Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot of this story. Everything Harry Potter related belongs to J.K. Rowling

Warnings: Rated T (PG-13) just to be safe; no slash

Pairings: R/Hr

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"Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all."

-William Goldman, The Princess Bride

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Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Chapter 1: Nice Guys Finish Last

'I walk a lonely road

The only one that I have ever known.'

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Harry Potter Escapes from Azkaban Prison!

Ministry at a loss to explain!!

In a stunning turn of events, Harry Potter, the Wizarding World's former savior, somehow managed to escape Azkaban prison. Ministry official have since been combing the surrounding countryside with the aid of both Aurors and Dementors.

Harry Potter, now age 19, was convicted two years ago of the murders of Ms. Ginny Weasley and Mr. Colin Creevey. Potter was found standing over the bodies of his two former friends with his wand in his hand. The wand was later tested and found to have used the Killing Curse on both Ms. Weasley and Mr. Creevey. Former friends and teachers were shocked and horrified at the tragedy. According to Severus Snape, the Hogwarts Potions Master, "Potter had been crossing lines ever since he first arrived at this school..."

Mr. Potter was convicted and found guilty of the murders. He was later sentenced to life in Azkaban in maximum security. Now that he has escaped, this reporter must ask what we are all thinking: How safe are we?

"Now, really! We have Aurors and Dementors looking everywhere for Potter! We will find him!" said Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge at a recent press conference.

But will this be a repeat of the infamous Sirius Black affair from only five years ago? Ministry officials assured the public they would find Black then too, but isn't Black still at large? This reporter will not feel safe in her bed until the Ministry steps up its efforts to catch both Black and Potter before more innocent people are attacked.

Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent

The Daily Prophet

While Aurors and Dementors searched for him all over Britain, Harry Potter was currently flying over a mountain range somewhere in Eastern Europe. He wasn't too sure where he was, since he couldn't see where he was going, due to the fact that he had to stay high up in the clouds to avoid being seen by muggles. As bad as muggles seeing him on a broomstick would be, the way Harry was flying would be much worse.

If a muggle had happened to be flying in an airplane over the Carpathian Mountains at that moment and looked out the window, they would have thought they had just stepped into a fairy tale. Flying over the Carpathian mountain range was a dragon. This dragon has dark-green scales and long golden horns. But what may come as the biggest surprise are its rare emerald green eyes, when dragons of this type generally have gold or hazel eyes. Or perhaps the biggest surprise would be that this dragon isn't really a dragon at all: it's an animagus, who just happens to be a 19-year old boy Azkaban escapee at that.

Harry flew blindly over the wilds of Eastern Europe in his dragon animagus form, not caring where he was flying or where he would end up. It could be China for all he cared. He was just concentrating on getting as far away as Azkaban and Britain as he possibly could. Away from the Dementors, the Aurors, Hogwarts, and especially them.

They were the ones who had put him into Azkaban in the first place. His former friends and professors. The ones he had thought of as family. Everyone had abandoned him: Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, Remus, the Weasleys, all of them. It hurt to know that they had believed him capable of murder even after knowing him for seven years. The feeling of anger and betrayal was what had kept him alive and sane after two years in Azkaban. Though Sirius was right; knowing that you're innocent did help a lot.

Harry's eyes and throat burned with choked back tears. Sirius...Harry's godfather would have believed in his innocence, he knew it. Didn't they remember that Sirius had been falsely imprisoned too? Harry at least had been given a trial, where he had claimed his innocence. But all of his friends had testified against him, saying they knew he had done it, that he was lying, that he was guilty. The jury believed what they had said and pronounced him guilty, and then he was dragged off to Azkaban. Without veritaserum, no one believed he was telling the truth.

He had stayed in Azkaban for two long, horrible years. Dementors frequently left him alone for days at a time, only to come back later and stand outside his cell door for hours on end. It was like a feast for them, all of the happy memories that had come back when the dementors had left him alone.

At least he had been given a cell with a small square cut in the wall outfitted with bars, which served as a window. It got very cold at night, but it was worth it to be able to see the stars at night.

---Flashback---

Harry was staring at the window thinking of his parents and Sirius. Oh what would they have thought of him now, stuck in Azkaban for a crime he hadn't committed. 'Sirius would have probably understood...' Harry thought mournfully as tears ran down his cheeks. Today had been another 'feast day' for the Dementors. They had stayed outside his cell all afternoon. He looked up at the stars just in time to see a shooting star cross the sky. Harry leaned his head against the cold stone of the prison cell as he cried. Wishing as hard as he could that he was out of Azkaban, Harry closed his eyes and leaned against the wall.

Suddenly, the wall seemed to disappear and Harry fell with a cry of shock into the open air outside of the prison. Of course, this was a bad thing considering the side of the prison where maximum security cells were kept was located on the edge of a cliff. Directly below the cliff was a cluster of rocks where the sea met land. Harry opened his eyes only to see the rocks looming closer.

Closing his eyes again and concentrating on his animagus form, Harry felt himself beginning the change. As he felt the change complete, he opened his wings and immediately caught a thermal of air. Flapping his wings to keep himself aloft, he opened his eyes. The sight that greeted him was enough to make him gulp. He had opened his wings in the nick of time...he was only a few feet above the jagged rocks.

Heaving a huge sigh of relief (or the dragon equivalent of it), Harry flew low and skimmed the waters, relishing in the feeling of freedom. He had not been able to stretch his wings in two years. Pulling himself together, Harry caught another thermal and gained some altitude. Knowing he had to get away quickly, Harry turned east towards land. He wasn't going to stop in Britain; no it held too many memories. But there was no way he could make a trip over the ocean; he was just too exhausted and malnourished from his prolonged stay in Azkaban. He headed off, not really knowing where he would end up.

---End Flashback---

Harry shook his head in an effort to forget the memories. 'Come on Harry, keep your head on flying or we'll run into a mountain'. He winged in, heading towards ground. There appeared to be a small village a few miles from the mountain. He landed by a small farm with a garden and a pen of sheep. There were still a few hours until dawn, and no one seemed to be awake just yet. Feeling slightly ashamed with himself for stealing, he picked up the nearest sheep. Ignoring the sheep's desperate bleating, he turned around to make off with the sheep.

Harry raised his wings to take off, only to be hit with a spell on his back. Feeling surprised, he began to turn around, only to be hit with five more stunners in quick succession.

Panicking, Harry struggled against the weighted ropes that his captors were throwing around his claws, feet, and jaws. But it was too much, Harry could feel himself succumbing to the combined force of exhaustion and the stunners. The last thing he heard before he blacked out was a voice speaking in an unfamiliar language.

"Cum făcut tu a lua afară de la rezervă?"

A/N: Well, here it is. The first chapter of my first fic. If I get a bunch of positive reviews, then I'll continue. If people genuinely like this story, I will see it through to the end. Updates may be sporadic due to school, but I will try to update as often as I can.

NOTE: Feel free to ask any questions you may have. And don't worry: I always write the chapter first and answer questions second so it doesn't cut back on chapter length. You can find any answers to questions or review replies at the end of each chapter.

IMPORTANT: Before anyone gets on my case about how Harry couldn't possibly just wish himself out of Azkaban, that's not what happened; that's what Harry thought happened. It will be explained later.

Also: I don't care if you flame me people, but if you don't like the story then you don't have to read it. Don't bother writing a long nasty review about how much you think it stinks because hopefully most people will agree with you. Now if you can find a real problem with my writing (and I'm sure there are some) or something that I missed when checking it over, tell me. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Translation: (you'll find out what the language is later)

"Cum făcut tu a lua afară de la rezervă?"

"How did you get out of the reservation?"

Next Chapter- 1) the reactions of the Hogwarts crew

2) Harry wakes up and we find out where he is

-And maybe-

3) Harry's Animagus transformation

There. Now that that's done with, please leave a review.

-Blue