Chapter Seven
Terrible Watchdog
Cause without you I can't breathe
I'm not gonna ever, ever let you leave
You're all I've got, you're all I want
(I Will Be - Leona Lewis)September 4th, 1997Harry, Ron, and Hermione successfully broke into the Ministry after Mundungus
arrived at Grimmauld Place, dragged there against his will by a vengeful house-elf under
direct orders from Hermione. Dung told them all about how he had lost the locket, and
then pointed out the picture of its new owner in the Daily Prophet: Dolores Umbridge.
Sirius overheard Hermione and Ron talking about the scars on Harry's hand, and it
took him very little effort to figure out that Umbridge had harmed his godson permanently.
Coupled with the fact that she had been behind a number of terrible things at Hogwarts,
the stupid anti-werewolf legislation, and now the ridiculous Muggle-born Registration Act,
Sirius wanted to go after her himself. It took both Harry and Hermione pleading with
him—in addition to threats of petrifying him and leaving him alone with only Kreacher as
company—for him to back down.
Completely contrary to their plan, Sirius followed the trio to the Ministry of Magic.
He lingered across the street in his Animagus form while they infiltrated the institution
under the influence of Polyjuice Potion.
It took him less than an hour to arrive outside the entrance: a large bathroom where
men and women lined up outside the stalls. Padfoot paraded around as a lost dog as he
waited impatiently for the trio to return. Every once in a while, someone stopped and
patted him on the head, something that made him roll his eyes. He wanted to growl and
bite but knew it would cause more attention than being docile. So he held back and gritted
his teeth as old ladies ran their sweaty hands over the top of his head while calling him a
"good little doggy." At one point, someone glanced at him and screamed, "Grim!" before
running the other way, giving Sirius a good chuckle in the process.