A Memorable Tale

32 | We Need More Time

"Let us return to the castle, shall we?"

•••

"Professor, you know that he's innocent!"

"You can't let a grudge cloud you from the truth!"

Hermione and I pleaded with Snape while Harry and Ron were resting. Alas, he got to Fudge first and made him convinced that we were under the Confundus Charm.

Does that blithering idiot even know how that charm works?

"He's knocked out, we're all in the right mind!" I insisted as we chased after Fudge across the hospital wing. "Sirius is innocent, it was Peter Pettigrew!"

Madam Pomfrey scolded the two and shooed them out of the hospital wing. I threw my hands in the air in annoyance and plopped down on my bed beside Hermione.

"What do we do?" she questioned hopelessly.

"At this point? Cross our fingers for an intellectual."

As if I had summoned him, Dumbledore opened the doors to the hospital wing. "For heaven's sake!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. "Is this a hospital wing or not?!"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I really must speak to Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Miss Griffin. I have just been talking to Sirius Black-"

"I assume he told the same wild tale as these three?" Snape spat.

"Yes, indeed he did."

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" he snarled. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."

Dumbledore glanced at me. "Perhaps this matter was this year's topic of investigation?"

I nodded slowly.

"Do you happen to have the notebook you normally keep notes in within your bag?"

I groaned and slapped my forehead. "I emptied it earlier."

"Convenient," Snape said.

"And your excuse for not knowing that Peter was there is because you were knocked out? Convenient!"

"Hold your tongue."

"Cornelius, Severus, Poppy," Dumbledore interrupted. "I would like to talk to these three alone. If you may, could you please leave."

Although quite hysterical about it, Madam Pomfrey followed Snape and Fudge out of the hospital wing, leaving the four of us to talk.

Hermione and Harry immediately began spilling out everything that had happen in poor precession. Dumbledore raised his hand and the two went silent.

"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time. There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word, and the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."

Eye-witness testimony, evidence from one of the greatest wizards to ever exist - only Sherlock himself could overturn that.

"What about Veritaserum?" I asked.

"Snape, sadly, seems to be in no mood to allow us into his inventory. Especially not to prove his old enemy wrong. What we do need," he turned to Hermione. "is more time."

Then he turned to me. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh
floor. You know where that is?"

"Yes sir."