My Mute Life - Fred x OC - Book 3

Chapter 1

\/ At the Orphanage \/

I went out to grab the mail, and as I flipped through the envelopes, determining what was junk and what was useful, I saw a letter from St. Mungo's. I quickly ran to Mrs. Lockhart's office.

When I burst into the room, Mrs. Lockhart was on the phone with someone.

"Yes, of course we can take her back--"

There was a large chatter of noise from the other end.

"Hogwarts?— Yes, yes, I understand — Yes, I will — yes — I'll come to pick up the girl tomorrow — yes, thank you."

I slapped the envelope onto the desk in front of her, and her eyes lit up.

"Well, I must get going," she said. "I have some business to attend to — yes, goodbye."

She slammed down the phone, and snatched up the letter, ripping apart the envelope in her eagerness to get to what was inside.

She picked up the letter and read it quickly, then sighed, and slumped back in her chair.

"He's no better at all," she said. "The healers think that he'll never get better."

I sighed. We couldn't keep the orphanage running without the funds Lockhart had sent his mother.

"I suppose we'll have to cut meals, send the older children to work, sell some things, send some children to other orphanages. . ."

She delved back into her work as her phone rang once more, and I left, deep in my thoughts.

I had asked Mrs. Lockhart not to have people foster me; if she was going to send children to other orphanages, I would be one of the first to go.

I could eat less, to help out. I'll skip lunch, and skip breakfast every other day.

I wasn't old enough to work, but maybe I could do some babysitting jobs on the side.

I had to do all I could to help out. If not... I could be sent to another orphanage, and never see my friends again.

As I walked back to my room, I heard three men talking.

One of them had unfurled a copy of the Daily Prophet and was reading with his tongue between his teeth. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair blinked slowly at me from the front page. He looked strangely familiar.

"That man!" Another said. "He was on the Muggle news!"

The first one turned to the front page and chuckled.

"Sirius Black," he said, nodding. "'Course 'e was on the Muggle news, Johnny. Where you been?"

He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Johnny's face, removed the front page, and handed it to Johnny.

"You oughta read the papers more, Johnny."

Johnny held the paper up 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.'

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

"Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said the first man, who had been watching Johnny read.

"He murdered thirteen people?" said Johnny, handing the page back to the man, "with one curse?"

"Yep," said the man, "in front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"

"Ar," said Ern darkly.

"Black woz a big supporter of You-Know-'Oo," he said.

"Yeah," said the man, at the sight of Johnny's stunned face. "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?" the man continued in a dramatic whisper.

"What?" said Johnny, leaning forwards in anticipation.

"Laughed," said the man. "Jus' stood there an' laughed. An' when reinforcements from the Ministry of Magic got there, '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?" The man said. "'Ole street blown up an' all them Muggles dead. What was it they said 'ad 'appened, Ern?"

"Gas explosion," grunted Ern.

"An' now 'e's out," said the man, 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. "Talk about summat else, Stan, there's a good lad. Them Azkaban guards give me the collywobbles."

Stan put the paper away reluctantly, and I walked on, and fell asleep in my room.