All I Have Left

Chapter Sixty Four

Hermione, Harry, Ronald, and I all exited Gladrags Wizardwear where we went to get a present for Dobby, for he was the one who gave Harry the gillyweed for the second task, making Harry tie with Cedric for first place. 

After we bought two pairs of socks, one with flashing gold and silver stars and another that screamed loudly when they started to smell, we made our way out towards the edge of the village. 

This was an unfamiliar trail; a way none of us have been before. The trail was leading us out around Hogsmeade and into the countryside. There were less cottages and the gardens were much larger.

We walked around a corner and spotted a stile at the end of the line, and, waiting for us, a large, black dog which was carrying some newspapers in it's mouth and was panting very heavily. 

"Hello, Sirius." Harry greets when we reach him. 

The dog, Sirius, sniffed Harry's bag eagerly, where we had put a dozen chicken legs, a loaf of bread, and a flask of Pumpkin Juice, just like he had requested in his letter. 

Sirius then turned around and started to trot away, across the scrubby patch of ground that rose up to the rocky foot of the mountains. 

Sirius, still in his dog form, led us to the very foot of the mountain, where the ground was covered in plenty of boulders and rocks. 

It was easier for Sirius, being in an animal form, to climb up the mountain, but the rest of us were very worn out and tired, soon out of breath. We continued to follow Sirius up higher, all the way onto the mountain itself. 

For about half an hour we continued to climb, following behind Sirius's eagerly wagging tail, sweating in the sun, trudging up the steep rocks and stones.

Then, finally, Sirius slipped out of sight, and when we reached the place he had disappeared into, we saw a narrow fissure in the rock, and so we squeezed into it and soon found ourselves in a cool, dimly lit cave.

Then, tied in the cave at the end of it, was, half grey horse, half giant eagle, Buckbeak the Hippogriff. After we had all bowed to him, Hermione slowly stepped forward and petted him, all of us following her actions slowly and carefully.

Then Harry turned around, and we followed his actions, to see the black dog transform back into a man. 

Sirius was wearing the same, ragged, grey robes, his Azkaban ones. His black hair was longer now, it was untidy and matted like it had been before, and he looked very thin.

"Chicken!" Sirius exclaims hoarsely, removing the Daily Prophet copies from his mouth and throwing them onto the dirty floor. 

Harry opened his bag for Sirius, handing him the chicken and the loaf of bread, which Sirius immediately started to swallow down.

"Thanks." Sirius says, ripping a chunk off of the chicken bone with his teeth. "I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself."

He grinned up at us, and we returned the grin reluctantly.

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

"Fulfilling my duty as godfather." Sirius replies, gnawing on the chicken as though he was still in his dog form. "Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a lovable stray."

He was still grinning, but seeing how nervous Harry looked, he made a more serious face.

"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 every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, I'm not the only one getting worried."