By Admiral Albia
A/n; Well, I know that this idea's been done before, but the main part isn't Sirius getting freed here.. it's what happens afterwards... and I can practically guarantee that that bit's original. As you may have guessed, Sirius has a choice between living free... or dying. But Harry and co. have to make it for him...
Disclaimer; I own nothing except Sirius' pets and the word Cargen. Happy? Oh yes, and I also own this **** painting... "Don't swear about me!"
Changing;
[][][] means the POV is changing; probably from Sirius in the first
person to third person or vice-versa.
/\/\/\ means the scene or time is changing...
Chapter 1; Prologue
"Breakfast!" Harry waited until Dudley had wobbled
his way downstairs then headed down himself. Aunt Petunia banged down his
grapefruit quarter - Dudley's diet was still on - and sat down to eat hers,
only to discover that Dudley had stolen it. For a brief moment, it looked
as though she might actually get annoyed with him; but it quickly passed
over.
Tap. Tap. Tap. All three looked up at the window,
and saw the owl sitting there. Harry stood up and went to let it in. He
didn't recognise it and it wasn't carrying his Hogwarts letter, so naturally
he was very interested...
"Give me that!" Uncle Vernon had snuck up behind
him and now tore the letter out of Harry's hand. "Who's it from?"
"I don't know, I haven't had a chance to look yet,"
Harry said crossly. Uncle Vernon unrolled the letter.
"Remus Lupin? Who the hell is he?"
"Remus... oh, him. He's a friend of my godfather's..."
The effect was instantaneous; Uncle Vernon dropped the letter onto Harry's
grapefruit and sat down on Dudley before he realised that his son was occupying
the chair. Now even more curious, Harry opened the letter.
Harry was grinning ear to ear by the time he'd finished reading. "Can I go and give Prof- Remus' owl some water? I've finished. Oh, and he'll be coming to fetch me in a couple of hours..."Dear Harry,
I'm sure you remember me, I taught you Defence Against the Dark Arts in your third year. Yes, this letter's from `Professor` Lupin. I just thought you'd like to know that after months of hounding the Ministry, we've finally managed to get Sirius a re-trial - but don't tell him, it's a birthday surprise.
The trial will be held at Hogwarts castle tomorrow, so I'll come and get you today. Don't worry, I heard from Arthur Weasley about your relatives' fireplace, I'll come a different way. You may want to pack your school trunk, and don't forget your dress robes!
Remember; don't tell Sirius a thing. Actually, come to think of it, you can't: by the time Gyna reaches you the Ministry will have `arrested` Sirius.
This trial is going to be foolproof; we've convinced them to use Veritaserum so there's absolutely no chance of anyone being able to say he's lying. I'll come and get you at 10 o'clock AM. Please look after Gyna until I get there.Remus Lupin
(Moony)
"WHAT?"
"He's coming to collect me in a couple of hours, at ten o'clock. There's something very important happening that I can't possibly miss so he's coming to get me."
"Hmph. Well, as long as he comes in a normal way and doesn't blow apart the wall again." Assuming this meant he could go, Harry picked the owl up gently and ran upstairs. Hedwig moved over so Gyna could get into the cage, and Harry began to pack his trunk, being careful to leave his dress robes near the top.
"I don't know, do I?"
"Yoo-hoo! Harry!"
"Professor Lupin? Where are you?"
"I don't teach you any more, so call me Remus. And I'm right outside your window worrying about this Invisibility Potion wearing off, so can you let me in please?" Surprised, Harry opened the window. There was a soft bump as Remus landed, then the potion wore off; he appeared with a broomstick in his hand. "Sorry, Harry - I forgot to tell you I'd be invisible. Ah, you must be Harry's uncle!" Uncle Vernon just glared.
"Um... are we flying out, too?" Harry asked, "Because my broom and the Cloak are both packed in my trunk..." Remus swore.
"We'd better get them out, hadn't we?" Together the two of them pulled the broom and Harry's Invisibility Cloak out of the trunk and closed it again. "Right, all set. The owls had better stay in the cage, because Muggles do tend to notice this stuff... now, stick your trunk in there." Harry stared; Remus was holding a small canvas bag.
"You can't be serious."
"I'm serious. It's enchanted, it'll hold anything and everything. So put your trunk in." Shrugging, Harry did as he was told; and to his amazement, it did go in. So did the owls' cage, though they hooted indignantly until Remus told them that it was `only until we get into the countryside...`
"Hey, Harry!" Harry turned; Ron and Hermione had found him. "You got here!"
"Yeah, thanks to Pro- Remus..."
"We're getting there," Remus muttered. Then he added, "Hi, Otto." The man who'd been trying to sneak up on him looked disappointed.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Puh-lease, Otto, you're the smelliest thing for miles around."
"I had a bath this morning!"
"But you still smell of... well, you. And your species, which is a big giveaway in this crowd... Hey, Milo! Long time no see!" Harry, Ron and Hermione watched, bemused, as more and more people arrived and began to crowd round Remus and his friend. Eventually, Otto grinned; and suddenly everyone backed away. Remus howled gently and they backed away still further.
"Why they only like us `till we remind them I'll never know," Otto said as they strolled into the Three Broomsticks.
"Do you have your trunk, Harry?" Ron asked once they'd gone. "We're all staying in Hogwarts for the night, our stuff's already up there. The holiday password's just Gryffindor, pretty easy to remember though that's probably the idea... come on!"
"Hey, wait for me!" They turned round and saw Neville coming up behind them carrying a suitcase.
"Oh, hi Neville!"
"Hey, Harry, why do you have your school trunk?"
"Because I might not be going back to my aunt and uncle's house. Need any help?"
"No, thanks, I'm fine. What's the password?"
"Gryffindor," said a voice behind them. It was Professor McGonagall. "It's so the staff can get in and out easily... Come on, you two!" Remus and Otto came hurrying up the slope behind her.
[][][] Sirius' POV
The thing about talking to yourself is that you know you'll listen, something I really needed right now. It wasn't so much the going back to Azkaban - Fudge had eventually taken Dumbledore's advice and removed the Dementors - it was the fact that I knew two other people in there. And I didn't particularly want to see them again. And there was the Peter thing, of course.
But mainly right now I was feeling claustrophobic. There was no window in the room I was locked in, and the door was only visible from the outside. I was caged, and that word was making itself heard very ferociously in the back of my mind, the part that wasn't human. The part that was... well, wild. Wild, free and animalistic, the part that made me a Cargen. A Cargen being a witch or wizard who is tied to animals magically. Speaking of which... I suddenly realised that I could escape, or at least part of me could. I leant back, closed my eyes...
...found an owl. I gently asked if I could come along for a ride, and it agreed...
...and I was the owl. My eyes weren't cut out for day work, everything was too bright but recogniseable. The wind was ruffling silently through my feathers, bringing the fresh air that my body, safe in Hogwarts, craved. My mind was free to roam. I took the owl into a dive, just for the fun of it, before he went out of range...
...and my mind snapped back. I was refreshed. Still cooped up, still on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but refreshed. People have yet to invent a spell which can keep a Cargen's natural magic from working. You can chain my body, but you can't hold my mind...
A/n; OK, I know that first one of Sirius is weird, but it just seems to happen. Next chapter will be the trial, then after that the storyline will really start...
I am seriously insecure about my work, so pleeeeease revieeeeeew!
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