From the very beginning of the next morning, Calla could tell that something had happened. No one had said so, but all of a sudden there was a high presence of prefects around her, and when they went to breakfast they spotted Flitwick enchanting the double doors of the castle to recognise a picture of Sirius Black. "What's happened?" Lisa whispered. "Do you know anything about this, Potter?"

"Why would I know anything about it?" Calla hissed back. "No."

"You were the one who was out all night," Lisa said back. "If anyone saw something..."

"I don't know what's going on," Calla said, but when they entered the Great Hall her eyes went to Harry and Ron immediately. They were surrounded by a cluster of students, and Ron seemed to be doing most of the talking while Harry ate porridge grumpily. "I'll join you in a moment, save me a seat, won't you?"

The girls all nodded, meandering over to the Ravenclaw Table, while Calla went over to the Gryffindors, joined by Padma. "Parvati looks spooked," she whispered. Calla glanced over and saw Padma's sister whispering to Lavender, and seeming to shake a little as she did so. "Something's definitely happened."

"Definitely," Calla said, and had an awful feeling that she knew what it was even before she asked Harry and Ron. "What's going on?" she asked her brother, who scooted over to make room for her.

"Sirius Black," Ron said, staring her in the eyes. "He broke into the Tower last night and he got into our dormitory and-"

"He what!"

"And he was standing over me, with a knife, ripped my curtains open and everything and then I woke up and screamed and he scarpered!"

"What?" Calla asked hollowly. He'd broken in last night of all nights; and to think, she'd been in that passage from Hogsmeade earlier on. He could easily have gotten to her if he'd shown up them. She shivered at the thought and at once felt awful about sneaking out the night before. Anything could have happened. "You - are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ron said bravely. "Got a right shock, though."

"But he ran off? Didn't they find him?"

"They looked everywhere," Harry said. "But no one could. It was like he'd just vanished into thin air."

"You don't think," Calla said quietly to the boys, so no one could hear, "he was using one of the passages?"

"Can't have been," Harry said. "We'd have heard if Honeydukes was broken into, and none of the others would work."

"But the one from the Shrieking Shack..." she said quietly. "If he knew how to handle the Whomping Willow..."

"He'd have had to get over the grounds," Harry said. "He would have been seen, wouldn't he? By Hagrid or Filch or someone, at least."

"Besides," said Ron, munching on a piece of toast, "how would Black know how to handle the Whomping Willow? He wouldn't."

Calla and Harry exchanged nervous glances. "Yeah," Harry said frowning. "You're probably right, Ron."

"Course I am," Ron said. "Toast, Calla?"

She shook her head, and got to her feet. She'd spokento Remus about the passages and he'd said he'd mention it to Dumbledore, hadn't he? Surely now something would have to be done. At least she'd gotten to try going to Hogsmeade once. "Harry," she said, bending down again. "You know you can't go to Hogsmeade now, right?"

"What?" He turned around sharply to stare at her; Ron looked scandalised. "You went!"

"And I could have been killed," she hissed. "Really, You - You can't go."

"If he didn't use the passage the first two times, he won't use it again," Harry said.

"That doesn't mean he won't be in Hogsmeade, watching for you!"

"He already knows Harry can't go," Ron said, "he's not seen him the last two times. I reckon it'll be fine, mate."

"You can't be serious!" Calla said. "Harry!"

"It's fine," he muttered. "Go have breakfast, Calla."

"We're not-"

"Calla!"

She glared at Harry for a long moment so he understood exactly how annoyed she was, and turned on her heel to stomp back to the Ravenclaw Table, Padma joining her hurriedly. "So I suppose you're annoyed with him again?"

"He's being stupid," Calla muttered, sitting down and snatching a slice of toast from the basket. "That's all. Nothing new."

Later on, she, Daphne, Padma and Hermione all marched down to Hagrid's hut, intent on helping him to form a case for Buckbeak's defense, accompanied by Remus, who had insisted on the extra precaution. "We'll be fine," Calla told him, but knew he wouldn't believe her. Seeing as Ron and Harry still weren't speaking to Hermione, and appeared to have forgotten Hagrid's plight, they weren't down there with them.

Hermione, though, had been very quiet the whole walk down. "The boys aren't still upsetting you, are they?" Calla asked in a whisper.

"No," she said hurriedly. "Well, yes, they are a bit, but that's - that's not it. I'm just stressed. We have a lot of exams coming up and a lot to do and prepare for."

"Are you sure or shouldn't think about lightening your workload?"

"Of course not!" Hermione said briskly, walking on. "McGonagall has faith that I can do it."

"Yeah, but, Hermione-"

"It's fine!" Hermione insisted. "Come on, let's keep up."

Remus glanced back at them, slowing his pace so they could catch up to them. "Sorry," Calla murmured, and pressed against Hermione. "You're going to be okay, you know," she whispered. "I do believe in you, and I believe that Harry and Ron will make up with you eventually. They'll come around; they've got to."

"Yeah," said Daphne. "And if they don't, they're idiots and we're better of without them anyway. Sorry, Calla."

"Thanks," Hermione said quietly. "It's just lonely. I can see you three in the library, but in Gryffindor Tower it's - it's like no one wants me there!"

To Calla's alarm, Hermione burst into tears, and the three girls rushed around her. "That's not true," Padma said hastily. Calla glanced urgently at Remus, who looked rather uncertain of himself. "I'm sure everyone does, Hermione. Parvati thinks you're brilliant, and so does Lavender! I know that!"

Hermione sniffled. "It's not the same though. I know I'm getting on everyone's nerves, but now it's - it's like they all hate me-"

"No one hates you, Mione," Calla said gently. "I'm sure of that."

She shook her head. "They do! And I'm making everything worse by being so stressed all the time, but I - I don't think I can help it! And I can't tell - I - I-"

She looked at Remus, who hastily intervened. "I think perhaps we should return to the castle," he said. "I'll let Hagrid know something came up."

"No, no, we should still help him and the hearing's on Friday-"

"We can see him another time," Padma said gently, placing a gentle hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Tomorrow, maybe, we can make sure everything's organised, but you've been excellent so far, haven't you? Come on, Hermione, it's okay. We'll stay with you, don't worry."

"No, no, I don't want to worry you all or-"

"You're our friend," said Calla firmly, smiling at Hermione. "We're sticking by you."

She had been sure Hermione was about to burst into tears again, but they got her back into the castle without any further outbursts. "What do you say we sit in the courtyard for a bit?" Daphne suggested. "I've got a great Gobstones set we can play with."

"Oh, I've still got an awful lot of work to do."

"You'll feel better for something to take your mind off of it," Padma promised.

Calla turned to Remus. "We are allowed in the courtyard, right?"

He laughed. "Yes, you are. But stick together. Will I see you and Harry tomorrow night?" Calla nodded. "Alright. Stay safe." He paused a moment before adding, "If you'd like, we can start working on the Patronus Charm."

"Really?" Calla breathed, hardly able to contain her excitement. "Thank you!"

He nodded to them and smiled warmly at Hermione before leaving. "He's really decent," Daphne said as they ascended towards Ravenclaw Tower. "I hope he stays on past the Summer."

"Me too," Calla said, grinning. "He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had, isn't he? And that isn't just me being biased," she added quickly, and the others laughed.

Padma waited outside Ravenclaw Tower with Hermione as Calla and Daphne went inside to fetch her Gobstones set. "Do you know what's up with her?" Daphne asked once they were in. "I get the feeling there's more to it than she's admitting."

"Me too," Calla agreed. "But she won't tell me, and I don't suppose we can force her to."

"Yeah," said Daphne, picking up the bag of Gobstones. "I don't know. I think talking helps, but I'm not sure we're quite who she wants to talk to. I just hope Harry and Ron see sense soon; she needs them on her side."

She shrugged her shoulders in an elegant fashion and then strode from the dormitory, Calla following quickly after her. But she almost ran into Daphne when she stopped abruptly by the notice board. Calla followed her gaze to see a new notice about the next Hogsmeade visit - next weekend. "I'm not going," Daphne said decisively, tossing her hair. "I'm surprised they're still holding it anyway, it's far too dangerous." She smiled at Calla in a way that made her wonder if that was really the only reason why. "We'll have an awful lot of fun in an empty castle, too. I miss our adventuring."

And then, leaving Calla grinning, she ducked cheerfully out of the common room and wouldn't hear another word about it.

Xx

Harry was suspiciously un-grumpy about the latest Hogsmeade news. In fact, he seemed to be in a very good mood indeed for the whole day on Monday and for the whole time that they spent with Remus. "I think Daphne's staying behind this weekend," Calla told him and Remus. "And on Saturday we're going to see Hagrid, to see how his hearing went with Buckbeak. I know he's really worried."

"He has to get off," Harry said, but he didn't sound very convinced. "Me - Ron and I saw him earlier. He was worried. We had wanted to help, but with everything going on, we-"

"Forgot?" Calla rolled her eyes. "I know. Hermione and I have helped him, though, and we've found a lot of good evidence and case studies to help back him up, and Daphne and Padma have helped too. You know Daphne's uncle's involved with that department? She's written to him and he says he's going to support Hagrid. It probably isn't really how things are meant to work," she admitted, "but neither is what Malfoy's doing."

Remus smiled gently. "And is Hermione feeling any better?"

Calla nodded. "I think so. She seemed it, anyway, when we left her, she was so much happier."

"She was in a mood in the common room," Harry said. "When Ron and I got back from Hagrid's. She-" He loitered over his words and Calla narrowed here eyes "-Well, I don't know what was wrong, but you know Hermione."

"She's going through a lot at the moment," Calla told him. "You two ought to be a bit more considerate of her feelings, you know. She's really upset, she thinks you hate her."

"I don't," Harry said quickly. "Ron..." Calla fixed him with a hard stare. "Ron's still upset about Scabbers."

"I know. But... Never mind." She turned to Remus brightly, hoping to change the subject. "Can we start on the Patronus? You said yesterday I could start to learn!"

"Indeed I did," said Remus, smiling. "Just a moment. I know your Boggart isn't a Dementor, but Harry's is. Hopefully you should also be able to practice on that."

Calla shivered at the thought but forced herself to smile. "Yeah. I'll do my best!"

She'd already done some reading around the subject, establishing the purpose and intention of the Charm, but she knew it was meant to be very, very advanced magic, well beyond anything they'd learn for their O.W.L.s.

Remus disappeared into the next room to fetch the Boggart wardrobe, and both Calla and Harry stood up. Her hands were shaking around her wand's handle, but she tried to steel herself. She was going to do this, one way or another, whether it went how she wanted it to or not. "You feeling okay?" Harry asked, and she nodded nervously.

"Yeah. I can do it."

When Remus returned, he was carrying a massive wardrobe which rattled its way into the room. "Right," he said. "Calla, how much do you know about the Patronus Charm?"

"I know that it's meant to act as a protector, not just against Dementors, even though that's what they're mainly used for and their main purpose, but in general, too." Remus smiled at her and she continued. "And I know it's meant to be sort of channelled by a happy memory? And there's an incantation that's used for it. And I know it usually takes the form of an animal, but there's no way to really know what until it's cast." She looked at Remus, who was nodding along with her. "Is that all right?"

He nodded. "You're quite correct, Calla. Now, the incantation you mentioned... Harry, could you demonstrate for us?"

Harry stepped forward, looking nervous as she pulled out his wand. He adjusted his feet into a firm stance and looked to be concentrating very hard as he said, "Expecto patronum."

Wisps of silver came from the end of his wand. "Expecto patronum," he repeated, and the wisps, to Calla's astonishment, formed together to create what looked like a shield, threads of light dancing through it and falling in an arc like they were water.

"Whoa," Calla said, staring at it. It was beautiful. "I - I want to try."

Remus smiled at her, and gestured for Harry to let go of the charm. The silver dissipated into the air. "You have to focus very, very hard on a particular memory. It has to be very happy, and very, very strong."

Calla thought. There weren't many she was sure would work; maybe finding out she was a witch, or at the end of First Year realising she as Harry had both survived and won, or when she and Daphne and Padma all became friends, or one of the nights spent in the dorms in Ravenclaw with all their year, just chatting and laughing and being happy. "I think I've got one," she said, picturing that feast at the end of last year, everyone safe and happy and Hermione and Hagrid both having returned to them.

She grasped her wand tightly and looked to Remus, who nodded. "Whenever you're ready."

Steeling herself, Calla adjusted her stance and pointed her wand into the air. Her voice shook a little as she said, "Expecto patronum." There was a heart-stopping second in which nothing happened, before the same silvery strands of magic came out of the end of her wand, dancing in the air. She beamed and looked to Remus. "Expecto patronum!"

The silver got brighter, but didn't change into a shield at all. She frowned, but Remus seemed satisfied with her work anyway. "That was brilliant," he said, and Harry grinned at her, nodding. "Do you think you can try with the Dementor now?"

She wasn't sure, but she could hardly say no now. Heart hammering, Calla nodded, and moved off to the side so Harry could face the Boggart. When Remus opened the wardrobe, she'd thought she was ready, but at the sight of the Dementor it was like everything just went cold again, cold and dull and heavy. Words hissed in her ears, and she tried to ignore them. Mine. I will take it. You cannot stop me.

She stared at the Dementor for a long moment, shaking, before she came back to herself enough to realise both Remus and Harry were watching her, and she tightened her grip on her wand, concentrating very heavily. It's not real, she reminded herself, with a lump in her throat. This isn't real. It's fine. "Ex-Expecto... Expecto patronum." A silver light came from the top of her wand and fizzled our. She stared at where it had hung.

"That's alright," Remus said quickly. "Harry, why don't-"

"I can try again!" Calla said quickly, and shifted so she could face the Dementor better. "I... Oaky. Expecto... Patronum!" Two wisps of silver came from her wand, and though the cold was starting to wrap around her, Calla tried to bring her words back up, pointing her wand right at the Dementor. "Expecto patronum!"

But it didn't work. The silver whisper away to nothing as the Dementor came closer, as the blood rushednin her ears. Cold clutched around her heart. "Expecto patronum," she said again, voice shaking. Her legs felt like jelly as she stumbled back.

All mine. Do not try to stop me, foolish girl. I will have what I came for.

"Go away!" she yelled, still holding her wand, though it felt like it might slip from her grasp at any moment. "I - I won't-"

She choked on her words and Remus jumped in, casting his own Patronus towards the Dementor, and forcing it back. A wolf ran at it, chasing the Dementor into the wardrobe, and Remus ran forward to slam its doors closed.

Calla hadn't realised she was on the floor, but she was. When the Dementor was gone, she took a long, shaky breath before she looked up. "I'm sorry," she said. "I thought-"

"You did very well, Calla," Remus said. "To produce anything on your first try is very difficult."

She shook a little as Harry helped her to her feet, and leaned against his shoulder. "You ought to have a sit down," Remus told her, guiding both her and Harry - who was very pale - to armchairs. "Here." He broke off two massive slabs of chocolate and handed them to the twins. "You did excellent."

"I fell on the floor," Calla said bitterly, cheeks flushing. She'd thought she might be able to fight the Dementor.. But she hadn't. "I - I didn't hear Mum this time," she said quietly, and Harry looked at her. "I think..." She didn't want to say it. Saying it made it feel real, it gave it power and she was already so scared. But now Remus and Harry were both looking at her, expecting her to say something. "I think I heard Voldemort."

That plunged the room into an even more somber mood. "You - you did?"

Calla nodded heavily, curling up in the armchair. "I think so."

"Calla," Remus said quietly. "I'm so sorry. What... That must have been awful."

"Yeah," she said, nodding numbly.

"No wonder you were upset," Harry said quietly, and reached across to hug her tightly. She tried not to cry, but as always, she failed, and buried her face in Harry's warm shoulder. "Oh, Calla."

Xx

The morning of the Hogsmeade visit, after they'd eaten breakfast, Calla and Daphne waved Padma and the rest of their friends off from the courtyard. "It's a bit rubbish, anyway," said Daphne, as they left. "Not that much to see."

Calla laughed. "Thanks, Daphne."

As they made their way up the stairs to the library, Daphne ducked away to grab another quill from the Ravenclaw Tower, with the promise that she'd meet Calla in the library. Pulling out her map, Calla assessed the quickest way to the library, but her eyes caught on something else. Harry's name, headed towards the statue of the one eyed witch. "Oh no you don't," she hissed, and stuffed the map into her pocket, walking as quickly as she could to where she was sure Harry was headed.

She grabbed ahold of him a few corners away from the statue, and whisked Harry into another hidden alcove. He let out a yell, shoving her away. "Calla, what are you doing?"

"You can't go to Hogsmeade!" she cried, grabbing his arm again. "Not now!"

"You said you weren't going to stop me!" Harry replied. "You-"

"That was before Sirius Black almost murdered you in your sleep!" she sobbed, shaking her head quickly. "It's too dangerous, he's still after you!"

"You got to go!"

"And I shouldn't have! I know that! I could have gotten myself killed, not to mention Fred and George, and what if I'd led him to you! What if he'd followed us and heard the password and that was how he got in?"

"But he didn't! He got the list from Neville!"

"But he well could have! And it would have been my fault! Harry, it's far, far too dangerous!" She softened her voice, stepping away worriedly. "Please, just... Don't go."

He sighed, with a very long look at her. "Fine, Calla. I won't. I've got an essay on vampires to finish anyway, I'll just go to the library."

"Promise?" Calla asked, and he clasped her hand.

"Promise, Calla. I'll just get my books from Gryffindor Tower and I'll meet you and Daphne up there."

She hadn't thought to check the map, thoughit was still stored safely in her bag. But as she and Daphne sat in the library and waited on him, it became increasingly clear that he'd done exactly what he said he wouldn't do. When Calla did glance at the map, her worst fears were concerned; Harry did not appear anywhere in the castle, and that meant he'd snuck out.

"I can't believe him," she whispered to Daphne, who hugged.

"He's ridiculous, if you ask me. Ron would get him sweets easily if he wants them." She shrugged. "And I for one, would much rather be with you, anyway." Calla beamed at Daphne despite her worry, but it turned to a frown quickly when she glanced at the map again.

"He could be in all sorts of danger," she said.

"There's nothing you can do now," Daphne told her. "And you know if you tell anyone he'll be furious with you."

"I'd rather him angry with me than in danger from Sirius Black," she said, getting to her feet.

"Don't," Daphne said, pulling her down.

"I should have made sure something was done about that passage. I-"

"You told Remus, didn't you?" Daphne asked, and she nodded. "Clearly Dumbledore didn't think it was enough of a worry."

"Just because no one thought Black wouldn't come in doesn't mean I shouldn't have made sure Harry couldn't sneak out! And I gave him the map; if he's in danger it's because of me, Daphne!"

"No," Daphne said firmly. "It's not. He made that decision on his own against everyone's better judgement. I'm sure he'll be fine too, but you can't blame yourself and keep worrying. Speak to him when he gets back, don't tell on him now." She rubbed her arm soothingly. "I'm sure everything'll be alright."

Even so, Calla found she had a hard time concentrating on the vampire essay. She was four paragraphs in when she declared it was nonsense and moved onto filling in her dream diary for Trelawney instead, which was much easier and left a lot more space to allow her mind to wander. The two of them had been there for a while when Calla spotted a sudden change on the parchment of the map; a dot, with Harry's name, racing up the passage, and Snape's dot rushing towards it, too.

"Snape's found him out," she said mournfully, shoving the map towards Daphne. Harry's dot left the passage, and rounded a corner just as Snape came the other way. She watched helplessly as her brother was dragged off along the corridor, towards Snape's office.

"That idiot," Daphne hissed, and abruptly went about shoving all their things back into their bags.

"I'm going to have to go and rescue him now, aren't I?" Calla muttered, grabbing her bag. "What do I say?"

"I don't know!" Daphne said. "Make something up, say he was with us, I'll back it up if you need me to. Just go!"

Calla nodded sharply, and bolted it from the library, clutching her map tightly. She took the stairs down a little twisting hidden stairwell, galloping down two at a time, and tried to make it look like she hadn't been running as she made her way along the dungeons to Snape's office.

She'd noticed he hadn't come back to the library, she'd decided. And thought she ought to find him, and when she couldn't asked a Hufflepuff boy - whose name she conveniently couldn't remember - if he'd seen them and he'd said he was with Snape, so she'd come here to see what was wrong.

At the entrance to his office, Calla knocked quickly and steeled herself as Snape drawled, "Enter."

She whirled inside, and was relieved to see Harry sitting there. Though he seemed quite terrified, likely at the consequences of his actions (consequences she had had half a mind to let him beat, if they weren't going to be consequences imposed on him by Snape), he looked relieved at the sight of his sister. "Oh, you are here!" She said, smiling. "Daphne and I were getting worried about you."

Snape narrowed his eyes as she turned to him. "Sorry to interrupt, Professor. You see, Harry had been studying with Daphne and I in the library - we were working on an essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts that both of our classes had been set - and he went to fetch something from Gryffindor Tower-"

"More parchment," Harry supplied, and Calla nodded.

"Yeah, that was it. He took a while and I was getting worried, so came to look for him, but I ran into a Hufflepuff boy who said he'd seen you with him? And I was worried something might have happened, so I came to see what!" She said this all in a rush, as if she really had been looking for him, and hoped Snape couldn't tell; she tried to implement a little bit of Occlumency, but doubted it was very effective. "But - but is everything all right? Nothings happened?"

"Miss Potter, I was recently informed by Draco Malfoy that your brother had been spotted in Hogsmeade. Specifically, his head."

"His head?" Calla laughed tensely. "I hope you don't mind my saying, sir, but I don't really know how Harry's head could have made its way to Hogsmeade."

"Mr Potter himself was in Hogsmeade," Snape said clippedly. "If his head was, then it stands to reason his whole body was. And might I remind you, neither of you are allowed into Hogsmeade."

"Well, obviously, sir," she said, and he glared at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude but - we both know the risks, and the dangers. We know Sirius Black is out there and that he may be after us; why would either of us risk that for a school trip and some shopping?"

"Why indeed," said Snape, eyes glittering. "But Mr Malfoy's claims are surely not false."

"With respect, sir, Malfoy doesn't particularly like Harry, or Gryffindors in general, very much. Is it possible he is trying to get Harry into trouble?"

"Are you accusing one of my students of lying, Miss Potter?"

She tried not to fumble. "I don't know. But I don't see why Harry would have gone to Hogsmeade, or how, for that matter." She forced a laugh. "Sorry, Professor. I'm sure there's been a misunderstanding, but we should find Daphne, she's somewhere looking for us, I think."

Harry made to get up at that, but Snape held up a hand, face white and stern. "Just a moment. I believe we ought to see what Professor Lupin makes of this?"

"Prof - Professor Lupin, Sir?" Harry asked. Calla knew he would be far more worried about what Remus thought than what Snape did, and he knew about the map. He'd work it out in a moment, and then surely he'd realise Calla had snuck out the night of the party, and... She steeled her breath but there was no time to protest.

"Yes, I quite think so," Snape said, looking between the two of them. He walked over to the fireplace, dropped some Floo Powder and called out, "Professor Remus Lupin!"

Not even a moment later, Remus strode out of the fireplace. "Ah, Severus!" He looked between a guilty looking Harry and Calla, who felt rather like a deer caught in headlights. She knew he'd be upset with them, now, and that was the last thing that she'd ever wanted to do. "Whatever is the matter here?"

"I don't suppose you would know anything about Mr Potter here sneaking into Hogsmeade Village?" Snape drawled. Remus looked momentarily stunned.

"I can't so that I do, Severus," he said shortly. "Nor can I think why Harry would do such a thing, knowing both the dangers and the fact that he has been expressly forbidden from doing so." He shook his head. "Severus, do you have evidence of this?"

"Mr Malfoy witnessed Mr Potter's head in Hogsmeade earlier today," Snape said. "And I saw him lingering around a certain statue of a one eyed witch earlier, too. Not that I suppose you'd know anything about that."

"Most certainly not," Remus said. "I'm sure there is an explanation for all this. But I think I ought to handle things from here."

"Lupin-"

"Severus," Remus said, and gestures to Harry and Calla, who were both rather surprised. "Come along, now, to my office."

He led them promptly into the fireplace and Calla couldn't believe her luck as they wound up in his office instead, still stumbling onto the carpet. "You idiot!" she said to Harry as soon as they came through. "What were you thinking? I told you not to go!"

"You can't tell me what to do!" Harry turned to Remus. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get caught."

"It is not getting caught that bothers me," Remus said shortly. "Harry, you were told not to go into Hogsmeade, for your own safety, and you forbade not only me, but Dumbledore and McGonagall, and for what? A handful of sweets?"

"Calla did it too!" Harry said, and Calla rounded on him, spluttering. "Last weekend, after Quidditch!"

"I-" She faltered as she looked at Remus. "I did, and I'm so, so sorry. Fred and George and I went to the kitchens to get food for a - a party and they wanted to go to Honeydukes too and I was worried because I knew it was dangerous and you wouldn't want me too, but I - I went anyway and it was stupid!" A lump rose in her throat and her words stumbled over it. "And Sirius Black came in that same night and I realised I'd been so, so stupid and it - it wan't worth it not really, because something could have happened and it - it was stupid. And I know and I'm sorry. So that's why I told Harry not to go, but clearly he did anyway and - and I'm sorry." She hung her head, eyes stinging with bitter and angry tears; her anger directed at herself. "I know it was wrong." Biting her lip, she thrust the map out towards Remus. "You should take this back. Without it this never would have happened."

"Calla," Remus said gently, "look at me." He took the map, folded it, and sighed. "What you did was stupid, you're right." The words stung. "And unnecessary. But I know that you know that." She nodded harshly.

"I'm really sorry..."

"Harry, you both should have known not to risk it, especially after Sirius' second break-in." He looked at Harry with a very hard stare, and he squirmed uncomfortably under it. "Was it worth it, do you think?"

"I-" Harry said. "I- I didn't think Snape would catch me."

Remus shook his head. "I'd be much more worried about Sirius Black than Snape, Harry." His gaze turned stony and intense. "Lily and James gave their lives for you, both of you. Risking your lives over sweets and joke tricks? I hardly think that honours their sacrifice, do you?"

Harry swallowed deeply and shook his head. Neither twin said any more, and left the office in quiet.

"I can't believe you," Calla said to him. "You could have been in danger. And you lied to me!"

"Calla, I'm sorry, but-"

"Calla! Harry!" Daphne was sprinting down the corridor, Padma, Hermione and Ron right behind her. "Calla, we've just had a letter from Hagrid, he's still in London-"

"Oh, Calla, it's awful," said Hermione, looking on the verge of tears. "He lost the trial!"

"Buckbeak's going to be executed."

They all fell into shocked silence for a long moment before they erupted into protest. "They can't!" Harry cried. "Buckbeak's done nothing wrong!"

"He was just reacting the way we were told Hippogriffs do when they're insulted!" Ron said furiously.

"Malfoy's father's b-bullied the committee into voting against Buckbeak," sobbed Hermione.

"It's ridiculous," Daphne said, quite pink in the cheeks. "He can't do that! When I get my hands on Draco... Ugh!"

"There's going to be an appeal, though," said Padma, looking at Calla. "We do still have a chance."

"Well, we won't give up, then! We can't give up!"

"I don't see any point, though," said Hermione quietly. "Nothing will have changed."

"Yes, it will," said Ron. "Me and Harry will help you this time, we'll find something that'll work!"

Then to everyone's immense surprise, Hermione cried, "Oh, Ron!" and flung herself forwards, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and burying her face into his shoulder. Harry looked on very awkwardly, and Calla glanced at Daphne and Padma, who were both hiding giggles at the sight.

"Ron," Hermione said eventually, stepping back, "I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers."

"Oh-" said Ron, still looking a bit in shock but relieved she'd let go. "Well, he was old, anyways. And he was a bit useless. You never know, maybe now Mum and Dad might buy me an owl."

"About time," Daphne muttered, shuffling closer to Calla. "How long's it been?"

"Too long," Calla whispered back, grinning. But now it felt like maybe everything could go back to normal, and all her friends were friends again. It was a very happy thought indeed.

Author's Note: Okay! I've decided from now on I'm going to aim for two updates a week, one on a Monday and one on a Friday for the foreseeable future! We're already coming to the end of third year a bit, which is wild to me, but yeah. I'm so excited for the events at the end of third year, namely meeting Sirius, and I can't wait for you guys to read it!