the_debt_of_time

He sneaked stealthily into the basement passage that he knew led to the statue of
the one-eyed witch, and he ran the length of it as quickly as he could. When he reached the
end, he spotted a figure. Padfoot skulked forward, low to the ground, taking in the familiar
face, though she had aged twenty plus years.
Alecto Carrow stood at the end of the long passage, mumbling bitterly to herself
about Snape and his high-handed ways.
"Check the bloody passages, Alecto," she said in a mocking tone. "Search the
seventh-floor corridor, Alecto. Guard the Ravenclaw Tower, Alecto. Like he bloody does
anything himself."
Padfoot rolled his eyes and made his way out into the open, whimpering softly and
limping on his front right leg as though injured.
"Who's there?!" She aimed her wand before letting her gaze focus on him.
Padfoot stopped moving, blinking wide puppy eyes up at her and letting out a soft
whining noise.
"Oi, get lost, mutt." She scowled and lowered her wand.
Fucking idiot.
Alecto's dying scream echoed in the passageway as Sirius crawled out from behind
the one-eyed witch statue, wand drawn and searching for signs of life. Lamenting that he
had not thought to take the Marauder's Map from Harry, he turned back into Padfoot,
knowing that it would cause less of a disturbance than his human self. Only a handful of
people knew he was an Animagus.
The halls were silent and empty save for a few prefects, all Slytherins, patrolling the
corridors here and there in a desultory fashion. Padfoot ducked into dark alcoves and
behind curtains, waiting for them to pass before he quickly moved on, making his way
toward the headmaster's office in the hopes that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco were
already at Hogwarts, and not waiting for him at Malfoy Manor.
When he was almost to the gargoyle, he suddenly realised he had no way of getting
inside. Dumbledore's office was often easy to sneak into; with Remus as a friend, Sirius
knew every sweet ever made and in alphabetical order. But Dumbledore was gone, and his
murderer now occupied his post. To his surprise, the same murderer was now descending
the spiralling staircase from behind the gargoyle, his black robes billowing behind him.