Immortal Magic (Book 1)

Chapter Sixty-Three

Allison's Point of View.

For nearly half an hour, we followed Sirius farther up the mountain. The path quickly became rough and uneven, forcing us to climb over jagged rocks and squeeze between huge boulders scattered across the hillside.

For Sirius, it was easy enough on four paws. For me, being half-vampire gave me slightly better balance and agility, making the climb easier than it probably should have been.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron, however, were struggling. The higher we climbed, the hotter the afternoon sun felt. Sweat clung to their skin while their breathing became heavier with every step.

At one point, Ron slipped on loose stone and caught himself against a sharp rock. "Ow, bloody hell!" he hissed. I smelled the blood instantly.

The scent hit me so suddenly that I froze for half a second before immediately forcing myself to look away and focus on Sirius instead.

I was incredibly grateful I'd thought to bring bottles of blood with me, along with water. Behind me, Ron was muttering under his breath while Hermione fussed over the cut on his palm.

"You alright?" Harry asked him. "I'm fine," Ron grumbled. "Just trying not to die climbing a mountain." Harry snorted softly while helping him over another rock.

As we continued climbing, their movements became sloppier from exhaustion. Eventually, Sirius disappeared completely from sight.

"What the?" Ron breathed. When we reached the spot where Sirius had vanished, I realised there was a narrow opening hidden between the rocks. A cave.

I glanced back at the others before carefully squeezing through the entrance. The cave widened slightly once inside, and the moment my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I smiled.

Buckbeak was standing near the back of the cave. The Hippogriff lifted his head proudly as we entered. Once Harry, Ron, and Hermione managed to squeeze inside as well, all four of us bowed respectfully.

Buckbeak studied us for a moment before bowing back. Ron and Hermione immediately hurried toward him excitedly, while Harry and I looked farther into the cave.

Sirius stood near the wall in his human form, looking far thinner and rougher than he should have. The Daily Prophet newspapers he'd carried were now tucked beneath one arm.

"Food," Sirius croaked immediately, eyeing the bag in my hands. I laughed softly and walked over, handing it to him. "I snuck into the kitchens this morning," I explained.

Sirius immediately dug through the bag before pulling out the sweets I'd bought in Hogsmeade. He gave me an amused look.

"Thought you'd want something sweet," I told him innocently. Sirius chuckled before pulling out chicken and tearing into it hungrily.

"I've mostly been living off rats," he admitted after swallowing a mouthful. "If I steal too much food from the village, I'll draw attention to myself." He grinned at us before taking another bite.

Harry smiled weakly back at him. "What are you doing here, Sirius?" Harry asked quietly. Sirius looked between Harry and me, seriously.

"Fulfilling my duties as a godfather and uncle," he replied. Seeing our worried expressions, Sirius softened slightly. "Don't worry about me," he assured us. "I pretend to be a lovable stray."

Ron snorted. "Your last letter worried me," Sirius continued more seriously. "Things are getting fishier by the day. Every paper someone throws away, I take." His grey eyes darkened.

"And judging by the news, I'm not the only one getting worried." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ron crouch down and grab one of the older newspapers lying nearby.