Green Light in the Dark

by AStrangeHopefulDreamer

AU in which Sirius Black had a daughter with Marlene McKinnon. Following the death of her mother and godparents and the imprisonment of her father, Aurora Black is moved from home to home with various members of the Black family until she finally arrives at Hogwarts and finds not only new friends, but a true home. (Please keep comments respectful and think before you type.)

59. The Sands of Time

Aurora woke in the Hospital Wing, glaring up at the shadowed ceiling. Cold weighed in her bones, but she forced herself to sit up, hearing muffled voices coming from around her.

"You can't just send the Dementors!" one voice was yelling, quite inappropriately for a medical wing. "Listen, Pettigrew was there, I saw him!" Potter. She blinked, head fuzzy. Yes, that was definitely Harry Potter.

Aurora turned towards the source of the noise, seeing him standing being guided towards a hospital bed by Madam Pomfrey, a few feet away. Evidently, he was yelling at Cornelius Fudge and Professor Snape, the latter of whom was staring at him with utter disdain. Aurora wished she could hex him again.

"Potter, you are not in your right mind. The Ministry has already conducted its investigation—"

"Well, not well enough—"

"Peter Pettigrew is dead. That man may resemble him but have no doubt, Minister, I know exactly what Sirius Black is capable of. I would not put it past him to—"

"Miss Black!" Madam Pomfrey said lightly, causing Potter and the two men to turn around sharply. "Awake at last! Now, lie back down, you need chocolate."

Aurora ignored her, pushing herself up to sit. "Where is my father? What happened?"

"Black was there too, she saw him," Potter said quickly, though neither their professor nor Fudge seemed particularly endeared to her. "Tell them. Your dad's innocent, but they're going to give him the kiss because they won't listen. He says Pettigrew was someone in disguise and they can't find him but we saw him, right?"

"Yes," Aurora said faintly, ignoring the always grating sound of Potter's voice. "He was there, Minister. He was an Animagus, that's how he avoided detection all of those years. My father was framed, see. He confessed to everything."

Madam Pomfrey sighed loudly and slammed a chunk of chocolate down on the table next to Aurora. "Eat, Miss Black. You've had a nasty encounter with those Dementors. As have you, Potter—"

"Well, Sirius is going to have a bit of a worse encounter if they don't listen!"

"Minister Fudge," Aurora said as steadily as possible, meeting his eyes. "Tell me what you have been told by Professor Snape." His eyes flashed at the demand, but Aurora was in no mood for beating around the bush. She needed to see her father now.

"Why—" he started to bluster "—what I have been told is that you Stunned your own Potions professor for trying to intervene in the capture of your father."

"And did he tell you about Peter Pettigrew?" The Minister's face faltered. "Minister, have you seen Peter Pettigrew? Or the rat my father was holding?"

"Miss Black, I do not know what your father has convinced yourself and your friend of—"

"We aren't friends," Potter was quick to say. "And I told you about the rat! Black, you ran to the lake after your dad. I went after you, and saw the Patronus and I tried to help but it was too much. Someone else must have gotten the Dementors away, because there was a Patronus, but it came from the other side of the lake. I thought I was going to pass out but I managed to get you and Sirius further from the lake, then Snape woke up, and the Minister was already running down with Professor Dumbledore — but I couldn't find Pettigrew!"

She weighed the words on her tongue. To speak more freely now would be to risk incriminating herself — but goodness, wasn't she incriminated enough? Snape would do all he could to get her in trouble, she could tell that, and he certainly didn't care for her father's innocence.

"Minister, you cannot give my father the Dementor's Kiss." She forced her to sit up, but when she made to stand and meet Fudge's eye, Madam Pomfrey tutted and pushed her down again.

"Really, Minister, this is a hospital wing. The girl needs rest."

"Madam Pomfrey, I appreciate you are just trying to do your job, but I need to speak to the Minister. My father..." The words seemed to stick in her throat for a moment, before she spat out, "Is innocent."

There was silence for a moment. Fudge's eyes bugged but Aurora refused to look away.

"Miss Black," Snape spat out, "are you aware that your father has been evading Azkaban for the last nine months—"

"I'm aware that he has done so because he is innocent. Because Peter Pettigrew was the true traitor."

"Now, really," Fudge said, with a nervous laugh.

"You saw him," she said, eyes now flicking to Snape. "Do not deny it, Professor."

"I saw what your father wanted me to see, girl," he snarled. Her stomach twisted. Lying, deceitful, hateful bastard. "Minister, you cannot listen to a word this girl says. Miss Black has repeatedly proven herself—"

"She's right," Potter said. "Black — Aurora Black — she's telling the truth. Pettigrew's alive, we saw him! He confessed to everything, and Hermione and Ron heard it too, and so did Professor Lupin, you can't do anything without hearing what we all have to say too. And yeah, it was dark but he—" Over Madam Pomfrey's shoulder, Aurora saw him point an accusatory finger at Snape "—saw him too!"

"I am not so foolish as to trust in the dim light. Black is a highly capable wizard—" he looked almost pained to say it "—and Peter Pettigrew, might I remind you, is dead! It was a clever disguise and nothing more!"

"You heard him speak!"

"It really is... Quite a story." Fudge's eyes flicked between Potter and Aurora nervously. "Sirius Black, innocent? Peter Pettigrew, alive?"

"That is what we're trying to tell you," Aurora said, voice tired and brittle. His gaze turned back to her, the light in his eyes flaring in annoyance.

"There is no sign of Pettigrew in the grounds, Miss Black! Your father is in custody and I am sure that we will all be the safer for it. As for you, you have refused to assist the Ministry on multiple occasions, and I would not be so quick to take that tone given the less than desirable circumstances—"

"I am assisting you now," she said in a low voice. "Might I remind you that my family name still means an awful lot to an awful lot of people. My father was never given a trial, was he?"

"It — he confessed his guilt—"

"In indisputable terms?"

"The end of the war—"

"Before a jury? The unjust imprisonment of a pureblood of the House of Black does not reflect well, and I believe many of your benefactors—"

"Do not attempt to threaten me, Miss Black!" Fudge shouted, and she jumped slightly at the intensity of the sound.

"Now, really—" Pomfrey started.

"Cornelius." Professor Dumbledore's voice rang out and Aurora had never been so thankful to hear it. She didn't like the man by any means, but he was often willing to hear what someone had to say. And she had a lot to say. "Severus."

"Professor Dumbledore," Madam Pomfrey snapped. "Tell the Minister that I cannot have him waltzing in here, interrogating my patients and causing them distress."

"My apologies, Poppy," Dumbledore said with a serene smile. "But I need a word with Miss Black, Mister Potter, and Miss Granger, if you don't mind. I have just been to speak with Sirius Black—"

"And he's told you the same story he's told them, has he?" Fudge snapped.

"He told me Peter Pettigrew was in the grounds tonight. And that you you were a witness, Severus." For the first time, Aurora felt thankful for him. "He also told me that his daughter would be rather distressed, and I can see that is the case." Gratitude was slightly revoked at that. Even though she was.

"But Black cannot be innocent, Headmaster!" Snape snarled. "I saw with my own eyes — he attacked me! Would an innocent man attack me?"

Aurora wanted to snap that anyone with a dose of common sense would want to attack Snape, but held her tongue. Instead, she focused her gaze on Dumbledore.

"Professor," Hermione Granger started from across the wing, sit58!( up, "you did see Pettigrew. You saw Black — Sirius Black — wasn't going to hurt us."

"I would not be so easily convinced, girl. Black is a master of dark arts—"

"He didn't even have a wand!" Potter argued. "How could he disguise anyone? It is Pettigrew, you just don't want to admit it, because you didn't like him when you were at school!"

"Oh, I'm sure he has passed on some of his tricks to his daughter," Snape snarled. It took all of Aurora's restraint not to try and throttle him.

She said coolly, "Minister, I do not believe Professor Snape can sufficiently testify to anything currently. Clearly, he is far too emotionally invested in my father's fate."

His nostrils flared. "FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, BLACK, HOLD YOUR TONGUE! YOU KNOW NOTHING—"

"Snape!" Fudge shot him a sharp look. "There is no reason to aggravate her further." This did aggravate her further. "We need evidence, Miss Black, and you have none to prove your case."

"Pettigrew might still be in the grounds," she said indignantly. "All of our memories are testimony, as are Professor Lupin's—"

"Professor Lupin is currently running around the forest—"

"So I insist that you hold off any sentencing of my father until further evidence has come to light. The Dementor's Kiss cannot be revoked. You would not like to repeat the same mistakes your Ministry did twelve years ago. As Lady Black," she added, raising her chin, "I can assure you of this."

"Do not attempt to pull rank over me, child. You are in trouble enough as it is."

Dumbledore said abruptly, just as Aurora was about to seethe at the word 'child', "I should like to speak to Aurora, Harry and Hermione alone. Cornelius, Severus, Poppy, I must ask you to leave us."

"Headmaster!" Pomfrey spluttered. "These children need medicine, rest!"

Aurora took the largest piece of chocolate she could find, met Pomfrey's eyes coldly, and ate it. "There, I've had chocolate, I'm fine."

"I must insist."

Fudge pursed his lips. "The Dementors will be arriving any minute, Dumbledore. I can't sway on this decision, you understand. They'll think me weak."

"Cornelius, I say that you must hold them off until we know the truth. You would not want to take the soul of an innocent man."

"Consider what I said, Minister," Aurora said, in a low voice. "I am sure there would be some interested to hear this less than simple story. Some rather important people, too."

Fudge did not reply but stared at her, furious. "I will go to the prisoner," he said tightly. "And decide what to do. Do not presume that you hold power over me, Black."

Aurora held in her fury just long enough for the two men to storm from the room, and Madam Pomfrey to hurry into her office, before she turned to the Headmaster.

"Professor, you must believe me, he is innocent, Pettigrew is alive and I can prove it if you would only listen and give me the opportunity."

"Black's telling the truth, Professor, we saw Pettigrew, it wasn't a trick, and he really was a rat, he's an Animagus!"

"He escaped, when the Dementors came and Black and Harry were trying to hold them off."

"Pettigrew's front paw, he cut it off — it's his finger, Professor!"

Dumbledore held up his hand. "I believe you. Miss Black — or should it be Lady?" He said it with humour but Aurora met his eyes stonily. His lips quirked. "It is my turn to speak now. Aurora's words may have been enough to make Cornelius wait — the Black family name, as you said, still has a certain weight among some circles, and I know you must have... Allies." He didn't look entirely pleased at the thought, but cleared his throat. "Regardless, there is not a shred of evidence—"

"But there is," Aurora told him, rooting around in her pockets until she found the map. "I have this map, and it shows everyone in the Hogwarts Castle and grounds, it'll show you Peter Pettigrew—" She tried to push it into his hands but he pushed it back gently, a light in his eyes.

"Aurora, as ingenious as such a map sounds, I asked you to listen. Keep this map for yourself. It will not solve our problem right now. No... I am afraid we need more time."

"We haven't got more time," she spat, "because of the incompetency—"

"You have rattled Cornelius. He may still wait, or dally a little while longer, but he does not want to let Sirius slip through his fingers. You must show him the proof of your words. Yet... You may need some more time."

His eyes darted to Granger, though Aurora didn't understand what he meant, why he wasn't acting now. "Oh," Granger said. "Oh!"

"Now, listen carefully," Dumbledore said, though Aurora had no idea what was happening. "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 may 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."

With that, Dumbledore stood up. Aurora could do nothing but stare. Granger seemed to understand something she didn't, and that was almost as frustrating as Dumbledore's cryptic words themselves. "I am going to lock you in now." He checked his watch. "It is five minutes to midnight." That late? She felt sick. "Give Sirius a message — the old safe place. He'll know what it means.

"Three turns should do it, Miss Granger. Good luck."

He strode to the door, and had barely closed it when Aurora leapt out of her hospital bed. "What the hell is going on, Granger?"

"Good luck?" Potter repeated, going to stand by his friend. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"

But Granger was fiddling with her collar, taking out a thin golden chain with an hourglass on the end, surrounded by golden rings. Aurora couldn't help her mouth falling open. "That's a time turner!" She cried. "How on earth—"

"I'll explain later," Granger said quickly, beckoning her over, "or earlier, I suppose — you had better come with us, Black."

There was an odd swooping as she realised what they were going to do. "We cannot go back in time."

"Well, we can't be seen doing it, anyway," Granger said, as she tugged Aurora closer and slipped the chain over all of them. "Ready?"

"But what are we doing?" Potter asked, and Aurora had to look away so he wouldn't see her rolling her eyes.

Granger turned the hourglass over, three times. The hospital wing dissolved around them, and they were surrounded by a mass of colour and light. There were in nothing, that space between time, between living and dead.

The next thing she knew, they were back in the wing, but it was in daylight and there was no one around. Her breath came in gasps. "You've — got — a — time turner, Granger!"

Granger sighed. "Come on, we have to find somewhere to hide."

She took the chain back from around their necks, grabbed Potter's arm, and almost did the same to Aurora, who raised her eyebrows. "Alright, fine," she said flatly, and hurried after them to the deserted Entrance Hall, and then a broom cupboard which Granger had inexplicably decided to use.

Aurora frowned, but followed them in. Potter stumbled with her at his back, very nearly toppling over a bucket before she righted him. He glared at her and swept away, before turning to Granger. "What just happened?"

"We've gone back in time," Granger whispered.

Aurora closed the door securely behind them.

"But—"

"Shh!" Granger's eyes darted to the door at Aurora's back. "Listen! Someone's coming, I think it might be us!"

Aurora stepped out of the way, as Granger went to press her ear to the door. "Yes, it's definitely us, I can hear!"

"Are you telling me," Potter started, always slow on the uptake, "that we're in here, and also out there."

"Your existence does seem to point towards that, yes."

"I'm sure it's us," Granger said, ignoring both of them, and the childish look Potter threw Aurora's way. "It doesn't sound like any more than three people, and we're moving slowly because we're under the cloak... Aurora, what time did you go into the grounds?"

She flinched at having been addressed in this way by Hermione Granger. "Quite sometime before you did," she said. "Around seven, I believe. I'm certainly there already. I was sitting behind that bush for simply ages."

Granger nodded, and listened intently. "I think we've gone down the steps," she said at last, and then with a fretful look, sat down on an upturned bucket.

Potter stared at Aurora, and then at his friend. "I have some questions." Aurora tutted. "Where did you get that... Time turner?"

"From Professor McGonagall," Granger said, surprising Aurora, "at the beginning of term. I've been using it to get to extra lessons all year. I took five electives, see."

"McGonagall let you have that," Aurora said, unable to hide her envy, "to take extra classes?" She let out a shrill laugh. "Merlin, you're lucky. Snape would have told me to jump in the lake!"

Granger's lips twitched. "Yes, well... She was very accommodating. And it is such a privilege, and abusing it can land you in really serious trouble, so if anyone finds out—"

"I won't let them," Aurora told her sternly. "We are not going to be caught, Granger. Not so long as I am involved in this operation."

She blinked. "Thanks, Black." Her forehead creased. "I just don't understand what we're supposed to do. Why did he tell us to go back to now?"

"I don't know," Aurora admitted. "I'm certain my father had the rat when we were at the lake. The only thing we could do is get to it at the right moment... But I don't see why we have to go this far back. There was nothing in the grounds that raised suspicion to me, not that I can recall..."

"But there must be something," Potter said. "Something around that time — this time? — that he wants to change."

Potter screwed up his face. Aurora pursed her lips, racking her brains, but she came up with nothing. With a sigh, she took the Marauder's Map out of her pocket, but there was no one unexpected in the grounds that she hadn't noticed the first time.

"Dumbledore said... We could save more than one innocent life." He gasped. "Hermione, that's it!" Aurora glanced up, frowning. "We're going to save Buckbeak!"

It took her a moment to figure out who on Earth Buckbeak was. "The hippogriff?" she asked, incredulous. "You have got to be joking! That thing's feral!"

"He is not!" Potter cried.

"He maimed Draco!"

"He was exaggerating and you know it! It was pathetic, everyone could see it!"

Her anger flared. "Don't you say that!"

"Will you both be quiet?" Granger snapped.

Aurora bit her tongue. She had entirely forgotten about Granger's presence. "My apologies," she said, eyes still fixed on Potter, and his on her.

"How — How will saving Buckbeak help Sirius?"

"The window," Aurora said quietly. "And I suppose... He would make a decent mode of travel, if — and this is rather a big if — he allows one of us to mount him. I bet Pettigrew would be terrified of a giant hippogriff appearing to his rat form." She relished the mental image.

"They can escape together!" Potter said, beaming.

For the briefest of seconds, Aurora allowed herself to smile at the thought. Then she said, "I suppose we had better get a move on."

"It'll be a miracle if we manage it without being caught," Granger said, worrying her lip.

Aurora put her hand on the doorknob. She was right. It was a great risk. But she knew she could be careful. They had the aid of the map, and she simply could not let her father be hurt, nor could she let Pettigrew get away with it.

"Well," she drawled, "I hear Harry Potter is rather known for miracles."

"We have to try," Potter agreed. "Is there — does it sound like there's anyone there?"

Aurora pressed her ear to the door, but she could hear nothing. "I don't think so." Glancing at the map, she had this confirmed. "We should still be quick about it, though."

Potter caught her eye and nodded. "Let's go."

They slipped into the Entrance Hall, then down the stone steps of the castle, into the grounds. Aurora led the way, one eye on the map, avoiding the spaces she knew her past self could see. They had to take a longer route than was best suitable, and she glared at the patch of mud by the greenhouses that her foot slipped in. Seeing her father's name on the map gave her hope somehow, and it was with this that Aurora made her way into the edge of the forest with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. A day ago, she would have believed herself insane for this. In hindsight, she may also agree — but right now, it was the best apparent option.

"We need to sneak over to Hagrid's," Granger whispered. "Stay out of sight."

"Yes, ma'am," Aurora muttered under her breath, but she crept through the tree line with them nonetheless, hearing faintly the two of them and Ron Weasley telling Hagrid they were under the Invisibility Cloak.

When the door of the hut had closed, Potter said, "This is the weirdest thing we've ever done."

"Weirder than turning yourself into Vincent and Greg? That must be up there on the list, surely."

Potter's glare was almost amusing. "You don't have to talk, Black."

"Oh, but you're so easy to wind up, Potter. How could I resist?"

"Both of you," Granger muttered, "shut. Up. We have to get closer to Buckbeak."

The hippogriff was tethered to Professor Hagrid's fence and Aurora admitted — though only to herself — that she did not want to get closer to it at all.

"We have to wait until the Minister and Dumbledore see him," Granger was telling Potter, "otherwise they'll think Hagrid's set him free."

"That gives us all of sixty seconds," Potter said.

"We have to time it right," Aurora said, looking back at the map. "You all came out of the back door, did you? There's a very limited window, but you likely won't be able to catch anything in the periphery based on the direction you were moving towards me. Fudge and the rest are another story, but by my reckoning they were inside for two minutes. It was agonising waiting for you all to get up that hill."

Potter rolled his eyes but didn't outright argue with her. "I'll do it, shall I?"

Aurora nodded. "You had the best connection with the beast in class."

"He isn't a beast—"

"Under the Ministry classification, yes, he is, actually."

She was spared Potter's retort by the sound of something crashing inside the hut.

"That's Hagrid breaking the milk jug," said Granger. "I'm going to find Scabbers in about a minute."

Aurora pursed her lips. "If I'd been able to go in there..."

"You can't now!"

"I wasn't going to, Granger, I'm not stupid. But I should have taken my chance earlier. If he escapes..."

She would never forgive herself.

A few moments later, she heard a very Granger-like shriek, and swallowed down the bile in her throat. How she wanted to run in and strangle the rat to death. But she was smarter than that. She would take her time — pick her moment. Just when he thought he was about to get away with it, she would pounce.

Soon, they spotted Dumbledore coming down the steps of the castle with Fudge and MacNair. Now that the moment approached, Aurora felt nerves pool in her stomach, but she forced on herself a steady, neutral facade.

She watched as Potter, Granger and Weasley were ushered away, throwing the wretched cloak over themselves, just as the execution party arrived on Hagrid's doorstep. Once they had seen the hippogriff, they went inside, and Potter darted out.

The next few minutes were excruciating. Not only did she know exactly where the rat was going, feeling like he was further from her reach even as he approached her, but Potter was having a whispered tug-of-war with the hippogriff. Granger was trembling with nerves, and Aurora clenched her fists, until the moment when at last the stupid thing trotted into the forest. She bowed as politely as she could to it, as they retreated back under the cover of darkness, watching as the execution party realised he was gone, as Dumbledore took light of the situation and asked for a large brandy — which she thought was entirely inappropriate. When they all returned indoors, Aurora said, "We ought to make sure we're in sight of the Whomping Willow. Move along a little."

To her surprise, they did this without complaint, and settled a little further along. She could see as Weasley threw off the invisibility cloak to run after his rat, as Potter and Granger appeared too, and then herself.

It was exceedingly odd, to see herself as she was. Her father in his dog form bounded out from the shadows, snatching Weasley by the leg and dragging him back, screaming. She winced.

"I do hope his leg isn't too badly hurt. My father doesn't always think things through."

Granger made a tut that sounded like agreement. Potter said nothing, just watched as eventually the three of them disappeared. Now, she thought, there was nothing she could do. They had to wait until Lupin came down before they could even think about moving into the open.

Almost as soon as they had gone, Dumbledore emerged from the hut with Fudge and the executioner. Aurora tracked Professor Lupin on the map as he paced in his office, as Snape greeted him and left a few minutes later.

Then, perhaps another two minutes passed before Dumbledore and company passed his office and barely a minute later, Lupin was darting out, into the grounds.

"Lupin's coming," she told Potter and Granger. "Best keep still."

They whispered behind her, but she tried to ignore it. Lupin did indeed emerge, and went quickly into the passage to the Shrieking Shack.

Granger breathed out a shaky sigh. "I suppose that's it then," she said.

"Now what?" Potter asked, staring up the hillside.

Aurora pulled her arms tightly around herself. "Now, we wait."

Her mind traced back to the Dementors, as Potter and Granger whispered behind her. Though they were still at the very edge of the grounds, she could imagine the shiver they gave her, the cold that seeped into her very bones.

Her mother's voice rang in her head, and she held her wand tightly. She would have to be ready for them, this time. She would have to drive them away. And she would keep doing it even if they didn't get Pettigrew. She would not let the Dementors take her father. She would not allow herself to be defeated.

"Black," Granger said quietly after a long while, breaking Aurora's thoughts. She turned, eyebrows raised.

"Yes?"

"When you were at the lake..." Her eyes darted to Potter. "Harry says you fainted."

She tensed her jaw. "Does he now?"

"We did too," Granger said quickly. "There were so many of them, he passed out just as he was trying to haul you both up... But he says..." Potter looked deeply uncomfortably with whatever Granger was about to say. "Someone cast a Patronus."

"Oh." She blinked. "Well, I did... For a while, it was a shield."

"It wasn't you," Potter said, "it came from the other side of the lake, and it was after I got to you." It occurred to her now, with sudden clarity, that she had felt someone's hands upon her, just before she blacked out. Potter. "It must have been a proper Patronus, because it drove them all away, but I couldn't see it properly. I was — I was trying to get you to sit up, which was when the rat..." He broke off, but Aurora understood anyway.

"Harry thinks," Granger said in a low tone, "that it was his father across the lake, but it couldn't have been. The dead don't return."

Aurora thought back suddenly to Lucretia, Ignatius, Arcturus, Grandmother, Marlene. The pain in her chest tightened. "No. They don't. And I am sorry, Potter — but your father is dead."

"But who else could it have been? Unless Professor Lupin..."

"Even with the potion, I doubt he could cast such a charm as a werewolf. The mind isn't fully human. It can think more rationally, recognise elements from its human life, but it still doesn't have the same emotional capacity. And presumably, it was an actual human?"

Potter nodded. "I mean, maybe, the transformation..."

"It wasn't Lupin," she said. "And it also wasn't your father, any more than it was my mother."

There was quiet for a moment after that. "Right. Of course."

Not long after, Professor Hagrid came out of his hut, on his way towards the castle. Once he'd gone, Potter inched forward, to crouch beside Aurora and look over her shoulder at the map. She glanced along at him with a look of haughty indifference.

"Can I help you?"

"There's no one else in the grounds right now, is there?" he asked, and Aurora glanced down.

Everyone seemed accounted for, and the grounds were deserted apart from them. Draco and Pansy's dots paced around the common room. What would they say of this? What would they do, when push came to shove, and her father's role was revealed? She wasn't even entirely sure that she wanted to know.

"We can get the cloak, then," Potter said, and Granger groaned.

"Harry, we can't, I already told you, we could be seen—"

"There's no one in the grounds," Aurora affirmed. "It is a risk, certainly." She looked up towards the place where Weasley had first emerged. Presumably, Potter knew what he was looking for. "How would you use it to assist us?"

Potter blinked. "You're letting me?"

"I'm not letting you do anything," she said snappishly, just as Granger said, "Absolutely not!"

"It could prove a valuable asset, if we have to hide my father somewhere. Invisibility cloaks don't fool Dementors, but it could still buy us some extra time, if need be."

They didn't know for certain if they would need it. However, Aurora thought, the longer it sat out there, the longer they ran the risk of someone else — such as Pettigrew — taking it and using it for their own gain. And that would make everything much, much worse.

"I think it is worth the risk," she said after a moment. "You are perhaps best suited to locate it, Potter." She certainly wasn't going to risk it herself.

She clutched the map tighter in her hands. She had to trust that he had come this far, and wasn't going to suddenly tear off with it. Besides, he would be leaving not only Aurora behind, but Granger, and she knew he would not do that.

Parting with the map brought her great unease, even though she had only had it for a day. It was valuable, and of too much assistance to her. But the cloak could be, too.

She put it carefully into Potter's hands. "You know how to close it? To make sure no one else can open it?" He nodded. "Then go. Keep to the bushes, in the shadows, and low to the ground. Make sure you are not seen."

"I don't like this," Granger moaned.

But Potter was already going, the map in his hands, and shuffling along, crouched in the shadow of the trees and bushes that littered the grounds. Aurora held her breath. It took him a minute, perhaps two, to get up the hillside. Then he plucked from the ground something that shimmered in mid-air, and disappeared.

She sighed in relief. Granger made an annoyed sound. "That was an awful risk. Do you want him to get in trouble?"

"I want to rescue my father," Aurora told her in a clipped voice. "I'll use anything I can to ensure that happens."

"Including using Harry?" Aurora raised her eyebrows at Granger's indignant tone, as if she expected any better. "And what if he got caught?"

"Then I daresay we'd have to fly for it, Granger."

Seconds later, as Granger was still processing this, Aurora felt something flutter against her arm, and warm hands reach out to pull the two girls under the cloak. She could see Potter again, but in this strange cloth space, the air around her felt entirely too warm. Her fingers danced over the fabric, smooth as water. "This is fantastic quality," she whispered to Potter, who frowned at her. "Where on earth did you get it?" He pursed his lips. Aurora raised her eyebrows. "What reason do you have to be so secretive? You didn't do something illegal for it, did you? Duel a dragon? A necromancer?"

"It was my father's," he said curtly, and she winced.

"Ah. I didn't—"

"It's a family heirloom. Passed down for generations." At this, Aurora frowned — it had lasted awfully, if so. "You're lucky I'm letting you anywhere near it, Black."

With a sigh, she held her hands out. "Give me the map, then."

"I know how to use it better than you do, Black."

"I received my instructions direct from the manufacturer, Potter."

He made a throaty sound of disgust, but thrust the map into Aurora's hands anyway, which she decided was a victory on her part. With a smug smile, she glanced over her shoulder at Buckbeak the hippogriff, who looked most confused by their disappearance. Granger caught her gaze and hurriedly went out from under the cloak, to assure him all was well. The cloak dropped behind Aurora and she looked back to the map. There was still no sign of anyone in the grounds, but she saw Gwen had joined Pansy and Draco in a corner of the common room, which was most unusual. They rarely interacted without her present.

She thought back to Snape and took in a breath. Of course, they had alerted him to her absence — hadn't he mentioned them? She could have cursed it, but she knew they must have meant well. She would be concerned if any of them failed to appear at night.

From her side, Potter asked, quite abruptly, "Are you really going to live with him?"

It caught her by surprise, and took Aurora a second to realise he meant her father. She hadn't thought that he would be bold enough to ask.

"I don't know," she said slowly. "Perhaps. I know he made you an offer. I can't tell either of you what to do. Though I doubt you would want to share a house with me."

At this, Potter looked doubtful. "I mean, you're probably not much worse than my cousin Dudley."

That was not the answer she had wanted or expected to hear. "You can't really want to live with us."

"Not with you," he said, and she tutted, though it did set her more at ease. "But he's my godfather."

"And he's my father." She glared sideways at him. "I appreciate what you've done, Potter, but don't forget that."

He pulled a face. "You really are difficult, Black."

She smirked. "So people keep telling me."

Potter simply rolled his eyes. Then he sat down, quite casually, though still watching the Willow. The cloak fell unsteadily over the two of them and Aurora turned to glare at him. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting down."

"You're disrupting the draping of the cloak."

He raised his eyebrows, amused. "You're welcome to join me, Black."

Aurora glared, irritation glaring at him. "What do you want?"

"Same thing as you." He shrugged, holding her gaze. "But I also want to know a few things."

She tutted. "Like what?"

"Like why you hate me." She almost laughed at that. "Like when you found out about your father. Like... What you know about my parents. If — if he's ever said anything."

It was clear, to Aurora at least, what the truly pressing question of those was. "My father doesn't particularly enjoy discussing the war," she told him. "And I don't make a habit of asking about it. All I know, is that your father was my father's best friend through school. He said they were like brothers." She could not bring herself to look at Potter as she said this. "Our mothers got along too, of course, but I don't know quite so much on that subject."

"Right." There was something else he wanted to say, Aurora could tell. "There's um, there's a picture." She raised her eyebrows, thinking immediately to first year. But she didn't think she could bear him knowing about that, for some reason. It was weird, and stupid of her, to have given him a picture of his parents that she had found, dust-covered, in her grandmother's house. "Of their wedding."

"Ah." She nodded. "My father must have been present."

"He was the best man," Potter told her. "When I saw it, when I found out, I was so angry. Because there was — he was holding, in the next photo, he was next to a woman and he was holding a baby. It was tiny, totally tiny."

Aurora bit her lip. "They got married in the winter."

Potter nodded. "And I was really angry because — that baby was you. And you got to know them, before I did! For longer than I did."

She pressed her eyes closed. "Potter, you can't expect me to apologise. I was a baby."

"I don't," he said, but there was a bitterness at the edge of his voice. "It's just... Well, they were your godparents. And your parents were mine and that makes us..."

"Godsiblings," she said. Even the word was awkward, clinging to the roof of her mouth. "Which is most definitely weird."

Potter let out a strangled laugh. "Yeah. Yeah, it is." After a moment's pause, "Did you know?"

She nodded. "I've always known. My grandmother — well, she made her opinion on the matter known on many occasions."

"Then why..." He furrowed his brow. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"You were never particularly endeared to me, if I recall. Nor I to you. It doesn't mean anything. We didn't have a say in the matter."

"Before that," Potter said. "On the train, when we met, before Ron and before Malfoy. You realised who I was, I know you did. Why didn't you say? We — we should have known each other."

Aurora stared at him, wondering why on earth it seemed to matter so much, the decision of four people fourteen years ago. As silence fell between them, Aurora looked back at the map; Draco, Pansy and Gwen were still in the common room, but they had now been joined by Daphne, Millie, Theodore, and Robin, too. She had a feeling they would be headed for Snape's office soon, and looked to the passage from the Shrieking Shack, but as of yet there was no sign of activity.

Eventually, Aurora sat down; the better part of an hour passed before she saw her friends go along to Snape, and saw the dots of herself, her father, Potter and his friends, Lupin, and Pettigrew emerge on the edge of the map.

"We're coming," she whispered, turning to Granger and lifting the cloak so she could see. "And Draco and Pansy have gone to Snape, he'll be on his way soon."

Granger wrung her hands. "Come out from under the cloak so I can see you," she said, "but you need to move further into the shadows."

Aurora nodded, and Potter, ever heedful of Granger's orders, moved back with her. He didn't meet Aurora's eyes, but in many ways that was a comfort.

Five or so minutes later, she could see their group emerging from the tree. When she saw Pettigrew, every hateful feeling stirred in her heart again.

Snape's dot on the map was moving now, running up from the dungeons as Draco, Pansy, and Gwen raced back to the common room.

"I'll keep an eye on the map," Aurora muttered, more to herself than anyone else. At least they wouldn't have to worry about a feral werewolf running around, only a tame one. It would, she hoped, make this easier. "I'll watch where Pettigrew goes. I'm sure my father had him by the lake. Once the Dementors are cleared, I'll put the cloak on and—"

"We'll put the cloak on, more like," Potter snapped.

Rolling her eyes, Aurora conceded, "We will, yes, if you'd prefer."

"But, Aurora," Granger whispered, "Dumbledore didn't say—"

"He said we needed proof," she said in a hard voice. "I'm not going to accept a mere escape when I could have my father's innocence proven. And I'm not going to let Pettigrew escape either." Potter seemed to be having the same thought. "I can track him using the map. I'm not going to give up just because you tell me to, Granger."

"We came back to help Sirius, this is too—"

"This is helping him!" Aurora snapped. "If you don't want to be a part of this, fine, go and run somewhere safe. I'm sure I am more than capable of handling this myself."

For a moment, the two girls locked gazes, Aurora trying to hide the storm of anger within her. How dare Granger demand that she give up, how dare Granger try and dictate to her? This was her father — her family name — at stake.

It was Potter who broke the silence. "Hermione," he said quietly, "Black's right. If we can get Pettigrew... We have to. Trelawney said..."

"Professor Trelawney is a fraud!"

"Yes, but this wasn't like that—"

"Oh, shh, Harry, look — it's Snape!"

They lingered in the shadows until Aurora saw the Dementors start to converge. It struck cold terror into her heart, and familiar words echoed in her head again. But she had to be wrong about whom that voice belonged to, she just had to be.

"To the lake," she said, when she saw Pettigrew transform.

"You can't—"

"Don't tell me what to do, Granger," she said, and started running. For a second she thought she was alone, but she could hear footsteps, and when she looked at the map, Potter was just behind her.

She could see the mass of darkness across the water, see herself running right into it, led by writhing threads of silver light forming a shield that illuminated her face. She had never quite appreciated how short she must look, but staring across the water she felt suddenly small.

Something brushed against her and she jumped, but Potter grabbed her arm and said, "It's just the cloak, so we aren't seen."

"Get your hand off me," she muttered in response, shaking him off and edging closer to the edge of the trees. "Why did you follow me?"

"I..." He opened and closed his mouth. "Had to see who cast the Patronus. Look, there you are — you kept the shield up, but it was fading when I got down there, and they definitely came from this side." He looked wildly around. "We can't be seen, but..."

"You want to see," Aurora said quietly. "Well, be careful."

She wanted to see what happened too, for herself. But when she looked at the map in her hands, she saw that there was no one else in the vicinity. Snape seemed to be stirring somewhere near the tree, Granger and Weasley were stationary — with Other Granger lingering in the treeline — and Aurora, her father and Pettigrew on the other side. Potter was running towards them, but there was no one else in the grounds.

Her stomach stirred. "Potter," she whispered, "what animal exactly did you see?"

"I don't know," he said, "I was too — why isn't anyone coming yet? Why isn't he here?"

Aurora stared at the map. Her eyes darted upwards to her father, to her chance to redeem her family, to know the truth. To the future, to innocence.

"Because he never was."

And she thought of Draco and Pansy and Gwen and Theodore and Daphne and Blaise and Millie and Robin and Lucille. She thought of Andromeda and Ted and Dora. She thought of Lucretia telling her she was going to make something of herself at Hogwarts, of Ignatius telling her he was proud, of Arcturus saying the family was so much more than this and holding her tightly.

And as she saw her other self falter, saw justice and vengeance start to slip away, those thoughts were renewed.

She remembered placing the Black family ring on her finger for the first time, of the power and sense of belonging that flooded her in that one perfect moment. The thought of family — what it had been and what it could be. What she ought to make it. She was a Black, after all. She could do anything.

She and Potter lunged forward at the same time, the cloak discarded, and cried, "Expecto patronum!"

She had expected a dog, a wolf maybe — but that wasn't what came out from her wand. Aurora stood, transfixed, as a silvery fox appeared before her, twinkling like it was made of the stars themselves. It turned slightly, with bright white eyes, and she felt an odd sense of assurance as she nodded, and with a flick of her wand, urged it onwards across the lake, with the stag that had appeared from Potter's incantation.

The sight of it took her breath away, as the sprightly fox danced over the surface of the water and the stag charged alongside it. She saw Potter's head turn slightly across the lake, and dove behind the Potter that was with her. The mass of darkness that was the Dementors separated, scattering to the edge of the grounds. Cold brushed over her as they passed, but she forced herself to remember her friends, her family, and the friends who were themselves a family. The fox darted around the edge of the water, and Aurora urged it closer. Potter's stag dissipated, but she urged her fox to dart into the trees.

Eyes still fixed on the fox, and the silver stream that wove between the trees, Aurora stepped back. "Get the cloak on," she told Potter, still trying to hold her memory in her mind, "Snape's about to arrive, and once he moves us, the rat will go free." She glanced at the map. "He's still over the other side. We need to be hidden if we go around by the treeline there, there's no quick way over the lake, and we'll have to be fast."

Potter stared at her. "But Hermione—"

"You can go back to her and the hippogriff if you like," Aurora told him shortly, "I wouldn't blame you."

"I'm not afraid to—"

"She will be fretting awfully, I'm sure." She kept her eyes trained on the fading silver in the trees as she pulled the cloak over the two of them, just in time for Other Potter to reach her and her father and help their limp forms to their feet.

"What did you two do?" Granger's voice broke through the trees. Aurora could hear Buckbeak's hooves following her footsteps. "I could see that all the way — were you seen? Where are you?"

"We were," Potter said, and he sounded joyous. Aurora tutted, watching Other Potter start to move towards the castle, disappearing.

"That's very advanced magic," Granger was whispering. "You cast a full Patronus, Harry."

"Most grown wizards can't manage it," Potter said, sounding pleased with himself. "But I could do it this time — because I knew I'd already — Black, what are you—"

Peter Pettigrew had started moving. The silvery fox in the treeline had darted off in chase, and Aurora ran off under the cloak, dragging Potter behind her. "Harry—" Granger spluttered, but Aurora wasn't going to wait for her permission.

They rushed around the edge of the lake, cloak fluttering around their ankles, and Aurora ran as fast as she could with Potter burdening her. She had to find Pettigrew... Her eyes followed his dot on the map, but he was gaining ground, and like this, with her and Potter pulling at one another, uncoordinated and clumsy, they weren't going to manage it, they couldn't get to him in time.

She had to believe it. She clung to her happy thought, dreams of family and restoration. They needed a miracle, they needed someone, someone faster, stronge.

"We're never going to — catch him," Potter panted.

"We would if you could run a bit faster. Doesn't Wood train you enough?"

"We can't — need — help." He stumbled over a tree root and Aurora pulled him upright, past caring when he hissed at the harsh movement. "The — Wolf."

"I'm sorry."

"Lupin. You said — it might recognise elements — from human life — what if—"

"Potter, that's far too risky."

"But isn't this? And if he gets away then it's all for nothing."

"Do you actually have a death wish?" she asked, but too late — Potter tilted back his head and howled. It rang through the night and she knew Snape had probably heard, but the wolf had to. She heard Granger's slight squeal, a pounding on the ground behind them, and then something sniffing the air. Aurora's heart stopped beating from terror for a second, as she whispered a request to Merlin in his grave that he look over the righteous cause. And then the wolf darted forward, giving chase.

She kept up her running, saw Lupin's dot growing closer to Pettigrew's and then both of them stopping. "Quickly," she whispered to Potter, and they took off running, until they reached the wolf.

The rat was on the ground before it, scrambling back, but with them under the cloak, trying to keep quiet just in case the wolf worried, Aurora said under her breath, "Petrificus totalus."

The rat froze. Her patronus disappeared, but that was alright now. Aurora let out a rushing breath and scooped the rat up. Then, she looked up to the wolf. There was an almost amused glint in its eye as it sniffed, and then turned, running away.

Once it was gone, Aurora let out a heavy breath. "That was the stupidest thing I have ever—"

"It worked, didn't it?" Potter shot back, looking pleased with himself.

"We could have died!"

"He's tame, remember!"

"That doesn't mean he isn't dangerous! Merlin, Gryffindors really are idiots."

"Useful idiots."

"Shut up before I hex you, too."

But it seemed Potter was too elated to care. Sighing, and hoping Hermione Granger would give him a ticking off when they got back, Aurora turned around and headed back towards the lake.

It was agonising, the time it took to get back to her. The moment Potter took the cloak off, she started, "How could you, Harry, what on earth were you thinking—"

"We got the rat," Potter said, beaming.

Granger's eyes widened, staring at the petrified rat clutched in Aurora's left hand. "Oh, my God... You called on the wolf..."

"We weren't going to catch him," Potter said, "but Aurora—"

"Don't call me Aurora—"

"—had said about how a tame wolf might recognise human memory or something and — hey! It worked!"

"You..." She looked like she was going to faint. "It's almost time to get to Sirius. What are you going to do with the rat? We can't just run up to the Minister of Magic and throw a rat at him."

"We don't know what happens in the minutes between Fudge leaving us and getting to my father," she reminded her. "If we get my father out of harm's way, we can get Fudge to see Pettigrew. We'll find a way. I will."

Granger pursed her lips nervously, and all turned their eyes to the castle. Aurora could see MacNair coming towards the grounds. "The executioner's on his way out," she whispered.

"He's going to get the Dementors," Potter said. "This is it."

"Right." Granger set her jaw. "We have to get on Buckbeak."

Somehow, Aurora hadn't quite thought to that part. "We're getting on the hippogriff?"

Potter and Granger both stared at her. "Well, obviously."

"But it's — it's crazy! It'll throw us off." Buckbeak's eyes flashed. "You saw what it did to Draco!"

"You aren't scared, are you, Black?" Potter sneered, and Aurora glared at him. But MacNair was moving across the grounds, towards the gates, and they needed to go. Now.

"Not a chance, Potter. Give me a leg up."

He helped Granger first, rather than her, but was surprisingly gentle when he was helping her onto Buckbeak's back. "Ready?" he asked, once he had gotten on at the front. "You'll have to hold on tight, it's a bit different to a broom." Aurora tucked Pettigrew into the pocket of her robes and buttoned it carefully. Then, tentatively, feeling the sheer absurdity of the situation, she put her arms around Hermione Granger and dug her heels in around Buckbeak. Potter kicked into the hippogriff, and then they took off at a canter before rising into the air.

Aurora tightened her grip — she didn't like not being in control of whatever she was flying, especially because this was a living thing which very much had a mind of its own.

"I really don't like this," Granger said, voice drifting in the air. "I really — really don't like this!"

Aurora tried to keep track of all the towers and windows that they passed. The map was in her pocket and she didn't want to risk bringing it out and fumbling and dropping it.

Potter tugged sharply on the makeshift reins around the hippogriff's neck and they reared back. Turning her head sharply, Aurora could see her father illuminated in the window, see his face stretch into an astonished smile. He leapt up, running to try the window, but it wouldn't open.

"Alohomora!" Granger cried, and it swung open as her father pushed it.

"Hurry," Aurora pleaded. "We don't have much time."

With Granger making room for her father to squirm onto the hippogriff — it was a tight squeeze — Aurora dug around in her pocket for the rat. "You know the spell to lock it?" she asked Granger quickly. "We'll need to be quick. Co-ordinated."

"I know it."

"Then follow my lead."

Her father stared at the rat. "But that's — Aurora, how did you—"

She shook her head, hauling her father up behind her. And then, she dropped the rat upright onto the office floor, pointed her wand at its shadowed form, and said sharply, "Finite — animalis novis!"

There was a glow of white light, the rat started scrambling as it grew, but Aurora slammed the window closed and Granger said just as quickly, "Colloportus!"

And as the rat turned to man, Potter kicked into Buckbeak again, flying higher towards the top of the tower.

They had done it. Aurora was giddy at the thought. They had saved her father, they had trapped Pettigrew just as the Minister was making his way up there. Were it not for the fact that they still needed to keep her father well out of sight, she would have loved to stay, just to see the look on Professor Snape's face when he was proved wrong.

There was a clatter and a jolt as Buckbeak alighted upon the battlements of West Tower. Potter and Granger slid off immediately, but Aurora stiffened. They had trapped Pettigrew, yes, but who was to say when she would next see her father?

Still, she knew she had to let him go, and it was with trembling hands that she lifted her leg up and swung herself around the side. Her father took her hand.

"Aurora," he said hoarsely, "what on Earth..."

"I told you, Father," she said, but the word didn't feel quite right. "I am not going to let Pettigrew get away with it. Not ever."

"You had better go quickly," Potter told her father. "Finding Pettigrew will freak them out, but they'll wonder where you've gone. I think Dumbledore'll cover for us, but..."

"What happened to the other boy? Your friend, Ron?" he asked, squeezing Aurora's hand tighter. She wasn't sure she wanted to let go. She wasn't even sure that she could. To let go was to cede control over the situation — but she knew she had to. She had to trust that, this time, he would come back to her.

"He'll be okay, he's still out of it but Madam Pomfrey's looking after him! Quick — go!"

"How can I ever thank you?" His eyes darted to Aurora, shining.

"It's only what's right," Potter said.

Aurora squeezed her father's hand. "You had better be quick. Dumbledore said — the old safe place. Presumably, that's where you are to go. He'll contact you, I'm sure."

He nodded, and the way his face filled with pride when he looked down at her made something ache in her chest. "I love you, Aurora. I'll see you soon, I promise. We'll be a family — if that's what you want. I'll come back, sweetheart."

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I know." She trembled slightly. "Be careful... Dad."

Then she let him go.