transformed back and felt relief as the cries became quieter. This isn't as bad, he told himself sternly. He'll still have his mind when it's over. It wasn't a particularly reassuring thought as he heard another scream. He tried to find a comfortable part of the cell where he could lie down and sleep. He wrapped himself in his cloak and lay in a corner. The windows were open to the air, unbarred and without any glass, so a chilly wind found its way into the folds of the cloak.
Sirius lay awake. Even with a human's pitiful hearing, he could not block out the cries from below. After a time the cries died away, and he was left in silence. Though the quiet was equally chilling, he finally did fall asleep as the dawn was breaking.
Marching footsteps and a shout woke him up. He braced himself, waiting for the door to open and his turn to begin. But the guards went past his door and up above them. He sighed and sat down again. The guards came back down, talking to each other, but he couldn't catch their words. He expected them to go past his door again, but they stopped and opened it.
He stood tense. Both guards came in. Between them was a third man. As the guards slammed the door shut and remained in the cell, the man looked at Sirius curiously.
'Mr Black?'
Sirius jerked his head in answer.
'I am Alexander de Laurent.' He extended his hand to Sirius. Sirius looked at it as if at some slimy creature, and after a second the man lowered it again.
'What do you want?' asked Sirius.
'I've come to make you an offer. Your friend was foolish enough to refuse it, but I hope you will have more sense.'
'Don't waste your breath,' snarled Sirius. 'I refuse.'
'Hear me out, please,' said Alexander de Laurent, sounding put-upon. 'Let me be blunt with you. You are entirely at our mercy. Your … friends, at Hogwarts and in London, are powerless to help you. My master will soon break what remains of their resistance.'
Sirius looked at him with hatred. 'You'll never get into Hogwarts,' he growled. 'Dumbledore is stronger than that scumbag Voldemort has ever been.'
'Now then,' said de Laurent, continuing as if Sirius had not spoken, 'you do understand your situation. I should also add that a Dementor is being sent here to add to our guards.' Despite himself, Sirius flinched a little. De Laurent pressed his advantage. 'If you were just to co-operate with us, everything would be easy. There would be no need for any of these charades. Of course, there would be many rewards for your help.' He let the offer hang in the air for a moment before continuing.
'What we would like from you is very simple, really. In exchange for your freedom, you will give us a few pieces of information, the work of a moment for you, about Hogwarts and about the Ministry.'
Sirius glared at him. He reached to his belt where his wand always hung, but did not find it. Frustrated, he raised his fists.
'You think – you really think I'd ever be a turncoat? You utter –' He rushed forwards at de Laurent. At once, the guards grabbed him and after struggling fruitlessly for a moment he stood still.
'Take him down to Mr Thomas,' said de Laurent with a scowl. 'I'll ask you again once you've had some time to … consider my offer more sensibly.' He watched with the start of a smile on his lips as Sirius was bound in chains. Sirius nearly overbalanced as he was dragged to the door, hampered by the encumbering shackles. He held himself as proudly as he could. It can't be as bad as Azkaban, it can't be as bad as Azkaban, he was telling himself repeatedly, trying to force himself to believe it. He was dragged down and down to a dungeon underground.
~
Minerva sat in her room, dry-eyed. She had not wept last night, and she did not weep now. What good would it do to cry, anyway? It didn't help matters. She had found it hard to feel any kind of sympathy for Sybill Trelawney, who had wailed all night long, and had only shut up when she was left severely alone.
She picked up her quill and began to write a letter, a futile letter announcing the news that would not get through the barricade. She signed it 'Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.' Her hand trembled a little as she wrote it.
Well, even if the letter never got beyond the grounds, it was her duty to notify the governors and the Ministry of Albus' death. Not that they could do anything helpful. She sealed the letter and rose from her desk. Slowly she walked to the door. As she climbed to the owlery, she thought again that this was a waste of time. She went in to the loft full of softly hooting owls, caught hold of one and tied the letter on. The owl hooted angrily at her, and Minerva scowled. The stupid birds never realised that when she wasn't transformed she wasn't a danger to them.
'Go on, take that to the Ministry,' she said, pushing the owl to the window. It was still daylight, but it was so cloudy it might as well have been dusk. The owl flew away with a final irritated hoot and Minerva climbed back down the ladder, a little stiffly.
She made her way back down to the staff-room. As she went in the door, she saw Snape going out. His face was dark and unreadable.
'Are we starting lessons again tomorrow?' he asked.
'Yes.'
'Good. The students are here to get an education, after all. Not that they seem to realise it.' He scowled. 'You've got feathers in your hair.'
Minerva reached up and pulled them out with a sigh. 'I was sending a letter to the governors,' she said. 'It won't get through, but I have to try.'
'Have you tried to use the mirrors?'
'They don't work either,' she answered dismally. 'All I can get is static.'
Snape didn't reply, and after a moment he turned and stalked off. Minerva watched him go. He was thumping his stick on the ground angrily. Mrs Norris, who was slinking around the corner, dodged out of sight as he approached.
Minerva went back upstairs and sat in her office for a few minutes, but she couldn't remain still. The walls seemed to be closing in around her. Don't be silly, she told herself. You just ought to go outside for a bit and get some fresh air. Well, she could spare a few minutes. And it would be a good idea to see that the barrier around the grounds was still strong. Taking her walking cloak, she left her office and went downstairs.
The West Door was still barred and locked. She went out the kitchen door that she knew full well was used by the students when they were trying to sneak out of the school. Those Weasley twins, she thought. What would they think if they saw me slipping out here? She did feel oddly as though she were escaping, though all she was doing was walking in the grounds.
She found herself going towards the lake. The dark waters lapped softly at the shore. It was beautiful and springlike outside, the snow long since melted, and there were primroses around the bases of the trees. There were some daffodils around as well. She sighed. They were Albus' favourite flower.
Don't think like that, she told herself sternly. Still, she stood looking at them for a bit. She blinked a few times and took a deep breath, keeping her self-control.
'Minerva?'
She spun around. Rubeus Hagrid, his eyes still red and puffy, had appeared behind her. She marvelled that she had not heard his approach.
'Are yeh all righ'?' he asked in what was evidently intended to be a gentle voice.
'Yes, I'm fine,' she replied sharply.
Hagrid watched her for a moment. He frowned a little. 'Why don' yeh come over teh my place an' have a cuppa?'
'All right.' Minerva tried to smile at him. She had to walk quickly to keep up with Hagrid's long strides. In a few minutes she was in his little cottage, sitting feeling rather small on his gigantic sofa. Hagrid rushed around finding a mug and boiling the kettle.
'Milk? Sugar?' he asked.
'No thanks.' She sipped at the hot tea slowly.
There was a silence. Then Hagrid said, 'I had young Harry down 'ere earlier today, with 'is friends.'
Minerva frowned. 'They were supposed to stay in the castle,' she said. Hagrid looked at her worriedly.
'Don' get them into any trouble, they were all awful upset,' he said.
'I – I won't. I ought to, though.' She sighed. 'I don't think I'll be any good at this. I'm not Albus, I can't fill his place.'
'No-one could,' said Hagrid simply. 'Professor Dumbledore, 'e wasn't like other people. But yeh'll do a good job.'
Minerva shook her head. She leaned back in the deep sofa for a moment. Her eyes were pricking and she blinked hard.
'That's what he said,' she said, trying to keep her tone sharp and failing. She took a gasping breath. She mustn't cry. But a tear rolled over her face before she could stop it.
'I'm sorry…' she murmured.
'It's all righ',' Hagrid said gently. 'Yeh need teh cry sometimes.' He patted her arm rather awkwardly. Minerva did not look at him, but covered her face with her hands, pulling off her spectacles and letting them fall onto her lap. She was shaken with silent weeping, which served only to make her more unhappy. How could she control the school when she couldn't even control herself?
She felt the sofa sag as Hagrid sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders, even more awkwardly than before. She sat rigid and tense, choking back hot tears and wishing he would leave her alone.
'He was a great man,' said Hagrid slowly, after they had sat silently for several minutes. 'Too great fer the likes of me teh understand him. An' we're all the worse off without 'im.'
Minerva heard his voice shake, and she found herself leaning against him, resting her head against his shoulder. She gave herself up to mourning.
When her tears finally eased, the cloth of Hagrid's shirt was damp. He produced a slightly crumpled handkerchief from somewhere and he gave it to her silently. Minerva mopped her face with it.
'I must look awful,' she said after some time. She could feel that her hair was dishevelled and her face must be tearstained. 'I'm sorry.'
'Yeh look fine,' said Hagrid soothingly. 'More tea?'
'No, thanks.' She took a steadying breath. 'I'd better go back up to school.'
'Yeh'll be all right now, will yeh?' he asked.
'Yes, yes,' she replied rather impatiently. She stood up, disentangling herself from Hagrid's arm. She stopped for a moment. 'Thank you,' she said. Before he could reply with anything other than a smile, she went out the door. Hagrid watched her leave.
~
'I'll kill that monster if it's the last thing I do,' growled Sirius. 'Him and that rat.' It had taken them both three days to recover, lying miserably in the cell. Arion had recovered first, but he scarcely spoken at all since his ordeal. Neither had told Voldemort's supporters anything they had wanted to know, despite the torture. Sirius limped to the window and stared morosely out. Was this all that he had left to expect, to rot in this tower for ever until he was broken by torture? Don't think like that, he told himself sternly.
The sounds of someone humming came drifting down. Sirius didn't notice at first, but Arion looked up.
'Listen,' he said. Sirius obeyed.
The humming changed to a quiet singing, a woman's voice, and Sirius gave a weak grin.
'I guess we're not the only people in here.' He tried to make out the words to the song, but he couldn't quite catch them. 'Where d'you reckon she is?'
'Up there.' Arion gestured towards the ceiling. 'There's another storey above us, didn't you notice?'
'No,' said Sirius. He was silent for a moment, listening to the sound. As far as he was concerned it sounded pleasant, but he was no judge of music.
'She's flat,' said Arion after a bit. Sirius had heard him play a set of pipes, and a lute at one point as well, and he knew Arion enjoyed music. But he still gave him a dirty look.
'So? It's better than the ravens.' Sirius craned his neck out the window, peering up to the floor above him. He could just see the window, and silhouetted there was the shape of the woman who was singing. 'I wonder who she is.'
The singing came to an end. Suddenly Sirius stuck his head from the window again. 'Don't stop, we were enjoying it!' he shouted.
'You idiot!' hissed Arion. 'What if she's one of them?'
There was an exclamation from the window above. 'Who's that?' called the woman. Her voice was quite pleasant now that she wasn't singing.
'Who are you?' called back Arion, glaring at Sirius to keep him quiet. 'What are you doing here?'
'I'm locked in,' she said. 'Are you?'
'Yes,' said Sirius. 'How long have you been up there?'
'I'm not sure. A few days. I … encountered Mr Thomas.' They both caught the note of pain in her voice, and had no need to ask for further explanations.
'So have we,' said Sirius in a more sober tone.
Arion was still giving him angry glances. 'What's your name?' he demanded.
The woman hesitated perceptibly. 'Vivian Shaw,' she said at length. Sirius glanced at Arion.
'Do you know of her?' he asked in a low voice.
'No. Well, the Shaws are an old wizarding family, but I've not heard of her before.' Arion frowned.
'What about you?' she asked.
Sirius did look at Arion for permission this time. He nodded.
'I'm Sirius Black.'
'I'm Arion.' For the hundredth time, Sirius wondered why Arion never used his surname, or any other name. He heard Vivian gasp.
'Sirius Black?' she said. 'The one who escaped from Azkaban? How come you're locked up here then?'
Sirius made a face. 'If she's a journalist I won't be impressed,' he said under his breath. 'Because I'm unlucky,' he called back with a grin.
'Hey! Shut up, you lot!' The guard pounded on the door. Sirius was about to shout something at him as well, but Arion prudently trod on his foot, and Sirius yelped. They remained silent for a while.
Sirius was wondering what she was doing in the castle. Evidently, Voldemort had some reason to take her prisoner. Whatever it was, he was sure she would not do them any harm. From the expression on his face, Arion was not so sure. But he always was very cautious about everything.
'What time is it?' Vivian called down suddenly.
Sirius raised an eyebrow. 'What?'
'What time is it?' she repeated.
'Do you think we've got a clock down here? I don't know, maybe about five pm,' said Arion.
'Well, then we'll have to wait a bit.' She sounded as though she was thinking of something else as she spoke.
'Wait for what?' asked Sirius instantly. He went to join Arion at the window, and he hung over the ledge to look down at the window above theirs.
She was standing at the window, and he could see the outline of her face.
'For me to call Zephyr, and we'll get out of here. I'd have done it before, but first he didn't come and then they took me down to the dungeons. It's a stroke of luck that they didn't bother with bars on these windows. I suppose it's because we're so high up.'
'What?' Arion and Sirius spoke at the same time.
'How will you do that?' asked Sirius.
'Who's Zephyr?' Arion was frowning with incomprehension.
A ripple of laughter answered them. 'You'll see. If he'll carry you, I'll take you two with me as well. But he may not come.'
'Who or what is Zephyr?' asked Arion again. 'A flying animal?'
'That's right. A Pegasus. He's mine. When it's dark enough to be safe, I'll call him.'
Just then Arion gave a warning nod to Sirius as he heard the sound of the guard's footsteps on the stairs. He unlocked the cell and flung in some bread and a jug of water, which would have toppled over if Arion hadn't grabbed it. With a grunt, the guard locked the door again, and they heard him progressing up to Vivian's cell.
'I don't believe it,' said Sirius. 'She has a Pegasus and she'll take us away, just like that. Incredible. Lucky I did shout up to her, isn't it?'
'If she's who she says she is.' Arion sounded doubtful still.
'Oh, come on. You've no reason to doubt her. She's locked away up there, and why would she be flying away on her Pegasus if she wasn't a prisoner?' He shivered suddenly.
'What's that?' asked Arion at the same moment. There was a chill in the air. Sirius paled.
'A Dementor,' he murmured. 'That man said he was getting them to come here. It's outside the door.' He fell silent, his euphoria fading as quickly as it had come. Soon it was too much effort to talk. They would never get out of here. He closed his eyes, blotting out the fading light.
After a minute, he could bear it no longer, and he tried to concentrate his mind. It proved all but impossible to do, and he struggled with himself while Arion stared at him blankly. Finally, very slowly, he transformed to Padfoot. At once, the darkness that had hung over him was lightened. He looked up at Arion, and saw that he was shaking slightly, and had collapsed onto the stool.
Padfoot's urge was to bark at the Dementor, but he knew that would not be a good idea. After a time, he felt better, and saw Arion get up. There was a strange smell coming in the window, a smell of an animal. As Padfoot was wondering what it was, he heard a whistle.
'Sirius, change back,' said Arion. 'It's gone, and I think Vivian is calling her horse.'
Sirius obeyed, finding the transformation much easier this time. There was still a chill in the air and he found it hard to smile, but it was definitely better. He went to the window and looked up. It was dark now.
The whistle was repeated, and Sirius could just make out her silhouette. Arion came to join him, and they watched for a time.
'He should be here soon,' called Vivian. As she spoke, they saw a shape coming up past the tower, and Vivian whistled again. They heard a rush of wings, and then saw the horse hovering outside a window above them. Sirius craned his neck around and just saw Vivian climbing from the window to its back.
The winged horse dropped down. 'Is this all right?' asked Vivian, turning towards them.
'Yes … down a bit,' answered Arion, looking at her keenly. 'That's fine.' He clambered onto the window-ledge.
'Wow.' Sirius looked at the grey Pegasus with admiration. 'He's yours? That's amazing.'
'Shut up and get on him before someone sees,' snapped Arion. He was swinging himself lightly from the window and in front of Vivian. Still gaping at the horse, Sirius followed suit. The relief of freedom rushed through him, it was with difficulty that he restrained himself from uttering a cry of victory. He caught Vivian around the waist as he sat behind her and gave her a one-armed embrace. She jumped, and then laughed. The horse beat his wings. Sirius did give a whoop as they rose higher, and it echoed from the castle walls.
'He's not going to be able to carry us all the whole way,' said Vivian after a few minutes of flying. She stroked the horse's neck. 'I don't want to strain him.'
'No,' agreed Arion, who seemed very comfortable on the back of a horse. Sirius had rarely ridden horses, and this flight was reminding him of Buckbeak more than anything else, save that the Pegasus flew more smoothly than a Hippogriff.
'Well, where shall we land? Is there anywhere suitable?' she asked.
Arion began to scan the land below them. Sirius looked too. He saw the winding line of white lights that was a Muggle motorway, and a lot of dark shadows.
'There … I know that place down on the left,' said Arion, who evidently could see more clearly in the dark.
'Well, direct Zephyr down there, then.' Vivian's voice sounded a little strained.
Arion began to guide the horse, which seemed to understand what he was saying. Sirius was impressed.
'How did you get Zephyr?' he asked as Arion murmured instructions. 'I've only ever heard about one person who had tamed one.'
'I found him. Or perhaps you could say he found me. Anyhow, he was running wild before we met, but I didn't exactly tame him. We sort of reached an agreement.' Sirius could hear her chuckle softly at some memory. 'And he stayed with me.'
They circled lower, and Arion guided the horse down to a clearing. He landed smoothly, and Arion jumped off.
'Where will you go?' he asked Vivian. 'Will you be going to Hogwarts?'
'I was planning to go there,' she said. 'Apart from anything else, there are some important things I need to tell the Headmaster.'
'What?' asked Sirius at once. Vivian hesitated.
'Well,' she said finally, 'I suppose it can't hurt to tell you two. You remember the snow we had a month ago?'
'Yes.'
'Well, Zephyr and I broke the spell.'
'So it was you!' exclaimed Arion. 'I looked at the map Albus showed me of the area, and I saw the traces of a powerful wizard. I'm surprised I didn't recognise you. Well, well. And that's why you were locked in Carlisle Castle?'
'That's right.' In the darkness they could not see her face. Zephyr snorted and stamped. 'Zephyr, do you know how to get to Hogwarts?'
The horse snorted again. Sirius wondered what that meant. Vivian seemed to understand.
'He knows all sorts of places, it was rather surprising when I first rode him. He took me to this town in the south of the country, Aldershot, I think it was.'
Sirius laughed. 'Got a mind of his own, has he?'
Zephyr stuck his nose out and scratched his head on Sirius, making him step back.
'What would you like me to do? Shall I tell them at Hogwarts about you?'
'Please,' said Arion. 'Make sure you inform Albus of where we are, and everything. If you could come back for us, with two broomsticks, that would be great, but it might take some time. We'll stay here as long as we can, probably until dawn tomorrow, but I imagine Voldemort's people will go out looking for us once they find we're gone.'
'Okay. So long as Zephyr gets me there, I imagine it won't take more than a few hours. I should be back here before dawn, with broomsticks.'
'Wonderful. We'll wait here.'
She patted the horse and in response to a signal they couldn't see, she leapt into the air. The grey horse soared higher and higher, and soon was nothing more than a speck in the starry sky.
'Well,' said Sirius with respect. 'She's pretty impressive. Owns a Pegasus and broke the snow spell. Now that's special.'
'She's rather more special than that,' said Arion. 'Didn't you notice?'
'Notice what?'
'She's blind.'
'What? You're pulling my leg, right?'
'No. You should have been watching her more carefully. It was clear.'
'Well, I didn't notice.' Sirius' tone of voice seemed to suggest that if he hadn't noticed it couldn't be true. Arion went in amongst the trees and sat down.
'We may as well wait,' he said. 'No point standing around in plain view. They will come after us sooner or later, and though this isn't the obvious place for them to look, they're bound to try everywhere.'
'I suppose.' Sirius sat down in the bushes. He yawned.
'If you want to sleep, I'll keep watch.'
Sirius protested for a moment or two, but then he gave in. He spread out his cloak and curled up on it. In a few minutes he was asleep.
Arion shook his shoulder hard.
'Go away,' muttered Sirius. 'I'll get up later.'
'Sirius, get up. We can't stay here any longer.'
The urgency in his voice make Sirius open his eyes. The sky was starting to turn light. He looked around. 'It's far too early to be up, Arion.'
'Don't be a fool. Vivian hasn't come back. We've got to get going.'
Sirius got up, and shook out his cloak. He stretched out. 'What about breakfast?'
'We'll worry about that later. Here's some water.' Arion had a flask.
'Where did you get that?'
'It's mine, I always have it. They didn't notice at Carlisle.' He waited impatiently while Sirius drank. 'Come on, let's get going. We've got a long way to go, and we don't want to be seen.'
~
The next bit will be ready much more quickly, though my exams are about to start, and I'll tie a lot of things together.
Blaise
29th April 2000