"Harry! Emma"
Hermione was tugging at my sleeve, staring at herwatch. "We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us — before Dumbledore locksthe door —"
"Okay," said Harry, wrenching his gaze from the sky, "let's go. . . ."
We slipped through the doorway behind us and down atightly spiraling stone staircase. As they reached the bottom of it,they heard voices. They flattened themselves against the wall andlistened. It sounded like Fudge and Snape. They were walkingquickly 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 wholeBlack affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet thatwe've got him at last. . . . I daresay they'll want to interview you,Snape . . . and once young Emma and Harry's back in their right mind, I expect they'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved them. . . ."
Harry clenched his teeth. I caught a glimpse of Snape's smirkas he and Fudge passed Mine, Harry and Hermione's hiding place. Theirfootsteps died away. Me, Harry and Hermione waited a few momentsto make sure they'd really gone, then started to run in the oppositedirection. Down one staircase, then another, along a newcorridor — then we heard a cackling ahead.
"Peeves!" Harry muttered, grabbing my wrist. "In here!" we tore into a deserted classroom to their left just in time.Peeves seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in boisterousgood spirits, laughing his head off.
"Oh, he's horrible," whispered Hermione, her ear to the door. "Ibet he's all excited because the dementors are going to finish offSirius. . . ."
She checked her watch.
"Three minutes!"
We 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?" I panted.
"I don't want to think about it!" Hermione moaned, checkingher watch again. "One minute!"They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wingentrance.
"Okay — I can hear Dumbledore," said Hermionetensely. "Come on, Harry, Emma!" We crept along the corridor. The door opened. Dumbledore'sback appeared.
"I am going to lock you in," they heard him saying. "It is fiveminutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Goodluck."Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door, and tookout his wand to magically lock it.
Panicking,Me, Harry and Hermioneran forward. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appearedunder the long silver mustache.
"Well?" he said quietly."We did it!" I said breathlessly. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak. . . ."
Dumbledore beamed at us."Well done. I think —" He listened intently for any soundwithin the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you've gone too — get inside — I'll lock you in —"
Me, Harry and Hermione slipped back inside the dormitory. It wasempty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the endbed. As the lock clicked behind them,Me, Harry and Hermione creptback to our own beds, Hermione tucking the Time-Turner backunder her robes.
A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came stridingback out of her office."Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look aftermy patients now?"
She was in a very bad mood.Me, Harry and Hermione thought itbest to accept their chocolate quietly. Madam Pomfrey stood over us, making sure we ate it. But I could hardly swallow. Weand Hermione were waiting, listening, their nerves jangling. . . .And then, as we-- Harry and I-- both took a fourth piece of chocolate fromMadam Pomfrey, we heard a distant roar of fury echoing fromsomewhere above us. . . .
"What was that?" said Madam Pomfrey in alarm.
Now we could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder.Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door."Really — they'll wake everybody up! What do they thinkthey're doing?" I was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They weredrawing nearer —
"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have leftsomebody in the room with him. When this gets out —"
"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very closeat hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS — HAS — SOMETHING — TO —DO — WITH —THE-- POTTER!"
"Severus — be reasonable — Harry and Emma have 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 hewas quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape wasbeside himself."OUT WITH IT, POTTERS!" he bellowed. "WHAT DIDYOU DO?"
"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"
"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's beenlocked, we just saw —"
"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snapehowled, pointing at Me,Harry 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 THE POTTERS!" shrieked Snape. "THEY DIDIT, I KNOW THEY DID IT —"
"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think aboutwhat you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the wardten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left theirbeds?"
"Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would haveheard them!"
"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly."Unless you are suggesting that Emma, Harry and Hermione are able to bein two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troublingthem further."
Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who lookedthoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyeswere twinkling behind his glasses.
"Ms Potter?" he asked, directing his question to me.
"Haven't been out of my bed professor" I said with an angelic smile.
Snape whirled about, robesswishing 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 justsuffered 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 slippedthrough our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story ofthat hippogriff 's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock!Well . . . I'd better go and notify the Ministry. . . ."
"And the dementors?" said Dumbledore. "They'll be removedfrom 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 back to Azkaban tonight. . . .Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance. . . ."
"Hagrid would like that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Me, Harryand Hermione. As he and Fudge left the dormitory, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily toherself, she headed back to her office. Before she did so she looked at me "your friends wanted to see, looked angry."
Oh, boy.
There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Ron hadwoken up. They could see him sitting up, rubbing his head, looking around."What — what happened?" he groaned. "Harry? Why are we inhere? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"
Me, Harry and Hermione looked at each other.
"You explain," said Harry, helping himself to some more chocolate.
--
When we were permitted to leave the Hospital Wing, I made straight for the Slytherin Common room. . The sweltering heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was takingfull advantage of another Hogsmeade visit. So it'll be mostly empty. But knowing my friends--
"Emma!" Zoe arms wrapped around my neck, as an intent to strangle and hug me at the same time "where--how--you--Sirius Black--"
"I'm fine" I say, getting the gist "sorry for scaring you."
"Oh your sorry?" snarled Nicholas "that makes everything better does it?"
"Well, what else can I say?"
"Oh, I don't know?" scoffed Draco "promise not to do it again?"
"So...you don't mind promises being broken?"
I told them everything. Well, everything apart from the part where Black was helped by me. That I only told Zoe.
I was spending sometime alone with Draco. it had been a while. His arm was drapped protectively over m shoulder. "So," he said as we sat down near the lake "Sirius Black."
"What about him?"
"How did he break out?"
"Probably the same way he broke in."
"Fair enough."
Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water, I lost the thread of the conversation as he looked across to the opposite bank. The Wolf hadgalloped toward me from there just last night. . . .
A shadow fell across us and they looked up to see a verybleary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at me.
"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night," hesaid. "I mean, Black escapin' again, an' everythin' — but guesswhat?"
"What?" I said, pretending to look curious."Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!"
"That's wonderful!" I said, giving Draco a reproving lookbecause he looked as though he was close to laughing.
"Yeah . . . can't've tied him up properly," said Hagrid, gazinghappily out over the grounds.
"I was worried this mornin',mind . . . thought he mighta met Professor Lupin on the grounds,but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night. . . ."
"What?" said Draco quickly.
"I thought Snape told yer--"
"He did" I interupted, That morning Snape had told us Lupin was a were wolf.
"He's packin' now, o'course."
"He's packing?"I said, alarmed. "Why?"
"Leavin', isn' he?" said Hagrid, looking surprised that I had to ask. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happenin' again."
I scrambled to my feet.
"I'm going to see him," I said to Draco.
"But if he's resigned —"
"I don't care. I still want to see him. I'll meet you back here."
Lupin's office door was open. He had already packed most of histhings. The grindylow's empty tank stood next to his battered oldsuitcase, which was open and nearly full. Lupin was bending oversomething on his desk and looked up only when I 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.
"I just saw Hagrid," I said. "And he said you'd resigned. It'snot true, is it?"
"I'm afraid it is," said Lupin. He started opening his desk drawers and taking out the contents.
"Why?" I said. "The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?"Lupin crossed to the door and closed it behind me.
"No. Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives." He sighed. "That was the final straw for 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!"I said.Lupin smiled wryly."This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents. . . . They will not want a werewolf teaching their children, Emma. And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you. . . . That must never happen again."
"You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!"I said. "Don't go!"
Lupin shook his head and didn't speak. He carried on emptying his drawers.
Then, while I was trying to think of a good argument to make him stay, Lupin said, "From what the headmaster told me this morning, you saved a lot of lives last night, Emma. If I'm proud of anything I've done this year, it's how much you've learned. . . . Tell me about your Patronus."
"How d'you know about that?" I said, distracted.
"What else could have driven the dementors back?"
I told Lupin what had happened. When I'd finished,Lupin was smiling again.
"Yes, your father was always a stag when he transformed," he said. "You guessed right . . . that's why we called him Prongs."
"Why was mine a wolf then?"
"You are your brothers best friend aren't you?"
"I'm more than that."
"Yes, yes you are."
Lupin threw his last few books into his case, closed the desk drawers, and turned to look at me."Here — I brought this from the Shrieking Shack last night," he said, handing MW back the Invisibility Cloak.
"Give it to your brother. 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 back this as well. It's no use to me, and I daresay you, Ron, and Hermione will find uses for it. So will your Slytherin friends"
I 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."
"And so we would have," 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 and daughter had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle."
There was a knock on the door. I hastily stuffed the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak into my pocket.It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn't look surprised to see me 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 — good-bye, Emma," he said, smiling. "It has been areal pleasure teaching you. I feel sure we'll meet again sometime. Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage. . . ."
I had the impression that Lupin wanted to leave as quicklyas possible."Good-bye, then, Remus," said Dumbledore soberly. Lupin shifted the grindylow tank slightly so that he and Dumbledore could shake hands.
Then, with a final nod to me and a swift smile, Lupin left the office. I sat down in his vacated chair, staring glumly at the floor.He heard the door close and looked up. Dumbledore was still there.
"Why so miserable, Emma?" he said quietly. "You should be very proud of yourself after last night."
"It didn't make any difference," I said bitterly. "Pettigrew got away."
"Didn't make any difference?" said Dumbledore quietly. "It made all the difference in the world, Emma. You helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate."
Terrible. Something stirred in my memory. Greater and more terrible than ever before . . . Professor Trelawney's prediction!
"Professor Dumbledore — yesterday, when I was delivering something to Professor Trewalnery, she went very — very strange."
"Indeed?" said Dumbledore. "Er — stranger than usual, youmean?"
"Yes . . . her voice went all deep and her eyes rolled and she said . . . she said Voldemort's servant was going to set out to return to him before midnight. . . . She said the servant would help him come back to power." I stared up at Dumbledore. "And then she sort of became normal again, and she couldn't remember anything she'd said. Was it — was she making a real prediction?Dumbledore looked mildly impressed.
"Do you know, Emma, I think she might have been," he said thoughtfully. "Who'd have thought it? That brings her total of real predictions up to two. I should offer her a pay raise. . . ."
"But —" I looked at him, aghast. How could Dumbledore take this so calmly?"But — Harry stopped Sirius and Professor Lupin from killing Pettigrew! And-and I could've killed him! I wanted to! That makes it our fault if Voldemort comes back!"
"It does not," said Dumbledore quietly. "Hasn't your experience with the Time-Turner taught you anything, Emma? The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed. . . . Professor Trelawney, bless her, is living proof of that. . . . Harry did a very noble thing, in saving Pettigrew's life. And you did too, by not killing him."
"I wanted to!"
"Yes, I know. And maybe in the distant future, you will.
"But if he helps Voldemort back to power — !"
"Pettigrew owes his life to you and your brother. You have sent Voldemort a deputy who is in your debt. . . . When one wizard saves another wizard's life, it creates a certain bond between them . . . and I'm much mistaken if Voldemort wants his servant in the debt of Harry and Emma Potter."
"I don't want a connection with Pettigrew!"I said. "He betrayed my parents!"
"This is magic at its deepest, its most impenetrable, Emma. But trust me . . . the time may come when you will be very glad you saved Pettigrew's life."
I couldn't imagine when that would be. Dumbledore looked as though he knew what I was thinking."I knew your father and mother very well, both at Hogwarts and later, Emma," he said gently. "they would have saved Pettigrew too, I am sure of it."
"But they were in Gryffindor--"
"Being in Slytherin, doesn't mean you don't have a consience Emma. It means you know who is worth what to you."
I looked up at him. Dumbledore wouldn't laugh — I could tell Dumbledore . . .
"I thought it was my dad and mum who'd conjured my Patronuses. I mean,when I saw myself and Harry across the lake . . . I thought I was seeing them."
"An easy mistake to make," said Dumbledore softly. "I expect you'll tire of hearing it, but you do look extraordinarily like Lily.Except for the eyes . . . you have your father's eyes. With the same glint of mischief"
"But Harry and I look so much alike now--"
"Appearance may have something to do with personality as well."
I shook my head.
"It was stupid, thinking it was them," I muttered. "I mean, I knew they were dead."
"You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father and mother are alive in you, Emma, and show themselves most plainly when you have need of them. How else could you produce that particular Patronus? And Harry? Prongs rode again last night."
"But mine was nothing special?"
"Was it not? A fun fact about your mother, Emma--she figured out what Remus was before your father. She kept quite, she and Sirius were extremely close.Sirius, and your mother had similar family crisis, it was she who suggested he be your godfather. You are so much like her."
And Dumbledore left the office, leaving me to my very confused thoughts.
Nobody at Hogwarts now knew the truth of what had happened the night that Sirius, Buckbeak, and Pettigrew had vanished except Me, Zoe, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Professor Dumbledore.
As the end of term approached, I heard many different theories about what had really happened, but none of them came close to the truth. Percy Weasley, meanwhile, had much to say on the subject of Sirius's 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 I knew we had achieved the near impossible in helping Sirius to freedom, I had never approached the end ofa school year in worse spirits.
I certainly wasn't the only one who was sorry to see Professor Lupin go. The whole of my Defense Against the Dark Arts class was miserable about his resignation.
"Wonder what they'll give us next year?" said Astoria gloomily.
"Maybe a vampire," suggested Zoe hopefully.
It wasn't only Professor Lupin's departure that was weighing on my mind. I couldn't help thinking a lot about Professor Trelawney's prediction. I kept wondering where Pettigrew was now,whether he had sought sanctuary with Voldemort yet. But the thing that was lowering my spirits most of all was the prospect of returning to the Dursleys.
For maybe half an hour, a glorious half hour, we had believed we would be living with Sirius from now on . . . our parents' best friend. . . . It would have been the next best thing to having our own parents back
. And while no news of Sirius was definitely good news, because it meant he had successfully gone into hiding, I couldn't help feeling miserable when I thought of the home we might have had, and the fact that it was now impossible.
The exam results came out on the last day of term; I topped the year, Hermione came second because she over-worked, Percy had got his top-grade N.E.W.T.s; Fred and George had scraped a handful of O.W.L.s each.
Also, Gryffindor came second! Slytherin had won the house cup!
This meant that the end of term feast took place amid decorations of green and silver, and that the Slytherin table was the noisiest of the lot, as everybody celebrated. Even I managed to forget about the journey back to the Dursleys the next day as I ate,drank, talked, and laughed with the rest.
As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next morning, Hermione gave me and Zoe some surprising news, we were sharing a compartment.
"I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Muggle Studies."
"But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" said Zoe.
"I know," sighed Hermione, "but I can't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again."
"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about it," said Zoe grumpily. "We're supposed to be your friends."
"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone," said Hermione severely.
She looked around at me, I was watching Hogwarts disappear from view behind a mountain. Two whole months before I'd see it again. . .
."Oh, cheer up, Emma!" said Hermione sadly.
"I'm okay,"I said quickly. "Just thinking about the holidays."
"Yeah, I've been thinking about them too," said Ron, as he and Harry opened the compartment door. "Harry,Emma 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, Emma? 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 and me up a great deal.
"Yeah . . . I bet the Dursleys'd be pleased to let us come . . .especially after what we did to Aunt Marge. . . ."
Feeling considerably more cheerful, I joined Zoe and Hermione in several games of Exploding Snap, and when the witch with the tea cart arrived, I bought myself a very large lunch,though nothing with chocolate in it.But it was late in the afternoon before the thing that made me truly happy turned up. . . .
Harry and Ron joined us. Them and Zoe..well, they were neutral with each-other. They seemed to hate each-other less.
"Harry," said Hermione suddenly, peering over his shoulder."What's that thing outside your window?"
Harry turned to look outside.
Something very small and gray was bobbing in and out of sight beyond the glass. He stood up fora better look and saw that it was a tiny owl, carrying a letter that 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. . 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. 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.
I picked up the letter. It was addressed to him and me.I ripped open the letter, and shouted, "It's from Sirius!"
"What?" said Zoe, Ron and Hermione excitedly. "Read it aloud!"
Dear Harry and Emma,
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 owl falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt about his 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 around to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt and Flute—
"Ha!" said Hermione triumphantly. "See! I told you they were from him!"
"Yes, but he hadn't jinxed them, 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 names but told them to take the gold from my own Gringotts vault. 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 and I looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of parchment in there. I read it through quickly and felt suddenly as warm and contented as though I'd swallowed a bottle of hot butterbeer in one gulp.
I, Sirius Black, Harry and Emma's Potter's godfather, hereby give them permission to visit Hogsmeade on weekends.
"That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!" said Harry happily.
He and I looked back at Sirius's letter.
"Hang on, there's a P.S. . . ."
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 our great surprise, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff."What do'you reckon?" Ron asked the cat. "Definitely an owl?"
Crookshanks purred.
"That's good enough for me," said Ron happily. "He's mine
I spent the next few hours filing photos; me and nicholas sitting at the edge of a desk, me and Ron grinning, Harry and me making red and green sparks respectively come out of our wand, me and Draco our faces illuminated by the moonlight on the astronomy tower, me and Zoe sitting on a branch of a tree, Me and Hermione in the library, me, Zoe, and hermione sitting at the edge of the lake, me fred and george making fire-crackers go off in the Entrance Hall, me and Hagrid with fang, me, Draco, Nicholas and Zoe sitting in the Slytherin common room, me harry Ron and Hermione on the front steps,
Then we reached the platform. And we met Uncle Vernon.
"What's that?" he snarled, staring at the envelope I was still clutching in his hand. "If it's another form for me to sign, you've got another —"
"It's not," said Harry cheerfully. "It's a letter from our godfather."
"Godfather?" sputtered Uncle Vernon. "You haven't got a godfather!"
"Yes, we have," I said brightly. "He was our mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with us,though . . . keep up with my news . . . check if we're happy. . . ."
Draco came by to give me hug just then, and Harry's grin vanished. "Bye Ems" he whispered. I leaned up and gently pressed my lips to his cheek.
"Good bye Dray, see you next year!"
*END OF YEAR THREE*