Chapter 2

Sirius Black was not dealt a good hand at life. Being born in a family that hated him almost as much as he hated them. The early years of his life were not happy ones.

That had changed when he came to Hogwarts as an 11-year-old, those were the best years of his life. What with James, his brother in all but blood and Lily, the day he became a godfather to Harry had been the best day of his life. Those were the days, a small smile played on his parched lips.

It had all come crashing down due to that RAT, that fucking rat had doomed his friends, the mere thought of him bought an uncontrollable rage to his mind.

He needed to find the traitor for Harry... for James.

Others might have different priorities after escaping Azkaban but Sirius had only one goal in his mind, to KILL the RAT.

With that he got up and changed into his Animagus form.

His body shrank and turned into a large black dog. The signs of starvation and weakness were clear to see. The dog has thin limbs and the skin on his chest is tight enough to see all its ribs.

Running through the forest, he again tried to breach the castle.

The dementors had formed a wall around the castle stopping anything from coming in and out but Sirius had a way.

He had set up a small tent a few minutes away from the shrieking shack in Hogsmeade, from there he made his way to the whomping willow through the underground tunnel.

It was not the first time he had done this, but making his way from the whomping willow to the castle was the real problem, anyone from a random student or staff member to a wandering dementor could catch him.

He came out of the base of the whomping willow, pressing a paw on the spot he knew would freeze the tree. He looked up to scout the grounds, laying in wait to make his way forward.

If Sirius was in a sounder state of mind, he would have noticed a small presence following him since he had entered the shrieking shack.

He would have noticed someone standing behind him.

He would have noticed that person raising his wand.

*

"Stupefy, stupefy, stupefy, stupefy...."

A flurry of red bolts leaves my wand one after the other.

Although one stunner would have been enough but I'm not taking any chances.

All of them hit the dog in front of me. Who falls on the ground.

Taking a few steps forward I prod the dog with my feet, making sure he is out cold before levitating him and making my way back to the shrieking shack.

I have been tracking Sirius on the map for a few weeks, I knew he would make his way to the castle via the path under the whomping willow which was confirmed on the map.

It was simple to wait for him in the shrieking shack, the invisibility cloak, a disillusionment spell and silence spell cast on myself made sure he wouldn't see me.

I only had to wait a few hours, recasting my spells every 10 mins just to make sure, before he arrived. From there I followed him in the tunnel.

The same tunnel I was walking back in with his unconscious body levitating in front of me.

Reaching the shack, I placed him on the old bed in one of the rooms. The same room I believe where at the end of the term he would have me at the mercy of his wand. Not in this timeline, No. I value my freedom.

With a wave of my wand, I cancelled his Animagus transformation. Sirius looked worse than in the movies. Gaunt cheeks, torn clothes, matted dirty hair, he was only bones and skin.

"Petrificus totalus" a white beam from my wand impacts Sirius. Making him stiffen up, still unconscious.

Taking out a pair of shackles from the pouch on my waist, I bind his hands and legs. These were one of the multiple useful things I found in the ROR, they would cut off his access to his magic.

I searched him for anything dangerous and all I found was a copy of the daily prophet. The lunatic hadn't even tried to find a wand. What was his plan, roam around the castle to find me and attack in the form of a malnourished dog.

The Sirius I knew from before would have done better, after all he was an Auror. Well, a decade in Azkaban had surely not been good for his mental faculties. Now comes the most important part of my plan and with how much I have practiced on unsuspecting students in the castle, I am quite confident.

Smiling I point my wand at him.

"Obliviate"

*

The Great Hall was bursting with students as lunch was in full flow. There was a buzz about as all the students were talking about the article in the daily prophet.

For a month the newspaper reported the sightings of Sirius Black, in London, Manchester even Diagon alley.

But the article published today was what the castle is buzzing about.

Ron reaches for a large piece of chicken leg, taking a big bite out of it.

"Thank God the dementors are gone, I don't think I would have lasted longer with them around" he says while chewing with his mouth open.

Hermione gives him a dirty look and turns towards Harry.

Harry held today's newspaper in his hand, reading the headline again.

'SIRIUS BLACK JOINS THE GERMAN MINISTRY'

In what has been a shocking turn of events, the infamous right hand of the dark lord and runaway criminal of the British magical ministry, Sirius Black joins the German government.'

The paper crumples into Harry's hand, his fists white.

Hermione places her hand on his arm.

"It's going to be alright Harry; Dumbledore surely won't let him get away"

Harry still couldn't believe it, a man known for murdering dozens of people, betraying his parents and countless other crimes gets to go Scott free just because he gave away his wealth to the German ministry of magic.

His hand relaxes and he looks at Hermione appreciatively.

"I know but how can I relax knowing the person who betrayed my parents is roaming free"

"We should trust Dumbledore, he has gone over to Switzerland for the meeting, he will surely do something" Hermione reassures him.

"He will surely get what he deserves, the ministry is working on it as we speak" Ron chimes in.

These types of conversations were going on all over the great hall.

The British ministry has challenged the decision of the German government, demanding they hand over Black. There was set to be a meeting in the ICW next week.

Sirius Black has bribed the German ministry for immunity that was what most of the news outlets were reporting. The German government has obviously denied these accusations stating that according to their investigations, Sirius Black was innocent that's why they were safe guarding him. Although it must have helped that for this favour the runaway criminal had handed over the entire Black family fortune to the aforementioned ministry.

"At least in all this hubbub Buckbeak's case has been thrown out" Harry smiles ruefully.

The ministry due to all the uproar of the current international situation has put a lot of small cases on hold, some petty cases have even been thrown out, like the one of Buckbeak.

*

Penelope Clearwater is a gifted witch, everyone knows that. Having 8 O.W.L.S and being a prefect at Hogwarts was proof of that. Being in the 7th and her last year at Hogwarts, she is going to appear for her N.E.W.T.S, as such her schedule is very busy.

After months of back-to-back studies, she is finally going to take a well-deserved break today, by meeting her boyfriend, Percy Weasley.

They have been going out since the 5th year, although their relationship was never very strong both of them were fine with it, both focusing on their studies more than their relationship.

With their futures already mostly decided, Percy is going to work in the ministry of magic and her getting an apprenticeship under the famous potion maker Philippe de Gaulle, yes, the eldest son of the late French muggle president Charles de Gaulle.

An apprenticeship under him would surely do wonders for her future career.

The thought of her future career brought an involuntary smile on her face which quickly turned into a frown.

Her rendezvous with Percy is not going to be a happy one, with all the talk of Sirius Black recently, another rumour has reached her ears, Percy Weasley is going to break up with her.

She should be sad, heart broken, livid even but all she could muster up was a resigned sigh.

The person she had grown to like in her 5th year was not the same one today, Percy had grown cold, became less welcoming and developed an unnatural obsession with his future career which she surely didn't like.

Although her asking him to move with her to France might have been a bit selfish but his reaction shouldn't have been so cold, she had only asked for the sake of asking and for that he hadn't talked to her for over a month.

In reality this day should have come sooner. The only reason she believes Percy delayed so long was his own plate being full of studies as her own.

She makes her way to the 5th floor, to an abandoned classroom, one of many littered around Hogwarts. As she enters the room, Percy is already there.

*

I'm again hiding under the invisibility cloak. My wand trained on Percy Weasley as he waits for his girlfriend.

It's almost Christmas and my life since tinkering with Sirius's memories has improved a lot.

I didn't notice it before but Peter is truly terrified of Sirius, of what he would do to him if caught and those instincts had carried over to me.

Before dealing with him there was an unknown tension in my shoulders, a weight on my mind.

Thankfully it's gone now knowing that Sirius is dealt with.

I'm cut out of my musings as another person enters the room, Penelope Clearwater, a blonde-haired blue-eyed witch, with long curly hair, going past her shoulder blades. If I had to compare her to someone, I would say she looks like a young Amanda Seyfried.

Wow, no idea how Percy bagged that.

She walks up to Percy standing a few feet away from him.

"So are the rumours I'm hearing true" she asks.

Percy's face is cold, as if he doesn't want to be here.

"Yes, I think we should break up" he says.

Penelope seems to look at his face sedately, finally sighing.

"We weren't meant to be huh, okay it's over" with that she walks off. Although she tries to put up a brave face, I can clearly see the tears in her eyes as she walks out of the room.

Percy has a shocked expression on his face, he was surely expecting her to show more emotions, fight him on it but no she just said okay and walked off.

What does he expect her to do, fight for him, hah laughable.

Penelope is one of the more beautiful witches I have seen since coming to this world and that's saying something, as everyone here mostly looks like a model, must be the magic.

Percy himself is at best average looking. Well, compared to me he is Vogue model, but that's true for almost every other student in this school. I hate Peter and his fucking face. Why of all the people in this world was I dropped in this sick person's body.

Well time to do what I came here for. I raise my wand, pointing at Percy.

"Petrificus Totalus"

Percy freezes where he stands. Eyes panicking looking around.

Still under the invisibility cloak, I wave my wand, closing and locking the door. The fear in his eyes increases.

"Silencio" "stupefy"

Now with my prisoner secured and unconscious, I take off the cloak. The marauders map shows that the coast is clear and no one will disturb us.

"Leglimens"

I have gotten quite good at the mind arts, it has been the main focus of my studies, both occlumency and leglimency.

Although my progress in occlumency is not great, my mental shields are passable at best and any accomplished leglimens can bypass them easily. The main reason being I have no one to test them against.

Where I really shine is leglimency, the biggest reason being practice, yes. There's hardly a muggle born first year I haven't mind swiped even some from second year. The only reason I haven't been reading minds willy nilly is because any pureblood could have been taught occlumency at home and I'm not one to take risks.

You might be thinking that's wrong, unethical evil even. Well, the person whose body I'm occupying is definitely evil and me myself well I'm evil too.

Percy has no mental shields whatsoever; I can read his mind like an open book from the day he started to walk to the moment he entered this room all is laid bare to me.

*