Chapter 20
The night had a small breeze and the stars were shining brightly in the sky. It would have been the perfect night to star gaze if one was into that sort of thing. As much as Jude ragged on Astronomy, he would've preferred being in the class now more than ever.
Why, you may ask?
Because he was now currently flying at high speeds on his Lightningbolt with James and Emma right behind him. He could just imagine the questions the headmaster was going to have when the news came out that Sherlock Smith was broken out of Azkaban and they were the three who did it. He knew they'd get found out once a teacher found that they snuck their brooms out after curfew.
A part of him knew he was going to regret this, but he was doing it for the greater good. He had to defeat Lazarus, especially now.
The water below them chilled the air around them. He knew Emma and James were freezing; they probably gave themselves a warming charm, but he didn't feel anything. Like always, he thanked whatever parent gave him this gene because it always helped him when he needed it the most.
"Over there! I see it!" James shouted.
Jude turned and found him pointing to the island not too far from them. Azkaban looked more like a stone building. He thought it would look like a muggle jail, but this seemed a bit more dreary even though Emma said they took out the dementors, the creatures that fed on peoples' happiness and left them depressed, it still left him with a stomach that was filled with dread.
They landed on an island and scanned the area they were close to for any guards. James said they used Aurors as guards now, so they had to be extremely careful. They didn't want to have to get into a fight, but they needed them out of the way.
Like James said; a distraction would do it.
"How many are there?" Jude whispered as they hid behind one of the walls, his broom held tightly in his hands. The footsteps of the Aurors could be heard just around the corner.
James discreetly poked his head out for a brief moment, "2 of them walking this hall. All we have to do is knock them out and take the keys. I'm sure Sherlock is here."
"Why are you so certain?" Emma asked cautiously.
"The only people in Azkaban right now are Death Eaters," James explained quietly as he brought out his wand, holding it in his free hand. "The majority of them were busted out after Lazarus took over. This is the only hallway with guards because this is the only hallway with prisoners. He has to be over here."
"Right," Jude nodded shortly. He handed Emma his broomstick before inhaling deeply. He hoped he could actually transform. He only did it once, but he had hope he could do it again.
When he heard the hitching of James' and Emma's breath, he knew the transformation was successful. It was time to put the plan in action.
"What the hell is that?" One of the Aurors breathed in shock at seeing the lion in front of them; on an island where no other life forms other than the prisoners lived.
Jude reared his head back and roared as loudly as he could just as the Aurors brought their wands out. The roar shocked them in place which gave Emma and James the opportunity to shoot stunning spells at the guards.
Once the guards were out, Jude transformed back into his regular body while James took the keys from one of the Aurors. "You okay?" James asked as he turned back to see Emma's pale face and Jude's slight swaying. "We can still go back, you know?"
"No, no," Jude mumbled, trying to right his mind back. Transforming into his animagus form was something he wasn't used to, and he could feel it sapping his energy.
Emma inhaled shakily, gripping her wand, "We have to save Sherlock. That's what we came here to do."
James gazed at them for a beat before nodding and walking down the cell block with the other two following him. The three ignored the prisoners' staring at them, some with awe, some pleading, and some with hatred.
It wasn't long before they found the bearded, greasy haired Sherlock Smith. The man's dark, sunken eyes gazed up at them in surprise, "Porter? What are you doing here?"
"We're here to break you out," Jude answered lowly as James unlocked the cell. "Now let's go before the guards wake up."
Sherlock limped out of the cell, the shackles looking large on his bony wrists, "H-how? Why are you doing this?"
"Because I know that you're not working for Lazarus," Jude said as they made it past the guards' unconscious bodies. Emma took care of wiping the bit of memory that involved them from their mind before she got on her broomstick with them.
Jude held onto Sherlock's arm tightly, making sure he wouldn't fall, as they flew past the strong winds opposing them.
"How did you end up in Lazarus' hands if you weren't working for him?" Jude asked once they made it back to Hogwarts. They made it past the prefects and the heads of the houses thanks to James' invisibility cloak. And with thanks to the Marauder's map, they found a hidden spot in the castle.
Sherlock licked his chapped lips, thanking Emma when she gave him a cup of water, "I worked as a hit wizard. I was meant to take out Lazarus on the orders of the Ministry. When I finally found him, he and his followers overpowered me. They forced me to take an Unbreakable Vow."
"And they framed you," Jude concluded with a frown. He ran a hand through his hair, biting his lip, "Your co-workers didn't believe you?"
Sherlock scoffed haughtily, "You really are a muggle wizard." He held up his shaky hands when the three glared at him, "No offense. I mean, everyone knows hit wizards work alone, in different circles. When I was framed, the Ministry had me in Azkaban faster than I could blink. They didn't want another dark wizard in their midst to ruin their reputation after so many years of building it back."
"Typical," James grunted irritably.
Jude furrowed his brow, leaning forward, "What is it that you can't tell us? What is Lazarus going to do?"
Sherlock swallowed dryly, "He wants to take your blood. Something about how he needs more of it to finish what he started."
"More of it?" Emma breathed, her eyes wide and her heart pounding. "That means-"
"He really did take your blood in the chamber," James finished solemnly.
The older male nodded, swallowing the water he swished around in his mouth, "Yeah. I heard talk from the Death Eaters that he was on the brink of dying, but the blood they managed to scoop up from the chamber saved him. I didn't know how that could happen, especially just random blood, but it did. He's better than ever now."
"That's just great," James mumbled.
Jude pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling his eyes grow heavy. He ran his hands over his face exhaustedly, "Okay, so my blood is some kind of miracle worker. The fact of the matter is; I don't know why he's after me. Or what he's trying to do. I need you to tell me."
Sherlock stared at him, his dark eyes meeting Jude's blue ones, "Why? Why are you helping me? If I don't break the vow, I'll die. If I do, innocent people will be taken because of this."
Jude stared back determinedly, "I will not let another innocent person die at the hands of Lazarus. That includes you. I don't care if he has dragons coming after me. I'll save everyone I can if I have to."
Sherlock shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips, "I should've known. They said the Gryffindor was strong in you." He inhaled, bringing his eyes back up to the three of them, "He's planning on becoming Voldemort. Not bringing him back, but fusing with him. He thinks that his dark magic will make him strong enough to defeat you. He won't be able to do it without your blood. He wants to bleed you dry; the more blood, the easier the procedure will be."
Before any of them could say something, the ground shook under them. The students stood, wide eyed. If something was strong enough to rock the whole castle, they knew it was something bigger than anything they could've expected.
Sherlock exhaled raggedly, smoothing his hands over his ratty trousers, "I shouldn't have told you. I shouldn't have but you needed to know." He brought his eyes up to them, tears falling into his beard, "They're coming. The dead is coming."