A year later…
Valencia went to the grocery store, noticing a black bearlike hound sitting on the bench outside. He seemed oddly familiar. She waved the thought away and went to purchase the groceries.
She finished shopping, and stepped outside loaded with bags. In the place of the dog was a man - wearing a dark hoodie and sunglasses. Something clicked in her brain -
"Sirius!" she exclaimed. He put a finger to his lips to shush her.
"Not now, let me help with those," he said, walking toward her and taking her groceries. She felt she could trust him.
They walked to her car. Sirius put the groceries in the trunk and sat in the passenger seat. Valencia started driving home with him.
"How are you?" he asked politely. Valencia glanced at him. He had short, shiny, silky looking curly hair, and looked much better groomed. Happier too, and his charming eyes still captivated her. He looked to be in his early thirties.
"I am good, what about you?" she replied as casually as she could.
"Good…" he trailed off.
A moments silence, then -
"I met my godson," he said.
"What's he like?" asked Valencia.
"Brave. Has a good heart, just like his parents," he replied.
"Hmm.." said Valencia, "Care to explain what's going on?"
He looked at her, then said, "It's a long story."
"I have time," she replied.
Sirius took a deep breath before he began.
"Magic exists. I am a wizard, and so is my grandson. His name is Harry Potter, and is 'The boy who lived' in our world because he banished an evil wizard when he was merely a year old - the wizard who killed his parents, James and Lily Potter. James and I were best friends in school, which is called Hogwarts - Britain's school of magic. He made me godfather to Harry. At one point, James and Lily got inside information that Voldemort - the evil wizard - was after them, and were forced into hiding. They wanted to make me Secret - Keeper - it's part of the enchantment that keeps them safe - but I thought it'd be a clever bluff to make Peter Pettigrew - one of our best friends - the Secret - Keeper instead. Pettigrew betrayed them. He betrayed JAMES," at that point, Sirius was shaking in anger. "I should have expected that, he always cowered behind people better than him. At one point it was us - James and me - but I suppose it wasn't enough, and he decided to join Voldemort's group - the Death Eaters. The slimy rat," he added as an afterthought. Valencia thought for a moment - trying to process his words. Then something clicked.
"Pettigrew - the one you were accused of killing - the one you went to jail for?" she blurted out.
"That's the one," replied Sirius bitterly, "I wish I actually killed him."
Valencia had a sudden surge of anger towards Pettigrew. Her facial features probably changed to show anger, because Sirius looked slightly alarmed.
"Are… are you alright, lo-," he stopped himself from saying the final word. Nevertheless, Valencia's features softened, and she nodded.
"So what happened the past year?" she asked.
"Oh… that. Well, I turned into an animagus, the dog form you saw, and went to Hogwarts. There I met a cat, and managed to convince him to help me. Peter is also an animagus, a rat, funnily enough, so it was perfect that the cat was chasing him. Anyway, a bunch of stuff happened, some magical, others not so much, but Peter escaped and I bet he's with Voldemort now. I'm on the run, people still think I am guilty," he summarized.
"Well then, that's… interesting," replied Valencia. Confusion must have flashed in her eyes for a second though, because Sirius smiled.
"You'll understand better if you live with magic. Would you mind if I stayed with you? I have nowhere else to go, so.." said Sirius timidly.
"Of course! I have a spare room," she replied.
"Thank you so much," he said softly.
The beginning has just begun.