A Little Risk ★𝒮𝒾𝓇𝒾𝓊𝓈 𝐵𝓁𝒶𝒸𝓀☆ |On Hold|

Shadows

Chapter 24

Shadows

If there was one thing anyone who knew Sirius Black personally could tell you, it was that he was the most impulsive person alive. 

Sirius chose to stubbornly ignore this. However, even he had to admit that he hadn't thought things through. The journey had been fine, tiring perhaps, but Buckbeak and he hadn't gotten into any trouble so far. Alas though, when they'd reached Hogsmeade, he realized he didn't have the foggiest idea of what to do next. 

While he pondered this, he cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and the hippogriff, as they strolled through the streets of Hogsmeade. As it was a regular day, for the most part, there weren't many visitors to the wizarding village, which worked in Sirius' favor. 

He knew there were some wild areas just outside of Hogsmeade, so he headed further along the High Street, past the wizarding equipment shop, Dervish and Banges, and was soon heading to a winding lane leading outside of the village. 

There were a few cottages and such strewn about, but Sirius didn't stop to admire them. He continued leading Buckbeak towards a large mountain, then they turned a corner, coming face-to-face with a stile at the end. It was an arrangement of steps, allowing people to cross the fence but not animals, such as livestock or others such as wolves. That wouldn't be a problem for Buckbeak though. 

As Sirius crossed over the fence, he could practically feel the hippogriff flapping above him, and saw the indents in the dirt where Buckbeak must have landed. He quickly caught up and they continued.

Given his background, he was no stranger to long journeys, and though this was practically nothing compared to his others, Sirius was getting tired. He was sweating and desperately dehydrated, but he didn't stop moving, fearing that stopping, even in a place as remote as this, would result in his capture.

When they reached the foot of the mountain, his spirits plummeted at the sight of the large boulders and rocks they would have to scale. Further on was a winding path littered with more stones, steeply going up the side of the mountain.

He didn't even consider the possibility of climbing it as himself. He undid the Disillusionment charm on himself and the hippogriff, and a couple of seconds later, Buckbeak was standing next to a very large, shaggy black dog, who at the moment was panting and wagging his tail enthusiastically. 

Now in a more suitable form, Sirius bounded up the path. Buckbeak certainly had the mind to follow, but his hooves wouldn't allow for it, and thus, he resignedly took to the air to meet Sirius at the top of the slope. 

The climb took about half an hour, Sirius trotting along at a brisk pace up the path, stepping cleanly out of the way of boulders and such, until finally, he reached the end of it, where he noticed a narrow fissure in the rock ahead of him. 

Sirius slipped through the gap, where Buckbeak was already waiting for him and found himself in a dark cave. The walls were dimly lit, though Sirius didn't know where the light could be coming from. Cracks in the ceiling probably. It was cool as well, which was a blessing after being out in the heat of the sun. 

Overall, a rather nice find. It was secluded, and while the journey might be tedious, Sirius knew he could have it worse. The idea of anyone or anything finding him here was ludicrous. Who would go through the trouble? And if anyone did by chance, it wasn't that unusual to find a dog and a hippogriff sprawled on the floor of a cave was it? 

Transforming once more, Sirius lit his wand, whispering "Lumos," igniting the tip. He began to explore his surroundings. From what he could tell, this cave hadn't been inhabited by much for a while. Aside from the occasional rat scurrying by, it was rather empty. Sirius didn't mind the rats for the most part. With a slight shudder he realized that if things got hard, those things might end up being his dinner. 

For now, though, his situation wasn't as dire, so he decided to get something to eat. He tethered Buckbeak's rope, placing it under a large boulder, though he was sure the hippogriff wouldn't do anything unless absolutely necessary. Frankly, the rope was for show, as Sirius knew from experience that the hippogriff could gnaw through one of those things in a couple of seconds. Then transforming again, he loped out of the cave. 

When he reached the village, his canine senses kicked in. So many smells, though the one outstripping the rest by far was the inevitable scent of food. Sirius decided not to visit Rosmerta yet. He wasn't in a very dire state yet, and he knew that one of these days her generous treats to him would come in handy. He was going to play it simple. 

First things first though, Sirius needed a cloak.

He searched the village, and found a fellow behind one of the shops, counting Sickles in his hands, the hood of his cloak pulled low over his face. Sirius knew he had no business as to what the man was doing, but that cloak would be perfect for his purposes. 

So he did the natural thing. He snuck up behind the man, who was still immersed in his own world, and in one fluid motion, grabbed the cloak, pulling it off him. Then he sprinted away. It happened so fast that Sirius was already around the corner of the shop before the man started chasing him, yelling, "Someone get that dog!"

Sirius barked joyfully as he teared up the street, what a rush. He knew he'd better lose the man soon though, so he ducked behind a few shops and hid in the dense shrubbery around the village. 

After a few moments, he decided the coast was clear, so he stood up and transformed into a man once more, putting the cloak on and making sure it covered his face. Then he made his way along the street, and soon, was at the front of the Hogs Head. To his satisfaction, the man had several gold galleons, sickles, and even a few knuts in his pockets. Yes, it was wrong to steal that and the cloak, but the money appeared to be stolen itself, maybe from this very pub, so Sirius could possibly be doing them a favor.

He ordered several Cornish pasties, along with three bottles of butterbeer, after which he still had plenty of gold. The bartender, a man whom Sirius knew to be Aberforth Dumbledore, didn't bat an eye at the sight of Sirius' long cloak, or his concealed face. He was aware of this, thus his plan to go in as a man in a hooded cloak, knowing that he'd have more luck in that form than that of a dog in this pub.

Once he'd received the food and the butterbeer, he muttered a barely audible 'Thank you,' and left the building. Once behind yet another shop, he took off the cloak and turned it into a makeshift bag for the food to be carried. Then he transformed, again, picked up the fabric in his jaws, and headed back to the cave. 

In the back of his mind, he knew these transformations were taking a toll on him. His limited energy would only allow for a few, and escapades like this could not afford to happen too often. It wasn't like him, but in order to be in top condition should Harry ever need his help, he had to be careful. 

For now, he couldn't afford any risks.