TRUST ME, harry potter

FIFTY-THREE - THE TIME TURNER!

CASSIE LISTENED TO EVERY WORD DUMBLEDORE was saying. Her bottom lip was in between her teeth as she began biting at the skin.

"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."

"Professor Lupin can tell you —" Harry started.

"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 —"

"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."

"He hates Sirius," Hermione said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him —"

"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady — entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife — without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's 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 of Magic..."

Cassie thought to herself, her fists clenching and unclenching. "What if — What if I let them see my memories — The ones from Halloween where Sirius was with Callie and I when the Potter's died, and when Peter tried to kill Sirius but failed because of me."

"What do you mean failed because of you?" Harry asked, eyebrows furrowing as he thought over Cassie's words. How did she even remember all of that?

"Well," Cassie said, "Basically —"

Dumbledore interrupted, giving Cassie a stern look. Now was not the time for her to tell them everything — She could afterwards, though. "I am afraid, Miss Smith, that they will do anything to not believe the truth." He said, "They will suggest that Sirius put a fake memory into your head whilst you were in the shrieking shack."

Cassie frowned.

"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved from Harry, to Cassie, to Hermione, "is more time."

"But —" Hermione began. Cassie cleared her throat, gesturing to the necklace around her neck. And then Hermione's eyes became very round. "OH!"

"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. "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 remember this, the three of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law — you know what is at stake... You — must — not — be — seen."

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. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"

Cassie smirked as Hermione fumbled with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.

"Harry, Cassie come here," she said urgently. "Quick!"

They moved toward her, Harry was completely bewildered. "Here —" Hermione said, throwing the chain around their necks too. "Ready?"

"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost.

"You'll see," Cassie said as Hermione turned the hourglass over three times.

Cassie had the sensation that she was flying very fast, backward. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past her and her ears were pounding.

When their feet touched the solid ground, their eyes came back into focus.

They were in the deserted entrance hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors.

"Hermione, what —?"

"In here!" Hermione cut Harry off, seizing both his and Cassie's arm and dragging them across the hall to the door of a broom closet; she opened it, pushed them inside among the buckets and mops, then slammed the door behind them.

"What — how — Hermione, what happened?"

"We've gone back in time," Hermione whispered, lifting the chain off Harry's and Cassie's neck in the darkness. "Three hours back..."

"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!"

"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..."

She broke off, still listening intently.

"We've gone down the front steps..."

Hermione sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperately anxious. Cassie felt Harry grab her hand.

"Where did you get that hourglass thing?" Harry asked her.

"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. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies... 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... Guys, 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?"

"There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change," Harry said slowly. "What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago..."

"This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid's," said Hermione. "We just heard ourselves leaving...."

Harry frowned, and Cassie sighed. "Am I the only one with a working brain — Sorry, 'Mione. Y'know, the hat was contemplating whether or not I was a Ravenclaw or Gryffindor." Seeing their confused looks, she smiled, "I asked to be Hufflepuff."

There was silence as Hermione and Harry glanced at each other. "Y'know, like my mum?" Cassie continued, before sighing. "Anyway — Dumbledore said about saving more than one innocent life. It's obvious what we have to do — We need to save Buckbeak."

A/N: Cassie is the only one with a working brain currently. She is not like me in the smarts area; I'm kind of stupid, and I'm incredibly gullible.
QOTD: how are you guys feeling today?