THE DAILY PROPHET + TEXTS

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 criticised by some members of the International Confederation of Wizards 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.

REMUS & SAGE

sage
did you see the prophet today?
he's out
he's escaped

remus
i saw this morning
are you alright?

sage
no
i'm panicking
he's going to come for me, i can feel it

remus
and you're mad about that?
i thought you'd be happy?

sage
he murdered twelve muggles, remus.
i don't want him around harry, or me
besides, i dunno what azkaban did to him
even if he's out, he's not going to be the same
azkaban turns people mad

remus
you loved him once
do you still love him?

sage
it's been twelve years
i'm a different person than i was when he went in
even if he comes back the same person
which i doubt
he'd barely recognize me

remus
do you want me to stay with you?
or you can come stay with me, maia, and jessie?

sage
no
petunia's got harry for the next two weeks
i'll just put up the old wards
the ones i used during the war, just tweaked a bit
besides, i don't want him finding me at your house with jessie and maia

remus
you'll be alright, sage

sage
i hope so.

gasp!