Chapter 12 - Cheaper by the two dozen
Valentine's Day this year in Hogwarts was doomed to be a washout with the breakout dominating the headlines for the third day straight; even the most loved-up couples in sixth and seventh year had found it hard to get in the mood for romance.
I was stunned, the big breakout didn't happen in the books til Order of the Phoenix.
Had ejecting Baldie-mort this earlier affected his plans this much?
Either way he must've decided to risk it and go for help.
I was now essentially flying blind when it came to his plans, would he even still attempt the same plan during the triwizard tournament?
What will Lucius do with the Diary?
Will Riddle go for one of the Horcruxes?
If so, which?
And now 24 of his most loyal followers had escaped, and a further 11 high security inmates with no connection to Riddle were also free, some may have even joined up as a result of their new found freedom.
Juuuusssssttt greeeeeeat……
After reading the article, (no mention of who blew up the fortress from the outside in) I hadnt managed to keep on to my appetite.
My stomach growled in rebellion against me.
I snagged a slice of toast and a couple of sausages for the trek to the library.
The library had a section for past newspapers and magazines, and after rifling through a bunch of special editions starting from November 1st 1981 to December that year I eventually found what I was looking for.
"Sirius Black Outs Rat" Nov. 3rd
Heir apparent Sirius Orion Black and also Junior Auror at the Ministry of Magic, gave a statement in the early hours of this morning after being detained in Ministry custody, the contents of which both startled and outraged this journalist.
In his statement, which forgoing his rights as an heir to an ancient and most noble house, he gave under the effects of veritaserum, he laid out the timeline of events leading to the Potters demise at the hands of 'He-who-shall-not-be-named.'
Just under four months before tragedy struck, the Potter's went into hiding, according to Black after a week or so they added the protection of the Fidelius Charm, and it is here dear readers that three of the four people involved with this protection from the dark forces that stalked us for over a decade and a half made a truly crushing mistake. One of trust, and trust in the wrong person.
Black throughout his deposition blamed himself for what came next. Knowing that all would assume he was to be the secret keeper, he insisted to the Potter's that they use another childhood friend, namely Peter Pettigrew.
Little did they know, he had taken the dark mark less than a year ago and had been a spy for his dark master for nearly two years.
Between the charm being cast and the 31st of October, Black then went to brag and spread the rumour as being the one to know their location only, as to further keep eyes off Pettigrew.
As we now know the traitor Pettigrew gave the Potter's to You-know-who on a silver platter.
Black had been due to meet Pettigrew on that same night of the 31st, when he hadn't shown Black rushed to Pettigrew's home expecting a duel, only to find it empty
Thanks to the slew of information and evidence against him, Pettigrew's trial was short, pointed and justice was served swiftly. He was found guilty of all charges and sentencing was equally swift. He was given three years in Azkaban followed by the dementors' kisses.
Black also took his moment in front of the Wizengamot to apologise to another friend of his and James Potter's, one Remus Lupin. Evidence found at Pettigrew's home implied that he had intentionally turned Black against Lupin and vice versa as part of his Death Eaters duties.
Black intends to return to his Auror Duties after a period of mourning.
For more on the Fidelius Charm turn to page….
There had been mention of Pettigrew being brought to the ministry for his dementors kiss, and his eventual death of his body a month later, after that two separate mentions of Sirius being a part of larger operations to crack down on crime and one front page story where Lord Arcturus Black passed away leaving Sirius to become Lord Black, who immediately named Harry James Potter as his Heir Apparent.
Then after another hour and a half of hunting he failed to find any further mention of Sirius.
My mind was racing trying to figure out what happened after that, why didn't Sirius take me from the Dursley's?
I wasn't mad at him, just curious.
My train of thought was interrupted when a hand landed on my right shoulder (Kevin) and the weight or an arm supporting a grinning face (Terry) on my left.
"Told you he'd be here." Kevin said while smirkining.
"Yeah yeah, come on then, you can t be cooped up in here all day. Let's drag him to the Quidditch pitch." Terry grabbed my arm to drag me out into one of the last days of winter sun.
The Wizarding world continued but at a much slower pace, waiting with baited breath for the escaped death eaters to cause havoc. By the beginning of April there was a creeping tension as they had done nothing nefarious, at least to the public's knowledge.
The only related news story was that four of the eleven high security prisoners had a run in with the Aurors when trying to flee the country. In a joint effort to crackdown on illegal portkeys the Department of magical law enforcement and department of magical transportation had been slowly infiltrating a ring of smugglers of a wide variety of contraband.
When one of the prisoners decided to use an old contact in that ring to get out of the country, both departments agreed that they had enough evidence to arrest and convict.
Of the four escapees, two were killed in the ensuing fight, one managed to slip away by use of a portkey and one was arrested. Thirty-two wizards and four witches were arrested and awaiting trial.
Otherwise absolute silence from the death munchers, it was beginning to make me understand the fear that people held for them and Voldemort.
April 16th 1992
Malfoy Manor
Lord Lucius Abraxas Malfoy paced in the foyer of his manor, fear, nervousness and other weakness crept into his mind, he cut it off by slamming his occlumency shields down.
There were four reasons for his emotions briefly breaking through his Slytherin mask, and three if them were walking up the path from the grounds gates to his front door.
They went by the names of Rabastan, Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange. The first owed him a lot of gold, the second owed him some gold and the third was his wife's insane sister, she never had much sanity to begin with. And all three utterly devoted to the Dark Lord.
This was the second visit from any death eaters, Rodolphus had been alone the first visit, simply to tell him that the Dark Lord would be in touch.
His grip tightened on his cane.
How dare they make him feel such emotions in his home, his sanctuary against the plebeians of the Wizarding World and muggle.
He blamed his Father for his predicament, having poisoned his older brother to take the Malfoy Lordship and immediately bending the knee to Lord Voldemort and opening his coffers.
Most people forgot dear uncle Erebus, but Abraxas had dealt with him before leaving Hogwarts, he had a Ravenclaw mind that had a Slytherin way of thinking, a Gryffindors pride and not an ounce of trust. Lucius only knew him to be this way thanks to a number of journals left behind.
He would've been the perfect Lord Malfoy, if not for Lucius' own father.
His time to dwell had run short as the three death eaters knocked lazily on the door.
Time to see what these vultures wanted.
As he opened the door he was greeted to the sound of Bellatrix's cackle.
April 19th 1992
0940am
Azkaban interrogation room
"Prisoner Black, Sirius, designation A113-8429." The Guard said in a bored tone.
"You have served your time as sentenced, your wand will be returned upon leaving the island, you are under a probationary period of three months. Collect your belongings and follow my colleague."
Sirius grinned as he was allowed to change into the same clothes he was brought to the island and then followed the other guard.
Halfway down the tower the rickety lift came to a stop and the head of the DMLE herself got in.
"Leave us." She ordered the guard. He scurried off to the nearest guard room, safe from the dementors' effects.
"Hey Ami." Sirius said, as though he had just slid up to her at some nightclub.
"You can come back to active duty one month after the end of your probation period, and also after you write that apology to the many, many, many, Maltese and Italian officials you so rudely interrupted." She replied.
"Straight into business I see, well, I suppose that we can save the pleasure for later." He said suggestively.
Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE, despite being the youngest to do so and two years older than Sirius had to control herself to not let the heat in her cheeks develop into a blush. Despite a year in hell on earth he still looked good.
She steeled herself and continued.
"I'm your boss now, speak to me correctly." It was a little awkward and clipped but it'd do.
Having teased her, Sirius focused on what was to come.
They descended all the way to ground level. Sirius had been amazed at how the prison had been built, original it was some creepo's fortress of evil, but had been repurposed into the prison of today.
The island itself was inhospitable, cold and desolate before considering the soulless suckers, then the only path from dock to door forced you through the only ground entrance with a central column in the courtyard acting as a lift to the very top. Here the guard rooms branched out and it was cells all the way down.
They exited the main door, flanked by two guards looking out and another two looking in, Sirius clambered into the small dingy and once Amy and a guard had got in, it shot off towards the shoreline.
As the cold, dull ache of the dementors faded, Sirius looked upwards, blinking into the slowly warming sunlight.
He was free.
He could see the figures of Remus, Dumbledore and Hagrid on the dock as it grew closer.
His mind wandered back to one thing.
Harry.
A/N :
Back again, been a while.
Dw, not abandoning this, just taking it one chapter at a time.
Onwards.