Summary: Azkaban. A place known to some as Hell. A prisoner has a visit from the Ministry of Magic himself and sees something that makes him determined to escape Hell itself.
Author's Notes: You know, I feel really bad about not updating Of Hidden Truths, but seriously, I just need some more time before I update again. Sorry to all my readers if they're reading this! I'll be working on Chapter Fifteen but it may be a while yet before I finally get it out. Again, my apologies!
Disclaimer: Own nothing. Don't sue. ^.^"
"Yeah...you're just a devious little tyke, aren't ya? Aren't ya!"
"Pah-foo'!"
"Stop tormenting my son before I get a leash on you, Padfoot."
"Aw...come on, Lily. He likes it when I torment him. Don't ya? Don't ya!"
"Pah-foo'!"
He was innocent...
"Dumbledore's orders."
"It's all right, Harry..."
He was innocent.
"LILY AND JAMES, SIRIUS!"
Their bodies lay side by side, having been pulled out of the rubble by their loyal friend. James looked to have been beaten before finally being granted the mercy of death--
"HOW COULD YOU?"
He was innocent!
"Just be careful, Padfoot..."
--which seemed to have been what his friend had been waiting for, judging by his closed eyes and the blank expression on his face. Lily, however, had a less peaceful look. Her eyes were still open, brilliant green--
HE WAS INNOCENT!
"Great. Now there's two pairs of eyes I won't be able to say no to..."
--staring at nothing, an almost pained expression. The sight brought tears to his eyes just as he heard a baby's wailing.
Harry...
"I'm innocent!" he shouted as he jerked awake. For a long moment, he forgot where he was, his thoughts muddled from the Dementors. When he could think a little more clearly, he realized that the Dementors were backing off a bit.
Either it was food or a new prisoner. The thought of food made his stomach lurch.
It turned out to be neither. The Minister was coming by.
He stood, a bit shaky but still entirely capable of doing so without needing to lean against the wall for support. He blinked at the man he could see standing outside of his cell, looking in. Well, he thought dryly, if it wasn't Pudgy Fudgy.
Minister Fudge stared at the supposed murderer of thirteen people as well as the Potters, a newspaper clenched in his hand. He must have been afraid of how...sane he appeared to be. Most passing Aurors were.
He grinned toothily at the Minister before gesturing to his cell and saying with a gutteral sound to his voice, "Welcome to my humble abode."
The Minister started at that before nodding to an Auror who slid in some food, which he stared at moodily. It appeared that you only obtained 'priviledges' when there was a visitor.
He, however, was now staring at the newspaper in Fudge's hands. "You mind?" he asked, pointing to the newspaper. "I've missed doing the crosswords and it gets dull in here after a while."
Lying through his teeth, but nothing says 'fear me' better than nonchalance.
Again the Minister started, surprised by his lucidness. "Of-of course," said Fudge before handing the newspaper to the Auror, who slid it beside the food.
He had learned long ago that Aurors didn't like prisoners near the bars, but also long ago, the Aurors learned that he didn't care. So he walked up and snatched the newspaper, opening it to see a picture of a group of wizards and two witches--a family--Weasleys standing in front of pyramids.
"I've heard you were shouting about innocence, Black." The bluntness made him look up to the Minister coolly before he looked back to the picture with a frown.
"Quoting a friend of mine," he muttered as his eye caught something.
A rat. A very familiar rat with a missing front toe sat on a boy's shoulder. He quickly studied the boy. He was young--Hogwarts age--
He froze and looked quickly at the date, his heat racing. July, 1993. Oh, Merlin...Harry was at Hogwarts--Gryffindor most likely, and Weasleys were always Gryffindors--
The rat was at Hogwarts!
"...become like the others," he heard Fudge mutter to the Auror, who looked dubious.
He mentally scowled at them. He certainly wasn't a Muggle zoo animal! His mind, however, went back to Hogwarts. He had to get there. Get there, grab the rat, and prove his innocence--probably getting custody of Harry as well...
Padfoot sure had his usefulness.
"...be late for a meeting," the Minister muttered as the Auror nodded, turning to lead him away.
"Thanks for the paper!" he called to them, grinning at Fudge, who had started for the third time.
When they left, he started to feel the effect of the Dementors but pushed it away as he focused on the picture again. He had to sit after a moment as he slowly felt several Dementors coming over, feeding off of his anger and spite. He hardly cared; he'd grown used to the voices of memories--the images, however...
He shivered but continued to stare at the picture. Padfoot would get him out of here. Padfoot wasn't as affected by Dementors as he was, as he had first learned years before. In order to make the escape work, he needed a distraction...
He lifted the wailing child from the rubble, staring bewildedly at him before looking back to his parents and swallowing hard. He closed his eyes as he brought Harry closer to him, murmuring words in his ear before he felt the boy pull his hair.
He looked down to see a jagged cut on the babe's forehead, barely covered by his small tuft of wild raven locks--
He woke with a start, realizing he'd passed out at some point. Surprisingly, things were quiet in Azkaban...
Then he knew why.
A scream pierced the air. A dying prisoner had the Dementors' attention. Distraction, he thought grimly before turning into Padfoot and squeezing through the bars.
Author's Notes: Well, that's it for that one. Hope you all enjoyed! ^.~!
Author's Notes: You know, I feel really bad about not updating Of Hidden Truths, but seriously, I just need some more time before I update again. Sorry to all my readers if they're reading this! I'll be working on Chapter Fifteen but it may be a while yet before I finally get it out. Again, my apologies!
Disclaimer: Own nothing. Don't sue. ^.^"
"Yeah...you're just a devious little tyke, aren't ya? Aren't ya!"
"Pah-foo'!"
"Stop tormenting my son before I get a leash on you, Padfoot."
"Aw...come on, Lily. He likes it when I torment him. Don't ya? Don't ya!"
"Pah-foo'!"
He was innocent...
"Dumbledore's orders."
"It's all right, Harry..."
He was innocent.
"LILY AND JAMES, SIRIUS!"
Their bodies lay side by side, having been pulled out of the rubble by their loyal friend. James looked to have been beaten before finally being granted the mercy of death--
"HOW COULD YOU?"
He was innocent!
"Just be careful, Padfoot..."
--which seemed to have been what his friend had been waiting for, judging by his closed eyes and the blank expression on his face. Lily, however, had a less peaceful look. Her eyes were still open, brilliant green--
HE WAS INNOCENT!
"Great. Now there's two pairs of eyes I won't be able to say no to..."
--staring at nothing, an almost pained expression. The sight brought tears to his eyes just as he heard a baby's wailing.
Harry...
"I'm innocent!" he shouted as he jerked awake. For a long moment, he forgot where he was, his thoughts muddled from the Dementors. When he could think a little more clearly, he realized that the Dementors were backing off a bit.
Either it was food or a new prisoner. The thought of food made his stomach lurch.
It turned out to be neither. The Minister was coming by.
He stood, a bit shaky but still entirely capable of doing so without needing to lean against the wall for support. He blinked at the man he could see standing outside of his cell, looking in. Well, he thought dryly, if it wasn't Pudgy Fudgy.
Minister Fudge stared at the supposed murderer of thirteen people as well as the Potters, a newspaper clenched in his hand. He must have been afraid of how...sane he appeared to be. Most passing Aurors were.
He grinned toothily at the Minister before gesturing to his cell and saying with a gutteral sound to his voice, "Welcome to my humble abode."
The Minister started at that before nodding to an Auror who slid in some food, which he stared at moodily. It appeared that you only obtained 'priviledges' when there was a visitor.
He, however, was now staring at the newspaper in Fudge's hands. "You mind?" he asked, pointing to the newspaper. "I've missed doing the crosswords and it gets dull in here after a while."
Lying through his teeth, but nothing says 'fear me' better than nonchalance.
Again the Minister started, surprised by his lucidness. "Of-of course," said Fudge before handing the newspaper to the Auror, who slid it beside the food.
He had learned long ago that Aurors didn't like prisoners near the bars, but also long ago, the Aurors learned that he didn't care. So he walked up and snatched the newspaper, opening it to see a picture of a group of wizards and two witches--a family--Weasleys standing in front of pyramids.
"I've heard you were shouting about innocence, Black." The bluntness made him look up to the Minister coolly before he looked back to the picture with a frown.
"Quoting a friend of mine," he muttered as his eye caught something.
A rat. A very familiar rat with a missing front toe sat on a boy's shoulder. He quickly studied the boy. He was young--Hogwarts age--
He froze and looked quickly at the date, his heat racing. July, 1993. Oh, Merlin...Harry was at Hogwarts--Gryffindor most likely, and Weasleys were always Gryffindors--
The rat was at Hogwarts!
"...become like the others," he heard Fudge mutter to the Auror, who looked dubious.
He mentally scowled at them. He certainly wasn't a Muggle zoo animal! His mind, however, went back to Hogwarts. He had to get there. Get there, grab the rat, and prove his innocence--probably getting custody of Harry as well...
Padfoot sure had his usefulness.
"...be late for a meeting," the Minister muttered as the Auror nodded, turning to lead him away.
"Thanks for the paper!" he called to them, grinning at Fudge, who had started for the third time.
When they left, he started to feel the effect of the Dementors but pushed it away as he focused on the picture again. He had to sit after a moment as he slowly felt several Dementors coming over, feeding off of his anger and spite. He hardly cared; he'd grown used to the voices of memories--the images, however...
He shivered but continued to stare at the picture. Padfoot would get him out of here. Padfoot wasn't as affected by Dementors as he was, as he had first learned years before. In order to make the escape work, he needed a distraction...
He lifted the wailing child from the rubble, staring bewildedly at him before looking back to his parents and swallowing hard. He closed his eyes as he brought Harry closer to him, murmuring words in his ear before he felt the boy pull his hair.
He looked down to see a jagged cut on the babe's forehead, barely covered by his small tuft of wild raven locks--
He woke with a start, realizing he'd passed out at some point. Surprisingly, things were quiet in Azkaban...
Then he knew why.
A scream pierced the air. A dying prisoner had the Dementors' attention. Distraction, he thought grimly before turning into Padfoot and squeezing through the bars.
Author's Notes: Well, that's it for that one. Hope you all enjoyed! ^.~!