Sirius: After Azkaban

Chapter 10:

He Knows

Ding Dong.

When I rang the doorbell, the door opened almost immediately.

"I knew you'd come." Jeff said, expecting some kind of remark. But when one didn't come he said, "Come in, Come in."

I walked into his house reluctantly, griping my wand from inside of my cloak, having it at the ready.

I looked around, and thought that it actually wasn't too shabby. It was kind of dark, but not too bad.

"Okay," He finally said, sitting down, "Now where were we?"

"Um -"

"Wait Siri, sit! Have a rest. Would you like anything? Bread, crackers, or tea, maybe?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Well, sit."

"No, that's okay."

"Come on," he badgered, patting the couch next to him, "I won't bite!"

"Yes, but all the same . . . "

There was a pause in which I stood there, arms crossed, and he stared up at me with a mixed look on his face. Then he finally gave it a rest and said, "Fine, now where were we?"

"Oh, you were about to tell me how to get to Hogwarts, or at least a start at where Sirius is right now."

"Yes, right then. Uh - let me start at this . . . Okay, let's see here, okay - "

"Are you going to tell me something, or am I going to have to make you?"

"Oh right, sorry. I'm just having trouble at where to start. I think it'll all fall into place over a cup o' tea, do ya think?"

"ARG! Yeah, sure. But hurry it up, will ya? Time's a wasting." I said, getting frustrated.

Jeff stood up. "Okay! I'll go start up the tea." He looked at me with an expression that held no emotion, "Sit down. Get rested. You need it, okay?"

I rolled my eyes at him as he left through a doorway that I guessed led to the kitchen. 'What am I doing here, Siri? Why did I do this to myself?' I thought to myself, as I finally took a step forward after not moving the whole time.

I walked to the fireplace, which was right next to the couch Jeff had been sitting on. As I took in my surroundings, I noticed that there weren't many things in the room that would make it a nice place to live in.

Take the mantel for example. Usually mantels have something on them, like pictures or pieces of art, but not this one.

I took my finger and swiped it across the brown-looking wood; dirt and dust, that's all there was.

"Siri!" Jeff called, "Oh Siri! Would you come here for just one moment?"

"Yeah, coming." I replied back to him, as I took one last glance at the white strip I left on the wood that I thought was brown. I turned around, and almost felt like I was in a trance. I am so lost in life, and sometimes I feel like I want to scream. But the saddest part for me is that there is nothing or no one there to guide me to safety or pull me out of the water that I feel so drowned in, I just don't know what to do . . .

I walked through the doorway in which Jeff just did, expecting to see him standing next to the stove with his teapot, waiting for me with a crazy grin on his face. But I was only partway right. You see, he was waiting for me, but the room was not a kitchen, and he was suiting more of an evil and distorted grin, then just a normal one.

The first thing I noticed was his face, primarily his grin, and that is something I tend to do with people. I can tell many things about most people just by looking at their face. Then I realized he had his wand out, and it was pointing right at me.

"Uh - Jeff." I said slowly, trying to think of a plan.

"Siri, Siri, Siri. Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. You actually thought I was going to help you on your quest to find your brother?"

I looked at him in awe, "How do you - "

"Well, Siri, or should I say Siriussa, your never going to find your brother. Not while I'm involved . . . I guess this is goodbye then? You see. I'm not stupid after - "

But before he could finish his farewells I pulled out my wand and yelled, with much force mind you, "Expelliarmus!" Then I ran up to him and wrestled him to the ground, locking his arms behind his back so he couldn't use them.

"Now listen here, Jeff. You may be a little quicker than me, but between the two of us, I think I'm a bit quicker. Ya think?"

"Oh, go to hell Siri."

"Thanks for the suggestion, Jeff, but I think I'll stick to here for a while longer. Now, back to Sirius. Where do I go to find him?"

"Oh, like I'm telling you! Ya know you're not too smart for how quick you react."

"What?"

"You haven't caught on yet, have you? The day we met . . . Does that ring a bell?"

Then it all came back to me. That guy who attacked me, did it have something to do with Jeff? Well of course it did, that card. But what did Jeff . . .

"Jeff, where do I go! Tell me or I'll - "

"You won't do anything to me! Give it up. You can't hide anymore, you have to move on, I'm not telling you!

Flashback

"Siriussa, I'm afraid your right . . . "

"But Dumbledore, why would my parents do this to me?"

"Alas, it was the fear that had driven them. As you know, your father was a muggle born wizard, and your mother, well, your mother was a pureblood. You see now? When she went away to Italy for a week and met your father - well, you get the picture. And when she found out she was pregnant she knew it wasn't by Mr. Black. She had to do something, and so she did." There was a pause. "Now Siri, I don't know all the details about this, but I do know the Blacks - they're purebloods. And if I learned a thing or two in my life about purebloods, it's that they're strongly against muggle -borns, or any other person not pureblood, really. So, now do you see where I am going at?"

"Yes, Dumbledore, I sorta do. But couldn't I just go and - "

"No, Siriussa. I strongly suggest you stay away from the Blacks. They're trouble, especially for you. They would never accept you, I'm sorry to say, and anyway, I believe that you would be better off without them." He gave a soft smile.

"But - "

"No, Siri - you have to move on. I'm not telling anything."

End of Flashback

"Siri, what are you doing? Let me go!"

"Ha!" I said, coming back to my senses. "Not before I curse you!" I laughed, and threw him a curse off the top of my head that knocked him out cold. Then I got up to leave, but tied him up before I walked out, just for a more lasting effect.

When I hit the pavement outside, I started to run; I just kept running. I had to get all the anger and sadness out of me, and at the time running was all I could think of. People were sneaking glances at me, but who wouldn't? A half Italian, half British, 20 - something a year-
old woman, running down the street. But I didn't care.

When I finally stopped, I was out of breath. I really wasn't sure where I ran to but, yet again, I didn't care.

I looked around, catching my breath. It was about eight in the morning, according to the clock above a store sign, and the streets were getting busier.

I then turned down a street to my left, and seen a grubby-looking pub. I didn't even think about it as I walked right into it and sat down at the bar table in the front. The pub wasn't as deserted as the street outside though, and it was almost full; it was also dark and shabby.

"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron miss. May I get you anything?" The guy behind the bar stood in front of me. He was quite short, and looked awfully old.

"Uh - sure. Can I have a cherry coke?"

"Sorry, miss. We don't sell that here. But we have a variety of other beverages."

"Okay, I'll just take a water, then."

He nodded his head and got a glass of water. When he gave it to me I drank it in one big gulp.

"Uh - miss? Are you okay?"

"Okay? Yeah, but I'd say that's an overstatement."

"What's wrong?"

"You don't want to hear about it."

"Yeah I do, Is there anything I could do to help?"

"Uh - " I took a deep breath, "I don't know . . . Do you know Sirius Black?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course I do. What about him?"

"Uh - I was just wondering if there was any update as to where he is."

"Oh sure. He was just spotted at a wizarding school in Scotland."

"Yeah, I know. At Hogwarts."

"So you know all about it?"

"Well, not really. I just know he was there."

"Oh . . . " He walked over to a different customer, then walked back over to me. "You new here? Don't think I've ever seen you here before."

"Yeah, I just came here a little over a month ago."

"Oh cool. Have you been to Diagon Alley yet? They have some good sales today."

"Diagon Alley?"

"Yeah . . . " Seeing the confusion in Siriussa's eyes the barman started to explain, "It's a little village marketplace, where they sell stuff - you know what? On my break I'll take you there. Is that all right?"

"Sure. I've got nothing else to do."

"Okay. You tap this brick, then this one, and then do this." He tapped one last brick and the wall started moving apart, showing a long road filled with people.

"Wow." I said with amazement.

"Well, here you are. I would show you around but I really don't have the time, sorry."

"No, that's all right. I think I can make my way around."

"Okay, see ya later." The pubguy said, waving and leaving me in this great place called Diagon Alley.