Ch 3: A letter from Padfoot
The rest of the weekend came and went without any word from Sirius, and Harry grew worried. No letter from Sirius could have meant that Sirius was in danger. Or he could just be so far away that it would take an eternity for the letter to arrive. No, wait, he's at Lupin's, Harry thought that next Friday.
To Harry's relief Sirius letter arrived the very next day, that Saturday. Harry had awoken to Hedwig's loud squawks. Rolling out of bed he went up to the window, opened it, and saw a flash of white feathers flutter past him.
"Hedwig! Finally!" said Harry, as he rushed to untie the letter from her leg. "Did you have a long flight? You look spent."
Hedwig hooted softly, and Harry knew that she didn't mind the flight. She was a very faithful pet. Rain or shine, heat or freeze, she would do anything to get her job done.
Harry opened Sirius' letter and read.
Harry,
I'm fine. The question is, are you? Now, about this dream...Dumbledore reckons Voldemort has plans for this year...a bigger plan. Keep safe, and don't wander out by yourself. Ron and Hermione know, after what happened before now. I think Voldemort's killings before now are just his way of trying to scare us. The War is beginning, Harry...You need to watch out for yourself!
I've been reading the Daily Prophet lately. Many people are dying; Aurors, a tonne of Muggles, and even Death Eaters have died. Signs, Harry, signs. These are all signs of the fight ahead. I'm not saying 'grab your sabre and charge' I'm just saying watch your back, and DON'T trust anyone you don't know.
Sirius
P.S. Write back as soon as you can!
Harry folded the letter, his nerves unusually tight. War, and killings of Aurors and even Death Eaters? Well, Harry thought, Avery was one of them...But why would he kill them? They're with Voldemort, aren't they?
He made his way down to the common room, the letter clutched tightly in his hand. He found Ron and Hermione at a table in a corner of the room playing Wizards' Chess.
"Bishop to B 3," Ron laughed, standing up and walking over to Hermione's side. "What you need to do is... bring your Knight up here, that way you could get my King in Check - "
"Ergh, Ron! Do you have to do that?" Hermione joked. "I think I know how to play!"
"Okay...Okay, I guess you'll have to feel the extent of my wrath!" Ron said, pulling a goofy face.
Hermione giggled.
"You know, Ron, you should try that face more often," Harry said, walking up to the other two. His voice turned suddenly serious. "I got a reply from Sirius."
"Oh!" Ron and Hermione said in unison, running up to him, and reading the open letter over his shoulder.
"People are... dying?" Hermione asked when she had finished. "And why would he kill his own followers?"
"Yeah, I know," Harry said. "That's what I thought when I first read it - but Voldemort doesn't care about them...he doesn't care about anyone..."
"Er, I'm sure they've just made a mistake -" Ron said, running his fingers through his hair nervously.
"No, I don't think they've made a mistake," Harry said, looking worried. "In that dream thing I had, Avery died, remember, Ron? The Ministry hasn't made a mistake." He walked over to an empty chair and sat down. "They know better than anyone...and Muggles are dying too, no matter how much the Ministry hates to admit it..."
Ron gulped.
"Harry, could you do me a bit of a favour?" he asked. "Say, You-know-Who!"
The rest of the weekend came and went without any word from Sirius, and Harry grew worried. No letter from Sirius could have meant that Sirius was in danger. Or he could just be so far away that it would take an eternity for the letter to arrive. No, wait, he's at Lupin's, Harry thought that next Friday.
To Harry's relief Sirius letter arrived the very next day, that Saturday. Harry had awoken to Hedwig's loud squawks. Rolling out of bed he went up to the window, opened it, and saw a flash of white feathers flutter past him.
"Hedwig! Finally!" said Harry, as he rushed to untie the letter from her leg. "Did you have a long flight? You look spent."
Hedwig hooted softly, and Harry knew that she didn't mind the flight. She was a very faithful pet. Rain or shine, heat or freeze, she would do anything to get her job done.
Harry opened Sirius' letter and read.
Harry,
I'm fine. The question is, are you? Now, about this dream...Dumbledore reckons Voldemort has plans for this year...a bigger plan. Keep safe, and don't wander out by yourself. Ron and Hermione know, after what happened before now. I think Voldemort's killings before now are just his way of trying to scare us. The War is beginning, Harry...You need to watch out for yourself!
I've been reading the Daily Prophet lately. Many people are dying; Aurors, a tonne of Muggles, and even Death Eaters have died. Signs, Harry, signs. These are all signs of the fight ahead. I'm not saying 'grab your sabre and charge' I'm just saying watch your back, and DON'T trust anyone you don't know.
Sirius
P.S. Write back as soon as you can!
Harry folded the letter, his nerves unusually tight. War, and killings of Aurors and even Death Eaters? Well, Harry thought, Avery was one of them...But why would he kill them? They're with Voldemort, aren't they?
He made his way down to the common room, the letter clutched tightly in his hand. He found Ron and Hermione at a table in a corner of the room playing Wizards' Chess.
"Bishop to B 3," Ron laughed, standing up and walking over to Hermione's side. "What you need to do is... bring your Knight up here, that way you could get my King in Check - "
"Ergh, Ron! Do you have to do that?" Hermione joked. "I think I know how to play!"
"Okay...Okay, I guess you'll have to feel the extent of my wrath!" Ron said, pulling a goofy face.
Hermione giggled.
"You know, Ron, you should try that face more often," Harry said, walking up to the other two. His voice turned suddenly serious. "I got a reply from Sirius."
"Oh!" Ron and Hermione said in unison, running up to him, and reading the open letter over his shoulder.
"People are... dying?" Hermione asked when she had finished. "And why would he kill his own followers?"
"Yeah, I know," Harry said. "That's what I thought when I first read it - but Voldemort doesn't care about them...he doesn't care about anyone..."
"Er, I'm sure they've just made a mistake -" Ron said, running his fingers through his hair nervously.
"No, I don't think they've made a mistake," Harry said, looking worried. "In that dream thing I had, Avery died, remember, Ron? The Ministry hasn't made a mistake." He walked over to an empty chair and sat down. "They know better than anyone...and Muggles are dying too, no matter how much the Ministry hates to admit it..."
Ron gulped.
"Harry, could you do me a bit of a favour?" he asked. "Say, You-know-Who!"