A west side short story part I

January 16, 1984.

5:00 am.

Sirius had been tailing Alexa's father's car all night, but the frigid weather had made it a grueling task. The snow was falling heavily, and the wind was howling, creating a constant white noise that filled Sirius' ears. The only sounds that broke through the blizzard were the squeaking of the wipers on Mr. Acker's car and the occasional honk of a truck.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Mr. Acker pulled into an "Esso" gas station and went to park his car in a sheltered area, protecting the cars and station's pumps from the white snow piling up. Then, the man hasted his feet to get inside the gas station and its warmth, rubbing his hands together.

Despite the biting cold, Sirius waited patiently outside for what felt like an eternity, hearing the soft hum of the gas station's heating system and the distant sound of a radio playing a pop song from the '70s, hoping to see Mr. Acker walk back to his car. The snow continued to fall, and Sirius grew tired of holding his wand above his head to shelter himself from the snow. So, he decided to leave his perch and search for Mr. Acker.

He apparated behind a van and then walked inside the station. The smell of coffee grew stronger as he walked past the shop shelves, and he could hear the sound of the coffee maker gurgling away in the background.

Once inside, Sirius let out a satisfied sigh as his body began to warm up. He walked discreetly between the shop shelves, his ears perked up for any sign of Mr. Acker. The shelves were lined with snacks, candy, and other convenience store items, and the sweet smell of chocolate mingled with the scent of gasoline.

Finally, Sirius spotted Mr. Acker sitting at a table, holding a plastic cup, and engaged in conversation with another man. Sirius remained hidden behind a shelf, surprised to hear Mr. Acker and the other man conversing in English rather than German. The other man appeared to be older, with white hair and wearing a fluorescent safety vest over a black jumper. From what Sirius could overhear, the man also had a North American accent.

"I'm sorry to make you come here this late, Benji, but I have a plane to catch in two hours," The man said.

"Of course, Mattis… What's so urgent?" Mr. Acker asked.

Mattis nodded at the tv on the wall on which President Reagan was doing a speech. "That idiot, us and the Soviets…Everyone is an urgent idiot."

"He's just a puppet playing for the applause…America is far away, and Europe won't accept another war. The memory of the last one is still fresh, and by now everyone has too much to lose," Mr. Acker said.

"The situation in the east is bad, Benji. Incredibly delicate. They believe the West is seriously planning an attack. So, if the KGB is, for now, holding them until they get some solid evidence, others are insisting on a preventive initiative" Mattis said.

"You can be sure Moscow has eyes and ears in every embassy in Europe; if they had a single piece of evidence, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Mr. Acker said.

"I know…But we received some new information. Some leaders need this war to happen to survive the anger and low approval they're dealing with in their own countries," Mattis said.

" You mean a false flag?" Mr. Acker asked.

"That's what we are afraid of indeed", Mattis said, sliding a folder on the table toward him.

Mr. Acker opened the folder, read the file, and asked "Sirius Black? Is it a nickname?"

"That's what we believe…Because as hard as we've tried, we couldn't find a single trace of him anywhere. The MI6 describes him as a lone wolf… Anyway, he's responsible for a mass murder in London a few years ago and inexplicably escaped from a high-security prison only six months after his arrest. He has been on the run since but did some gloomy work in France a little bit more than a year ago. Apparently, he follows the same modus operandi. He hits, then disappears for months before repeating again somewhere else, and we seriously doubt that he randomly chose his targets," Mattis said.

"What makes you think he'll choose Germany this time? This is probably the most surveilled place in the world right now…" Mr. Acker said.

"And would make his action impossible to ignore…Moreover, he can't hide forever," Mattis said.

"I see…Some big fish hired him in exchange for a new identity and a one-way ticket to a communist country where he would live happily forever and after..." Mr. Acker.

"…In exchange for a last job equivalent to the reward," Mattis said, finishing Mr. Acker's sentence.

"What makes you think this is where he could reappear?" Mr. Acker asked.

"There is going to be an important meeting in Hamburg between a NATO commissioner and top generals from NATO members to discuss the possibility to deploy our weapons here in the west, to keep the east and the Soviets at bay," Mattis said, making Mr. Acker sigh.

"That would be just the same as an open declaration of war," Mr. Acker said.

"I'm not the one who makes the calls, Benji," Mattis said.

"Call off the meeting, take it somewhere else…Don't make it easy for him!" Mr. Acker said.

"No," Mattis said.

"Excuse me?" Mr. Acker asked.

"Actually, we want to attract him toward it. We want it to be his next target. It will be easier to anticipate him if we know in advance where he's heading, instead of searching a needle in a haystack" Mattis said before Mr. Acker interrupted him.

"This is insane! What if he succeeds? What if he's the one who playing with you?" Mr. Acker asked.

"He's not. We have a reliable source," Mattis said.

"May I ask who this source is?" Mr. Acker asked.

"Classified!" Mattis said, standing up. "All we got is in the file, Benji. Good luck, and be careful" he added before leaving.


As Mr. Acker sipped his coffee in solitude, Sirius seized the opportunity to slip out unnoticed. He made his way to the Trabant, murmured "Alohomora," and transformed into Padfoot, before sneaking into the trunk, then covered himself with a blanket behind the man's suitcase. Padfoot patiently waited in silence for several minutes until, finally, he heard a commotion outside the car, indicating that Mr. Acker was ready to depart. The man started the engine and drove off down the road, unaware of the unexpected passenger hiding in his trunk.

As they rode along, Sirius found himself wondering about Alexa's father and the nature of his work. He couldn't help but notice that Alexa spoke frequently about her mother, who was far from quiet herself. However, when Sirius inquired about her father, Alexa simply shrugged and explained that he had a dull job at an insurance company.

Eventually, the car came to a stop once more, and Sirius assumed that the man was merely fulfilling a promise to his wife. While the situation was somewhat amusing, Sirius couldn't help but be intrigued by the extent to which the Aurors and the Ministry of Magic were going to capture him. Of course, he had no intention to disturb a Muggle gathering, nor he was slightly interested in the matter, but he had to admit that the story the ICW had concocted to mobilize the Muggle authorities was quite intriguing, even if it was entirely useless.

However, Sirius was fortunate enough to overhear a conversation between the two men, and he knew that it was time to retake his Padfoot form while he would be on the run. Now that Alexa could take care of herself, he realized that it was time to bid her farewell before involving her in any serious trouble with the Ministry. After all, Sirius was all too familiar with the harsh and swift justice of the wizarding world, and even minor offenses could result in severe punishment.

After two more hours on the road, the car took a sharp turn and slowed down amidst the cacophony of traffic outside. This signaled to Sirius the car's arrival in Hamburg at last. He reverted to his human form and cautiously cracked open the car trunk, peering outside. As they crossed a bridge that could only be the Elbe, Mr. Acker finally parked in front of a clinker bricks residential building.

Just as Mr. Acker was about to open the trunk, Sirius swiftly disapparated, reappearing behind a street corner to observe his surroundings. The man, intrigued by the sound of Sirius' sudden disappearance, was inspecting a tire while Sirius watched him from afar. Eventually, Mr. Acker turned his car around, picked up his suitcase, and entered the building.

Sirius then transformed into Padfoot and made his way down the street, away from the building. After spending the night repeatedly apparating in the January cold and curling up in the car trunk, Sirius was utterly exhausted. His legs barely held him up, and his paws ached from the cold street pavement. He wandered along the deserted walkway by the Elbe River, shivering as he braced against the howling wind and traffic noise.

As he neared an aging newspaper kiosk, memories flooded back to him of the summer he turned fifteen and embarked on a journey across Europe with his friends. This wasn't his first visit to Hamburg, and he couldn't help but reminisce about the day James and Sirius recklessly shoved Peter into the river despite Remus' protests. Observing Padfoot's reflection in the water, he yearned to turn back time and add an anvil to that motherfucker's ankle. Padfoot turned his back turned to the river, then ascended the stairs leading to Hamburg's city hall square where a crowd had gathered around street performers, some casting curious glances at the funny dog walking solo, wondering if it was part of a performance.

Their stroll was cut short when Sirius noticed a man standing motionless amidst the hustle and bustle, his gaze transfixed on the dog. Towering in height with chestnut hair, this was one of only two men still alive who knew the true identity of the dog. They locked eyes for a few fleeting seconds before Remus stepped forward. In panic, Padfoot bolted as fast as he could, leaving behind the commotion of screeching tires and honking cars forced to brake suddenly to avoid colliding with the dog. The cacophony of rubber grinding against asphalt drowned out the sound of his pursuer apparating to catch up with him.

Sirius had to disapparate quickly, so when he arrived in an alley between two towering buildings, he hastily transformed back into his human form. In his rush, however, his foot landed in a pothole, causing him to fall flat to the ground. Fortunately, his sudden collapse caused him to evade a blast of red lightning that had been aimed at his back. As he lay on his back, gasping for breath, Sirius spotted Remus a few meters away, brandishing his wand with lethal intent. With no time to waste, Sirius quickly disapparated from the ground, narrowly escaping Remus's wrath.

After a few seconds, he fell onto the wooden floor, hitting his head. Shortly thereafter, he heard a voice say: "Geht es dir gut?". As he sat on the floor rubbing his forehead, a young blonde woman crouched near him. "Haben Sie sich verletzt?

"I'm fine, thank you," Sirius growled.

"Ooh, a tourist…Sorry, we don't have any customers so early, so I mopped the floor. Are you sure you're fine?" the girl asked.

"Yes, I should have watched my steps," Sirius said, trying to stand up.

"Let me give you a hand!" She said, helping him to stand up and then sit in a booth.

"Where am I?" Sirius asked, looking around him.

"Hum…Well… You're in a bar, Hafenklang since 1980!" the girl said, showing the space around her.

"Am I still in Hamburg?" Sirius asked.

She chuckled, "I'll get you some coffee for that hangover. Make yourself at home, I'll be back in a sec!" She said before walking away towards the counter.

Sirius rubbed his forehead, letting out a sigh. Remus had come perilously close to catching him. Why was he in Hamburg, anyway? That question lingered until the answer dawned on Sirius with startling clarity. He must be after him and the source the guy Mr. Acker met in the gas station had mentioned. Dumbledore had sent Remus, of course! Who else could it be? Remus knew him better than anyone. But how had he found him so quickly? Had he, like Sirius, come for a stroll down memory lane in a place they had both visited years ago? Or was it just a coincidence? Either way, from this moment on, even Padfoot would be conspicuous. Remus must have revealed his secret to the Ministry of Magic or to Dumbledore, and perhaps even to other members of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Here!" the girl said, placing a cup of smoking coffee on the table in front of his hands, smiling kindly.

"Thank you!" Sirius said." I'll also like to order something to eat"

"Sure, we have a Breakfast menu for 11,25 Deutschmarks," the waitress said.

"I'll have that," Sirius said.

As the waitress vanished through a doorway, Sirius retrieved his wand and deftly transformed a stack of paper napkins into the exact amount of currency needed to settle his bill. His gaze then drifted to the television screen mounted on the wall, which was replaying the same speech he had surreptitiously watched at the gas station while surveilling Mr. Acker.

"They are the focus of modern evil in the world, so let us pray for the salvation for all the people who live in that totalitarian darkness; some would have us accept their world and accommodate ourselves to their aggressive impulses…"

Then the image switched to another man, this time speaking in German "If the Soviet Union is not prepared to provide security for Europe through disarmament, then we must provide security through the deployment of American medium-range missiles."

The waitress returned to Sirius's table and set down with fresh brown bread rolls, creamy butter, and tangy marmalade.

"If you want me to switch to another channel, feel free to ask," she said, nodding at the television.

"Why would you?" Sirius asked.

"They've been playing the same thing over and over for hours...as if we're not anxious enough," The waitress said, looking annoyedly at the image.

"Would you say that a new war is about to break out?" Sirius asked.

"Until now, both sides have been testing each other for years, but recently things have escalated to a new level," she remarked, trailing off with a thoughtful expression. "Who knows what might happen next." She then turned to Sirius and asked, "Is this your first time in Germany?"

"It is. I'm staying here for a few days," Sirius said.

"Are you thinking about crossing the border and see how life is on the other side?" She asked.

"I don't really care to be honest," Sirius said.

"You don't?!" She asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"I'll be off in a couple of days or sooner anyway," Sirius said, shrugging.

"So, you think a third world war won't reach you?" She asked. "What's happening here isn't a German problem! It's everyone's problem!"

"It wasn't my intention to offend you. I just have my own issues. Same as everyone else, I imagine…Have you ever been to the East?" Sirius asked.

"I have never been there, unfortunately. However, there are some of us who aim to make the government withdraw the missiles and promote peace by means of conversation. Perhaps you have seen us on the local news, arranging peaceful rallies and protests against the war. Our plan is to journey towards the eastern part of the country and demonstrate that there is no threat from the East Germans. We wish to emphasize that, despite our differences, we are essentially the same people," she firmly said.

"I see…But, what's stopping you from reunifying?" Sirius asked.

"We're caught in the midst of an ideological battle. The Soviet Union considers East Germany as a strategic point to spread its ideology across Europe, while the United States views the West as an important location to do the same. Therefore, neither party has any interest in allowing Germany to reunify and become an independent nation once again. Furthermore, there is the concern that a unified Germany may give rise to a new Nazi regime or at least economically dominate the other non-communist countries in Europe," she explained.

"It seems interesting," Sirius said.

"If you want to hear more about it and from more interesting people, we're having a meeting this afternoon at this address," she said, writing it down on her order pad before tiring the page and handing it to him. "By the way, my name is Emma."

"I'm Evan; nice to meet you," Sirius said.

"Nice to meet you as well; I hope to see you again this afternoon, Evan," Emma said before leaving to welcome new customers.


Sirius took his time finishing his breakfast. The events since the previous evening had transpired too quickly, and the small discussion he had just helped soothe him after his narrow escape from Remus. He seriously doubted that Remus had given up and returned to England. On the contrary, he most likely had warned Dumbledore and the German Aurors by now, putting Hamburg on high alert. Their magical transport departments would have deployed anti-apparition wards to detect and track the magical signature of anyone attempting any kind of magical transportation. To make matters worse, Sirius couldn't rely on Padfoot for help now that Remus lurked around.

Moreover, returning south to Alexa right now would be a bad idea. To be more cautious, he would wait some time before contacting her, and even then, he couldn't be sure their conversation would be private or intercepted, even if he used a phone instead of an owl.

After wandering aimlessly for some time, Sirius retraced his steps and found himself back where he started. As he surveyed his surroundings once more, he couldn't help but notice a building that stood tall and identical to the one he had just left. However, the windows of one apartment in the building were all shuttered, piquing his curiosity.

Sirius counted the number of floors in the building before entering the lobby. On his right, a row of mailboxes confirmed his suspicions, as the mailbox belonging to the apartment he sought was overflowing with letters, some of which had fallen to the ground.

With caution, Sirius made his way up the stairs to the fifth floor and approached the door he had been seeking. Glancing around to ensure he was alone, he pressed the tip of his wand against the door and whispered, "Homenum Revelio." A few seconds later, the spell confirmed that the apartment was indeed empty.

"Alohomora", Sirius whispered again, before gently pushing the front door, after hearing the lock click.

The narrow hallway that led to the living room was barely visible, with the dim light barely illuminating the way. When he arrived at the living room, he could make out an array of old wooden furniture that had been discarded long ago. The chairs and table were coated in a thick layer of dust, while the couch in the corner was draped with a sheet that was just as dirty. A thick layer of cobwebs hung from the ceiling, giving the room a spooky vibe.

In the corner of the room, an old mobile stove rusted away, unused for years. Sirius noticed that the stove could still be repaired and put to use. Despite the sorry state of the place, Sirius felt a sense of comfort, as if he had found a hidden sanctuary in the midst of chaos.

As he explored the apartment, he discovered two empty bedrooms, each with a window that overlooked the street below. The bathroom still had access to the city's water network, which was a rare find in an abandoned building.

Although the apartment was more than adequate for a squatter, Sirius knew he could make it even better. Without hesitation, he pulled out his wand and began to work his magic.

Sirius began his task of securing the hideout by soundproofing the entire place. He knew that his actions could raise the suspicion of nosy neighbors, so he made sure to take extra precautions. He then cast powerful wards around the perimeter to prevent any unwanted visitors from discovering his whereabouts. These wards also made the place invisible to anyone but him, giving him complete privacy.

To create the wards, Sirius used his knowledge of ancient Runes. He painstakingly inscribed each symbol onto the walls and linked them together. He repeated the process for every room in the apartment, ensuring that every nook and cranny was protected. It was a time-consuming process, but after an hour of work, he succeeded in creating a secure safe house for himself.

With the wards in place, Sirius turned his attention to cleaning the place. The apartment had been abandoned for some time, and it showed. The walls were covered in mold, the plumbing was faulty, and dust had settled everywhere. Sirius raised the blinds and opened the shutters to let fresh air circulate throughout the rooms. He then used his wand to repair the plumbing, banish the mold, and clean every surface. Slowly but surely, the apartment began to resemble a livable space once again.

Sirius has learned to be resourceful, and he knew how to make the most of the few resources he had. He searched through the drawers of the old furniture and found various broken decorative objects. Instead of throwing them away, he transfigured them into a big, comfortable bed, a table, armchairs, and a soft, cozy carpet. He even found an old mobile stove and duplicated it, placing one in each room of the apartment and lighting a fire in each one. The result was a warm, welcoming space that felt like a real home.

Exhausted from his work, Sirius took off his leather jacket and collapsed on the couch, and as he looked around the newly refurbished space, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of compassion for the old house-elf at 12 Grimmauld Place, who had to tidy a much larger house every day. Then, Sirius headed to the washroom and let his thoughts carry him to a peaceful nap, in a warm bubble bath.