Raylynx's POV

I led the party down the tunnel. There was plenty of bumping, bruising, and sliding along as everyone tried to make their way down the tunnel.

Sirius sent in Snape's unconscious figure right after me, so I got the distinct sense that I was being chased by a sleepwalking Snape, which gave me goosebumps all along my feline form. I could hear Sirius and Harry talking just behind Snape, however.

"You know what this means?" Sirius asked Harry. "Turning Pettigrew in?"

"You're free," Harry replied.

"Yes…" Sirius said. He hesitated, and then he continued, "But I'm also – I don't know if anyone ever told you – I'm your godfather."

"Yeah," Harry said, "I knew that."

"Well…" Sirius said, rather awkwardly. "Your parents appointed me your guardian. If anything happened to them…"

Harry fell silent.

Sirius rushed to clarify. "I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle. But… well, think about it."

"Once my name's cleared, if you wanted a- a different home," Sirius offered.

The fact that Sirius' first thought as a free man was to take Harry in as his godson made butterflies flutter in my stomach. I knew he would be like that. When he'd passed along that note to buy the Firebolt for Harry, it made me realize that as soon as James made Sirius Harry's godfather, Sirius went straight to Gringotts to ensure that Harry could access his bank account, if needed. People sorely underestimated Sirius' caring side, I thought, as I padded along the tunnel.

Behind me, Harry had just comprehended what Sirius was offering to him.

"What – live with you?" Harry said, in total disbelief. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," Sirius said quickly, almost anxiously. "I understand. I just thought I'd-"

"Are you insane?" Harry said hoarsely. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"

I heard Sirius' footsteps slow to a scrape as he looked over at Harry. "You want to?" Sirius asked hopefully. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" Harry responded enthusiastically.

We had reached the end of the tunnel. I scampered out and pressed my paw on the tree trunk to pause the Whomping Willow's branches. The rest of the party followed up.

It was dusk now, with the darkness setting in quickly. Across the grounds and in the distance, the castle windows shone dimly. Sirius looked up at the castle as his human self for the first time in many years. He felt a sense of wonder. How could he have ever taken for granted roaming the hallways and grounds of Hogwarts as a free, young boy?

Remus joined his side.

Behind them, Harry and Hermione were speaking quietly with Ron and checking with him that his leg was all right.

"It's not just Snape and me at Hogwarts, you know," Remus said. "There's another face that you'd recognize..."

Sirius swallowed and turned away from the castle. "I know," he replied, his voice muted. "Leave her be."

Remus paused. His eyes flickered over at me. My ears drooped and my tail fell from its upright position. Again, I wondered why Sirius didn't trust me.

Remus said, in a hesitant voice, "I think she'd be happy to see you…"

"Drop it, Moony," Sirius replied tersely.

My tail fell between my legs and pressing myself flat to the ground, I buried my head between my paws. Perhaps I was being dramatic, but it hurt me deeply to think that he didn't trust me. I had trusted him throughout all of these years. And now, he didn't trust me back. He didn't even want to see me.

"We should get a move on," Sirius said. "I don't fancy losing Peter again."

Remus nodded. He walked past Sirius and came over to me. He knelt down beside me and tried to pick me up. I resisted, but with an encouraging, if not vigorous, yank, Remus pried me off the grass. Holding me, grumpy and bitter, in one arm, he went back towards the group.

Peter, seeing him, shrank back. Remus raised his wand and warned, "One wrong move, Peter."

Sirius led the way now back up towards the castle. But we had only gone a little way when suddenly, the sun disappeared completely under the horizon. A cloud passed by overhead, and all at once, we were thrown into the bright, silver light – of a full moon.

Remus froze. I felt his arm tighten around me. The, he began to shiver as the moon began to call to the wolf inside of him – forcing the wolf to consume the man, to transform from inside out. His entire frame trembled violently. I hissed and scrambled out of his grasp. Then, I pelted back towards the party.

Catching my movement, Sirius glanced up at me. Seeing where I was coming from, he frowned and looked back towards Remus.

"No!" Sirius breathed out, horrified and awestruck.

Hermione gasped. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

"Run," Sirius whispered, his voice taut. "Run. Now."

Remus' limbs began to shift and he let out a horrible sound, caught between a whimper and a scream as his body began to change.

"Leave it to me – RUN!" Sirius yelled at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He transformed into Padfoot. Harry and Hermione raced over to Ron and Peter and worked frantically to unchain Ron from Peter.

Remus' transformation had finished. Without a moment's hesitation, he made for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Peter – humans. Padfoot headed him off immediately. In seconds, it turned into a nasty fight. Their jaws and claws ripped at each other as Padfoot fought to keep Remus, who had the clear upper hand in terms of strength and size, at bay.

Harry and Hermione had succeeded in untying Ron. Peter, seeing his chance, immediately took off and made for Remus' dropped wand, which was lying in the grass. I raced towards the wand, trying to get to it first. But Peter beat me to it. I started to jump towards him, but Peter pointed his wand at Ron. I hesitated. Peter or Ron? I growled, feeling torn. But no, of course, it had to be Ron. I diverted my path and leapt up into the air between Peter and Ron.

Bang! I took most of the spell head-on, though not completely. My small frame missed some of the spell and it hit Ron behind me. We were both knocked out for a moment. I fell back unceremoniously onto the ground, half-Stunned.

"Ron!" Hermione screamed. She raced over his side.

Harry pulled out his own wand and pointed it at Peter. "Expelliarmus!" Remus' wand flew out of Peter's hand and out of sight. I immediately started towards the wand, to prevent Peter from getting it again. It was hard to track a thin piece of wood in the long grasses, but I finally managed to locate it. I picked it up in my mouth.

Just then, I heard a voice shout out, "Stay where you are!"

I realized that there was another issue – Peter could transform. I hissed and darted back as quickly as I could.

But when I rejoined the group, Harry was yelling. "Sirius, he's gone! Pettigrew transformed!"

Padfoot nearly barreled into me as he went racing after Wormtail, down through the long grasses and beyond.

No! I thought frantically. We can't let Peter escape. Without Peter, Sirius can't be free. I started to chase after both of them when I heard a snarling sound. My fur stood on end as I turned and saw Remus, in his werewolf form, only a few yards away. Hermione screamed. She tried desperately to wake up Ron.

Harry raised his wand at Remus. But I couldn't allow Harry to hurt Remus, who was already sporting long, deep gashes on his jaw, forehead, chest, and paws. I growled and in a daring move, leapt up on top of Remus' shoulders. Remus howled and tried desperately to shake me off. I bit at his ear – not hard enough to pierce his ear, but enough to hurt him. I tugged at his ear, pulling his head back hard enough to force him to step backwards. He stumbled back until we were nearly in the forest. Then, I leapt off. Remus, infuriated with me, immediately swiped at me. He missed, and leaping forward, he chased after me. I led him deep into the forest, far away enough from the main grounds so that he couldn't hurt anyone. Then, I jumped up into the trees and hid in the leaves.

When I thought I had finally lost him, I skirted out. Scrambling from treetop to treetop, I bounded back across the forest at the canopy level. But Harry and Hermione were gone. Worried, I sniffed at the ground and followed their scent as quickly as I could. Their scent mingled with Sirius' and to some extent, Peter's, though I lost Peter's in the reeds just a few moments later. Before I could ponder what to do, however, the reeds suddenly gave way to pebble and dirt. And that wasn't all – a deep, swirling fog was fast covering the ground before me. Though I was still carrying Remus' wand in my mouth, a hiss escaped from the back of my throat as the uncomfortable mist began to creep up around me. I knew this mist. I knew it well – too well. Dementors were near.

Panic began to overtake me. Where are they – Harry, Hermione, and Sirius? I ran as fast as I could straight into the fog, still searching for their scents, though it was becoming difficult to track anything.

Suddenly, I saw them. Harry, Hermione, and Sirius were all on the ground at the edge of the lake, which was now frozen over. And why was the lake frozen over? I gasped. Hundreds and hundreds of dementors surrounded them. Hermione and Sirius had already passed out. Only Harry was left. He bravely, but weakly, lifted his wand to cast a Patronus Charm. But his strength was already spent…

I transformed into my human form and raising Remus' wand high into the air, I yelled, "Expecto Patronum!" A silver lynx burst from the end of the wand. Although it was not as powerful a Patronus as it would be had it come from my own wand, it still raced forward and managed to drive away the dementors that were feeding off of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Suddenly, in one, terrifying motion, all of the dementors - every one of the hundreds and hundreds of them - turned their shapeless, black, blank faces towards me. I swallowed hard as the sickening feeling of horror seeped through me. It felt like a tidal wave of icy water had slammed into me. They were forcing me to reveal my worst memories – Regulus' face, pressed against the gates, with an army of Inferi reaching for him…

No! I tightened my grip on Remus' wand and tried to keep focused. I had to save them, and I especially had to save Sirius from the Dementor's Kiss.

Alice's blank face, wiped of memories, unable to recall who she was, unable to remember even her own son…

"No…" I murmured. "No, I've got to- I've got to…"

Dorcas' dead body, left behind as Voldemort and the Death Eaters Disapparated… Her beautiful brown eyes had lost their brilliant light…

My Patronus, which was hovering about ten yards away from me, protecting Sirius, Harry, and Hermione, hesitated, and turned to look at me. It was wondering whether it needed to come and protect me.

Protect? I couldn't protect them.

"Avada Kedavra!" My father dropped to the ground, dead.

My lynx began to dissipate, to lose shape.

My mother, lying in the hospital face, her face bloody. She was staring at me so intently, wanting for me to see her memories. And then – the light in her eyes went out.

My shimmering, trembling lynx curled up on Sirius' chest. Its tail flickered one last before it vanished. The sounds of the dementors' rattling breath was no longer an external sensation. No, it was in my own head – It was all I could hear. I was suffocating in the cold, in the dark, in my own pain… Darkness began to seep out from inside of me, responding to the fear and misery that the dementors were pouring over me. Lost in the depths of my own memories, my consciousness began to flicker out.

I dragged my feet forward, but as the dementors converged upon their fresh prey – me, I fell to my knees. I continued to drag myself forward on the shore, bloodying up my knees and palms. I finally reached Sirius. A dementor was feeding off of him. It reached out with its grey, decaying hand and grasped Sirius' face. It leaned down –

"No… No! No, I won't – Not Sirius, not Sirius…" I fell forward on top of Sirius, physically making myself a barrier between him and the dementors.

"Not Sirius…" Tears were streaming down my face. I kissed Sirius on the lips wetly.

"Sirius…" I murmured. "I'm going to save you. I'm going to…"

The fog was making thought impossible. All of my feeling, all of my happiness, and slowly- all of my hope – was beginning to flicker out in the overwhelming presence of the dementors.

"P-Professor…?"

I looked over to see Harry lying on the ground. He had cracked one eye open.

I reached my hand out to him. He started to reach for me, when a dementor came between us, shoving us both back and away from each other. I fell onto the shore besides Sirius. I tried to push myself back up, to grip Remus' wand, to produce another Patronus, but my whole body felt so heavy, so tired, so cold…

I breathed out, and my breath was a cold burst of fog in a sea of fog…

But then, a small speck of silver light seemed to pierce through the fog… It grew brighter and brighter. Hazily, I realized that it was approaching it. I tried to keep my eyes open, to stare up at it. If this was the passageway to the world beyond the living one, I wanted to see it for my own eyes…

But then, I thought it took another shape, a more familiar shape… Lips trembling, I whispered, "James?"

I collapsed besides Sirius, and thought no more.


My eyes flashed open.

"Sirius," I croaked hoarsely.

A gentle, but grim voice replied, "Sirius Black is not here."

I turned to see Professor McGonagall sitting beside my bed.

"Where is he?"

"In the castle."

"And Harry, Ron, and Hermione?"

"Poppy is looking after them."

"Is Remus all right?"

McGonagall shook her head slowly.

"You haven't been asleep for that long, Raylynx," she said. I knew she meant that he was still out there, in his werewolf form.

"And Snape?"

"Severus is fine. He was the one who brought you all back to the castle."

"Sirius too?"

"Yes."

A sense of foreboding penetrated my veins as I realized Snape had brought us all back. "Where exactly is Sirius?" I asked.

She frowned. "He's locked away in an office here. The Minister has come to put an end to things."

"What?" I sat up so quickly that my head spun. I reached out and grasped McGonagall's shoulder. She also reached up to support me.

McGonagall sighed. "Naturally, the Minister wants this finished with as quickly as possible."

"They're planning to subject Sirius to the Dementor's Kiss?"

McGonagall's eyes met mine. Her gaze confirmed everything she had told me.

"No, it can't be," I said, shaking my head. "Dumbledore. Where is Dumbledore?"

"In his office. Why-? Raylynx!" McGonagall shouted in surprise as I bolted from my bed and raced out into the hallways. I sprinted as fast as I could to Dumbledore's office.

Fudge and Snape were just leaving his office. At the sight of me, Snape's mouth curled into a cruel, but pleased smirk.

"Dumbledore!" I shouted.

Fudge looked alarmed. I have no idea what I looked like, but it must have been something horrible, judging by his reaction to me. But I didn't care. I ignored both the Minister and Snape.

"Dumbledore!" I yelled again.

"If you would keep your voice down-" Snape began, but he was cut off by Dumbledore himself, who had appeared at the doorway.

"Professor Kingsley. Please, come in," Dumbledore said.

I entered his office.

Dumbledore shut the door behind us, blocking Fudge and Snape out.

"You must stop them!" I blurted out. "Please, this is wrong. This is all wrong."

Dumbledore sighed heavily. "Raylynx," he said, using my first name, "it is time for you to face the truth. The evidence is incontrovertible-"

"It's not! Please! Please listen to me. Dumbledore!" I said desperately.

"I have listened to you," Dumbledore said quietly. "I have read all of your pamphlets and heard your speeches. They have not yet convinced me of Sirius' innocence. Only of your love for him."

I paused. "What?"

"Your emotions cloud your judgment," Dumbledore said softly. "You must acknowledge this."

"No, no, no, you're not listening," I said, frustrated. "It wasn't Sirius Black. He wasn't the Potters' Secret-Keeper. I know you believe he was, but he wasn't. It was Peter Pettigrew! Peter betrayed the Potters. When Sirius tracked him down, Peter staged his own death and blew up the street to frame Sirius. Then, Peter escaped."

"I hardly believe that Mr. Pettigrew would have escaped Ministry surveillance for twelve years-"

"Not if they didn't know what to look for."

"And what would they need to look for?"

"A rat."

Dumbledore blinked. "A rat?" he said.

"Peter Pettigrew is an Animagus. An unregistered Animagus."

Dumbledore frowned. "Raylynx, such a story-"

"Talk to Sirius," I said. "And you'll see that I'm telling the truth."

Dumbledore surveyed me through his glasses. He still seemed intensely skeptical.

"Dumbledore," I whispered. "Please." I couldn't stand this. I couldn't stand not being believed when at this very moment, Fudge was making his way down to fetch the dementor- the dementor that would suck out Sirius' soul.

I dropped to my knees. "I'm begging you. Please. Please."

I grabbed the front of Dumbledore's robes and buried my face in them. "Please."

"All right." I felt his hand on my head. "There's no need for all this. Please stand up, Raylynx."

Then, I heard Dumbledore say, "Minerva, if you would…"

I hadn't even noticed Professor McGonagall coming in after me. She had brought my cloak with her. She strode forward and putting her hands on my shoulders, began to lead me away.

"Wait," I said. I eased my cloak out of her grasp and reached inside the pocket. I took out my house key. I pointed my wand at it and murmured, "Gemino." A duplicate appeared.

I held it out to Dumbledore. "If he – If he wishes to come and find me…"

"You would be putting yourself in danger," Dumbledore wanted me.

"I would be with him," I corrected him.

Dumbledore sighed quietly, but he took the key from me and pocketed it. Then, he swept out of the room, on his way to speak to Sirius. I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe. My heart was thrumming so hard. Finally, Dumbledore was giving Sirius a chance. All I could now was pray that it would be enough.


Dumbledore's POV

When I entered the room, Sirius got up from the floor where he was sitting. Approaching Sirius, I surveyed him. A mixture of pity, regret, and mistrust rose up within me.

"Headmaster," he said, and his voice was hoarse. "Are they coming?"

"Who?"

"The Minister," Sirius said. "With… with the dementor."

"Have you already resigned yourself to your fate?" I wondered.

Sirius barked out a humorless laugh. "What hope is there?" he asked morosely. "At least I had my bit of freedom before they take away my soul."

I frowned. It was this brash, unfeeling aspect of Sirius that led me to mistrust him. Even now, his words indicated no remorse, only anger and resignation. There was a cruelty to Sirius, and it merged with his bitterness towards the world in an explosive and reckless way.

However, I had given my word to Raylynx that I would speak to him. "James and Lily Potter requested that you be their Secret-Keeper," I recalled. "James, in particular, believed that there was no one better suited for the job."

Sirius remained quiet.

"I have since heard a different version of events- that Peter Pettigrew became the Potters' Secret-Keeper, that the two of you switched without notifying me." Keeping my eyes on him, I inquired calmly, "Could it be… that you are innocent?"

Sirius' head snapped up. He looked at me, his brow furrowed. "How did you know?" he asked me. "Did you speak with Harry?"

"There is another fact that has been brought to my attention," I pressed. "That Mr. Peter Pettigrew is an Animagus – a rat."

"It's true," Sirius responded. "It's all true."

Barely moving my lips apart, I asked, "How?"

Sirius' dark eyes glimmered in the darkness before a shaft of moonlight passed over his face. As though the moonlight were a bird signaling for him to speak, Sirius began to confess.

"It's not just Peter, Headmaster. James, Peter, and I – We all became Animagus."

"How?" I repeated.

"Not easily," he replied. "It took us the better part of five years while we were at Hogwarts. But we had to. We had to do it."

"And why is that?"

"Because Remus Lupin was our friend."

I paused.

"Every month, we would join him in the Forest," Sirius explained. "In our animal forms, we could keep him company. James was a stag. Peter was a rat. And I was – I am – a dog. That's how I escaped Azkaban. That's how I've managed to hide out in the Hogwarts grounds."

"You escaped after twelve years. Why?" I asked.

"Because Fudge came to my cell in Azkaban. He was holding a newspaper. I spotted Peter sitting on Ron Weasley's shoulder. I recognized him because his front paw was missing a toe. And, the day after James and Lily's deaths, when I tracked Peter down, he had his wand behind his back. He blew up the whole street, but he made it look like I had done it by-"

"- Cutting off his finger," I finished. "Then, he transformed into his rat form and escaped, didn't he?"

Sirius nodded. "When I saw that picture, I realized that if Peter was at Hogwarts, then Harry was in danger. I had to come back. I had to protect my godson."

"I see," I said. "And your attacks on the Fat Lady and on Mr. Weasley? I take it they were attempts to secure Peter Pettigrew."

"Yes."

"You must realize that your actions appear untrustworthy," I admonished. "It was not wise to attack anyone in this castle."

"I know. And it's come to nothing, I realize," Sirius said heavily. "But I was desperate, Headmaster."

"At least Remus knows now. As do you," Sirius said, trying not to give in to his depression at what he believed were his final moments. He, as every human does, was seeking some purpose to his life. He was trying desperately to find it before he was subjected to his final fate. "With the two of you knowing the truth and knowing that Peter is out there, well, Harry is safer for it. What more could I ask for? If this is to be my life, at least I accomplished that much… Even if it's only a fraction of what I owe James."

His words moved me, and I understood why Sirius was in Gryffindor. His loyalty was not be taken lightly. Neither was what he told me. I believed him. Too little, too late – at the eleventh hour – I believed him.

I sighed. My mind was whirring through many possibilities – both of how to get Sirius out alive as well as what it meant that Peter Pettigrew had escaped… If Voldemort was reunited with another faithful servant, not unlike Quirrell, he was sure to mount another attack. A grim understanding of the future, and of the possible ways in which it might manifest itself, began to play out in my mind.

But, for now, I had to act – and act quickly. Fudge had already sent for the dementor. He and Severus were waiting in the hospital wing below, where Harry, Hermione, and Ron were. Harry, Hermione, and Ron… I pondered in my mind one concrete possibility before me. We have, after all, a most valuable object in our hands. Yes, that would be a way to earn more time. And if they could take Buckbeak, then that would – yes, that would preclude Rubeus from falling into trouble with the Ministry. Yes, I see…

Only a second had passed since Sirius had finished speaking.

I stepped forward and drew a key from my pocket. I presented it to Sirius. "A safehouse," I told him, "offered to you by Professor Kingsley."

Sirius began to reach for it, but then he shook his head. "I'm finished. No one will believe me. And Peter has escaped. There's no proof of my innocence. Give it back to her. I don't want her to share in my fate…"

"That is not your choice," I replied quietly. "And, if I may suggest – you seem to have forgotten someone."

"Who?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your godson. Harry Potter."

Sirius' eyes creased as regret took over his expression. "I wish I could see him again," he murmured.

"You may yet," I replied. "You may yet."

Sirius looked confused, but there was simply no time to explain, nor was there was a need to. This would either work, or it wouldn't. All I could do was to put the plan into action.

"Excuse me," I said, as I began to leave the room. I was short on time, or rather – Sirius was short on time.

"Headmaster," he called after me.

I paused, turning back where I stood.

"Thank you for coming to see me. For hearing me out. It makes no difference, I know. Even you can't beat the Minister. Not when there's no evidence." he said quietly. "But you see, it was all I wished for, these past twelve years – one visit, a chance to be heard, a chance to be believed in."


Raylynx was waiting anxiously at the bottom of the staircase.

"Professor, did Sirius-?" she began.

"Professor Kingsley, I must ask you to cede your good questions for another time."

"But Sirius-"

"Come with me."

Before she could stop me, I hastened to the hospital wing. As I neared the doors, Harry's angry voice could be heard. He was shouting, "WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Poppy's voice, insisting that the Minister and Professor Snape leave at once, was also mingling with Harry's protests.

I opened the door and stepped in. Raylynx came in after me.

Harry leapt to his feet. "Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black-"

Poppy threw up her hands. "For heaven's sake! Is this a hospital wing or not?"

She turned to me. "Headmaster, I must insist-"

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

Severus' face twisted in displeasure. "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..."

I looked over at Severus. "That, indeed, is Black's story," I replied. Had Severus known about this story and neglected to tell me? I examined his eyes.

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

Hermione suddenly spoke. "That was because you were knocked out, Professor! You didn't arrive in time to hear-"

Ah, that was why. I was relieved, as my faith in Severus remained. I did trust his judgment on this matter, but it was important that he did not lie directly to me.

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances —"

Raylynx turned and me and said urgently, "Professor, Sirius- "

I lifted my hand to stop everyone. "I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone."

"Cornelius, Severus, Poppy – please leave us," I requested. Time… Time is running out.

"Headmaster!" Poppy sputtered. "They need treatment! They need rest."

I shook my head. "This cannot wait. I must insist." Tick, tick, tick… How many years had I passed through, and yet, there was never enough time to counter the tragic fate that was working its way through the world…

Poppy turned on her heel and marched to her office at the end of the ward. She shut the door behind her quite forcefully.

Fudge was peering at his pocket watch. "Yes, the dementors should have arrived by now. Well, I shall go and meet them." He looked up at me. "Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs."

When Raylynx suddenly made to leave me, to go up to Sirius herself, I gently but quite firmly grasped her upper arm to stop her.

In a barely controlled voice, Severus whispered, "You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?"

"I wish to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," I replied, trying to deflect Severus' anger with my calmness.

"Sirius Black showed he was capable or murder at the age of sixteen," Severus said through gritted teeth. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"

Besides me, Raylynx growled. "As if you never returned the favor-"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," I replied, cutting off Raylynx. I did not wish to deny Severus' pain, but I was not willing to waste time to comfort Severus when an innocent man's life hung in the balance.

Seeing that I would not give way, Severus finally turned on his heel and left the hospital wing. Fudge, who had been holding the door open and waiting for Severus, followed after him.

As soon as the door closed, Harry and Hermione began speaking excitedly, almost yelling.

"Professor, Black's telling the truth! We saw Pettigrew. He escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf-"

"He's a rat-"

"Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off-"

"Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius-"

I held up my hand again. Behind me, the clock in the hospital was ticking. Tick, tick, tick…

"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time" I told them. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word — and the word of two thirteen-year-old wizards 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."

Raylynx frowned. I could sense a bubble of panic blossom within her.

"Professor Lupin can tell you —" Harry began.

"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 replied. "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 are old friends —"

"Professor Kingsley - " Hermione started, gesturing towards Raylynx.

"- Has spent all of her good will on advocating for Sirius these past twelve years. Her attempts have long been decried as illegitimate, and her demonstrating yet again on behalf of Sirius will do little to change anyone's mind."

Raylynx looked as if she wanted to say something, but she fell silent, unable to quite disagree. Finally, she said, "I'll do anything to save him. Anything."

"No," I said sharply to Raylynx. "This is out of your hands."

"But —" Harry said, frustrated.

"Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me?" I looked at Harry. I was trying to train Harry, to teach him not to rely on others, to think for himself. Because I knew that when fate finally played out its long-awaited hand, he would not be able to rely on anyone – not the Ministry, not Hogwarts Professors, and not me. He had to learn how to overcome and adapt to the difficult reality of things – to barriers and to challenges. I could not allow anyone to interfere with this training – not even Raylynx, who had proven herself correct after so many years of suffering. I wished, more than anything, for her to have her way. But this was not just about Sirius. It was about teaching Harry. Pressing him slightly, I said, "You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours."

"He hates Sirius," Hermione said in a small voice. "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-"

"It was all to get to Peter," Raylynx interjected quickly. "He would never have hurt anyone-"

"I realize that," I responded. "But without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."

"But you believe us," Harry blurted out.

"Yes, I do," I said.

Besides me, Raylynx gave a start as she realized that I was finally convinced of Sirius' innocence. Breathlessly, she whispered, "You- You do?"

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

Harry stared up at me desperately. I could see every fiber of his being struggling to think of something he could do to save Sirius. A certain fondness rose in my heart for this young boy. He was trying so hard to retain the fragments of family that he could. Harry, as young as he was, was already different from me. At his age, I had started to crave status and power. And Harry – he simply wanted to save the one person he believed to be his family.

Well, I hoped that the plan I offered would give him that chance. "What we need," I said slowly, and I looked over at Hermione, "is more time."

"But- Oh!" Hermione breathed out.

"Now, pay attention," I said, thinking hard to make sure that I was giving Harry and Hermione all of the information they would need to carry out this mission. "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, both of you: you must not be seen."

I peered sternly at Hermione. "Miss Granger, you know the law — you know what is at stake… You — must — not — be —seen."

Hermione nodded. Her expression was serious. She understood the gravity of the situation.

I gave her a quick nod With no more time to spare, I turned on my heel and walked to the hospital wing door. Raylynx followed me. "I am going to lock you in. It is —" I consulted my watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck." With one last prayer in my head, I closed the door.

"Headmaster, you believe him?" Raylynx whispered, her voice catching on itself.

"I do. I see the truth now," I said, more than a little remorseful.

"Then, can't I see him?" Raylynx pleaded.

"Oh, there's no time for that," I said, and chuckled lightly. I could hear footsteps behind us.

"What do you mean?" Raylynx asked, a bit fearfully. She was wondering if the dementor had already reached Sirius.

I grasped her arm and said, "Turn around with me, Professor Kingsley."

I steeled myself mentally as we turned around together – and there they were. Harry and Hermione were racing up to us in the hallway.

Raylynx gasped softly.

A wide smile broke out on my face. "Well?" I said quietly, asking them to confirm.

"We did it!" Harry said breathlessly. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak…"

Raylynx put her hands up to her mouth in shock. "He's… free?"

"Yes," Hermione responded.

I beamed at Harry and Hermione. "Well done. I think-" I paused and then put my ear against the hospital wing door. "Yes, I think you've gone too. Get inside. I'll lock you in."

Raylynx reached out and touched Harry's cheek softly. Harry grinned at her as he slipped back inside the dormitory.

Fawkes suddenly appeared, swooping low in the hallway. Fawkes dropped one beautiful feather into my outstretched hand. Raylynx looked at Fawkes questioningly.

"A message that the Minister has arrived with the dementor," I translated.

"Prepare yourself, Professor Kingsley," I warned.

"For what?" she wondered.

I chuckled. "A pair of severely disappointed men."

Almost on cue, a distinct roar of fury could be heard above us – from the seventh floor, to be precise. Then, angry voices, growing louder and louder, came towards us. A minute later, Fudge and Severus came racing down the hallway.

Fudge was distraught and speaking anxiously to Severus. "He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out —"

Severus, however, was beyond himself. "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," Fudge replied. Upon seeing me, Fudge asked me, "Dumbledore, has Harry left the hospital wing?"

"No. In fact, I have just been talking to him," I replied cheerfully. "As you see, I've locked the door behind me.

"There, you see?" Fudge said to Severus.

Bam! Severus swept past me and Raylynx and kicked the hospital wing door open with his foot. He and Fudge entered the hospital wing. Raylynx and I followed them in.

Severus marched towards Harry, who looked up at him, trying to look appropriately alarmed. Besides him, Hermione really did look alarmed as Snape bellowed at them, "OUT WITH IT, POTTER! WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Poppy shrieked, "Professor Snape! Control yourself!"

Fudge was once again trying to reason with Severus. I pitied Fudge, as he had no idea what Severus was dealing with, how intensely Severus believed that justice lay in seeing Sirius Black pay the consequences.

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

Ignoring Fudge, Snape pointed at Harry and Hermione and yelled, "They helped him escape! I KNOW IT!"

"Calm down, man!" Fudge said, finally fed up. "You're talking nonsense!"

Besides me, Raylynx put her hand on her mouth to hide her expression. I rather believed she was enjoying herself. Truth be told, so was I.

"You don't know Potter!" Severus said, unrelenting. "He did it! I know he did it-"

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

"Of course not!" Poppy said. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Severus," I said. Trying very hard to keep a straight face, I added, "Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further." I was, doubtlessly and perhaps incorrigibly, amused. But a person - even an old, serious man like me - must have his fun somehow.

Finally, Severus turned away and stalked out of the room angrily.

Fudge was staring at Severus was wide eyes. "Fellow seems quite unbalanced," Fudge said, clearly unnerved. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

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

"Well, he's not the only one!" Fudge said indignantly. "The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All I need now is for the story of that Hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock!" He sighed and shook his head. "Well, I'd better go and notify the Ministry…"

"And the Dementors?" I said quickly. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said Fudge, distractedly. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy. Completely out of control. No, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight."

A sense of satisfaction spread through me.

Fudge muttered, "Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance…"

"Hagrid would like that," I remarked, smiling. "I shall see you out, Minister."

"Yes, thank you, thank you," Fudge said, and he led the way out of the ward.

I made to follow him when Raylynx stepped forward and whispered, "Sirius is safe from the dementors? And from the Ministry?"

"For the time being, yes," I replied.

"And where has he gone?"

"That is up to him. Wherever Buckbeak's wings take him, I suppose," I responded.

"The key…" she said, a bit hesitantly. She paused and then asked, almost shyly, "Did he take it?"

"He did. But I must warn you-"

"I know," she said heavily. "It's safer for him to leave the country right now, isn't it?"

"Yes. And beyond that, I cannot say where he will choose to go." I frowned a little at her. In truth, I wished for Sirius and Raylynx to remain separated. Her proximity with Harry made her quite an important ally for me, and Sirius' recklessness was bound to complicate that alliance. But there was something else, something that worried me deeply, and that was Raylynx's safety. I wondered if it was safe for her to be so closely tied to Sirius Black. However, recognizing that this issue that I had no right to, I refrained from speaking anymore. Besides, after such a long and lonely fight, one could not deny that Raylynx deserved, at whatever cost, some measure of happiness.

Breaking through my thoughts, Raylynx said, "Professor, there's someone else that I'm worried about. Remus. May I have your permission to go down to the Shrieking Shack? I want to be there when he transforms back."

I chuckled softly and peered down at her through my glasses. "And since when have you asked my permission for anything, Professor Kingsley?"