Kiara Pride-Lander: Book 3

by Kimberly Joan Amethyst

The third book in Kiara's story. Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING, apart from my own characters, of course. Please R&R as you go along, for feedback would be great. Timon will make his appearance later on in the story. Sarabi and Sarafina are still included, just so you know. Thank you.

21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Sian's Secret

KIARA

"Shocking business ... shocking ... miracle none of them died ... never heard the like ... by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Triphorm ..."

"Thank you, Minister."

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, First Class if I can wangle it!"

"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."

"Nasty cut you've got there ... the Pride-Landers' work, I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact, it was their daughter, the two eldest Dawson girls and Rickers, Minister ..."

"No!"

"The Pride-Landers had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behaviour. They seemed to think that there was a possibility that the Pride-Landers were innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted the Pride-Landers to escape ... they, obviously, thought they were going to catch the Pride-Landers single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now ... I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves ... and of course, young Pride-Lander has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of licence by the Headmistress -"

"Ah well, Triphorm ... Kiara Pride-Lander, you know ... we've all got a bit of a blind spot where she's concerned."

"And yet - is it good for her to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try to treat her like any other student. And any other student would be suspended - at the very least - for leading her friends into such danger. Consider, Minister: against all school rules - against all the precautions put in place for her protection - out of bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and two murderers - and I have reason to believe she has been visiting Dragsmede illegally, too -"

"Well, well ... we shall see, Triphorm, we shall see ... the girl has undoubtedly been foolish ..."

I lay listening to this with my eyes tight shut. I felt groggy. The words I heard seemed to be travelling very slowly from my ears to my brain, so that I found it very difficult to contemplate what they were talking about. My limbs felt like lead; my eyelids too heavy to lift ... I just wanted to lie there on that comfortable bed for ever ...

"What amazes me most is the behaviour of the Stingers ... you've really no idea what made them retreat, Triphorm?"

"No, Minister. By the time I had come round, they were heading back to their positions at the entrances ..."

"Extraordinary. And yet the Pride-Landers, and Kiara, and the girl -"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged the Pride-Landers, naturally, conjured stretchers and brought them all straight back to the castle."

There was a pause, during which time my brain started to move a little faster, and as it did, a gnawing sensation in the pit of my stomach grew ...

I opened my eyes.

I was lying in the dark hospital wing. At the end of the ward, I just made out the silhouette of Matron with her back to me, bent over two beds. I squinted. Chrissie's brown hair was visible beneath Matron's arm.

I moved my head over on the pillow. In the bed to my right lay Sian. Moonlight fell across her bed. Her eyes were open, too. She looked petrified, and when she saw that I was awake, she pressed a finger to her lips, then pointed to the hospital wing door. It was ajar, and the voices of Cornelia Sweets and Triphorm were coming through it from the corridor outside.

Matron then walked briskly in the dark ward to my bed. I turned to look at her. She carried the largest block of chocolate I have ever seen in my life. It looked like a small boulder.

"Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on my bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer.

"How are Chris and Chrissie, Matron?" said Sian. It was natural for her to be worried; after all, she was (and still is) their eldest sister.

"They'll live," said Matron grimly. "As for you two ... you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're - Pride-Lander, what do you think you're doing?"

I sat up and picked up my wand.

"I need to see the Headmistress," I said.

"Pride-Lander," said Matron soothingly, "it's all right. They've captured you're parents. They're locked away upstairs. The Stingers will be performing the Suck any moment now -"

"WHAT?"

I jumped out of bed; Sian did the same. But my shout was heard by the people in the corridor outside; next second, Cornelia Sweets and Triphorm entered the ward.

"Kiara, Kiara, what's this?" said Sweets, looking agitated. "You should be in bed - has she had any chocolate?" she asked Matron anxiously.

"Minister, listen!" I said. "My parents are innocent! Alice and Alan Abster faked their own deaths! We saw them tonight! You can't let the Stingers do that to my parents, they're -"

But the Minister shook her head with a small smile on her face.

"Kiara, Kiara, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal. Lie back down, now, we've got everything under control ..."

"YOU HAVEN'T!" I yelled. "You've GOT THE WRONG PEOPLE!"

"Minister, listen, please," Sian said; she had hurried to my side and gazed imploringly into Sweets' face. "I saw them, too. They were Chris and Chrissie's rat and cat, they're Animagus', the Absters, I mean, and -"

"You see, Minister?" said Triphorm. "Confunded both of them ... The Pride-Landers have done a very good job on them ..."

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" I roared.

"Minister! Professor!" said Matron angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Pride-Lander is my patient, and she should not be distressed!"

"I'm not distressed, I'm just trying to tell them what happened!" I said furiously. "If they'd just listen -"

But Matron suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into my mouth. I choked and she seized the opportunity to force me back into bed.

"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave -"

The door opened again. It was Crighton. I swallowed my mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty and got up again.

"Professor Crighton, my parents -"

"For heaven's sake!" Matron said hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmistress, I must insist -"

"My apologies, Pollyanna, but I need a word with Miss Pride-Lander and my eldest daughter," said Crighton calmly. "I have just been talking to the Pride-Landers -"

"I suppose they've told you the same fairy story they've planted in their daughter's head?" spat Triphorm. "Something about a rat, a cat, and the Absters being alive -"

"That, indeed, is their story," said Crighton, surveying Triphorm closely.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Triphorm. "Alan and Alice Abster were not in the Howling House, nor did I see any sign of them in the grounds."

"That's because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Sian earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear -"

"Miss Dawson, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

"Now, Triphorm," said Sweets, startled, before Sian, who was looking daggers at Triphorm, could say anything, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances -"

"I would like to speak to Kiara and Sian alone," said Crighton abruptly. "Cornelia, Tiana, Pollyanna - please leave us."

"Headmistress!" spluttered Matron. "They need treatment, they need rest -"

"This cannot wait," said Crighton. "I must insist."

Matron pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Sweets consulted her watch.

"The Stingers should have arrived by now," she said. "I'll go and meet them. Crighton, I'll see you upstairs."

She crossed to the door and held it open for Triphorm, but Triphorm hadn't moved.

"You surely don't believe a word of the Pride-Landers' story?" Triphorm whispered, her eyes fixed on Crighton's face.

"I wish to speak to Kiara and Sian alone," Crighton repeated.

Triphorm took a step towards Crighton.

"Nala Pride-Lander showed she was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," she breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmistress? You haven't forgotten that she once tried to kill me?"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Tiana," said Crighton quietly.

Triphorm turned on her heel and marched through the door Sweets was still holding. It closed behind them and Crighton turned to Sian and I. We both burst into speech at the same time.

"Professor, my parents are telling the truth - we saw the Absters -"

" - they escaped when Professor Meers turned into a werewolf -"

" - Abster's a rat and his wife's a cat -"

" - the Absters' front paws, I mean fingers, they cut them off -"

" - the Absters attacked Chris and Chrissie, it wasn't my parents -"

But Crighton held up her hand to stop the flood of explanations.

"It's your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," she said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support the Pride-Landers' story, except your word - and the word of two thirteen-year-old witches will not convince anybody. A street full of eye-witnesses swore they saw the Pride-Landers murder the Absters. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Nala had been her and Simba's Secret-Keeper."

"Professor Meers can tell you -" I said, unable to stop myself.

"Professor Meers is currently deep in the Forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, for Simba and Nala will be worse than dead. I might add that even though werewolves get better treated than they did before Lord Voldemort was defeated, they are still mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little - and the fact that he, Simba and Nala are old friends -"

"But -"

"Listen to me, Kiara. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Triphorm's version of events is far more convincing than yours."

"She hates Nala," Sian said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Nala played on her -"

"Simba and Nala have not acted like innocent people. The attack on the Fat Lord - entering Lion-Heart Tower with knives - without the Absters, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Simba and Nala's sentence."

"But you believe us, don't you, Ma?"

"Yes, I do, Siany," said Crighton quietly. "But I have no power to make other people see the truth, or overrule the Minister for Magic."

I stared up into the grave face and I remember feeling as though the ground beneath me fell sharply away. I had grown used to the idea that Crighton could solve anything. I had expected her to pull some amazing solution out of the air. But no ... our last hope was gone.

"What we need," said Crighton slowly, moving from my face to Sian's, "is more time."

"But -" Sian began. Then her eyes became very round. "OH!"

"Now, pay attention," said Crighton, speaking very slowly and clearly. "Simba and Nala are locked in Professor Winds' 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 two innocent lives tonight. But remember this, both of you. You must not be seen. You know the laws, Sian - you know what is at stake ... you - must - not - be - seen."

I didn't have a clue what was going on at that moment. Crighton turned on her heel and looked back as she reached the door.

"I'm going to lock you in. It is -" she consulted her watch, "five minutes to midnight. Sian, three turns should do it. Good luck."

"Good luck?" I repeated, as the door closed behind Crighton. Three turns? What's she talking about? What are we supposed to do?"

But Sian rolled up the left sleeve of her robes, for on her left wrist, on top of her glove, I saw a thick black leather strap, and fixed on the middle of it was something large and silver, and I could just see a lot of circles engraved, that started out large on the outside, but got smaller as they moved in to the centre.

"Kiara, come here," she said urgently. "Quick!"

I moved towards her, completely bewildered by what was happening.

"Take my left arm - just above my elbow will do - that's it," she said, as I did what she told me to do.

"Ready?" she said breathlessly.

"What are we doing?" I said, completely lost.

Sian pointed at the silver thing, which looked a lot like a watch. As I looked at the engraved circles, I just caught a glimpse of Roman numerals engraved within each circle, before she opened it. Inside was what looked like an ordinary watch, with roman numerals, except that it didn't have hands and it didn't go "tick, tock". Instead, the tock came before the tick. I tried to touch it, but Sian slapped my hand away impatiently. She then put her finger at the top, and turned it anti-clockwise three times.

The thing cast a golden glow, and the darkness dissolved around us. I had the sensation that I was flying very fast, but backwards. A blur of colours and shapes rushed past me; my ears were pounding. I tried to yell but I couldn't hear my own voice -

And then I felt solid ground beneath my feet, and everything came into focus again -

I was standing next to Sian in the deserted Entrance Hall and a stream of golden sunlight fell across the paved floor from the open front doors. I looked wildly around at Sian, and I saw out of the corner of my eye that the silver thing had closed on top of the watch thing.

"Sian, what - ?"

"In here!" Sian seized my arm and dragged me across the hall to the door of a broom cupboard; she opened it, pushed me inside amongst the buckets and mops, followed me in then slammed the door behind us.

"What - how - Sian, what happened?"

"We've gone back in time," Sian whispered, as I let go of her arm in the darkness. "Three hours back ..."

I found my own leg and gave it a very hard pinch. It hurt a lot, so that ruled out the possibility that I was having some crazy dream.

"But -"

"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think - I think it might be us!"

Sian pressed her ear against the cupboard door.

"Footsteps across the hall ... yes, I think it's us, going down to Mina's!"

"Are you telling me," I whispered, "that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there, too?"

"Yes," said Sian, her ear still glued to the cupboard door. "I'm sure it's us ... it doesn't sound like more than four people ... and we're walking slowly because we're under the Invisibility Cloak -"

She broke off, still listening intently.

"We've gone down the front steps ..."

Sian sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperately anxious; I wanted to get some questions answered.

"Where did you get that watch thing?"

"It's called a Time-Turner," Sian whispered, "and I got it from Professor Darbus on our first day back. The original design was an hour-glass on a chain, but they got destroyed back in 1996. These were developed a few years ago, and were made to look a bit like a watch, so that they looked more inconspicuous and so that people wouldn't suspect if someone used one. Anyhoo, I've been using it all year to get to all my lessons. Professor Darbus made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies ... I've been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several hours at once, see? It's also why I've been tired and cranky, and why I haven't always acted as my normal self around people. But ...

"Kiara, I don't understand what Ma wants us to do. Why did she tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help your parents?"

I stared at her shadowy face.

"There must be something that happened around now that she wants us to change," I said slowly. "What happened? We were walking down to Mina's three hours ago ..."

"This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Mina's," said Sian. "We just heard ourselves leaving ..."

I felt as though I was screwing up my brain in concentration.

"Crighton just said - just said we could save more than two innocent lives ..." And then it hit me. "Sian, we're going to save Noelani!"

"But - how will that help your parents?"

"Crighton said - she just told us where the window is - the window of Winds' office! Where they've got my parents locked up! We've got to fly Noelani up to the window and rescue my parents! My parents can escape on Noelani - they can escape together!"

From what I saw of Sian's face, she looked nervous, yet determined.

"If we managed that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!"

"Well, we've got to try, haven't we?" I said. I stood up and pressed my own ear against the door.

"Doesn't sound like anyone's there ... come on, let's go ..."

I pushed the cupboard door open. The Entrance Hall was deserted. As quietly and quickly as we could, we darted out of the cupboard and down the stone steps. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees of the Black Forest were gilded once more with gold.

"If anyone's looking out of the windows -" Sian squeaked, looking up at the castle behind us.

"We'll run for it," I said determinedly. "Straight into the Forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout -"

"OK, but we'll go round by the greenhouses!" said Sian breathlessly. "We need to keep out of sight of Mina's front door, or we'll see us! We must be nearly at Mina's by now!"

As I tried to work out what she meant, I set off at a sprint, with Sian behind me. We tore across the vegetable gardens to the greenhouses, paused for a moment behind us, then set off again, as fast as we could, skirting around the Bashing Tree, tearing towards the shelter of the Forest ...

Safe in the shadows of the trees, I turned around; seconds later, Sian arrived beside me, panting.

"Right," she gasped, "we need to sneak over to Mina's. Keep out of sight, Kiara ..."

We made our way silently through the trees, keeping to the very edge of the Forest. Then, as we glimpsed the front of Mina's house, we heard a soft knock upon her door. We moved quickly behind a wide oak trunk and peered out from either side. Mina had appeared in the doorway, shaking and white, looking around to see who had knocked. And then I heard my own voice.

"It's us. We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Mina whispered. She stood back, then shut the door quickly.

"This is the weirdest thing we've ever done," I said fervently.

"Let's move along a bit," Sian whispered. "We need to get nearer to Noelani!"

We crept through the trees until we saw the nervous Hippogriff, tethered to the fence around Mina's pumpkin patch.

"Now?" I whispered.

"No!" said Sian. "If we steal her now, those Committee people will think Mina set her free! We've got to wait until they've seen she's tied outside!"

"That's going to give us about sixty seconds," I said. I was thinking that this was starting to sound impossible.

At that moment, there was a crash of breaking china from inside Mina's cabin.

"That's Mina breaking the milk jug," Sian whispered. "I'm going to find Claws in a moment -"

Sure enough, a few minutes' later, we heard Sian's shriek of surprise; and then, a few seconds later, we heard Sian give another shriek of surprise, which meant that Felix jumped in through Mina's open window.

"Sian," I said suddenly, "what if we - we just run in there and grab the Absters -"

"No!" said Sian in a terrified whisper. "Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobosy's supposed to change time, nobody! You heard Ma, if we're seen -"

"We'd only be seen by ourselves and Mina!"

"Kiara, what would you do if you saw yourself bursting into Mina's house?" Sian asked me unexpectedly.

"I'd - I'd think I'd gone mad," I said, "or I'd think there was some Dark Magic going on -"

"Exactly! You wouldn't understand, you might even attack yourself! Don't you see? Professor Darbus told me what awful things have happened when wizards have meddled with time ... loads of them have killed their past or future selves by mistake!"

"OK!" I said. "It was just an idea, I just thought -"

But Sian nudged me, and pointed towards the castle. I moved my head a few inches to get a clear view of the distant front doors. Crighton, Sweets, the old Committee member and Magro were coming down the steps.

"We're about to come out!" Sian breathed.

And sure enough, moments later, Mina's back door opened, and I saw myself, Chris, Sian and Chrissie walking out of it with Mina. It was, without a doubt, the strangest sensation of my life, standing behind the tree, and watching myself in the pumpkin patch.

"It's OK, Noe, it's OK ..." Mina said to Noelani. Then she turned to Chris, Sian, Chrissie and I. "Go on. Get goin'."

"Mina, we can't -"

"We'll tell them what really happened -"

"They can't kill her -"

"We'll convince them she never did any harm -"

"Go! It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"

I watched the Sian in the pumpkin patch throw the Invisibility Cloak over Chris, Chrissie and myself.

"Go quick! Don' listen ..."

There was a knock on Mina's front door. The execution party had arrived. Mina turned around and headed back into her cabin, leaving the back door ajar. I saw the grass flatten in patches all around the cabin and heard four pairs of feet retreating. Chris, Sian, Chrissie and I had gone ... but the Sian and I who were hiding in the trees heard what was happening inside the cabin through the back door.

"Where is the beast?" came the cold voice of Magro.

"Out - outside," Mina croaked.

I pulled my head out of sight as Magro's face appeared at Mina's window, staring out at Noelani. Then we heard Sweets.

"We - er - have to read the official notice of execution, Mina. I'll make it quick. And then you and Magro need to sign it. Magro, you're supposed to listen, too, that's procedure -"

Magro's face vanished from the window. It was now or never.

"Wait here," I whispered to Sian. "I'll do it."

As Sweets' voice started up again, I darted out from behind my tree, vaulted the fence into the pumpkin patch and approached Noelani.

"It is the Decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the Hippogriff Noelani, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed on the eighth of June at sundown -"

Being careful not to blink, I stared up into Noelani's fierce orange eye once more, and bowed. Noelani sank to her scaly knees and then stood up again. I began to fumble with the rope that tied Noelani to the fence.

" ... sentenced to execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Committee's appointed executioner, Wigburg Magro ..."

"Come on, Noelani," I murmured, "come on, we're going to help you. Quietly ... quietly ..."

" ... as witnessed below. Mina, you sign here ..."

I threw all my weight onto the rope, but Noelani had dug in her front feet.

"Well, let's get this over with," said the reedy voice of the Committee member from inside Mina's cabin. "Mina, perhaps it would be better if you stayed inside -"

"No, I - I wan' ter be with her ... I don' wan' her ter be alone -"

Footsteps echoed from within the cabin.

"Noelani, move!" I hissed.

I tugged harder on the rope around Noelani's neck. The Hippogriff began to walk, rustling its wings irritably. We were still ten feet away from the Forest, in plain view of Mina's back door.

"One moment, please, Magro," came Crighton's voice. "You need to sign, too." The footsteps stopped. Noelani snapped her head back and moved a little faster.

Sian's white face stuck out from behind a tree.

"Kiara, hurry!" she mouthed.

I heard Crighton's voice talking from within the cabin. I gave the rope another wrench. Noelani broke into a grudging trot. We had reached the trees ...

"Quick! Quick!" Sian moaned, darting out from behind her tree, seizing the rope too and adding her weight to make Noelani move faster. I looked over my shoulder; we were now blocked from sight; we couldn't see Mina's garden at all.

"Stop!" I whispered to Sian. "They might hear us -"

Mina's back door opened with a bang. Sian, Noelani and I stood quite still; even the Hippogriff listened intently to what was going on.

Silence ... then -

"Where is it?" said the reedy voice of the Committee member. "Where is the beast?"

"It was tied here!" said the executioner furiously. "I saw it! Just here!"

"How extraordinary," said Crighton. There was a note of amusement in her voice.

"Noe!" said Mina huskily.

There was a swishing noise, and the thud of an axe. The executioner seemed to have swung it into the fence in anger. And then came the howling, only this time we heard Mina's words through her sobs.

"Gone! Gone! Bless her little beak, she's gone! Musta pulled herself free! Noe, yeh clever girl!"

Noelani started to strain against the rope, trying to get back to Mina. Sian and I tightened our grips and dug our heels into the Forest floor to stop her.

"Someone untied her!" the executioner was snarling. "We should search the grounds, the Forest -"

"Magro, if Noelani has indeed been stolen, do you really think the thief will have led her away on foot?" said Crighton, still sounding amused. "Search the skies, if you will ... Mina, I could do with a cup of tea ... or a large glass of wine. Red being my preferred choice, of course ..."

"O' - o' course, Professor," said Mina, who sounded weak with happiness. "Come in, come in ..."

Sian and I listened closely. We heard footsteps, the soft cursing of the executioner, the snap of the door, and then silence once more.

"Now what?" I whispered, looking around.

"We'll have to hide in here," said Sian, who looked very shaken. "We need to wait until they've gone back to the castle. Then we wait until it's safe to fly Noelani up to your parents' window. They won't be there for another couple of hours ... oh, this is going to be difficult ..."

She looked nervously over her shoulder into the depths of the Forest. The sun was setting now.

"We're going to have to move," I said, thinking hard. "We've got to be able to see the Bashing Tree, or we won't know what's going on."

"OK," said Sian, getting a firmer grip on Noelani's rope. "But we've got to keep out of sight, Kiara, remember ..."

We moved around the edge of the Forest, as darkness fell thickly around us, until we were hidden behind a clump of trees through which we made out the Bashing Tree.

"There's Chris and Chrissie!" I said suddenly.

Two dark figures were sprinting across the lawn and their shouts echoed through the still night air.

"Get away from him - get away - Claws, come here -"

"Leave our animals alone - Felix, come to me, now -"

And then we saw two more figures materialise out of nowhere. I watched myself and Sian chase after Chris and Chrissie. Then we saw Chris and Chrissie dive.

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat -"

"Yeah, leave our animals alone, you filthy animal -"

"There are my parents!" I said. The great shapes of the dogs had bounded out from the roots of the Tree. We saw them bowl me over, then seize Chris and Chrissie ...

"Looks even worse from here, doesn't it?" I said, watching the dogs pull Chris and Chrissie into the roots. "Ouch - look, I just got walloped by the tree - and so did you - this is weird -"

The Bashing Tree was creaking and lashing out with its lower branches; we saw ourselves darting here and there, trying to reach the trunk. And then the Tree froze.

"That was Lucifer pressing the knot," said Sian.

"And there we go ..." I muttered. "We're in."

The moment we disappeared, the tree began to move again. Seconds later, we heard footsteps close by. Crighton, Magro, Sweets and the old Committee member were making their way up to the castle.

"Right after we'd gone down into the passage!" said Sian. "Oh ... if only Ma had come with us ..."

"Magro and Sweets would've come, too," I said bitterly. "I bet you anything Sweets would've told Magro to murder my parents on the spot ..."

We watched the four women climb the castle steps and disappear from view. For a few minutes the scene appeared deserted. Then -

"Here comes Meers!" I said, as we watched another figure sprinting down the stone steps and moving towards the Tree. I looked up at the sky. Clouds were obscuring the moon completely.

We watched as Meers seized a broken branch from the ground and prod the knot on the trunk. The Tree stopped fighting, and Meers, too, disappeared into the gap in its roots.

"If he'd only grabbed the Cloak," I said. "It's just lying there ..."

I turned to Sian.

"If I just dashed out now and grabbed it, Triphorm'd never be able to get it, and -"

"Kiara, we mustn't be seen!"

"How can you stand this?" I asked Sian furiously. "Just standing here, watching all this happen?" I hesitated. "I'm going to grab the Cloak!"

"Kiara, no!"

Sian seized the back of my robes not a moment too soon. For just then, we heard a burst of song. It was Mina, making her way up to the castle, singing at the top of her voice, and weaving slightly as she walked. A large bottle was swinging from her hands.

"See?" Sian whispered. "See what could have happened? We've got to keep out of sight! No, Noelani!"

The Hippogriff made frantic attempts to get to Mina again. I seized her rope, too, straining to hold Noelani back. We watched Mina meander tipsily up to the castle. She was gone. Noelani stopped fighting to get away. Her head drooped slightly.

Barely two minutes later, the castle doors flew open again, and Triphorm came charging out of them, running towards the Tree.

My fists clenched as we watched Triphorm skid to a halt next to the tree, looking around. She grabbed the Cloak and held it up.

"Get your filthy hands off it," I snarled under my breath.

"Shh!"

Triphorm seized the branch Meers had used to freeze the Tree, prodded the knot, and vanished from view as she put on the Cloak.

"So that's it," said Sian quietly. "We're all down there ... and now we've just got to wait until we come back up again ..."

She took the end of Noelani's rope and tied it around the nearest tree, then sat down on the dry ground, arms around her knees.

"Kiara, there's something I don't understand ... why didn't the Stingers get your parents? I remember them coming, and then I think I passed out ... there were so many of them ..."

I sat down, too. I explained to her what I'd seen; how, as the nearest Stinger lowered its mouth to mine, a large, silver something had come pounding across the river and forced the Stingers to retreat.

Sian's mouth was slightly open by the time I had finished.

"But what was it?"

"There's only one thing it could have been to make the Stingers go," I said. "A real Patronus. A powerful one."

"But do you know who conjured it? Or have any idea as to who it might have been?"

I didn't say anything. I was thinking back to the person I'd seen on the opposite bank of the river. I knew who I thought it had been ... but how could it have been?

"Didn't you see what they looked like?" said Sian eagerly. "Was it one of the teachers?"

"No," I said. "She wasn't one of the teachers."

"But it must have been a really powerful witch, to drive all those Stingers away ... If the Patronus was shining so brightly, didn't it light her up? Couldn't you see - ?"

"Yeah, I saw her," I said slowly. "But ... maybe I imagined it ... I wasn't thinking straight ... I passed out right afterwards ..."

"Who did you think it was?"

"I think -" I swallowed, knowing how strange this was going to sound (never mind crazy). "I think it was my mother."

I glanced up at Sian, and I saw that her mouth was fully open. She was gazing at me with a mixture of alarm and pity.

"Kiara, you mum - well, she was with us the whole time," she said quietly.

"I know that," I said quickly.

"You think you saw her Body Spirit or something?"

"I don't know ... no ... she looked solid ..."

"But then -"

"Maybe I was seeing things," I said. "But from what I could see ... it looked like her ... I've got photos of her ..."

Sian still looked at me as though she was concerned for my sanity.

"I know it sounds mad," I said flatly. I turned to have a look at Noelani, who was digging her beak into the ground, apparently searching for worms. But I wasn't really watching Noelani ...

I was thinking about my mother, you see ... Had her Body Spirit really been with me that night, even though her physical presence was beside me, or had I been seeing things across the river? The figure had been too far away to see distinctly ... yet I had felt sure, for a moment, before I lost consciousness ...

The leaves overhead rustled faintly in the breeze. The moon drifted in and out of sight behind the shifting clouds. Sian sat with her face turned towards the Tree, waiting.

And then, at last, after over an hour ...

"Here we come!" Sian whispered.

She and I got to our feet. Noelani raised her head. We saw Meers, Abster, Chris, Abster's wife and Chrissie climb awkwardly out of the hole in the roots. Then came Sian ... then the unconscious Triphorm, drifting weirdly upwards. Next came my parents and I. We all began to walk back towards the castle.

My heart started to beat very fast then. I still remember now the rush of anxiety that coursed through me as I glanced up at the sky, for any second now, that cloud was going to move aside and show the moon ...

"Kiara," Sian muttered, as though she knew exactly what I was thinking, "we've got to stay put. We can't be seen. There's nothing we can do ..."

"So we're just going to let the Absters escape all over again ..." I said quietly.

"How do you expect to find a rat and a cat in the dark?" snapped Sian. "There's nothing we can do! We came back to help your parents! We're not supposed to be doing anything else!"

"All right!"

The moon slid out from behind its cloud. We saw the tiny figures across the ground stop. Then we saw movement -

"There goes Meers," Sian whispered. "He's transforming -"

"Sian!" I said suddenly. "We've got to move!"

"We mustn't, I keep telling you -"

"Not to interfere! But Meers is going to run into the Forest, right at us!"

Sian gasped.

"Quick!" she moaned, dashing to untie Noelani. "Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The Stingers will be coming at any moment!"

"Back to Mina's!" I said. "It's empty now - come on!"

We ran as fast as we could, Noelani cantering along behind us. We heard the werewolf howling behind us ...

The cabin was in sight. I skidded to the door, wrenched it open and Sian and Noelani flashed past me; I threw myself in after them and bolted the door. Gnasher the boarhound barked loudly.

"Shh, Gnasher, it's us!" said Sian, hurrying over and scratching her ears to quieten her. "That was really close!" she said to me.

"Yeah ..."

I looked out of the window. It was much harder to see what was going on from in there. Noelani seemed very happy to find herself back in Mina's house. She lay down in front of the fire, folded her wings contentedly and seemed ready for a good nap.

"I think I'd better go outside again, you know," I said slowly. ""I can't see what's going on - we won't know when it's time -"

Sian looked up. Her expression was suspicious.

"I'm not going to try and interfere," I said quickly. "But if we don't see what's going on, how're we going to know when it's time to rescue my parents?"

"Well ... OK then ... I'll wait here with Noelani ... but Kiara, be careful - there's a werewolf out there - and the Stingers -"

I stepped outside again and edged around the cabin. I heard roars in the distance. That meant the Stingers were closing in on my parents ... Sian and I would be running to them any second ...

I stared out towards the river, my heart doing a kind of drum-roll in my chest. Whoever had sent that Patronus would be appearing at any moment.

For a fraction of a second I stood, irresolute, in front of Mina's door. You must not be seen. But I didn't want to be seen. I wanted to do the seeing ... I had to know ...

And there were the Stingers. They emerged out of the darkness from every direction, gliding around the edges of the river ... they were moving away from where I stood, to the opposite bank ... I knew I wouldn't have to get near them ...

I began to run. I had no thought in my head at that moment except for that of my mother ... if it was her ... if it really was her ... I had to know, I had to find out ...

The river was getting nearer and nearer, but there was no sign of anybody. On the opposite bank, I saw tiny glimmers of silver - my own attempts at a Patronus -

There was a bush at the very edge of the water. I threw myself behind it, and peered desperately through the leaves. On the opposite bank, the glimmers of silver were suddenly extinguished. A terrified excitement shot through me - any moment now -

"Come on!" I muttered, staring about. "Where are you? Mum, come on -"

But no one came. I raised my head to look at the circle of Stingers across the river. One of them lowered its head. It was time for the rescuer to appear - but no one was coming to help this time (or so I thought) -

And then it hit me - I understood. I hadn't seen my mother - I had seen myself -

I flung myself out from behind my bush and pulled out my wand.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" I yelled.

And out of the end of my wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. I screwed up my eyes, trying to see what it was. It looked like a wolf. It was pounding its paws silently away from me, across the black surface of the river. I saw it lower its head and charge at the swarming Stingers ... now it was pounding around and around the black shapes on the ground, and the Stingers fell back, scattering, retreating into the darkness ... they were gone.

The Patronus turned. It pounded back towards me across the still surface of the water. It wasn't a wolf. It wasn't a tiger, either. It was a lioness. It shone as brightly as the moon above ... it was coming back to me ...

It stopped on the bank. Its paws made no marks on the soft ground as it stared at me with its large, silver eyes. Slowly it bowed its maneless head. And then another realisation hit me ...

"Mum," I whispered.

But as my trembling fingers stretched towards the creature, it vanished.

I stood there, with my hand still outstretched. Then, with a great leap of my heart, I heard hooves behind me - I whirled around and saw Sian dashing towards me, dragging Noelani behind her.

"What did you do?" she said fiercely. "You said you were only going to keep a lookout!"

"I just saved all our lives ..." I said. "Get behind here - behind this bush - I'll explain."

Sian listened to what had just happened with her mouth open yet again.

"Did anyone see you?"

"Yes, haven't you been listening? I saw me but I thought I was my mum! It's OK!"

"Kiara, I can't believe it - you conjured up a Patronus that drove away all those Stingers! That's very, very advanced magic ..."

"I knew I could do it all this time," I said, "because I'd already done it ... Does that make sense?"

"I don't know - Kiara, look at Triphorm!"

Together we peered around the bush at the other bank. Triphorm had regained consciousness. She conjured stretchers and lifted the limp forms of myself, Sian and my parents onto them. The fifth and sixth stretchers, no doubt bearing Chris and Chrissie, were already at her side. Then, wand held out in front of her, she moved them away towards the castle.

"Right, it's nearly time," said Sian tensely, looking at the clock on her phone. "We've got about forty-five minutes until Ma locks the door to the hospital wing. We've got to rescue your parents and get back into the ward before anybody realises we're missing ..."

We waited, watching the clouds reflected in the river, while the bush next to us whispered in the breeze. Noelani, bored, was ferreting for worms again.

"D'you reckon they're up there yet?" I said, checking my watch. I looked up at the castle, and began counting the windows to the right of the West Tower.

"Look!" Sian whispered. "Who's that? Someone's coming back out of the castle!"

I stared through the darkness. The woman hurried across the grounds, towards one of the entrances. Something shiny glinted on her belt.

"Magro!" I said. "The executioner! She's gone to get the Stingers! This is it, Sian -"

Sian put her hands on Noelani's back and I gave her a leg-up. Then I placed my foot on one of the lower branches of the bush and climbed up in front of her. I pulled Noelani's rope back over her neck and tied it to the other side of her collar like reins.

"Ready?" I whispered. "You'd better hold on to me -"

I nudged Noelani's sides with my heels.

Noelani soared straight into the air. I gripped her flanks with my knees, feeling the great wings rising powerfully beneath me. Sian was leaning back slightly, and when I glanced at her over my shoulder, she had her eyes closed and was smiling a happy, carefree smile, and I could tell that it took her as much self-will on her part to not whoop out with glee. I grinned at this and turned my head back to face the sky before me before she caught me.

I urged Noelani forward. We glided quietly towards the upper floors of the castle ... I pulled hard on the left-hand side of the rope, and Noelani turned. I tried to count the windows flashing past -

"Whoa!" I said, pulling backwards as hard as I could.

Noelani slowed down and we found ourselves at a stop, unless you counted the fact that we kept rising up and down several feet as she beat her wings to remain airborne.

"They're there!" I said, spotting my parents as we rose up beside the window. I reached out, and as Noelani's wings fell, I was able to tap sharply on the glass.

My parents looked up. I saw their jaws drop. They leapt from their chairs, hurried to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Stand back!" Sian called to them, and she took out her wand, whilst she gripped the back of my robes with her left hand.

"Alohomora!"

The window sprang open.

"How - how - ?" said Mum weakly, she and Dad staring at the Hippogriff.

"Get on, there's not much time," I said, gripping Noelani firmly on either side of her sleek neck to hold myself steady. "You two have got to get out of here - the Stingers are coming. Magro's gone to get them."

My father placed a hand on either side of the window-frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. It was lucky he was so thin. In seconds, he had managed to fling one leg over Hippogriff's back, and pulled himself onto the Hippogriff behind Sian. Seconds later, my mother placed a hand on either side of the window-frame and heaved her head and shoulders out of it, too. Then she held out a hand and my father grabbed it, and pulled my mother up behind him.

"OK, Noelani, up!" I said, shaking the rope. "Up to the Tower - come on!"

The Hippogriff gave one sweep of its mighty wings and we soared upwards again, high as the top of the West Tower. Noelani landed with a clatter on the battlements and Sian and I slid off her at once.

"Daddy, Mum, you'd better go, quick," I panted. "They'll reach Winds' office at any moment, they'll find out you're gone.

Noelani pawed the ground, tossing her sharp head.

"What happened to the other girl - and that boy? Chrissie and Chris?" Daddy said urgently.

"They're going to be OK - they're still out of it, but Matron says she'll be able to make them better. Quick - go!"

But my parents were still staring down at me.

"How can your father and I ever thank -" began Mum.

"GO!" Sian and I shouted together.

My father wheeled Noelani around, facing the open sky.

"We'll see each other again," my father said to me, a proud gleam in his eyes. "You are - truly our daughter, Kiara ..."

I went to them, reached up so that they could each kiss me farewell, then my father squeezed Noelani's sides with his heels. Sian and I jumped back as the enormous wings rose once more ... the Hippogriff took off into the air ... she and her riders became smaller and smaller as I gazed after them ... then a cloud drifted across the moon ... they were gone.