"It looks like… the invisibility cloak might not be as good as a shield… against Dementors as I thought…" Harry panted as he walked a couple more pace in the dry and cold air surrounding the bridge to Hogsmeade while Hermione crouched at the end of the bridge, dying for some water to parch her throat.

"Y-you… don't… say…" Hermione spat out in between her pants, glaring terribly at the sheepish boy-who-lived.

'More like the boy-who's-about-to-be-dumped-in-a-lake, courtesy of yours truly…' The brunette grumbled internally, though with the thought being at the forefront of her mind, Harry easily heard it and guffawed unsure if he should laugh or stand a good 5 feet away from his best friend.

'Come one Mione! We made it out just fine with my repulsos and protegos and with your spells, and that nifty fireball trick you've been playing around with. Good of you not to burn my hair. Plus, you know if you threw me in the lake, you won't have any access to the vaults…" He giggled nervously, very much unsettled by the fire growing at her fingertips that licked at his robe before retreating. Seeing his face scared enough made Hermione giggle before completely putting it out.

"I could always take your key, but it wouldn't be very fun going on my own. Well then, now for our next obstacle… the goblins." She spoke out loud, sighing as her brain wracked on ways to make it to the other side of the gate separating them from Harry's vault, and guarded by a literal army of war loving creatures- besides humans that is.

"What do you mean? We just go in and ask to be taken to my vault."

"What about an adult to accompany you?"

"I am the only heir to my vault, so I won't need an escort."

"But you're not of age yet, Harry."

"Is that so… Well then my family vault's Goblin keeper can just take us there- don't they count as proper escort?"

"I'm not so sure about that… I guess we'll have to try our luck."

With that, Harry lifted the cloak onto both of them once again as they covertly made their way towards the imposing building that towered over the small town, blissfully ignorant of the fearsome fit Cho and Daphne were throwing back at the castle.

It took them nearly half an hour of dodging giants- or rather average sized wizards and witches who still towered over them- until they finally stumbled upon the imposing bank's entrance, pitch black mahogany doors wide open in welcome. Although the grumpy looking guard Goblins with permanent sneers fixed on their lips certainly didn't. And neither did their particularly pointy spears. What alarmed them was that the guards seemed to have tripled from their last visit, and they seemed none too friendly, barring many a witch or wizard from entering. Strange.

"Now there's no way we can get in…" Harry bemoaned his fate, grasping his plentiful yet sleek tufts of hair in desperation.

"How are we going to get out of this problem now…" Hermione mumbled to herself while biting, ignoring Harry's dramatic collapse before jumping back up and thinking himself into a meltdown while pacing back and forth as much as he could under the cloak- which is to say barely a step. It's a good thing they were invisible or he would've long since gotten everyone's inquisitive eyes on him.

"I'm sure Natsu would've had a solution by now."

"She's too busy hunting down mice and languidly sleeping on my bed- sometimes I don't know what I did to deserve such a lazy familiar…" Hermione sighed, but still unable to be upset at the troublesome fur ball as her tone wasn't tinged with any genuine harm.

"Well, erm, she is a cat…"

"Now is not the time and place for this conversation Harry James Potter. Also I'm offended you'd think the cat would have better ideas than me." She harrumphed and placed her hands at her sides while Harry cringed at the full use of his name.

"Fine, Hermione Jean Granger. What do you suggest we do then? It's not like we can go back to before all this security got in the way- why are you smiling?"

"Because, Harry dear, I think we should do just that." She smirked as she took out the time turner from under her shirt after unbuttoning the first 2 buttons and allowing the golden chain to be visible. While the sphere remained perfectly inanimate, there was something about it, besides it clean gleaming exterior that caused Harry to watch in awe as Hermione tinkered with the device, bewildered that she forgot how practical it was. While she wasn't using it for academic purposes at the moment, she didn't necessarily break any laws, in this dimension.

Yes, that made Hermione feel a bit better about herself.

She looked up to the quiet boy who was all ears as Hermione explained how the time turner worked and what she was about to do, namely twist it about 7 twists to set them back to 6 a.m. in the morning, when the streets would be barren of any soul save for the early birds, and all the drunkards would've been kicked to the curb and crawled back home, probably still hugging that bottle of fire whisky. And of course, most importantly, when the Goblins guarding the gate were hopefully few and inattentive, even if they were protected by the invisibility cloak.

"Oh, and let's make sure we can walk behind someone once we enter, so we can tag onto the carriage with them."

"If you say it will work then I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." Harry grinned at her as she slipped the golden chain around his neck before reciprocating the smile, feeling foolishly confident, despite all the ways this hastily constructed plan could go south.

"Here goes nothing…"

They watch everyone zooming backwards as Hermione hit the rewind button on life before their very eyes, a feat that never ceased to amaze Hermione, a very regular user of the time turner herself, and as for Harry- well he was floored. It took him a minute or two to pick up his jaw off the floor and manage an awed grin, before a nudge from Hermione reminded him to move and start pacing behind a secretive but regal looking blond haired woman wearing a black floor length dress and matching black hat.

"Let's hope she's in there to go down to her vaults.

"If she's not, we'll enchant her to-"

"Wha- Hermione that wasn't part of the plan!" He hissed in panic, shutting up when they hurriedly and silently floated by the guards before looking back panicked at the brunette walking closely behind him.

'How else do you expect us to get in…' She mentally grumbled, uncomfortable with the plan herself, but unwilling to leave things half assed. Harry wanted those documents, well they were going to get them, even if she had to act a little grey.

'We're not charming her to jump off the rails, honestly… She entered on her own anyway, let's get on before the gate closes…' She whispered again, tugging him into the carriage as silently as possibly while staying as far away from the lady as they could. It was strange she could ride it without the supervision of a goblin. Perhaps she had privileges?

The closer she looked at the woman, the more familiar she looked. Smoky eyes and dark red ruby lipstick painting stoic, slightly downturned lips with just enough blush to highlight her cheekbones and add to her intimidating light blue to stilted grey aura that projected boredom, but suddenly began to bubble a shaky orange and faint green, her eyes subtly shifting left and right, making sure to keep her hands on the levers and not lose control of the carriage.

Turning away from the blonde haired woman for a moment, she mentally spoke to Harry who had been staring at the surrounding rock formations in the endless dimly lit cave.

'Harry, do you remember where the vault is?'

'I recall it's about 5 vaults to the right of the dragon arena.'

'Oh… I think we're here then, let's jump?'

'What!? Hermione how-'

'I can cast a leviosa on us and float us down slowly… Harry, I think she's looking right at us…?' Both young teens looked at the woman's back as she turned away, and then looking at each other and nodding it was best to get out as soon as possible.

That is, until the carriage screeched to a sudden stop and caused them both to lurch forward and ram into the steel of the metal trolley inside with a yelp, the cloak lifting to reveal half their bodies.

'Harry duck!' Hermione who recovered from the blow first thanks to a cushioning charm she cast in time after watching the lady's suspicious movements and quickly cast a protego against the stunning spell the woman silently cast, sneering at the two lying at the corner of the carriage.

"W-wait- we don't mean any harm!" Hermione hastily lifted away the cloak from them and lowered her wand, keeping one hand up- the woman thought to show surrender, but in reality, to keep a strong wandless protego up, in case she decided to try anything else.

"I'm being tailed by children? And Gryffindor Hogwarts students to boot?" Her velvet voice laden with suspicion and disdain sent shivers down their spine, but underneath it, Hermione spotted exhaustion. This witch was at the end of her rope, but she hid it expertly well.

"M-madam, erm, we were just trying to get to my vault, but we were afraid the Goblins wouldn't let us in without an adult." Harry spoke up timidly, hoping his hair hiding his scar and holding his glasses behind his back would be enough to mask his identity as the boy who lived.

The woman quirked an eyebrow as she looked down at the two unimpressed.

"You're not lying, but it will take more than hiding away your glasses to hide in plain sight. Harry Potter."

The boy flinched and looked away before the woman continued with a smug and highly amused tone.

"And you must be Hermione Granger. Draco's told me all about you. To think Hogwarts would have prodigy muggleborn and half-blood musicians…"

'D-draco?'

'Oh Merlin no wonder she's familiar- it's Narcissa Black-Malfoy!' If the two were scared before at this point they were prepared to piss their pants.

'Any chance of obliviating her?'

'Unfortunately I haven't learned that spell yet…'

The both gulped, standing frozen before the blonde who placed one hand on her hip.

"Merlin, you can relax, I won't hex you. You're just a couple of kids."

'Kids who have no idea what I'm doing here, and it better stay that way unless they want me to obliviate them.' Her stern visage returned once more and Harry nearly eeped at the thought that popped at the fore front of the woman's mind, though Hermione quickly glanced at him with warning in her eyes not to let the woman know about their legilimency and to keep their occlumency shields up.

"Well, erm yes, we'll be out of your hair now, thank you for not attacking us again Mrs. Malfoy-"

"Now, now there's plenty of time to chat;" once again, she loosely pointed her wand at the two who froze up and held back a grin at how easily children were frightened these days. "What is so important that you had to go behind the all mighty Dumbledore's back?" While the wand pointing at them did put Hermione at guard, she wasn't too afraid, the woman definitely not even thinking of harming them. Still, the submissive little children act they had going on should smooth along the process.

"W-well…" How would Harry word this? She looked at the boy who twiddled with his thumbs and Hermione nudged him to look up.

"After reading the prophet this morning, about Sirius Black and Bellatrix Black-Lestrange…" Hermione started, leaving the rest to Harry who suddenly wanted to speak up about it.

"We came to the vaults to get proof that Sirius was innocent and did nothing of those crimes and that he has nothing to do with that evil Bellatrix witch, like you all believe." Harry rushed, seething at the mention of this woman.

"I'll have you know Mr. Potter, my cousin, while a dunderhead and helpless idiot, cannot stand to be within the same room with Bella. Not that I usually believe the prophet's drivel." She drawled, rolling her eyes at Harry's tactless speaking, and Hermione nearly facepalming.

"W-wait how do you know that?"

Hermione hissed at him that this was Narcissa Black-Malfoy. The article mentioned her as Bellatrix's sister and Sirius's cousin, while the woman regarded her appraisingly. The girl paid good attention to details.

"I highly doubt two mere children can do anything in a situation meant for genuine competent adults-"

Oh she was definitely baiting them, more specifically Harry, but what did she want him to blurt out?

Hermione's eyes widened when she sensed the memory that appeared at the forefront of Harry's mind, ready to come spilling out of his mouth, and Hermione's warning could do nothing to stop the floodgate.

"Y-yeah well where were the adults when the stupid basilisk was running around rampant, leaving us to clean up their mess!"

'Harry put your shields up damn it!' She scrambled to put up a defense against the witch sneakily watching the memories at the forefront of the boy's mind during the basilisk showdown. All she needed was some popcorn to go along with it, though Hermione wasn't at all keen on letting her watch a full length feature film of 'Hectic Harry's Misadventures'. So with one last mental push, the brunette managed to push out the witch's peeking eyes from Harry's mind, shaking from the exertion despite trying to convey ferocity in her glare that she aimed at Narcissa.

She expected the elder woman to be angry, perhaps even hit or curse her for her meddling in whatever sneaky plan she was up to. She even flinched when the matriarch moved, only to store away her wand and stare at the brunette with narrowed eyes and a contemplative air.

'She managed to push out of someone else's mind, and did so wandlessly. Two feats I have yet to see from all of the Wizarding population. The fact that she and Potter can perform legilimency and occlumency in the first place is… huh… How much has Draco been omitting about this short chit of a girl and her friends? Besides the memories of her burning the young Voldemort with terrifying stubbornness…'

All these thoughts were churning as she turned her head to the side, to avoid the girl reading her mind. Hermione scoffed and looked away, trying to still her trembling and subtly backing away with one hand holding the back of a dazed Harry's shirt.

What Narcissa did next changed Hermione's opinion of the woman.

"I… apologize for my prodding. It was uncalled for. It seems there is much Draco and others don't know about you, Miss Granger. I'll keeping an eye open. For now, it's best you go and get your evidence. You won't be able to fool Goblins for long."

Once again, a small stare down occurred, and she tensely nodded at the regal woman, back away slowly with Harry's hand nestled in hers, casting a hasty leviosa after she all but jumped from the carriage- yet another surprise to Narcissa.

'This girl will either be a blessing or a thorn in my side… depends on what I find in Bella's vault…' She sighed for the umpteenth time today, throwing the shaken up teens one last glance with only a hint of regret at her little invasion before rolling away.

Hermione had half a mind of heaving whatever she had for breakfast, but swallowed her bile back down and glared at the huge dark mahogany door carved with intricate golden vine designs that should retract as soon as Harry uses the key and his blood print.

That is until he recovers from where he's crouching.

Hopefully anytime now.

Hermione's eye developed a small tick and she turned around, only to see Harry moan in pain and clutch his scar.

"H-harry, what's wrong?"

"My scar… it hurts a lot."

"Are you sure it's not from what just happened with Mrs. Malfoy?"

He nodded, eyes still screwed shut.

"I… I think a piece of Voldemort is here…" He managed to spit out before hissing and rubbing at the reddening spot of his head.

"Oh boy… Alright Harry, get those shields up like we practiced, I'll help you up. I think going inside the vault will protect you for a while." She slowly helped the boy up, placing his arm around her shoulder as they walked a couple of paces, Harry shakily inserting the key and using a drop of blood before the vines slithered back at the very edges of the gate that groaned open, closing once they trudged inside.

"Draco. Hey, Draco!" Pansy shook the boy awake after he kept muttering nonsensically turning around so much the blanket Theo had brought for him trapped him in a little pale pink cocoon.

"Whuzza-?" He muttered, narrowing his baggy, bloodshot eyes at the intruder, staring up from his fluffy wrap. Pansy snorted before gently pulling him up and arranging stray hairs that escape the confines of the boy's gel.

"Let's get going caterpillar. I need to talk to you." Her gentle tone hardened, becoming more serious as she pulled the cautious boy behind her, planning to make him fess up. Damn it all if subtlety wasn't going to cut it, then she'll be as blunt as a sledgehammer to get Draco to tell her what's wrong. First they'll find a private spot, namely the room of requirements like Daphne advised her.

They made their trek up the stairs, Pansy's worry niggling at her further. She kept a firm hold on her childhood friend's hand, but even though he could shake her grip off with some effort, he did none of that. Not even an opposing tug or muttering to show his displeasure.

Just a resigned sigh and hunched shoulders. Maybe Hermione or Luna would've seen a little black gloomy cloud raining on him, with some thunder and lightning for effects.

"Aren't you going to ask where we're going?" Pansy asked, tone wavering after a moment of heavy silence, chancing a glance back at the sunken face that barely batted an eye. Not even a sassy eye roll.

Pansy turned around, releasing a shuddering sigh before frowning at herself. How dare she show worry and fear- any emotion besides pride, arrogance and the usual touch of anger?

"Daphne had better help or so Merlin help her…" She grumbled, quickening her pace and forcing Draco to stop dragging his feet on the ground, lest he trip over yet another staircase they had to take, followed by a trek in the 7th floor hallway, until they stopped in front of the large wooden door. She let go and leaned her back on the door, crossing her arms and her feet, shrugging off Draco's questioning look.

"Wait a while." He scowled briefly before figuring he might as well make himself comfortable and slid down to the floor beside Pansy, eyes, barely peeking over his arms that enveloped his knees scrawnier than when he started the year. His weight loss was another factor that worried Pansy- it wasn't to Hermione or Harry's point, but it was apparent nevertheless.

"Don't get your hopes up." Draco muttered while Pansy scoffed, staring at one end of the hallway as they sat in a tense silence.

'Please hurry, Daphne…'

"Daphne stop right there!"

"Make me 'Claw!" She hissed, turning her back to Cho and all but barreling outside the room, until Cho scrambled to lift up a wall from the stones, forcing Daphne to halt her exaggerated strides and turn her head to the left, glaring at Cho with enough venom to match a King Cobra's stores.

"Cho Yajirumi Chang. Let me pass through immediately."

Had Cho not been confident she was in Daphne's closest circle of friends, she would've shuddered and turned away on the spot.

"Aren't you going to compliment me on my practice?" Cho quipped instead, keeping her left hand closed in its tight fist as it pointed to the passageway blocking the enraged Slytherin.

"This isn't the time for jokes."

"You're the last person who'd say that. Well, you and the Weasely twins."

"Aren't you worried!? What if they didn't even make it to Gringotts? She and Harry blocked us mentally! What if they've been captured and are being fed to Dragons? Or worse- shoveling dragon dung!"

"Daphne, calm down before I slap you."

"You touch me and I'll slice that arm off with your katana!"

"You've seen what Hermione is capable of- Harry too. Think about it. If they are in trouble, we won't be able to do much either- that's why I sent a message to professor Lupin and Headmaster Dumbledore."

Cho hadn't expected Daphne to sneer, frost coating her hands, ice beginning to cackle and fizzle as she touched the stone, watching the ice spread over it.

"First, you're wrong. The four of us together would make a difference. And second…I don't like Dumbledore and we don't even know if Lupin is trustworthy enough-"

"He is, I've spoken to him- plus Hermione left me a note to explain- please take my word for it Daphne. Isn't that worth anything to you?" Some hurt bled into Cho's voice as she stared desperately into Daphne's pine green eyes that widened minutely when they locked onto her friend's pained onyx ones. They softened, her harsh exterior thawing slightly.

"Of course it is, don't be daft Cho. I trust you almost as much as I trust my parents." Daphne spoke quietly but firmly, bringing down her hands from the stone wall and turning to fully face her friend.

"See? I've calmed down. And look, if you say Lupin's alright, then I'll trust him."

"Thank you so much Daphne"

"Wait."

"What?"

"Did you say Hermione left you a note?" She suddenly exclaimed, frowning differently than before, eyes narrowing at Cho with far less killing intent than before.

"Yes, she did- she told me she had to go after Harry who wanted to go to Gringotts alone and get the proof of Sirius's innocence for an immediate remedial trial-"

"Good luck convincing Dumbledore that" Daphne muttered derisively, going ignored by Cho who went on.

"And she has her time turner along with Harry's invisibility cloak. Is something wrong?"

"Yeah sure…no, I'm fine… but why did she leave you a note and not me?" While she didn't mean to, her voice came out as a whine and she crossed her arms, huffing before thinking of something else to say.

Cho stopped dead for a few seconds, eying her with confusion, before realization dawned over her and had her don a tiny smile that never bode well for Daphne.

"Daphne… could it be that you're… jealous?"

"Wh-what!? Don't be preposterous Cho- what do I have to be jealous of? It probably just slipped Mione's mind to leave me one too."

"Oh yes, I'm sure." She smile widened to a grin rivaling the Cheshire cat's, and she nearly laughed when Daphne scrambled to get back to the topic at hand.

"A-anyways, I can't believe they managed to sneak away in the short time frame, we managed to find and comfort Neville."

"Thanks to the twins' intuition- I bet they had a gimmick up their sleeves. I was a bit surprised Draco was the first there, in the tower with him, actually patting his shoulder- albeit awkwardly, and listening to him talk or snivel or rant…whatever Neville did."

"Draco's an alright kid when he wants to be- It's mainly thanks to Pansy's no nonsense influence-"

"You'd know better than me, I suppose. Hey you seem… pale, are you alright?"

"…Do you mind keeping the wall up?"

"What?" Cho's grip nearly faltered, causing Daphne's eyes to widen comically.

"Speaking of Pansy, I remembered I was supposed to meet her and Draco in front of the room of requirements… an hour ago."

"Oh my."

"Yes, so I'm hoping this wall of yours will be a good excuse from her wrath."

"So she could get mad at me? No, thank you." She shot down her friend's plea almost as fast as she took down her wall and pushed Daphne out, her parting words rushed- she couldn't risk giving Daphne the time to process and fight back. That Parkinson girl could be terrifyingly sadistic when she put her mind to it.

"What the- Cho you traitor! We just had a moment and this is how you treat me?" She barely managed to yell out, almost falling flat on her butt. Almost. It would be unbecoming of the ice princess if she had.

"Daphne!" Another voice alerted her as she looked up to meet very angry eyes whose color encompassed flickered and shifted in a kaleidoscope of green, blue and auburn. At the moment, they could also be brewing with lava that would spew forth any second and scald her violently.

"Oh no-"

"You were in there the whole time and left us out her to numb our behinds off!?" Pansy's screech burst the paintings' ear drums while Draco hissed and Daphne yelped in horror, hands wildly gesturing for her to wait.

"I can explain! Cho held me back because there's been an emergency and-" Pansy threw a glance behind her and saw a barren room, turning back to glare with enough ferocity that it nearly set Daphne's robes on fire.

"I don't see any whiny Ravenclaws in there."

"She ran away! Damn it Cho!"

'Maybe my Slytherin tendencies have rubbed off a bit too much on her… whoops.'

Daphne would regret not casting a shield charm afterwards- but looking down at Draco, who barely registered her presence, she couldn't help but forget the retort at the tip of her tongue, instead looking back at a calmer Pansy with a perplexed expression. She gently grabbed Daphne's arm and took her aside out of Draco's earshot- not that the catatonic boy registered it anyway.

"This is why I need your help. You... and the other three." The fact that Pansy Parkinson was asking for help terrified Daphne more than any spell she could throw at her. She knew then how willing the proud Slytherin was to push away her personal opinions and dignity to get her childhood friend out of whatever pit he had dug himself into.

Of course, Draco wasn't her only childhood friend. Daphne was too, and she'll be damned if she left Pansy to struggle on her own. So, she nodded before the short haired girl even finished her sentence, and gratefulness shone in those earthly eyes before she muttered a small but meaningful Thank You that Daphne effortlessly shrugged off.

"How about we get Draco inside for a soothing cup of tea and some buiscuits- a la Greengrass."

"Good luck feeding him anything." Pansy scoffed, but smirked back at her longtime ally- no, friend- before going back to the room's entrance.

"If he rejects my kindness I'll be feeding him my fist."

"Daphne, no."

"Spoil Sport."

And here's the third chapter! I hope you've enjoyed reading it!

Now I won't be posting anything until August 2 since until then i'll be in Croatia (starting tomorrow), so i'd be really thankful for your patience.

Thank you so much for all of you who fave and follow and especially those who review (Thanks for the support Lovingpillow and Anonymous Reviewer! :D)

I hope you're all having good or bearable summers filled with cold stuff, like ice cream :)

By the way this chapter was a bit rushed so please let me know about any mistakes I made in the reviews, i'd really appreciate it ^^

Until next time,

-Ramela