LVI

They were wasting their time. Severus knew the second Potter disappeared they were on a timer. The only thing predictable about Black was that he'd kill Potter, and with the boy's penchant for getting himself into trouble, Severus doubted, Black would need many attempts to get it over with. With the boy gone, they had no time for idle chitchat.

"We need to question Lupin," he insisted for the third or fourth time. Why the headmaster would still protect the werewolf was beyond Severus, but Professor Dumbledore always did that. He took a liking to James Potter and his posse, and even with how thoroughly Black had broken that trust, clearly the headmaster hadn't learned. He was normally not the naïve type, but with Black, Potter, Pettigrew, and Lupin he always fell for their charm.

Severus didn't. Unlike Professor Dumbledore he could see Lupin for the traitor he was; a dark creature with an even darker secret.

"We need to search the castle," Minerva McGonagall disagreed. "The grounds and the Forbidden Forest."

Of course, she believed in the innocence of her former student. Like Dumbledore, she hadn't learned from Black's betrayal. Severus had always been the only one to see those scoundrels for who they were and if the last year had proven anything then that time hadn't made them turn into decent people—instead, they were now more rotten than before. One a murderer, the other an accomplice.

"We may just as well search all of Britain," Severus snarled. "If Potter was teleported via a Portkey he could be anywhere, and even if he's still on school grounds, we didn't scare Black out of hiding so far. Who says we will now?" He shook his head. "Let's question Lupin! At least he might know where to look."

Of course, Lupin would know. Severus was convinced, that he had helped his old friend into the castle, but he knew Professor Dumbledore and his fellow teachers were tired of hearing that.

"We should question the students. Maybe one of them saw something," Minerva suggested.

"I agree," Dumbledore nodded at her, but he did it in such a slow and tired manner, that Severus knew immediately, he didn't really think that would yield any information. He didn't remember seeing Dumbledore so worried all his life, not even during the war or when the Heir of Slytherin was attacking muggleborn students last year. "I shall instruct the ghosts to search the castle. They can search even the most secret passageways. And Hagrid and Filch can search the grounds. Severus, what's your supply of Pepper Up?"

Severus grimaced. With Potter's disappearance, he almost forgot the hordes of students affected by the Dementors who'd need the healing potion to put them back on their feet. Though Potter's disappearance had priority, he agreed at least in so far, that they couldn't forget about the other affected students, just because the self-important brat got himself into trouble again.

"I will bring the potion to Poppy and then join the search," he announced and immediately left the office. He ran past Pomona Sprout at the stairs before he hurried out of the secret passage hidden behind the gargoyle. Despite what he'd just said he would do, with billowing robes he rushed right past the big staircase to Lupin's office. He might be the only one suspicious of Lupin, but his suspicions had been right before. Even as a child, he'd been the only one seeing how dangerous Lupin really was. Now, it was the same thing all over again.

Only he wasn't a child anymore. He wouldn't allow himself to be turned away, knowing that his distrust was warranted. This time, he'd find the truth, he'd find proof, and even Professor Dumbledore would realize how wrong he'd been to ever trust the werewolf.

Too impatient to knock, Severus rattled at the locked door, then with a silent Alohomora, he forced the door open. Though he expected every decent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to lock their room against unwanted intruders, it seemed that Lupin had made no such effort. Either he was simply careless, or he had been in great haste, as he left the room. In any case, when Severus pushed the door open, there was no secondary locking mechanism, no trap, nor even an alarm he triggered.

A book was open on the desk, Lupin's half-drunken tea still steaming at the side. The bed wasn't made. Lupin was nowhere to be found. The only living being was a Grindelow sulking in a big water tank in the corner. Even a quick revealing charm didn't help him find Lupin. He wasn't here.

Severus smirked, already finding his suspicions confirmed. He wondered what Minerva would say if she found out that her oh-so-sick former student wasn't—as they all assumed—rolled up in bed, tired from the full moon. Of course, he wasn't. Severus hadn't heard about a post-full-moon sickness lasting for so many days before, and he knew he'd done the Wolfsbane potion right, so that couldn't be the cause of it either. To Lupin, the last full moon had just been a convenient lie, he was certain, a nifty excuse to get some alone time with his old friend to concoct the next step of their vile plan together, after the attack last week failed.

Without delay, he left the room, locking it with a similarly quick spell Lupin had used before. He searched Lupin's classrooms on the first floor next, just to make sure, he wasn't simply preparing his next class.

They were all empty. Severus had substituted for Lupin the whole week, and the writing on the blackboards was still his own lesson on werewolves with the third years the day before and his course on hexes with the OWL students. None of it had been touched since he last used these rooms himself—certainly there was no werewolf quietly preparing his classes while the school sunk into chaos.

To Severus' great frustration, though he now had confirmation that Lupin indeed had no alibi and wasn't as sick as most staff members seemed to believe he was, he still didn't know where Lupin was, and he had no solid proof against him. Even now, with what Severus already found out, the headmaster would likely be too gullible to believe that one of his own trusted teachers might have betrayed him. Since he didn't know where else to search, Severus decided to quickly go to the dungeons to get the Pepper Up potion.

Sometimes, a wizard needed a bit of good fortune. Maybe it had been his intuition leading him here, or maybe—hopefully—luck was finally turning on Black and Lupin. Because, just as Severus arrived at the great staircase, he saw the back of Lupin's head outside, the front door falling shut behind him. Quickly, Severus snuck after him.

When he reached the door, pushing it open just far enough for him to peer outside, he was surprised how far down the path Lupin already was. He was running fast and had almost reached the main gate already. In front of him, Severus saw the telltale silver light of a Patronus. From the distance, he couldn't quite make out the shape of it, other than that it was corporal, though it didn't seem entirely stable.

From far away it looked like a wolf. How uninspiring, he thought. And underwhelming.

A disgrace for a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to have such a wobbly, weak Patronus. Even from afar Snape could see its shape flicker and at times almost diffuse entirely into a thick fog. A weak Patronus, but he assumed, no more could be expected from such a dark creature.

"I found you," Severus whispered under his breath, as he ran so he wouldn't lose Lupin out of sight. He'd never been a particularly athletic man, and he didn't exercise either, so he wasn't very fast, and soon felt his heartbeat in his throat and a sharp ache from the exertion, but he didn't slow down.

Still, he was too slow. Before he reached the gate...before Lupin even noticed him, he turned on the spot and apparated the moment he stepped outside the wards.

"Argh!" Severus growled in frustration, doubling over, and panting from exhaustion. Curse him!

But at least he saw him. He saw something. What business did Lupin have, leaving the premises? It was suspicious. Even the headmaster had to agree to that. So, Severus hurried back to the castle. He picked up his supplies of Pepper Up and other potions to counter the effects of the Dementors on the way, and dropped them in the Hospital Wing, before returning to the headmaster's office, to share what he saw.

Dumbledore's office was one of the many mysteries of Hogwarts castle. Harry had been here before and told Ron and Hermione all about the circular room, the great desk, and the phoenix on his perch, but Ron had never been here himself. On any other day, he'd be stunned, when Professor Sprout opened the door to let them in. Fred and George would turn green with envy if they knew he was here. They might have seen every hidden corner in the castle, but this office was beyond even their reach. Not today. With Harry missing, he wasn't in a mood to stare at the room and marvel at its opulent beauty, instead, he and Hermione practically fell over each other trying to get past the Herbology teacher.

"Professor Dumbledore!"

"Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione was louder than him. "Professor, we need to talk to you!"

"Oh dear," Professor Sprout looked at them, owlishly. "Aren't you supposed to be in your dorms? The prefects are to make sure that you're all complete."

"Yes," Hermione admitted immediately, "I mean, no." She glanced at Ron. "We wanted to talk to the headmaster, about Harry. He's missing, right? He vanished after he fell off his broom."

"Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore called from his desk. "Why don't you take a seat?" He waved with his hand, and with his gesture, two cushioned armchairs came sliding out from under the desk, invitingly.

Hermione sheepishly ducked her head, embarrassed at her outburst. She followed Dumbledore's invitation, sitting in the first of the two chairs. Ron was walking behind her, but he stopped, as something occurred to him.

"Why is Professor Sprout here?" he asked. At once, he regretted asking. He'd been surprised to see her because he was very certain that though it was over an hour ago for him, in real-time, it couldn't have been long at all, that Ron and Hermione cowered under the Invisibility Cloak, watching the teachers enter the headmaster's office. Sprout hadn't been among them then. Of course, he couldn't say that without revealing that they'd used the Invisibility Cloak.

"Excuse me?" Sprout asked with a slight frown.

Ron pressed his lips tight, quickly sitting next to Hermione, trying to come up with a lie. Hermione eyed him confused, then she quickly answered for him. "We thought all the teachers would be helping in the search for Harry." Cleverly, she used it to turn the conversation again. "He's gone, right? He vanished after he fell off his broom."

Dumbledore's wise blue eyes rested on Hermione for a few moments. Then with only a glance at Ron, who sat on his chair with tense shoulders ready to jump up any second, the headmaster looked over the rim of his half-moon glasses at Sprout. "Yes, if you would, Pomona. Please tell the others that we're looking for both boys."

Both boys?

It suddenly made sense why Professor Sprout was here. Hufflepuff would be missing a student as well if Kakashi had fled after kidnapping Harry. She'd come to tell Dumbledore about that. Hermione understood it too.

"Kakashi!" She blurted out. Her eyes widened in shock and nervousness, then she added in a much more subdued voice: "I mean Charlie…You're looking for Charlie, right?"

Ron wanted to smack his head on the table.

"Children!" Sprout exclaimed in surprise. "How did you— Who told you about that name?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I would like to know that too…"

"He told us," Hermione answered, red in the face, embarrassed at how easily she handed out all their secrets. Then again, Ron wasn't mad at her. He'd tell Dumbledore everything they knew if it would help in finding Harry. Other than relying on the greatest wizard who ever lived, they were out of options. Mom and Dad always told him that there wasn't a witch or wizard who knew more about everything than Albus Dumbledore. Surely, Dumbledore would find a way to help Harry, with all that knowledge he had.

Dumbledore raised a hand. "I would like to know," he repeated, "but I fear the long story has to wait. Pomona, please, the search."

"Of course, Albus." With a last curious glance back at Dumbledore and the students, she left through the open door, closing it behind her.

"And now to you two," Dumbledore continued with a raised eyebrow staring first Hermione down, then Ron. "How about you tell me exactly how you know that Harry and Charlie are missing?"

Hermione was like a hypertense string. As soon as Dumbledore gave her the stand she exploded as if she had just waited for her turn. "Because we saw Ka—Charlie. I mean, we saw Charlie. At the Quidditch pitch. He was right there when Harry vanished and then he fled and the Dementors followed him."

Ron didn't think he'd ever seen Dumbledore look so confused. "Slow down. I was certain you were both at the Gryffindor fan blocks when Harry fell. In fact, I remember seeing Professor McGonagall sending you to your dorms after the game."

Hermione ducked her head.

"We used Hermione's time-thingy," Ron admitted right away. There was no time for secrets. Hermione had already given so much of what they knew away. What was one more secret if it gave them a chance at finding Harry? He didn't really know about the regulations regarding time travel, but he assumed using it the way they had could land them in hot waters. He didn't care. His priorities were straight. Harry came first, even if the things he did to find him or the things they had to admit so they could get the help Harry needed, would get them expelled.

"Ron!" Hermione hissed, blushing a deep red.

Ron glared at her, which made her immediately shrink back and look at her lap. She knew he was right. They might have fought a lot recently about their pets. They might often be of different opinions when it came to following school regulations. But they both wanted Harry found and safe. Dumbledore could help them.

Dumbledore hadn't blinked at the admission, as if he already suspected it the moment they came bursting into his office. "I see," he said. "I'm sure you remember that you aren't supposed to use it unless it's for your classes, Ms. Granger." But he didn't look angry, instead, there was a faint spark in his eyes and a bemused quirk of his lips. "I think under such circumstances we can make an exception. Please tell me—calmly—what you saw?"

And they told him everything. They started at the time when they used the Time Turner, to the moment when Kakashi hexed Harry away, all the way to when they arrived back in Gryffindor Tower.

"Is it possible that Kakashi can travel through dimensions," Ron asked after they finished their recollection of events. "I mean…like different worlds. I'm sure what I saw wasn't just an Apparition, I know how they look." He frowned stubbornly because he knew if Hermione didn't believe him, there was a chance Dumbledore might not either. Hermione was after all the smarter one of the two.

When Hermione spoke, he half expected her to call him an idiot for bringing that theory up again. "Charlie mentioned something like that." She wrung her hands in her lap. "A few weeks ago, when he told us his name, he also told us that he was from a different world."

"Where he was a Samurai," Ron added.

"A ninja," Hermione corrected. "He said he was a ninja in a different world, where he fought for a ninja village." She shrugged. Spoken out loud it really sounded quite ridiculous, and once again, Ron was reminded of the reason why they never believed a word of what Kakashi had told them. Had he told the truth after all? Or was he at least more honest than they gave him credit for?

"He told you that?" Dumbledore asked curiously, leaning back in his chair. He seemed troubled by this bit of information, so Ron was certain this was a new version of the story for Dumbledore. "A ninja?"

Ron bristled. He was certain, that at least the ninja part was a lie. "That's not the point," he insisted. "But he spoke as if he had traveled through worlds. And now Harry vanished, so…"

"Professor," Hemione started more tentatively. "Is there such a thing as dimension travel magic?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Nothing I can think of, at least, that would fit to what you're describing. There are of course subdimensions. Some would call the floo system a subdimension, or a bag with a bigger inside volume than outside…I'm sure you're aware of these theories." He looked at Hermione. "But they don't fit this incident. So, if you're asking whether I know a spell that could have teleported Harry into a different world the way Kakashi described his arrival in England… I am not aware of such magic. However, the mysteries of magic are vast and countless avenues are still unexplored."

Ron's eyes widened. "Dark Magic," he growled. It had to be. All he ever heard about Dark Magic was bad. Voldemort, Grindlewald… Dad said Sirius Black escaped with it too. What other option was there? Ron felt incredibly betrayed. He had started warming up to Kakashi.

Unlike Harry who had sniffed out that something was wrong with the boy weeks ago, and Hermione who had been cautious around him and never bonded quite so closely with him, Ron had—despite everybody warning him—formed a bond with Kakashi. The Hufflepuff had easily wrapped him around his finger as they worked together in detention for the whole week. How could he not like Kakashi, if he helped him reduce what had initially looked like hours of grueling, disgusting work every day to just an hour a day, half of it spent doing homework together?

Dumbledore's blue eyes were oddly guarded when he looked at Ron. "Maybe. It might still be too soon to say. In any case, I'd ask that you leave the rest to us—"

"But Professor!" Hemione exclaimed, eager to do more and help in the search.

Dumbledore brought her to a halt with a raised hand. "I want you to go back into your dorms and try to sleep. I know it will be hard, with Harry missing and the uncertainty in your hearts, but you must understand that in Hogwarts, we—the teachers are responsible for your safety. Not just Harry's, but yours too. Sirius Black is out there, dangerous, Charlie too, whatever his intentions are. And the Dementors. What if any of them got their hands on you? Please think about your parents."

He was looking especially at Ron, eyes imploring the Weasley to understand. Ron didn't. He bristled in anger. "Yeah? Then where were you when Harry got kidnapped?" Something in Dumbledore's words had triggered an adverse reaction. He'd come to ask for Dumbledore's help, and only now that Dumbledore told them, that he was responsible for their safety did it occur to him: He shouldn't have needed to come here! Dumbledore should've kept Harry safe from the start. All of them. "Why did you allow Kakashi into the castle?" He didn't bother using the fake name. That lie had only helped Kakashi infiltrate the school, and Dumbledore was holding on to it even now, continuing to use the false name. "Why didn't you stop him sooner!?"

Harry had known! He'd known the boy was a danger! He'd known that he was after him and only waiting for his chance. All month he'd been terrified for this moment to come. When they learned that the teachers were aware of Kakashi's lies, Harry had been relieved, Ron knew, thinking they'd keep him safe—thinking that if Dumbledore knew, he'd have an eye on Kakashi at least.

Hadn't his parents always told him that it was safest wherever Dumbledore was? According to them, Hogwarts was the only place Voldemort could never reach, during the whole war—and yet!

"Last year, too! You didn't protect him! You didn't protect any of us!"

"Ron!" Hermione hissed, trying to make him shut up. She always admired the teachers too much, not daring to say what he was sure they were both thinking.

"My sister got almost killed, and where were you? Harry had to save her and got almost killed himself!" Voldemort, unable to reach the castle? What a joke!? How could his parents still say those lies, when Harry had fought Voldemort both years ever since starting his education here…and now he was gone! Maybe Black and Kakashi had already killed him, and all Dumbledore did was sit on his arse in his stupid opulent office, asking them to go to sleep. "But you, you weren't even in the castle, and the teachers sent Gilderoy bloody Lockhart to save my sister." It was the most infuriating part, really. Lockhart wasn't just incompetent, and everybody knew, he also ended that day trying to wipe Ron's mind.

Dumbledore just sat there. Ron hadn't even noticed how he jumped from his chair, staring down at the headmaster who took his anger and vitriol with calm patience and understanding eyes as if he just saw Ron as a child venting righteous anger because he failed to see the bigger picture. As if he was just waiting for Ron to tire himself out.

It was working too. Ron already felt his energy leaving him.

"And the year before…Our first year... When Quirrell tried to get to the Stone, you weren't in the castle either. And he was a teacher!"

Hermione looked up at him with big brown eyes. He was panting heavily, exhausted. There was so much more he wanted to scream about, but he found his anger drift away, leaving bone-deep exhaustion and confusion. He wasn't meant to feel such anger at Dumbledore, he thought. After all his parents told him about the headmaster, and what the history books said about him…He'd always admired Dumbledore and owned almost a dozen Chocolate Frog Cards of him. There must have been some misunderstanding. The man who was the strongest wizard of their time surely couldn't make such grievous mistakes.

"I understand your anger," Dumbledore sighed. He looked tired, and older somehow. "I can guarantee you, that we are doing everything in our power to find Harry. We won't rest until we know he's safe."

But wasn't that the greatest if? What if he wasn't safe? What if Harry was already long dead?

"I'm sure you must be tired," Dumbledore added. Ron wanted to reject the concern, but Dumbledore was right. He was incredibly tired. Why was he so tired? "It was an eventful day. And for you two, it was also a long day, I'm certain."

The time travel? They just went back an hour. Did one more hour in the day tire them out so badly?

Hermione yawned.

She flinched and Ron almost jumped to the ceiling, when there was a sudden knock followed by the loud bang, when the door swung open, hitting the wall.

"Headmaster!" Snape stood in the door, red in the face as if he had run to get here. To Ron, it was at once an unwelcome and a rather curious sight, seeing the Potions Master with so much color on his sallow cheeks that didn't come from anger, but exhaustion. Was he even sweating a little? "I just saw Lupin—"

Snape interrupted himself, narrow eyes taking in the two Gryffindors in front of the desk.

"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore greeted with a cheerful clap of his hands. "You come at the perfect timing. Would you please escort Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley back to their common room?"

Snape's upper lip curled. "Professor, I have something important to discuss with you."

"Is it more important than the safety of our students?" Dumbledore asked back. "Please, Severus. And then, I think I asked you to help in the search for Mr. Potter."

Snape bristled, but with a hateful glare at Ron and Hermione, he kicked the door open again and waited for them to run ahead.

Ron didn't want to go. He still had so much to say to Dumbledore, but he didn't quite remember what it had been. He also didn't want to go to the common room. They wanted to help in the search. But what was there that they could do?

He and Hermione exchanged an unhappy frown, then they shuffled past Snape, and hurried down the stairs.

The great black dog walked until he didn't even know where he was going anymore. He hadn't quite realized how close he'd been to Hogsmeade until he fled from the dying boy and his former friend who had acted so differently from how Sirius remembered him. He didn't go into the village. He didn't dare to, knowing it was the direction, Moony had gone. But if he didn't go to Hogsmeade and didn't dare go back to the castle with surely everybody on high alert and the Dementors being so excited, Sirius didn't know where else to go.

His paws carried him this way and that until he was shivering and drenched completely.

If he turned, he could use the wand to dry himself, he realized.

It was an enticing thought. He didn't have a wand in many years. The things he could do with this one…

The price at which he had gained it wasn't worth it. The thought haunted him, and it made him less eager to try Kakashi's wand. Was the boy even still alive? Would he live through the night and the coming week? Or would Sirius soon hold the wand of a dead boy? A boy who had given him so many things that he'd been deprived of for so many years. And how had Sirius thanked him? He'd called him vile insults in London, and then he'd ripped him in half with his reckless magic.

He shivered and felt the prickle and pressure, as he easily passed through the wards. Somehow, he expected something to happen, for the Dementors to find him immediately, for the wards to knock him out or to force him into his human form. Something. He'd crossed the wards many times in recent days, as he hid first in the Shrieking Shack, then in the Forbidden Forest. They had never rejected him. Yet somehow with the added guilt on his soul, with the knowledge that the Dementors would tell the ministry what had happened, and Remus might rat him out too, he thought it would be different. It should be different.

He wasn't the same innocent man anymore. He'd always carried guilt, but never the guilt of killing one of the children protected by the castle itself. Surely, the castle and its wards should reject him now, yet they didn't.

Confused and aimless he walked along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, never daring to get too deep, as even with the wand, the creatures inside weren't his friends. He snuck around the lake and then…

There was a warm light ahead and Sirius, aimless as he felt, followed it all the way to a harvested pumpkin field and the wooden hut of another old friend.

He had met Moony tonight. A friend who had changed so much in twelve years, that he had threatened a dying child on his quest for vengeance against Sirius. Hagrid was another old friend, though Sirius had never been as close to him. He'd always been Dumbledore's man. Truthfully, Lily had liked Hagrid better than James or Sirius had, but after graduation, when they all joined the order, Sirius had come to trust the half-giant. He last saw him when Hagrid took Harry away on Sirius' flying bike.

He wondered if Hagrid had changed too. Had he changed too much to allow a wet, starved dog inside?

Knowing that he had very likely killed Kakashi, and on a less severe note, ruined Harry's Quidditch game just an hour or so before, Sirius felt incredibly selfish, hoping for a warm and dry place to rest. But he didn't know what else to do. He wouldn't stay long, he told himself. Just long enough for the Dementors to calm down.