fic rec: Just a Shot Away (Harry Potter)

[arcanetrivia]

Just a Shot Away by RodeoTown
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing/Characters: Sirius, James, Bellatrix, Orion Black
Rating: General Audiences
Words: 5052

Author's summary: The summer at Grimmauld Place isn't Sirius Black's idea of a time well spent. The situation becomes infinitely grimmer when he stumbles upon a possible ploy to invade Hogwarts. The war is brewing, prejudices run deep and suddenly growing up means making decisions that no one in their right mind would willingly face. Marauders era, year five.
Author's notes: This story portrays the Marauders' fifth year at Hogwarts. I tried to stay as close to the canon as possible, consulting wikipedia and Pottermore probably way more than what can be called healthy. However, there are some discrepancies, the biggest probably being the fact that in this story the Marauders become Animagi at the end of the fourth year instead of the canonical fifth. I believe that this achievement and the work that led to it deserves attention of the literary kind that I couldn't fit within the story I wanted to tell without it becoming disjointed. So I made the decision to leave it off-screen in hope that the narrative flows better this way.
Author's warnings: None
Additional tags: Marauders' Era, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Black Family Drama

Quote:
The bike was gaining speed, sending the gravel flying in its wake. Sirius felt the wind biting against his face, but the hand of the speedometer was still barely reaching 50 mph. It wasn't enough. He rolled on the throttle and felt a sudden pang of wild exhilaration at the purring response of the engine.

"Well, theoretically," he yelled over the noise, "as soon as we leave the ground it should be quiet. As of now she's still going Muggle."

"Theoretically, he says theoretically! And I'm going to die. Killed by my best friend's Muggle excuse for a hobby."

"It's a catchy phrase, will make an excellent note on your tombstone."