TRUST ME, harry potter

FIFTY-NINE - TWO PLACES AT ONCE!

CASSIE AND HARRY WERE TOO BUSY smiling at each other to notice Hermione checking 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, moving his gaze away from Cassie, "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 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..."

Cassie felt Harry's grip tighten on her hand as they caught a glimpse of Snape's smirk as he and Fudge passed their hiding place. After their footsteps died away, they waited a few moments to make sure they'd really gone, then started to run in the opposite direction. Even with all of this running, Cassie and Harry didn't drop their hands. Down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor — then they heard a cackling ahead.

"Peeves!" Harry muttered. "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 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!"

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.

"Hermione — 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!" Hermione 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 Hermione tensely. "Come on, guys!"

They crept along the corridor.  Harry's and Cassie's hands still locked together. Dumbledore's back appeared.

"I am going to lock you in," they 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, the trio 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 has gone, on Buckbeak..."

Dumbledore beamed at them, and then his eyes went to Cassie. "Figure anything out on this adventure?" He wondered.

Cassie glanced at Harry and Hermione, "I think so, I don't know for definite, though." She told him, and the look on Dumbledore's face told her all she needed to know. "I am their guardian angel, too, aren't I?"

"It appears so, Miss Smith. 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 —"

They slipped back into the hospital wing. It was empty except for Ron, Callie and Aurora — they were still lying motionless in their beds.

As the lock clicked behind them, Harry, Cassie and Hermione crept back to their own beds, Hermione tucking the Time-Turner back under her robes.

Cassie turned on her side, looking over at Harry. There was something about him that made Cassie feel safe, feel loved... The more she stared, the more her heart pounded.

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 asked rhetorically. She was in a very bad mood. They thought it was best to eat their chocolate quietly.

Madam Pomfrey stood over them, making sure they ate it. They struggled to eat, as they were waiting and listening with their nerves jangling.... And then, as they all took a fourth piece of chocolate from Madam Pomfrey, they heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them....

"What was that?" said Madam Pomfrey in alarm.

Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door.

"Really — they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

The voices were drawing nearer and nearer.

"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out —"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS — HAS — SOMETHING — TO — DO — WITH — POTTER!"

"Severus — be reasonable — Harry has been locked up —"

BAM.

The door of the hospital wing burst open. Cassie shared an amused glance with Harry.

Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself — he had the same look on his face that Cassie had on hers — one of pure joy. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.

"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"

"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw —"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry, Cassie and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.

Cassie grimaced in disgust.

"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT —"

"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!"

Harry sneakily passed a piece of chocolate to Cassie to keep her mouth shut. He could see she was close to bursting into giggles any second.

"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry, Cassie and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

A/N: oh slay