Chapter 15: The Prisoner of Azkaban
History of magic, the final exam, is mostly remembering dates in the first year. Invasions and when a few laws were introduced. It did ask for an opinion here and there to make sure we understand the topics, it was fairly simple and a nice way to ease out of the exams. We waited patiently for our test papers to be collected, by hand, and they just let us out. The past week has been a mixture of nervousness and joy for most students – The exams and that the end of the school year is almost upon us. The sadder side of it is that the seventh years will be leaving us. Tonks is waiting just down the corridor from the exam room.
"How'd it go?" She asks as I seat on the stone bench beside her.
"Alright I guess. Goblins fighting, what colour panties Rowena Ravenclaw wore – Basic stuff.
"And what colour were they?" She drags me to my feet. "Come on, I'm starving."
"A trick question – She didn't wear any." Tonks laughs loudly as we walk. "How about you? All done?"
"Yep." She grins. "It all went pretty well."
"Even potions?" I ask sceptically.
"I wouldn't put it past Snape to give my coursework an 'EE' just to throw a wrench in things."
"I think anyone that doesn't melt their cauldron exceeds Snape's expectations of them. External go ok?"
"Better than I thought. Suppose the Great Bat wasn't breathing down my neck in there."
"I think that's enough to turn a potion sour." I wrinkle my nose. "Suppose all we can do is wait for the results now."
"One more week 'til we're free." She cheers, almost tripping over.
There's that sinking feeling in my stomach again. Next year means no more Tonks. I'd been lying on Albus' carpet when I spoke to him about it. He had smiled as he caught my eye, telling me it spoke volumes about my character by how quickly, and strongly, I had become attached to her. This, of course, hadn't helped my mood at all. It's not going to be easy without her.
"... Just wait 'til you're in your seventh year, You'll be just as stressed out." She pushes me lightly.
"You're probably right." I laugh. "Still a few years off though. Maybe old Snape won't be here any more."
"You wish." She snorts.
We round the corner into the Great Hall, everyone seems a bit more relaxed now that the hard part is over. Relief is a good word to describe it. We sit at the Hufflepuff table, Tonks sits in her customary place opposite me.
"Is that the first years finished now?" Cedric asks me.
"Yep, You finished yesterday, right?" I ask, he nods happily.
"Now we wait." He says jokingly.
"Where's the paper, Ced?" Tonks asks, frowning as she looks around the hall.
"Non have arrived yet." He explains. "Dumbledore isn't here either. Some of the others were saying that's a sign." I points his thumb over his shoulder. "I don't think the Prophet ever being this late."
"Which means something heavy has happened." I adopt a frown myself.
"Reckon he's ok?" Tonks turns faces me. Two wars and he's still kicking, he's fine.
"I-" The sudden flock of subscription owls interrupt me. "Well timed." I comment as an owl curls down and lands near Tonks. She retrieves the paper and her jaw drops. "Something wrong?" Only her eyes move. "Tonks?" She blinks and shakily gives me the paper.
'SIRIUS BLACK – INNOCENT' is printed in thick letters. I bite my lip as I smile, looking up at Tonks.
"He's done it." The grin cracks over my face. It only took 10 months, but he did it. I quickly climb to my feet, shouldering my bag as the rest of the article pushes into my head. Absolved of all crimes just this morning. I'm only vaguely aware that everyone is looking at me.
"Harry?" Tonks.
"Fuck. Yes!" I say through the gritted teeth of my smile, a lot louder than necessary. I punch the air above me, jumping slightly.
"Mister Potter!" McGonagall scolds me from the entrance.
"Professor McGonagall!" I quickly jog past her, breaking into a sprint as I turn the corner and head for Albus' office. I dash past groups of students and almost run straight through Binns, managing to avoid him at the last possible moment. I make it to the gargoyle easily thanks to my morning runs. "Open Sesame?" Much to my surprise, it slides away, allowing me to ascend the staircase. I take a moment to catch my breath before knocking on the door.
"Come in, Harry." Albus' voice comes muffled through the door. I twist the door handle and push the door open, Nothing noteable has passed through here recently.
Three men currently stand in the large oval space. Albus is the closest to me, Fudge stands just to his left.
"Minister, always a pleasure." I say politely. "I just saw the Prophet." I smile at Albus. He smiles back as I turn to the only other person in the room. "And this dirty tramp must be Mr. Black." His hair is overgrown along with his beard, cracked fingernails caked with dirt complete the look. His clothes are not the prison rages I'd been expecting, but a black leather jacket, blue jeans and heavy boots. As if he'd ridden a motorbike here from the 70's. This might've been what he was wearing when he was arrested. He lets out a raspy laugh.
"Just Sirius." He clears his throat a couple of times. "My hygiene has dropped a bit." He pushes the lank, greasy hair behind his ears. "I look like Sniv-" He let's out a nasty hacking cough. I raise my eyebrow at Albus.
"I'd hug you or something, but I can smell you from here." I say, extending my hand towards him. This is all eerily formal.
"Understandable." He laughs gruffly as he takes my hand. Cold. I tear my hand back and ball it into a fist, massaging it with my other. "You have spent far too much time around dementors." I look down at my hand and flex it experimentally.
"Uh, Yes. Terrible mishap." Fudge pipes up. "I can assure you that the Ministry takes full responsibility and you will be compensated." He says firmly. Quite how anyone could be compensated for being is Azkaban for a decade, I don't know. "A full investigation will be launched as soon as possible."
"Perhaps if you were to start now, more would get done?" I suggest, trying not to sound as rude as I'd like to be. "Being seen as proactive instead of reactive?"
"Right you are, my boy." Fudge smiles at me. "Dumbledore, Mr. Black." He inclines his head and hastily exits through the floo. I've not met him many times, but I've seen hiim talk with Albus a lot. I don't really like him. "You did it!" I turn to Albus." Albus, you're a genius! How?"
"The Minister was against the idea of questioning Sirius, I said that if he was so sure of his guilt, then using veritaserum would prove it."
"Veritaserum. Of course." I slap my forehead. I can't help but get caught up in the excitement. "All it takes is a few drops. Maybe if they'd have done it when they should have." I scratch my chin, maybe I shouldn't mention his time in Azkaban so easily.
"I'm sorry, Harry." Sirius rubs his eyes. "If I'd have been the fucking secret keeper, or not chased Peter." His tears spill into his beard. I look at Albus helplessly. "Have you found Peter?"
"Found him?" Albus asks. "My boy, he is assumed dead. To your wand, no less." Sirius mutters something I can't quite hear as he leans against the wall.
"After the bastard blew up the street, he scampered off without his finger." He clears his throat again. "The Aurors responded to my call and I was arrested. Peter is still alive. I guarantee it."
"He's alive?" I look between the two of them, sinking into my chair. "Wouldn't someone have found, or at least seen, him? Unless he was some master of disguise." Tonks could hide … for all of 10 minutes before she trips over. "Animagus." It suddenly hits me. "The four of you. Nobody would suspect it. Wormtail, right?" I wrack my brain trying to remember what his form was, screwing my eyes shut. "The rat." I look up at Sirius' shocked face. "It would be impossible to find him, especially now. He probably fled the country that night, or it could be Weasley's bloody rat for all we know." I sigh heavily and retrieve my Rubik's cube from my bag, deftly manipulating it.
"How did you know?" Sirius asks. Albus sits opposite me in his chair, steepling his fingers. "Nobody could-" He stops as Albus raises his hand.
"How do you find one rat on the whole planet?" I ask rhetorically. "In a world of rats." I should get a 4x4 or 5x5 cube. "Do have some place to live, Sirius?"
"Err, I will do, yes. Why?"
"I was going to offer you my spare room otherwise." I say absently. "I've solved that 2000 times now." I place the cube on his desk. "A world of rats." I look up at Albus. "If only one could follow the trails."
"Could it be done?" He leans forward.
"It would take years, Albus. A decade of whispers to follow." I shake my head. "Even at twice his pace, it'd take 5 years still."
"Another dead end." He sighs, leaning backwards. Sirius is listening intently.
"So they plucked you straight out, tried you then brought you here?"
"We stopped for fish and chips." Sirius says with a smile, buried somewhere under the hair.
"Shouldn't you go to St. Mungos?" He waves his hand dismissively.
"It can wait." He says gruffly.
"You have two broken fingers. At least." I tell him, turning back to Albus. "Can you track an animagus? There can't be too many scampering around." He says nothing for a while.
"There are spells to force the animal-to-human transformation, but identifying an animal as a disguised witch or wizard is not possible."
"Which is why there is the Ministry register." I nod slowly. "How did you and James get away with it?" I ask Sirius, a smile spreading over my face.
"The Corps never asked." He says innocently, but the grin says more.
"Brilliant." I laugh, retrieving my cube. "Might wanna register now though, So you don't get thrown back in the slammer."
"I'll mention it tomorrow. Due a mental exam in the morning."
"Well, We've all finished out exams now, so you're in season for it."
"Fudge mentioned it was June." He nods.
"11th '91" I supply.
"Almost 10 bloody years." He shakes his head. "No point in moping, I'm out now." He smiles oddly, as if his face has forgotten how to.
"I really think you should celebrate with a shower, and maybe shave that awful beard, It doesn't really compare to Albus'." Sirius starts to laugh and eventually start coughing.
"Many hours spent finely maintaining my own." Albus smiles as he strokes his long, braided beard.
"A hot shower sounds wonderful." Sirius adopts a dreamy smile.
"We can't offer you lodging here, of course, but I'm sure Tom would have a room spare in the Leaky Cauldron." Albus stands up and gestures to the pot of floo powder.
"And a night's sleep in a real bed." Sirius picks a handful of floo powder and turns back to me. "Could I see you over the summer? I feel like we've got some catching up to do." He looks sad again, it's hard to tell with all the hair.
"Of course. 221B Diagon Alley. Don't forget, Padfoot." I grin at his stunned face as I back away to the door.
A/N: Here we go, a bit of good news before the summer. I was thinking of having Sirius live in the other room, or maybe Tonks, she was the original idea for it.
Harry's Animagus form? He has to be one, obviously, but what could it be?
Thoughts and suggestions appreciated - Enjoy!