Dark Pasts { A Harry Potter Story }

Chapter 25 - Sirius Visits

At half-past one, we made our way up the High Street past Dervish and Banges. There were fewer people here, and fewer cottages as well. Waiting for us at the end of the lane was a large black dog that carried newspapers in his mouth.

"Hello, Sirius," Harry said once we had reached him.

Sirius sniffed Harry's bag, which was filled with food we had nicked from the kitchens, and wagged his tail. Then he turned around and led us toward the foot of the mountain. The ground was covered with boulders and rocks, making it difficult for us to move, but at last, we reached a narrow fissure in the rock and squeezed into it.

We were now inside a dimly lit cave, at the end of which was none other than Buckbeak, Hagrid's old hippogriff. The four of us bowed to him and waited for Buckbeak to do the same. Hermione smiled as she stroked his neck, but Harry and I were staring at Sirius, who had just returned to his human form.

He was wearing ragged gray robes — the same ones he had been wearing after his escape from Azkaban — but his hair was longer, and his frame thinner.

"Chicken!" he said.

Harry opened his bag and handed him the bundle of chicken legs and bread.

"Thanks," Sirus said as he began to eat. "I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself."

"What're you doing here, Sirius?" Harry asked.

"Fulfilling my duty as godfather," Sirius said. "Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a lovable stray." Upon seeing the worry on Harry's face, he went on. "I want to be on the spot. Your last letter . . . well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing the paper and by the looks of it, I'm not the only one who's getting worried."

Harry ignored this. "What if they catch you? What if you're seen?"

"You four and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus," Sirius said.

Ron passed us the Prophets. The two were about Crouch, who had reportedly not been seen since November.

"They're making it sound like he's dying," Harry noted. "But he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here. . . ."

"My brother's Crouch's personal assistant," Ron told Sirius. "He says Crouch is suffering from overwork."

"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?" Hermione said. "I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now — bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him."

"Hermione's obsessed with house-elfs," Ron told Sirius.

"Crouch sacked his house-elf?"

"Yeah, at the World Cup," Harry said before telling Sirius all about the Dark Mark appearing in the sky on that same night, and Winky being found with harry's wand. Siris was pacing around the cave when Harry was done.

"Let me get this straight," he said after a moment. "You first saw the elf in the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?"

"Right," the four of us said.

"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?"

"No," Harry said. "I think he said he'd been too busy."

"Did you check your pockets for your wand after you,d left the Top Box?"

"Er . . . no," Harry said. "Are you saying whoever conjured the mark stole my wand in the Top Box."

"It's possible," Sirius said.