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Chapter: Acquaintances

Title: The Prisoner of Azkaban

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When there's no one else
Look inside yourself
Like your oldest friend
Just trust the voice within
Then you'll find the strength
That will guide your way
If you will learn to begin 
To trust the voice within
               -Christina Aguilera 

Sirius hadn't realized that twelve years had passed since his arrival in Azkaban. It was news to him.

But, everything started to change one morning. Something that would completely change his life.

Sirius groaned once again from an uneasy sleep. What had roused him? Oh right, voices that didn't sound deranged. Voices of-

"Hagrid, really. They're just d-dementors. Nothing to be fr-frightened of really," the apprehensive voice of Cornelius Fudge echoed through in and out of each cell.

"Ye sure ye're not makin' any sort 'a mistake?" the booming voice of Hagrid asked.

Sirius almost choked. Hagrid? In Azkaban? Was this like Opposite Day and no one told him?

"Hagrid, we've reviewed your files over a thousand times. Do you really think the ministry could make any mistakes about who is innocent and who is guilty? Tsk, tsk."

Sirius' nails dug into his palm. How dare Fudge talk like that to Hagrid. Damn, the half-giant would never hurt a flobberworm! If anything give it a little hug.

"I understand. But I'm tellin' ya, I never did it!" the half-giant pleaded. Fudge merely chuckled nervously.

"I'm sorry Hagrid. You're as innocent as Sirius Black."

He is, isn't he? Sirius thought to himself.

After a sound of a click of a lock and a swish of robes Sirius knew that Fudge was trying to walk out of Azkaban as fast as possible.

When he heard a door slam he turned face the wall. Beyond the wall was another cell. The cell of Rubeus Hagrid.

"Hagrid!" Sirius called hoarsely but quietly. He waited for a reply.

"S-Sirius?" came the worried reply after a while. Sirius's shoulders relaxed.

"That's me. Oh, and don't be frightened because I can't do anything at all. Not even magic. So you're safe," Sirius told Hagrid softly.

Hagrid whimpered. Sirius knew he was remembering something horrible. "It's okay, Hagrid. Just remember that you're innocent, as I suspect you really are. So tell me, why did the ministry put you in Azkaban?"

It took a while for the half-giant to reply. But he answered with, "They thought I opened the Ch-Ch-Chamber of Se-Secrets."

Sirius froze. Who really did open the Chamber of Secrets?

"Some 'o the kids think maybe Harry Potter opened it 'cause he can speak Parseltongue," Hagrid said.

Sirius's eyes widened with shock. Harry, his godson, could speak Parseltongue? That was crazy!

"Tell me about Harry," Sirius urged. "I can't do anything to him. I want to know how my godson is."

"Well, I think he's broken the record o' most times in the Hospital Wing for two years. Course durin' a Quidditch game after he'd caught the Snitch, and-"

"Wait, he plays Quidditch? And he's only in his second year! Bet he was watching last year so he could get on the team this year, right?" Sirius asked curiously.

Hagrid didn't answer. He most likely either had a horrible memory, or thought something fishy was going on with Sirius (that murderin' traitor).

Sirius sighed. Fun was over. Back to bad thoughts and thinking he was the traitor. He knew he'd start having nightmares again over and over and over again of Hagrid taking Harry away. It was really the memory that stood out the most than all the others. He hated thinking of Hagrid like that. The half-giant was the most caring kind of person he had ever met. It wasn't necessarily Hagrid's fault that Harry had to live at the Dursley's. Sometimes he even thought it was Albus Dumbledore's fault.  But sometimes he had to sometimes force himself not to think of that kind of stuff, often times it was hard not to.

Sirius didn't know how long Hagrid was in Azkaban.  He didn't know how long he would be able to keep sane. He didn't know how long he would be in Azkaban, or if he'd ever escape. He didn't know how long he'd survive, or when he died for that matter.

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Somehow, Sirius knew that Hagrid was gone. He was sure that the Aurors came to pick him because he was innocent and during the night.

He curled up in a corner of his cell. He wanted to follow Hagrid back into the real world. He wanted to get his old Auror job back. He wanted to run against Fudge for Minister of Magic. He wanted to be snogging his brainy blonde.

Having Hagrid here, and having him leave gave Sirius hope. Hope that the innocent did make it out sooner or later. Unfortunately for him later.

But it wasn't much later when Fudge came strolling (rather shakily) down the Azkaban halls. The swish of his robes made some other prisoners awaken. Sirius mentally snorted at how stupid the man was.

Fudge stopped at his cell and peered inside content that the "Death Eater" wasn't able to hurt him. Sirius got a little annoyed with him staring.

"It's not polite to stare," the convict said. Fudge jumped.

"You're-you're-" Fudge stuttered.

Sirius sighed. "Do we have to go through with this every time you do 'inspections', as you call them?" he asked impatiently. Noticing a Daily Prophet in the minister's hand he wondered what was going on in the wizarding world. Strange, when Sirius wasn't convicted he used to hate reading the newspaper in fear of seeing new killings.

"Yeah well, are you finished with that paper, minister? I really miss doing the the the," rack your brains, Black! "Cross word puzzles."

Fudge thought. Maybe the man is mad. "Er, sure. I'm finished with it anyway."

"Thank you," Sirius said taking the newspaper from the minister.

Fudge looked about ready to dash out of the fortress as fast as his legs could take him. "Good day, Black," he said before walking very quickly from Azkaban's fortress.

Sirius sighed. Let's see what the cat dragged in today. He took a look at the front cover. Yeah…Weasleys win grand prize…yada…10000 galleons…returning to Hogwarts…

He looked at the moving photograph. Hm, huge family. He knew the Weasleys. Molly Weasley was his second cousin something. She was what Sirius was, a blood traitor as the Black's called it and other purebloods.

Typical. One girl. Sirius snorted. Youngest boy with a rat on his shoulder. Hm, Molly looked as she always did. WAIT! Rat? Paw. Four little claws. Same coloration as Peter.

Wormtail.

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