Wizards & Therapies | An OC Wizarding World Fanfic

Free At Last

Once he left the British Isles, he felt free. It was exhilarating to fly on a hippogriff, the wind biting his cheeks depending on the time of the day. In total, their flight to the Shafiq manor took a day. All of his problems felt like mere specks of dust in time.

The Shafiq manor in Alexandria stood still and dead as they landed. It was made out of sandstone and the walls were carved with images and stories as old as civilisation itself. Sirius took far too long to get into the house. The two sphinxes that flanked the pathway, which came to life the moment he and Buckbeak stepped close, asked questions he nearly did not know how to answer.

Nearly. He was lucky he remembered the translation of the sentence the sphinx asked him. When he walked inside, he could tell that no one lived there. He let go of Buckbeak and the creature ran around freely.

"You did an amazing job," Sirius patted Buckbeak on his neck. "You wonderful thing."

He wasn't sure if Buckbeak was allowed into the house, but surely Eliza wouldn't mind it, would she?

Sirius felt like he was given far too much hope in such a short time. He spent months plotting revenge, not even seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but all it took was his godson fully believing him and his two close friends back on his side. Remus must have thought something was off this entire time too.

He searched through the house. Heavy layers of dust surrounded the area. When was the last time someone came here? Sirius was careful not to go into the bedrooms and kept himself in the main area. There, he found a piece of paper to send to Eliza. Just so he knew that she made it. He recognised the Shafiq family crest and their motto written in hieroglyphs – Be alive, Stay strong and healthy. He remembered it quite well.

But how would he send it?

The answer came in the form of a falcon. It lived in the backyard and upon seeing the letter, it stuck out its claw and shot off.

They'd need to look for food soon. Sirius could perhaps steal things from the market nearby. There were a lot of stray dogs in the neighbourhood, so people wouldn't notice him. He was surprised how near the mansion was to muggle civilisation, but this house stood longer than anything else in the area. Maybe no one ever questioned its presence. Or maybe no one knew it was there.

He thought the latter.

Sirius had a hard time sleeping. He spent the last year sleeping on rocks or curled up as an animagus, so the idea of falling into a bed was like heaven. He tried to stay in the Shrieking Shack, but getting in and out of the house was not an easier feat if you didn't have a wand.

He didn't pick a room. Instead, he took one of the long reed chairs that were in the backyard and slept on it instead.

He wondered how long it would take for Eliza to get here or if she would get here at all. The last time he had summoned her, she had completely ignored it.

He spent the next days scavenging for food. He turned himself into a dog and walked around, Some people chased him but many of them left him alone. There were other dogs as well, all sand-coloured, who eyed him sceptically but nevertheless told him where to get the best food. No one in the area looked like they were people from the Ministry of Magic or wizards, but Sirius didn't know anything about the wizarding community outside of where he was from. British wizards tended to be stuck in the 19th century with their fashion which was a shame because everyone was far more stylish than them at times.

Dumbledore's phoenix found him one day.

Dear Sirius,

I trust you have found your way to Egypt. Promptly awaiting the arrival of Eliza. She'll be with you soon, but you must be patient. I'll be keeping in touch – we have lots to talk about. But first, find attached this Hogwarts permission slip to Hogsmeade. I'm afraid that the Dursleys did not want to sign it for young Harry, but as his legal guardian, you may do so.