Chapter 3

Pacing

That was what Sirius Black was doing right now. As the sun- well, yes, as the sun rose, though you couldn't see it due to the thick fog that surrounded Azkaban, Sirius black was pacing back and forth from one side of his tiny, cramped cell to another. Waiting.

He realized that it was about time for breakfast to come from the guards, and he transformed. As expected, a guard came up, wearing a billowy, ragged black hood. A cold, clammy hand reached for the cell door, and it creaked as it was opened ever so slowly. Sirius, now Snuffles, saw his opportunity and dashed for the door. Slipping past the dementor, he ran, his nails clicking against the stone floor. 

He'd planned this as he was waiting for morning to arrive. Figuring that the only way the dementors would know he was there, seeing as they didn't have eyes, was their feeling of his emotions, he figured that transforming into Snuffles to escape was his best option since he knew that his emotions were a bit harder to trace as a dog. 

He made a mad dash for the exit, and the door was already open. He silently thanked himself and bounded out. After 12 years, he was free. His paws slipping on the wet mud, he continued to dash to the shore. He knew the dementors would notice his absence. But as long as he got away from Azkaban, they wouldn't be able to follow him. He could feel the air getting steadily colder, knowing that this was a sign of their agitation as they tried to figure out what was wrong. 

He made it to shore, stepped into the freezing water, and looked back. The sight almost made his heart stop. Every single dementor in the prison was heading towards him. He plunged into the water and began to swim. He paddled and paddled, going numb despite his thick fur, which was currently weighed down and sodden with moisture, his exhaustion increasing the further he went. 

Almost there. Almost there.

He continued to repeat those words in his head, as far from the truth they may have been. The further he went, and the more exhausted he became, he truly started appreciating the sheer size of the North Sea. He'd never thought there was this much water in the whole world, let alone just one sea. A shape began to appear in the distance. Land?

He paddled furiously, sure that he'd finally reached the mainland. As he got closer, he found that it was simply a piece of stray driftwood. He barked in frustration and continued on. It began to rain some more, the water pounding down. At last, he saw a large shape in the distance. He swam forward, silently praying for it to be land, and thankfully, as he neared closer, he realized it was. 

He paddled as fast as he could go, determined to reach the mainland. He washed up onshore and sank into the wet sand, panting. He lay there for a while, letting the rainfall on his fur, and then mustered up the strength to stand up. He shook out his fur, knowing that he'd get wet in a little while anyway thanks to the rain, but that he might as well. 

He found an overhanging rock, making a tiny little den a little ways from the shore. A good place to rest as any, and he'd be dry as well. He raced over and lay down. It would be best to stay as a dog for warmth. As he lay, the realization washed over him, much like the waves crashing beyond him. He was free. After 12 years of suffering in that goddamn prison, he was free. And it had only taken a swim across the North Sea to do it. 

Snuffles yawned and stretched, then curled up into a ball, and immediately went to sleep, exhausted.

Far from where Snuffles slept, the dementors were in a frenzy. No one had ever escaped from Azkaban before, and yet one prisoner, that Sirius Black, had escaped their clutches. They were furious. On top of it all, since Azkaban was believed to be the strongest prison known to the wizarding world, they didn't have a very good system should anyone manage to escape. 

And since the dementors couldn't leave unless authorized to, Sirius Black had officially gotten away with his escape. They were swarming around the prison, anxiously waiting for some ministry official to come make the daily check, which was probably the only decent part in Azkaban's "defense system". 

At last, late into the afternoon, a ministry official arrived and was promptly surrounded by the dementors. The official cast his Patronus, alarmed, and the resulting pearly white eagle that came out of his wand pushed the dementors back. If the official didn't know better, he would have sworn that the dementors were trying to lead him somewhere. And naturally, he followed. All the way to the cell of one Sirius Black, who was arguably the most dangerous prisoner who resided in the walls of Azkaban. 

The official peered in, and let out a gasp. The cell was empty. He ran outside and apparated as soon as possible. As far as the wizarding world knew, Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban. 

Cornelius Fudge, the minister paced in his office, twirling his bowler hat nervously. Sirius Black escaped! Everyone was going to have a fit about this. The real question was how? How did Sirius Black manage to escape from Azkaban, and where was he intending to go? The dementors had simply told that Black had been mumbling in his sleep, always the same words, 'He's at Hogwarts.' It scared Fudge out of his wits. 

There was only one person he could be talking about. The Potter boy, who went by Harry, as Fudge recalled. He'd have to make sure that the boy had the best protection from now on if Black was after him. 

Still twirling the bowler hat, he walked briskly out of his office, intent on informing the Aurors of the situation, and what they had to do to diffuse it at soon as possible.