"One wrong move, Peter," said Remus threateningly ahead. His wand was still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest.
Going through the tunnel, I saw a true smile break upon my father's face as Harry agreed to coming live with him. Not wanting to spoil the moment, I didn't mention the fact that Dumbledore strictly wants Harry to continue living with the Dursleys.
Now, silently we tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger. Snape was still drifting weirdly ahead, his chin bumping on his chest. And then-
A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Our party was bathed in moonlight.
Snape collided with Remus, Pettigrew, and Ron, who had stopped abruptly. Sirius froze. I tensed up realising what was happening. The convicted escapee flung out one arm to make Harry, Hermione and myself stop. I saw Remus' silhouette. He had gone rigid. Then his limbs began to shake.
"Oh, my- " Hermione gasped.
"Remus didn't take his potion tonight!" I exclaimed.
"Run," Sirius whispered.
"What?" I said.
"Run. Now."
Harry leapt forward to free Ron from Pettigrew and Remus but Sirius caught him around the chest and threw him back.
"Leave it to me - RUN!"
There was a terrible snarling noise. Remus' head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks's hair was on end again; he was backing away-
As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Harry's side. He had transformed. The enormous, bearlike dog bounded forward. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backward, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other.
I stood, transfixed by the sight, too intent upon the battle to notice anything else. It was Hermione's scream that alerted me-
Pettigrew had dived for Remus' dropped wand. Ron, unsteady on his bandaged leg, fell. There was a bang, a burst of light - and Ron lay motionless on the ground. Another bang - Crookshanks flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap.
Oh no you don't!
"Expelliarmus!" Harry and I yelled, pointing our own wands at Pettigrew; Remus' wand flew high into the air and out of sight.
"Stay where you are!" Harry shouted, running forward.
Too late.
Pettigrew had transformed. I saw his bald tail whip through the manacle on Ron's outstretched arm and heard a scurrying through the grass.
There was a howl and a rumbling growl; I turned to see the werewolf taking flight; it was galloping into the forest —
"Sirius, he's gone, Pettigrew transformed!" Harry yelled.
Padfoot was bleeding; There were gashes across his muzzle and back, but at Harry's words he scrambled up again, and in an instant, the sound of his paws faded to silence as he pounded away across the grounds.
Harry, Hermione and I dashed over to Ron.
"What did he do to him?" Hermione whispered. Ron's eyes were only half-closed, his mouth hung open; he was definitely alive, they could hear him breathing, but he didn't seem to recognize them.
"I don't know..."
I looked desperately around. Padfoot and Moony were both gone... we had no one but Snape for company, still hanging, unconscious, in midair.
"We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone," said Harry, pushing his hair out of his eyes, trying to think straight. "Come-"
But then, from beyond the range of our vision, we heard a yelping, a whining: a dog in pain...
Dad.
"Sirius," Harry muttered, staring into the darkness.
We set off at a run, Hermione right behind us. The yelping seemed to be coming from the ground near the edge of the lake. We pelted toward it, and we, running flat out, felt the cold without realizing what it must mean-
The yelping stopped abruptly.As we reached the lakeshore, we saw why- Sirius had turned back into a man. He was crouched on all fours, his hands over his head.
"Nooo," he moaned. "Nooo... please..."
And then I saw them, making me gasp loudly. Dementors, at least a hundred of them, gliding in a black mass around the lake toward us. I spun around, the familiar, icy cold penetrating his insides, fog starting to obscure my vision; more were appearing out of the darkness on every side;
They were encircling us...
"Hermione, Rubi, think of something happy!" Harry yelled, raising his wand, blinking furiously.
I'm going to live with my Dad. We're going to be a proper family...
I forced himself to think of my father, and only my Dad, and began to chant: "Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!"
My father gave a shudder, rolled over, and lay motionless on the ground, pale as death.
He'll be alright. He'll be living with us.
"Expecto patronum! Hermione, help us! Expecto patronum!"
"Expecto- " Hermione whispered, "expecto - expecto- "
But she couldn't do it. The dementors were closing in, barely ten feet from them. They formed a solid wall around Harry, Hermione and I, and were getting closer...
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry yelled.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" I yelled.
A thin wisp of silver escaped my wand and hovered like mist before me. At the same moment, I felt Hermione collapse next to me. It was just the two of us now.
"Expecto - expecto patronum- "
Harry fell onto his knees, hitting the cold grass. Fog was clouding my eyes. With a huge effort, I fought to remember - my Dad was innocent - innocent - We'll be okay - I'm going to live with him-
"Expecto patronum!" I gasped.
By the feeble light of my formless Patronus, I saw a dementor halt, very close to me. It couldn't walk through the cloud of silver mist I had conjured. A dead, slimy hand slid out from under the cloak. It made a gesture as though to sweep the Patronus aside.
"No - no- " Harry gasped.
"He's innocent... expecto, expecto patronum- " I begged the Dementor to listen to reason. I could feel them watching us, hear their rattling breath like an evil wind around him. The nearest dementor seemed to be considering us. Then it raised both its rotting hands — and lowered its hood.
Where there should have been eyes, there was only thin, gray scabbed skin, stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth... a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.
A paralyzing terror filled me so that I couldn't move or speak. Our Patronus' flick-ered and died. White fog had completely taken over and I felt myself hit the solid ground, losing myself to the darkness. Right before I lost consciousness, a bright light emitted somewhere, but before I could register what was happening, I was gone.
***
"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist." When I finally woke up, I found myself in the Hospital Wing, with Snape and Fudge discussing getting the latter an Order of Merlin, for having "saved" us and captured the "criminal." Harry and I began arguing back, trying to make the two men understand the innocence of my father. Madam Pomfrey kept trying to put us back in bed, but now Dumbledore had arrived, ordering everyone else to leave.
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.
"The Dementors should have arrived by now," he said, those words making my stomach twist. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs." He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved.
"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story? " Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.
"I wish to speak to Harry, Hermione and Rubina alone," Dumbledore repeated. Snape took a step towards Dumbledore,
"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"
"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them and Dumbledore then turned towards us. We all burst into speech at the same time.
"Professor, Black's telling the truth – we saw Pettigrew–"
"– he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf –"
"– he's a rat–"
"– Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off –"
"– Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't my Dad–"
But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations. "It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly, making my heart sink lower. "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 eye-witnesses 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 said.
"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 and Rubina. 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' sentence."
"But you believe us." Harry croaked out.
"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister for Magic..."
I stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath me was falling sharply away. I felt myself drop onto the bed. I had expected Dumbledore to pull some amazing solution out of the air.
But no... our last hope was gone.
I buried my face in my hands, releasing the tears threatening to drop from my eyes.
I'm going to lose my Dad... again, and this time for good.
I pulled at my hair.
"What we need, said Dumbledore slowly, "is more time."
"But-" Hermione began, "OH!" Hermione's voice made me look up, lighting up a new hope in my heart.
"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, all of you. You must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law – you know what is at stake... you – must – not – be – seen."
I had no clue what had just happened as I watched Dumbledore had turned on his heel and look 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? What!" I repeated, as the door closed behind Dumbledore.
"Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?" Harry asked. But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.
"Hermione, this isn't the time to be playing with jewellery. We have to figure out how to save-"
"Harry, Rubi come here," she said urgently. "Quick!" Harry and I shared a look, before moving towards her, completely bewildered. She was holding the chain out. A tiny, sparkling hour-glass was hanging from it. "Here –" She had thrown the chain around our necks, too. "Ready?" she said breathlessly.
"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost.
Hermione turned the hour-glass over three times. The dark ward dissolved. I had the sensation that I was flying, very fast, backwards. A blur of colours and shapes rushed past us; My ears were pounding. I tried to yell but couldn't hear my own voice–
And then I felt solid ground beneath his feet, and everything came into focus again–
We were standing in the deserted Entrance Hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors. I looked wildly around at Hermione, the chain of the hour-glass cutting into his neck.
"Hermione, what–?" I began talking until she cut me off.
"In here!" Hermione seized our arms and dragged us across the hall to the door of a broom cupboard;
She opened it, pushed us inside amongst the buckets and mops, followed us in, then slammed the door behind us.
"What – how – Hermione, what happened?" Harry questioned.
"We've gone back in time," Hermione whispered, "Three hours back..."
"WHAT!" I blanched, and Hermione desperately covered my mouth to prevent us from being found.
Afterwards she revealed the secret of how she had been attending all her classes, and then we began on the mission to save. First we succeeded in freeing Buckbeak, and then we waited out until our past selves came out of the Whomping Willow and before I knew it, we were at the lake, watching the horrific scene from earlier play out.
I don't know what took over me but as Harry ran out, so did I, together crying out "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" And out of the end of our wands burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but blinding, dazzling, silver animals.
One was galloping silently away while the other drifted off going higher, across the black surface of the lake. The majestic Stag lowered its head and charged at the swarming Dementors... now it was galloping around and around the black shapes on the ground, whilst the mesmerizing Phoenix zoomed downwards sharply, making the Dementors back away. And soon the Dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness... they were gone.
The Patronus' turned, returning to us. They were shining brightly as the moon above and as they stopped at the bank, I couldn't help but raise my hand. I heard Harry whisper "Prongs," as he eyed his Patronus but before I knew it, the two dazzling lights had vanished.
After getting a scolding from Hermione for running off, and watching Snape carry the unconscious bodies back to the castle, awaiting the right time, we got on Buckbeak the Hippogriff, and took off, reaching a new level of height among the sky. Hermione was holding Harry very tightly around the waist; muttering, 'Oh, no – I don't like this – oh, I really don't like this –' Harry urged Buckbeak forward. We were gliding quietly towards the upper floors of the castle... Harry pulled hard on the left-hand side of the rope, and Buckbeak turned. I was trying to count the windows flashing past–
"There!" I pointed to where Harry stopped.
"Whoa!" he said, pulling backwards as hard as he could. Buckbeak slowed down and we found ourselves at a stop. "He's there!" Harry said, spotting Sirius as they rose up beside the window. He reached out, and as Buckbeak's wings fell, tapped sharply on the glass. My father looked up and his jaw dropped. He leapt from his chair, hurried to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked.
"Stand back!" Hermione called to him, and she took out her wand, still gripping the back of Harry's robes with her left hand. "Alohomora!" The window sprang open.
'"How – how –?" He said weakly, staring at the Hippogriff.
"Just get on, there's no time to explain." I said hurriedly.
"You've got to get out of here – the Dementors are coming. Macnair's gone to get them." Harry said.
My father placed a hand on either side of the window-frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. It was very lucky he was so thin. In seconds, he had managed to fling one leg over Buckbeak's back, and pull himself onto the Hippogriff behind me.
"OK, Buckbeak, up!" said Harry, shaking the rope. "Up to the tower – come on!"
The Hippogriff gave one sweep of its mighty wings and they were soaring upwards again, high as the top of the West Tower. Buckbeak landed with a clatter on the battlements and Harry, Hermione and myself slid off at once.
"Sirius, you'd better go, quick," Harry panted.
"They'll reach Flitwick's office any moment, they'll find out you've gone." I added.
Buckbeak pawed the ground, tossing his sharp head.
"What happened to the other boy? Ron?" said Sirius urgently.
"He's going to be OK – he's still out of it, but Madam Pomfrey says she'll be able to make him better. Quick – go!"
But he was still staring at us down. "How can I ever thank–"
"GO!" We shouted in unison. He wheeled Buckbeak around, facing the open sky.
"We'll see each other again," he said. "You are – truly your father's son, Harry... Rubi, I'm proud to call you my daughter." I smiled at that. He squeezed Buckbeak's sides with his heels. We jumped back as the enormous wings rose once more... the Hippogriff took off into the air ... he and his rider became smaller and smaller as we gazed after them... then a cloud drifted across the moon... they were gone.
***
Afterwards we hurried back to the Hospital WIng just in time as the Headmaster had locked the doors, but letting us enter, and relocking them, we threw ourselves onto our respective Hospital beds. Not a moment later, the Potions Master had burst in, followed by Fudge, Madam Pomfrey trying to shush them as she had been tending to us, and Snape accusing us of helping my father escape. Dumbledore also came back in, which made Snape see reason (sort of) and Fudge declared the removal of the Dementors. Afterwards, Ron woke up and we narrated the whole story to him
I couldn't help but feel relieved that my father was far away from the Dementors and their Azkaban. All I hoped was that he will be alright wherever he is and that we all can be a proper family one day.
Hey!
Sorry for not updating yesterday but here's the chapter, and one more until PoA is officially done! I apologize if there happens to be any mistakes in this. Have a wonderful day and see you in the next one! <33
-S.B.