e s c a p e . i s . n e v e r . t h e . s a f e s t . p a t h

Escape Is Never the Safest Path
[by victoria p.]

Rating: G

Summary: It rains the day Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban.

Date: December 24, 2004

Escape is never the safest path. ~"Dissident," Pearl Jam

It rains the day Sirius Black escapes Azkaban. Of course, it rains everyday on Azkaban, because it was set up by wizards lacking a sense of irony, big believers in the pathetic fallacy. It would make Sirius laugh, if he were still capable of laughter.

He doesn´t know why he chose this day, instead of yesterday or the day before or the thousand thousand days before that, to escape. He knows only that he can, and so he does.

He has only two thoughts: protect Harry and find Wormtail.

He takes up residence behind the local grocery in Little Whinging, black dog under cover of darkness, feasting on discarded food before it turns rancid.

When he sees the tall, horse-faced woman with the little black-haired boy, he barks madly, and Harry (Merlin but he looks like James) waves furtively, small hand peeking out from a too-long sleeve.

He changes back into a man, follows them into the store, but when he approaches Harry, the woman screams and though he desperately wants to explain, he can´t find the words. She screams and he screams and Harry, his eyes shockingly old in his young, pale face, backs away slowly before turning and running.

The store manager appears, along with two large teenage boys who work there, and before Sirius can escape, there are police and handcuffs, and he is back in Azkaban less than a month after leaving.

Sirius never sees Harry again, and dies a few years later, his name still tarnished, his promises all unkept.

end

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Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters belong to JK Rowling and Scholastic, etc. This piece of fan-written fiction intends no infringement on any copyrights.