This chapter takes place at the same time as the previous one, and also a little after.

HANNAH VI

Hannah waited. Then another gargling sound came from the washroom behind her back. Hannah rolled her eyes. She told Susan not to eat too much during dinner.

Hannah had to admit that she indulged in a lot as well. The exams were over, after all. However, Susan brought things a level higher than Hannah ever did. And the result was that Hannah was stuck here, waiting for her friend to stop vomiting. They could at least be in their common rooms. There were toilets there as well. However, Susan had forgotten something in the Great Hall after they left dinner. She only realized it at the moment they were about to walk into Hufflepuff's common room, and she went to take it back. Hannah had decided to follow her because Susan already didn't look very well. So as their friends went to enjoy the evening in the common room, Hannah and Susan had gone back to the Great Hall. Susan had found the object she had forgotten, which was actually her wand. Hannah now understood why Susan was so adamant in recovering what she forgot. If only her friend told her. However, that didn't change the fact that, as they were heading back to their common room, Susan was taken with a sudden envy to throw up, and she rushed to the closest washroom which was in the Entrance Hall. And so Hannah was there, sitting on a bench, waiting for her friend to finish giving back her dinner.

The Hufflepuff in third year had been among the last ones to leave the Great Hall. They took their time enjoying their dinner after the exams were finally over. All of them were exhausted. Hard work was among the values encouraged by the House of Hufflepuff, and it particularly showed during exams periods. That was why some people in Hannah's house got better ranks than people in Ravenclaw. Although she was certain that no one got better marks than Hermione. In terms of hard work, she certainly beat all records. Anyway, the Great Hall was almost completely empty now. From where she sat, Hannah could only see two or three students through the heavy doors who lingered in the Great Hall.

Another gargling sound indicated that Susan was still not yet over. Hannah shook her head. Really? Why was Susan so ravenous? Well, the truth was, it didn't happen very often, but a maximum of a half-dozen times per year, Susan would eat until her stomach couldn't support it and further, resulting in that potential ending. So Hannah kept waiting.

The Entrance Hall was so quiet. Almost everybody was already in their common rooms. Hannah didn't really like this silence. She was used to spending time with friends and talking to people. She wasn't the type of person to sit alone in her corner to think or to read a book. At least, not very often, and certainly not at Hogwarts, while she had the opportunity to spend time with her friends. She felt uncomfortable in prolonged moments of silence, when there was no one in the vicinity. A student of Slytherin, obviously much older than she was, walked through the Entrance Hall and towards the dungeons. The entire place looked lifeless. The most insignificant noise, real or imagined, attracted Hannah's attention. She thought that she heard the steps of the stairs creak, and also someone walking, but the Hall was desperately empty. Another gargle brought her attention, and another sigh from her. How much time would Susan need?

Waiting for something to happen, Hannah even imagined that the heavy doors leading outside had opened for a brief instant. She began to pace, hoping that her best friend would finish soon. She blew some air out of boredom. That was when something very interesting happened. Someone went down the stairs in a run.

Hannah was interested when she saw someone running, thinking it was a professor. But then she was stunned when she realized who this was. She knew this woman, and she was definitely not a teacher. But before Hannah could react, she had crossed the Entrance Hall and disappeared in the night outside.

For a moment, Hannah didn't know what to do or what to think. Did she imagine it? The woman crossed the Entrance Hall so quickly. But an instant after, another adult crossed the Hall in a similar hurry. And Hannah was even more surprised to realize that it was Severus Snape as he also disappeared in the night.

Her mind was trying to understand. What was Harry's mother doing in Hogwarts, and why was Severus Snape following her? It was at this moment that Susan finally left the washroom, obviously tired but also relieved.

"You didn't have to wait for me, Hannah," she said.

"Of course, I had to. I cannot leave you alone in that state," Hannah retorted. "Now, let's go to our common room. Oh, by the way, you'll never guess who I just saw."

"Who?" Susan absentmindedly asked.

"Harry's mother, and Professor Snape."

Susan halted right away. They just walked into the corridor that led to their common room. The Entrance Hall was only a few feet away. "What did you say?"

"Harry's mother. I saw her running through the Entrance Hall. And Professor Snape was on her tail."

To Hannah's surprise, Susan looked worried. And a magically amplified voice filled the corridors at this very moment.

"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once." It was Dumbledore's voice. "The students already in their dormitories are to remain there. Your professors will come to explain the situation soon. Thank you."

Hannah and Susan were left staring at each other. The last time the students were ordered back into their dormitories was last year, when Ginny Weasley was stuck into the Chamber of Secrets.

"We should…"

They then heard the heavy doors of the Entrance Hall opening. Susan immediately hid behind the gateway giving on the corridor where they stood. Hannah did the same a second later. Her heart was beating rapidly. She was afraid that something terrible had happened. But when she looked through the gateway, all she saw was Lily Evans, along with Harry, Ron and Hermione. She breathed a sigh of relief. They slowly walked through the Entrance Hall and disappeared from Hannah's field of view.

"Why was Harry's arm bandaged?" Susan asked.

"What?"

"Why was it bandaged? His arm? I saw blood on it."

Hannah didn't see anything. But Susan wasn't the kind to be wrong. She didn't need glasses to see. She had an excellent vision. If she said that Harry was injured, then he must be. Hannah was afraid all of a sudden.

"We… We should go back to our common room," she only managed to say.

"Yes. You're right," Susan conceded, and the two friends quickly walked towards Hufflepuff's dormitories.

Inside the common room, everyone was talking vividly. Dumbledore's announcement seemed to have caused the same reaction in almost everybody as for Hannah. They all recalled last year's events. She and Susan found Ernie and the rest of their friends in a corner of the common room. Wayne was the first to notice their appearance.

"Oh, you're there. Where have you been?"

"I forgot my wand in the Great Hall," Susan shortly explained. "Do you have any idea what happened?"

"We were hoping you might give us some answers," Ernie said. "Do you think it's this man, Pettigrew, again?"

"But I thought they increased the security measures of the castle," Sally-Anne said.

Ernie scoffed. "As of this could stop a mass murderer like him. How did he get in last time? Oh yeah, by hiding into the personal purse of an employee of the Ministry. A person who worked at the Department of Mysteries, with that."

"Okay, let's calm down, Ernie," Megan said. "Perhaps they stopped him at the limits of the school grounds, and they're asking us to stay here for prevention."

"I don't believe they stopped him at the limits," Susan said, and everyone turned towards her.

"Why do you think that?" Justin asked.

She inhaled sharply. "Hannah and I, we saw Harry heading for the infirmary as we were coming back. He had bandages over his arm. One thing is sure, he, Ron and Hermione were outside when Dumbledore made his announcement."

Susan's revelation sparked lengthy discussions among the third years who made up several theories as to what might have happened. It wasn't the first time that the three Gryffindors were involved in an accident of this sort. As for Hannah, now that she had some time to think about it, the conversation she had with Harry earlier today came back to haunt her. Despite Harry's denial, she feared the worst. She looked at Susan who was discussing with Justin and Megan. Maybe Hannah should insist and ask her again to be sure that her friend told her the truth, but before she could think to do so, Professor Sprout walked into the common room.

"Please everyone! Listen to me!"

Right away, all the attention turned to their Head of House. All students had questions which were drowned by all the others around.

"Silence! Please!" The cacophony progressively subsided. "Okay, first, let me tell you that you are all safe. You were asked to return to the common rooms as a precaution, and also to not disturb the work of the professors and the Ministry's staff."

"Ministry's staff?" Someone asked.

"What are they doing here?" Someone else asked.

"I don't have many details to share with you for now," their professor said. "But… somehow… Peter Pettigrew is dead."

The Hufflepuff's common room fell into a complete silence like it rarely happened. Hannah's mind was reeling. She may have expected that all of this had a link with the serial murderer, but she never expected to hear that he was dead. Not tonight.

"Look, the people of the Ministry are investigating what happened, and for precaution, and also to not disturb their work, as I said, you are to remain in this common room until being told otherwise. I ask you to remain calm. We will keep you informed as things evolve."

Professor Sprout then left. The moment she was gone, the common room exploded. People were shocked at what they just learned. Everyone was wondering how it happened. Some were happy. Susan was speechless. She had let herself drop into an armchair following Sprout's declaration. After that, she didn't answer any question nor any attempt to engage with her. Hannah, on her side, was discussing feverishly with about everybody, conjecturing on the events that must have taken place tonight. For almost an hour, the Hufflepuffs were in that state, wondering what happened and what was still going on. Some claimed that the murderer was not dead. He had already faked his death before. He could do it again. It was only when Professor Sprout came back with more news that they stopped.

"I have to announce you that the body of Peter Pettigrew was identified by experts of the Ministry of Magic and carried away for examination. I can confirm to you that you are safe and out of danger. You are to remain in the common rooms for tonight, but will be free of your movements again tomorrow morning." This seemed to relieve some students, although the tension was still clearly high in reason of what little transpired so far. "Also, on a more positive note, the Dementors are leaving. They're going back to Azkaban. The Ministry decided that they were no longer needed…"

The rest of her sentence was buried by shouts of joy. Hannah herself cheered when her mind understood what it meant. It took some time to their professor to bring back a semblance of order.

"Now, I suggest you all go to bed. This has been an agitated night, and after the exams you completed, I believe you all want to be rested for tomorrow's visit to Hogsmeade."

"So it's not cancelled?" someone asked. "We can still go there."

"You can. And without Dementors this time."

This brought another round of cheers. If Pettigrew's death was welcomed by consternation, the news of the Dementors' departure brought joy and relief to all students.

"We won't have to walk by them when we go to Hogsmeade!" Sally-Anne shouted, something she seldom did.

"And they won't be visiting us on the Hogwarts Express either," Wayne added.

In the chaos, Professor Sprout approached them. Hannah thought for a moment that she wanted to berate them for being out in the corridors so late when Dumbledore directed everyone to go back to their common rooms, but she only addressed Susan.

"Miss Bones, you have to come with me. Someone wants to talk with you."

Susan dutifully followed Professor Sprout. She had shown a lack of reaction when the good news was delivered. She remained still, sitting, saying nothing, and she seemed just as numb as she followed Professor Sprout out of the common rooms.

Later that night, when the girls had gone to bed, Susan came back. She was assailed by questions the moment she closed the door of their dormitory behind her.

"Okay, everyone, slow down," Hannah said, taking her friend's defence. "Give her some space."

"It's alright, Hannah. It was just my aunt. She wanted to make sure that I was fine," Susan said.

Hannah knew very well who Susan's aunt was by now. If Amelia Bones had come to Hogwarts, it was that indeed something important happened. Susan looked better than when she left the common room, and when she went to bed, it wasn't long before Hannah heard the usual low snoring she produced in her sleep.

The next morning, the mood was almost one people had following a party, but without the exhaustion. Exams were over, Peter Pettigrew was dead, the Dementors were gone, and they had a last weekend to Hogsmeade before the end of the year. They could add to this that restrictions of movement around the castle and the park would probably be lifted very soon if it wasn't done already. As Hannah and other Hufflepuffs headed towards the Great Hall for breakfast, nothing could sour their good mood.

And yet, as they entered the Great Hall, Hannah spotted Professor Lupin heading in the same direction, coming from another corridor. He looked particularly miserable today. His clothes were in an even worse state than usual. He looked ill, and as if he didn't sleep of the whole night. He was the first person Hannah came across today who didn't seem happy. Hannah excused herself to her friends, saying she would join them soon, and walked towards the professor.

"Professor Lupin." He looked at her when she addressed him, and he smiled.

"Hi, Hannah."

"How are you?" she asked, concerned. In this moment, she only felt pity for him. She also felt guilty for suspecting anything about him.

"Well, I've had better days, I must admit."

"Did you change last night?"

She regretted her words the moment she uttered them. Why did she ask him that? Both Susan and Harry swore that it wasn't true. Why did she have to make a reference to that? In this very moment, it looked entirely stupid to believe such a thing from their kindest, and probably their best professor.

Professor Lupin looked at her with an intrigued gaze. At least, he wasn't angry. Well, how could he be, anyway? How could he suspect what she was talking about? Surely he would just dismiss it, not knowing what this was all about. Then all of a sudden, his facial expression turned to sadness and resignation.

"For how long have you known?"

This was the last question Hannah was expecting. For a moment, she remained there, mouth opened, as she realized what this meant.

"YOU'RE A WEREWOLF!"

All around her, everybody turned to look at her and Professor Lupin.

As you can, the previous chapter is not the only one with a huge punch at the end.

Please review.

Next chapter: Harry