AN: Apologies for the short chapter but it wants to stop where it is! Also THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS! I Love hearing from you! I don't know how far this fanfic will go, but I'm enjoying writing it. Please let me know your thoughts.

Also. I do not own Harry Potter, that honor belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 9: Flight

Hedwig swooped over the dark island for perhaps the hundredth time, knowing the wizard was here but she kept losing his essence. It was frustrating but she was determined not to disappoint. She was stubborn and loyal. On the hundredth and one pass, she found an open door and swept in past the wards.

"What the…" A jet of spell fire splashed across the ancient stone, but Hedwig is quicker than the wizard's stick magic and she is sure he has lost her.

She has lost his magic again. It comes and goes, but always she senses him deeper. She hunts vermin and his scent.

She finds a place to roost. It is unpleasant here, but darkness doesn't bother her, the dementors pay her no mind. Animals don't have tasty souls.

The screams of the prisoners keep Hedwig from fully resting. She places her head beneath her wing to muffle the cries of the suffering. Then deeper down she flies, until she finds him.

The wizard is behind a door with metal bars, and Hedwig easily squeezes through and flies to the cot where the wizard is huddled. She holds out her leg for the man to take the letter addressed to him.

He thinks she is an illusion, simply staring, afraid to blink lest the beautiful creature disappears. Then she pecks his ear and he yelps.

That felt quite real.

His tired eyes move to the letter. His name in careful penmanship, Sirius Black - location unknown - likely dead scrawled in what he thinks is in pencil across the front of the envelope. He carefully takes the letter. "Thank you." His voice sounds strange. "Don't have any treats. You are beautiful." He coughs then and Hedwig gave his chin an affectionate nip and flies to the small window ledge. She waits for him to read the letter. Tears fall down his weathered cheeks and into his long black scraggly beard.

Dear Mr. Black

My name is Harry Potter. A couple of days ago I went to my vault, see I'm eleven and about to start Hogwarts, and didn't even know I was a wizard until my birthday. Hagrid took me to Diagon Alley for my school supplies and explained some things but it was finding the portrait of the Marauders that really got things moving.

The painting is brilliant by the way. Padfoot thinks the only reason you didn't raise me is because you are dead. I hope you aren't dead. Mr. Lupin is going to meet me tomorrow at the public library. If you aren't dead then please respond to my owl. Her name is Hedwig. I just learned that you are my Godfather and so I would really like to meet you.

Harry Potter

Padfoot! You better be dead! It's the only explanation for not taking care of Harry and leaving him with the muggles that I will accept. Dead! Understand? Love Padfoot

Pads. I hope you aren't dead but you better have a good explanation. Harry's situation is almost as bad as yours was. Come rescue my kid! Please don't be dead. Love ya. Prongs.

Padfoot. I hope you aren't dead. That would be a huge disappointment. Please contact us as soon as possible. Moony

He has to wait for the sun. The small crack, too generous to be called a window, is big enough to allow Hedwig to leave. It lets in the cold and rain too. The sun rises and briefly, he has enough light to read. The letter makes him laugh. Not the crazed insane laugh they are used to hearing from his parched lips, but one of genuine amusement. He has no quill to write with for a reply. He cries into the parchment.

Hedwig flies to his lap concerned and bites his finger hard enough to draw blood.

"OW!" The wizard watches his blood bead on the tip of his finger and then looks down at the parchment. "Oh. Smart bird." And he flips the parchment and begins to write his reply in his own blood.

"You're doing great Neville."

Neville didn't feel like he was doing great. His death grip on the broom however was slowly loosening as Harry hovered right at his elbow. "Now all you gotta do is open your eyes."

Neville shook his head and gulped. "Come on Nev. The view is great! Just one look. Please?"

Neville slowly opened his eyes. The tops of the forest trees spread out below him and the meadow clearing was barely postage-stamp-sized.

"Wow, we are really high up," Neville noted giving Harry a tremulous grin.

"That's the point of flying Nev. OK. Follow me. I'll go really slow." And Harry started a lazy circle with the less confident Neville following behind. Just as he was starting to get comfortable with the simple circular pattern that Harry initiated he switched it up to a lazy eight. And then added in some dives and climbs.

Before he knew it he was putting on a little speed as Harry kept illusively just out of his reach and was starting to taunt the boy to try and keep up.

Neville became more daring with every turn and soon he tagged Harry and he was now in control of where they flew. They made the game up as they went along, but before Neville realized it he'd been flying for over an hour without once worrying about falling off his broom.

When he finally landed he fell to the grass with a laugh looking up at the sky with a grin. Harry collapsed beside him and said, "So. I think that went well."

Remus smiled and cheered from his watching spot nearby. "Quite impressive Neville. No one would guess you have a fear of heights."

Neville smiled and nodded. "Well, I don't feel afraid of going on a broom anymore." He sighed and sat up, "Want to go again?"

Before Harry could answer he heard the sound of wings and Hedwig burst through the forest and landed on Harry's shoulder. Her head drooping in exhaustion and yet she proudly presented her foot for Harry to take the parchment tied to it.

"Hedwig! I've missed you!" He quickly inspected her from beak to tail and surmised she wasn't hurt but looked really tired from her journey.

He quickly untied the letter and recognized it as the one he had sent, but on the back was written clumsily in what looked like brown ink:

I am Innocent! Pettigrew was the secret keeper. We switched. Harry in danger. Pettigrew alive. Didn't get a trial. Need help.

Remus watched as if frozen as Harry's owl presented him with the letter. He had expected her to return with the letter unable to deliver, but from what he could see, there was a response from Sirius Black.

It should be impossible to get an owl into Azkaban. Harry looked up and wordlessly handed the letter to Remus. "You need to see this Remus!"

Harry watched nervously as Remus took the parchment, reading each word. He went pale and then to Harry's horror, he fainted. "Moony!"