My Very Own Miracle
Chapter One
Sirius clung onto the hippogriff with all his might, without causing any harm to the beast. It's powerful wings flapping as it kept them in the air, the chill freezing him further as he looked back. Within moments his neck began to ache, but Sirius didn't care, it was a discomfort he was willing to bear as he watched his godson some more. Watching as Hogwarts and his godson got smaller and smaller until he was sure his godson had likely gone in, and Hogwarts was nothing but dark twinkles in the night sky. It had already been getting dark when he was speaking to his godson now nothing was really visible. It was astonishing how quickly it got dark.
He would need to leave Europe, get as far away from the Ministry's reach as possible. He hated the thought of it, he really did, but he had to. He knew if he stayed here, he really ran the risk of being the victim of a Dementors kiss. Even worse, having someone innocent being kissed alongside of him if they were in the wrong place and the wrong time. Just like his godson had nearly been. He felt sick just thinking about it, he'd almost caused Harry's death…no almost caused something far worse than death to happen to him.
Closing his eyes, Sirius burrowed into Buckbeak's neck, the creature didn't even stir at his actions. Tears rolled down his face and into the hippogriffs feathers, oh, how he missed him already. At least he had a real image of him, and not one he'd manufactured. Contrary to popular belief, Harry wasn't his fathers' spitting image. He was much too short for that, which was fine, he was only thirteen, he clearly hadn't had his growth spurt yet. He was too thin by far, but he guessed thinking his own godfather was trying to kill him would diminish anyone's appetite. Blinking harshly, trying to keep himself awake, exhaustion was trying to take him under. He'd been on the move – as a human – more than he had been for twelve years, with very little food, he should…and that was it, exhaustion sunk into him to the very bone and everything dimmed to nothing.
Sirius jerked awake, inhaling sharply as he instinctively tightened his hold on Buckbeak. He'd never thought he'd see the day where he was afraid of heights, well, that wasn't the entire reason, he was on the back of a Hippogriff which were class XXX and immensely proud creatures that were notoriously dangerous. He knew the Hippogriff's own will was the reason he was still on the beast. If Buckbeak didn't like him or want to do as he ordered, then he'd have been bucked off before they even left Hogwarts.
It was better than Azkaban, Sirius comforted himself, brushing his hand down Buckbeak's neck giving them both comfort. "I'll keep you as safe as I can." He promised the Hippogriff, "We fugitives need to look after ourselves, don't we?" his voice still cracked and broken from his earlier yelling. He spoke so rarely in the past twelve years.
Blinking tears back, he hated it, he fucking hated having to leave Harry again. What good was he? All he did was show his own damn godson his back time and time again. If only he hadn't been stupid as to hunt down Pettigrew…he could have avoided Azkaban, raised Harry like James and Lily would have wanted. He was just too fucking impulsive and stupid.
Sirius roughly wiped the tears running down his face, struggling enormously over everything that had happened. The hope he'd just felt the previous day had been more than he'd felt in so long for it to be discarded so easily…felt like his chest was being cleaved in two when it all went to shit. Not that it surprised him really, welcome to his life. It had been a shitshow from the get go.
Oh, he missed his best friends so much, his mood once again plummeting, the urge to just give in and join them. That he was no good to anyone, and never would be, suffused him. His godson would be better off without him…Remus would be too; his will would distribute his wealth between his godson and Remus anyways. It would give his friend an income and his godson even more money and a title. He was never going to be free, and he already wanted to just lay down and let nature take its course.
'Yes', came his godsons voice. Harry would have wanted to live with him, Harry had wanted to live with him. Warmth and love suffused him, beating away with darkness and cold, negative emotions however were constant companions, and it didn't take long for them to return.
The memory did help calm Sirius considerably, just in time for his stomach to grumble outrageously. They needed to stop for food and water, especially if they were leaving Europe. He couldn't risk being seen, not with the Dementors looking for him, he didn't have Albus helping protect him. At least Harry wouldn't get caught in the crossfire again. His stomach rebelled and shame suffused him recalling what Albus had told him, how his godson had nearly been kissed protecting him. it was meant to be the other way around. Yet he continued to fail him.
Sirius hunched in on himself, feeling like an utter failure. Sirius directed Buckbeak in the direction of somewhere close by that was still lit up. It looked perfect for their needs. Whether it proved fruitful remained to be seen. He would have given anything to have a meal at Hogwarts before he fled. Well, almost anything.
Sirius slid off Buckbeak, giving the area a thorough looking round. Rubbing his face, tiredness seeped into him, shivering in cold, it wasn't as cold as it had been on the mountains of Scotland while at Hogwarts but it wasn't exactly Barbados. Hmm, he may very well be there tomorrow.
Shivering in cold, something that was completely natural to him now, heat was a novelty he hadn't had in twelve years. Choking back his fear and sobs, but he couldn't contain it for long, as he clutched wall, and begun to cry, falling to the ground, he curled himself up, apologising to James and Lily for everything and anything, as his body shuddered and shook with the power of his cries. "I'm sorry, James, I'm letting you down, some godfather I'm making." Sniffling, he used his sleeve of his prison suit to wipe away the snot. His younger self would have been horrified by his lack of manners and letting snot on his clothes, but he'd long since given up any sense of being clean and proper.
His stomach grumbled so loudly he feared that someone could actually hear it. Yet he couldn't move, he just didn't have any more energy. He'd used it trying to get the rat and kill him, for Lily and James and to keep Harry safe. Despite his earlier sleep, Sirius' energy levels were still at an all-time low, and unconsciousness claimed him once again in the middle of the field with a hippogriff nearby. Where he was incredibly vulnerable, but luckily the Aurors were completely useless in the muggle world as they were in the magical one.
Even while unconscious his teeth continued to chitter at the cold. His sleep was a horror filled restless one, and to no surprise jerked awake, barely two hours later. Horrified, he jerked shakily to his feet, warily peering around, the field ahead of him was completely blackened out. He could see Buckbeak's orange eyes in the distance, showing the creature hadn't abandoned him.
Desperation led Sirius to move, shuffling about in the dead of the night. Moving through gardens, looking for any house that was draped in darkness, which was quite many. Creeping towards the door, Sirius tested it only to want to weep, it was locked, he wasn't sure he had it in him to keep testing all the doors until he found one that was open. What if none of them were?
Then suddenly a light came on in the kitchen and Sirius panicked. The door was opened, and a dog came out barking.
"Hush! What on earth are you barking at now you daft…" only to stop, blinking in astonishment, "Oh you poor thing," raising her hand slowly, she reached out and let the black dog sniff her before petting the poor thing. It clearly hadn't eaten in a while! You could see its ribs! She couldn't allow it to continue to suffer. There was nothing to be done about it for the evening. "Go on, get a pee," urging her own pet, but perhaps it hadn't even been the toilet he'd wanted, but sensed the dog? Still petting the strange dog that had wandered into her garden.
"You've been through tough times haven't you, hmm," she murmured, saddened by the state of the poor thing. It turned her stomach to see any animal suffer so. What was the world coming to? "You can stay with us tonight, I'll scrounge something for you to eat, you'll stay in the kitchen and I'll get the vets called first thing tomorrow. We'll find your owners won't we, hmm?" perhaps she'd give the poor thing a shower tomorrow if she had the time between phoning and the vets.
Tutting at her own, continuing to bark at the dogs face, she guided Ben away from the other dog just to be safe. She didn't know the dogs temperament, and the few minutes she'd spent thus far wasn't exactly enough time to really get a tell accurately. She had both herself and her own dog to think about. "Go on, off with you, in" she said with amusement, to her own dog. He didn't react until she uttered the word 'in' which was the word he knew to return to the house.
Padfoot wagged his tail and woofed, licking her hand in thanks, food sounded so good right now. He'd never tried dog food, hopefully it didn't taste as bad as it looked. Although, honestly? At this point he'd eat anything; I mean he'd eaten rats and they weren't too bad. He would hold that as a last resort though. As he always did. Meat was meat at the end of the day.
The woman whistled, bringing both dogs back into the house. She urged Ben, her own dog, through the living room using a treat as a diversion tactic. Then closed the door before putting around, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard before taking out a cooked chicken and padfoot perked up, his tail going from lazily swishing to going so fast as to whack against the cupboards in his excitement.
She laughed softly, shaking her head in fondness, "You're lucky it was tonight, and that I brought this home from work." It would have gone to waste if she hadn't, and she couldn't tolerate waste, especially food waste. Even if it meant she would be eating nothing but a mixture of meals with chicken as its primary source. She cut it roughly into chunks, adding it to the white plastic bowl, there, that would do it until tomorrow.
Grabbing a second bowl, she added fresh water to it, and set it down. Picking up her own dogs bowl she poured out the old water and added new water. Setting the chicken down for it, she petted it for a few seconds before she was making her way upstairs, setting water for her dog in the lobby, since he wouldn't be able to go into the kitchen for it since it was closed off for him.
Padfoot scoffed the food with such alarming ease, it was a genuine surprise he didn't choke himself to death. He didn't care that it was cold chicken, it was food and it was the most delicious thing he'd tasted in a long time. He almost landed head first into the bowl of water, it was fresh, cool and lovely.
His ears perked up, listening to the muggle pad about talking to her dog. Reassuring him that he was safe, that his 'friend' would get a home of his own tomorrow.
He lapped at the water, listening to everything, every creak of floorboard, every stroke of a toothbrush and she brushed her teeth. Then the groaning of the springs on her bed as she situated herself for the night.
Clocks ticking was the only indication of time passing by. Truth was Sirius hadn't been able to tell the passing of time, unless you counted the rising and lowering of the sun. Even that wasn't entirely helpful within the walls of Azkaban. It felt like no time at all when the muggle's breathing changed into a rhythm of sleep. One he was well acquainted with, since they used to wait on their roommate to fall sleep before joining Remus on the full moons.
Sirius swiftly and easily changed form, stretching out languidly, as his bones creaked and cracked. At thirty-four he shouldn't be creaking quite so badly like an older man but Azkaban and his living conditions made it so his health was severely impacted, not just mentally but physically.
Using the kitchen counter, Sirius stood at full height, taking a few seconds to orientate himself. It was always a little jarring when he changed from dog to human, height wise. Even after all these years, actually walking as he changed helped ease the way better than just standing.
Sirius opened the fridge door, and begun to take out food, setting it on the platter that held what was left of the kitchen. He and Buckbeak needed to eat, especially if they were to make the journey out of Europe where the Ministry wouldn't be able to get him. He pilfered what he could ready to make his exit.
Sirius opened the kitchen door, he peered into the living room, which had one of its lights on, a stand lamp in the corner. It was sparsely decorated, a two and three seat sofa, a lamp, a table with a small but bulky TV and that was it. The sofa was mended in more than three places Sirius could see. Everything was carefully looked after, but very old, Sirius glanced back into the kitchen and at the food…before hastening over to the cover on the back of the sofa and grabbing it.
Reclosing the door, Sirius picked up the platter, before putting it back down and plucking the milk from the fridge, and drank the milk until the plastic container was empty, before pouring water into it, shifting it around before dumping it again. Once he was sure the container was clean, he filled it up to the brim with water. Buckbeak would need something to drink after eating. He plopped the milk container into the bowl that had been left out for him, now emptied, and added the two into the platter.
Sirius tightened the cover he had wrapped around his neck, before opening the door and he made off with his load.
It didn't dawn on him to go back and close the door, or anything of the kind. Sirius' mind wasn't what it should have been, even if it was, he'd have been very unlikely to consider what was happening very wrong. Wouldn't be aware of the turmoil he'd leave behind. Leaving a woman who had only acted in kindness feel terror and fear that her home, her sanctuary was violated so severely. Never mind the worry that would consume her for an innocent animal she had wanted to help, to save.
Creeping back the way he came, Sirius wanted to get to Buckbeak as soon as possible. Get the beast something to eat and drink before getting them in the air, he couldn't fly with Buckbeak during the day, they'd have to stop at the first sign of daylight.
Freezing, his heart shooting into his mouth, as he swallowed thickly, as he listened to at least two voices singing – very badly at that – a tune, a song, a muggle song, slurring their words.
Sirius didn't dare move, not for what felt like hours, but really, it was ten minutes, as the two drunk men tottered down the street belting out the lyrics to their favourite song.
He leaned against the fence, exhaustion making him want to slump down and just sleep. Shaking off his exhaustion, refusing to give into it, not yet, he had to keep moving. He was aware that the Ministry had likely already had his photo distributed in the muggle world. It wasn't the Ministry's first rodeo where wizards have just slipped into the muggle world hoping not to be noticed.
Luckily for him, he'd chosen a property that was quite close to the field they'd dismounted on. Thus, he made it back before his legs gave out, and both him and Buckbeak didn't waste time in eating everything on the platter. Except the chicken bones and platter. Which Sirius threw into the bushes.
Pouring some of the water into the bowl, he left Buckbeak to drink up, while he shuffled away to do the toilet. It wasn't like he could just dismount in mid-air and take a piss.
Once he was done, he brushed his hand down Buckbeak's neck, the feathers were so soft and warm. Giving a nod, he picked up the cover and wrapped it around his body, it wouldn't really help much against the bite of the wind, but every little helped. Sirius hated the cold so much, he just wanted to feel warm, to feel something other than this cold empty ache inside and outside of him.
Buckbeak lowered himself, to let the Azkaban escapee on his back, and before too long, they were up in the air. The urge to go back to his godson was so strong, but what kind of life would that be? He deserved better than the scraps he could offer him. He couldn't look after himself never mind a teenager. Harry would resent him, miss his friends, but he did consider it, selfishly, he did.
Swallowing thickly, Sirius let the tears fall, he missed him so much, he had so much he wanted to tell him. About his parents, about him, about his family. The chance of seeing him again was slim to nothing. He would never risk his godson again, he just couldn't. His mere presence had almost had Harry kissed; it was only due to the Headmaster that it wasn't the case. No, it was too dangerous, he was too dangerous. Misery squirmed like a living thing in his stomach, it was all encompassing, what was he living for? Revenge? What was the chance of that? He'd had his chance, and it was gone, there was no tracking the rat now. He'd have gone to ground. There was no keeping his godson safe now. He should have killed the rat while he had the chance.
At least then he would have done something useful before he died. It really was only a matter of time.
Too bad he'd been disinherited and disowned, he would have been able to hide in one of the Black properties. You had to be the Black Lord to gain knowledge of the list of properties, with the exception of any house gifted on wedding days which don't believe to the estate anyway, they belong to the couple.
Such as Walburga and Orion's property, Grimmauld Place, the place where Sirius had ran away from at sixteen.
Orion had never been Lord Black; his father Lord Arcturus Black had outlived him, and the rest of his family at that. Despite Walburga claiming the 'Lady Black' title, it had never been officially hers to use. The Last Lady Black on record had been Arcturus' wife, Melania Black. Arcturus had realized Orion didn't have a backbone to speak of, and would cave to the whims of his wife. Walburga had turned into a rotten witch, he hadn't been able to stand her, thus she'd never been invited to his home after Orion passed. He's smugly outlived her, naturally, but that smugness had been marred by the fact his youngest grandson was dead, according to the families tapestries, they'd held a funeral without a body. They'd never found him even to this day. Arcturus had left the Black estate to Sirius Black, and if he died before becoming Lord or refused the title then it would pass to Phoenix Charlus Potter, on the stipulation that at least one of his sons got the Black title. He didn't even bother with the possibility of using Narcissa, Bellatrix or Andromeda to continue the Black line, he wouldn't trust them with such an insurmountable task. Bellatrix hadn't even done her duty, hadn't given a Lestrange heir, Narcissa had only one son, and Andromeda had split from the family, and had only one daughter. That generation had turned into an utter failure, at least Walburga as odious as she was had two heirs before she decided no more.
The world had darkened considerably since they left, more so since he'd nodded off. Pink was beginning to just peak above the horizon. A new dawn was beginning to break across the skyline. A new dawn equals a new day, but it was no better for Sirius Black than the last. The further they flew, heralded the darkening of the skyline, as it was still night time as far as they went. Allowing them to go even farther, in a bid to get away from the Ministry of magic.
They succeeded in ensuring they didn't hit the MACUSA wards, flying down the Bahamas, then along Venezuela. He had every intention of making somewhere in Colombia home, there were plenty of lawless wizards and witches there, he'd slip below the radar, it would be easy to get a wand too. Oh, he missed magic so much, he could feel it thrumming in his very blood and body but unable to use it. It was the only country that didn't have any magical government. There had been an attempt or two over the years, but they were quickly and brutally overthrown from what he'd read. It got to the point that the Ministry wouldn't create international portkeys to Colombia, it was just too dangerous for them to allow it. That and they were home to some of the most gorgeous birds, he'd be able to send messages to his godson.
However, Sirius guided for Buckbeak to go left instead of right, the last time he didn't go with his gut…had such a horrendous outcome that he couldn't bear to dismiss his instincts again. He could feel wards, and when he closed his eyes, he could feel home thrumming through him. It was like being back at Potter manor again, with James and his parents Mr. and Mrs. Fleamont and Euphemia Potter who he'd adored.
He was unaware of this single, simple act that would turn the tide of the war that was brewing on the horizon. It would perhaps allow for a better life not just for Harry but for Sirius himself.
Fleamont hadn't had a chance to tell his son the real family history, waiting until James came of age, had been horrendously stupid. It left James vulnerable, and James hadn't been able to tell his own heir, all that family history would have been gone. However, there was one other person that knew the family history and he was going to unleash it.
Not only were they the heirs of Gryffindor, but of King Arthur, but Merlin himself, and the legend was true. That King Arthur would rise again when Albion's need was at its greatest, what the muggles didn't realize was it was magical Albion's need would see King Arthur, and his knights rise up and defend the world from the scrounge of corruption that was rife everywhere in the Ministry.
A corrupt Ministry…innocent souls languishing in Azkaban…with the public soon to be too terrified to go out unless they had to, well, the need for him and his knights had never been greater. Even Grindelwald hadn't gotten close to the British Magical World and contrary to popular belief, it wasn't down to Dumbledore even if he liked to take the credit. For Gellert knew the family history, and thus, he didn't dare attack, not when there were still family from those lines still alive. The most he dared do was steal the wand and use the family crest.
Could Phoenix Charlus Potter break the enchanted sleep they'd willingly surrendered into all those years ago? To change what would be?
Only time would tell.
A/N – Before you comment on the fact it wasn't Dumbledore who saved Harry and Sirius that time, I KNOW! I'm writing it as Sirius believing it to be the case and yes, you're likely all shocked that I'm writing a Sirius centric story (with OMC at that) bet you never thought you'd see the day, eh? Heh I certainly didn't but I've been branching out like a massive amount lately so perhaps this is just another step in that direction! Also, I have no idea where this merlin/King Arthur thing came from it just sort of took over lol also nothing against Colombia! Lovely country I just decided that Brazil would be the country of choice :D Although, I did just about use it, since it was the country that came up with the most beautiful birds and Sirius did send Harry rather exotic looking birds.