Dysfunctional

69 - Brewing Teas and War

Saturday, November 8

Sirius had been keeping watch for the night and had given into sleep for a little less than an hour before he was up at the crack of dawn as he was wont to. He hadn't always been an early riser – in fact, he and James usually slept in and turned up to class at the last possible minute, annoying the teachers in the process.

In Azkaban too, Sirius could hardly distinguish between night and day and sleep came to him when his mind was spent and body ready to shut down from the fatigue.

However, when Sirius had been on the run, he had nothing but the sun to depend on to tell him the time of day and it had conditioned him to be up with the birds.

His mother would have been proud about one thing at least - the unnecessary thought crossed his mind before he shook his head, wishing he did not think about that woman.

He took out a cigarette and set the tip alight with his wand before taking a deep pull.

Ron and Hermione were tucked into sleeping bags that the latter had the foresight to bring along in her little, beaded bag even though it would have been quite unnecessary since they had Kreacher.

Ron had wondered why they could not Apparate to Potter Manor along with Kreacher seeing that house elves could Apparate into protected buildings like Hogwarts.

Sirius had explained that Dumbledore had added his own protection to the house much like his forefathers had done to Grimmauld Place, which would prevent Side-Along Apparition with the house-elves into said buildings.

"And the same protection was added to Hogwarts last year when the Aurors had stepped up security. Dumbledore himself did it," Sirius had said to which Ron slumped in defeat.

"Alright, alright. Nothing's that simple, I get it."

Sirius left the cave and out to the rocky, winding road that led down the hill. Thin rays of sunlight peeked into the mouth of the cave and he blew off smoke, frowning.

He had not forgotten Peter's last words. He's got Harry.

He had been certain Peter had said that to him on purpose, knowing his death would be imminent otherwise. Sirius did not like to entertain the possibility of it being true. Voldemort would have surely crowed it to the world if he had got his hands on his godson.

But something was nagging in his mind, something foreboding and not quite right.

If it had been a lie, why would Voldemort's hand have killed him?

Ron grunted in his sleep. Sirius glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

The three of them could hardly continue to stay in the cave for much longer. With the Order currently instructed to lie low and seeing that they could not possibly go back to Potter Manor, Sirius knew it was the right time as any to go ahead with their plan of breaking into Hogwarts to search for the Horcrux.

At that moment however, a bear Patronus materialized from the walls of the cave startling Ron and Hermione awake.

It spoke in George's urgent voice. "Catherine's dead. We think it's Proudfoot, but he escaped before we could apprehend him. Be on your guard."

"What?" Ron blanched. Hermione put a shaking hand to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. Sirius understood their despair—Catherine Johnson had been their friend and their tutor for the last few months. The loss was bound to hit them hard.

Sirius had no doubt that George and the others were mistaken in their attempt to apprehend Proudfoot, even though he seemed the obvious choice. Poor bloke, to have lost his friend and his girlfriend in one day…