CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A Prisoner from Hogwarts
It was nearly April when Sirius finally learned that the rumor about the attacks on the Muggle-Born's at Hogwarts was true. A week later, he learned that Harry Potter, his Godson, was indeed alive and well, and Sirius was allowed a sigh of relief.
"Thank God," Sirius said to McBride when he heard the good news on that Easter Sunday, "he's still safe." McBride smiled slightly before replying, "That's good news."
"Yes it is," Sirius said nodding, he had to try hard to keep from crying, "if James knew that anything had happened to Harry while I was still alive he'd probably kill me."
He jumped into the air, celebrating this fine bit of news. He'd better vent these good feelings before he returned to his cell. Gregory stood by and was watching Sirius with an amused expression on his face. Finally, Sirius was able to calm down, but was unable to get rid of the broad smile that covered his face. But the smile faded a few moments later as Sirius's brain began to work.
"What is it," asked McBride, "What's wrong?"
"He wouldn't." Sirius finally said, but to no one in particular.
"Who won't?" McBride asked, puzzled, "Who are you talking about?"
"Please God, don't let him have the same thinking pattern as his father." Sirius whined, ignoring Gregory's questions.
"Who?" McBride asked loudly.
"Harry, that's who." Sirius said, a look of panic and concern upon his face, "If he does indeed have a lot of his father in him, Harry would want to find out what is causing these attacks and would try to stop them."
Sirius sighed and turned away from McBride, Harry couldn't be that much like his father, could he? If he was like his father, Harry would begin to take too many risks and that's how James....NO, don't think like that.
April turned into May and with the new month came news from Hogwarts: Hagrid, the long time game keeper at Hogwarts, had been arrested and was on his way to Azkaban. Apparently they thought him to be the man responsible for these attacks on the Muggle-Born's. Sirius also learned that he would be kept in the low security wing, and decided that they really didn't think Hagrid the culprit, they just were putting him there as a precaution and also to silence the cries for action that were coming from the school governors. Rumor had it, Dumbledore had been sacked as well.
It didn't seem right to Sirius, Hagrid just wasn't capable of harming the students, it just wasn't in his character. And Hagrid was a member in the Order of the Phoenix, and a very vital member at that. He wouldn't attack a Muggle-born because he was one of the people during the War that had been DEFENDING the muggles and the Muggle-Born's. And why had they sacked Dumbledore? What was he doing wrong? Surely they wouldn't sack the most powerful wizard in the world when evil events were taking place inside the very school that he oversaw.
He knew that Hagrid was innocent. They had the wrong man, because Hagrid, god bless his soul, wouldn't hurt a fly, even if it was trying to kill him. But, seeing that he was in Azkaban, Sirius couldn't do any research to prove his point. I hate this place, Sirius said to himself, it's boring and it's cut off from the rest of the world.
That night, with all these thoughts and ideas running through his head, the power of the Dementors became too much for him again. So, as he had done before, he transformed into Padfoot in the hopes of keeping his mind safe. It worked and the Dementors again thought that Sirius Black was finally beginning to lose his mind. And, once again, they were DEAD wrong.
Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus had been in the library all week doing research on animagi. Each night they had returned to their dormitory with a new book to study and with each book they poured over, their knowledge on the subject began to gradually develop into an expertise.
"Well," Remus began, a hint of sleepiness in his voice, "this seems to be very, very complicated magic. Are you guys sure you can pull it off? I mean, if something goes wrong--
"Nothing's going to go wrong," James interrupted, "don't you realize that, if we didn't think that we could pull it off, we wouldn't be wasting our weekend by reading books?"
"Yeah, Remus," Sirius began with a smile on his face, "we wouldn't be reading up on animagi if we didn't care."
"Can you explain something to me?" Peter asked, his brow furrowed, "How can we help Remus with his--er--condition by becoming animagi?"
"Well," James began, "A werewolf is only a danger to humans and he can't hurt other animals by biting them. So as long as we're animals, we will be safe. And hopefully, keep the werewolf from mentally taking control of him."
"Yeah," Sirius began, "By becoming animagi we may be able to keep Remus with us when he's a werewolf."
"MAY is the key word," Remus said, "if it doesn't work, well, I'm screwed."
"It WILL work," James said seriously, "It has to work."
"And it will." Remus replied, trying to sound positive.
"Yeah, we'll see." breathed Sirius.
"This was your idea, Sirius," James began, raising his voice in a playful way, "If it doesn't work we'll blame it on you. And I'll--I'll-- I'll hex you."
"Jesus, James, keep off the caffeine," Sirius sneered, "You're stuttering is killing me."
They laughed loudly with this new joke from Sirius. The four of them didn't realize it at the time, but that night, their fates were sealed.
A Prisoner from Hogwarts
It was nearly April when Sirius finally learned that the rumor about the attacks on the Muggle-Born's at Hogwarts was true. A week later, he learned that Harry Potter, his Godson, was indeed alive and well, and Sirius was allowed a sigh of relief.
"Thank God," Sirius said to McBride when he heard the good news on that Easter Sunday, "he's still safe." McBride smiled slightly before replying, "That's good news."
"Yes it is," Sirius said nodding, he had to try hard to keep from crying, "if James knew that anything had happened to Harry while I was still alive he'd probably kill me."
He jumped into the air, celebrating this fine bit of news. He'd better vent these good feelings before he returned to his cell. Gregory stood by and was watching Sirius with an amused expression on his face. Finally, Sirius was able to calm down, but was unable to get rid of the broad smile that covered his face. But the smile faded a few moments later as Sirius's brain began to work.
"What is it," asked McBride, "What's wrong?"
"He wouldn't." Sirius finally said, but to no one in particular.
"Who won't?" McBride asked, puzzled, "Who are you talking about?"
"Please God, don't let him have the same thinking pattern as his father." Sirius whined, ignoring Gregory's questions.
"Who?" McBride asked loudly.
"Harry, that's who." Sirius said, a look of panic and concern upon his face, "If he does indeed have a lot of his father in him, Harry would want to find out what is causing these attacks and would try to stop them."
Sirius sighed and turned away from McBride, Harry couldn't be that much like his father, could he? If he was like his father, Harry would begin to take too many risks and that's how James....NO, don't think like that.
April turned into May and with the new month came news from Hogwarts: Hagrid, the long time game keeper at Hogwarts, had been arrested and was on his way to Azkaban. Apparently they thought him to be the man responsible for these attacks on the Muggle-Born's. Sirius also learned that he would be kept in the low security wing, and decided that they really didn't think Hagrid the culprit, they just were putting him there as a precaution and also to silence the cries for action that were coming from the school governors. Rumor had it, Dumbledore had been sacked as well.
It didn't seem right to Sirius, Hagrid just wasn't capable of harming the students, it just wasn't in his character. And Hagrid was a member in the Order of the Phoenix, and a very vital member at that. He wouldn't attack a Muggle-born because he was one of the people during the War that had been DEFENDING the muggles and the Muggle-Born's. And why had they sacked Dumbledore? What was he doing wrong? Surely they wouldn't sack the most powerful wizard in the world when evil events were taking place inside the very school that he oversaw.
He knew that Hagrid was innocent. They had the wrong man, because Hagrid, god bless his soul, wouldn't hurt a fly, even if it was trying to kill him. But, seeing that he was in Azkaban, Sirius couldn't do any research to prove his point. I hate this place, Sirius said to himself, it's boring and it's cut off from the rest of the world.
That night, with all these thoughts and ideas running through his head, the power of the Dementors became too much for him again. So, as he had done before, he transformed into Padfoot in the hopes of keeping his mind safe. It worked and the Dementors again thought that Sirius Black was finally beginning to lose his mind. And, once again, they were DEAD wrong.
Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus had been in the library all week doing research on animagi. Each night they had returned to their dormitory with a new book to study and with each book they poured over, their knowledge on the subject began to gradually develop into an expertise.
"Well," Remus began, a hint of sleepiness in his voice, "this seems to be very, very complicated magic. Are you guys sure you can pull it off? I mean, if something goes wrong--
"Nothing's going to go wrong," James interrupted, "don't you realize that, if we didn't think that we could pull it off, we wouldn't be wasting our weekend by reading books?"
"Yeah, Remus," Sirius began with a smile on his face, "we wouldn't be reading up on animagi if we didn't care."
"Can you explain something to me?" Peter asked, his brow furrowed, "How can we help Remus with his--er--condition by becoming animagi?"
"Well," James began, "A werewolf is only a danger to humans and he can't hurt other animals by biting them. So as long as we're animals, we will be safe. And hopefully, keep the werewolf from mentally taking control of him."
"Yeah," Sirius began, "By becoming animagi we may be able to keep Remus with us when he's a werewolf."
"MAY is the key word," Remus said, "if it doesn't work, well, I'm screwed."
"It WILL work," James said seriously, "It has to work."
"And it will." Remus replied, trying to sound positive.
"Yeah, we'll see." breathed Sirius.
"This was your idea, Sirius," James began, raising his voice in a playful way, "If it doesn't work we'll blame it on you. And I'll--I'll-- I'll hex you."
"Jesus, James, keep off the caffeine," Sirius sneered, "You're stuttering is killing me."
They laughed loudly with this new joke from Sirius. The four of them didn't realize it at the time, but that night, their fates were sealed.