𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐏𝐎𝐀 𝟏𝟖

"Shocking business... shocking... miracle none of them died... never heard the like... by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape..."

"Thank you, Minister."

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!"

"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."

"Nasty cut you've got there... Sirius Black's work, I suppose? Or maybe his son, Eric Lupin-Black?"

"As a matter of fact, it was the Lupin-Black girl, Potter, Weasley, and Granger, Minister..."

"No!"

"Sirius Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility they were innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted The father and son to escape... They obviously thought they were going to catch Black and his son single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now... I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves... and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster-"

"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? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. 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 two murderers, and I have reason to believe he and Emily Lupin-Black have been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too-"

"Well, well... we shall see, Snape, we shall see... The boy has undoubtedly been foolish... I've always knew that Emily gril was dangerous, born with those extra powers, some say it's a blessing, I say it's a curse, she will use it against us one day, mark my words."

Emily lay listening with her eyes tight shut. She felt very groggy. The words she was hearing seemed to be traveling very slowly from her ears to her brain, so that it was difficult to understand...

Her limbs felt like lead; her eyelids too heavy to lift... She wanted to lie here, on this comfortable bed, forever...

"What amazes me most is the behavior 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..."

"Extraordinary. And yet Sirius Black, Ethan Lupin-Black, Emily, and Harry-"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black and his son, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."

There was a pause. Emily's brain seemed to be moving a little faster, and as it did, a gnawing sensation grew in the pit of her stomach...

She opened her eyes.

She was lying in the dark hospital wing.

At the very end of the ward, she could see Madam Pomfrey with her back to her, bending over a bed. Ron's red hair was visible beneath Madam Pomfrey's arm.

Harry moved her head over on the pillow. In the bed to her right lay Harry. Moonlight was falling across his bed. His eyes were open too.

He looked petrified, and when he saw that Emily was awake, pressed a finger to his lips, then pointed to the hospital wing door.