"What about the girl?"
"Once her father is gone I believe she will be of little threat. She has clearly been deeply affected by her father's reappearance. One could even say it has left her mad. I believe that anything the Black girl has to say must be disregarded as the ravings of an emotionally compromised little girl," said a voice that sounded like Professor Snape.
"Perhaps we should do something to help the poor child, if she is really so distraught."
Sophie could hear the voices, talking about her, but they seemed so far away.
There were new voices now, closer.
Someone was moving about near her. Sophie willed her eyes to open.
Madame Pomfrey was standing next to her, filling up glasses with something that looked rather vile.
"Ah Miss Black, you're awake. Very good. Here, drink this and eat the entire bar of chocolate. The entire thing! That should get you fixed up," Madame Pomfrey said.
"What happened to us? Harry. Sirius," Sophie mumbled, accepting the potion and chocolate. She tried to sit up but found herself rather weak.
"Drink. You were attacked by Dementors, which I assume you remember. Ridiculous having Dementors in a school. Mr. Potter is fine. He is lying across from you. He has not awoken yet." Madame Pomfrey said.
"My Father? Sirius, Where is he?" Sophie asked.
Sophie knew something was wrong the moment she hesitated to answer. Sophie sat up much too rapidly but ignored the pounding in her head.
"Where is my father?" She demanded.
"He's been locked up. The Dementors will be performing a kiss at any moment. Please eat your chocolate Miss Black," Madame Pomfrey said as kindly as she could.
"No. No. This is wrong. I need to see the Headmaster. I need to speak to him immediately," Sophie said.
"That will not be possible. You need to rest."
Madame Pomfrey made the colossal mistake of turning her back to check on Ron.
Sophie grabbed her wand from the side table and was up in a second. She bounded across the room
"HARRY. HARRY WAKE UP. HERMIONE WAKE UP," Sophie was yelling and shaking them, "You have to get up."
The began to stir as Madame Pomfrey stormed over and said, "Miss Black, you need to get back into bed. Stop disturbing the other patients."
"Sophie," Harry said, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
He started to sit up as she said, "It's not me, it's Sirius. They are going to perform the Dementor's kiss. We have to do something."
Harry was on his feet immediately.
"Let's go."
Madame Pomfrey was rather distraught as she said, "Children! You are not going anywhere! You need rest. There is nothing you can do about the sentencing."
"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT TO ME. MY FATHER IS INNOCENT. I WILL NOT LET THEM DO THIS TO HIM," Sophie screamed.
Madame Pomfrey stood there in shocked silence while Hermione and Ron, both now awake, looked at her, concerned.
Harry took her hand and pulled her toward the door.
The same door that Severus Snape and The Minister of Magic were walking through.
"What is going on in here?" Cornelius Fudge asked, "Harry! You and Miss, ah, Black, should be resting."
Sophie squeezed Harry's hand. She didn't know what to do. She was the emotionally compromised daughter of a murderer. No one would ever believe her.
Harry stepped forward, coming through, as always.
"Minister, you have to let Sirius Black go. He's innocent. Pettigrew did it all and faked his death. Please Minister. You have the wrong man," Harry said with urgency.
Fudge gave Harry an amused look and said, "Harry, you have been through a terrible ordeal but you don't need to worry any more. We have everything taken care of."
"NO YOU DON'T. YOU HAVE THE WRONG MAN!" Harry yelled.
Despite the fact that yelling did not help them, Sophie squeezed Harry's hand in gratitude. He yelled at the Minister of Magic because he cared enough about Sirius. Sophie had never appreciated another person's yelling more in her entire life.
But the yelling hadn't gotten them anyone so it was time for a gentler approach.
"Minister," Sophie said, "Sirius Black is completely innocent. Peter Pettigrew was the traitor. He sold Lily and James Potter out to Voldemort and he blew up the street, faking his own death and killing all of those muggles. He has been posing as Ron's rat since then and tonight we saw him, very much alive. Please, Minister, Sirius Black is innocent."
Sophie spoke calmly and rationally. She maintained eye contact with Fudge and did not raise her voice. For Sophie, it was handle quite well.
Fudge did not respond as well.
"Miss Black, you are not impartial. You are Black's daughter and as far as I can tell the apple has not fallen far from the rotten tree. You are clearly a compulsive liar or you are delusional. I do not accept the ravings of a madman's daughter as a reason to stop justice," Fudge said. His voice dripped with condescension and loathing as he spoke to her. Shock washed over Sophie as she stood there.
Snape sneered as he said, "Black is spouting a similar story. Clearly this was rehearsed between them. Potter, Weasley, and Granger must either be confunded or supporting Miss Black out of obligation."
Sophie just stood there. She stood there steaming as word after word sliced into her.
Harry didn't want to just stand there.
"How dare you. HOW DARE YOU. She is a good person. She is brave and loyal and kind. She is the best person I know. For the two of you to stand there and disregard the truth she is telling you, and it is the complete truth, is an outrage. She is too good to say it to you but I will. You are both ignorant people and when the truth about Sirius finally comes out, you will look like fools," Harry said with malice.
Harry moved her away from the two of them, like he wanted her to be safe.
Then he walked back towards them and said, matter of factly, "I would like for you to apologize to her."
Fudge and Snape, who had remained silent until then, exchanged a completely dumbfound looked.
Sophie realized, as soon as Harry asked for it, she didn't want an apology.
"No. No, Harry. I don't want an apology because I don't need one. All I see in front of me are two prejudiced men who want to let a man loose his soul so they don't have to be wrong. I only see cowards. You and I are not cowards and we don't need apologies from them. However, Minister, I will say this. If the Dementors perform a kiss and I loose my father for the second time, you will sorely regret it. I will not go without my justice. I will make sure every single person in the Wizarding world knows what you did and I will not stop going after you until you are out of office. I am not delusional. I know exactly what I want and, believe me, I will get it. So you can stop the Dementor's kiss or you can deal with all I can do. The choice is yours," Sophie said passionately.
Hermione got out of bed and moved to stand next to her, to support her.
Fudge just glared at her for several moments before moving towards her and saying, "I am no coward. A 13-year-old girl will not threaten me and one certainly will not intimidate me. If you think for one moment—"
"Cornelius," said the serene voice of Professor Dumbledore, "I must ask you not to take that tone with my students. They are, as you say, 13 years old."
Fudge looked at Dumbledore for a moment before saying, "Of course, Albus. I have a kiss to oversee anyway. Are you coming Severus?"
"Of course, Minister. Wouldn't miss it," Snape said with detectable joy.
With that, they swept from the room, to enjoy the show.
"Well Miss Black, you certainly held your own. Rather impressive, as are you Mr. Potter. Mr. Black being held at the top of the Astronomy tower. Now, Miss Granger, you know what to do. 3 turns should do it," Dumbledore said.
"Professor Dumbledore, my father. Please, can you please stop them?" Sophie said quietly.
Albus Dumbledore peered over his half moon spectacles and said, "Miss Black, it is never easy to crawl around in the dark but please trust that there is a plan. 3 turns, Miss Granger. You know the rules. You mustn't be seen and you must be back here before I lock the doors at 8. If all goes well, more than one innocent life may be saved."
With that he turned and departed the hospital wing.
Hermione was moving just as soon as he was gone.
"Sophie, come here. Quickly! Ron, since you can't walk it really doesn't make much sense bringing you," She said.
Hermione pulled a funny looking little object from beneath her robes and extended the chain around their three necks. It was a tiny circular contraption with small turning dials. Harry reached up to touch it only to have his hand slapped away by Hermione. Sophie bit her lip to stifle her smile. Hermione turned the dial 3 times and the whole world moved around her. She saw people rapidly moving about the hospital wing and the sky brighten instead of darken. When the moving stopped, it was bright outside and the three of them stood alone in the hospital wing.
"5:02. Where were we at 5:02?" Hermione said, checking her watch.
"I was having tea with Remus so you were on the way to Hagrid's?" Sophie said.
"Yes we were! Let's go," She replied.
"Where is Ron? What have you done, Hermione?" Harry asked.
Hermione sighed as she said, "I'll tell you on the way. We have to hurry."
Hermione took off running with Sophie and Harry close behind.
Hermione was careful. She peeked her head around each corner before proceeding.
"What's happening, Hermione," asked Harry.
"We are saving lives. Quick! In here," she said, shoving them into a broom cupboard.
Sophie
"Hermione," Harry said again.
"Just look," Hermione replied, pointing to a small hole in the door.
She moved aside and let Harry and Sophie peek through. Sophie felt his gentle breath on her neck and the heat from his body. She was broken out of her reverie by footsteps.
Running past the broom cupboard at that moment were Ron, Hermione, and Harry.
Sophie wheeled around to face Harry's chest. She looked up, meeting his green eyes, and shared a look.
"What is going on, Hermione," Sophie asked.
Hermione pulled out the small object again and said, "This is a Time-Turner. It gives you the ability to travel back in time. This is how I've been getting to all my lessons all year. Professor McGonagall gave it to me at the start of term. Those people, they're us. They're us earlier today when we were on our way to Hagrid's. This is our chance to save Sirius. We need to retrace our steps and we absolutely cannot be seen. Do you understand? No one can see us, or it will ruin everything. We need to get down to Hagrid's now. Let's go."
Hermione peeked out of the door and then took off beckoning for Sophie and Harry to follow her.
And they took off. Quickly but carefully, they moved down the hill toward Hagrid's.
They ducked behind the pumpkins in the pumpkin patch outside the hut and watched as Harry, Ron, and Hermione had tea with Hagrid. The peculiarity of seeing two Harry's and two Hermione's at once was unparalleled. They were both here and there and Sophie couldn't help but to look back and forth between them.
"Look," Hermione said suddenly, "Dumbledore, Fudge, and the executioner are coming down the hill. But we're not leaving. Why aren't we leaving?"
Neither Sophie nor Harry seemed to know how to respond but watched as the delegation neared closer to the hut.
"What if I went in and told you all to leave," Sophie said quietly.
"No," Hermione said very quickly, "You mustn't be seen."
Then suddenly Sophie saw something hurled through the air at great speed through the kitchen window. As it shattered a cup, the trio stood up from the table. Ron peered out of the window and turned suddenly back to the others when he saw the executioner and the rest of the delegation. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione scurried out of Hagrid's hut, Sophie, Harry, and Hermione moved from behind the pumpkins into the Forbidden Forest to stay concealed.
"I'm here. But I'm also there," said Harry to Sophie as they crouched behind a towering tree, "This is bloody nuts." Sophie smiled at him.
The trio ducked behind the pumpkins as the procession to kill Buckbeak entered Hagrid's hut. Harry, Sophie, and Hermione watched the as the three of them headed up towards the school, knowing that they would be diverted under the Whomping Willow. Knowing that shortly after emerging from the Whomping Willow, Peter Pettigrew would escape. That thought kept running through her head: Peter Pettigrew had escaped. Pettigrew is running around as a free man and Sirius might receive the Dementor's Kiss. Sophie was so focused on this that she didn't hear Hermione saying her name. "Sophie, Hello!" Hermione said poking her.
"Sorry, spacing out. What's going on," Sophie said, turning towards her.
"Dumbledore said we could save more than one innocent life could be saved. The other life could be Buckbeak," Hermione said eagerly.
Sophie nodded encouragingly and said, "We'd better move quickly."
Harry, Hermione, and Sophie moved out of the forest, towards Buckbeak. Harry gestured for them to stop as he continued towards Buckbeak and sunk into a low bow. Buckbeak returned his bow and Harry kneeled down to untie the thick ropes tethering the Hippogriff to the site of his intended death. Harry took the rope and lead him quickly into the forest with Sophie and Hermione quickly behind.
The moment that they entered the forest, Hagrid's hut door swung open and Dumbledore emerged followed by the Minister of Magic and the Executioner.
"Well, where is the beast? It was just here. I saw it," The minister cried out.
Hagrid emerged from his hut and asked, "What' goin' on?"
Dumbledore removed his spectacles and wiped them as he said, "Well it appears that Buckbeak has escaped."
"Escaped! He must have been freed! Hagrid must've-" the minister stated angrily.
"Ah, but Hagrid was with us. How could he have possibly released the beast," said Dumbledore, "Now since it is highly unlikely we will find Buckbeak, I think I would love a cup of tea Hagrid." Fudge looked furious but defeated as Dumbledore followed Hagrid into the Hut. Fudged stormed toward the castle followed by the now highly pointless executioner.
Sophie couldn't help but smile at the Minister's frustration. She found she liked him less with every passing interaction.
"So what now?" Sophie asked when the Minister faded out of sight.
"We have to wait for us to emerge from the Whomping Willow and for Sirius to be taken into custody so we can release him," Hermione said factually.
Sophie felt a rush of affection towards Hermione. She didn't have to do this, he wasn't her father or godfather but she stood here nevertheless.
"Alright," Harry said, "But we should move to where we can see the Whomping Willow. That way we know when we need to go."
Hermione and Sophie nodded and they headed through the forest with Buckbeak in tow until they found a concealed spot in the forest where they could watch the proceedings.
"Now we wait," Sophie said as she sunk down to the ground, with Hermione and Harry following in suit.
They watched and waited for themselves to emerge from the Whomping Willow.
"I think I saw my dad," Harry said quietly to Sophie after a while.
"What?" She replied, glancing over to Hermione who appeared not to have heard and was stroking Buckbeak's feathers.
"When we were down by the lake. You and Sirius had collapsed but I was trying to produce a Patronus but couldn't. Then I saw him, across the lake. He produced a Patronus. He was the one who drove them all away, not me," Harry said.
Sophie was a bit at a loss of what to say and merely nodded. This didn't surprise her. Children who loose parents were always seeing their parents in strange ways. Sometimes Sophie felt she had spent her whole life looking for her mother.
The sound of voices signaled that the delegation had emerged from the Shrieking Shack. Sophie watched as Remus realized what night it was. Sophie watched the total fear of the change pass through his eyes. She knew that look far too well; Remus didn't need to be about to change to get that look. Sophie watched her father's face contort in agony as he changed. Sophie's heart constricted in pain for all she wanted to do was stop his agony. Sophie watched him assume full werewolf form and watched herself stupidly have him chase her. But most painfully of all, she watched Peter Pettigrew escape.
"Hermione, he's right there. Couldn't we just-" Sophie pleaded.
"No. I'm sorry Sophie but there are rules," said Hermione.
Harry squeezed her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. But Sophie didn't want comfort; she wanted her father to be free.
The three of them watched an injured Sirius stagger away, down towards the lake, and watched Harry chase after him. As he disappeared from sight, the sky filled with dark hooded Dementors, all headed towards the lake, towards their prey.
"My father is on the other side of that lake," Harry said with a sudden realization. As soon as he said it, he was gone.
"Harry!" Hermione yelled at his disappearing form as he ran towards what may or not be his dad, "Sophie, where is he going?"
"He thinks his dad is on the other side of that lake!" Sophie replied. Not waiting for Hermione to respond, Sophie took off after him.
She weaved through trees and jumped over tree roots but it wasn't until she felt the cold of nearby Dementors that she knew she was close. She burst through the trees and saw him standing on the edge of the lake. Not James Potter, just Harry.
"Harry," Sophie said quietly. Harry whipped around quickly, obviously disappointed to see her.
"I thought you were my dad," Harry said, "But just wait, he'll be here in a minute."
"Harry, I'm not sure he will be," Sophie said. Harry didn't respond but Sophie moved towards him and stopped next to him. She felt him take her hand and whisper under his breath, "He has to come." Dementors were descending upon an unconscious Sirius and Sophie and Harry was struggling to fend off the hoard of Dementors. One after another they descended, feeding on the three fading forms.
"Harry, we have to do something. They're going to kiss Sirius if we don't," Sophie said urgently. It seemed for a moment that Harry had not heard her until the Harry on the other side of the lake fell to his knees.
"Harry!" Sophie said again. In one seamless motion, Harry dropped Sophie's hand, withdrew his wand, and cried loudly, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A stag erupted from his wand and charged at the Dementors. One by one they fled from the Stag and moved away from their prey.
Sophie withdrew her wand and conjured up the happiest thought she could. I have two fathers who love me and Sirius is innocent. She repeated it over and over as she cried, "EXPECTO PATRONUM." From her wand, a doe bounded forward. Sophie had never cast a full corporeal Patronus before and watched as her doe joined Harry's stag and bounded through the air, driving the dementors away. Eventually, they were all driven out and Harry and Sophie dropped their wands and turned to one another.
"It wasn't your dad who drove them away, Harry. It was you," Sophie said smiling. Harry returned her smile with a grin that light up his whole face.
Sophie turned as she heard voices from across the lake. They were coming to take Sirius.
"Come on," Harry said, "Let's go free him."
Sophie followed as Harry ran through the forest towards Hermione, who looked visibly relieved as they came into view.
"Thank god. Please tell me no one saw you," Hermione said.
"No one saw us. Hermione it wasn't my dad who got rid of the Dementors. It was me! With help from Sophie, of course," Harry said excitedly.
Hermione smiled and nodded like she knew it was them all along.
"Come on. We have to get Sirius," Sophie said.
The three of them hopped on Buckbeak's back and he took off, soaring through the air as though they weighed nothing.
Hermione held onto Sophie as if her very life depended on it. Sophie had forgotten Hermione's immense dislike of flying. Sophie squeezed the hand clutching her reassuringly.
The moment Buckbeak landed on the tower balcony Sophie was off of his back, blasting open the door.
A huddled mass lay in the middle of the tower and Sophie ran towards it.
"Sirius, Sirius, come on. Please don't say we're too late," Sophie said desperately.
He stirred, weak, and looked up at her. "Hello Darling. Miss me?" Sirius said weakly but with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Sophie laughed and nodded as she helped him to his feet.
"Come on. We're your rescue party," Sophie said smiling. And as quickly as they had come, they flew off riding Buckbeak.
They touched down in the courtyard and all 4 of them slid off Buckbeak's back. Sophie got a sinking feeling in her stomach because she knew what would happen next: Sirius would have to leave her again.
Sirius grabbed her and Harry's hands and led them away from Hermione and Buckbeak.
"I can't thank you enough for what you have done. Truly I am in your debt," Sirius said.
"Then take me with you. Please Dad, I don't want to say goodbye," Sophie said, her voice thick with emotion.
Sirius looked as though his heart were breaking as he said, "You don't know how much I wish I could bring you with me, both of you. But you're better off here. And this isn't goodbye, this is see you later. I will never say goodbye to you. I promise I will never say goodbye to you."
Sophie felt a tear roll down her cheek as she said, "You had better keep that promise."
"Look after each other. We will all be together again soon. The ones who love us never truly leave us. They live on in here," Sirius said, placing his hand on his heart, "I have to go though. I love you both." He hugged them both tightly and hopped on Buckbeak.
"Hermione, thank you for all your help. You really are very bright," Sirius said smiling. Hermione smiled brightly, obviously very pleased. Sirius blew Sophie a kiss and took off into the air. Sophie used all her strength not to cry.
"We need to be back in the hospital wing in 5 minutes. We have to go guys," Hermione said gently.
Sophie looked at Harry who gave her an encouraging half smile and then nodded. The three of them sprinted through the school as fast as they could to the Hospital Wing. They arrived at the doors just as Dumbledore emerged.
"We've done it. He's free," Hermione said, out of breath.
"Done what?" Dumbledore said with a glint in his eye. He departed down the hallway as the three of them entered the hospital wing, breathless and exhilarated.
Ron sat up in his bed and said, "You were just over there. What just happened?"
Sophie just looked from Harry to Hermione and burst out in a loud, genuine laugh.