Sirius Black awoke in a cold sweat. He had been having a dream where he was walking through the Village of Hogsmead on his way to meet his godson, Harry Potter, for a butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks. Sirius entered the pub and looked around. To his horror, it was filled with dementors, the horrible Azkaban guards. As one they rose and approached him. As they closed in he could smell their putrid breath as the scene faded.

But something had awakened him besides the dream, but what? Sirius shook his mane of hair to clear his head and looked at his watch. 3:26AM. He raised himself on one elbow and peered toward the entrance of the cave that served as his current hideout. The hippogriff, Buckbeak, was also awake and staring with fierce orange eyes at the cave entrance.

"So you heard it too, huh Beaky?" Sirius murmured as he took his wand and crept toward the cave mouth.

He carefully looked out. Nothing. At least nothing that he could see. Sirius knew that meant naught. Between hit wizards from the Ministry of Magic and Voldemort's stooge, Peter Petigrew, Sirius took nothing to chance. He withdrew to the interior and reached into his bag. He took out a Sneakoscope. It had been a gift from Harry who, since he was in possession of the Marauder's Map, decided he didn't need it anymore. Harry thought it might alert Sirius to any suspicious goings on.

It was spinning like mad.

Sirius quickly collected his things and bowed to Buckbeak. Stiffly, the hippogriff got up, stretched and bowed back. The bowing ceremony was now more of a formality than anything else since they had been together so long but Buckbeak had pulled Sirius out of more than a few tight spots and it was Sirius's way of showing Buckbeak his appreciation. Sirius took his bridle. "Come on, boy." He said urgently, "We've got to move."

They moved toward the cave mouth and into the cool night air. As Sirius started to mount Buckbeak, he noticed a rustle in the brush to his left. Snapping his fingers as if he had forgotten something, he started back to the cave. As he came abreast of a bush he turned, pointed his wand at it and said "Esplitarus!" The bush parted in the middle revealing a very shocked looking hit wizard.

"Expelliarmus!" Sirius said softly before the wizard could collect his thoughts. His wand flew out of his hand and into Sirius's.

"I might have known." Sirius growled. "I had enchanted this cave so muggles could not see it. It had to be either you Ministry goons or You-Know-Who. I take it you know who I am?" Sirius asked casually pointing his wand right between his eyes.

The wizard nodded.

"How many more of you are there?"

The wizard hesitated. Sirius regarded him coldly. "You know what I did to those muggles and I'm not above doing it to you just because you work for the Ministry. Now I'll ask just once more. How many more? I know you are not alone."

"Three." The wizard answered.

"Where?"

"Right here!" Came a voice behind him.

Sirius dropped to the ground as a bolt flew over his head hitting the wizard in front of him. He turned to see three more hit wizards trying to surround him.

"Petrificus totalis!" He said pointing his wand at the closest wizard. He froze and fell, stiff as a board.

"Two down, two to go!" Sirius said to himself, avoiding another blast and diving behind a large rock.

"Wingaurdium Leviosa!" The voice came from one of the hit wizards. The rock rose into the air. One wizard was levitating the rock while the other had the drop on Sirius.

"Expelliarmus" Said the other wizard as Sirius lost his wands. "Might as well give up peacefully Black. There's no place to go."

"Beaky!" Sirius exclaimed, "Fly! Run for it!"

Buckbeak launched himself into the air. The nearest wizard aimed his wand at the hippogriff and prepared to fire. Sirius gave a kick to his ribs and the bolt missed. In seconds Buckbeak was out of sight. The wizard levitating the rock let it drop with a crash. Pointing his wand at Sirius, cords emerged from the end binding Sirius tightly. The two wizards tended to their comrades. Both were shaken but otherwise unhurt.

The lead wizard turned toward Sirius. I've been waiting a long time for this." He growled. "Too bad that hippogriff of yours got away. I've got a score to settle with him too."

Sirius looked up. It was McNair. "Well, well." He said slowly. "I'm flattered the ministry would send their head goon after the likes of me. I wouldn't be so sure of the hippogriff being gone though. He could circle back and rip your heart out with those talons of his." Sirius knew Buckbeak was long gone but could not resist giving McNair something to think about.

McNair looked up a little nervously. "All right! Put him in the carriage! You are going back to Azkaban Black. Assuming of course you don't give me an excuse to save the ministry the time and trouble of putting you there."

"Oh don't worry McNair." Sirius said, "I'll go quietly. But I have to tell you. I got out of that place once and I can do it again."

"Not with your anamangus dog trick you won't." Said McNair, "The dementors have been fully informed as to all your capabilities."

"Maybe I have some you don't know about." Sirius retorted.

"We'll see." Said McNair, "We'll see."