Disclaimer – as always I own absolutely nothing to do with Harry Potter, characters, places and such they all belong to JKR, the chapter extracts in the story belong to JKR, Harry Potter and the Prisoner and Azkaban along with every thing you recognize.

A/N - i apologise for the long delay since my last update,everything has been pretty hecticin the last few months.This chapter isn't as long as i wanted it to be it was 8 pages of A4 written by hand but not as muchtyped out. Thank you for allyour reviews i have replied to all the ones i can through the newsystem they have on the site but thanks toTJ Addo, Sondi, QueenofdaKittys and FireElf. I hope this chapter isn't to bad.

Chapter Nine

Prongs gathered more speed as he sighted the outlines to the Forbidden Forest ahead of him, he had decided against going past the dementors as he was sure to be overwhelmed with unwanted images of his past. So the safest way but not the quickest was around the Forbidden forest and through it.

He crashed into the forest with such speed that several tree branches caught against him scratched his body and broke but he never felt any of the scratches and continued on his way.

He turned down a path that was slightly hidden by the fallen leafs, mud and roots, if he remembered clearly then this path would lead directly to an opening on the other side of the school lake past the dementors and he could work his way from the castle there. Hopefully.

Prongs emerged into the opening just as a scream was sounded, he quickly transformed into human form and looked out over the lake for the source of the scream. His eyes found a scene that was not to far away from him.

A werewolf was struggling against a large black dog that was protecting a small group of people behind him. A burst of light brought his attention from the fighting pair and he watched as a body fell to the ground and a cat was flown into the air. He tried to move to help the group but his feet remained planted on the ground.

"Expelliarmus!" a voice was carried across the air to him and he watched as a small piece of wood flew towards the caller, "Stay where you are!" the same voice called as he began to run forwards but who ever he was running towards quickly disappeared.

The werewolf howled again and it galloped away into the forest, "Sirius, he's gone, Pettigrew transformed!"

Sirius! James' mind cried for him to move forwards to help the group again but his whole body denied it and all he could do was watch in horror as the dog ran off into the grounds.

He turned his attention back to the group of people only then did he notice a figure hanging in the air, two figures where left across the lake and they were checking out the unconscious person on the ground.

James watched as the dog came back out of the forest quite close to him but did not notice him as the dog continued to limp and whine to the lake's shore, the dog let out a loud yelp and James felt the familiar cold sweep over him.

He tried to block out the images and concentrate on the dog across the lake that had now turned back into a man and the other two figures ran towards him. Images of the night Voldemort turned up at Godric's Hollow obscured his vision as he tried to wrench himself away from them.

The caller from before was shouting at the other figure to think of something happy and to produce a patronus, James couldn't wipe away the memory and he fell to the ground and grabbed at his hair as if to remove the memory.

The second figure fell to the ground as the other was desperately shouted 'Expecto Patronum' as he too he fell to his knees still chanting expecto patronum. James struggled to watch as one dementor wrapped its hands around the figures neck and pulling him towards it.

Summoning all the strength he could, James stood back up shakily to help. Thinking of the day that his son was born, how happy he felt to hold him, to see his eyes open and wrap his little hand around James' little finger.

He was filled with strength and happiness, he drove his hand into his pocket and pulled out his wand. Which he had kept hidden till now.

Raising an arm, he shouted "Expecto Patronum!", he stumbled backwards as his patronus burst out of his wand and galloped across the lake towards the Dementors. Through the bright light that his patronus was giving off, he saw the Dementors retreating back from the small group into the darkness.

He continued to watch as his patronus rebounded back to him and slowed to a stop besides him. He raised a hand to pat it but it disappeared leaving James alone staring longingly at the figures on the opposite side of the lake. One his best friend, the other his son.

James was brought back from his thoughts of going to Harry when the floating figure regained consciousness and fall to the ground. The figure which was all dressed in black was probably a teacher from the school, James thought as he watched the teacher conjure stretchers for the others.

Not wanting to be seen by the teacher or anyone else, he transformed back to Prongs and turned back to the forest.

Harry knew it was his father he had seen. Who else could it have been?

He drew his jacket tighter around himself as he sat with Hermione and Buckbeak hidden from view. Hermione had just pointed out that his dad was dead and he couldn't have saved them from the Dementors. But Harry was so easily disbelieving.

After an hour had past, Harry saw Lupin, Ron and Pettigrew clambering through the roots if only he could of got the cloak before Snape got to it then none of this would be happening. Sirius would be a free man now, not locked away.

They watched from their hiding place as Lupin transformed and realized he would run straight into them if they didn't move. Quickly they hurried to Hagrid's and hid inside, from where the cabin was situated seeing what was happening was difficult. They wouldn't know when to rescue Sirius or see who had saved them.

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

Hermione looked up. Her expression suspicious.

"I'm not going to try and interfere," he said 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 … ok, then … I'll wait here with Buckbeak … but Harry, be careful – there's a werewolf out there – and the Dementors -"

Harry stepped out of the cabin and edged around it. He could hear yelping in the distance which meant the Dementors where closing in on Sirius. Whoever had conjured the patronus should be appearing any minute now. The Dementors where already emerging out the darkness towards the bank.

He began to run towards the lake, spotting a bush at the edge of the water. He threw himself behind it and peered through the leaves.

"Come on!" he muttered, staring about. "Where are you? Dad, come on -"

Harry stopped muttering as an animal emerged suddenly from the forest into the opening before him. He watched with a mixture of shock and awe as the animal transformed into a man and before him stood his father.

His whole body was still, as he watched his father fall to his knees and clutch at his hair. Suddenly he stood, filled with strength he produced a wand and conjured his patronus.

Harry wanted to move, wanted to go to his dad but couldn't. It felt like someone had filled his body with concrete and he couldn't stand, all he could do was watch. He continued to watch as his father gazed at his patronus as it drove the Dementors away and turn back towards him. Harry couldn't make the shape out as he was staring at his father, trying to decide if he was real or not.

Harry was jutted out of his thoughts as his dad transformed back into an animal when he spotted Snape moving on the opposite bank and disappeared back into the forest.

Finally able to move, Harry jumped out from behind the bush but his father had gone. It was his dad, he knew he had been right when he told Hermione. He wasn't making it up or imagining it. His father was alive.

At the sound of hooves, he whirled around to see Hermione dragging Buckbeak with her.

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

"I seen my dad …" he said. "Get behind here – behind this bush – I'll explain it."

Hermione listened to what happened with her mouth open.

"Did anyone see you?" she asked.

"I don't think so, but haven't you been listening. I saw my dad."

"Harry, I don't know what to say. I can't believe it. Your dad is dead, how could you have seen him?"

"I don't know but I know it was him"

A howl broke Prongs concentration on finding his way out of the forest. Considering he spent at least once a month roaming around this very forest he couldn't find his way out. How he found his way in before was a mystery to him, he never thought he would forget his way around this place.

Looking to the side of him at the sound of a low growling his eyes found a familiar looking werewolf.

The werewolf stopped it's growling as its eyes locked with the stag's before it turned and disappeared into the trees. The stag immediately galloped after it.

Hope you liked it please R&R. I know it's bit short but next chapter should be longer.