Chapter 9- Twelve Years
He lifted his head slightly, wondering what had disturbed the rare, relative peace of silence. External voices, he realized after a moment. That was also rare. The only voices he ever really heard were the ones in the memories the dementors left him.
Sirius sat up, forcing himself to stand, and stumbled the few steps to his cell door. They passed him- he didn't know who they were, or what they were talking about. He didn't care enough to listen. He surveyed the group closely, and saw in one of their hands, a newspaper.
"Sir," he called suddenly, "excuse me, sir, with the green hat."
The man he was addressing turned. "Who is that?" he asked one of the others.
"Sirius Black, sir. I know, he looks different than twelve years ago."
Twelve years. Has it really been that long?
"Yes, did you want to… say something?" the man in the hat asked warily.
Sirius shook himself back into focus. "Oh, yes. Is that the Daily Prophet?"
The man looked down at the newspaper in surprise. "Well, yes, it is."
"Do you mind if- could I have it? It's just been so long since I've been able to look at one, and I miss it. Especially the crossword."
The man looked strangely sympathetic. He sighed. "I suppose I can get another one. Why not. Here." He handed it through the bars.
Sirius took it gingerly. "Thank you, sir." He sat on the hard, cold bed as he began to read it. The tour continued down the corridor; he had tuned them out already. He scanned all the articles, and was surprised at all that had gone on in the world. Somewhat. There seemed to be no other world than his cell, most of the time.
Just as he intended to turn to the crossword, something caught his eye. One of the articles he had read quickly mentioned Arthur Weasley and his family. They had won something, and gone on a trip to some exotic location or other. Sirius ignored all that, because his gaze was glued to the picture. On the youngest boy's shoulder was a pet rat. It was a rat missing a toe.
He heard himself growl, as though from far away. "Pettigrew," he rasped, then read the article carefully. The boy, apparently, attended Hogwarts with Harry Potter. That fact lodged in his mind. "Peter is going to be living in the same room as Harry. I have to…" Another growl cut off what he was going to say, and he proceeded to tear the newspaper to shreds.
Remus noticed after his second look that Dumbledore's head was sitting in his fireplace. "Good morning, Remus."
"I wouldn't quite say that," he replied, wincing as he turned in his seat.
"Rough night?"
"Not exactly. Well, yes, but it wasn't just last night. Still sore from my last transformation. Can I do something for you, Albus?"
"That is quite possible. You, of course, remember the problem we've had with keeping a Defense professor."
"Yes, I remember it well. Is that still going on?"
Dumbledore's head bobbed up and down. "Unfortunately. This year has proven especially difficult."
"Well, that's understandable, after what happened to Lockhart."
"Quite. So difficult, in fact, that I have not managed to find anyone willing to take the job as of yet."
"You haven't? But the school year starts in two days. What are you going to do?"
"That is exactly the question I was going to ask you, Remus." Dumbledore's chin went down, and he looked expectantly at Remus.
"What do you- oh, no. You aren't saying you're offering me the job?" He stood, causing himself to wince again.
"Yes. That is what I'm saying."
"But why? You know my condition."
"Exactly." Remus must have looked confused. He did feel that way. "I know it is difficult for you to keep a job, and it's been hard lately for people without your troubles to find work. You are fully aware of the risks of taking this job, and you have the skill to teach the class. Also, if you do not take it, there will be no Defense teacher."
"Damn you, Albus, you know I won't keep the students from that knowledge. I would do it, but- every month, for three days- you know."
"We will work it out. Have faith in our school. Thank you very much, Remus. You can come on the Hogwarts Express with the students."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Oh, Remus, one more thing. I think this is important for you to know." Dumbledore had a serious and cautious expression. "Harry Potter is going to be in his third year here. You will be teaching him."
Remus was speechless. He had never thought he would see Harry again.
"Well, I must be going. I'll see you on September the first, Remus." With that, the head disappeared. His fire was clear again. He sat slowly, not wanting to upset his wounds again.
After thinking for a few minutes, he shook his head. "Of course, there's no way this could go wrong."
Sirius pulled his bedraggled form out of the water. He lay panting on the shore at first, regaining his breath from the long swim. In time, he regained oxygen and his feet. He looked out over the sea, at the stone prison perched on its far-off island. For the first time in twelve years, he was not inside. He let out a howl of joy for being out, of pain for being in for so long, and of anger for the poor excuse for a wizard who put him there.
Now, he thought. Which way is Hogwarts?
Still in dog form, he trotted away, eager to find the nearest food and shelter. When he curled up to sleep a few hours later, he knew that it would all come out right. By the time it was over, someone would know the truth about Peter Pettigrew. If he had to kill to prove it, he would.
End of Story
A/N: And here's the end. It's the end because everyone knows what happens from here. It was already in the book. I just thought that it would be interesting to see how it came out if I wrote what might have happened with the Marauders. This chapter is extremely short for a few reasons. 1. I want to be done with it, because it's not as fun to write. 2. I only want to put in what happened. Don't need a lot of details for this, especially since no one reads this story. So, that's all, folks.
And I'm going to ask for final reviews now. Review the story. Not if you're going to tell me something stupid, though. Just review. 'Bye!
He lifted his head slightly, wondering what had disturbed the rare, relative peace of silence. External voices, he realized after a moment. That was also rare. The only voices he ever really heard were the ones in the memories the dementors left him.
Sirius sat up, forcing himself to stand, and stumbled the few steps to his cell door. They passed him- he didn't know who they were, or what they were talking about. He didn't care enough to listen. He surveyed the group closely, and saw in one of their hands, a newspaper.
"Sir," he called suddenly, "excuse me, sir, with the green hat."
The man he was addressing turned. "Who is that?" he asked one of the others.
"Sirius Black, sir. I know, he looks different than twelve years ago."
Twelve years. Has it really been that long?
"Yes, did you want to… say something?" the man in the hat asked warily.
Sirius shook himself back into focus. "Oh, yes. Is that the Daily Prophet?"
The man looked down at the newspaper in surprise. "Well, yes, it is."
"Do you mind if- could I have it? It's just been so long since I've been able to look at one, and I miss it. Especially the crossword."
The man looked strangely sympathetic. He sighed. "I suppose I can get another one. Why not. Here." He handed it through the bars.
Sirius took it gingerly. "Thank you, sir." He sat on the hard, cold bed as he began to read it. The tour continued down the corridor; he had tuned them out already. He scanned all the articles, and was surprised at all that had gone on in the world. Somewhat. There seemed to be no other world than his cell, most of the time.
Just as he intended to turn to the crossword, something caught his eye. One of the articles he had read quickly mentioned Arthur Weasley and his family. They had won something, and gone on a trip to some exotic location or other. Sirius ignored all that, because his gaze was glued to the picture. On the youngest boy's shoulder was a pet rat. It was a rat missing a toe.
He heard himself growl, as though from far away. "Pettigrew," he rasped, then read the article carefully. The boy, apparently, attended Hogwarts with Harry Potter. That fact lodged in his mind. "Peter is going to be living in the same room as Harry. I have to…" Another growl cut off what he was going to say, and he proceeded to tear the newspaper to shreds.
Remus noticed after his second look that Dumbledore's head was sitting in his fireplace. "Good morning, Remus."
"I wouldn't quite say that," he replied, wincing as he turned in his seat.
"Rough night?"
"Not exactly. Well, yes, but it wasn't just last night. Still sore from my last transformation. Can I do something for you, Albus?"
"That is quite possible. You, of course, remember the problem we've had with keeping a Defense professor."
"Yes, I remember it well. Is that still going on?"
Dumbledore's head bobbed up and down. "Unfortunately. This year has proven especially difficult."
"Well, that's understandable, after what happened to Lockhart."
"Quite. So difficult, in fact, that I have not managed to find anyone willing to take the job as of yet."
"You haven't? But the school year starts in two days. What are you going to do?"
"That is exactly the question I was going to ask you, Remus." Dumbledore's chin went down, and he looked expectantly at Remus.
"What do you- oh, no. You aren't saying you're offering me the job?" He stood, causing himself to wince again.
"Yes. That is what I'm saying."
"But why? You know my condition."
"Exactly." Remus must have looked confused. He did feel that way. "I know it is difficult for you to keep a job, and it's been hard lately for people without your troubles to find work. You are fully aware of the risks of taking this job, and you have the skill to teach the class. Also, if you do not take it, there will be no Defense teacher."
"Damn you, Albus, you know I won't keep the students from that knowledge. I would do it, but- every month, for three days- you know."
"We will work it out. Have faith in our school. Thank you very much, Remus. You can come on the Hogwarts Express with the students."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Oh, Remus, one more thing. I think this is important for you to know." Dumbledore had a serious and cautious expression. "Harry Potter is going to be in his third year here. You will be teaching him."
Remus was speechless. He had never thought he would see Harry again.
"Well, I must be going. I'll see you on September the first, Remus." With that, the head disappeared. His fire was clear again. He sat slowly, not wanting to upset his wounds again.
After thinking for a few minutes, he shook his head. "Of course, there's no way this could go wrong."
Sirius pulled his bedraggled form out of the water. He lay panting on the shore at first, regaining his breath from the long swim. In time, he regained oxygen and his feet. He looked out over the sea, at the stone prison perched on its far-off island. For the first time in twelve years, he was not inside. He let out a howl of joy for being out, of pain for being in for so long, and of anger for the poor excuse for a wizard who put him there.
Now, he thought. Which way is Hogwarts?
Still in dog form, he trotted away, eager to find the nearest food and shelter. When he curled up to sleep a few hours later, he knew that it would all come out right. By the time it was over, someone would know the truth about Peter Pettigrew. If he had to kill to prove it, he would.
End of Story
A/N: And here's the end. It's the end because everyone knows what happens from here. It was already in the book. I just thought that it would be interesting to see how it came out if I wrote what might have happened with the Marauders. This chapter is extremely short for a few reasons. 1. I want to be done with it, because it's not as fun to write. 2. I only want to put in what happened. Don't need a lot of details for this, especially since no one reads this story. So, that's all, folks.
And I'm going to ask for final reviews now. Review the story. Not if you're going to tell me something stupid, though. Just review. 'Bye!