After one last meeting with Hagrid, and one gruesome, but non-visible, execution later, the three friends found themselves battling the Whomping Willow in an attempt to get to Ron who, after chasing his rat, was pulled into a tunnel under the mad tree by non-other than the Grim who seemingly sought to kill Harry.
Lupin, inside the Whomping Willow, in the Shrieking Shack, soon intervenes, and as he and Black attempt explaining to Harry what really happened the night his parents died, they were interrupted by Snape, who Harry sent flying to the other end of the room, knocking him out cold in a desperate determination to hear the truth.
Sirius and Lupin reveal the origin of Ron's pet rat, Scabbers, who happened to be the supposed-dead Peter Pettigrew, who then transform's into his human self, begging Harry not to kill him.
With Peter ready for apprehension, the full moon arises, the true nature of professor Lupin is exposed, a Werewolf. As Black battels with Lupin in an attempt to keep the four friends safe, Pettigrew manages to escape.
With a dire turn of events, Dementors attack. Harry loses conscious, his friends and Snape help him to the hospital, but Sirius is once again taken prisoner to Azkaban.
Wrathful and upset, the friends feel like nothing had changed. Ron was hurt and couldn't move, Pettigrew, the true murderer of Harry's parents, escaped, and Sirius, his godfather, his last living family, was a prisoner yet again.
But, with a grand idea given by Dumbledore himself, the three: Melanie, Hermione, and Harry, go back in time, using Hermione's Time-Turner, and, not only do they rescue Sirius, but they'd managed to spare the life of Buckbeak as well, which Black used to go into hiding for the time being.
With almost all their problems solved, the four friends spend the rest of their day in a much better mood: talking and laughing about. They hear the news of Lupin's decision to resign and were quite upset, he'd been one of the best teachers Hogwarts had in a long time.
Melanie and Harry exit his office, having just said their last goodbyes. "I still can't believe he's leaving. Who else has the humor he does when teaching?" Melanie complains. Harry sighs.
"I know, but I don't think there's much else we can do." He says.
"Yeah." Melanie agrees gloomily. Harry rubs his temple, feeling a headache build up. Melanie notices. "You alright?" She asks in concern.
"Yeah. Just need to use the washroom. I'll catch up with you." He replies, she nods.
Harry walks off in the other direction, Melanie heads towards the Great Hall, where Ron and Hermione were waiting. So many things were running in her head. It was the end of the year, they had until the next day to be fully packed and ready to leave, and it made her think of all the things that had happened since the beginning of the eventful year. So much had happened indeed.
She'd hoped, for both Harry's and Black's sake, that they could have captured Peter, that they could have proved Sirius's innocence. He would've taken Harry in and given him what he'd been missing all those years, a family that wanted and loved him. She prayed that someday, he could have just that.
As her thoughts were running wild, like they frequently did, she crashed into something hard, nearly toppling to the ground. "What is it with you, Redwing?! A bloody habit?!" An all too familiar voice yelled.
Focusing her eyes, she was stood before an irritated Malfoy and an unimpressed Zabini. "Sorry, I wasn't looking." She stated.
"I can see that." He replied bitterly, though, and he'd never admit it, he was more than happy to see she was well. She smirked. And to think she'd nearly forgotten about him.
"Can't you just, for once, accept an apology, Draco?" She asked with a friendly smile he found hard to disagree with. "Hey, Blaise." She greeted, acknowledging his presence. He was one of the few Slytherins that wasn't tempted to bully Gryffindors for no reason in her opinion, and likewise, she didn't bother him as much as the others did. He gives her a quick nod. Draco eyes him coldly, feeling a slight pinch of…jealousy? He decided to change the subject.
"Heard you and your dumb friends captured Black. How'd you manage that?" He questioned. She could sense concern, like he was trying to ask if she was okay, but couldn't put it in words, or didn't want to say it in front of Zabini. She smirked knowingly. Though they didn't actually capture him, more like set him free.
"It's a long story, but we're alright." She replied. He nods thoughtfully, but could feel Zabini's eyes on him.
"Maybe next year, you and your gang of losers could at least try and avoid danger." He says, making her chuckle, just then realizing that he wouldn't hear her laugh, see her smile for at least three months, he hated it, so did she.
"Maybe. See you next year, Draco." She smiled with a hint of sadness, realizing the same. Even though he could be a pain, they'd developed an odd sort of relationship that they somehow made work, and she would miss it.
"Yeah." He replied solemnly, Zabini watching them the entire time, processing.
Melanie walks off and he's once again overwhelmed with the scent of peaches, breathing it in deeply. He feels Zabini's eyes again, and looks to him. Blaise has a smug, mischievous expression on his face. "What?" Draco asked suspiciously.
"Nothing." Blaise starts to walk. "Yet." Draco widens his eyes, rushing after the dark-skinned boy.
"What do you mean 'yet'?"
….
