“I think that it's safe to say that we're going to find out how, exactly, you've been getting around to all your classes,” Cedric said.
“It'll be nice to know what is helping me,” Hermione said.
“Shocking business ... shocking ... miracle none of them died ... never heard the like ... by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape ...”
“Please tell me that he's not trying to take credit for doing anything,” Harry said.
“Well, he'll probably try to take credit for capturing Black,” Cedric said. “I'm not sure about saving your lives, though.”
“I hope something bad happens to him,” Hermione said.
“Thank you, Minister.”
“Order of Merlin, Second Class, I’d say. First Class, if I can wangle it!”
“You know, it seems that Riddle isn't the only person who gets an undeserving reward,” Luna said. “The only difference is that Riddle only got an award for services to the school. Snape is being told he just might be able to get an Order of Merlin award, in Second Class, first if the Minister has his way.”
“If we're lucky, Snape actually won't get that reward,” Cedric said.
“Even if he doesn't, the award has been tainted anyway,” Hermione said. “I mean, look who else has one.”
“What do you mean?” Cedric asked.
“Remember, it mentioned that Peter Pettigrew had been given the award post-humanly,” Hermione said. “And, as we just found out, it's not deserved.”
“Thank you very much indeed, Minister.”
“I get the feeling that the idea pleases him so much, probably more than having an innocent man killed does,” Hermione said, a bit bitterly.
“Nasty cut you’ve got there ... Black’s work, I suppose?”
“I wished we had gotten him harder,” Harry muttered, thinking that, if he hadn't woken when he did, then they might have been able to get Sirius to run beforehand.
“As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Weasley and Granger, Minister ...”
“Well, I've got to wonder what they plan on doing with us now,” Hermione said. “Do you know if they throw minors into Azkaban or not?”
“No, I don't,” Cedric said. “But I doubt that they do.”
“No!”
“Yes I suppose that it would be rather surprising, to hear that we – or, most importantly, I was willing to help Black, considering what he apparently cost me,” Harry said. “Of course, it's not like I would know that part, since everyone seems determined to keep it from me.”
“So he's probably surprised that you would attempt to help out someone who followed Riddle,” Cedric said.
“That's probably it,” Harry said.
“Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behaviour.”
“Is he...defending us?” Hermione asked.
“It seems so, although, by also saying this, he's also making sure that, if you tell the truth, there's no way that you'll be believed, which is probably why he's actually saying it,” Cedric said.
“Okay, that makes more sense,” Hermione said.
“They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren’t responsible for their actions.”
“Now that right there is a definite defense towards you,” Luna said.
“On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape ... they obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed.”
“Anything to do with Black was the furthest thing from our minds. We, unlike Snape, care for other people, and have friends, so we are willing to do anything to help them out,” Hermione said. “We only knew that Black was involved after we'd gone after the dog.”
“Yeah, well, considering what opinion of Harry Snape has, it makes sense that he would assume that you'd want something that would give you glory,” Cedric pointed out.
“They’ve got away with a great deal before now ... I’m afraid it’s given them a rather high opinion of themselves ...”
“I think he's confusing us with himself,” Hermione said.
“and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of licence by the Headmaster –“
“That's partially true,” Harry said. “Depending on how you look at it. In the books, he does kind of let me get away with some things, and even rewards them.”
“Ah, well, Snape ... Harry Potter, you know ... we’ve all got a bit of a blind spot where he’s concerned.”
“And yet – is it good for him to be given so much special treatment?”
“If that was coming from someone other than him, I'd agree, but considering how he treats you and then treats any Slytherin, I can't take him all that seriously,” Cedric said. “He is pretty much accusing people of giving you special treatment, and yet he does the same for some other people. That's kind of hypocritical of him.”
“True,” Hermione said. She was trusting him about what he was saying about Snape concerning Slytherins, mostly because he'd seemed like he was a bit like that in the book, and also because of the fact that Cedric knew him better than she – than any one of the others in that room at the moment – did.
“Personally I try to treat him like any other student.”
“I think it's safe to say that he treats him worse than any other student, though he still treats any other student just as badly.” Cedric said.
“And any other student would be suspended – at the very least – for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister: against all school rules – after all the precautions put in place for his protection – out of bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer – and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally, too –“
“So, while he's willing to keep you out of prison, he either doesn't want you at the school, or he at the very least wants you punished for some reason, probably for causing him to be thrown into a wall and almost losing his chance to be a cold blooded murder accomplice,” Luna said.
“Yeah, I'm pretty sure that what's upset him the most is that you almost costed him his 'revenge' against Sirius,” Cedric said.
“Well, well ... we shall see, Snape, we shall see ... the boy has undoubtedly been foolish ...”
“You've got to like how he just assumes that Snape's right, doesn't even bother to check to see if any of our stories match his,” Hermione said, shaking her head.
“My guess is the fact that we're considered 'just kids' might have something to do with that,” Harry said.
“Still, it does say a lot for their investigation skills,” Hermione said. “After all, if they only listen to one side of the story, then they are bound to miss a lot of things.”
“Not that they'll realize that,” Harry said. “At least, I don't think they'll realize it.”
Harry lay listening with his eyes tight shut. He felt very groggy. The words he was hearing seemed to be travelling very slowly from his ears to his brain, so that it was difficult to understand. His limbs felt like lead; his eyelids too heavy to lift ... he wanted to lie here, on this comfortable bed, for ever …
“I have the feeling that once you realize what's going on around you, you'll most likely not want to do that,” Hermione said.
“What amazes me most is the behaviour of the Dementors ... you’ve really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?”
“No, Minister. By the time I had come round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances ...”
“So we know that it wasn't him,” Hermione said.
“At least he's not trying to take the credit for it,” Harry said.
“Well, whoever it is will have to be pretty strong, because it did say that there were about a hundred,” Cedric said. “And Professor Lupin did mention that the more there are, the harder it is to make the spell work.”
“Well, that should narrow down the list a bit more, then, shouldn't it?” Hermione said.
“Not really, since we don't know the strengths of everyone,” Harry said.
“Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girl –“
“All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally,”
“Which he probably enjoyed,” Harry said in disgust.
“conjured stretchers and brought them all straight back to the castle.”
There was a pause. Harry’s brain seemed to be moving a little faster, and as it did, a gnawing sensation grew in the pit of his stomach …
“I think I'm starting to realize that staying asleep is the worse thing to do at the moment,” Harry said.
He opened his eyes.
Everything was slightly blurred.
'Well, I doubt that they're going to let you keep your glasses on when your unconscious,” Hermione told him.
Somebody had removed his glasses. He was lying in the dark hospital wing. At the very end of the ward, he could make out Madam Pomfrey with her back to him, bending over a bed. Harry squinted. Ron’s red hair was visible beneath Madam Pomfrey’s arm.
“I hope that he's alright,” Luna said. “Considering what type of person that Pettigrew is...”
“He could have done any type of spell to him,” Hermione finished.
Harry moved his head over on the pillow. In the bed to his right lay Hermione. Moonlight was falling across her bed. Her eyes were open, too. She looked petrified, and when she saw that Harry was awake, pressed a finger to her lips, then pointed to the hospital-wing door.
“So I'm eavesdropping, and don't want Harry to gain their attention so that we can know what's going on,” Hermione said.
It was ajar, and the voices of Cornelius Fudge and Snape were coming through it from the corridor outside.
Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to Harry’s bed.
“Which means that she's most likely going to see that you're awake,” Cedric said.
He turned to look at her. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate he had ever seen in his life. It looked like a small boulder.
“I have the feeling that she's probably going to make you eat it all,” Luna said.
“If she does that, I get the feeling I'll probably not want chocolate for quite a while,” Harry said.
“I don't think anyone would,” Hermione said. “After all, there is a think such as too much of something.”
“Ah, you’re awake!” she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on Harry’s bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer.
“How’s Ron?” said Harry and Hermione together.
“He’ll live,” said Madam Pomfrey grimly.
“That doesn't sound all that good,” Hermione said.
“That makes me really want to know what he got hit with,” Harry said.
“As for you two ... you’ll be staying here until I’m satisfied you’re – Potter, what do you think you’re doing?”
“Apparently, I am not going to go for that plan,” Harry said.
Harry was sitting up, putting his glasses back on and picking up his wand.
“I need to see the Headmaster,” he said.
“Yes, especially since I have to make sure that Sirius doesn't get Kissed,” Harry said, remembering what Professor Lupin had told his book self earlier in the book.
“I get the feeling that they'll probably think that there's some other reason for what you want,” Cedric said. “After all, as far as they're concerned, there's no way you could possibly want anything but death towards Black.”
“Potter,” said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, “it’s all right. They’ve got Black. He’s locked away upstairs. The Dementors will be performing the Kiss any moment now –“
“WHAT?”
“Yeah, that's definitely not news we want to hear,” Harry said.
Harry jumped up out of bed; Hermione had done the same. But his shout had been heard in the corridor outside; next second, Cornelius Fudge and Snape had entered the ward.
“Harry, Harry, what’s this?” said Fudge, looking agitated. “You should be in bed – has he had any chocolate?” he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.
“And here is where I try to tell the Minister the truth, and end up not being believed because not only am I a teen, but Snape has made sure that I appear to be a liar for telling the truth,” Harry said, shaking his head.
“Minister, listen!” Harry said. “Sirius Black’s innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can’t let the Dementors do that thing to Sirius, he’s –“
But Fudge was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.
“I have the feeling that what he's about to say next is going to irritate me,” Harry said.
“Oh, there isn't really doubt of that not happening,” Cedric said.
“Harry, Harry, you’re very confused, you’ve been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we’ve got everything under control ...”
“YOU HAVEN’T!” Harry yelled.
“I don't think that yelling is going to be helping your case,” Luna told him.
“It usually does when Uncle Vernon yells, though,” Harry said, sounding a bit confused. All it took was for a few raised eyebrows in his direction to tell him that meant that he should actually do the opposite of what his uncle does.
“YOU’VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!”
“Minister, listen, please,” Hermione said; she had hurried to Harry’s side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge’s face. “I saw him, too. It was Ron’s rat, he’s an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and –“
“You see, Minister?” said Snape. “Confunded, both of them ... Black’s done a very good job on them ...”
“He really must have made done what he could to make sure that you weren't believed,” Luna said.
“Isn't there a way to tell if we've been confunded or not,” Hermione asked. “I mean, wouldn't there be if someone can accuse that.”
“I think so, but, well, I don't think there's a way to tell when such a thing happened, and, in all honesty, if he's using that excuse and the Minister is believing it, I have a feeling may have actually done the spell on one or both of you, because I doubt Madam Pomfrey wouldn't check you for it if she heard. Then again, I could be wrong,” Cedric said.
“Well, that's just great,” Hermione said. “There either isn't a way, or Snape made sure to cover his lies so that it appears that Sirius did confund us. Oh, how I wish that we'd been able to get Pettigrew to the Minister. At least then he couldn't lie and, if Snape had spun his lies, he'd look like the fool that he obviously is.”
“WE’RE NOT CONFUNDED!” Harry roared.
“Minister! Professor!” said Madam Pomfrey angrily.
“I don't think that she's exactly happy that they're 'disturbing her hospital and it's patients, especially when they should be resting',” Cedric said, causing the others to laugh a bit.
“I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient, and he should not be distressed!”
“I'm not distressed, I'm just trying to tell them what really happened,” Harry said.
“We should probably mention that Snape was unconscious for a good part of that adventure,” Hermione said.
“That's true,” Harry said. “It would probably help us out pretty well.”
“I have to wonder what Snape would say to that if he purposely didn't mention that he was unconscious doing that time,” Cedric said.
“I’m not distressed, I’m trying to tell them what happened!” Harry said furiously.
“Didn't I already say that?” Harry said.
“If they’d just listen –“
But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry’s mouth.
“Is she trying to choke me?” Harry said, sounding scandalized. The others didn't look to happy about it either.
“She probably figures that she'll be able to control you better if she does that,” Hermione said, though she sounded disgruntled about it. Harry could actually end up getting more hurt than anything if she did stuff the chunk of chocolate into his mouth to try and control him.
He choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed.
“For a nurse, she's so insistent that you stay in bed, even if your trying to talk,” Hermione said. “I'm not sure I like her all that much.”
“Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave –“
The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. Harry swallowed his mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty, and got up again.
“Hopefully, he'll listen to me,” Harry said.
“Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black –“
“For heaven’s sake!” said Madam Pomfrey hysterically.
“Okay, if she's becoming hysterical, I think we should get away from her,” Hermione said.
“Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist –“
“My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter and Miss Granger,” said Dumbledore calmly. “I have just been talking to Sirius Black –“
“She he probably already knows, and, unlike with you two, he'll most likely be more believed if he he speaks up against it. Of course, depending on how Snape has spun his tale, and the fact that Pettigrew escaped, it's unlikely that he can do a whole lot. I mean, his word carries weight, but there has to be some evidence as well, and, well, since Black was convicted of the crime already...” Cedric started.
“I take it there's no possible way to appeal for him,” Hermione said.
“Not that I know of,” Cedric said.
“I suppose he’s told you the same fairy tale he’s planted in Potter’s mind?” spat Snape. “Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive –“
“Well, it's not a fairy tale if it's true,” Luna said.
“That, indeed, is Black’s story,” said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.
“And does my evidence count for nothing?” snarled Snape. “Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him in the grounds.”
“That was because he was long gone by the time you woke up, idiot,” Harry said, rolling his eyes. “And I doubt Snape bothered to check the Forbidden Forest all that well.”
“That was because you were knocked out, Professor!” said Hermione earnestly. “You didn’t arrive in time to hear –“
“More like he didn't wake up in time to actually see anything,” Hermione said.
“Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!”
“He doesn't want you to actually say the truth,” Cedric said. “He didn't mention that he was unconscious, and if you did, that would bring his words into question, and since he wants Black dead, he can't have that happening.”
“It does seem that way, doesn't it?” Harry said.
“Now, Snape,” said Fudge, startled, “the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances –“
“I don't like him,” Hermione said. “I hope he'll lose the job soon. I mean, if he listens to people like Snape, it's obvious that he's not the right person for the job.”
“And it has nothing to do with the fact that he called you disturbed at all,” Harry said. Hermione blushed a bit, but shook her head.
“No,” she said, “I really don't like him. He's not even willing to question Snape's word, like any real investigator would do. One person's account can not be the only account taken into consideration, after all. And, as it has been pointed out to me already, people do lie.”
“I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone,” said Dumbledore abruptly. “Cornelius, Severus, Poppy – please leave us.”
“Headmaster!” spluttered Madam Pomfrey. “They need treatment, they need rest –“
“Actually, from the sounds of it, we just need to chocolate, not to be babied as she seems to want to make us do,” Harry said.
“This cannot wait,” said Dumbledore. “I must insist.”
“So he's basically doing what Fudge should be doing,” Hermione said.
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her.
“She's not happy, but she's also not going to go against the Headmaster, especially if he's insisting,” Cedric said.
Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.
“The Dementors should have arrived by now,” he said. “I’ll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I’ll see you upstairs.”
“Hopefully, something will happen that'll save Sirius,” Harry said.
He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn’t moved.
“You surely don’t believe a word of Black’s story?” Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore’s face.
“My guess is that, if he does, it's because the evidence supports Black's story,” Cedric said.
“I wish to speak to Harry and Hermione alone,” Dumbledore repeated.
“That's probably not going to make him happy,” Cedric said. “He probably wants a confirmation that Dumbledore doesn't believe it.”
Snape took a step towards Dumbledore.
“Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen,” he breathed. “You haven’t forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven’t forgotten that he once tried to kill me?”
“You know, I have to wonder exactly what the story behind that is, because I do not believe that Snape dying was the actual result that Sirius wanted. I mean, surely he would have thought about the consequences to Professor Lupin, right?” Hermione said.
“If it was something said in the heat of the moment, probably not,” Cedric said. “Either way, though, I don't think he actually meant to try and get Snape killed. Though, if he did, I can sort of understand. I mean, they guy is a bastard.”
“My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus,” said Dumbledore quietly.
Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them and Dumbledore turned to Harry and Hermione. They both burst into speech at the same time.
“I don't think that's going to do much good,” Hermione said.
“Professor, Black’s telling the truth – we saw Pettigrew –“
“– he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf –“
“– he’s a rat –“
“– Pettigrew’s front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off –“
“– Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn’t Sirius –“
But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.
“I think he actually has something important to say to you two,” Cedric said. “Plus, he really doesn't have the right amount of time to actually be able to save Sirius himself, but he might have a way to help you do so.”
“Probably something to do with me,” Hermione said, thinking back to the chapter title.
“It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time,” he said quietly. “There is not a shred of proof to support Black’s story, except your word – and the word of two thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody.”
“Unfortunately,” Hermione sighed.
“A street full of eye-witnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters’ Secret Keeper.”
“I wonder why he did that, unless the change came sometime afterwards, and Dumbledore didn't know. I mean, I can't see him truly letting Sirius sit in a cell for as long as he did unless he really thought he was guilty,” Cedric said. “I mean, I know that Dumbledore would fight Harry being put with Sirius, but I don't think he would actually let someone innocent sit in jail for that long.”
“Considering that he doesn't like the Dementors, I have to agree with that,” Hermione said.
“Professor Lupin can tell you –“ Harry said, unable to stop himself.
“Not really,” Cedric said. “Not only is he unavailable at the moment, but, well, he's got two things against him. First, he's a werewolf, and they're not trusted by many people, and second, he and Sirius are old friends, which would actually work against him and his words.”
“Professor Lupin is currently deep in the Forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little – and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends –“
“But –“
“Harry, he said he didn't have that much time, and that he had important things to say. You should at least let him finish rather than continuously interrupt him, and end up missing whatever it is that he's trying to tell us,” Hermione said.
“Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape’s version of events is far more convincing than yours.”
“Because an unconscious man sees so much,” Harry said sarcastically.
“He hates Sirius,” Hermione said desperately. “All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him –“
“It's not like it's not well deserved,” Cedric pointed out. “I mean, wouldn't you hate a person who almost led to your death at the hands of one of their friends?”
Harry had to admit that he had a point.
“Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady – entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife –“
“He was acting like a desperate man,” Hermione said. “Somehow, I have the feeling that
“without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius’ sentence.”
“But you believe us.”
“Yes, I do,” said Dumbledore quietly. “But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister for Magic ...”
“So, basically, the Minster can legal have Sirius killed without a problem,” Hermione said bitterly.
Harry stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath him was falling sharply away. He had grown used to the idea that Dumbledore could solve anything.
“Considering how the last two books have been, I have to wonder exactly how you got that idea,” Hermione said. “I mean, in the first book, he's the one who causes the problem, while, in the second, he's hardly around when the adventure goes down.”
He had expected Dumbledore to pull some amazing solution out of the air. But no ... their last hope was gone.
“Somehow, I don't think that's true. I mean, whatever my 'secret' is, it hasn't been revealed yet,” Hermione said.
“What we need,” said Dumbledore slowly, and his light-blue eyes moved from Harry to Hermione, “is more time.”
“So whatever it is that I'm using to get to all my classes – which basically allows me more time – is gong to be used. Cool,” Hermione said.
“But –“ Hermione began.
“I don't get it quite yet,” Hermione said.
And then her eyes became very round. “OH!”
“And there is where you do get it,” Harry said.
“Now, pay attention,” said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly.
“He doesn't want to chance Madam Pomfrey hearing you,” Luna said.
“And he doesn't want you to miss what he says,” Cedric said.
“Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick’s office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight.”
“But wh...Buckbeak!” Hermione said, changing from asking who else could be save to thinking about the hippogriff that was scheduled to die that day as well. “We'll have to save Buckbeak as well!”
“Hagrid will be happy to know that,” Harry said. He wasn't going to question why Hermione knew that, as even he could figure it out. It might not be a human life, but Buckbeak was an innocent.
“But remember this, both of you. You must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law – you know what is at stake ... you – must – not – be – seen.”
“Now, I'm assuming that he means that you can't be seen because of the fact that if you are, someone might be able to cause you trouble,” Luna said. “Or is he saying you can't be seen at all because something bad would happen that has nothing to do with someone getting you into trouble.”
“I would imagine that, not only can we not be scene by ourselves – that would most likely end in disaster – but that we'll have to be careful not to be seen by others, especially if they have an idea of where we're at or supposed to be at. I mean, it would kind of defeat the purpose of trying to help Sirius if we get caught doing so, and lose time we need,” Hermione said. “Plus, this way, no one could connect us to it, unless others like Snape and the minister knows I have whatever it is that I have.”
“I doubt it, otherwise he'd probably confiscate it so that this can't happen,” Luna said.
“True,” Hermione agreed.
Harry didn’t have a clue what was going on. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.
“I am going to lock you in. It is –“ he consulted his watch, “five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck.”
“Good luck?” Harry repeated, as the door closed behind Dumbledore.
“I'm probably confused out of my mind about what's going on,” Harry said.
“Three turns? What’s he talking about? What are we supposed to do?”
But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.
“Harry, come here,” she said urgently. “Quick!”
Harry moved towards her, completely bewildered.
“I think, since she knows what Dumbledore has said, that it's just best to follow her lead,” Harry said.
She was holding the chain out. He saw a tiny, sparkling hour-glass hanging from it.
“Here –“
She had thrown the chain around his neck, too.
“Ready?” she said breathlessly.
“What are we doing?” Harry said, completely lost.
“I really wish you would let me know what was going on, but I can understand why you want to hurry,” Harry said. “I mean, I suspect that you have a good reason for it.”
Hermione turned the hour-glass over three times.
The dark ward dissolved. Harry had the sensation that he was flying, very fast, backwards. A blur of colours and shapes rushed past him; his ears were pounding. He tried to yell but couldn’t hear his own voice –
And then he felt solid ground beneath his feet, and everything came into focus again –
He was standing next to Hermione in the deserted Entrance Hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors. He looked wildly around at Hermione, the chain of the hour-glass cutting into his neck.
“I don't think they're made to be worn my more than one person,” Cedric said.
“We just went back in time, didn't we?” Harry asked.
“I would imagine so,” Hermione said. “By three hours, based on the fact that there's sunlight. And I imagine that we've appeared near where we were at whatever time it is, since we're in the Entrance Hall over being in the Hospital Wing.”
“Hermione, what –?”
“In here!” Hermione seized Harry’s arm and dragged him across the hall to the door of a broom cupboard; she opened it, pushed him inside amongst the buckets and mops, followed him in, then slammed the door behind them.
Hermione's brown furrowed, remembering what had happened in the chapter that corresponded with the originality of this time, before they'd done the time jump. She distinctly remembered that her, Harry, and Ron had head a door slamming just before they themselves had gone down to Hagrid's... She mentally shook her head. No, she was just imagining things.
“What – how – Hermione, what happened?”
“We’ve gone back in time,” Hermione whispered, lifting the chain off Harry’s neck in the darkness. “Three hours back ...”
Harry found his own leg and gave it a very hard pinch. It hurt a lot, which seemed to rule out the possibility that he was having a very bizarre dream.
“I'd probably think the same thing,” Hermione said.
“But –“
“Shh! Listen! Someone’s coming! I think – I think it might be us!”
Hermione had her ear pressed against the cupboard door.
“Footsteps across the hall ... yes, I think it’s us going down to Hagrid’s!”
Hermione frowned, thinking. That definitely made it sound as if they'd heard themselves, but that would mean that... Her eyes went wide as she realized what it meant. However, she decided to keep her observation to herself for the moment, just in case she was wrong.
“Are you telling me,’ Harry whispered, “that we’re here in this cupboard and we’re out there, too?”
“Yes,” said Hermione, her ear still glued to the cupboard door. “I’m sure it’s us ... it doesn’t sound like more than three people ... and we’re walking slowly because we’re under the Invisibility Cloak –“
She broke off, still listening intently.
“We’ve gone down the front steps ...”
Hermione sat down on an upturned bucket;
“I guess we've got a bit of time to rest before we need to do what we need to do,” Hermione said. “And, for all we know, I don't know why we had to go so far back in time. I mean, all I know is that we had to do this to save Sirius. I probably wasn't thinking of anything but saving him.”
looking desperately anxious, Harry wanted a few questions answered.
“Where did you get that hourglass thing?”
“It’s called a Time-Turner,” Hermione whispered, “and I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I’ve been using it all year to get to all my lessons. Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn’t tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one.”
“I wonder who exactly she wrote to,” Hermione said.
“She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I’d never, ever use it for anything except my studies ...”
“And she probably made sure to tell me that, so I never bothered to think about the consequences these extra hours would have on my body,” Hermione said, sighing. It seemed that her 'always listen to authority' attitude was actually coming around to bite her. After all, if she didn't always listen to authority, she might actually have been able to avoid having been overwhelmed by it – she might have even avoided ditching Divination – of course, she might not have, since the professor was a barmy bat, but...
“I’ve been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that’s how I’ve been doing several lessons at once, see? But ...
“Harry, I don’t understand what Dumbledore wants us to do. Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How’s that going to help Sirius?”
“I have to admit, I am a bit confused as to why saving Buckbeak will help Sirius,” Hermione said.
“Sirius can fly him away,” Harry said.
“Oh,” Hermione said. “Okay, that makes a bit more sense now. I really hope we can control Buckbeak, though. I mean, we don't know how he'll take to being taken away from Hagrid, after all.”
“Hopefully, he'll understand that we just want to save him,” Harry said.
Harry stared at her shadowy face.
“There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change,” he said slowly. “What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid’s three hours ago …”
“I just have to remember why we were walking down to Hagrid's,” Harry said.
“This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid’s,” said Hermione. “We just heard ourselves leaving ...”
Harry frowned; he felt as though he was screwing up his whole brain in concentration.
“Dumbledore just said – just said we could save more than one innocent life ...” And then it hit him. “Hermione, we’re going to save Buckbeak!”
“But – how will that help Sirius?”
“Dumbledore said – he just told us where the window is – the window of Flitwick’s office! Where they’ve got Sirius locked up! We’ve got to fly Buckbeak up to the window and rescue Sirius! Sirius can escape on Buckbeak – they can escape together!”
From what Harry could see of Hermione’s face, she looked terrified.
“If we can manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle,” Hermione said. “I mean, we have three hours of making sure to do this, and I have the feeling we can't interfere with anything else but those two things... Although, we'll be able to see who it was that saved us from the Dementors, at least. I mean, we should check the lake when it comes that time, so we'll be able to know what's going on.”
“True,” Harry said. “I really do have to wonder who it was that I saw. I mean, based on the way I was reacting at the time, it was someone I knew, or knew of, at the very least.”
Hermione just had a sudden thought. “Oh no,” she said, eyes wide.
“What?” Cedric asked.
“I just realized, Professor Lupin knew to go through the Shrieking Shack passage because he was looking at the Marauder's Map,” she said. “It's probably going to show Harry and I on it as. I mean, our future selves.”
“I think he would have mentioned it, or Snape would when he took a glance at it,” Luna said. “Honestly, I would be surprised if it only showed the real you, not the ones that are not truly of that time. After all, it's not like you'll actually ever be in an area that's not on the map, since you need to be close by enough to see what's going on.”
“I hope your right, because I really don't want to know what would happen if your wrong,” Hermione said.
“If we manage that without being seen, it’ll be a miracle!”
“Well, we’ve got to try, haven’t we?” said Harry. He stood up and pressed his own ear against the door.
“Doesn’t sound like anyone’s there ... come on, let’s go ...”
Harry pushed the cupboard door open. The Entrance Hall was deserted. As quietly and quickly as they could, they darted out of the cupboard and down the stone steps. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest gilded once more with gold.
“If anyone’s looking out of the window –“ Hermione squeaked, looking up at the castle behind them.
“You'll have to run for it, straight into the forest,” Cedric said.
“We’ll run for it,” said Harry determinedly. “Straight into the Forest, all right? We’ll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout –“
“OK, but we’ll go round by the greenhouses!” said Hermione breathlessly. “We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid’s front door, or we’ll see us! We must be nearly at Hagrid’s by now!”
“That's true. Although, I think you mean that you'll be seen by Hagrid, which wouldn't be good,” Luna said.
“That's true. I don't believe it ever mentioned us turning around, after all,” Hermione said.
Still working out what she meant, Harry set off at a sprint, Hermione behind him.
“I think I'm confused because I think I realize that you said that wrong,” Harry said.
They tore across the vegetable gardens to the greenhouses, paused for a moment behind them, then set off again, fast as they could, skirting around the Whomping Willow, tearing towards the shelter of the Forest ...
Safe in the shadows of the trees, Harry turned around; seconds later, Hermione arrived beside him, panting.
“Looks like your the faster runner of the two of us,” Hermione said.
“Right,” she gasped, “we need to sneak over to Hagrid’s. Keep out of sight, Harry ...”
They made their way silently through the trees, keeping to the very edge of the Forest. Then, as they glimpsed the front of Hagrid’s house, they heard a knock upon his door. They moved quickly behind a wide oak trunk and peered out from either side.
“That would be rather strange to see,” Cedric said.
“It would be kind of funny too, though,” Hermione said.
Hagrid had appeared in his doorway, shaking and white, looking around to see who had knocked. And Harry heard his own voice.
“It’s us. We’re wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off.”
“Yeh shouldn’ve come!” Hagrid whispered. He stood back, then shut the door quickly.
“I am hoping that it stays as the weirdest thing we'll do, if we do it at all,” Hermione said. “Because I'm a little apprehensive to know what might end up being weirder than this.”
“This is the weirdest thing we’ve ever done,” Harry said fervently.
“Let’s move along a bit,” Hermione whispered. “We need to get nearer to Buckbeak!”
They crept through the trees until they saw the nervous Hippogriff, tethered to the fence around Hagrid’s pumpkin patch.
“Now?” Harry whispered.
“No!” Cedric said. “If you steal him then, you'll end up getting Hagrid into trouble, because they'll think he set him free.”
“Which means that we won't have that long to get him away from there,” Hermione said, looking worried.
“No!” said Hermione. “If we steal him now, those Committee people will think Hagrid set him free! We’ve got to wait until they’ve seen he’s tied outside!”
“That’s going to give us about sixty seconds,” said Harry. This was starting to seem impossible.
“Honestly, a few things that have seemed impossible for you end up turning completely possible,” Luna said.
At that moment, there was a crash of breaking china from inside Hagrid’s cabin.
“That’s Hagrid breaking the milk jug,” Hermione whispered. “I’m going to find Scabbers in a moment –“
Sure enough, a few minutes later, they heard Hermione’s shriek of surprise.
“I wonder what I'm going to think about being reminded of the fact that Pettigrew is there,” Harry said.
“Hermione,” said Harry suddenly, “what if we – we just run in there, and grab Pettigrew –“
“No!” said Hermione in a terrified whisper. “Don’t you understand? We’re breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody’s supposed to change time, nobody!”
“If no one is supposed to change time, why did Dumbledore tell you to do what it is that your about to do?” Luna said.
“I don't know,” Hermione said, though what happened in the entrance hall floated through her mind at that moment.
“You heard Dumbledore, if we’re seen –“
“We’d only be seen by ourselves and Hagrid!”
“And what would you think if you saw yourself bursting into his house?” Cedric asked.
“Polyjuice Potion,” Harry said at once. “That, or some kind of Dark Magic going on, or that I've gone mad,” Harry said.
“Harry, what do you think you’d do if you saw yourself bursting into Hagrid’s house?” said Hermione.
“I’d – I’d think I’d gone mad,” said Harry, “or I’d think there was some Dark Magic going on –“
“Exactly! You wouldn’t understand, you might even attack yourself! Don’t you see? Professor McGonagall told me what awful things have happened when wizards have meddled with time ... loads of them ended up killing their past or future selves by mistake!”
“I have the feeling that, at least for you, Hermione, you might understand what's going on if you end up running into yourself or something. I mean, you've most likely been doing this all year, so, if you saw yourself, you'd probably realize what's going on,” Cedric said.
“True, but Ron, Harry, and Hagrid most likely wouldn't,” Hermione said.
“OK!” said Harry. “It was just an idea, I just thought –“
“That it would be a good idea to try and get him,” Luna finished. “I don't blame you for thinking that, but I don't know if it would actually do any good.”
But Hermione nudged him, and pointed towards the castle. Harry moved his head a few inches to get a clear view of the distant front doors. Dumbledore, Fudge, the old Committee member and Macnair the executioner were coming down the steps.
“We’re about to come out!” Hermione breathed.
And sure enough, moments later, Hagrid’s back door opened, and Harry saw himself, Ron and Hermione walking out of it with Hagrid. It was, without a doubt, the strangest sensation of his life, standing behind the tree, and watching himself in the pumpkin patch.
“It’s OK, Beaky, it’s OK ...' Hagrid said to Buckbeak. Then he turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione. “Go on. Get goin’.”
“Hagrid, we can’t –'
“We’ll tell them what really happened –“
“They can’t kill him –'
“Go! It’s bad enough without you lot in trouble an’ all!”
Harry watched the Hermione in the pumpkin patch throw the Invisibility Cloak over himself and Ron.
“Go quick. Don’ listen ...”
“We kind of did listen,” Harry said.
“We just didn't see,” Hermione added.
There was a knock on Hagrid’s front door. The execution party had arrived. Hagrid turned around and headed back into his cabin, leaving the back door ajar. Harry watched the grass flatten in patches all around the cabin and heard three pairs of feet retreating. He, Ron and Hermione had gone ... but the Harry and Hermione hidden in the trees could now hear what was happening inside the cabin through the back door.
“So we can know when is the right time to take Buckbeak,” Hermione said.
“Where is the beast?” came the cold voice of Macnair.
“Get a mirror, you'll see it,” Hermione said sarcastically.
“Out – outside,” Hagrid croaked.
Harry pulled his head out of sight as Macnair’s face appeared at Hagrid’s window, staring out at Buckbeak. Then they heard Fudge.
“We – er – have to read you the official notice of execution, Hagrid. I’ll make it quick. And then you and Macnair need to sign it. Macnair, you’re supposed to listen too, that’s procedure –“
Macnair’s face vanished from the window.
“It's now or never,” Cedric said.
It was now or never.
“We know,” Hermione said.
“Wait here,” Harry whispered to Hermione. “I’ll do it.”
As Fudge’s voice started again, Harry darted out from behind his tree, vaulted the fence into the pumpkin patch and approached Buckbeak.
“It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the Hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed on the sixth of June at sundown –“
“I hope that he reads slowly,” Luna said. “That'll give you more time if he does.”
Careful not to blink, Harry stared up into Buckbeak’s fierce orange eye once more, and bowed. Buckbeak sank to his scaly knees and then stood up again. Harry began to fumble with the rope tying Buckbeak to the fence.
“... sentenced to execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Committee’s appointed executioner, Walden Macnair ...”
“Who is hated by all of us in this room because he's willing to kill a creature that doesn't deserve to be killed, and because he's a friend of Malfoy's father,” Luna said.
“Come on, Buckbeak,” Harry murmured, “come on, we’re going to help you. Quietly ... quietly ...”
“... as witnessed below. Hagrid, you sign here ...”
Harry threw all his weight onto the rope, but Buckbeak had dug in his front feet.
“I don't think he wants to leave Hagrid all that much,” Hermione said.
“Well, let’s get this over with,” said the reedy voice of the Committee member from inside Hagrid’s cabin. “Hagrid, perhaps it would be better if you stayed inside –“
“Buckbeak better move it, soon,” Harry said.
“Wait, did it mention that Macnair signed the...whatever it is?” Hermione asked.
“No, it didn't,” Cedric said.
“No, I – I wan’ ter be with him ... I don’ wan’ him ter be alone –“
Footsteps echoed from within the cabin.
“Buckbeak, move!” Harry hissed.
Harry tugged harder on the rope around Buckbeak’s neck. The Hippogriff began to walk, rustling its wings irritably.
“Hopefully, no one hears him,” Luna said.
They were still ten feet away from the Forest, in plain view of Hagrid’s back door.
“One moment, please, Macnair,” came Dumbledore’s voice. “You need to sign, too.” The footsteps stopped. Harry heaved on the rope. Buckbeak snapped his beak and walked a little faster.
Hermione’s white face was sticking out from behind a tree.
“Harry, hurry!” she mouthed.
Harry could still hear Dumbledore’s voice talking from within the cabin.
“It's as if he's distracting them, that he actually knows what's going one, but that's not possible, is it?” Hermione said.
“Well, it could be that he believes that the real versions of you will try and rescue Buckbeak, and he wants to give you a chance to save him,” Cedric said.
He gave the rope another wrench. Buckbeak broke into a grudging trot. They had reached the trees ...
“Quick! Quick!” Hermione moaned, darting out from behind her tree, seizing the rope too and adding her weight to make Buckbeak move faster. Harry looked over his shoulder; they were now blocked from sight; they couldn’t see Hagrid’s garden at all.
“I think you should stop then. Not only should you stay close enough so that you can hear what's going on, you don't want them to hear you,” Luna said.
“Stop!” he whispered to Hermione. “They might hear us –“
“You better make sure to keep a tight hold on Buckbeak,” Cedric said.
Hagrid’s back door had opened with a bang. Harry, Hermione and Buckbeak stood quite still; even the Hippogriff seemed to be listening intently.
Silence ... then –
“Where is it?' said the reedy voice of the Committee member. “Where is the beast?”
“It was tied here!” said the executioner furiously. “I saw it! Just here!”
“How extraordinary,” said Dumbledore. There was a note of amusement in his voice.
“Well, glad to know that he's amused by it,” Hermione said rehtorically.
“Beaky!” said Hagrid huskily.
There was a swishing noise, and the thud of an axe. The executioner seemed to have swung it into the fence in anger. And then came the howling,
Hermione looked a bit pensive. That was pretty much exactly what they had heard when they left, minus the talk. In fact, as far as her present self – not the self they were following the journey of right now, but the one that had been with Harry and Ron leaving – was concerned, because they hadn't heard the talk, Buckbeak was dead...
It made her wonder, if, perhaps, somehow, she and Harry had done this before. After, first they appear in an empty hall and end up slamming a door shut, which was the last sounds that the present version of her, Harry, and Ron had heard, and then they learn that, even without Buckbeak there, the executioner still hit's his axe against something, while Hagrid still howls. So far, the evidence pointed to the idea that they already have gone back in time, and done this already.
and this time they could hear Hagrid’s words through his sobs.
“Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he’s gone! Musta pulled himself free! Beaky, yeh clever boy!”
Buckbeak started to strain against the rope, trying to get back to Hagrid. Harry and Hermione tightened their grip and dug their heels into the Forest floor to stop him.
“Yeah, you really don't want to let him go,” Cedric said. “It would defeat the purpose of having saved him in the first place.”
“Someone untied him!” the executioner was snarling. “We should search the grounds, the Forest –“
“I have to wonder if the fact that he seemed to be thirsty to kill an animal is noticed or not,” Hermione said. “I mean, surely someone would find it disturbing that he wants to kills something so badly, shouldn't they?”
“From what we've scene so far, not, not really,” Harry said.
“Macnair, if Buckbeak has indeed been stolen, do you really think the thief will have led him away on foot?” said Dumbledore, still sounding amused.
“Do...do you think that he knows that you are in the forest right now and just doesn't want Macnair to actually look for you?” Luna said.
“It's possible,” Harry said. “I'm not sure if it's true, though.”
“Search the skies, if you will ... Hagrid, I could do with a cup of tea. Or a large brandy.”
“O’ – o’ course, Professor,” said Hagrid, who sounded weak with happiness. “Come in, come in ...”
Harry and Hermione listened closely. They heard footsteps, the soft cursing of the executioner, the snap of the door, and then silence once more.
“Now, you need to get into a position to see the Whomping Willow so you know when you go in, and when you leave,” Luna said.
“Now what?” whispered Harry, looking around.
“We’ll have to hide in here,” said Hermione, who looked very shaken. “We need to wait until they’ve gone back to the castle. Then we wait until it’s safe to fly Buckbeak up to Sirius’ window. He won’t be there for another couple of hours ... oh, this is going to be difficult ...”
“Having to wait there, and watch as everything happens again, probably knowing that you can't stop any of it...yeah, that's going to be annoying,” Cedric said.
She looked nervously over her shoulder into the depths of the Forest. The sun was setting now.
“We’re going to have to move,” said Harry, thinking hard. “We’ve got to be able to see the Whomping Willow, or we won’t know what’s going on.”
'OK,” said Hermione, getting a firmer grip on Buckbeak’s rope. “But we’ve got to keep out of sight, Harry, remember ...”
“I'd say you don't need to remind me as often as you seem to be doing, but considering how I was all prepared to run into Hagrid's hunt to grab the rat without thinking about how it would looked to the present self of me who had no clue what we're doing...” Harry said.
“You kind of need her to continue telling you,” Luna finished.
“Exactly,” Harry said.
They moved around the edge of the Forest, darkness falling thickly around them, until they were hidden behind a clump of trees through which they could make out the Willow.
“Hopefully, you're not near where Sirius is going to come out from no where,” Cedric said.
“There’s Ron!” said Harry suddenly.
A dark figure was sprinting across the lawn and its shout echoed through the still night air.
“Get away from him – get away – Scabbers, come here –“
And then they saw two more figures materialise out of nowhere. Harry watched himself and Hermione chasing after Ron. Then he saw Ron dive.
“Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat –“
“There’s Sirius!” said Harry. The great shape of the dog had bounded out from the roots of the Willow. They saw him bowl Harry over, then seize Ron ...
“Looks even worse from here, doesn’t it?' said Harry, watching the dog pulling Ron into the roots. “Ouch – look, I just got walloped by the tree – and so did you – this is weird –“
“I would imagine that it is,” Cedric said. “After all, it's not every day that you can watch yourself get injured again, particularly in real life time.”
The Whomping Willow was creaking and lashing out with its lower branches; they could see themselves darting here and there, trying to reach the trunk. And then the tree froze.
“That was Crookshanks pressing the knot,” said Hermione.
“And there we go ...” Harry muttered. “We’re in.”
The moment they disappeared, the tree began to move again. Seconds later, they heard footsteps quite close by. Dumbledore, Macnair, Fudge and the old Committee member were making their way up to the castle.
“Oh, well that's lucky and unlucky,” Cedric said. “After all, it's unlucky in that, if Dumbledore and the Minister had gone, Snape wouldn't have been able to spin his lies, however, it's lucky at the same time because Macnair would have probably came, and Fudge would most likely had Sirius murdered before anything could be said.”
“Too true,” Hermione said. “He's too into looking like he's doing something than looking for the truth, after all.”
“Right after we’d gone down into the passage!” said Hermione. “If only Dumbledore had come with us ...”
“Macnair and Fudge would’ve come, too,” said Harry bitterly.
“I'm not really feeling all that friendly towards Fudge right now,” Harry said. “At least, I don't think I am.”
“I bet you anything Fudge would’ve told Macnair to murder Sirius on the spot ...”
They watched the four men climb the castle steps and disappear from view. For a few minutes the scene was deserted. Then –
“Here comes Lupin!” said Harry, as they saw another figure sprinting down the stone steps and haring towards the Willow. Harry looked up at the sky. Clouds were obscuring the moon completely.
“So direct moonlight is needed. Good to know,” Hermione said.
They watched Lupin seize a broken branch from the ground and prod the knot on the trunk. The tree stopped fighting, and Lupin, too, disappeared into the gap in its roots.
“If he’d only grabbed the Cloak,” said Harry. “It’s just lying there ...”
He turned to Hermione.
“No, Harry,” Hermione said, already guessing what he wants to say. “You can't assume that nothing is going to come up. We have no idea what happened after we went into the tunnel, after all. I mean, think about it, we just saw that Dumbledore and Fudge just went by. Who's to say that someone else won't?”
“If I just dashed out now and grabbed it, Snape’d never be able to get it and –“
“Harry, we mustn’t be seen!”
“How can you stand this?” he asked Hermione fiercely. “Just standing here and watching it happen?” He hesitated.
“Probably because I've been having to do something like this all year,” Hermione said. “I might have allowed myself to be seen by some people, but I was probably extremely careful not to be seen by those that had seen me somewhere else.”
“I’m going to grab the Cloak!”
“Harry, I don't think that's something that can be changed,” Hermione said. “Besides, it's possible that, if you try to change that, something worse can happen.”
“Harry, no!”
Hermione seized the back of Harry’s robes not a moment too soon. Just then, they heard a burst of song. It was Hagrid, making his way up to the castle, singing at the top of his voice, and weaving slightly as he walked. A large bottle was swinging from his hands.
“See?” Hermione whispered. “See what would have happened?”
“This is probably why you should just listen to Hermione at the moment, since she knows more about what's needed to be done than you do,” Cedric said.
“We’ve got to keep out of sight! No, Buckbeak!”
The Hippogriff was making frantic attempts to get to Hagrid again; Harry seized his rope, too, straining to hold Buckbeak back. They watched Hagrid meander tipsily up to the castle. He was gone. Buckbeak stopped fighting to get away. His head drooped sadly.
“Oh, poor Buckbeak,” Luna said.
Barely two minutes later, the castle doors flew open yet again, and Snape had come charging out of them, running towards the Willow.
“Oh, god,” Hermione said, eyes wide as the implications of that entered her mind.
“What?” Harry asked.
“He was there...the whole time,” Hermione whispered. “And...” Something else came to her mind, something mentioned in the chapter before last. “And he purposely...”
“Hermione?” Cedric said, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her lightly, just enough to get her out of her thoughts as she seemed to be. She looked at him, seemingly back into her mind.
“Hermione, what is it?” Luna asked.
“I just realized that Professor Lupin was wrong, and that there is no other reason other than a childhood grudge and extreme dislike for Sirius and Professor Lupin for Snape's actions in the Shack,” Hermione said. “I mean, think about it. It basically says that Snape comes out almost immediately after Professor Lupin. That means that he was in the house quite a bit. And we know that he grabbed the cloak. I'm also remembering it being read that, at one point, the door to the room we were in just opened without warning, which was what actually started off the entire tale between Professor Lupin and Sirius.”
“He heard the entire thing,” Harry said, a bit flatly. “He knew the entire story, but was still determined to get Sirius killed because they weren't friends in school, and Sirius – either on accident or purpose – almost got him killed.”
“While I can see why he would want that, knowing the whole story, it does not make it right for him to do that,” Cedric said.
“There's more, though,” Hermione said, a bit faintly. “Snape was bringing the Wolvesbane to Professor Lupin when he saw what he was doing. He left it behind, probably on purpose. And, in the chapter after that happened, when Snape revealed himself, he even mocks the fact that Professor Lupin wouldn't be safe because he didn't get to take the potion. Remember how he says that Dumbledore was obviously mistaken for calling Professor Lupin a 'tame' wolf. And he was even planning to bring him out with us!
“The only reason why I can think of why he wanted to do that was the fact that he wanted Professor Lupin to either harm someone, or attempt to. Not only would it get him in trouble, but there's also an executioner at the school right now. It would be so easy for him to have to kill Professor Lupin to defend someone.” Her tone of voice was sarcastic as she said that.
“So he wasn't just happy to cause the 'death' of Sirius, he also wanted to have Professor Lupin killed because he's an ass and wanted revenge,” Harry said, a cold fire burning in his eyes. There were some shattering sounds from the corner behind him as his extreme anger towards Snape had his magic channelling towards there. When Hermione and Cedric looked, they noticed that, for some reason, the knick-knacks that were being repeatedly shattered had changed a bit. Hermione didn't recognize any of them, though, from the descriptions in the books, she was somewhat able to place who at least who they were. Cedric only truly recognized one, and bit his lip as he watched one of the knick-knacks based off of Snape broke again just to be put back together.
He had the feeling that, whoever was watching them, they had purposely changed the knick-knacks to look that way on purpose, as it kind of probably filled the desire that Harry was having towards at least the one person, particularly with what had just been revealed.
“That's the only reason I can think of to have Snape bringing Professor Lupin with us,” Hermione said, once the knick-knacks breaking was toned down. “Though, this does make Professor Lupin's actions of trying himself to Pettigrew idiotic to the extreme with the reminder that he hadn't taken the potion, but then, he probably just wasn't thinking right.”
It took Harry a few moments
Harry’s fists clenched as they watched Snape skid to a halt next to the tree, looking around. He grabbed the Cloak and held it up.
“Get your filthy hands off it,” Harry snarled under his breath.
“Shh!”
“I don't think Snape will be able to hear Harry if he's saying it under his breath,” Luna said.
“I guess I'm just being cautious,” Hermione said.
Snape seized the branch Lupin had used to freeze the tree, prodded the knot, and vanished from view as he put on the Cloak.
“So that’s it,” said Hermione quietly. “We’re all down there ... and now we’ve just got to wait until we come back up again ...”
She took the end of Buckbeak’s rope and tied it securely around the nearest tree, then sat down on the dry ground, arms around her knees.
“Harry, there’s something I don’t understand ... why didn’t the Dementors get Sirius? I remember them coming, and then I think I passed out ... there were so many of them ...”
“So, it seems that it's time to find out what Harry in the book saw, if he's willing to say,” Luna said.
“I hope he's willing to say,” Hermione said.
Harry sat down, too. He explained what he’d seen; how, as the nearest Dementor had lowered its mouth to Harry’s, a large silver something had come galloping across the lake and forced the Dementors to retreat.
Hermione’s mouth was slightly open by the time Harry had finished.
“But what was it?”
“There’s only one thing it could have been, to make the Dementors go,” said Harry. 'A real Patronus. A powerful one.”
“But who conjured it?”
“That's what we all want to know,” Cedric said.
Harry didn’t say anything. He was thinking back to the person he’d seen on the other bank of the lake. He knew who he thought it had been ... but how could it have been?
“So, whoever it is, I can hardly believe who it is,” Harry said.
“That doesn't really help us all that much, though,” Cedric said.
“Didn’t you see what they looked like?” said Hermione eagerly. “Was it one of the teachers?”
“I guess it's not that too far off to assume that it was a teacher, but I don't think they would have just let Snape have the glory if it was one of them,” Hermione said. “Or, rather, they would have done what Snape says he did instead.”
“No,” said Harry. “He wasn’t a teacher.”
“So we know it was a male,” Luna murmured.
“But it must have been a really powerful wizard, to drive all those Dementors away ... If the Patronus was shining so brightly, didn’t it light him up? Couldn’t you see –?”
“Obviously he did, but considering the circumstances, you kind of can't assume that he could see. I mean, he was almost kissed,” Cedric said, a bit severely. While he could understand that Hermione wanted to know – they all did – the book Hermione was just pushing a bit too much, acting as if Harry had been unaffected and had plenty of time to just check out who it was.
Hermione blushed as she caught the severe tone in Cedric's voice. While she knew that it was mostly her book self that he scolding, since her book self was just a future version of her at the moment – she was making plans on changing a bit, considering the fact that quite a few of her undesirable traits were kind of glaringly obvious, particularly when being pointed out as it was by the others reading with her.
“Sorry, Harry,” Hermione said.
“Considering that I would probably do the same thing to you, I don't think you really have anything to be sorry about,” Harry said.
“Yeah, I saw him,” said Harry slowly. “But ... maybe I imagined it ... I wasn’t thinking straight ... I passed out right afterwards ...”
“Who did you think it was?”
Hermione winced. That was rather bossy of her, and completely unwarranted, though she could understand why she did it. After all, it did seem as if Harry was pretty much trying to keep form actually saying anything, purposely stalling on his answer.
“I think –“ Harry swallowed, knowing how strange this was going to sound. “I think it was my dad.”
Harry glanced up at Hermione and saw that her mouth was fully open now. She was gazing at him with a mixture of alarm and pity.
“Harry, your dad’s – well – dead,” she said quietly.
“Really no other way to put that but bluntly,” Hermione said.
“I know that,” said Harry quickly.
“You think you saw his ghost?”
“I don’t know ... no ... he looked solid ...”
“But then –“
“Maybe I was seeing things,' said Harry. “But ... from what I could see ... it looked like him ... I’ve got photos of him ...”
Hermione gasped.
“Oh my god,” she said.
“What?” Harry said.
“Harry, what was the first thing Hagrid said to you?” Hermione said. “I mean, about your looks.”
“He said that I look a lot like...oh,” Harry said. “But, how?”
“I knew that there was something going on,” Hermione said. “There were a few things that were just too coincidental to have happened the same way.”
“Um, what are you two talking about,” Cedric asked.
“Harry thinks he saw his father, but, in truth, he saw himself,” Hermione said. “And that means that everything that's been happening hasn't exactly been completely changed. We were always meant to rescue Buckbeak. And when we first appeared in the entrance hall, I thought the fact that we were alone there and ended up slamming the broom closet door close was a bit weird, since the regular time us heard someone rushing and slamming a door. The only reason why we didn't realize this is because we were just far away enough that it was impossible to hear what was actually going on.”
“So, what you're saying is that, while there hasn't really been any clues in present time, everything the future version of you two is doing right now is actually what happened in general,” Cedric said.
“Yes,” Hermione said. “And this also explains how Snape was able to try and have all the glory. Neither of us could actually chance being seen, so we couldn't save him then.”
Hermione was still looking at him as though worried about his sanity.
“I know it sounds mad,” said Harry flatly.
“Sorry,” Hermione said. “I don't know why it doesn't occur to me what you might have actually scene, though. I mean, based on what's happening, it's kind of obvious that nothing has actually changed with us going back into the past, and I would imagine that I've heard people comment about your looks as well.”
He turned to look at Buckbeak, who was digging his beak into the ground, apparently searching for worms. But he wasn’t really watching Buckbeak.
He was thinking about his father, and about his three oldest friends ... Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs ... Had all four of them been out in the grounds tonight? Wormtail had reappeared this evening when everyone had thought he was dead – was it so impossible his father had done the same?
“No, because I don't think you father would have left you with the Dursleys,” Hermione said. “If he was still alive, he would have been there for you. Plus, he could easily have helped out Sirius if he was alive as well.”
Had he been seeing things across the lake? The figure had been too far away to see distinctly ... yet he had felt sure, for a moment, before he’d lost consciousness ...
The leaves overhead rustled faintly in the breeze. The moon drifted in and out of sight behind the shifting clouds. Hermione sat with her face turned towards the Willow, waiting.
And then, at last, after over an hour …
“It's time,” Hermione said.
“Here we come!” Hermione whispered.
She and Harry got to their feet. Buckbeak raised his head. They saw Lupin, Ron and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly out of the hole in the roots, followed by the unconscious Snape, drifting weirdly upwards. Next came Harry, Hermione and Black. Next came Harry and Black. They all began to walk towards the castle.
Harry’s heart was starting to beat very fast. He glanced up at the sky. Any moment now, that cloud was going to move aside and show the moon ...
“Harry,” Hermione muttered, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking, 'we’ve got to stay put. We mustn’t be seen. There’s nothing we can do ...”
“I think you know me too well,” Harry said, pouting.
“How, exactly, do you think we'll be able to see Pettigrew in the dark when he's truly imitating the rat that he is,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, that would probably be a waste of time to do,” Cedric said.
“So we’re just going to let Pettigrew escape all over again ...” said Harry quietly.
'How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?” snapped Hermione.
“I think you attempts to forget that we went back in time to help Sirius, and do something else that could actually cause more problems that solutions is irritating me,” Hermione said.
“There’s nothing we can do! We came back to help Sirius. We’re not supposed to be doing anything else!”
“Well, we're also supposed to be saving Buckbeak as well,” Hermione corrected herself.
“All right!”
The moon slid out from behind its cloud. They saw the tiny figures across the grounds stop. Then they saw movement –
“Hermione!” said Harry suddenly. “We’ve got to move!”
“Oh, yes, you really do,” Cedric said, catching why Harry was saying that.
“We mustn’t, I keep telling you –“
“I really should either ask why you want us to move, rather than accuse you as I'm doing,” Hermione said.
“Considering that I keep trying to change things, it's not like you don't have a good reason not to accuse me,” Harry said.
“I have a feeling that I forgot where Professor Lupin ran after Sirius beat him back,” Hermione said.
“I won't argue with that,” Harry said.
“Not to interfere! But Lupin’s going to run into the Forest, right at us!'
Hermione gasped.
“Quick!” she moaned, dashing to untie Buckbeak. “Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The Dementors will be coming any moment –“
“You should probably make your way to the lake, then,” Cedric said. “I doubt that Lupin will follow you if you do.”
“Back to Hagrid’s!” Harry said. “It’s empty now – come on!”
“Or you can do that,” Cedric said.
They ran, fast as they could, Buckbeak cantering along behind them. They could hear the werewolf howling behind them …
“I think we waited a bit too long,” Harry said.
The cabin was in sight. Harry skidded to the door, wrenched it open and Hermione and Buckbeak flashed past him; Harry threw himself in after them and bolted the door. Fang the boarhound barked loudly.
“Oh, we forgot about Fang,” Hermione said.
“At least he can't talk,” Cedric mentioned.
“True,” Hermione said.
“Shh, Fang, it’s us!” said Hermione, hurrying over and scratching his ears to quieten him. “That was really close!” she said to Harry.
“Yeah ...”
“You guys shouldn't stay in there. After all, you kind of need to know what's going one out there,” Cedric said.
Harry was looking out of the window. It was much harder to see what was going on from here. Buckbeak seemed very happy to find himself back inside Hagrid’s house. He lay down in front of the fire, folded his wings contentedly and seemed ready for a good nap.
'I think I’d better go outside again, you know,” said Harry slowly. “I can’t see what’s going on – we won’t know when it’s time –“
Hermione looked up. Her expression was suspicious.
“Honestly, with his desires to interfere when he shouldn't, you can't really blame me for being suspicious,” Hermione said.
“I’m not going to try and interfere,” said Harry quickly. “But if we don’t see what’s going on, how’re we going to know when it’s time to rescue Sirius?”
“Well ... OK, then ... I’ll wait here with Buckbeak ... but Harry, be careful – there’s a werewolf out there – and the Dementors –“
“I wonder if the Dementors can actually affect you when there's too of you, or if they can only effect the present version of yourself,” Luna said.
Harry stepped outside again and edged around the cabin. He could hear yelping in the distance. That meant the Dementors were closing in on Sirius ... he and Hermione would be running to him any moment ...
Harry stared out towards the lake, his heart doing a kind of drum-roll in his chest. Whoever had sent that Patronus would be appearing at any moment.
“He's on his way,” Hermione said.
For a fraction of a second he stood, irresolute, in front of Hagrid’s door. You must not be seen. But he didn’t want to be seen. He wanted to do the seeing ... he had to know ...
And there were the Dementors. They were emerging out of the darkness from every direction, gliding around the edges of the lake ... they were moving away from where Harry stood, to the opposite bank ... he wouldn’t have to get near them …
“I guess they only affect the present version of you,” Luna said, noticing the lack of Harry's mother screaming that usually accompanied being around Dementors for Harry.
Harry began to run. He had no thought in his head except his father ... If it was him ... if it really was him ... he had to know, had to find out …
“It seems that you positive that it's him, to the point that you don't even bother thinking logically about it,” Hermione said, frowning at him.
The lake was coming nearer and nearer, but there was no sign of anybody. On the opposite bank, he could see tiny glimmers of silver – his own attempts at a Patronus –
There was a bush at the very edge of the water. Harry threw himself behind it, peering desperately through the leaves. On the opposite bank, the glimmers of silver were suddenly extinguished. A terrified excitement shot through him – any moment now –
“Come on!” he muttered, staring about. “Where are you? Dad, come on –“
“It's not him,” Cedric said.
But no one came. Harry raised his head to look at the circle of Dementors across the lake. One of them was lowering its hood. It was time for the rescuer to appear – but no one was coming to help this time –
And then it hit him –
“I'm getting it now,” Harry said.
he understood. He hadn’t seen his father – he had seen himself –
Harry flung himself out from behind the bush and pulled out his wand.
“EXPECTO PATRONUM!” he yelled.
And out of the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. He screwed up his eyes, trying to see what it was. It looked like a horse.
“So my Patronus is something that looks like a horse,” Harry said.
It was galloping silently away from him, across the black surface of the lake. He saw it lower its head and charge at the swarming Dementors ... now it was galloping around and around the black shapes on the ground, and the Dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness ... they were gone.
“You must be pretty powerful if you could cause that lot to leave,” Cedric said.
The Patronus turned. It was cantering back towards Harry across the still surface of the water. It wasn’t a horse. It wasn’t a unicorn, either. It was a stag. It was shining brightly as the moon above ... it was coming back to him ...
It stopped on the bank. Its hooves made no mark on the soft ground as it stared at Harry with its large, silver eyes. Slowly, it bowed its antlered head. And Harry realised ...
“Prongs,” he whispered.
“That's your father,” Hermione breathed. “Your father is your Patronus – or, rather, what his animagus was is.”
“So, in a way, you did see your father,” Cedric said.
But as his trembling fingertips stretched towards the creature, it vanished.
Harry stood there, hand still outstretched. Then, with a great leap of his heart, he heard hooves behind him – he whirled around and saw Hermione dashing towards him, dragging Buckbeak behind her.
“Uh-oh,” Hermione said, having a feeling that she knew what she was going to do. “I'm not going to be happy to learn that you did something, at least, not until you speak about it. And I'm probably not going to wait for you to say anything before accusing you, either.”
“I get the feeling that all your saw was him with his wand out, in full view where anyone could see him,” Cedric said. “Because, if you'd seen the Patronus, you probably would have realized what he was actually doing.”
“What did you do?” she said fiercely. “You said you were only going to keep a lookout!”
“And he was, until he realized that he had to interfere because he was meant to,” Luna said.
“I just saved all our lives ...” said Harry. “Get behind here – behind this bush – I’ll explain.”
Hermione listened to what had just happened with her mouth open yet again.
“Did anyone see you?”
“He did, but don't you get it? He confused himself with his father, so it's okay,” Luna said.
“Yes, haven’t you been listening? I saw me but I thought I was my dad! It’s OK!”
“Harry, I can’t believe it – you conjured up a Patronus that drove away all those Dementors! That’s very, very advanced magic ...”
“It has to make you wonder just how powerful he actually is,” Cedric said.
“I knew I could do it this time,” said Harry, “because I’d already done it ... Does that make sense?”
“Not really,” Hermione said.
“I don’t know – Harry, look at Snape!”
“And we are getting even closer to the time to save Sirius,” Harry said, looking beyond thrilled.
“Let's hope that nothing else happens, then,” Hermione said.
Together they peered around the bush at the other bank. Snape had regained consciousness. He was conjuring stretchers and lifting the limp forms of Harry, Hermione and Black onto them. A fourth stretcher, no doubt bearing Ron, was already floating at his side. Then, wand held out in front of him, he moved them away towards the castle.
“I would suggest that you be ready to go,” Cedric said.
“Right, it’s nearly time,” said Hermione tensely, looking at her watch. “We’ve got about forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. We’ve got to rescue Sirius and get back into the ward before anybody realises we’re missing ...”
“You probably, more likely literally, have to get there before you actually finish going back into time, so you'll have an alibi when it becomes known that Sirius is gone,” Luna said.
They waited, watching the moving clouds reflected in the lake, while the bush next to them whispered in the breeze. Buckbeak, bored, was ferreting for worms again.
“You should probably get going now, then, since it's probably about that time,” Cedric said.
“D’you reckon he’s up there yet?” said Harry, checking his watch. He looked up at the castle, and began counting the windows to the right of the West Tower.
“Look!” Hermione whispered. “Who’s that? Someone’s coming back out of the castle!”
“It's probably the executioner, which means that now is the time to go get Sirius,” Luna said.
Harry stared through the darkness. The man was hurrying across the grounds, towards one of the entrances. Something shiny glinted in his belt.
“Macnair!” said Harry. “The executioner! He’s gone to get the Dementors! This is it, Hermione –“
“It's time to go,” Harry said, looking excited.
Hermione put her hands on Buckbeak’s back and Harry gave her a leg up. Then he placed his foot on one of the lower branches of the bush and climbed up in front of her. He pulled Buckbeak’s rope back over his neck and tied it to the other side of his collar like reins.
“Ready?” he whispered to Hermione. “You’d better hold on to me –“
“That's probably a really good idea,” Cedric said.
“I'm not going to like that,” Hermione said. “I really don't like heights.”
He nudged Buckbeak’s sides with his heels.
Buckbeak soared straight into the dark air. Harry gripped his flanks with his knees, feeling the great wings rising powerfully beneath them. Hermione was holding Harry very tightly around the waist; he could hear her muttering, “Oh, no – I don’t like this – oh, I really don’t like this –“
“Sorry there really isn't a way for you not to have to ride with me,” Harry said.
“Well, I suppose I could have gone up to the castle and figured out how to either get where you'll get off after getting Black, or go to the hospital wing, but, for the former, I don't know where you'd go, and who knows how crowded the castle is at the moment, and, for the latter, you might end up missing the time you need to be back, or, for all I know, decide to run away with Sirius. I wouldn't blame if you did, but that would kind of defeat the purpose of rescuing him without someone realizing that you did,” Hermione said. “And worse, it would start a manhunt for the two of you, one that would make the one that already on Sirius look like nothing.”
Harry urged Buckbeak forwards. They were gliding quietly towards the upper floors of the castle ... Harry pulled hard on the left-hand side of the rope, and Buckbeak turned. Harry was trying to count the windows flashing past –
“Let's hope you don't pass by it,” Luna said.
“Whoa!” he said, pulling backwards as hard as he could.
Buckbeak slowed down and they found themselves at a stop, unless you counted the fact that they kept rising up and down several feet as he beat his wings to remain airborne.
“He’s there!” Harry said, spotting Sirius as they rose up beside the window. He reached out, and as Buckbeak’s wings fell, was able to tap sharply on the glass.
Black looked up. Harry saw his jaw drop.
“I think it's rather understandable that it would, considering the fact that it's not something you see everyday,” Hermione said.
He leapt from his chair, hurried to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked.
“I do have to wonder why they bother locking the door, but considering what we're about to do...” Harry said.
“Stand back!” Hermione called to him, and she took out her wand, still gripping the back of Harry’s robes with her left hand.
“Alohomora!”
The window sprang open.
“How – how –?” said Black weakly, staring at the Hippogriff.
“Now is not the time to be asking questions,” Hermione said.
“Get on – there’s not much time,” said Harry, gripping Buckbeak firmly on either side of his sleek neck to hold him steady. “You’ve got to get out of here – the Dementors are coming. Macnair’s gone to get them.”
Black placed a hand on either side of the window-frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. It was very lucky he was so thin. In seconds, he had managed to fling one leg over Buckbeak’s back, and pull himself onto the Hippogriff behind Hermione.
“That's probably not all that comfortable for the three of you,” Cedric said.
“Well, unless I've changed quite a bit by this time, the three of us are pretty thin. I mean, it just mentioned that Black is, and, while Harry grew a few inches, I get the feeling that he's still pretty thin as well,” Hermione said
“OK, Buckbeak, up!” said Harry, shaking the rope. “Up to the tower – come on!”
“That's probably the best idea, though you'll have a fun time getting back through the castle,” Cedric said, his tone sarcastic at the last part.
“Yeah,” Hermione said. “After all, this way we're less likely to end up running into someone that will most likely try to stop us.”
“And no one will notice it once they're in the sky as well,” Harry said.
“Well, they will if they look up,” Hermione corrected him. “But you are right, it's not likely they'll notice them.”
The Hippogriff gave one sweep of its mighty wings and they were soaring upwards again, high as the top of the West Tower. Buckbeak landed with a clatter on the battlements and Harry and Hermione slid off him at once.
“Sirius, you’d better go, quick,” Harry panted. “They’ll reach Flitwick’s office any moment, they’ll find out you’ve gone.”
“It kind of sucks that I can't get to know him better,” Harry said.
“He better write you,” Hermione growled. “It's the least he can do.”
Buckbeak pawed the ground, tossing his sharp head.
“What happened to the other boy? Ron?” said Sirius urgently.
“He'll probably be fine,” Hermione said. “Now go!”
“Sirius can't hear you, you know?” Luna said.
“I know, but he doesn't have time to be asking these questions right now,” Hermione said.
“He’s going to be OK – he’s still out of it, but Madam Pomfrey says she’ll be able to make him better. Quick – go!”
“Yes, go,” Harry said.
But Black was still staring down at Harry.
“How can I ever thank –“
“He really making us cut it close, isn't he?” Cedric said, while both Harry and Hermione – much like they were in the book, though they wouldn't ever really know it – had looks of 'what the hell, Sirius? Get going, now!' on their faces.
“GO!” Harry and Hermione shouted together.
Black wheeled Buckbeak around, facing the open sky.
“At least he's good at following shouted orders,” Harry muttered, shaking his head at that.
“We’ll see each other again,” he said. “You are – truly your father’s son, Harry ...”
“Harry smiled at that. Now, if I could just have someone compliment me on being like my mother's son, I'll truly be happy he thought, as, other than his eyes, most people seemed to think he was more like his father than her. He'd like to know that he had some of his mother's traits as well.
He squeezed Buckbeak’s sides with his heels. Harry and Hermione jumped back as the enormous wings rose once more ... the Hippogriff took off into the air ... he and his rider became smaller and smaller as Harry gazed after them ... then a cloud drifted across the moon ... they were gone.
“As Hermione said, he better write,” Harry said, smiling at knowing that his godfather would be safe. “Oh, and that's the end of the chapter.” He handed the book over to Hermione.