I'll be the first to admit I don't particularly like this chapter. Many
continuity errors regarding the book, for example.....how does Sirius
transfigure something if he doesn't have a wand!!!!! I didn't like writing
it much because I was too busy thinking about the chapters that follow on
afterwards. It's more about laying the groundwork for the coolness of
Shrieking Shack! Chapter 6 will deal with the scene where he scares the
crap out of Ron, and then Chapters 7, 8, 9 the events surrounding and
concluding the Shrieking Shack; Chapter 10 will be an epilogue to end the
story.
Despite my own personal reservations, enjoy this chapter! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, appreciated as always. I am obsessed with reviews. I love them.
***************************
Chapter V
It was 3 weeks since Sirius arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had spent his time mostly in Animagus form, wondering the forbidden forest and surviving on meagre snacks and food brought to him by his newest friend.
This 'friend' was unusual though, and his uniqueness made him the perfect companion for a dog whose intelligence was far in advance of all other forest creatures.
It was a cat.
Conversation was impossible, but an effective form of animal communication had been developed over the first few days. Sirius had learnt through observation that the cat's owner was a third year Gryffindor student of the school, a female. The same year as Harry Potter. The same house as Harry Potter. Though not yet in any position physically to make his move, Sirius began to play scenarios and ideas in his mind as to how this girl and her pet could be manipulated. He needed to draw them away from the teaching staff and find the exact location of the boy who was in possession of Peter Pettigrew.
But he was making progress, and that was his priority. The first man to ever escape from Azkaban prison had made it up North and was sheltering quite comfortably in a small hollow underneath a tree.
Changing back into human form would be dangerous. The dementors had been released, and though they only guarded the school entrance itself he could feel their presence, even as Padfoot. They were angry. Angry that their integrity as prison guards had come into question and nothing would be better at restoring that integrity then the swift capture of Sirius Black, followed by the removal of his soul via some mouth-to-mouth action. Sirius couldn't speak for the dementors, but he definitely wasn't all that hot on the idea.
Eitherway, the cat had become quite skilled at stealthily making his way back into the forest with food.
Sirius' attempts to breach the castle had so far been mostly unsuccessful though. On the 31st October. He had successfully made his way past the dementors with ease; past Hagrid's old hut too and up into Gryffindor tower. It was Halloween, and the students and teachers were all occupied in the main hall with a feast. Sadly, his attempt to gain access had been thwarted by the fat lady.
Yes, the fat lady. 20 years on and Sirius was delighted to find she sat quite contentedly in her frame at the entrance to the common room. Just one sheet of canvas and wood between Sirius and Peter Pettigrew. Access to the common room meant access to the dormitories, and then it would be adios Peter. Sirius would just hide beneath one of the beds, ready to pop out and assimilate his enemy when he showed himself.
Anyway, that was how things were *supposed* to work, but the fat lady's exasperating obstinacy in allowing him access to the room was infuriating. He had no password, and subsequently had no method of gaining entry.
In a fit of anger before storming off, he transfigured a nearby candle into a knife and slashed the portrait fiercely, allowing the strips of canvas to rain down onto the carpet ruining the painting indefinitely. The fat lady had screamed of course and attempted to run off. Perhaps if she had made an effort over the prior two decades to take a moment on a treadmill, she would have been in a better physical condition to escape unharmed. Angry and irate, Sirius had retreated back into the forest.
And there he sat now, leaning in the hollow of his tree, scraping his initials into the bark with his newly acquired weapon.
Bitterly disappointed and painfully bored, he did not risk venturing out again for another week. On the 6th of November, the temperature was low and wind was crashing against the foliage, making the woods practically uninhabitable unless Sirius had a death wish. Not in the mood to be flattened by a falling tree he left the forest and wondered over to the Quidditch pitch, curious as to the commotion that was erupting. In the far distance, high above, several shadowy figures were swooping through the air on broomsticks, various balls whizzing around with them.
Eager for a closer look, Padfoot ran towards the bottom of the stairs leading to the stands, and ran quickly upwards. When he reached the top, there was fortunately an empty row of chairs behind the screaming first year children, and he clambered up to lean on the plastic seating. Though under the thick fog and rain it was difficult to see, he could just about make out the colours of Hufflepuff and Slytherin. And there, among the other players, he could just about see the black outline of a boy who bared an extraordinary resemblance to James Potter.
Despite being a dog, Sirius' eyes opened wider in surprise then they ever had before, as he gleefully watched his supposed Godson zooming around the pitch like a trained professional.
His joy was not to last though, and as quickly as he arrived he found himself obliged to leave.
Why ruin the moment?
It was inevitable the children in front would see him soon and he would rather leave with his dignity, having seen his Godson for the first time, then leave under a mound of excitable children all desperate to pat him on the head. He could feel the dementors too. They could sense something unusual. They didn't know the truth, but they felt something. Had Sirius not been an animagi, they would have swarmed the stadium before he even got a chance to reach it.
Sirius Black, Sirius White, Sirius Green, Sirius Blue, Sirius Yellow, Sirius Purple.
He left before the manic thoughts could take control, as they almost had done in Azkaban. He casually walked off back down the stairs and into the woods again, as the dementors began to slowly close in on the pitch.
*
The months drew on. Minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day. Sirius was used enough to the slow movement of time, having experienced so many years of imprisonment.
Even when Christmas came along again, he sat alone in his shelter, thinking of the past.
As thoughtful as ever, he put in an order for Harry's present - a new broomstick - sent to the Owl Office with instructions for the gold to be removed from his own vault
Finally, after a lifetime of repetitive monotony, on the morning of February 4th, Sirius awoke hastily as a gingery ball of fluff landed on his chest with a scrap of parchment in its mouth. He removed it quickly and began to read. In black ink a boy had written the word 'Oddsbodikins'. As Sirius contemplated the meaning of the word, he looked downwards at the cat.
It nodded.
A mutual understanding between the two suddenly appeared. This word was the week's password for the Gryffindor dormitory. Sirius smiled maliciously. Who would think that such a ridiculous sounding word could be such a vital component to fulfilling Sirius' greatest fantasies. That night, when the moon was hidden behind the clouds, and even Dumbledore was fast asleep, Sirius would have his revenge on Peter Pettigrew.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
Despite my own personal reservations, enjoy this chapter! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, appreciated as always. I am obsessed with reviews. I love them.
***************************
Chapter V
It was 3 weeks since Sirius arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had spent his time mostly in Animagus form, wondering the forbidden forest and surviving on meagre snacks and food brought to him by his newest friend.
This 'friend' was unusual though, and his uniqueness made him the perfect companion for a dog whose intelligence was far in advance of all other forest creatures.
It was a cat.
Conversation was impossible, but an effective form of animal communication had been developed over the first few days. Sirius had learnt through observation that the cat's owner was a third year Gryffindor student of the school, a female. The same year as Harry Potter. The same house as Harry Potter. Though not yet in any position physically to make his move, Sirius began to play scenarios and ideas in his mind as to how this girl and her pet could be manipulated. He needed to draw them away from the teaching staff and find the exact location of the boy who was in possession of Peter Pettigrew.
But he was making progress, and that was his priority. The first man to ever escape from Azkaban prison had made it up North and was sheltering quite comfortably in a small hollow underneath a tree.
Changing back into human form would be dangerous. The dementors had been released, and though they only guarded the school entrance itself he could feel their presence, even as Padfoot. They were angry. Angry that their integrity as prison guards had come into question and nothing would be better at restoring that integrity then the swift capture of Sirius Black, followed by the removal of his soul via some mouth-to-mouth action. Sirius couldn't speak for the dementors, but he definitely wasn't all that hot on the idea.
Eitherway, the cat had become quite skilled at stealthily making his way back into the forest with food.
Sirius' attempts to breach the castle had so far been mostly unsuccessful though. On the 31st October. He had successfully made his way past the dementors with ease; past Hagrid's old hut too and up into Gryffindor tower. It was Halloween, and the students and teachers were all occupied in the main hall with a feast. Sadly, his attempt to gain access had been thwarted by the fat lady.
Yes, the fat lady. 20 years on and Sirius was delighted to find she sat quite contentedly in her frame at the entrance to the common room. Just one sheet of canvas and wood between Sirius and Peter Pettigrew. Access to the common room meant access to the dormitories, and then it would be adios Peter. Sirius would just hide beneath one of the beds, ready to pop out and assimilate his enemy when he showed himself.
Anyway, that was how things were *supposed* to work, but the fat lady's exasperating obstinacy in allowing him access to the room was infuriating. He had no password, and subsequently had no method of gaining entry.
In a fit of anger before storming off, he transfigured a nearby candle into a knife and slashed the portrait fiercely, allowing the strips of canvas to rain down onto the carpet ruining the painting indefinitely. The fat lady had screamed of course and attempted to run off. Perhaps if she had made an effort over the prior two decades to take a moment on a treadmill, she would have been in a better physical condition to escape unharmed. Angry and irate, Sirius had retreated back into the forest.
And there he sat now, leaning in the hollow of his tree, scraping his initials into the bark with his newly acquired weapon.
Bitterly disappointed and painfully bored, he did not risk venturing out again for another week. On the 6th of November, the temperature was low and wind was crashing against the foliage, making the woods practically uninhabitable unless Sirius had a death wish. Not in the mood to be flattened by a falling tree he left the forest and wondered over to the Quidditch pitch, curious as to the commotion that was erupting. In the far distance, high above, several shadowy figures were swooping through the air on broomsticks, various balls whizzing around with them.
Eager for a closer look, Padfoot ran towards the bottom of the stairs leading to the stands, and ran quickly upwards. When he reached the top, there was fortunately an empty row of chairs behind the screaming first year children, and he clambered up to lean on the plastic seating. Though under the thick fog and rain it was difficult to see, he could just about make out the colours of Hufflepuff and Slytherin. And there, among the other players, he could just about see the black outline of a boy who bared an extraordinary resemblance to James Potter.
Despite being a dog, Sirius' eyes opened wider in surprise then they ever had before, as he gleefully watched his supposed Godson zooming around the pitch like a trained professional.
His joy was not to last though, and as quickly as he arrived he found himself obliged to leave.
Why ruin the moment?
It was inevitable the children in front would see him soon and he would rather leave with his dignity, having seen his Godson for the first time, then leave under a mound of excitable children all desperate to pat him on the head. He could feel the dementors too. They could sense something unusual. They didn't know the truth, but they felt something. Had Sirius not been an animagi, they would have swarmed the stadium before he even got a chance to reach it.
Sirius Black, Sirius White, Sirius Green, Sirius Blue, Sirius Yellow, Sirius Purple.
He left before the manic thoughts could take control, as they almost had done in Azkaban. He casually walked off back down the stairs and into the woods again, as the dementors began to slowly close in on the pitch.
*
The months drew on. Minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day. Sirius was used enough to the slow movement of time, having experienced so many years of imprisonment.
Even when Christmas came along again, he sat alone in his shelter, thinking of the past.
As thoughtful as ever, he put in an order for Harry's present - a new broomstick - sent to the Owl Office with instructions for the gold to be removed from his own vault
Finally, after a lifetime of repetitive monotony, on the morning of February 4th, Sirius awoke hastily as a gingery ball of fluff landed on his chest with a scrap of parchment in its mouth. He removed it quickly and began to read. In black ink a boy had written the word 'Oddsbodikins'. As Sirius contemplated the meaning of the word, he looked downwards at the cat.
It nodded.
A mutual understanding between the two suddenly appeared. This word was the week's password for the Gryffindor dormitory. Sirius smiled maliciously. Who would think that such a ridiculous sounding word could be such a vital component to fulfilling Sirius' greatest fantasies. That night, when the moon was hidden behind the clouds, and even Dumbledore was fast asleep, Sirius would have his revenge on Peter Pettigrew.
TO BE CONTINUED.....