It took me some time, but I'm finally - finally, finally, finally - updating for all my loyal and encouraging readers. Actually, today/tonight will be two chapters, since I wrote a lot and first thought of loading up one HUGE chapter, and then decided against it, because really it's better to do so - or you would have to read loads and loads of this story all in one - and it looked nicer... plus we're making it to a new year, so I guess it's better divided than in one.
That said, the usual disclaimer applies and I hope you ENJOY!
The Room of Requirement was full of animals.
"Oh, Luna, a rabbit – this is so cute!" Pansy was out of her mind with all the patronus animals that hopped and swirled around in the Room. The day that Hermione had finally managed to produce a passable patronus, she had went to ask the Clover – as Luna liked to describe their little group of fours – whether they would like to learn it as well.
Pansy wanted to learn it, because it meant one more spell… and she was seriously scared of the Dementors, as was the rest.
"It's actually quite easy in theory, you need to concentrate on something happy. The spell is Expecto Patronum. The really hard thing about this is saying the spell when there is a Dementor near, because Dementors suck out all the happiness in you."
But they practiced it 'dry' the first few times around. Luna's rabbit was a quick little fellow, quite as quick as her mind was sometimes jumping from A to F, to B to M. Pansy's dragonfly got a smile of the usually closed-off girl, and Cho smiled openly at her humming-bird-patronus.
"Go on," Pansy encouraged her, "show us your patronus!"
Reluctant at first, because her patronus had only been abstract until then, Hermione finally cast it and was surprised when a stag jumped forth.
"Wow." Pansy chuckled. "Wow… Now I'd like to see your animagus form, darling!"
The annotation made ideas.
"Buckbeak's condemned." Hagrid hiccupped as he threw yet another of his huge stones. Hermione listened carefully, Harry and Ron neither said a word.
"It went quite well actually, I told'em Buckbeak was a good Hippogriff, always cleaned his feathers…" he sniffed and wiped a tear away, "but then they let Lucius Malfoy speak. Man said he was a threat to anyone n' that he was a killing machine!"
A huge sob escaped from Hagrid's lungs and he dejectedly threw the next stone heavy into the water, making it ripple. "Minister said I got five days to say good-bye."
How do we intend to get Buckbeak away? Luna asked her, looking at her over the tables. Hermione chewed carefully, thinking of a few scenarios, before dismissing them.
Having read a book on Occlumency, she had decided to let Luna in on her secret of wishing to learn the rare art and the odd-worm had gladly agreed. In turn she herself had learned about Occlumency and the two were at least proficient enough to read each other's thoughts and push their thoughts into the other's mind.
We'll need to get him away tonight anyways, can't have him come back to Hagrid, he'd be in trouble then...
Lysander nodded almost unnoticeably from his table. "Have you noticed, Lupin is not at the Head table."
Hermione's head swiveled around when Ron spoke up – and indeed, Professor Lupin was missing. Quickly counting the days, Hermione's eyes widened, before she turned towards Lysander again.
We're on full moon, Lu!
Actually she had intended to stay awake until Harry and Ron were asleep in order to unfold the map and get out of the school and to Buckbeak before he'd be killed – that had been the original idea.
She had completely underestimated Harry and Ron of course… they never even came to the common room, and just before curfew broke, Hermione slipped out of school and started towards the Forbidden Forest, where she knew that Pansy would wait for them, she saw Cho vanishing behind the tree-line, when all of a sudden, a movement to her left made her hide behind a tree.
"Scabbers!"
Ronald ran after a dog that quite obviously hunted a rat, which Hermione knew to be Ron's haggard pet. Apparently he'd been in the family for twelve years… which was suspiciously long for a rat, but…
Wait…
"Hermes!" The hushed call came from behind her, and when she turned, she saw Luna climbing out of one of the windows at the lower level of the castle. "What are you doing here?"
She wanted to answer something… anything, when screams interrupted her, she turned towards the Whomping Willow again and noticed, with panic, that Ron was being pulled into the hole by the dog, while Harry tried to get to him, as the Willow awoke.
"Merlin, will they never stay out of trouble?" Luna whispered terrified when finally Harry made a mad dash towards the opening, but was lifted high into the air. Hermione decided quickly.
"Come on, Cho is with Pansy, and I'd rather not have Harry dead." Moving towards the Whomping Willow turned Raging Willow, both drew their wands, just as Harry neared them on a swinging branch, they cast the spell.
"Immobilus."
Plucking the weak-kneed Harry from the branch, they vanished into the underground passage, just in time as the Willow regained her consciousness. Panting the three of them huddled together in the tight passage, regaining their breath – Hermione glared at Harry.
"Why are you even out at this time? It's past curfew!"
Harry, however, smirked and patted her shoulder. "Hermes, honestly, I could say the same to you."
Well yes, he could – but Hermione had had an actual plan and was never caught, whereas Harry was never so lucky, frequently got caught and cost the House points that Hermione had to regain with her frenzied hand-waving. She shook her head and looked into the dark.
"I have a bad feeling about this, Harry, just so you know." But she led their little group anyways.
Ron looked scared, frightened out of his wits actually, when the three of them entered, but even his babbling did not help them. His leg was badly hurt from where the dog had sunk his teeth, Hermione tried to get him to stand.
"Ron, come on we need to get back it's full moon and…" she never got to finish the sentence, on the dusty floor, she could clearly see the paw traces of the dog, until all of a sudden they vanished behind the door.
"Wands." She ordered and Harry, as well as Luna, had them so quickly and strong in their hands; even as the door was pushed back into space and revealed Sirius Black, looking as mad as he had in the Prophet.
"You…" Hermione understood that Harry was at a loss of words; she wouldn't quite know what to say to people who had been their godfather and then tweeted their whereabouts to the Dark Lord in order to get them killed. "You monster!" her friend finally wrung out.
Black was raving mad. "It's not what you think Harry, please, let me explain."
"No!" Harry flexed his wand towards the man, "You will come back to Hogwarts with me and we'll hand you over to… to the Aurors or the Dementors…"
Harry never got to complete his sentence. "Expelliarmus."
"Lupin…" Hermione tensed, as did Luna next to her, gripping her wand just the slightest bit stronger. The professor was however unimpressed as he went to embrace Black. For Hermione a world fell together. Now she suspected Lupin to be a werewolf, but to see him embrace the man that had killed Harry's parents made her nerves stand on end – she should hex them right now, right on the spot. But for whatever reason, she didn't.
"I need to finish this, now, Remus, he's here… please, I cannot wait any longer. It's been twelve years for me, let's finish this now!"
Convinced that Black's insane babble concerned Harry, she pulled him behind herself and Luna as well as herself placed themselves in front of him – however, Black made a mad dash for Scabbers, Ron's rat that had been hiding in his arms. He leered at the rat that now dangled in his hands.
"Oh, I've waited so long, Pettigrew, so long."
"Scabbers! What are you doing to him!"
Black smirked. "Scabbers you say? Yes, yes that name fits for a traitor!" He held the rat under their noses. "This is Peter Pettigrew! This is the one who's betrayed your parents."
Hermione's brow furrowed and she put her wand at eye-level with Black. "You killed Pettigrew, blasted him until nothing was left, but a little finger." She accused, but the mad man, held one of the rat's paws up, a claw was missing, he then leered at Ron.
"How long's he been in your family, twelve years? Rather long life for an ordinary rat, don't you think?" With a swish of his hand, Harry's wand was in his hand and he deposited the rat on the broken piano in the dusty room. As soon as he had moved away Scabbers started to run like wild, while Lupin and Black shot non-verbal spells at him, all the while cursing his existence.
It was just when Scabbers was about to dive through a small hole that finally he was hit with a spell and transformed right on the spot.
He was ugly Hermione realized as she lowered her wand, apparently Black and Lupin were right after all. Peter Pettigrew looked like a rat even when he wasn't in his animagus form, his front teeth were long, his ears pointed, his hair was… ratty, for a lack of better description, and he was filthy.
"Remus! Sirius! What a pleasure to see you!" Attempting to throw himself into their arms, he was roughly shoved back to stand on his own – Black's wand quivered dangerously.
"You! You've told Lilly and James on Voldemort, admit it!" At the mention of the dark wizard's name, Pettigrew flinched, but then moved on, trying to explain how horrible the Dark Lord was – Hermione's ears perked up. No one called Voldemort 'Dark Lord' exception were of course the Death Eaters.
"So you told Voldemort!" Harry yelled enraged, of course Scabbers alias Pettigrew didn't quite know what to say against that. Black wanted to finish him off… right then and there, Harry had other ideas. "I want to hand him over to the Dementors, let them kiss him."
Hermione chewed on her lip as they walked back to the school. Here was Sirius Black, found innocent of the crimes one had him punished for and Peter Pettigrew, thought dead but guilty of the crimes that Sirius had been accused of.
And then of course Buckbeak… guilty she looked at Luna. Do you think Pan and Cho released him nevertheless?
Luna nodded in return. Remember, we were already convinced that something would get in the way, we told them that anyways whoever got down, they'd have to save Buckbeak – I'm sure he's save.
Reassured Hermione nodded her head, just before they exited the tunnel of the Whomping Willow. Snape awaited them.
Damn, nothing can get past that man! She cursed, but figured that most likely he'd realized that Parcival Parkinson was missing and had started to search his snake. There were tracking spells after all, though with a faux-name, she wasn't so sure if they worked. Then again, it was the intent that counted…
"Look at that." He drawled as he pushed his wand into Sirius' throat. "Black and Lupin." His gaze shot the DADA-teacher down, "I should have known that the two of you would be up to something."
"Severus please…" Lupin started towards him, but Snape kept him away with a second wand that he had whipped out of nowhere – Hermione stared, she had never known that one wizard could wield two wands. Suddenly Snape's eyes widened and he stared at Lupin.
"Why are you even outside?"
His voice sounded horribly thin and the cause hit Hermione like a ton of bricks. "Harry, come here." In an instant she had pulled Harry and Ron behind her and Luna, their wands leveled at Lupin.
"Oh Merlin, Remus…" Sirius whine was new to her ears, when all of a sudden Lupin started to transform. His legs grew longer, his body broader, his head bigger. Fuck.
Pettigrew, the ratty bastard, used the exact time to transform back into a rat and to run off. Lupin started towards the students, when Sirius finally caught him. "No, no, Remus, that's not you! Come on, this is what counts! This! Your heart is what counts! Don't let that beast take over!"
Snape had put himself protectively in front of the four of them and for a moment Hermione smelled his uniform – herbs, books and oak – before she snapped back to reality, seeing Lupin approach with a deadly growl. However, just as he was about to swipe at them, a black dog appeared out of nowhere, attacking the werewolf.
"Sirius."
It had to be him, she nodded at Harry, when understanding dawned on her. Moony, Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail… Her brain went at a thousand miles per hour, Prongs, she figured would have had to be Harry's dad, a goat maybe, or a bull if he was larger.
By now Sirius had been thrown down the hill by Moony, who started towards the group of five again. A hex sat on Hermione's lips, but she dared not utter it yet, this was a professor after all and it wouldn't do to be expelled from school for that.
The hex, she found a few seconds later, was unnecessary anyways… from the Forest called another werewolf, and ever one to follow the pack's call, Moony took off. Snape shook, and only now did she realize that she was actually pressing herself into his back, grabbing his robes in one of her hands. Quickly letting go, she waited for their punishment – Harry had taken off to find Sirius.
Pansy groaned when Hermione applied the salve. She felt utterly guilty about it, but the Slytherin only laughed it off. "It's only a scar, Granger, it will go by, and if it won't then it won't." They were lucky that Buckbeak had defended the person that had fed him so generously with the ferrets, if they wouldn't have had such luck, Pansy would probably have looked a lot worse… or would have to deal with Lycanthropy.
When the angry welts on her back had somewhat closed and were only rose instead of crimson, the girl stood up and looked at the rest of them. "Now what do we do with Black?"
Luna looked at Hermione before she started speaking. "From what I overheard, Sirius would like to take Harry in. I've talked a little to Harry and… everything would be better than the Dursleys, especially after what happened last summer."
The round chuckled, then a silence settled over them. In order for Harry to live with Sirius, latter had to survive the whole ordeal first… and no one had ever survived a Dementor's kiss.
"Look, Sirius Black is in the highest tower of Hogwarts." Cho said suddenly, "and not only do we have the means to get up there, but we have the means to get Sirius away from there as well."
Hermione sighed as she fiddled with the gold chain around her neck. "We have another problem, though…" she said silently, "Snape found Harry and Sirius at the shore after he'd deposited us at the entrance, both drained. He would have never been able to lock Sirius away – from what I overheard, he said a Patronus spell guided him there."
Silence hung in the air.
"You know that a patronus is only cast in case of Dementors… and if we don't make sure that Snape finds his way there, then neither Harry nor Sirius will survive." Luna said, catching on as the first.
Cho shook her head. "What are you talking about Hermione? They did survive, do you not see?"
Luna however smiled. "Harry talked about his father casting a Patronus." She said silently, Pansy and Cho looked at her as she gained a smirk on her face. "He was so convinced of it, because apparently a stag preceded the patronus that called Snape to them."
Hermione sighed. She had not really intended to tell Cho or Pansy, but now that Luna had said it, she had realized that it had been necessary. "I'm talking about a not-so-straight timeline, ladies." She pulled out the time-turner.
Having lent Harry's invisibility cloak, Luna and Hermione watched in horror as the evening played out again.
"Were you sniffing Snape?" Luna asked silently, and Hermione blushed, but did not answer – her friend did not need an answer anyways, she continued unerred. "You're practically using him as a shield and… is that his hand on your hip?"
Hermione had not noticed during her panic, but indeed, Snape's hand was clutching her hip as if she were a lifeline. "Ah," she said, "that would explain the black spots we found earlier." Because indeed, Snape had held her so strong that her right hip was decorated with a few black spots.
Luna shook her head. "Watch out, we're going to have to follow Harry."
They hurried after the boy with a bit of distance and convincingly positioned themselves on the other side of the small lake, in order to have Harry remembering the same as before – Dumbledore would know that she had gone back to the past to right what had been wrong and then she would be deep down in the shit.
"Hermione…"
Cold wrapped around them as one by one the Dementors descended from the air, starting to suck at Harry and Sirius separately, it was a horrible sight. Only when Harry threatened to keel over, Hermione stepped out of the trees that had sheltered her. She fought with a happy thought at first, before - unbidden - her feverish dream came back to her, Snape's voice telling her to come back, that he would miss her...
"Expecto Patronum!"
Snape had been right… she had never cast a Patronus quite as powerful as this one. Waiting for their teacher to arrive, they hid under the Cloak again, following him to the Medical Ward, where they conveniently stole Harry away after he had woken up.
Luna held Hermione in a death grip, as they sat on Buckbeak, and Hermione patted her hands softly – she really wasn't all that much into flying, but Hermione could understand. It did take some time to get used to it and Hermione decided that she'd find a way to get Luna to at least be passable at flying. Cho and Pansy had opted for the foot-way, sneaking Harry up the tower.
Touching down was a rocky thing, but Hermione smiled broadly at Sirius, who looked up from his cell upon hearing them arrive. Harry almost immediately tried to get towards his godfather, but Cho, gently held him back, Harry looked at him perplexed.
"Let Hermes work that lock before, will you?"
"Bombarda."
Sirius was free then. It was heart-wrenching to watch as the two men fell into each other's arms, hearing Sirius promising to write and Harry ushering him to flee. He did flee in the end, and Harry watched proudly as the two took off into the sky, before he turned to look at the four boys.
"You're the most ingenious, glorious house-mates I've ever encountered." He smirked – the Clover smirked back.
REVIEW PLEASE!
