Haunted by her second year and now with a murderer on the loose, Gwenevere Everill finds herself facing more battles that she does not think she can win.
Tormented by dementors and struggling under the impact of her new studies, will Gwen be able t...
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'We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anyone seeing us,' Hermione said urgently, checking her watch.
Gwen went to follow her, but Harry stayed put, his gaze fixed on the now empty sky.
'Harry, come on,' Gwen urged, and, with a great effort, Harry turned and joined them.
The three of them slipped through the doorway behind them and down a tight spiralling staircase. As they reached the bottom of it, they heard voices. They flattened themselves against the wall and listened.
It was Fudge and Snape. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase.
'... only hope Dumbledore's not going to make any difficulties,' Snape was saying. 'The Kiss will be performed immediately?'
'As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors. The whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I am 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 Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved him...'
Beside Gwen, Harry's fists clenched. Gwen placed her hand over his. Snape and Fudge passed their hiding place, their footsteps dying away. Gwen, Harry and Hermione waited a few moments to make sure they'd really gone, then sprinted in the opposite direction. Down one staircase, along a new corridor--
Then they heard a cackling ahead.
'Peeves!' Gwen groaned. Harry grabbed both her and Hermione's wrists.
'In here,' he whispered.
They fell into a deserted classroom to their left just in time. Peeves seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in tearing spirits, laughing his head off.
'Oh, he's horrible,' Hermione breathed, her ear to the door. 'I bet he's all excited because the Dementors are going to finish 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-- in time?' Gwen panted.
'I don't want to think about it!' Hermione huffed, checking her watch again. 'One minute!'
They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance.
'OK, I can hear Dumbledore,' said Hermione tensely. 'Come on!'
They crept along the corridor. The door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared.
'I am going to lock you in,' he was saying. 'It is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck.'
Dumbeldore backed out of the room, closed the door and took out his wand to magically lock it. Panicking, Gwen, Harry and Hermione ran forwards. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under his long silver moustache.
