A/N: Essentially, what you recognize belongs to the goddess that is J.K. Rowling, and what you don't belongs to lil' ol' me.

•~0~•

Genevieve had to admit: if anyone could see them, they'd probably do a double-take. An undoubtedly ugly cat, a fugitive, a dead man, two professors (one unconscious), three random Hogwarts students, and the Boy Who Lived. It was a bit awkward, so many people trying to get through the tunnel at once, three of them chained together. To Genevieve's amusement, Black was in charge of getting Snape through the tunnel and was allowing him to repeatedly bump his head against the top.

Black and Harry were talking animatedly, and something Harry said caused Black to grin, making him look younger by years. As they exited the hole and continued to the castle, Genevieve and Hermione chatted about O.W.L.s.

"They're not bad," Genevieve revealed. "If you really study. You have to watch out for Potions, though. Some of the concoctions can be a bit tricky."

Hermione started to reply, but just then -

What had once been a cloudy night betrayed them; the moon shone through above them, and everyone stopped still.

"Oh, my - " Hermione whispered in a deadly mixture of fear and shock. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

"Run," instructed Black at a low murmur; he didn't dare speak louder. "Run. Now."

Genevieve didn't need telling twice. Black assured them that he would take care of Ron, who was still bound to Pettigrew, and, by extension, Lupin, and she and Hermione were off. There were a lot of things in life Genevieve wanted to witness, and a man sprouting hair along with a vicious desire to attack wasn't one of them. Sirius, meanwhile, had transformed into his Animagi form and was buying them time by fighting the now fully mutated Lupin.

Suddenly, Hermione screamed. Glancing back, Genevieve saw Pettigrew seize Lupin's discarded wand, knock out Ron, and send Crookshanks flying. Harry managed to Disarm him, but he had already turned into a rat and escaped.

Genevieve cursed. Harry informed an injured Black of the horrifying turn of events, which meant the loss of his freedom - again. Black knew what Harry's message was, and he booked it.

They were instantly at Ron's side.

"What did he do to him?" Hermione asked with extreme concern and anxiety.

"I don't know . . . We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone. Come -"

A yelp cut Harry off. Sirius was in trouble.

After a split second's hesitation, they were off, Harry in the lead, the girls mere steps behind him. Genevieve felt coldness seep into her body, but she hardly noticed; they had a convicted criminal to protect. The dog's whines stopped only when Black transformed back into a human.

He was pleading, groaning. Genevieve froze. More than a hundred dementors surrounded them, more coming by the second.

"Think of something happy!" Harry shouted. Genevieve quickly conjured up the ever familiar thought of seeing Charlie again, but she couldn't even remember what Charlie's smile looked like anymore. The dementors were getting closer, and all she could think of was the haunting yellow eye of the basilisk, the last sighing breath of her grandfather, the panicked but determined expression of her soon-to-be dead mother. She forced herself to think of Charlie, of Fred and George, of her father, Katie . . .

"Expecto patronum!" Harry bellowed again and again. Genevieve quickly followed suit.

"Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!" A silvery blue wisp escaped from her wand, but it wasn't enough. Genevieve could feel the life draining from her . . . every happy memory gone . . . and then she was gone . . .

•~0~•

Genevieve came to, groggy and slightly confused. The hospital wing. Why did it always have to be the hospital wing? Hermione saw that she was awake, and put a single, trembling finger to her lips, motioning to the door.

Genevieve listened quietly to Snape and Fudge's conversation, growing silently angrier with each passing second. She didn't trust herself not to speak, and clamped a clammy, bandaged hand to her mouth.

"Shocking business . . . shocking . . . miracle none of them died . . . by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape . . ."

Fudge was talking about awarding Snape the Order of Merlin, First Class. Genevieve felt herself turning red with fury as Snape claimed they were bewitched, that Black had Confunded them.

Harry was awake now too, while Ron was fully passed out. Madam Pomfrey approached him and Genevieve, breaking apart and handing out a rather large brick of chocolate.

"Very foolish of you, Snow, I see you often enough. That was a nasty break, but I managed to mend it. However, keep the bandage on.

"How's Ron?"

"He'll live. As for you three . . . you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're - Potter, what do you think you're doing?"

He was readying to leave. Genevieve, who had been here enough times to know not to test Madam Pomfrey, remained rooted to her bed.

"I need to see the headmaster."

"Potter, it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now - "

"WHAT?"

Her prior demeanor forgotten, Genevieve jumped out of bed, along with the other two. The Minister and Snape came in.

"Harry, Harry, what's this?" Fudge looked . . . irritated. "You should be in bed - has he had any chocolate?"

"Minister, listen!" Harry interjected. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's - "

Fudge didn't believe him. All three tried to argue, but, once again, Snape chalked it up to the Confundus Charm. Just then, Dumbledore entered, and there was a collective sigh of relief for everyone except Madam Pomfrey.

"For heaven's sake! Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist -"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Miss Snow. I have just been talking to Sirius Black -"

Snape sneered. "I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind? Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive - "

"That, indeed, is Black's story."

"And does my evidence count for nothing? Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."

They continued in this manner, Dumbledore trying to get the three students alone, while Snape abused Black and the students, and Fudge simply thought they were insane. Finally, Dumbledore managed to convince the others to leave.

All three rushed to talk at the same time. Dumbledore silenced them.

"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time. There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word - and the word of three students will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."

"Professor Lupin can tell you -"

"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little - and the fact that he and Sirius our old friends -"

"But -"

"Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours."

"He hates Sirius. All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him -"

"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady - entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife - without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."

"But you believe us."

"Yes, I do. But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic . . ."

This shocked Genevieve. She'd always seen Dumbledore as such a powerful figure, respected by everyone, able to do anything . . .

"What we need," Dumbledore spoke slowly, shifting his attention to Hermione, "is more time."

"But - OH!"

Dumbledore dropped his voice. "Now, pay attention. Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, all of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law – you know what is at stake . . . You - must - not - be - seen."

Hermione was listening with rapt attention while Genevieve's face contorted in confusion. What was he talking about?

"I am going to lock you in. It is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

"Good luck? Three turns? What'd he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"

Unlike Harry, Genevieve was watching Hermione, who extracted a chain from which dangled a single hourglass.

"Come here," she said. "Quick!"

Hermione threw the chain around their necks, turned three times the hourglass, and everything became a blur. Genevieve was vaguely aware that they were spinning, and it certainly wasn't a pleasant experience. When they stopped, they were back in the entrance hall. Harry appeared just as bewildered as Genevieve.

"Hermione, what -?"

"In here!" She beckoned them into a broom closet. Genevieve followed, though reluctantly.

"What - how - Hermione, what happened?"

"We've gone back in time. Three hours back . . ."

"But -"

"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think - I think it might be us! Footsteps across the hall . . . yes, I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!"

"Are you telling me that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there too?"

"Yes. I'm sure it's us. It doesn't sound like more for people . . . and we're walking very slowly because we're under the Invisibility Cloak. We've gone down the front steps . . ."

Harry peppered her with questions while Genevieve remained silent in awe.

"Where did you get that hourglass thing?"

"It's called a Time-Turner, and I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I've been using it all year to get to all my lessons -"

Genevieve interrupted. "You mean to say that, had I taken one more elective my third year, I would've gotten one of those monstrosities?"

"Yes. Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies . . . I've been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several lessons at once, see? But . . .

"I don't understand what Dumbledore wants us to do. Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help Sirius?"

"There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change. What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago . . ."

"This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid's. We just heard ourselves leaving . . ."

There was a moment of quiet concentration. Then Genevieve knew.

"Dumbledore said that we could save more than one innocent life! He was talking about Buckbeak!"

"But - how will that help Sirius?"

Harry answered. " Dumbledore said - he just told us where the window is - the window of Flitwick's office! Where they've got Sirius locked up! We've got to fly Buckbeak up to the window and rescue Sirius! Sirius can escape on Buckbeak - they can escape together!"

It was abundantly clear Hermione didn't like the sound of this plan.

"If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!"

"Well, we've got to try, haven't we? Doesn't sound like anyone's there . . . Come on, let's go . . ."

They left the cupboard and the entrance hall, as fast as they could.

"If anyone's looking out the window -" Hermione warned.

"We'll run for it. Straight into the forest, Alright? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout -"

"Okay, but we'll go around by the greenhouses!" Hermione insisted. "We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door, or we'll see us! We must be nearly at Hagrid's now!"

They made their way as quickly as possible, hiding in the darkness made by the trees.

"Right. We need to sneak over the Hagrid's . . . Keep out of sight, Harry . . ."

Out of breath, but persistent, they arrived at the woods next to Hagrid's, just as their other selves rapped on the door. The three decided to wait to save Buckbeak until the Commitee has seen him, to ensure that Hagrid was not blamed. Harry pleaded, but Hermione convinced him not to run in and capture Pettigrew on the spot.

At long last, their other selves left, and the Committee arrived, Fudge unwittingly giving them time to escape with Buckbeak by reading Hagrid the official notice of execution. Harry slipped away to get Buckbeak when Hermione noticed.

"Genevieve - you're coming back!"

"No, it's okay," she assured the younger girl. "The wind throws a branch in my way. It leads to this," Genevieve gestured to her wrist. I never make it."

But the other Genevieve was just about to get to the other side of the hill, where she'd have a clear view of Harry and Buckbeak. Genevieve waited with bated breath, but nothing happened. She was just about to see it; Genevieve had to stop herself.

Without thinking, she grabbed the nearest branch and chucked it at the ground in front of the other Genevieve. Genevieve watched as she stumbled and landed on the ground with a painful snap!, wincing.

"So . . ." She told the horrified Hermione. "I just . . . broke my own wrist. That's . . . fun."

Finally, Harry made it back to them, just before -

SLAM!

Hagrid's back door opened, and Macnair, the executioner, looked a little too murder-happy. Then . . .

"Where is it? Where is the beast?"

"It was tied here! I saw it! Just here!"

"How extraordinary," Dumbledore mused.

The executioner swung his axe into the fence, furious at not being able to kill anyone. Hagrid howled:

"Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he's gone! Musta pulled himself free! Beaky, yeh clever boy!"

The adults continued their conversation, Macnair outraged. Finally, they moved indoors.

"Now what?"

"We'll have to hide in here. We need to wait until they've gone back to the castle. Then we wait until it's safe to fly Buckbeak up to Sirius's window. He won't be there for another couple of hours . . . Oh, this is going to be difficult . . ."

"We're going to have to move," Harry said thoughtfully. "We've got to be able to see the Whomping Willow, or we won't know what's going on."

"Okay. But we've got to keep out of sight, remember . . ."

They watched themselves get brutalized by the Willow ("Merlin, I'm pathetic!" Genevieve whispered. "That looks so much worse from here."). Lupin, and then Snape got past it without harm.

Hermione sat down, and Genevieve joined her.

"So that's it. We're all down there . . . and now we've just got to wait until we come back up again . . . Harry, there's something I don't understand . . . Why didn't the dementors get Sirius? I remember them coming, and then I think I passed out . . . there were so many of them . . ."

Harry sat down as well. He explained the large silver animal he'd glimpsed briefly before passing out that had saved them all.

"But what was it?"

"There's only one thing it could have been, to make the dementors go. A real Patronus. A powerful one," he answered.

"But who conjured it? Didn't you see what they looked like? Was it one of the teachers?"

"No. He wasn't a teacher."

"But he must have been a really powerful wizard, to drive all those dementors away . . . If the Patronus was shining so brightly, didn't it light him up? Couldn't you see -"

"Yeah, I saw him," started Harry uncertainly. "But . . . maybe I imagined it . . . I wasn't thinking straight . . . I passed out right afterward . . ."

"Who did you think it was?"

"I think - I think it was my dad."

Genevieve was stunned. Hermione looked more than a little uncomfortable.

"Harry, your dad's - well - dead."

"I know that."

"It's not impossible." Genevieve said quietly.

They looked at her.

"Look, I don't want to give you false hope, Harry, but you're living proof that the impossible can happen. You survived Voldemort, for heaven's sake."

"You think you saw his ghost?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know . . . no . . . he looked solid . . ."

"But then -"

"Maybe I was seeing things. But . . . from what I could see . . . it looked like him . . . I've got photos of him . . . I know it sounds crazy."

After a long wait, everyone reappeared, Snape unconscious. It was obvious Harry was anxious about letting the night's events repeat.

"We've got to stay put," Hermione warned. "We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do . . ."

"So we're just going to let Pettigrew escape all over again . . ."

"How do you expect to find a rat in the dark? There's nothing we can do! We came back to help Sirius; we're not supposed to be doing anything else!"

"All right!"

They watched Lupin transform, and then Harry said:

"We've got to move!"

"We mustn't, I keep telling you -"

"Not to interfere!" Harry snapped. "Lupin's going to run into the forest, right at us!"

They took refuge at Hagrid's. Harry convinced Hermione to let him go outside to watch for the time they needed to save Sirius.

After a while, they left the cabin to find Harry, out in the open and panting.

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

"I just saved all our lives . . . Get behind here - behind this bush - I'll explain."

Genevieve listened, gaping at what had just happened.

"Not fair!" she whispered fiercely. "You save our arses by conjuring a Patronus; I had to break my own wrist for you!"

Hermione was worried, as always. "Did anyone see you?"

"Yes, haven't you been listening? I saw me but I thought I was my dad! It's okay!"

"Harry, I can't believe it . . . ," Hermione marveled. "You conjured up a Patronus that drove away all those dementors! That's very, very advanced magic . . ."

"I knew I could do it this time because I'd already done it . . . Does that make sense?"

"I don't know - look at Snape!"

He had conjured up stretchers and set off for the castle.

"Right, it's nearly time. We've got about forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. We've got to rescue Sirius and get back into the ward before anybody realizes we're missing . . ."

"D'you reckon he's up there yet?"

"Look! Who's that? Someone's coming back out of the castle!"

"Macnair!" Harry exclaimed. "The executioner! He's gone to get the dementors! This is it - "

They made their way back to the castle and flew Buckbeak, Hermione muttering disapproval. Arriving at Sirius' window, Hermione unlocked the door, and they traded places.

"Sirius!" Genevieve said as he was about to take off, while Hermione goaded her about time. "Take good care of Buckbeak, or I'll make you wish for the dementors!"

He grinned. "I will," he promised. "How can I ever thank - "

"GO!" They all yelled.

"We'll see each other again," he assured Harry. "You are - truly your father's son, Harry . . ."

And he was gone.

"We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us - before Dumbledore locks the door - "

"Okay, let's go . . ."

As they hurried, they overheard Snape and Fudge talking, Snape absolutely overjoyed at the prospect of his old rival receiving the Kiss. Genevieve balled up her hands into fists.

They narrowly avoided Peeves, and rushed up to where Dumbledore was telling their other selves, "I am going to lock you in. It is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

They raced forward. He smiled. "Well?"

"We did it!" Harry panted. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak . . ."

Dumbledore simply radiated pride and joy.

"Well done. I think - " He listened carefully. "Yes, I think you've gone too - get inside - I'll lock you in - "

They tiptoed back inside, each going to their own beds. Genevieve was just settling in when Madam Pomfrey reentered.

"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"

They ate their chocolate without complaint, not daring to anger her more. Genevieve listened intently for the inevitable -

There was a furious shout above them.

"What was that?" Madam Pomfrey asked. "Really - they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

She could hear Fudge. "He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out -"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE! YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS - HAS - SOMETHING - TO - DO - WITH - POTTER!"

"Severus - be reasonable - Harry has been locked up - "

Snape thrust the door open, marching straight in, Dumbledore and Fudge at his heels. Dumbledore looked quite amused.

"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" Snape roared. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Madam Pomfrey was not pleased. "Professor Snape! Control yourself!"

Fudge intervened. "See here, Snape, be reasonable. This door's been locked, we just saw -"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" He jabbed the air around the three conscious students.

"Calm down, man! You're talking nonsense!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER! HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT -"

"That will do, Severus," Dumbledore ordered with quiet authority. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have the students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" Madame Pomfrey sounded offended. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Severus. Unless you are suggesting that Harry, Hermione, and Genevieve are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

Snape emanated fury and, quite like an angry toddler, stamped out of the ward.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," Fudge commented. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," Dumbledore replied calmly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

After talking a bit, in which time Fudge gave his word to have the dementors taken back to Azkaban, all the adults, including a very ruffled Madam Pomfrey, exited the ward, just before Ron came to.

"What - what happened?" he moaned. "Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"

All three glanced at each other.

"Don't look at me," Genevieve breathed. "I barely understand what we just did."

"You explain," Harry said to Hermione. He turned to Genevieve. "Chocolate?"