Harry Potter's Coolest Aunt

Knight bus

"That man!" Aishi said, forgetting her troubles for a moment. "He was on the Muggle news!" Stanley turned to the front page and chuckled. "Sirius Black," he said, nodding. "'Course 'e was on the Muggle news, Aishi, where you have been?" He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Aishi's face, removed the front page, and handed it to Aishi.

"You oughta read the papers more."
Aishi held the paper up to the candlelight and read:

BLACK STILL AT LARGE
Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in
Azkaban fortress is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic
confirmed today. "We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."

Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis. "Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it-who'd  believe him if he did?"

While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of
metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community
lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black
murdered thirteen people with a single curse.

Aishi looked into the shadowed eyes of Sirius Black, the only part of
the sunken face that seemed alive. Aishi had never met a vampire, but she had seen pictures of them in his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy white skin, looked just like one.

"Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said Stan, who had been watching Aishi read.
"He murdered thirteen people?" said Aishi, handing the page back to
Stan, "with one curse?" "Yep," said Stan, "in front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"

"Ar," said Ern darkly. Stan swivelled in his armchair, his hands on the back, the better to look at Aishi. "Black woz a big supporter of You-Know-'Oo," he said. "What, Voldemort?" said Aishi, without thinking. She thinks to ask Sanjiv in case.

Even Stan's pimples went white; Ern jerked the steering wheel so hard
that a whole farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus. "You outta your tree?" yelped Stan. "'Choo say 'is name for?""Sorry," said Aishi hastily. "Sorry, I -- I forgot --"
"Forgot!" said Stan weakly. "Blimey, my 'eart's goin' that fast ..."
"So -- so Black was a supporter of You-Know-Who?" Aishi prompted
apologetically.

"Yeah," said Stan, still rubbing his chest. "Yeah, that's right. Very
close to You-Know-'Oo, they say. Anyway, when little 'Arry Potter got
the better of You-Know-'Oo... all You-Know-'Oo's supporters was tracked down, wasn't they, Ern?
Most of 'em knew it was all over, wiv You-Know-'Oo gone, and they came
quiet. But not Sirius Black. I 'eard he thought 'e'd be second-in-command once You-Know-'Oo 'ad taken over.
"Anyway, they cornered Black in the middle of a street full of Muggles
an' Black took out 'is wand and 'e blasted 'alf the street apart, an' a
wizard got it, an' so did a dozen Muggles what got in the way. 'Orrible, eh? An' you know what Black did then?" Stan continued in a dramatic whisper
.
"What?" said Aishi. "Laughed," said Stan. "Jus' stood there an' laughed. An' when reinforcements from the Ministry of Magic got there, I 'e went wiv em quiet as anyfink, still laughing 'is 'ead off. 'Cos 'e's mad, inee, Ern? Inee mad?" "If he weren't when he went to Azkaban, he will be now," said Ern in his slow voice. "I'd blow meself up before I set foot in that place. Serves him right, mind you ... after what he did...."

"They 'ad a job coverin' it up, din' they, Ern?" Stan said. "'Ole street
blown up an' all them Muggles dead. What was it they said ad 'appened,
Ern?""Gas explosion," grunted Ernie.
"An' now 'e's out," said Stan, examining the newspaper picture of Black's gaunt face again. "Never been a breakout from Azkaban before, 'as there, Ern? Beats me 'ow 'e did it. Frightenin', eh? Mind, I don't fancy 'is chances against them Azkaban guards, eh, Ern?"
Ernie suddenly shivered.