"Harry!"
Hermione 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 -"
"OK," 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 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 ..."
Antheia rolled her eyes. She caught a glimpse of Snape's smirk as he and Fudge passed Harry, Antheia, and Hermione's hiding place. Their footsteps died away. Harry, Antheia, and Hermione 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. "In here!"
They tore 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," whispered Hermione, 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.
"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!" Antheia muttered, checking a nearby clock. "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," they heard him saying. "It is five minutes to midnight. 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, Antheia, and Hermione ran forwards. 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.
"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, Antheia, and Hermione slipped back inside the dormitory. It was empty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed. As the lock clicked behind them, they crept back to their own beds, Antheia tucking the Time-Turner back under her robes. Next moment, Madam Pomfrey had come striding back out of her office.
"Did I hear the Headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"
He was in a very bad mood. Antheia realized it was best to accept her chocolate quietly. Madam Pomfrey stood over her, Harry, and Hermione, making sure they ate it. But they could hardly swallow. Harry, Antheia, and Hermione were waiting, listening, 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 everyone up! What do they think they're doing?"
Harry was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing 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.
Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. 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, Antheia, and Hermione. His face was twisted, spit was flying from his mouth.
"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT!" He then rounded on Antheia who was stifling a smile. "I BET SHE DID IT TOO - SHE'S THE DAUGHTER OF A WEREWOLF -"
"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've been with them ever since you left!"
"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry, Antheia, and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."
Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behaviour, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward.
"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him, if I were you, Dumbledore."
"Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment.
"He's not the only one!" puffed Fudge. "The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story of that Hipppgriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughing stock! Well ... I'd better go and notify the Ministry ..."
"And the Dementors?" said Dumbledore. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"
"Oh, yes, they'll have to go," said Fudge, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on innocent children ... completely out of control ... No, I'll have them packed off to Azkaban tonight. Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance ...."
"Hagrid would like that," said Dumbledore, with a swift smile at Harry, Antheia, and Hermione. As he and Fudge left the dormitory. Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.
There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Ron had woken up. They could see him sitting up, rubbing his head, looking around.
"What - what happened?" he groaned. "Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"
Harry, Antheia, and Hermione glanced at each other.
"You explain," said Harry, helping himself to more chocolate as Hermione and Antheia sighed and started talking.
─ ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─
When Harry, Antheia, Ron, and Hermione left the hospital wing at noon next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle. The sweltering heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade visit. None of them felt like going, however, so they wandered into the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now. Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water, Harry lost the thread of the conversation as he looked across to the opposite bank. The stag had galloped towards him from there just last night ...
A shadow fell across them and they looked up to see a very bleary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at them.
"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night," he said. "I mean, Black escapin' again, an' everythin' - but guess what?"
"What?" they said, pretending to look curious.
"Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin' celebratin' all night!"
"That's wonderful!" said Hermione, giving Ron a reproving look because he looked as though he was close to laughing.
"Yeah .... can't've tied him up properly," said Hagrid, gazing happily out over the grounds. "I was worried this mornin' mind ... thought he mighta met Professor Lupin in the grounds, but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night ..."
"What do you mean?" said Antheia quickly.
"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. "Er - Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin' ... thought everyone'd know by now ... Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose in the grounds las' night. He's packin' now, o' course."
"He's packing?" said Antheia, shocked. "Why?"
"Leavin', isn' he?" said Hagrid, looking surprised that Antheia had to ask. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happenin' again."
Harry and Antheia scrambled to their feet.
"I'm going to see him," Harry said. "But if's he's resigned -"
"doesn't sound like there's anything we can do -"
"I don't care, I still want to see him. I'll meet you back here."
─ ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─
Lupin's office door was open. He had already packed most of his things. The Grindylow's empty tank stood next to his battered old suitcase, which was open and nearly full. Lupin was bending over something on his desk, and only looked up when Harry knocked on the door.
"I saw you coming," said Lupin, smiling. He pointed to the parchment he had been poring over, It was the Marauder's Map.
"You're not actually resigning, are you?" said Antheia.
"I'm afraid I am," said Lupin. He started opening his desk drawers and taking out the contents.
"Why?" said Harry. "The Ministry of Magic doesn't think you were helping Sirius, do they?"
Lupin crossed the door and closed it behind Harry and Antheia.
"No. Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives." He sighed. "That was the final straw or Severus. I think the loss of the Order of Merlin hit him hard. So he - er - accidentally let slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast."
"You're not leaving just because of that!" said Harry.
Lupin smiled wryly.
"This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents - they will not want a werewolf teaching their children, Harry. And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you ... that must never happen again."
"You're the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" cried Antheia. "And I like having lunch with you on the weekends; don't go!"
Lupin shook his head and didn't speak. He carried on emptying his drawers. Then, while Harry and Antheia were trying to think of a good argument to make him stay, Lupin said, "From what the Headmaster told me this morning, you two saved a lot of lives last night. Tell me about your Patronuses."
"How d'you know about that?" said Harry, distracted.
"What else could have driven the Dementors back?"
Harry and Antheia told Lupin what had happened. When they'd finished, Lupin was smiling again.
"Yes, Harry, your father was always a stag when he transformed," he said. "You guessed right ... that's why we called him Prongs."
"Here - I brought this from the Shrieking Shack last night," he said, handing Harry back the Invisibility Cloak. "And ..." he hesitated, then held out the Marauder's Map, too. "I am no longer your teacher so I don't feel guilty about giving you this back as well. It's no use to me, and I daresay you two, Ron, and Hermione will find uses for it."
Harry took the map and grinned.
"You told me Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs would've wanted to lure me out of school ... you said they'd have thought it was funny," Harry said.
"And so we would have done," said Lupin, now reaching down to close his case. "I have no hesitation in saying that James would have been highly disappointed if his son had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle."
There was a knock on the door. Harry hastily stuffed the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak into his pocket.
It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn't look surprised to see Harry and Antheia there.
"Your carriage is at the gates, Remus," he said.
"Thank you, Headmaster."
Lupin picked up his old suitcase and the empty Grindylow tank.
"Well - goodbye, Harry," he said, smiling. "It has been a real pleasure teaching you. I feel sure we'll meet again some time. Antheia, I'll see you at the train station. Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage ..."
Antheia had the impression that her father wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
"Goodbye, then, Remus," said Dumbledore soberly. Lupin shifted the Grindylow tank slightly so that he and Dumbledore could shake hands. Then, with a final nod and a swift smile, Lupin left the office. Antheia, seeing the way Dumbledore was eyeing Harry, left the office with her father.
─ ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─
Nobody at Hogwarts knew the truth of what had happened the night that Sirius, Buckbeak, and Pettigrew had vanished except Harry, Ron, Antheia, Hermione, and Professor Dumbledore. As the end of term approached, Harry had heard many different theories about what had really happened, but none of them came close to the truth.
Malfoy was furious about Buckbeak. He was convinced that Hagrid had found a way of smuggling the Hippogriff to safety, and seemed outraged that he and his father had been outwitted by a gamekeeper. Percy Weasley, meanwhile, had much to say on the subject of Sirius' escape.
"If I manage to get into the Ministry, I'll have a lot of proposals to make about Magical Law Enforcement!" he told the only person who would listen - his girlfriend, Penelope.
Though the weather was perfect, though the atmosphere was so cheerful, though he knew they had achieved the near-impossible in helping Sirius to freedom, Harry had never approached the end of a school year in worse spirits.
He certainly wasn't the only one who was sorry to see Professor Lupin go. The whole of Harry's Defence Against the Dark Arts class were miserable about his resignation. Antheia had been stormed with questions she couldn't answer.
"Wonder what they'll give us next year?" said Seamus Finnigan gloomily.
"Maybe a vampire," suggested Dean Thomas hopefully.
It wasn't only Professor Lupin's departure that was weighing on Harry's mind. He couldn't help thinking a lot about Professor Trelawney's prediction. He kept wondering where Pettigrew was now, whether he had sought sanctuary with Voldemort yet. But the thing that was lowering Harry's spirits most of all was the prospect of returning to the Dursleys. For maybe half an hour, a glorious half hour, he had believed he would be living with Sirius from now on ... his parents' best friend .... It would have been the next best thing to having his own father back, And while no news of Sirius was definitely good news, because it meant he had successfully gone into hiding, Harry couldn't help feeling miserable when he thought of the home he might have had, and the fact that it was now impossible.
The exam results came out on the last day of term. Harry, Antheia, Ron, and Hermione had passed every subject. Harry was amazed that he had got through Potions. He had a shrewd suspicion that Dumbledore had stepped in to stop Snape failing him on purpose. Snape's behaviour towards Harry over the past week had been quite alarming. Harry wouldn't have thought it possible that Snape's dislike for him could increase, but it certainly had done. A muscle twitched unpleasantly at the corner of Snape's thin mouth every time he looked at Harry, and he was constantly flexing his fingers, as though itching to place them around Harry's throat.
Percy had got his top-grade N.E.W.Ts; Fred and George had scraped a handful of O.W.Ls each. Gryffindor house, meanwhile, largely thanks to their spectacular performance in the Quidditch Cup, had won the House Championship for the third year running. This meant that the end-of-term feast took place amid decorations of scarlet and gold and that the Gryffindor table was the noisiest of the lot, as everybody celebrated. Even Harry managed to forget about the journey back to the Dursleys next day as he ate, drank, talked, and laughed with the rest.
─ ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─
As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station next morning, Hermione and Antheia gave Harry and Ron some surprising news.
"We went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast," Antheia said. "I've decided to drop Ancient Runes. Hermione's dropped Muggle Studies."
"But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" said Ron.
"I know," sighed Hermione, "but I can't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. We've handed them in."
"Without Ancient Runes and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again," Antheia finished.
"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about it," said Ron grumpily. "We're supposed to be your friends."
"We promised we wouldn't tell anyone," said Hermione severely. She looked around at Harry, who was watching Hogwarts disappear from view behind a mountain. Two whole months before he'd see it again ...
"Oh, cheer up, Harry!" said Hermione sadly.
"I'm OK," said Harry quickly. "Just thinking about the holidays."
"Yeah, I've been thinking about them, too," said Ron. "Harry, you've got to come and stay with us. I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now -"
"A telephone, Ron," said Hermione. "Honestly, you should take Muggle Studies next year ..."
Ron ignored her.
"It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work."
This proposal had the effect of cheering Harry up a great deal.
"Yeah .... I bet the Dursleys'd be pleased to let me come ... especially after what I did to Aunt Marge ..."
Feeling considerably more cheerful, Harry joined Ron, Antheia, and Hermione in several games of Exploding Snap, and when the witch with the tea trolley arrived, he bought himself a very large lunch, though nothing with chocolate in it.
But it was late in the afternoon before the thing that made him truly happy turned up ...
"Harry," said Antheia suddenly, peering over his shoulder. "What's that thing outside your window?"
Harry looked outside. Something very small and grey was bobbing in and out of sight beyond the glass, He stood up for a better look and saw that it was a tiny owl, carrying a letter which was much too big for it. The owl was so small, in fact, that it kept tumbling over in the air, buffeted this way and that in the train's slipstream. Harry quickly pulled down the window, stretched out his arm and caught it It felt like a very fluffy Snitch. He brought it carefully inside. The owl dropped its letter onto Harry's seat and began zooming around their compartment, apparently very pleased with itself for accomplishing its task. Hedwig clicked her beak with a sort of dignified disapproval. Aura slept on in her cage obliviously. Crookshanks sat up in his seat, following the owl with his great yellow eyes. Ron, noticing this, snatched the owl safely out of harm's way.
Harry picked up the letter. It was addressed to him. He ripped open the letter and shouted, "It's from Sirius!"
"What?" said Ron, Antheia, and Hermione excitedly. "Read it aloud!
Dear Harry,
I hope this finds you before you
reach your aunt and uncle. I don't
know whether they're used to owl post.
Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I
won't tell you where, in case this falls
into the wrong hands. I have some
doubt about the owl's reliability, but he
is the best I could find, and he did seem
eager for the job.
I believe the Dementors are still
searching for me, but they haven't a
hope of finding me here. I am planning
to allow some Muggles to glimpse me
soon a long way from Hogwarts, so
that the security on the castle will be lifted.
There is something I never got
round to telling you during our brief
meeting, it was I who sent you the
Firebolt -
"Ha!" said Hermione triumphantly. "See! I told you it was from him!"
"Yes, but he hadn't jinxed it, had he?" said Ron. "Ouch!"
The tiny owl, now hooting happily in his hand, had nibbled one of his fingers in what it seemed to think was an affectionate way.
Crookshanks took the order to the Owl
Office for me. I used your name but
told them to take the gold from
Gringotts vault number seven hundred
and eleven - my own. Please consider
it as thirteen birthdays' worth of
presents from your godfather.
I would also like to apologize for the
fright I think I gave you, that night last
year when you left your uncle's house.
I had only hoped to get a glimpse of
you before starting my journey north,
but I think the sight of me alarmed
you.
I am enclosing something else for
you, which I think will make your next
year at Hogwarts more enjoyable.
If ever you need me, send word.
Your owl will find me.
I'll write again soon.
Sirius.
Harry looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of parchment in there. He read it through quickly and felt suddenly as warm and contented as though he'd swallowed a bottle of hot Butterbeer in one go.
I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's
godfather, hereby give him permission
to visit Hogsmeade at weekends.
"That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!" said Harry happily. He looked back at Sirus' letter.
"Hang on, there's a PS ..."
I thought your friend Ron might like
to keep this owl, as it's my fault
he no longer has a rat.
Ron's eyes widened. The minute owl was still hooting excitedly.
"Keep him?" he said uncertainly. He looked closely at the owl for a moment, then, to Harry, Antheia, and Hermione's great surprise, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff.
"What d'you reckon?" Ron asked the cat. "Definitely an owl?"
Crookshanks purred.
"That's good enough for me," said Ron happily. "He's mine."
Harry read and reread the letter from Sirius all the way back into the King's Cross station. It was still clutched tightly in his hand as he, Ron, Antheia, and Hermione stepped back through the barrier of platform nine and three-quarters. Harry spotted Uncle Vernon at once. He was standing a good distance from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, eyeing them suspiciously, and when Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry in greeting his worst suspicion came seemed confirmed.
"I'll call about the Quidditch World Cup!" Ron yelled after Harry, as Harry bid him, Antheia, and Hermione goodbye, then wheeled the trolley bearing his trunk and Hedwig's cage towards Uncle Vernon.
Antheia wheeled around and received a tight hug from Mrs. Weasley, a promise to an invite to the Quidditch World Cup from Ron, a wave from Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys, then headed off to her father with her owl hooting softly.
─ ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─
- end of third year -
- third year estimated word count: 88,299 -
a/n: I can't believe third year is already over- Anyway, I'm really excited for fourth year! Remember to vote and comment okay I love you all <3