𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐏𝐎𝐀 𝟏𝟗

"Harry!"

Emily was tugging at his 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..."

They slipped through the doorway behind them and down a tightly spiraling stone staircase. As they reached the bottom of it, they heard voices. They flattened themselves 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 and his son 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 and Emily's back in their right mind, I expect they'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved them..."

Harry clenched his teeth. He caught a glimpse of Snape's smirk as he and Fudge passed Harry and Emily's hiding place.

Their footsteps died away.

Harry and Emily 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 they heard a cackling ahead.

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

They tore into a deserted classroom to their 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 Emily, her ear to the door. "I bet he's all excited because the Dementors are going to finish off my dad and brother..." She checked her watch. "Three minutes, Harry!"

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

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

"I don't want to think about it!" Emily moaned, checking her watch again. "One minute!" They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance. "Okay, I can hear Dumbledore," said Emily tensely. "Come on, Harry!"

They crept along the corridor. The door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared.
"I am going to lock you in," they heard him saying. "it is five minutes to midnight. Miss Lupin-Black, 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, Harry and Emily ran forward.

Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under the long silver mustache. "Well?" he said quietly.
"We did it!" said Harry breathlessly. "Sirius and Eric have gone, on Buckbeak..." Dumbledore beamed at them.

"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."

Harry and Emily slipped back inside the dormitory. It was empty except for Hermione, Ethan and Ron, who were still lying motionless in the end bed.

As the lock clicked behind them, Harry and Emily crept back to their own beds, Emily tucked the Time-Turner back under Hermione's robes.

A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office.