Disclaimer. Don't own them. Only like playing in the same sand box. I do own the characters that I created however.
Echo's in the Moonlight.
Sequel to "Shadows in the Wind"
Chapter Seven
The black dog sat at the edge of the dark forest under the linden trees watching the Hogwarts students move about the grounds of the school. There were reasons why the dark forest was out of bounds, the giant spiders, the unicorns, the venomous plants that Prof Sprout grew outside the greenhouse where they wouldn't eat the students… Hagrid loved to take long walks in the forest, and none of the animals bothered him. He didn't hear anyone coming up behind him but he froze when he heard a young woman's voice say behind him. "You came back. It's been a while Sirius Black. Are the others with you? James and Peter? Did you know, they have come up with a potion to help Remus, so that in his time of change, he can just- go to sleep in his office on a blanket with no harm to anyone? Have you come back to play in my woods?"
Sirius turned, but instead of seeing a woman he saw something he had only read about in the book of great beasts. Yet it was like none other that had been described. Her eyes glistened as the night sky, a gold white bird rose in flight on the chest- Here was proof that Sirius had seen death, though, he was not the cause of it. Stunned he slipped into his human form and sat down among the bushes as she lowered her head to his.
He lifted his hand to gently touch her face. "How, do you Who are you?– you saw us all those years ago…" The Thestril waited for answers to her questions. His voice was choked with emotion as he softly informed her "James, and Lily, were killed by Voldemort- betrayed by Peter- true to his nature he was a rat... The only comfort is that James and Lily's son Harry, destroyed Voldemort – the spell backfired. I have followed Peter here, he was adopted it seems by an innocent wizarding family to keep abreast of things." He leaned back looking around, then his attention was brought back to her as she said
" Hagrid and the others, call me Pet…Voldemort did not – die. He was here, two years past in the woods feeding off of the unicorn. Mars has become brighter in the heavens, the centaurs have foretold the return of the death king with the snow fall of two turns. Many will fall, many will return, to serve in the passing of the souls.
"Then I will fight Voldemort and I did before" he said firmly. For a moment, he was lost in her eyes- the dark swirling stars spoke of events to come. He drew in a breath of realization.
"I won't, be able to fight him, again, not – in the way we did before, will I?"
Her gentle voice cut through him like a knife.
"No. He will be raised by the hand of his faithful servant- Innocent blood will be spilt. This passage of time is not yours to control."
"Then I must stop him, before he can raise Voldemort from the dead" said Sirius as he transformed back into a dog and headed for Hogsmeade. It was easy slipping into the back shed at the Hogs head inn and hurrying down the passage that he knew by heart. The students were in class, no one saw him slip down the passageways up the steps and then stepping out of the view of the Gryffindor portrait he transformed back into human form and tried to gain entrance to the tower. The fat lady shrieked when she saw him and fled away several portraits over. Furious Sirius pulled out his knife and tried to cut through the painting to get into the common room, but the magical spell prevented his passage. He heard the students coming and transforming back, slipped away before the discovery of the paintings damage could be found.
Sirius slipped back into the woods where he found the Thestril waiting for him under the linden trees. She had cleared a spot to bed down in, large enough for the two of them, and somehow, she had managed to snag a leg of lamb that was still warm. She told him she preferred her food raw, so he was welcome to eat, and for the first time he ate his fill. Tired he lay beside her. It was odd, though she was a creature few could see, her body was warm and soft against his, giving him comfort as she covered him from the nights rain with her wing. He woke with the sun and regarded her- Somehow, he felt he knew this gentle being, and then, when she blinked from the dewy morning, he remembered seeing her eyes- from a photograph along time ago. Sturgis carried it with him. A young girl he said that he had loved as his own, who had left one day. Sturgis hadn't seen her since.
He knew, he would have to bid his time before he would get another chance. Weeks then months past waiting for the right moment, he spent it with the Thestril in the woods. Sometimes just talking about the last twelve years that he had missed while in prison. He found himself- liking - caring for this gentle being- not knowing how- or why she had chosen to befriend him. Sirius watched the school where he was at, unseen, and protected from the other animals by the Thestril. In his dog form he would go to Hogsmeade and snag some food for himself- A few times on his return, he was startled to discover a young blond haired girl talking to the Thestril, but she didn't stay long. He didn't ask- it wasn't his place to. No one ever followed the young girl and she didn't seem to notice that he was waiting off beyond the clearing. The Thesril had informed him that she couldn't help him against the dementors- It was a matter of corporeal essences
It was inevitable that the only portrait willing to take on the job of guarding the Gryffindor common room would be the only one that would change the passwords every day, and it was chance that Neville would lose his weeks worth of passwords. Sirius was able to sneak in, and had slashed the drapes to get at Peter the one others called Scabbers.- instead; Ron woke the whole tower up with his cries of alarm. Poor Neville was punished with not being told the password, and would have to wait until someone else let him. After the second time, Peter fled from the care of Ron as he knew Sirius had found where he was.
Awaiting game- one of search, and hide, and when it was over, Sirius found the words he had heard many months before to come true. He also learned he had Dumbledore's trust- and Remus's friendship still, that, and Harry knowing that Sirius was innocent meant the world to him. Before he went into hiding he signed the permission form for Harry so that he could go to Hogsmeade, got Harry a new broom and gave Ron a small owl to replace Scabbers.
Sirius watched Harry and the others from the same spot as he had waited so many months before- the longing to be with Harry in his heart so painful he was unwilling to remove himself from the spot. He heard Buckbeak give a snort, and turned when he felt the soft head rest on his shoulders. He looked into her eyes. "Come with us" he said to her- "Those who follow the path are destined to join." He heard her say softly " I can't- leave here until it is that time. We will meet again Sirius." Sirius nodded, then rising up from under the Linden tree branches he leaned to her and kissed the Thestril on the cheek. He mounted Buckbeak and was gone.
For the longest time Pet stood in the clearing, her heart breaking. She longed to go after him, to protect him, to care for him…She felt a warm hand on her withers, and turned. Luna Lovegood stood beside her and wrapped her arms about Pet's neck. Both had tears in their eyes. "We shall see him again, I on one side of the veil…" Luna's voice became soft as Pet placed her head on her shoulder and sighed "And I on the other…"
