The Other Potter Book Three.

Chapter Thirty Four

"Harry! Willow!" 

Hermione was tugging at my sleeve, staring at her watch. "We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us -- before Dumbledore locks the door --" 

"Okay," said Harry, wrenching his gaze from the sky, "let's go...." 

We slipped through the doorway behind us and down a tightly spiralling stone staircase. As we reached the bottom of it, we heard voices. We flattened ourselves against the wall and listened. It sounded like Fudge and Snape. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase. 

"... Only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," Snape was saying. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"

"As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet that we've got him at last.... I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape... and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved him...." 

I saw Harry clench his teeth. I caught a glimpse of Snape's smirk as he and Fudge passed our hiding place. Their footsteps died away. The three of us waited a few moments to make sure they'd really gone, then started to run in the opposite direction. Down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor -- then we heard a cackling ahead. 

"Peeves!" Harry muttered, grabbing Hermione's wrist. "In here!" 

We tore into a deserted classroom to our left just in time. Peeves seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in boisterous good spirits, laughing his head off. 

"Oh, he's horrible," whispered Hermione, her ear to the door. "I bet he's all excited because the Dementors are going to finish off Sirius...." She checked her watch. "Three minutes!" 

We waited until Peeves's gloating voice had faded into the distance, then slid back out of the room and broke into a run again. 

"Hermione -- what'll happen -- if we don't get back inside before Dumbledore locks the door?" I panted. 

"I don't want to think about it!" Hermione moaned, checking her watch again. "One minute!" 

We had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance. "Okay -- I can hear Dumbledore," said Hermione tensely. "Come on!”

We crept along the corridor. The door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared. 

"I am going to lock you in," I heard him saying. "it is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck." 

Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door, and took out his wand to magically lock it. Panicking, we ran forward. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under the long silver moustache. "Well?" he said quietly. 

"We did it!" said Harry breathlessly. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak...." 

Dumbledore beamed at us.

"Well done. I think --" He listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you've gone too -- get inside -- I'll lock you in --" 

We slipped back inside the dormitory. It was empty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed. As the lock clicked behind us, we crept back to our own beds, Hermione tucking the Time-Turner back under her robes. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office. 

"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?" 

She was in a very bad mood. We thought it best to accept our chocolate quietly. Madam Pomfrey stood over us, making sure we ate it. But I could hardly swallow. Far out, I could hardly breathe. Too. Much. Running. I was trying to subtly wipe the sweat off of my face, whilst catch my breath so I wouldn’t look suspicious.