A/N: Since the last chapter was ridiculously short—the shortest I think I've ever written—I thought that it would only be fair for me to post one more. You can thank me later.

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Chapter 10

Trip to Gryffindor Tower

Christmas passed quietly for Sirius, which didn't come as a surprise. Sirius spent it curled up in the Shrieking Shack, trying to keep warm. But, of course, that was physically impossible, seeing as the roof leaked, the windows were cracked, the walls let drafts of wind fly right through and even if Sirius felt like clambering upstairs to the deserted bedrooms, the moth-eaten blankets up there were surely so dust-infested that he would have allergies from now until next winter.

But when January rolled around, Sirius was getting restless again. That is, until Crookshanks suddenly appeared in the Shrieking Shack at dusk one day.

"Peter's escaped."

"What do you mean, escaped?" Sirius looked at the cat confusedly. Peter had already escaped one too many times; he couldn't escape again.

"I was so close to catching him… but he pulled his vanishing act again."

"Shit."

"Tell me about it. Don't worry. Chances are he's still in Hogwarts… he might have even gone back to Ron by now. He's caused quite a row between Ron and Hermione…"

"Those are Harry's friends?"

"Yeah. You've got to come to Hogwarts tonight. We might be able to find him… or scare him back into the castle." Crookshanks turned and started back down the trapdoor towards the Whomping Willow.

"Yeah, all right."

Sirius followed in silence. If Peter had gotten away again, and this stupid cat was at fault… he might just have to shred this cat to pieces.

When they emerged from the tunnel, the sky outside was dark. Crookshanks motioned for Sirius to follow him through the trees to the left of the Willow. Sirius could hear voices, and he wondered if this was safe at all.

"It's so perfect… did you see how fast I could turn?" Sirius recognized this as Ron's voice. Through the darkness, Sirius could make out two boys walking towards them, heading away from the Quidditch pitch and going back to the castle. Sirius was ecstatic to see that Harry had the Firebolt on his shoulder.

"And the acceleration is so much—" Harry. But he cut himself off. He was staring right at Sirius.

"What's the matter?" Ron said quietly to Harry. Harry didn't say anything, but pointed straight to Sirius. Ron pulled out his wand. Sirius saw it and darted a safe distance away noiselessly, remembering that Belle said Sirius could not be seen by Harry. "Lumos!" Said Ron, as his wandlight hit the base of the tree like a flashlight. The glow drifted over the roots of the tree and landed on Crookshanks.

"Get out of here!" Ron bellowed at the cat. Sirius saw him bend down to pick up a rock to chuck at Crookshanks, but Crookshanks dashed away to Sirius's side. "See? She's still letting him wander about wherever he wants—probably washing Scabbers down with a couple of birds now…"

"You didn't eat him, did you?" Sirius stared at Crookshanks accusingly.

"Of course not! What kind of an idiot do you take me for?"

Crookshanks started back for the castle behind Harry and Ron, but Sirius hung back. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go look for him inside. You can look out here." The cat continued to walk away, leaving Sirius sitting in the edge of the forest in confusion. "And try not to get caught."

Sirius searched the edges of the forest all night. If he knew Peter at all, he would not have gone far into the forest—he was too much of a chicken. In the morning, when the sun had long since finished rising, Sirius went to the Quidditch pitch to look for the rat. But just being on the bright green grass of the field was overwhelming. He had played for Gryffindor here ages ago. He had played Beater, and he longed to have a broomstick at this moment, just so he could fly again. The air was cold and crisp—ideal for flying. A light breeze was blowing that wafted sounds of approaching students to his ears. There was going to be a match—he had to get out of here.

Sprinting at top speed, Sirius ran back to the forest, where he would stay until late into the night. Crookshanks came back to meet him, when the moon was high up in the sky, and Sirius was shivering with cold.

"I think he's back in Gryffindor tower. And you'll never guess what I stole off a boy's nightstand." Crookshanks dropped something at his feet. Sirius nudged the roll of parchment open wit his nose and looked at a long list of words.

"Er, what is it?"

"The list of Gryffindor's passwords for the whole week."

"Oh my God! This is perfect."

"And you might want this." The cat dropped something else on the dark grass. It was a golden steak knife straight from the Hogwarts kitchens. It glinted in the night mercilessly. Sirius looked at Crookshanks, suddenly slightly nervous. But he nodded, and picked up the two items in his mouth and ran up to the castle.

"And who art thou, heathen sir?"

"Doesn't matter." Sirius said quickly, taking the knife and the roll of parchment out of his mouth. "Where's the Fat Lady?"

"As you say, sir, it does not matter." The pudgy knight answered with a gleeful grin. "Dost thou have the password for entry?"

"I have the week's worth, shall I read them off one by one?" Sirius asked, trying to not laugh at this picture's pompous senselessness. But he read them off, without the knight's answer. That is, until the knight swung open the portrait, when Sirius had said the right words. Sirius looked into the common room vigilantly. It was empty, which wasn't a surprise, as it was so late it was early. The room showed signs of celebration, so Sirius assumed that Gryffindor had won the Quidditch match that day.

Sirius moved to the boys' dormitory steps soundlessly. He carefully opened and closed each door, trying to find Ron's and Harry's. Finally, Sirius found the room with Harry's Firebolt leaning against his trunk. Sirius's breath started to quicken as he stepped through the chunk of moonlight that fell through the window. Sirius walked to the bed that had the trunk at the base of it labeled "R.W." on it in pealing letters.

Sirius brought his knife up to the level of his eyes. He could practically see Peter standing right behind these curtains, with his wand out, ready to jump on Sirius and kill him. He tried to stifle his own breath; so that Peter wouldn't hear him… he was standing right there, Sirius knew it. So, without any further hesitation, Sirius just hacked at the bed hangings—slashing and ripping them. But Peter wasn't standing there.

There was however, a very terrified teenage boy who started to howl bloody-murder at the top of his lungs.

Shaken, Sirius made for the door. But in his hurry, he tripped over Ron's trunk corner. His leg stinging now, he stood up, infuriated with his stupidity for ruining the bed hangings.

"What's going on?" A boy mumbled from behind his curtains. Sirius ran for the door, knowing that Ron's scream would have woken the entire tower. He yanked open the door, and slammed it behind him. Changing back into a dog, Sirius tore out of the Gryffindor common room and down the halls. He used all the secret passages he knew from the Marauder's Map to get out as fast as possible. When he finally had grass beneath his feet, he didn't stop running until he was at the Whomping Willow.

"What happened?" It was Crookshanks, waiting at the base of the Willow.

"I screwed it up… I screwed it all up… I didn't do it…"

"Was he even there?"

"I don't know—but you didn't exactly give me enough information!"

"Don't go blaming this on me. Get back to the Shrieking Shack. You've done enough damage for one night." Sirius took Crookshanks's advice and lumbered back to the Shack. Once there, he didn't move at all. He was afraid that now that he had actually shown his face inside Hogwarts, the Ministry would find him instantly.

He had ruined everything in his moment of stupidity. Why had he thought that Peter would be in his human-form, waiting for him?

Maybe it was just because that's how it happened every night in Sirius's nightmares. Sirius would be walking down some dark hallway, with nothing to defend him. Peter would suddenly jump out someplace—but he could disappear and reappear everywhere, but Sirius couldn't. Peter had too many advantages; it wasn't a fair fight.

But then again it never was.