CHAPTER TWELVE
THE ANIMAGUS OF AZKABAN PRISON
Sirius Black clutched the smuggled Daily Prophet tightly in his hands. It was January, 1993, and he was looking for confirmation of the rumor that something was very wrong at Hogwarts. As usual, nothing could be found in the paper about the story of a monster loose inside the school. He scowled at the paper and threw it to the ground of the court yard. He looked at his friend Gregory McBride with a look of disgust upon his face.
"Nothing," Sirius growled, "nothing! It appears the Ministry is covering the attacks up, if indeed they have occurred."
He stamped the paper with his foot a good few times then closed his eyes with pain. Stomach cramps again. He got over the pain and said, "Some times I wonder if Voldemort was indeed defeated."
McBride flinched at the sound of the Dark Lord's name.
"Come off it," Sirius chuckled, "it's better to say his name."
Whatever." Gregory replied.
The lack of news from the outside had given Sirius a real hard time. He did not like being cooped up in this godforsaken prison and he couldn't help but wonder why no one had come forward to say that he, Sirius Black, may be innocent. Why do I continue to see light at the end of the tunnel, Sirius asked himself. I've been in here for just under twelve years and if no one had come forward with evidence to support my story in '81, then no one would come forward now. He shrugged thoughts of proving him innocent aside and turned back to the matter at hand.
"Well," Sirius sighed, "I wonder if Harry's alive, what with these attacks on students."
"Sirius, if Harry was indeed dead, the Daily Prophet would make it front page news, wouldn't they." Gregory said smartly.
"Not likely, mate," began Sirius, looking grim, "Harry defeated Voldemort and no one would want to print that he's dead. I just wish I could get a hold of Remus Lupin."
"Who's Remus Lupin?"
"He was a friend of mine before I was sent to this hell hole." Sirius answered.
That night, Sirius did something that he hadn't done in almost twelve years. He was too emotional that night, because he was too concerned for the safety of his Godson. The Dementors, seeing this as probably their last chance to feed off of Black's emotions, converged at his cell. Sirius became cold and his eyes started to roll back into his head.
"No." he hissed.
There was nothing that he saw that could be done about it. He had no wand so he couldn't fight them off. And even if he did have a wand, he was weak and they were too many. He tried to close his mind off but to no avail. So, as a last resort, he decided to try and become a Dog. After all, he was an animagus. He began to concentrate, but screaming began to overtake his mind. Voices could be heard in his head, his own voice,
"No...JAMES...LILY...PETTIGREW, YOU BASTARD, I'LL KILL YOU!"
No, he thought, think about the dog, concentrate on the dog. The screaming began to fade. Yes, that's it, think of the dog. He now had the dog pictured in his mind. He smiled and thought, Padfoot. A few moments later the man known as Sirius Black was no longer sitting in cell 323, but a large, black dog, by the name of Padfoot, was.
Sirius saw in black and white now, and he could see the Dementors, at least forty, standing beside his cell. He thought he could sense feelings of triumphs emitting from cloaked monsters. Slowly, they began to move away, and Sirius Black was left alone. A few minutes later, seeing that the coast was now clear, the dog transformed back into a man. Sirius Black was now able to transform into animal form again.
Padfoot, my old friend, Sirius thought with a smile on his face, you saved my ass again. Just for Karma's sake, Sirius tried to transform again, and did it successfully. Upon becoming a man again Sirius realized that he had achieved a major victory in his continuing battle with Azkaban Prison. I know how to fight them, he thought, and there is nothing they can do to stop me. Luckily, the Dementors did not have eyes, they relied of the feelings and emotions of humans to guide them. So, as long as he kept his secret from everybody, he could change into a dog when the power of the Azkaban Guards became too much.
Sirius was in a better mood when he went to sleep that night, knowing full well that his changing into an animagus for the first time in over twelve years had probably been a minor victory, but a victory that could prove to be decisive in the end. Whatever decisive victory it would be, Sirius did not know. He only knew of what was lain out in front of him. He only knew of one thing now, one constant, and that was Azkaban. He had no idea that in seven months time he would be using Padfoot to do attempt to do something that no other prisoner in Azkaban had succeeded in doing.
Once again Sirius was back at Hogwarts with his best friends. They were in the Gryffindor Common Room. Sirius, James, and Peter were confronting Remus about the revelation that they had just uncovered about Lupin.
"Remus," James said, "we know what you are and there is no hiding it from up this time."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Remus said shakily, "Really James I need to finish this essay."
"Oh come off it," Sirius growled, "We know that you're a werewolf and if you're concerned about us hating you then stop worrying, we have no intention of stripping away our friendship toward you."
"I don't know what you mean," Remus continued, now looking at James, "I don't know where you and Sirius came up with such a far-fetched tale and I don't care. I am not a werewolf or anything else. I leave the castle to visit my—
"Sick old mum." Sirius finished for him.
It was now Peter's turn to speak up, "Remus, I believe Sirius and James and I also have no intention of leaving you either, werewolf or not."
Remus was obviously doing some quick thinking, he then spoke very slowly and very cautiously, "Well...I guess there's no point in hiding the fact I'm a werewolf anymore," he smiled and then said, "You swear you won't stop being my friend."
"We swear," Said the other three together.
"As a matter of fact," Sirius began, smiling broadly, "I may know a way that we can help you Remus."
"How can you help me?"
"Yeah, how?" asked James curiously.
"We become animagi." Sirius said simply.
THE ANIMAGUS OF AZKABAN PRISON
Sirius Black clutched the smuggled Daily Prophet tightly in his hands. It was January, 1993, and he was looking for confirmation of the rumor that something was very wrong at Hogwarts. As usual, nothing could be found in the paper about the story of a monster loose inside the school. He scowled at the paper and threw it to the ground of the court yard. He looked at his friend Gregory McBride with a look of disgust upon his face.
"Nothing," Sirius growled, "nothing! It appears the Ministry is covering the attacks up, if indeed they have occurred."
He stamped the paper with his foot a good few times then closed his eyes with pain. Stomach cramps again. He got over the pain and said, "Some times I wonder if Voldemort was indeed defeated."
McBride flinched at the sound of the Dark Lord's name.
"Come off it," Sirius chuckled, "it's better to say his name."
Whatever." Gregory replied.
The lack of news from the outside had given Sirius a real hard time. He did not like being cooped up in this godforsaken prison and he couldn't help but wonder why no one had come forward to say that he, Sirius Black, may be innocent. Why do I continue to see light at the end of the tunnel, Sirius asked himself. I've been in here for just under twelve years and if no one had come forward with evidence to support my story in '81, then no one would come forward now. He shrugged thoughts of proving him innocent aside and turned back to the matter at hand.
"Well," Sirius sighed, "I wonder if Harry's alive, what with these attacks on students."
"Sirius, if Harry was indeed dead, the Daily Prophet would make it front page news, wouldn't they." Gregory said smartly.
"Not likely, mate," began Sirius, looking grim, "Harry defeated Voldemort and no one would want to print that he's dead. I just wish I could get a hold of Remus Lupin."
"Who's Remus Lupin?"
"He was a friend of mine before I was sent to this hell hole." Sirius answered.
That night, Sirius did something that he hadn't done in almost twelve years. He was too emotional that night, because he was too concerned for the safety of his Godson. The Dementors, seeing this as probably their last chance to feed off of Black's emotions, converged at his cell. Sirius became cold and his eyes started to roll back into his head.
"No." he hissed.
There was nothing that he saw that could be done about it. He had no wand so he couldn't fight them off. And even if he did have a wand, he was weak and they were too many. He tried to close his mind off but to no avail. So, as a last resort, he decided to try and become a Dog. After all, he was an animagus. He began to concentrate, but screaming began to overtake his mind. Voices could be heard in his head, his own voice,
"No...JAMES...LILY...PETTIGREW, YOU BASTARD, I'LL KILL YOU!"
No, he thought, think about the dog, concentrate on the dog. The screaming began to fade. Yes, that's it, think of the dog. He now had the dog pictured in his mind. He smiled and thought, Padfoot. A few moments later the man known as Sirius Black was no longer sitting in cell 323, but a large, black dog, by the name of Padfoot, was.
Sirius saw in black and white now, and he could see the Dementors, at least forty, standing beside his cell. He thought he could sense feelings of triumphs emitting from cloaked monsters. Slowly, they began to move away, and Sirius Black was left alone. A few minutes later, seeing that the coast was now clear, the dog transformed back into a man. Sirius Black was now able to transform into animal form again.
Padfoot, my old friend, Sirius thought with a smile on his face, you saved my ass again. Just for Karma's sake, Sirius tried to transform again, and did it successfully. Upon becoming a man again Sirius realized that he had achieved a major victory in his continuing battle with Azkaban Prison. I know how to fight them, he thought, and there is nothing they can do to stop me. Luckily, the Dementors did not have eyes, they relied of the feelings and emotions of humans to guide them. So, as long as he kept his secret from everybody, he could change into a dog when the power of the Azkaban Guards became too much.
Sirius was in a better mood when he went to sleep that night, knowing full well that his changing into an animagus for the first time in over twelve years had probably been a minor victory, but a victory that could prove to be decisive in the end. Whatever decisive victory it would be, Sirius did not know. He only knew of what was lain out in front of him. He only knew of one thing now, one constant, and that was Azkaban. He had no idea that in seven months time he would be using Padfoot to do attempt to do something that no other prisoner in Azkaban had succeeded in doing.
Once again Sirius was back at Hogwarts with his best friends. They were in the Gryffindor Common Room. Sirius, James, and Peter were confronting Remus about the revelation that they had just uncovered about Lupin.
"Remus," James said, "we know what you are and there is no hiding it from up this time."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Remus said shakily, "Really James I need to finish this essay."
"Oh come off it," Sirius growled, "We know that you're a werewolf and if you're concerned about us hating you then stop worrying, we have no intention of stripping away our friendship toward you."
"I don't know what you mean," Remus continued, now looking at James, "I don't know where you and Sirius came up with such a far-fetched tale and I don't care. I am not a werewolf or anything else. I leave the castle to visit my—
"Sick old mum." Sirius finished for him.
It was now Peter's turn to speak up, "Remus, I believe Sirius and James and I also have no intention of leaving you either, werewolf or not."
Remus was obviously doing some quick thinking, he then spoke very slowly and very cautiously, "Well...I guess there's no point in hiding the fact I'm a werewolf anymore," he smiled and then said, "You swear you won't stop being my friend."
"We swear," Said the other three together.
"As a matter of fact," Sirius began, smiling broadly, "I may know a way that we can help you Remus."
"How can you help me?"
"Yeah, how?" asked James curiously.
"We become animagi." Sirius said simply.