Disclaimer: I do not own anything of this story. Harry Potter and all of the notable characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
This was a story idea that my fiance (starwarsdude8221991) wanted me to collab with him on. Basically, he came up with the main idea and I became the scribe. He is also the beta reader for this story.
Magnolia Crescent
Chapter Three
The Black Dog
Harry scrambled to his bag, reaching for his wand, heart racing.
"You're Sirius Black," Harry stated, finally grabbing his wand and pointing it straight at Black.
"Why, thank you. I think I should know my name, after all, I've had it for thirty-four years!" Black snapped.
"What are you doing here? How did you get past the dementors?" Harry asked, slightly breathless.
"Later, right now, I need your help." Black's voice was relatively calm now.
"I thought you escaped Azkaban to kill me!"
"And you're quite mistaken. You know something, I really hate bandwagons. Anyways, I didn't escape from Azkaban to kill you. I would never betray Lily and James' trust like that, especially not after they made me your godfather." Harry balked, obviously not expecting this piece of information.
"But weren't you a supporter of Voldemort?" Harry asked, attempting to keep his wand and voice steady. Black noticed this, for he raised his hands in a surrendering gesture.
"Never, just the opposite in fact. I opposed Voldemort thoroughly, right beside your parents.
"So, you didn't betray them?" Harry's heart was starting to slow. He reasoned that if Black had escaped to kill him, he would have done it by now. However, he decided not to believe what he was being told, but to go along with it so that he could get back to the castle.
"No, someone else did. Someone that I want to make pay for that mistake." Before Black could continue, he heard a bush rustling from the direction of the castle. Without another word, he bolted through the trees out of sight.
"Harry! What are you still doing here?" Hermione asked, looking breathless. Harry spun around to see her huffing a bit but otherwise fair for someone who might have just seen Black. Harry turned back but the man was gone.
"Oh, uh, nothing," Harry said, hastily putting his wand away and grabbing his schoolbag. He turned to leave when he felt something pawing at his foot. It was a stray black dog.
"Oh, is that your dog?" Hermione asked as she walked over to the dog.
"No, I've never seen it before in my life," Harry replied, still very confused and looking around for Black as if he would pop out from behind the trees at any moment. Hermione kneeled down and stated to pet the dog. Harry frowned, looking down at the dog.
"Well, that explains a lot. You know, I never pegged you for a dog person," Hermione commented, looking up at Harry.
"Depends on the dog; my aunt breeds bull dogs and I haven't fancied them since I met them," Harry said as he leaned over a bit to scratch behind the dog's ears.
"Why?" asked Hermione.
"Well, one time I got chased up a tree, and the whole family laughed at me. It was an hour before I got down," Harry frowned. The black dog tilted its head in confusion.
"An hour, Harry I doubt it was that bad, I bet they were just teasing you," Hermione dismissed. Harry looked at the dog, who seemed just as disbelieving as Hermione.
"I wish I was," Harry muttered. Hermione stopped petting the dog and stood up to face Harry.
"Was Ron telling the truth last year when they found bars on your window?" Hermione asked, frowning at him.
"Yes, they slid the food in under the door. I wouldn't make this stuff up, Hermione. They are mean and awful people, and my aunt was just as bad. The only reason I got picked up by the Knight Bus was because I would rather chance the streets than deal with them," Harry explained, his voice rising as he continued. "Why, did you think we were joking?" He sighed as he finished. The dog whimpered a bit as Harry stared at Hermione's wide eyes
"To be honest, Harry, yes," Hermione responded, she opened her mouth but shut it. "Harry, this really is something you should bring up with a teacher. This isn't the type of behavior muggle or wizarding parents should be allowed to do," Hermione frowned, having finally found her voice.
"I don't want to bother anyone about," Harry sulked, swatting the dog away as he nibbled at his robes. "Besides it's only during the summer and it wasn't as bad as it used to be," Harry dismissed as he started back to the castle.
"It used to be worse?" Hermione asked, startled. She quickly ran out in front of him. "Harry, this isn't something you should dismiss." She scowled as the black dog barked his agreement.
"That's enough out of you," Harry snapped at the dog as he tried to push past Hermione.
"Harry, promise me you will talk to someone about this." Her voice made it difficult to argue. Harry tried to push back but she glared at him, grabbing his sleeve and forcing him to look at her.
"Fine, I'll talk to someone," Harry gave in as she released him. "Just not today. Besides who's going to believe me? It took you a year to find out" Harry mouthed as he trudged back to the school. Hermione looked down at the dog giving it one last pat as she sighed.
"I wish he would stop thinking like he was a burden to others," she huffed, the dog yipped in agreement. She gave a weak smile. "Do try to talk some sense to him," she urged the dog as she ran off after Harry.
Malfoy was hamming it up over at the Slytherin table, making Harry wish he could just go over there and punch him just once, and right now he could really use the release.
"Another minute or two," Malfoy was saying, "and Madam Promfrey said that I could have lost my arm." Harry clenched his fists, but before he could complain to Ron and Hermione, Seamus ran toward them from the opposite end of Gryffindor table.
"He's been sighted! He's been sighted!" Seamus yelled, waving a copy of the Daily Prophet. Harry quickly set down his fork, an odd lump in his throat.
"Who, and where?" Hermione asked.
"Sirius Black, in Dufftown," Seamus replied.
"Dufftown? That's not far from here!" she cried. That is impossible, Harry thought. I was just talking to him.
"How long ago was that?" Harry asked.
"It was a few days ago. The Ministry kept holding it back, thinking they were actually going to catch him," Seamus said.
"You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts, do you?" Neville asked.
"With dementors at every entrance?" Lavender scoffed.
"He's already slipped past them once, hasn't he?" Seamus argued. "Who's to say he won't do it again!"
"Black could be anywhere," a fellow Gryffindor said. "It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."
Their classes seemed to drag on until they finally hit the one they were most eager for – Defense Against the Dark Arts. They had been hearing all week just how amazing Professor Lupin's classes were; when Thursday rolled around, Harry, Ron and Hermione were extremely excited to see what he had in store.
"Who can tell me what a boggart is?" Professor Lupin asked. They were standing inside an empty classroom, staring at a rattling wardrobe.
"Boggarts are shapeshifters," Hermione said. Ron jumped; she hadn't walked into class with them.
"Where'd she come from?" Ron whispered. Harry shrugged, focusing on Lupin.
"Excellent. Who knows what a boggart looks like?"
Again, it was Hermione who responded. "No one knows as they take the shape of whatever a particular person fears the most."
Professor Lupin showed them a simple charm (Riddikulus) to repel the boggart. After that, he asked Neville to assist him in showing the class what to do. Nervously, Neville shuffled to stand before the rattling wardrobe.
"What is it that you fear the most, Neville?" Lupin asked gently. Neville's answer was indecipherable; Lupin asked him to repeat it.
"P-Professor Snape," he stammered.
"Frightens all, you live with your grandmother, is that correct?"
"Yes, but I don't want that boggart to turn into her either!" Professor Lupin assured him that it would not and whispered instructions into his ear.
"Ready, one, two, three," Lupin said, waving his wand. The wardrobe opened to reveal an angry looking Snape. He stalked forward, Neville cried Riddikulus! and Snape stopped abruptly. In a whirl of wind, Snape's black robes were replaced by a hideous green dress, fox fur scarf and a red handbag, complete with a vulture topped hat. The class burst into laughter, immediately forming a line.
One by one, they each faced the boggart. Harry was pushed near the end of the line, eagerly awaiting his turn. His turn, however, never came. When he came face to face with the boggart, it began to shift. Before it could finish shifting, Lupin had leaped in front of him. The black cloaked something transformed into a silvery orb that just hung in the air.
"Riddikulus!" Lupin cried. The orb changed into a rapidly deflating balloon as it swirled around the classroom and back into the wardrobe. "I think we'll call that a lesson. I apologize for those of you who did not have a chance to face the boggart; however, it's no big loss as long as you remember the charm." Professor Lupin sent them on their way and the talk of the third years then turned to Hogsmeade. Harry grumbled every time he heard somebody say how excited they were to see the Shrieking Shack or visit Honeyduke's, both of which were attractions in Hogsmeade. It seemed that he was the only third year not allowed to visit Hogmeade; this was due to Uncle Vernon not signing his permission form before Harry stormed out of the house.
That wasn't the only bad thing going on right now. After Malfoy had provoked Buckbeak and suffered the consequences, his father was furious. Hagrid was worried about being fired, so he stayed with lesser creatures, such as flobberworms, for his class to learn about. Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry's demise and casting sympathetic looks at him. Add to all of that the fact that the Quidditich season was starting soon and Harry now had practice three times a week, which was something that he actually looked forward too.
Pep talks from Oliver Wood, their captain, on the other hand, were not something that anyone from the team looked forward too. Wood's talks were highly longwinded, comprised of how Gryffindor had not held the Quidditch Cup for seven years and that it was his final year to win it. They trained mercilessly, no matter what the weather was. One October evening, they returned to Gryffindor Tower to find the atmosphere alight with exhilaration.
"What's going on?" Harry asked, finding Ron and Hermione leaving the notice board.
"First Hogsmeade trip of the year is this weekend!" Ron replied excitedly. However, at the sudden drop in Harry's face, he quickly changed the subject.
"How was practice?" he asked.
"Great," Harry said grumpily. This did not take Harry's mind off of Hogsmeade, as Ron had hoped.
"Honestly, Harry. Percy told me that Hogsmeade really isn't all that it's cracked up to be," Ron said. "Maybe McGonagall will let you go."
"Ron!" Hermione immediately pounced on this. "Harry's not supposed to leave the grounds! He's not even supposed to be on the grounds after dark!" They stopped talking of Hogsmeade, for it seemed to only make Harry more depressed. Instead, they turned to homework that was in need of being done. They were nearly done with their Astronomy charts when Crookshanks bounded into the room, leaping straight at Ron's bag. Ron yelled, jumping up and wrenching the bag away from the cat, too whom he gave a swift kick across the room.
"Ronald!" Hermione cried, quickly scooping Crookshanks into her arms. "He's just a cat!"
"Yeah? Well that cat has got it out for Scabbers! That's not the first time I've seen him go after him," Ron shouted. Harry busied himself with his star chart, but there wasn't much left to do on it. Ron and Hermione continued to argue until Ron, still fuming, declared that he was going to bed. Hermione stood in the now deserted common room, with tear filled eyes, before she too declared that she was going to bed.
The next few days were not the best to be around Ron and Hermione together. Granted, Hermione was trying to make amends by asking how Scabbers was and the like. Ron, on the other hand, was acting very rude to Hermione and it showed in his actions. In Herbology, they were set to work stripping beans from puffapods. While responding angrily to Hermione, Ron stripped the puffapod, but missed the pail and the beans scattered over the greenhouse floor.
When Harry awoke on Halloween morning, the day of the Hogsmeade visit, he was a in a very grumpy mood. He walked with Ron and Hermione to the entrance hall, where Filch was checking names against a list of students allowed to visit Hogsmeade.
"This visits are a privilege," Professor McGonagall called. "Should your behavior reflect poorly on the school, that privilege shall not be extended again. No permission slip signed, no visiting the village. That's the rule, Potter." Harry had not even had a chance to speak.
"But, Professor, I thought that if you signed…." Harry started, but stopped when he saw McGonagall's expression.
"I'm sorry, Potter. Only a parent or a guardian can sign, and since I am neither, it would be inappropriate. I'm sorry, that's my final word," McGonagall said, placing her hand sympathetically upon Harry's shoulder.
He caught Ron and Hermione's eye; when they saw his downtrodden face, Hermione walked over and leaned into his ear, "Harry, this would be a good time to talk to McGonagall," she whispered. Harry shook her off as he looked at the wizened teacher, not really wanting to talk to her. "Harry," she hissed.
"Fine, I'll try to talk to her," Harry reasoned and she glared at him. He was beginning to feel really annoyed. "But only if you find a way to prove I am telling the truth," Harry snapped back.
"Not fair, but reasonable, I suppose. Listen if I find a way, will you bring it up with her?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, but only if you come with me," Harry growled. She frowned but consented.
"I am holding you to this," Harry called after her as she went to go join Ron.
With Ron and Hermione gone, Harry headed into the castle with the plan to work on his homework. He was heading up the stairs when he thought of the boggart. Curious as to why Professor Lupin had not let Harry fight it, he turned and headed for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Halfway there, he ran into none other than Professor Lupin himself.
"Harry," he said. "Why aren't you in Hogsmeade with all of the other third years?"
"No permission form," Harry sighed. "Professor, how come – "
"I didn't let you face the boggart? I thought it would have been obvious, I assumed that it would take the shape of Lord Voldemort." They headed down the corridor towards Lupin's office.
"I thought of Voldemort but then I remembered that night on the train, with the dementors…."
"Hmm, that's very wise of you, Harry. This suggests that what you fear the most, is fear itself."
"Professor, you made those dementors on the train go away. Could you teach me to do the same?" Harry asked. Before Professor Lupin could answer, there was a knock at the door. Without waiting for an answer, Professor Snape pushed the door open, carrying a smoking goblet.
"Ah, thank you, Severus," Lupin said fairly amiably. Snape set the goblet on the desk, glowering at Harry.
"You'll want to drink that as soon as possible, Lupin. If you have need of more, let me know. I have an entire cauldronful ready," Snape said before sweeping out of the room.
"You want to learn how to repel a dementor?" Lupin asked, taking a sip of the potion and shuddering at the taste.
"Yes, before I fainted, I heard a woman screaming. I think it was my mother," Harry said.
"When I saw you, I recognized you instantly. Not by your scar, but by your eyes. They're your mother's, Lily's eyes. I knew her when I was younger, she was a remarkable woman. A clever witch and an even kinder woman. She had this knack of finding beauty in someone even if they couldn't see it themselves. That's why she fell in love with your father, never mind his troublemaking. Rumor has it that James passed on his troublemaking down to you," Lupin smiled. "There are many stories that could be told of your parents. But just know that they lived each and every day to its fullest."
When Harry left Lupin's office, it wasn't even noon yet and he hadn't gotten an answer. Bored and lonely, he wandered the castle, trying his damnedest to avoid his homework in Gryffindor Tower. After about twenty minutes, he decided to go to the Owlery and see Hedwig. He slowly ran his finger through her feathers as he remembered the dog from before.
"I wonder if there is a connection between the dog and Sirius Black," Harry though aloud. Hedwig playfully nipped at his fingers. Harry grinned as he pulled his fingers away a bit. "Well, I could look in the library, not like I have anything better to do." Harry soon found himself looking around the old dusty books; it reminded him of his first year looking for Nicolas Flamel. Harry looked through all manners of books relating to famous magical wizards and their pets.
"Hello, what are you looking at?" said a female voice.
"Hello, Ginny," Harry smiled as he looked up at Ron's little sister. "Looking up connections between wizards and animals."
"Can I help?" she offered. "I took care of my homework and I wouldn't mind helping." She gave a shy grin.
"Yeah, I ran into this wizard twice and both times I saw a black dog not long after. I'm trying to find a connection," Harry presented.
"Well, there's transfiguration," Ginny mentioned.
"I thought of that. I'm not sure he has a wand so I'm looking for wandless explanations, but so far nothing seems magical about a dog," Harry then felt something click in the back of his mind as he went back to first year. "Wait Professor McGonagall turned into a cat first year, what did she call it?"
"An Animagus," Ginny answered as Harry leapt to the books He quickly found a book on basic understanding of the Animagus. He silently flipped through it when he found what he was looking for.
"Here, 'when a person masters his Animagus form he is capable of turning into said form at any given time with or without his wand'," Harry read aloud. He muttered to himself as he started to search for personalities. "'Those who turn into dogs are very loyal to all friends and often very straight forward. Mostly they are common being of one solid color of usually black, white or tan often depending on their own hair color'," Harry read as Ginny looked over his shoulder. "That would explain it. It almost fits perfectly, next time I'll have to really watch that dog."
Ron and Hermione found Harry slumped in a corner of the common room. They headed over his way and dumped handfuls of sweets into his lap.
"Whoa," Harry breathed, looking at all the different things. The labels read Ice Mice, Sugar Quills, Chocolate Wands and Acid Pops, among others.
"There was so much there!" Hermione said excitedly. They recounted their day to Harry, who was amazed at everything within Hogsmeade, though he was still sour about not being able to see it himself. After they had finished, Harry told them what he had been up to that day. Ron was particularly astounded that Lupin drank whatever potion it was that Snape had brought him.
"It could have been poisoned!" he exclaimed. They had finally left the common room and were on their way down to the Halloween feast in the Great Hall.
"Yes, but Snape wouldn't have poisoned Lupin if Harry was there. Even he's not that thick," Hermione chided, leading them into the Great Hall. It was decorated elaborately with huge jack-o-lanterns and clouds of live bats. Almost as soon as they had sat down, food appeared on the plates down the middle of the table. Everyone managed to have second helpings, even the older students who were full to bursting from Honeyduke's sweets. Ron was still going on about why Lupin drank a potion made by Snape as they were climbing the marble staircases.
"The dementors send their love, Potter!" Malfoy shouted from the bottom of the staircase.
"Just ignore the swarmy git," Ron said, thumping Harry on the back. Outside of the entrance to Gryffindor common room, they were held up by a throng of people.
"What's going on?" Hermione wondered.
"Probably Neville forgot the password again," Ron chuckled.
"Hey!" Neville cried from behind them.
"Oh, you're there," Ron said apologetically. Percy muscled his way through, shouting that he was Head Boy.
"Somebody get Professor Dumbledore, quickly. None of you are to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched," Percy commanded. At his words, silence fell over the crowd of Gryffindors, starting at the front and working its way back.
"The Fat Lady," Ginny said, appearing in front of them. "She's gone." Dumbledore had finally arrived, Mr. Filch right behind him; as he pushed his way to the front of the crowd, Harry saw. The portrait that usually housed the Fat Lady had been viciously slashed, leaving strips of canvas hanging from the gilded frame.
"Mr. Filch, round up the ghosts and have them search the castle for the Fat Lady," Dumbledore said.
"No need, Headmaster. The Fat Lady's there," Filch said, pointing across the staircases to an African painting. Everyone rushed over to see, but Dumbledore was there first.
"Dear lady, who did this to you?" he asked gently.
"Eyes like the devil, he's got," she trembled, peeking out from behind a rhino. She had twigs and leaves stuck in her hair, a poor attempt at blending in. "And a soul as dark as his name. He's here, in the castle. The one they all talk about, Sirius Black!" With that, she sunk back out of sight with a shiver. Dumbledore ordered all of the Gryffindors to the Great Hall, where they met up with the other three houses. On the way down, Harry casually glanced over the banister and saw a massive black dog slinking away. He couldn't help but grin to himself as he swiftly dashed after the shaggy black dog
"Harry where you going?" asked Ron as the two quickly chased after him.
Hopefully you guys liked chapter. I'm hoping to have chapter four done by next Monday but I'm a very unpredictable author and it could very well be later.