CLASSIFICATION: PG-13 for language and thoughts.
SUMMARY: Sirius is looking for Parchment and a Paper
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, in any way, shape or form. I love to read the books, but I sure don't own them. J.K. Rowling and WB do. This is simply a tribute to the Harry Potter series. I am making no money from this and I'm just enjoying sharing some of my own crazy ideas.
AUTHORS NOTE: This is Sirius' thoughts... He's not talking to anyone, it's all in his mind. This the beginning of a long story... that ends with my story "Face of My King" I don't have everything writen yet... but that's half the fun, waiting for the next chapter right?
THANK YOU: I would like to thank my beta reader, DML, The Violent Couch. Thank you so much.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Ten
Parchment and Paper


Some how I have to get my hands on a piece of parchment and a quill. And I have to find out what the best broom is. It's my fault that Harry lost his, so I'm going to make sure that whatever I get him is of the best quality.

I should go into the town and steal a paper. The Daily Prophet should have ads for brooms, if it is run anything like it was back when I was a student that is.

I wonder if Reta still has a job with them. She was always good at ferreting around. However, she never could figure out what we were up too. Prongs, Moony and Wormtail were good at distracting her.

I honestly think that Wormtail had a crush on Reta. When he wasn't following us around, he was trying to impress her. I don't think it worked though... she had her eye on someone else. I just hope it wasn't me. All I know is I spent six years avoiding her. Who would believe a Slytherin liked a Gryffindor, or vice versa?

Yah, that was the house she was in, Slytherin. I think Wormtail should have been in that house too. I don't know what the Sorting Hat was thinking when it placed him in Gryffindor.

This thinking isn't getting me any where though. If I'm going to get a copy of the paper, and get back here before dark, I'll have to leave now.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been avoiding going into town... I know the Dementors are prowling the streets after dark.

Alright! I'll admit it. I'm afraid of them.

But you would be too if you lived for as long as I did under their power. They suck everything that is good out of you, until all that is left is the bad... the evil... and the pain. You don't think you'll ever know anything good again once they've taken you over.

I am weak against them again... I've had too many things happen since I escaped. My failure and my new friendship... two things that could get my caught. And the there is Harry... my Harry... that in itself is my downfall. My love for him.

I won't let them take that away from me again.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

If I leave here now, I should be able to get back here before dark, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. The shack isn't that far way from the town.

I can remember making Honeydukes runs. They have the best sweets known to the wizarding world and the best selection too. Though that was never as much fun as going to The Three Broomsticks for a hot Butterbeer.

Prongs and I would go there all the time and try and charm Madam Rosemerta out of free drinks. I think she actually liked us... she would smile every time we would come in and every once and a while she would join us for a drink. I wonder how she is doing now.?

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Snap out of it Padfoot, this is not getting you into the town. You're avoiding the situation. You need to get the paper to find a broom.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

One step... Two steps... there we go... much better... we're on our way.

Shit, I have less time than I thought. I better hurry. The sun is going to go down soon. I wasted too much time debating with myself.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I see a trash bin over there... and there is no one around. Perhaps this is my lucky day.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Mmm... a half-eaten banger, but no paper. I'll have to keep looking. But I'm not leaving that banger behind.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I see another trash bin ahead, but there are some people around it. Fuck. What am I supposed to do? Wait until after dark? There is not a chance in hell I'm doing that.

Oh man, and that chap just tossed his paper into it.

Will I be so lucky as to get it?

I doubt it. My luck isn't that good. I've been having too many things go my way lately for this to be true.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I have to try and get that paper though... I need that paper because I NEED to get a broom.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeez, if anyone could hear me, they would think I had lost my mind. There are so many things going on in here though and it is just easier to talk to myself. I don't have anyone else who would listen.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

This is my chance, it looks like people are starting to get off the streets for the night.

This doesn't give me much time, but I'll have to take my chances.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I've got it... Ugh, it tastes like someone dumped their pipe on it.

Now run legs... run as fast as you can back to the shack. Don't let the Dementors catch you out here.

I'm going to have to wait until morning to read the paper. I don't dare light anything at night. Don't want anyone to see the light from the street.

I can wait until morning... at least I have the paper now. I don't think anything would be open today anyway, seeing as it is a Sunday. Even if we don't follow the Christian religion, seeing as we're all devils to them... we observe their day of rest. We need one too.

Rest is a good thing I guess, however, I've been getting too much of it lately.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

They are passing thrrough the town tonight. I can feel them moving. I know I can't change from a dog to a human. If I do, they'll find me.

I'm just glad I made it back to the shack before they started. It would not have been good if I had been out there.

However, I had just made it in. I'm very thankful I had had that paper in my mouth. I would have started howling otherwise, as it was, I whimpered as I made my way back in.

One thing I'm glad for, is that no one knows how to get in here. It's something Prongs and I created ourselves. It was for those times when we were helping Moony... not that it didn't come in handy at other times. Like now.

We created it so that it would only respond to two things... my bark, and Prongs whinny. I could probably make some modifications to it if I had too, but I'd need a wand and I don't have one of those right now.

I'm glad that Prongs convinced me we needed a secret door to this place. The funny thing is, we used the one that was already there to begin with. Prongs had done some research before coming to me, and had figured out a spell that would allow us to make structural changes to the building.

Now if the proper signal is given the door becomes an illusion and it stays that way for only sixteen seconds. Why sixteen? I think it was because we thought it was a cool number.

I can't even remember the name of the spell, but I do remember how long it took to get ready. It took us almost three months to get the stupid thing together. We didn't want to tell Moony or Wormtail until we had it finished... so that's part of the reason it took so long to get it together.

The reason we didn't tell Moony was because we didn't want him to feel bad. It wasn't that we didn't trust him, but we couldn't let a werewolf free in Hogsmeade. He wasn't quite himself those nights. We did everything we could for him though.

And we didn't tell Wormtail because he was totally inept at potions. If it hasn't been for Prongs and I, he would have never passed his classes, nor would he have ever become an Animagi.

It was kind of funny in Potions class though. Snape could send poor Wormy into fits. He drove Wormtail up the wall, though, I'm sure the reverse was true as well. They were partners in class and Wormy would be in fits by the end of class. Prongs and I would spend that night teaching him how to do the spells right. This would happen after EVERY Potions class.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The Dementors are leaving again, I can feel their pull easing off. I can go to sleep now then. In the morning I'll look though the paper, and hopefully find something.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I hate sleeping after the Dementors pass through the town. I had horrendous nightmares last night.

I didn't wake up from them, but they were bad enough that I changed back into a human. I woke up curled up in a little ball in the middle of the bed.

I dreamed that Harry was dead, and that Wormtail was the one to kill him. I kept trying to get there to help, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get there in time. I have to save him... I won't let that dream come true.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Now that it is daylight, or the very beginning of daylight, I can read the paper.

I hope to find something in it. I don't want yesterday to have been in vain. At least having the paper will allow me the chance to catch upon the wizarding world. I feel very out of touch. Not that they want me to be in touch. They put me in prison for a crime I didn't commit.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

It looks like Reta did get a job with the paper, and is as scathing as ever. Looks like she doesn't like the way the Gringotts curse breakers look. I personally don't mind long hair.

Wait a minute... Bill Weasley... that's the same last name as the family that has been harboring Wormtail all these years. I wonder if he's one of the ones from the picture.

Not that it matters, I'm looking for a broom.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Here we are, a broom ad...

'THE FIREBOLT
This state of the art racing broom sports a streamlined, superfine handle of ash, treated with a diamond-hard polish and hand-numbered with it's own registration number. Each individually selected birch twig in the broomtail has been honed to aerodynamic perfection, giving the Firebolt unsurpassable balance and pinpoint precision. The Firebolt has an acceleration of 0-150 miles an hour in ten seconds and incorporates an unbreakable braking charm. Price on request.'1

That's it. That's the broom I'm going to get Harry. It really shouldn't be made that much of a dent in my account at Gringotts. With what my parents left me and what I made in my first year at the Ministry, money really isn't a problem I ever had.

Now on the other hand a problem I do have is how am I to access my account?

I could always writ them a letter telling them to access the money from my account, but if the letter is in my name...

I know! Though Harry doesn't know it, he has access to my account. After my parents died I made up a Will, with my friends as the benefactors, just incase of my untimely death. When Harry was born, I changed the Will so that he would be the sole benefactor. I also had his name put on my Gringotts account so that a lot of red tape would be bypassed. I never intended to tell him that I did this. Hell, I didn't even tell Prongs. Though the reason I didn't tell him is because he would have hit me upside the head for doing it.

I had forgotten about it myself really. It wasn't the most prominent thing on my mind.

Now all I need is some parchment, and a way to send it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

How am I going to get parchment? And a quill? I could always sneak back up to the school and steal it from there... or I could go back into town. Either way, I take a big chance at being caught. So many people must be looking out for me.

I need to get my hands on some parchment though.

I'll figure something out and either I'll go up to the castle tonight, or I'll go back into town tomorrow.

I need to hunt tonight anyways... that banger just wasn't enough to feed me for two days.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

1 - copied from page 43 of the Hard cover American version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban