Chapter 10: Going Home
I could not believe it. Peter had escaped, and Sirius was on the run. After all we had gone through, Peter still got away. And Sirius was still thought to be a maniacal, deranged mass murderer. Hmm, I basically said the same thing twice, didn't I?
I sat on the train with Hermione, Harry and Long-and-Gangly—uh, I mean Ron (the guy was ok, I guess) brooding about the injustice of it all. Then something distracted me.
"Harry, what's that thing outside your window?"
A small gray owl was bouncing up and down outside of the window as it tried to carry a huge letter. Well, huge compared to its own size. Harry opened the window to catch it. The owl gave Harry's its letter and then decided to flutter excitedly around the compartment. I sat up for a closer look and Ron snatched the owl out of my way. Haha.
Harry opened the letter and cried, "It's from Sirius!"
"What?" Hermione and Ron said happily, voicing my exact thoughts. "Read it aloud!"
Dear Harry,
I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle.
I don't know whether they're used to owl post.
Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in
case this owl falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt
about his reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did
seem eager for the job.
I believe the dementors are still searching for me, but they
haven't a hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some
Muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so
that the security on the castle will be lifted.
There is something I never got around to telling you
during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt—
"Ha!" Hermione said. "See! I told you it was from him!"
"Yes, but he hadn't jinxed it, had he?" Ron asked. "Ouch!" he continued, after the owl bit him.
Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used
your name but told them to take the gold from my own
Gringotts vault. Please consider it as thirteen birthdays' worth
of presents from your godfather.
I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave
you that night last year when you left your uncle's house. I had
only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey
north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you.
I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will
make your next year at Hogwarts more enjoyable.
If ever you need me, send word. Your owl will find me.
I'll write again soon.
Sirius
Harry looked into the envelope and pulled out something else, which he read aloud again. But I was thinking about all the time I had spent with Sirius that year. It had seemed so intense at the time, but looking back on it, it seemed like we were just playing a really dangerous game of hide and seek.
"Hang on, there's a P.S…"
I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat.
"Keep him?" Ron said uncertainly. He studied the owl, then held it out to me, which was surprising.
"What d'you reckon?" he asked. "Definitely an owl?"
I looked at the bird. It seemed fully animal, it didn't have that weird incomplete feel to it. I purred to assure Ron that this was definitely not another Peter.
"That's good enough for me. He's mine." Ron said cheerily.
The train continued on to the station. I was still upset that Peter had gotten away, but there'll be other chances. If he's joined this Volde-who guy, he might slip up and get himself killed. And who knows when I might see him again? I had thought I would never lay eyes on him again, but he just turned up one day at Magical Menagerie. Who says that can't happen again?
A/N: The End.
Hope you liked the story and thanks to all of you who took time to read it!