Chapter 56

Meredith felt as though she were clawing her way through a cold dark bog. There was a light ahead of her. Just a little further. Meredith slowly opened her eyes. Oh, that was a mistake, she thought with a groan. Her body ached and her head felt as though it were going to fall off of her shoulders. She reached out and felt around her. She felt the hard bed she was lying on. This was not the dorm. No, the only time she'd ever lay on a bed as hard as this was in the hospital wing. Slowly she started to remember. Sirius…dementors…something bright…a woman …a woman with long red hair. She'd chased off the dementors. She took a deep breath and cracked her eyes open just a little. On a table in front of her was a piece of chocolate as big as her hand. It would make her feel better but she couldn't muster the strength to take it. She lowered her hand to the bed and her fingers touched something smooth. Her wand. She gripped it and pointed it toward her bedside table.

"Accio chocolate." The chocolate slid into her fingers and she lifted it to her mouth. She could feel warmth spread through her. As the fog cleared from her brain she could hear voices around her.

"No need to worry, Harry," a voice she recognized at the Minister of Magic. "The Ministry has the situation well in hand."

"No they haven't!" she heard Harry shout. "You've got the wrong man!" Oh god, they had captured Sirius.

"Minister I saw Pettigrew too," Hermione chimed in now. "It was Ron's rat…he's an animagus!"

"You see Minister, confunded the lot of them." Oh great Snape was in this too. She had to get up. She had to make them see. She tried to lift her head from the bed but it was like trying to lift a boulder with her pinkie finger.

"Minister, Professor please," Madam Pomfrey was protesting. "My patients need rest." She heard the doors of the hospital wing open.

"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius…"

"Headmaster please…"

"I'm sorry Poppy but I must speak to Harry and Hermione alone." Meredith sighed in relief. Dumbledore was here. It would be all right. He would believe them.

"Cornelius, Severus, Poppy," Dumbledore said. "Please leave us."

"Headmaster these children need care…"

"I am afraid this cannot wait. Leave us please." Meredith could hear Madam Pomfrey leave in a huff.

"The dementors should be here by now," the Minister said. "I shall go and meet them at the gate."

Meredith choked back a gasp. The dementors. They were going to administer the kiss.

"Severus if you please," Dumbledore said.

"Surely you don't believe this Headmaster. You may remember that Black showed himself capable of murder at fifteen."

"My memory is as good as it ever was," Dumbledore said. "I wish to speak to Harry and Hermione alone!" Meredith could hear the door slam. Harry and Hermione immediately started to explain to Dumbledore what they had seen but the headmaster silenced them.

"It is time for you to listen." Dumbledore's voice would brook no objection. "There is not a shred of evidence to support your claim. I'm afraid that the word of three teenagers and one witch who is just barely of age will not hold much weight with the ministry."

"But you believe us sir," Harry said.

"Yes, I do." Meredith swallowed hard. What good was it if Dumbledore believed them? They had no proof. Pettigrew had escaped and the dementors would be there soon. Sirius…oh god!

"What we need is more time," Dumbledore said. More time? They had no more time. Sirius would be worse than dead in minutes.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped in realization.

"Now listen to me very carefully," Dumbledore said his voice steeped in urgency. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office. The seventh floor, the thirteenth window from the tower. Remember this above all else you must not be seen. If you pull this off more than one innocent life may be spared. It is now five minutes to midnight. I think three turns will do the trick Miss Granger. Good luck." Meredith's head was spinning. More time…three turns…must not be seen…was Dumbledore suggesting…

"Come here Harry," Hermione said. "This is a time turner it's how I've been getting to all my lessons this year."

"You mean…"

"I've been able to go back in time and do hours over. Now come here. I'm afraid you're going to have to do this alone. With my arm I'm not going to be much good to you." It was then that Meredith saw that Hermione's arm was in a sling. Courtesy of Peter no doubt. Meredith bit her lip. Whatever Harry was going to do he was going to need help. And Sirius, however mixed her feelings about him might be, he needed help too.

"Hermione I can't do this alone," Harry was saying.

"You won't be going alone," Meredith said sitting up. "I'm going with you." Harry and Hermione both stared at her as she got out of bed and came to them.

"How much have you heard?" Hermione said.

"Enough to know we don't have a lot of time," Meredith said. She slipped her wand into her pocket and held her hand out for the time turner.

"How does it work," she said placing the chain over herself and Harry.

"Just turn it over three times," Hermione said. "Remember you can NOT be seen."

"Got it," Meredith said. 'I can't believe I'm doing this,' she thought and turned over the tiny hour glass.

"Good luck," Hermione said as Meredith turned it over again and one more time. At the third turn the room seemed to swirl around her and Harry. The dark sky outside the windows turned light.

"What was that?" Harry said. "Have we gone back in time?"

"I think so," Meredith said her head spinning. She glanced around till she saw a clock.

"It's 7:30," she said. "Okay…" she ran a hand through her hair trying to focus on the current problem.

"Where were you, Ron and Hermione at 7:30?" she asked him.

"Um…going down to Hagrid's," Harry said completely baffled.

"Okay," Meredith said. "Let's go!" They dashed out of the hospital wing and hurried down the hall. Meredith didn't know what they were supposed to do or how the hell they were going to save Sirius she just knew they needed to keep moving. As long as she was moving she could keep her head. That's how it had been out on the grounds and that's how it was now. She heard a noise behind her and grabbed Harry's arm.

"Someone's coming," she said. She saw a door and yanked it open.

"Get in there," she said shoving him into the broom closet.

"Meredith," Harry grunted as she jumped into the closet and shut the door behind him.

"Quiet," she snapped. She pressed her ear against the door. "Footsteps." She opened the door a crack and peeked out. She could hear steps moving past very slowly but…

"I can't see anyone," she whispered.

"It must be us," Harry said. "Ron, Hermione and I," he said. From the way he said it she could tell he was as weirded out about this as she was.

"We're under my dad's invisibility cloak," he explained hastily. "Meredith, I don't know what we're supposed to do? How are we going to save Sirius?" Meredith tugged at a loose strand of hair.

"Think back," she said urgently. "What did Dumbledore tell you exactly?"

"Nothing!" Harry whispered loudly.

"Come on Harry," Meredith said. "What did he say?"

"He said that Sirius was being held in Flitwick's office and if we could do this more than one…" Harry trailed off.

"Harry?"

"More than one innocent life may be saved. Meredith! We're going to free Buckbeak!" Meredith stared at the younger boy.

"We can fly him up to the tower and he and Sirius can escape together!" Meredith could feel a dull throbbing starting to build behind her eyes. The million ways this could be a disaster swarmed her brain.

"If we pull this off if will be a bloody damned miracle," she muttered. She quickly peeked into the hall again.

"Looks like the coast is clear," she said. "Let's go." They raced out of the castle and out to the grounds. They paused at the top of the hill that looked down on Hagrid's cabin. Meredith's eyes widened as Harry, Ron, and Hermione suddenly appeared on Hagrid's doorstep. She glanced at the Harry who was standing beside her and then back at the one who stood at Hagrid's door.

"This is not normal," Harry said. Meredith nodded.

The door of the cabin opened and the three younger kids went inside.

"The pumpkin patch," Meredith said. Staying low they made their way down the hillside and slipped into the pumpkin patch.

"Okay," Meredith said biting her lip. "Now we're going to have to time this just right. What are you doing now?" Harry looked thoughtful.

"Okay, we're in Hagrid's cabin, just talking. Hermione gets up to make more tea and breaks the milk jug." They both jumped as a crash was heard from inside the cabin.

"There it is," Harry said. "Hermione's about to find Scabbers, er Peter rather." Harry's face suddenly got dark and thoughtful.

"Harry?" Meredith said. She followed his eyes and immediately caught onto his train of thought.

"No Harry," she said quickly. "Don't even think about it."

"If I just go in and grab Peter…"

"Harry you can't! We can't be seen!"

"He killed my parents! He betrayed them to Voldemort!"

"I know Harry," she said. She could never make Harry understand how much she too wanted Peter to pay for what he had done.

"Listen to me Harry," Meredith said. "Terrible things happen to wizards who meddle with time. We came back to keep Sirius from receiving the kiss. That's all we're supposed to do. I wish we could do more but it's just too risky."

"Fine," Harry grumbled. "Okay Dumbledore, Fudge and Macnair should be…yes here they come. Fudge needs to see Buckbeak or he'll think Hagrid set him free. We won't have much time. We'll have to free him while Fudge is in the house. We're going to have to be fast." They watched holding their breath as Dumbledore and the Minister went into Hagrid's hut as the back door to the cabin opened.

"We're coming out under the cloak," Harry whispered. Meredith nodded. The front door closed. This was it.

"Let's do this." Harry moved forward and slowly approached Buckbeak. As the hippogriff looked up Harry bowed at the waist. Meredith's heart pounded until the hippogriff bowed back. Harry darted forward and grabbed the chain and pulled as hard as he could.

"Come on Buckbeak," Harry grunted but Buckbeak was resistant. Meredith bit her lip till it bled. She could hear the Minister inside. They would be out any second. She stepped forward slowly. Buckbeak puffed up at her approach. She quickly bent at the waist being very careful not to blink. The hippogriff bowed to her. She rushed forward and grabbed the chain. Together the two of them tugged on the chain. Finally Buckbeak lifted his hind quarters and followed them into the forest. Not a moment too soon for the Minister came out seconds after they pulled Buckbeak out of sight. Meredith held her breath as she listened to the Minister's outrage that the creature had escaped. Dumbledore seemed rather amused by the whole thing. Once again Meredith got the impression that Dumbledore knew more than he let on.

"We need to be able to see what's going on," Harry said. "So we'll know when it's time to fly up to the tower." Meredith nodded.

"Right," she said. "Come on." They led Buckbeak through the forest until they reached a parting in the trees where they could see the whomping willow.

"There's Ron," Meredith said as Ron suddenly appeared dashing toward the willow. She saw Harry and Hermione appear and follow them. She swallowed hard as she saw the Grim race over the hill and jump on Ron. Meredith winced as Sirius seized Ron's leg and dragged him into the Willow.

"Ouch!" she gasped as she heard the snap of Ron's leg.

"Looks worse the second time around," Harry said. He winced as he saw himself get hit in the stomach by the willow. They watched as Harry and Hermione made their way past the slapping branches and finally into the willow.

"We're in," Harry said. "We're heading up the passage now."

"Look!" Meredith said pointing to the path to the castle.

"Dumbledore," Harry said. "If he'd only come a moment sooner."

"Fudge would have come too. He'd have pounced on Sirius the moment he saw him."

"Fair point. Professor Lupin should be along any minute now."

"There he is," Meredith said. Her heart gave a funny jolt as she watched the man who had raised her for the last twelve years hurry down the path. She watched as he picked up a long stick and prodded the willow in a certain spot making all the branches freeze. He disappeared into the willow.

"We're all down there now," Harry said.

"So now we wait," Meredith said sitting down and trying to make herself comfortable on the grass. Harry sat down next to her and they watched the willow together waiting. Meredith leaned forward and rested her chin on her knees. She hated waiting. Waiting left too much time to dwell on thoughts.

"Meredith," Harry said.

"Hmm…" Meredith responded.

"When we were by the lake, the patronus, the one that chased off the dementors…" Meredith sucked in her breath.

"Someone had to have cast it," Harry said. "And well, this is going to sound crazy…but I think it was my dad." Meredith's eyes widened and she stared at Harry in astonishment. She thought of the people she had seen just before her world had gone dark. A man and a woman. A man with black hair and a woman with red hair. She bit her lip. No it was not possible. James Potter was dead. Her mother was dead. And yet…Sirius was supposed to be dead and so was Peter Pettigrew. Yet she'd seen both of them tonight out here on the grounds. But no…Remus would not have lied to her about her mother. He would not do that to her. She couldn't think like this.

"I know it's crazy," Harry said.

"No," Meredith said. "It's not crazy at all Harry."

"Meredith," Harry said slowly. "I'm glad you came with me, but...well why did you?" Meredith tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed.

"I couldn't live with myself if Sirius had his soul sucked out, Harry."

"Why?" Harry said. "Why would you risk all this for a man you don't even know?" Meredith stared out in front of her.

"He's my father," she said. It was the first time she'd said the words since she'd found out. They didn't seem real. Harry was staring at her in utter shock.

"Your…"

"I didn't find out until a few days ago," Meredith said staring out at the tree. "My mom got pregnant with me during their seventh year. They were too young to take care of me so I got put in an orphanage. Remus took me in and adopted me after Sirius was arrested." She stared at the tree that hid the passage to the shack where Sirius and Remus were now. Two men. One her father by blood the other by everything else that counted.

"So your father and my father were practically brothers," Harry said quietly. "That makes you and I almost related."

"I guess it does." She said. She glanced up at Harry and found him grinning. Meredith couldn't help but smile herself. She supposed she'd always thought of Harry as a little brother. One thing was certain. After tonight she and Harry would no longer be mere acquaintances. Death defying situations such as this forged bonds stronger than anyone could understand.

"Here we come," Harry said. Meredith got to her feet as she watched her father lead Peter Pettigrew at wand point out of the willow. He was followed by Hermione who was supporting Ron, and then Harry and Sirius.

"You see Sirius talking to me there?" Harry said.

"Yeah," Meredith said.

"He's asking me to come live with him," Harry said. Meredith smiled. Harry sounded so happy about the idea of living with a man who only a day ago he must have hated. Funny how things turned out.

"I think we'll live in the country," Harry said. "I think he'll like that after so many years locked up." Meredith felt a slight ache in her heart. It was understandable that Harry would be eager for Sirius to be in his life after never having a real family to love him. But she could not feel the same way. Remus had raised her since she was a little girl. How was she supposed to accept Sirius into her life? She did not have a chance to dwell on it as the moon had shifted. She watched in horror as her father transformed. Sirius yelled at the kids to run and transformed. Meredith held her breath as her father threw Sirius to the side and advanced on the kids. She saw him fall after being hit by the dart. She held her hand up to her head as she saw herself rushing toward the kids, gun in hand, and kneel down beside her father.

"This is not normal," she moaned. She watched as they gathered up the wolf and started the trek towards Hagrid's house.

"We've got to move," Harry said suddenly. "We're gonna be walking right this way." Meredith nodded. Together they grabbed Buckbeak's chain and dragged him further into the forest where they could still see Hagrid's cabin. Meredith saw the kids and Sirius hide in the pumpkin patch as her past self dragged the wolf to Hagrid's door. She saw the door open and watched as she disappeared inside.

"Five minutes," she said to herself. She'd be coming out in about five minutes.

"Was anyone hurt," she heard Hagrid's voice from inside. Meredith shook her head. This was all too surreal.

"Oh don't you worry about that," she heard Hagrid say. "Buckbeak escaped." Harry and Meredith glanced at each other and then turned to look at the hippogriff behind me.

"Meredith," Harry whispered his eyes wide.

"Don't think about it too much, Harry," she said. "It will just make your head hurt." She glanced up as she saw her past self come from Harry's house. She stepped further back into the trees lest she be seen by herself. She held her breath as her past self came back to the pumpkin patch. They all moved to head back to the castle.

"We've got to go," Harry said. "We need to get across the lake." Meredith nodded and grabbed Buckbeak's chain. They moved quickly till they found the spot where the Patronus had come.

"This is where he'll be," Harry said. Meredith turned and stared at him.

"Harry," she started but she was cut off as the air turned to ice. She stared across the lake and saw the dementors overtaking the group of them. She watched her own feeble attempts to summon a patronus. She saw Sirius fall and saw herself throw herself on top of him. Where was she? Where was her mother?

"He'll be here," Harry was saying. Meredith was in agony as the dementor seized her past self by the neck.

"There's no one coming Harry," she said weakly. "It's just…us." Their eyes met as the both came to the same realization at the same time. Seizing their wands they jumped out from behind the trees.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" They shouted together. From their two wands a brilliant light in the shape of a stag and a fox burst forth and charged at the dementors sending them flying away. Together the stag and the fox trotted back across the lake to Harry and Meredith and stood in front of them. Harry reached out his hand to touch the stags head. Meredith knelt down to pet the fox on the head. She looked across the lake and met the eyes of her past self before she passed out. The fox and the stag vanished and she turned to stare up at Harry.

"It wasn't my dad and your mum," he said. "It was us. We saw ourselves. I knew I could cast the patronus this time because I'd already done it. Does that make sense?" Meredith smiled.

"It makes perfect sense," she said. "Look out." She pulled him behind a tree. They saw Snape appear and conjure stretchers and lift them onto them.

"Let's go," she said. Harry climbed onto Buckbeak's back and held his hand out to Meredith. She took his hand and pulled herself up onto the hippogriff's back.

"Okay Buckbeak," Harry said. "Up!" Meredith squeezed Harry's waist tight and squeezed her eyes shut as they flew into the air above the grounds.

"I hate flying," she said. Harry only laughed.

"Which one's Flitwick's office?" Harry said.

"Dumbledore said the seventh floor, thirteenth door from the tower," Meredith said. They counted the doors and Harry brought Buckbeack down. They hovered outside of the window. Meredith looked through the bars and saw Sirius. She quickly pulled out her wand.

"Bombarda!" she shouted blasted the window open. Sirius jumped up and ran to the open window.

"How?" he asked.

"No time to explain," Harry said. "Climb on!" Sirius lifted himself out the window frame. Meredith held out her hand for him to grab onto. He met her eyes and took her hand. He lifted himself onto Buckbeaks back behind Meredith.

"Okay Buckbeack. Up! To the roof," they flew up into the night sky and landed on the roof. Meredith and Harry jumped off. Sirius pulled himself up and took Buckbeak's reigns. He turned to the two of them, the expression on his face unreadable.

"I'm eternally grateful to you both," he said. "We will meet again Harry." Harry smiled at his godfather. Sirius turned to Meredith.

"You look so much like your mother," he said. "I will see you soon."

"Go," Meredith said fighting back tears. Sirius jerked on Buckbeak's reign and the hippogriff and its rider flew up into the sky and disappeared into the night. They stood frozen until they could no longer see Sirius. Meredith turned away first.

"We've got to get back." They raced down the steps as the clock started to chime twelve. Meredith clutched at a stitch in her side as they raced up to the hospital wing doors just as Dumbledore was coming out.

"Well," the headmaster said to them.

"We did it sir," Harry said. "Sirius is safe."

"Excellent," Dumbledore said, "I think it's safe…" he peered into the hospital wing.

"Yes, you've just gone. It will be as though you never left. Go on." They slipped inside and found Hermione waiting for them.

"How'd it go?" she said anxiously.

"He's safe," Harry said climbing into bed.

"Thank goodness," Hermione said. Meredith smiled and climbed into bed. She lay back and ate her chocolate as Madam Pomfrey came out of her office. She pulled the blankets to her chin and closed her eyes. It had been a long strange day.