Midnight Rambler
There was a pang of embarrassment when he thought about it. It had only happened a few moments ago, so of course the sting was still there. He'd run away. Had he nearly cried too? Of course it must've been due to the fact that he was exhausted. So much had happened that night after all. And he was still worried about his mother. It was understandable then, that he would be strangely over-emotional.
He knew the truth now, the absolute truth. Sirius Black wouldn't lie about being his father. Corvus was back to having no father, a position he should be comfortable with, but he couldn't shake that weird sensation he felt when Sirius said 'No.'
Dumbledore didn't speak to him as they made their way back to the hospital wing. There was an argument going on inside, behind the door. It sounded like Potter. Corvus figured him and Granger must've woken up. They were probably desperately trying to convince everyone that Sirius was innocent. He didn't know what Dumbledore had up his sleeve, but he hoped it was enough.
Yet the thought of seeing Sirius again made Corvus nervous. He shouldn't have run out like that. It was stupid of him. What Sirius must think of him now? That wasn't at all something Corvus Black would do. Talk about making the wrong impression…
He's not my father, Regulus Black was. Nothing's changed, he told himself. How could he feel this empty and disappointed if he never had whatever it is his irrational side was missing? Because there had been some hope…
This was beginning to disgust him. "Get a grip," Corvus murmured to himself as Dumbledore opened the door to the hospital wing. Luckily the argument going on inside drowned out what he'd said. Potter was sitting up on a bed, surrounded by Cornelius Fudge, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape. Snape looked vivid again standing over Potter with Fudge next to him. The Minister was looking a little shaken.
"Now, please, Minister, these children need care," Pomfrey was trying to keep her temper in check with the Minister. "Please leave –" Potter looked up as the door opened. Granger was standing up, very nervous looking and she seemed relieved to find Dumbledore there.
"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black-" Potter began.
"For heaven's sake!" said Madma Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist-"
"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. and Miss Granger," said Dumbledore calmly. Corvus moved to step behind him. The last thing he wanted now was Pomfrey giving him some medical examination. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black."
"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive –"
"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.
"And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Snape. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him in the grounds."
"That was because you were knocked out, Professor," said Granger earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear – "
"Miss Granger, hold your tongue!"
"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "The young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances –"
"I would like to speak to Harry, Hermione and Corvus alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy – please leave us."
"Headmaster!" spluttered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest – I haven't even given that one," she pointed at Corvus, "a thorough examination - "
"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.
"The Dementors should have arrived now," he said. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs." He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved.
"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered.
"I wish to speak to the students alone," Dumbledore repeated.
Snape took a step towards Dumbledore. "Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he said softly. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"
"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus."
Snape's black eyes moved over Corvus for a moment. Corvus felt he was looking for Sirius's resemblance in him, because he gave him a sudden stare much like the one he gave Sirius back in the Shrieking Shack. He turned and marched through the door Fudge was still holding open. It closed behind them and Dumbledore turned to Potter and Granger. They both burst into speech at the same time.
"Professor, Black's telling the truth – we saw Pettigrew -"
"- he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf –"
"- he's a rah – "
"Shut up," Corvus hissed viciously. Potter and Granger looked stunned, Dumbledore turned curiously at him as well. He crossed his arms, and replied unflinchingly, "Only I suppose we're running out of time, sir. And besides, I told him everything already," he added to Potter and Granger.
With the faintest of smiles, the Headmaster nodded, "It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because Corvus is right, we are running out of time. There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except for your word – and the word of two thirteen-year-olds and one fifteen-year-old wizard will not convince anybody. A street full of eye-witnessed swore they saw Sirius murder Peter Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."
"Professor Lupin can tell you- "
"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the Forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little- and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends-"
"But-" Corvus glared at Potter this time. Couldn't he control himself?
"Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours."
"He hates Sirius," Granger said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him-"
"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady – entering the Gryffindor Tower with a knife – without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."
"But you believe us."
"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic…"
Potter looked devastated. Corvus was wondering too what hope they had of a happy ending.
"What we need," said Dumbledore, his light-blue eyes moved to Granger, "is more time."
"But-" Granger began. And then her eyes became round, "Oh!"
Corvus frowned slightly, but he wasn't going to waste time asking questions. If Dumbledore had a plan to solve this, they had to do it quickly.
"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very slow and very clearly. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's 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 one innocent life tonight."
Was he speaking about his mother?
"But remember this, all of you. You must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law – you know what is at stake… you – must – not – seen." Potter and Corvus exchanged clueless looks. Dumbledore turned on his heels and looked back as he reached the door. "I'm going to lock you in. It is- " he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."
"Good luck?" Potter repeated, baffled. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to?"
Corvus shrugged. They both turned to Granger who was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain. "Corvus, Harry, come here," she said urgently. "Quick!"
Corvus moved towards her, but not as closely as Potter did. She snatched at his arm and pulled him in, he cringed a little at the thought of being so physically close to perhaps two of the most annoying Gryffindors.
She was holding the chain out. He saw a tiny, sparkling hourglass hanging from it.
"A Time-Turner!" Corvus gasped, forgetting how strange this was. She nodded.
"Here-" she threw the chain around Corvus and Harry's neck as well.
"What are we doing?" asked Potter.
Granger turned the hourglass over three times. The dark ward dissolved. Corvus felt like he was flying, very fast, backwards. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past him. His ears were pounding. And then he felt the solid ground beneath his feet again. He was standing next to Granger and Potter in the deserted Entrance Hall.
There was a stream of golden sunlight falling across the paved floor from the open front doors. Corvus was marveling still at his first experience with time-traveling when Granger seized his hand and Potter's arm. She dragged them across the hall to the door of a broom cupboard. She opened it and pushed them inside amongst the buckets and mops. She hurried inside as well, slamming the door shut behind her.
"What – how – Hermione, what happened?" Potter stuttered while Corvus eagerly reached to touch the tiny, golden hourglass. She pulled it away from him, giving him a warning look.
"We've gone back in time," Granger whispered. She lifted the chain off their necks in the darkness. "Three hours back."
"But - "
"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think – I think it might be us!" She had her ear pressed against the door. "Footsteps across the hall… I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!"
"Are you telling me," Potter whispered, "that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there, too?"
"Wait, shut up," Corvus suddenly remembered he had the ear trumpet on him. He took it out, pressed it against the door and put it to his ear to listen. Granger was about to whisper something, but Corvus quickly held his hand up for silence. "It doesn't sound like more than three people," he told her. "I think I heard your voice Granger… walking very slowly though…"
"Yes!" she hissed excitedly. Corvus winced at the sharp noise.
"I told you to shut up," Corvus snarled at her as he put the ear trumpet away. "It's enchanted so I can hear everything about ten times louder."
"You didn't tell us that. How were we supposed to know?" said Potter rather hotly.
"Don't you think I'd tell you two to shut up for a reason?" Corvus replied, rubbing his ear. "Anyway, you've gone down the front steps. But very slowly, why is that?"
"Because we're under the Invisibility Cloak," Granger said quickly. She at least wasn't giving Corvus pointless attitude.
"I past through the Entrance Hall too," Corvus told her. "The sun had set though." He was looking down at the dim light seeping through the bottom of the door. "I won't be coming until much later."
Granger sat down on an upturned bucket. She nodded, affirming that she heard Corvus. She looked desperately anxious and she turned to Potter. "Harry, I don't understand what Dumbledore wants us to do. Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help Sirius?"
"There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change," Potter said slowly. "What happened?"
"I was delivering a letter, then going to the Whomping Willow," Corvus said, shrugging.
"We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago," Potter said.
"This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid's," said Granger. "We just heard ourselves leaving."
Potter screwed up his face, thinking very hard by the looks of it. "Maybe we're suppose to tell you something," he said to Corvus. "Maybe we're supposed to tell you about Pettigrew."
"Don't be stupid. I would never believe you, Potter."
They were silent again.
"Dumbledore just said – just said we could save more than one innocent life… Hermione, we're going to save Buckbeak!"
"But – how will that help Sirius?"
"Dumbledore said – he just told us where the window is – the window of Flitwick's office! Where they've got Sirius locked up! We've got to fly Buckbeak up to the window and rescue Sirius! Sirius can escape on Buckbeak – they can escape together!"
Granger looked terrified. Corvus wasn't sure who Buckbeak was. "Are you – are we talking about that Hippogriff?"
"Yes," Potter said eagerly, looking to Granger to see what she'd say.
"If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!"
"Well, we've got to go try, haven't we?" Potter pressed his own ear against the door. "Doesn't sound like anyone's there… come on, let's go."
Potter pushed the cupboard door open. The Entrance Hall was deserted. As quietly and quickly as they could, they darted out of the cupboard and down the stone steps. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest gilded once more with gold.
"I was still at the Owlry now," Corvus noted, remembering seeing this sunset from the Owlry.
"And you went straight for the Whomping Willow?" Potter asked. Corvus nodded pointing to the direction he took.
"If we're heading to Hagrid's, I won't see us."
"If anyone's looking out of the window - " Granger squeaked, looking up at the castle behind them.
"We'll run for it," said Potter determinedly. "Straight into the Forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep looking out."
"Ok, but we'll go round the greenhouses!" said Granger. "We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door, or we'll see us! We must nearly be at Hagrid's by now!"
Potter set off at a sprint, Corvus and Granger followed him. Corvus leg's started aching, reminding him that he'd done enough running that day. He pushed through it though and caught up to run along side Potter. They tore across the vegetable gardens to the greenhouses, paused for a moment behind them, and then set off again, fast as they could.
They skirted around the Whomping Willow, and the three of them tore towards the shelter of the Forest. Potter and him waited in the safety of the shadows for Granger to arrive. She was panting horribly. "Right… we need to sneak over to Hagrid's. Keep out of sight, Harry…"
They made their way through the trees as silently as possible. They glimpsed Hagrid's house, there was a knock upon his door. They moved behind a wide oak trunk, peering out from either side. Thankfully Granger was short enough for Corvus to see over her head.
Hagrid had appeared in his doorway, shaking and white, looking around to see who had knocked. Corvus heard Potter's voice. "It's us. We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."
"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but he stood back, then the door shut quickly.
"This is the weirdest thing we've ever done," Potter said fervently. Corvus laughed a little.
"Let's move along a bit," Granger said. "We need to get nearer to Buckbeak."
They crept through the trees until they saw the Hippogriff, tethered to the fence around Hagrid's pumpkin patch. Corvus grew a little fearful of the creature. He had never seen a Hippogriff this close up. Once his mother's client in Texas had a whole stable full of them, but Corvus was too young to be given a tour of them.
He kept looking to Buckbeak's talons on his front legs, which were a foot long and deadly looking. To calm himself, he repeated everything he knew about approaching Hippogriffs in his mind. Do NOT offend him… maintain eye contact… bow…
"Now?"
"No!" said Granger. "If we steal him now, those Committee people will think Hagrid set him free! We've got to wait until they've seen he's tied outside!"
"That's going to give us about sixty seconds," said Potter.
"Brilliant," Corvus muttered.
There was a crash of breaking china from inside Hagrid's cabin.
"That's Hagrid breaking the milk jug," Granger said. "I'm going to find Scabbers in a moment - "
They heard Granger's shriek of surprise.
"Hermione," said Potter suddenly, "what if we – we just run in there and grab Pettigrew - "
"No!" Granger said, terrified. "Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody! You heard Dumbledore, if we're seen-"
"We'd only be seen by ourselves and Hagrid!"
"Harry, what do you think you'd do it if you saw yourself bursting into Hagrid's house?"
"I'd – I'd think I'd gone mad. Or I'd think there was some Dark Magic going on - "
"Exactly!"
"Well, maybe Corvus can go in there and get him!" Potter tried.
"The lot of you would attack me," Corvus said darkly. Maybe if he was a more powerful wizard that would work, but he would still have to explain why he came bursting in for a rat. "Granger's right, we can't do it like that."
"Professor McGonagall told me what awful things have happened when wizards have meddled with time… loads of them ended up killing their past or future selves by mistake!"
"Ok! It was just an idea, I just thought - "
But Granger nudged them, pointing towards the castle. Corvus looked over at the distant front doors. Dumbledore, Fudge and two Ministry officials were coming down the steps.
"We're about to come out!" Granger breathed. She pulled on Corvus's sleeve a little as he had stuck his body out from behind the tree to watch the line of wizards leave the castle. He hid himself properly again.
Moments later, Hagrid's back door opened. Weasley, Granger and Potter walked out of it with Hagrid. Corvus couldn't get over the weirdness of seeing Granger and Potter there and hiding behind a tree with them at the same time.
"It's okay, Beaky, it's okay…" Hagrid said to the Hippogriff. Then he turned to Potter and his friends. "Go on, get goin'…"
"Hagrid, we can't-"
"We'll tell them what really happened-"
"They can't kill him-"
"Go! It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!" Corvus watched the Granger in the pumpkin patch throw the Invisibility Cloak over Potter and Weasley. They disappeared from sight. "Go quick. Don't listen…"
There was a knock on Hagrid's front door. The execution party had arrived. Hagrid turned around and headed back inside his house. The back door was left ajar. The grass flattened in patches all around the cabin and Corvus could hear three pairs of feet retreating. The Gryffindor trio had left.
Now Corvus, Granger and Potter hidden in the trees could hear what was happening inside the cabin through the back door.
"Where is the beast?" came a cold voice of some man.
"Out – outside," Hagrid croaked. Corvus dodged out of sight as the face of a man with a black moustache appeared at Hagrid's window, staring out at Buckbeak.
"We – er – have to read you the official notice of execution, Hagrid," Fudge said sympathetically. "I'll make it quick. And then you and Macnair need to sign it. Macnair, you're supposed to listen too, that's procedure-"
Macnair's face vanished from the window.
"Wait here," Potter whispered to Corvus and Granger. "I'll do it."
As Fudge's voice started again, Potter darted out from behind the tree, vaulted the fence into the pumpkin patch and approached Buckbeak. Granger squeaked nervously.
"It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the Hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed on the sixth of June at sundown - "
Corvus tore his eyes away from watching Potter to look around at the castle again. His heart leapt when he saw the distant silhouette of himself striding towards the Whomping Willow.
Potter maintained perfect eye contact and bowed. Buckbeak sank to his scaly knees and then stood up again. Potter began to fumble with the rope tying Buckbeak to the fence.
"…sentenced to execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Committee's appointed executioner, Walden Macnair…"
"Diffindo!" Corvus hissed, severing the rope for Potter.
Granger whispered, "Good idea!"
"Hn."
"… as witnessed below, Hagrid, you sign here…"
Potter was throwing all his weight onto the rope, but Buckbeak had dug his front feet.
"Well, let's get this over with," a voice said inside, "Hagrid, perhaps it would be better if you stayed inside - "
"No, I – I wan' ter be with him… I don' wan' him ter be alone - "
Footsteps echoed from within the cabin. Granger whimpered again and grabbed Corvus's arm, "He's going to be seen!"
Potter tugged harder on the rope around Buckbeak's neck. The Hippogriff began to walk, rustling its wings irritably. They were still ten feet away from the Forest, in plain sight of Hagrid's back door.
"One moment, please, Macnair," came Dumbledore's voice. "You need to sign too."
The footsteps stopped. Corvus exhaled with immense relief. Potter heaved on the rope. Buckbeak snapped his beak and walked a little faster. Granger poked her head out from behind the tree, "Harry, hurry," she hissed, moving her mouth animatedly for him to read.
Dumbledore was still talking from within the cabin. Potter gave the rope another wrench. Buckbeak broke into a grudging trot. They had reached the trees… "Quick! Quick!" Granger moaned, darting out from behind the tree. Corvus and her seized the rope as well. Their weight added to pull, making Buckbeak move faster. They moved out of view from Hagrid's house.
"Stop!" Potter whispered to them, "They might hear us - "
The back door to Hagrid's had opened with a bang. Corvus, Potter, Granger and the Hippofgriff stood quite still. There was silence, then –
"Where is it?" said someone. "Where is the beast?"
"It was tied here!" said someone else furiously. "I saw it! Just here!"
"How extraordinary," said Dumbledore. There was a note of amusement in his voice.
"Beaky!"
There was a swishing noise, then a thud of an axe. The executioner seemed to have swung it into the fence in anger. And then came a howling from Hagrid, he was sobbing, but with joy.
"Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he's gone! Musta pulled himself free! Beaky, yeh clever boy!"
The Hippogriff started to strain against the rope, trying to get back to Hagrid. They tightened their grip and dug their heels into the Forest floor to stop him. They listened as Dumbledore assured the committee that it was impossible for anyone to have snuck Buckbeak off unnoticed. Soon they heard the footsteps retreated back into Hagrid's cabin and the snap of the door.
"I can't believe that just worked," breathed Corvus.
"Now what?" Potter asked, looking around.
"We'll have to hide in here," Granger said, she still looked very shaken. "We need to wait until they've gone back to the castle. Then we wait until it's safe to fly Buckbeak up to Sirius's window. He won't be there for another couple of hours… oh this is going to be difficult."
They moved around the edge of the Forest, darkness falling thickly around them, until they were hidden behind a clump of trees through which they could make out the Whomping Willow.
"There's Ron!"
A dark figure was running across the lawn and its shouts echoed through the still night air. "Get away from him – get away – Scabbers, come here!" Two more figures materialized from out of nowhere. Potter and Granger chased after Weasley, and then Weasley made a dive. "Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat - "
"There's Sirius!" said Potter. The great shape of the black dog bounded out from the roots of the Willow. Corvus hadn't known Sirius was there before taking Weasley in. Was he on his way into the Shrieking Shack alone then?
The dog bowled Potter over and seized the ginger boy. The dog dragged Weasley into the roots. The Willow walloped Potter and Granger as they went after their friend. The tree was lashing out with its lower branches, but then it froze. Crookshanks had pressed the knot. The moment Granger and Potter disappeared under the roots the tree began to move again.
Seconds later, they heard footsteps quite close by. Dumbledore, Macnair, Fudge and the Committee member were making their way up to the castle. Corvus watched the four men climb the castle steps and disappear. For a few minutes the scene was deserted, until –
"Lupin!" said Potter. Lupin was sprinting down the stone steps and haring towards the Willow. Potter looked up, as did Corvus, clouds were obscuring the moon. They watch Lupin seize a broken branch from the ground and prod the knot. Then Lupin too disappeared. They continued to wait. Potter wanted to try and grab his Cloak, but Granger stopped him, good thing too, because Hagrid came singing onto the lawn, making his way to the castle, with a large bottle swinging from his hands.
Snape came next, picking up Potter's Cloak and rendering the Willow immobile before slipping underneath like everyone else had that night. Lastly a flacon shot across the darkened sky, swooping speedily into the Willow's roots before it could even put up a fight.
"So that's it," Granger said 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 Buckbeak's rope and tied it securely around the nearest tree, then sat down on the dry ground, arms around her knees. Corvus sat down too, watching the Willow. He thought about how great it would be if he had a chance to tell his past self not to ask Sirius that stupid question.
"What happened after I left you two to find Dumbledore?" Corvus asked Potter and Granger, forcing himself to forget about that incident.
"The Dementors came."
"But why didn't they just take Sirius then?"
"Yes, Harry, I don't understand that either," Granger said. "I remember them coming, and then I think I passed out… there were so many of them…"
Potter sat down with them. He explained what he'd seen. Corvus shuddered at the thought as he explained one Dementor had lowered its mouth to his. But then a large silvery thing had come galloping across the lake and forced the Dementors to retreat.
"A Patronus?" Corvus whispered, amazed.
Potter nodded.
"But who conjured it?" asked Granger. Potter didn't say anything. "Didn't you see what they looked like? Was it one of the teachers?"
"No. He wasn't a teacher."
"But it must have been a really powerful wizard, to drive all those Dementors away… if the Patronus was shining so brightly, didn't it light him up? Couldn't you see-?"
"Yeah I saw him," Potter admitted, slowly. "But… maybe I imagined it… I wasn't thinking straight… I passed out right afterwards…"
Corvus waited.
"I think-" Potter swallowed. "I think it was my dad."
He looked at them. Granger's mouth was fully open. Corvus gazed at Potter, slightly annoyed at how quickly the topic of fathers had sprung up again. Granger and Potter discussed this, but Corvus kept out of it. He had no advice for Potter. It didn't sound believable, James Potter was dead and even if Potter had seen his ghost, ghosts can't perform magic.
At last, after over an hour, they came out of the Willow again. Corvus and them got to their feet. They saw Lupin, Weasley and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly out of the hole in the roots. Then came Corvus and his mother… the unconscious Snape… Granger, Potter and finally Black. Corvus watched his mother walk, she was still smiling. Any moment now, it was going to turn for the worse…
"Harry," Granger muttered, "We've got to stay put. We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do…"
"So we're just going to let Pettigrew escape all over again…"
"How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?" she snapped. "There's nothing we can do! We came back to help Sirius. We're not supposed to be doing anything else!"
"All right!"
The moon slid out from behind its cloud. Lupin transformed, Corvus watched again his mother fight with the beast.
"Hermione! We've got to move!"
"We mustn't, I keep telling you-"
"Not to interfere! But Lupin and Ms Black are going to run into the Forest, right at us!"
Granger gasped. Corvus noted that Potter was right. His mother was swooping down on Lupin. Soon she'd start towards the Forest with Lupin biting at her heels. Granger dashed to untie Buckbeak. "Quick! Where are we going to go?"
"Back to Hagrid's! It's empty now! Come on!"
They ran, fast as they could, Buckbeak cantering along behind them. They could hear the werewolf howling behind them, then the falcon screeching viciously…
The cabin was in sight. Potter skidded to the door, wrenched it open and Granger and Buckbeak flashed past him. Corvus jumped in before Potter threw himself in as well, bolting the door. Hagrid's boarhound barked loudly.
"Shh, Fang it's us!" Granger said, hurrying over and scratching his ears to quiet him. The hound still growled at Corvus, so he came over to introduce himself too. This made the dog happy enough. "That was really close!"
Corvus nodded while Potter panted by the door, "Yeah…"
Buckbeak laid down in front of Hagrid's fire, folding his wings contentedly and he seemed ready for a good nap. Corvus went over to stare out the same window with Potter.
"We can't see anything from here," he muttered to Potter.
"I think I'd better go outside again," Potter said slowly. "We won't know when it's time-"
Granger looked up at him, suspicious.
"I'm not going to try and interfere," Potter told her quickly. "But if we don't see what's going on, how're we going to know when it's time to rescue Sirius?"
"Well… okay, then… Corvus goes with you though, I'll wait here with Buckbeak," Granger said. "But be careful – there's a werewolf out there – and the Dementors - "
Corvus could pretty much guess what Granger was going to say, so he didn't wait for it. He opened the door and stepped outside first then Potter. They edged around the cabin. They could hear yelping in the distance.
"That means the Dementors are closing in on Sirius," Potter whispered. That meant Corvus would be running to the castle.
Potter was looking out at the lake. Without saying a thing to Corvus he started running towards it. Corvus cursed under his breath, hoping Potter wasn't going to ruin this, they were too close…
Corvus grabbed onto his robes. Potter tried wrenching himself away from him, but Corvus's grip was too strong. "Potter! Stop!"
"I need to see if it's him!" he said abruptly, his struggles ending and instead he fixed Corvus with a pleading look. "What if it is him… it could really be him… I need to find out, I have-"
"To know. You have to know," Corvus summarized. Their situations were wildly different from each other's, but Corvus knew what it was like to chase something outrageous… all for the sake of knowing the truth about his father. "Fine, but I'm coming with, in case you do something stupid…"
X
X
His legs really couldn't take anymore running, but Corvus pulled along after Potter. They were nearing the lake. The cool, black surface of the lake looked so inviting. It felt like Corvus hadn't had a drop of water for ages. That sick chill that the Dementors brought with their presence doused him again, there were Dementors emerging from the darkness, gliding around the edges of the lake. They were moving to the opposite bank.
"We're not going over there," Corvus told him sternly, Potter shook his head.
"We don't have to. He was standing on this side… across from us…"
Corvus looked around them. There was no sign of anybody. On the opposite bank, Corvus could see the swarm of Dementors and tiny glimmers of silver; it must have been Potter's own attempts at a Patronus.
There was a bush at the very edge of the water. Corvus pulled Potter to it, so they could hide behind it. Corvus nearly collapsed onto the hard ground. On the opposite bank the glimmers of silver were suddenly extinguished. Corvus felt dread creeping into him. He hadn't been here for this… he didn't know when they'd be saved…
"Come on!" Potter said to himself, staring about. "Where are you? Dad, come out…"
But no one came. No one was there. Corvus frowned. How were they saved then? The Dementors weren't going to wait any longer…
Suddenly Potter flung himself out from behind the bush. Corvus scrambled to his feet to pull Potter out of sight again. But Potter stood out of reach. Potter had his wand out and he yelled,
"Expecto Patronum!"
Corvus nearly fell back as a blind, dazzling silver animal burst from Potter's wand. He used his arm to shield his eyes, squinting against the glow and he saw what looked like a horse. It was galloping across the black surface of the lake. It moved silently. He saw it lower its head and charge at the mass of Dementors. Then it galloped around and around the black shaped on the ground, and the Dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness… they were gone.
"Potter… it was you," Corvus gasped, completely bewildered.
The Patronus turned and cantered back across the still surface of water towards Potter and him. It wasn't a horse. It was a stag. Potter's father's Animagus form had been a stag…
It stopped on the bank. Its hooves made no mark on the soft ground. It stared at Potter with its large, silver eyes. Slowly it bowed its antlered head.
"Prongs," whispered Potter.
He reached a trembling hand to the creature, but it vanished.
Corvus stood there with Potter, whose hand was still reaching out. Then came the sound of hooves. Corvus and Potter both whirled around and saw Granger dashing towards them, dragging Buckbeak 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…" said Potter. "Get behind here – behind this bush – I'll explain."
Granger listened to what Potter had just done. Her mouth hung open again, she looked to Corvus at the end of the tale. He nodded, confirming everything.
"Did anyone see you?"
"Yes, haven't you been listening? I saw me but I thought I was my dad! It's okay!"
"Harry, I can't believe it – you conjured up a Patronus that drove away all those Dementors! That's very, very advanced magic…"
"Look Snape!" Corvus interrupted. Together they peered through the bush at the other bank. Snape had regained consciousness. He conjured up stretchers for Potter, Granger and Sirius's limp bodies. The stretcher carrying Weasley was already floating by his side. Then, wand held out in front of him, he moved them towards the castle.
They had to wait even longer. Corvus counted the windows to the right of the West Tower, noticing that the window to the room Dumbledore told them about had a lit candle on its windowsill. When they noticed Macnair leaving the castle, Potter announced it was time.
"Macnair!" Potter said. "He's gone to get the Dementors! This is it!"
Granger put her hands on Buckbeak's back and Potter gave her a leg up. Potter gestured for Corvus to get on next. He hesitated. If they were getting the Dementors, that meant Corvus had already or was in the middle of his disastrous conversation with Sirius. He didn't need Sirius seeing him again, especially a split second after he'd run out trembling like a little girl.
"There won't be enough room for all of us and Sirius," he said instead. "I'll meet you at the top of the West Tower."
"But you'll be seen-"
"I'm rather good at not getting caught, Granger," Corvus assured her. "Now go!"
Potter didn't need any more convincing. He placed his foot on one of the lower branches of the bush and climbed up on Buckbeak, in front of Granger. As they rose in the air, perhaps a last burst of adrenaline coursed through Corvus's veins and he ran to the castle.
O..o
o..O
Now Corvus isn't tired out because he's a sissy, ha, remember he ran to Dumbledore's office, walked up all those flights of stairs before that convo with Sirius.
Anyway, thank you for the reviews! DF- Regulus is dead, yeah I stick to canon like glue, but I was so tempted to go AU with Some Things... :(
Squib- no problems with asking questions, haha I left a lot open with the ending, and btw you asked all those questions at the perfect time, because I didn't want to give away this was a sequel until that part when Sirius says he's not Corvus's father! hehe
So yeah, chapter sixteen in Some Things has been rewritten, if you old Some Things peeps want to check it out :) It's extended so we get a taste of how sirius felt for lee....