A/N: The last chapter. The next Prisoner is really good so far and I know that you all are going to love it. Or at least, I love it. You can read more about it at the end of this chapter. You've all been great reviewers! Thanks!

Chapter 13

Flying Home

When Sirius saw Remus's house down below, he nudged Buckbeak with his heels to land. Remus's house was somewhat removed from the wizarding village it was supposedly apart of. In fact, it was so far away, Remus wouldn't be able to walk there in under an hour. But this was only due to his being a werewolf, and he felt that it was more important for his neighbors to be safe than him to be able to walk to town for groceries.

Landing on the grass, Sirius slid off of Buckbeak's back and led him to a tree. Sirius carefully tied him up on one of the branches, and made his way across the large lawn to Remus's small house. The exterior of Remus's house was quite shabby: there were missing shingles from the roof and the shutters over the windows were broken and cracked. The paint was chipped and worn, and the house creaked loudly if the wind blew too hard.

Sirius marched purposefully up the pathway to Remus's front door, and he knocked forcefully, hoping Remus would still be awake at this late hour. It took quite a few loud pounds and a couple of shouts before the porch light was flicked on and the front door pulled open.

"Hey, Mooney… Hope I didn't wake you…" said Sirius with a sheepish smile. He knew that he had awoken Remus, for his eyes were still misted with sleep and his bathrobe was tied sloppily over his pajamas.

"Sirius—what… This is a surprise," he stammered, opening the door wider and motioning for Sirius to enter. The hall light was on and illuminated Remus's lined face and the features of Remus's entryway.

An heirloom rug was laid out on the floor. It was a magical rug, which, if you stared at it long enough, the patterns would seem to travel around the perimeter. An old grandfather clock ticked resolutely next to the door and a hat rack held a holey woolen scarf and a rather ragged traveling cloak.

"How did Harry's Third Task go? Did he win?" Remus asked, stifling a yawn. He led Sirius into the study and waved his wand for the lights to rise. Sirius sat down on a stiff couch and rubbed the stubble on his face with his hand.

"I don't really know how to say this, but, well…" Sirius muttered. "Well, Voldemort's back."

"What?"

Sirius then launched into the whole story—from the beginning of the Task to the confrontation in the hospital wing. When Sirius finally came up for air, Remus was astounded.

"How—how could this have happened, Sirius?" he breathed.

"I don't know," Sirius sighed heavily. "But Fudge doesn't believe a word of it, which is going to make our lives much more difficult. Dumbledore sent me to tell the Order that it's time to get back together again."

"I figured as much," Remus nodded. "Going to tell Belle next?" he asked with a small smile.

Sirius tried not to look Remus in the face. He wanted more than anything to see Belle. But not yet.

"I… I mean, that is… I was told to wait here for further information—if that's not a problem?"

"Sirius, come on," Remus raised his eyebrows. "You own this house. You're welcome for as long as you like. I'll set up the couch for you, if you want to grab a bite to eat."

"Thanks, but you own this house. You're paying me back, remember?" Sirius rose from the couch, clapped Remus on the shoulder, and made for the kitchen. Sirius flicked on the lights and excitedly ripped open the fridge. He assembled himself a sandwich and was just about to sit down to eat it, when he heard Remus calling him from the study.

Sirius looked longingly at the bite he was about to take, but set down the sandwich and clomped out of the kitchen.

"What is it?"

"Dumbledore," Remus motioned to the fireplace, where Dumbledore's head was floating among the logs. His silver beard was glowing amber-green among the floo powder and flames.

"I need your help, Sirius," Dumbledore began.

"Anything—"

"I need your permission to use your mother's house as Order of the Phoenix Headquarters. I want you to go there at once and prepare for—"

"—Anything except that," Sirius interrupted. "I can't go back there, Dumbledore… I'm sorry."

Dumbledore's eyes glinted in the firelight. "Sirius, I need you to do this for me. You know full well it's the perfect place for Headquarters. Take Buckbeak and go to Grimmauld Place."

With that, Dumbledore's head vanished with a small pop, and Sirius and Remus were left staring at the glowing orange embers.

"I can't Remus…" Sirius muttered angrily, "I can't go back there…"

"Your mother is gone, Sirius. Things will be different now," Remus assured him, looking at him carefully.

"No," he murmured. "No, it will be just the same… the same as it always was… I can't go back into that house, Remus."

"Dumbledore needs you, Sirius. I thought you wanted to help—"

"I do!"

"And the sooner that we can find a Headquarters, the sooner you'll see Harry again. You can stand to go home for awhile, can't you?" asked Remus.

Sirius looked up from his feet. "For Harry. For Harry I'll go."

"You'd better get moving, then, if you want to be there by morning," Remus replied, and Sirius nodded. Sirius said goodbye to Remus and went to untie Buckbeak. Outside, the crescent moonlight was hardly bright enough to see by and the summer wind felt more chilling than comforting.

He mounted Buckbeak and dug his heels into Buckbeak's ribs. Buckbeak flapped his massive wings and they rose into the air.

Sirius was on his way back to the one place he hated more than any other. His home.

But with the threat of Voldemort on the horizon, it seemed that Sirius had no other choice. Deep down, Sirius prayed that the horrors that the new and improved Voldemort would inflict wouldn't be anywhere near the terror that he had caused thirteen years ago, but what would come would come… and Sirius would just have to meet it when it did.

The End

Or is it??

Sirius isn't out of the picture yet. We know what happened to Harry during year five, but what about our favorite Anamangus? What was Sirius up to while he was all alone at Grimmauld Place? Where was Remus all summer? What happened during Sirius's childhood to make him hate his late-parents' house so much? Who is Sirius's younger brother?

All will be answered plus more as soon as I can squeeze writing time during Ruddigore rehearsals and homework in……

The Prisoner of Azkaban 3: The Order of the Phoenix

(Will contain major spoilers of book five).