Harry Potter and the Wars of Heaven by Princess Silverstar
Disclaimer: I own nothing of HP & SM
Chapter 10: Case of the Feathers
The Next Day,
The next morning was a normal day at Hogwarts as many were not aware of the incident. But for those who knew about it. It was a relief. Anyone in Hogwarts can find their hero laying in the school yard and relaxing. It was a rather odd sight as it was still cold and the ground was still white.
"Hmm, I'm glad some of us are warm," Hermione said breathlessly as she made her way to Harry.
"The cold felt nice, Hermione," Harry said with a grin.
Hermione returned a grin, glad to see a happy expression on her best friend's face. In her opinion, he deserved all of it. She turned around and began walking back into the warmth of the castle calling out to Harry, "Aren't you coming in?" she asked, "The classes are starting,"
"Coming," Harry said as he sat up and pushed himself off the ground. He picked up his stuff and jogged after Hermione. The two walked in silence till they reached the packed hallway.
Classes went by quickly and the Golden Trio received a message from Hagrid to meet up by the lake and suddenly became aware of another case they have forgotten in their happiness.
"They've made the verdict." Hagrid said with his head hung low.
"Buckbeak's sentenced to death!" the half giant howled in grief.
The three teens hung their heads in shame for forgetting their friend's trouble, grieving together with Hagrid. When they returned, Harry turned to the two, suddenly remembering Kimberly's careless suggestion, "We have to break Buckbeak out,"
Ron and Hermione stared at him in surprise, "But how?" Hermione asked.
"That's brilliant. Why didn't we think of it?" Ron exclaimed.
"No, Ron. It's dangerous." Hermione glared at him.
"But brilliant," Ron said.
Hermione sighed in agreement. This was the last resort. Together, they made their way back to the Gryffindor Tower. They found the Kensington siblings sitting by the fireplace.
Serenity was on an armchair while Andrew was sitting on the three-seater couch, the both of them reading their own books. Everyone else was everywhere. As they approach them, they found Kimberly resting on Andrew's lap, seemingly in deep slumber.
"Hi," They greeted them.
"Hey," the two looked up from their books and greeted them with a smile.
"Where did you guys went?" Serenity asked.
"To Hagrid's," Harry answered, "Buckbeak's sentenced to death," he said solemnly.
"When's that?" Serenity asked solemnly.
"Next Thursday," Hermione said.
While the news was delivered, Andrew brushed Kimberly's hair, waking her up, "Hi, guys," she said as she sat up close to her brother.
"Hi," the three returned the greeting.
"Hagrid said that Buckbeak's sentenced to death," Serenity informed her.
Kimberly just nodded.
Harry couldn't help but observe her as he always has. He was intrigued by their odd behaviour and strangely calm composure. They are very different from the rest of them. Surely, people from Japan are not that different. They were completely in control of themselves.
"I didn't drool, so stop looking at me," Kimberly said cheekily.
Harry looked away, blushing for being caught, "Sorry,"
As everyone else began retreating into their rooms, leaving only the six of them, Kimberly asked them, "What do you want to do about it?"
"Remember when you said to plan a flawless escape for Buckbeak?" Harry reminded her.
She sighed, "It wasn't a practical suggestion, Harry," she said with a frown.
"That's why we ought to plan it," Harry said with enthusiasm.
"This isn't a life threatening situation, but if we are caught we will get into a lot of trouble," Kimberly added.
"We know," Ron and Harry exclaimed at her.
"You would know all about getting into trouble, don't you?" Kimberly muttered under her breath.
"Kim!" Harry said impatiently at her.
"Okay, okay!" she raised her hands in surrender with a deeper frown. With a sigh, she stared thoughtfully at the fire and then asked, "When is it?"
"Next Thursday," Harry supplied a little calmer.
"And the execution?" she asked.
"We didn't dare to ask," Hermione said.
"Nine of ten," Kimberly continued, "Beheading," she stated, causing the three to bit their lower lips. "The easy part would be breaking him out, the hard part was to make sure he stayed away," she said.
"Sounds like you have a plan already," Hermione said curiously, but the enigmatic eyes the other twin shot at her was spine chilling.
Andrew threw a smirk at Serenity who looked at her sister curiously. He stood up and stretch, yawning, "I suppose you won't need me for this, ne, hime-sama," he said. "Oyasuminasai, I've got morning duties tomorrow,"
"Oyasuminasai," Serenity and Kimberly said.
"Now, we must free Buckbeak and Hagrid must not know about this," Kimberly said, "He's too transparent for his own good. If this gets out to the wrong people, we will have snake senior and junior demanding our heads." She said, swallowing the urge to groan, "Secondly, Buckbeak must escape or at least had to stay hidden for a period of time. So, how are we going to get it to fly and stay hidden?" She said, "But I doubt we'll find a way tonight, it's getting late. We ought to rest."
The Next Morning,
Everyone was in the Great Hall eating breakfast when the owls came in. Among those in the group, only Hermione has delivery, as usual a copy of the Daily Prophet. She fed the owl for its effort and carefully secured a few Knuts into the coin pouch on one of its legs. It made an appreciative noise and took flight.
She moved away a few things and untied the restrain on the newspaper and spread it open to read the headlines. After a while, she smiled when she found the article she found but then frown as she read. By the end of the article, she was shrieking in anger.
"I can't believe the nerve of them!" Hermione shrieked, causing everyone who heard her looked at her, "How can they do this? That wasn't true at all!" she shrieked some more. She was making a great impersonation of a fire breathing dragon at the moment.
"What isn't true, Hermione?" Harry asked surprised at her outburst, but knew that it must be a serious case if she would get so angry.
"Read it yourself," Hermione all but threw the paper to him and pointed out the article to him. It was an article about Pettigrew's trial. As Harry began reading, his blood boiled.
"What?" he bellowed, causing some more people to look at him, alarmed.
Pettigrew has been found guilty and his death had been a fraud, said to be set up by him and Sirius after they had killed the Potters. The Weasleys were mentioned, though not by name, have hid him in their home, in his Animagus form. The article also mentioned that they are still searching for Sirius who could still be around Hogwarts. The only good news about the article was that Pettigrew was sentence into Azkaban scheduled to receive the Dementor's Kiss.
"So, that's how they want to play?" Kimberly said, shaking her head.
"What's the matter, Mr. Potter?" His Head of House said from behind them. After hearing their outburst, she moved towards them to find out what was the cause.
"It appears to me that our community is beyond salvation, professor," Kimberly stated coldly, surprising the stern woman.
"Harry," Professor Lupin called out as the class filed out of the room and gestured the dark haired wizard forward, "I see you have read the news about Pettigrew's trial," he said.
Harry answered him with a hateful scowl.
"I understand what you feel about this, but I must ask that you keep yourself calm and let us handle this. The Ministry was, er, confusing to begin with. We must be careful with our dealings with them. We will make sure Sirius gets his rights back." Harry nodded with a tight grimace and exited the classroom.
"What did Professor Lupin wants, Harry?" Hermione asked Harry when he came running a little to join them.
"Nothing, he told me to stay calm and let them handle it," he told them as he slowed to a walk with them.
"Maybe we should do just that," Hermione said.
"What do you think, Kim?" Harry asked, wanting a second opinion, one that supports his view.
Kimberly stared back at him awhile before answering, "I don't like to sit around knowing the Ministry can't be trusted, but we have a more urgent matter to think of now." She stopped walking, looking straight ahead. The eerie sound of steel being sharpened gives them goose bumps. The executioner was sharpening his blades at a bench.
"But I thought they said it was next Thursday?" Hermione cried out in rage.
"Lucius Malfoy probably pressured the Ministry," Kimberly said, "Talk about pettiness," she blew her bangs. "Let go," she said as they continued on.
"Harry, they've got Sirius!" Lupin came running and shouting to them, "The Dementors found him!"
Unexpectedly, Kimberly suddenly cast her patronus skyward with urgency. She then turned to the baffled professor, "How did you find out professor?"
"I-I-I don't know," he said, "I was preparing for the next lesson when I felt a calling and I just knew,"
"Harry!" Hermione cried out as Harry broke out in a run towards the entrance of the school. The others ran after him crying out for him to slow down.
"Kim, the Dementors at the entrance!" Hermione cried out anxiously to her when she remembered.
"Went for lunch break!" the older twin cried out, "Professor, get grandfather," she ordered when she realised the man had matched their steps. Remus Lupin fell back in steps before turning around to do as he was told.
As soon as Harry broke out of the entrance, he looked towards the sky and saw the dark clouds over the Forest and knew that must be where Sirius is. The Dementors must have had him there. He ran towards the dark patch of sky as if his life depends on it.
When the others had stopped at the same place, Kimberly skid to a stop, causing the others to do the same, "Stay here," Ron and Hermione protested hotly. "Can you face a Dementor then?" she argued, effectively winning the argument, "Sere?" she said. Her twin nodded as an understanding passed between them. With that, she broke into a run after Harry.
As Harry ran through hundreds of acres of land in the woods, he heard the eerie song of Kimberly's patronus, and sent a prayer that it would save Sirius, that it could buy them time till help arrives. He reached a small lake in the forest and saw a legion of Dementor surrounding a figure in black, lying on the ground. But he knew all is not lost yet, for right beside the fallen man was a glowing bird with wings outstretched over the man, singing in its eerie voice, creating a barrier around itself and the man.
Relief however was short lived when the Dementors sensed his presence and began to float towards him. Remembering his private lessons with his surrogate uncle, he brandished his wand and held fast on a memory to cast a patronus.
"Expecto Patronum!" he cried out and a white shield spanned across his front from the tip of his wand.
He managed a few seconds before his patronus died out, leaving him vulnerable. He tried to conjure another one, but the Dementors were too near to him and had begun feeding on him ravenously. He heard his mother's cry for him once again when something white shot at the Dementor on him.
Harry fell on all four and looked up with great effort to see Kimberly's patronus furiously striking at any Dementors coming near him or Sirius.
Someone ran up to him from behind and dropped next to him, "Stop being so reckless," the person cried out anxiously. It was Kimberly. Harry wasn't sure to feel relief or anxiousness for her presence.
"You shouldn't have come," he managed weakly.
"And let you run to your death!" she scolded, her voice was shaking.
Her patronus was still zipping through the air at the Dementors that are dangerously close to them, her breath was heavy, Harry assumed was from running, but little did he know he was not entirely right. But he would soon realise that when he turn to look at her.
She drew him up and went to where Sirius laid unconscious. He turned and saw her face growing pale and weak. She was suffering as she drew precious air, her eyes brimming with tears and her expression was that of great grief, unimaginable to him.
They crumbled next to Sirius as their strained bodies demanded rest. Kimberly had stubbornly cling onto consciousness as she propped herself up on her elbow, focusing on her patronus as it fought valiantly as hundreds upon hundreds came on them, drawing it back to them to stand vigil in defence. However, Harry could see that she could not hold on any longer as her body slacked and her arms shaking.
Harry drew her into his arms before they hopelessly succumbed into darkness, but it was not before he spotted a glowing white stag, charging over the waters to them, chasing the Dementors away. Dad. It was his last thought before he let darkness take over.
Harry woke up to the familiar smell of potions and anxious voices of his two friends. He opened his eyes and squinted at the light pouring in from the tall stain glass windows. He saw the familiar ceiling and the anxious faces of his two best friends.
"Harry," they said in relief.
"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked with concern for him.
He remembered what happened before he lost consciousness and shot up from the bed, "Where's Kim? Where's Sirius?" he asked them.
"She's here," Serenity said from across the room. He nearly sighed in relief but the murderous glares her brothers shot him made him froze. "Sirius, all thanks to grandfather, was kept locked in the highest tower," she answered his second question.
"How can you say that?" Ron raised his voice.
"Or would you rather his soul sucked out?" Samuel spat at him.
Harry got off his bed and crossed over to their side, wanting to see for himself that Kimberly was indeed okay. Her brothers made to block his path when Serenity voiced out, "Let him through,"
Andrew reluctantly stepped aside but Samuel stubbornly stood his ground.
"Samuel, be reasonable, what harm can he do to us?" Serenity said.
Samuel finally stepped aside revealing a smiling Serenity who made way for him at the side of her sister's bed. Their mother was sitting on the other side of the bed, casting him a small but motherly smile, "How are you feeling, Harry?"
Harry nodded, "Fine, thank you," he said and hesitantly added, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for her to get hurt," Serenity laid her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
Calista smiled at him, "I know, and we blamed no one for it. I'm only glad to find all of you safe," she said, "We arrived just as the Dementors flee and I thought," her eyes watered again, "I never thought I'd see…"
Kimberly stirred and everyone crowded around her bed and waited for her to fully wake. She stared at each of them for a moment before she let out an exasperated groan. "What time is it?"
"The sun is setting," Andrew said.
"Buckbeak's passed three hours ago," Samuel added to it, causing their mother and the Golden Trio stared at them blankly.
"A'right, let's save Beaky," she hopped off the bed.
"Let's go!" Serenity cheered but stopped short when her sister raised a hand to slow her down.
"Harry has to go," she said.
"I don't understand," Hermione said, drawing the group's attention to her.
"Three turns will do," she winked at her.
Hermione's mouth hanged open and her hand went to her chest. 'How did she know?' she thought to herself. She snapped out of it and pulled at the gold chain that was hidden under her clothes. "Harry, come here,"
Harry walked dumbly to her without any knowledge of what to expect in this. Andrew caught his arm and whispered darkly to him, "This is your chance for redemption,"
"Sol!" Kimberly reprimanded him. The twins glared at him, making him shrink away. "Make sure no one sees you," she warned turning to them.
Hermione nodded with a determined look on her face and the two faded and disappeared into thin air.
"Where are did they go?" Ron exclaimed.