They continued running through the trees of the Forbidden Forest, trying to escape their werewolf professor. Grace's stomach lurched up into her throat when her foot caught a tree root, and she screamed as she fell to the . She hissed as pain shot up her arm from her wrist. Grace paused when she heard a low growl, and slowly, she turned her body to see Remus standing twelve feet away, eyeing her. Gulping, she slowly tried to back up, wincing at the pain in her wrist, and Remus took a step toward her.
If she was bit, she was bit. She knew Remus would feel guilty, and hate himself, but it wasn'thisfault, sheknewit wasn't his fault. She also knew that he would never forgive himself for hurting her... but right now, Remus wasn't Remus. She took a deep breath and watched as the werewolf leapt toward her. She clenched her eyes shut, but when she heard a flap and a screech, she opened her eyes and saw Buckbeak slash the wolfs face. The werewolf howled in pain, and went to follow Buckbeak as the hippogriff galloped in a different direction, leading the wolf away from them.
"Grace!" Harry called, running to her. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she nodded, staring wide-eyed at the direction that Buckbeak led the Werewolf. She blinked, shaking her head, and went to stand up, but she hissed when she put her weight on her wrist.
"You're not alright," Harry sighed as he held out his hand for her, and she took it.
"Thanks," she replied. "I'm fine, it's just a sprained wrist, nothing that Madam Pomfrey can't fix," shrugged.
"Guys..." Hermione called out as she pointed to the distance. Dementors.
"Let's go," Harry said, taking Grace's good hand and the three of them ran to the clearing of the lake.
Grace stared in horror as she watched the Dementors surround her, her dad, and Harry. She watched Harry attempt to conjure a patronus, and Grace's screams and cries for her dad echoed around them. "This is horrible," Hermione whispered as she stared in horror.
"Don't worry," Harry told them. "My dad will come, right there," he pointed to large, flat rock at the shore line of the lake. "You'll see, he'll come... any minute," he continued. "He'll conjure the patronus."
Grace continued to watch in horror.
"No one's coming, Harry," Hermione said nervously.
"Hewill! Hewill come!" Harry assured her.
"No one's coming!" Hermione whispered. "You're dying!All three of you!"
Grace gasped in realization as she looked at Harry in awe. "It's you..." she whispered, and Hermione frowned. "It was you..." she whispered again, but it fell on deaf ears as Harry had ran to the shore and pointed his wand.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry shouted and a bright, blue light pulsated around them as a giant, blue stag stood before them on the lake. Grace watched in amazement as Harry's patronus forced the dementors to retreat. As the dementors flew away, she saw herself staring at Harry. Her eyes widened as she tugged on the back of Harry's jacket, pulling him back into the tree line.
"You're brilliant," she whispered in awe, smiling up at him. Harry felt his cheeks flush and he caught his breath. They heard a familiar screech, and the three of them turned to see Buckbeak had returned to them. Grace started to bow, but Buckbeak lowered his head to her and she went straight to him, stroking his beak. "Thank you," she whispered to him. "You saved me,andmy relationship with Remus," Buckbeak bumped his beak against her cheek and she smiled. "I know you've done a lot for us already but... can you help us one more time?" she asked him and Buckbeak bumped her cheek again. "Can you help us save my dad?"
"Of course!" Hermione gasped. "Buckbeak can take us to the top of the Dark Tower!"
"Can you, Beaky?" Grace asked, and Buckbeak made a sound, nodding his head. "Can you even fit four of us on your back?" she asked, and he nodded his head again. "Well, we've gothowwe're going to get to Dad..."
"Now we have to wait," Hermione sighed. "Again," Grace turned her attention back to Buckbeak and stroked his beak again. "There's Snape," Hermione said, pointing to the lake. Grace turned and saw Professor Snape arrive, and he began gathering Harry and her father on stretchers.
"Come on, let's start making our way toward the castle," Grace said, grabbing Buckbeaks chain and the three of them started their trek toward the castle. As they got closer, they noticed someone exiting the front of the castle. "Who's that?" Grace asked, pointing.
"That's the executioner!" Harry answered. "It looks like he's calling the Dementors!"
"And that's our queue," Grace said, turning to Buckbeak. Grace climbed on Buckbeak first, then Harry, and Hermione on behind him, holding on tight. Buckbeak galloped and leapt into the air.
"Oh, no – I don't like this!" Hermione protested. "Ireallydon't like this!" She shouted as Buckbeak flew them higher. They circled the Dark Tower, and when Buckbeak landed, the three of them got off, and ran to the only cell. Grace's heart fell when she saw her father leaning against the stone wall, staring blankly before him. At their shadow, he turned and stared at the three of them in shock.
"How?"
"Doesn't matter," Harry shook his head as Hermione pushed between him and Grace, pointing her wand at the door.
"Alohamora!" Sirius stood up and gripped the metal bars, testing them but they didn't open. "Didn't expect that..." Hermione muttered.
"Er, Hermione," Harry called, looking over the ledge to see Snape and Fudge approaching the tower. "You might want to hurry up."
"Dunamis!" Hermione said, pointing her wand to the door. Nothing. "Liberare! Annihilare!"She tried, but as Sirius tested the iron door, it was still locked. "Emancipare!" she tried, and still nothing.
"You might try-" Sirius started, but Hermione glared.
"Quiet! I'm trying to think!"
"You don't have a lot of time, Hermione!" Harry told her nervously. Hermione groaned a she paced back and forth, trying to think and Grace stared at the iron gates. Everything Hermione had tried wasn't working, it seemed that the cell was impenetrable to keep him in... the only thing thatcouldget him out was to blow through the cell door...
"That's it..." Grace's eyes widened in realization. She turned to Hermione, who was still mulling over how to open the cell. "Move over!" She pushed Hermione out of the way and pointed her wand to the cell. "Dad...might want to stand back."
"Grace, if I can't get it open-" Hermione started, glaring at her, but Grace ignored her as she watched her dad stand as far from the iron gate as possible.
"Bombarda!" she exclaimed as a pale yellow light shot from her wand, and the cell exploded.
"That-that would work," Hermione gaped at her.
"That's my girl," Sirius smiled at her, and Grace's cheeks flushed pink.
"We'vereallygot to go," Harry told them, looking slightly panicked. Sirius was about to ask how when he noticed the hippogriff, who was leaning down, ready for them to climb on. Grace tugged on Buckbeak's chains again, and they were off in the air. Her heart soared in her chest like they soared through the sky. Her dad was alive, he was safe from the Dementors and the next step was to clear his name. Buckbeak circled the castle before descending to the Clocktower courtyard.
"You truly are your father's son, Harry," Sirius commented as he stepped off Buckbeak after Harry, and helped Hermione down. Grace winced with a hiss when her wrist moved a certain way and Sirius looked at her with concern. "Are you alright?" he asked gently as he helped her down.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," she answered with a shrug. "It's just a sprain. Madam Pomfrey will fix me right up," Sirius frowned and held her wrist gently in his hand.
"May I?" he asked, motioning to her wand. She frowned, confused, but handed it to him. Sirius stared at her wand, holding it gingerly in his hand, rubbing his thumb up and down the carvings in the wood. It felt familiar, yet foreign in his hand. "What wand do you have?" he asked quietly.
"Oh, er, ebony and a dragon heartstring core. Mr. Ollivander said it was quite 'unyielding', but he thought it was very well suited to me," she frowned. "Why?"
"I'll tell you some other time," he shook his head and pointed her wand to her wrist, hoping that it would work for him. "Episkey," he said gently, and Grace hissed when there was a softpop, but then the pain was gone. Her wrist only felt sore.
"Thank you," she smiled, and Sirius returned it as he handed her wand back.
"I'll forever be grateful to all of you for this," he said, turning to Harry and Hermione.
"We want to go with you," Harry said, gesturing to Grace.
"I know," he nodded, giving Harry a grim smile. "But you're meant to behere," he reminded. Sirius let go of Grace's hand and rested his hands on Harry's shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze.
"But you're innocent," Harry protested and Sirius nodded, sitting Harry down on the stone bench.
"And you know it, both of you do, and that's all that matters to me for right now," Sirius assured them. Grace noticed Hermione had stepped away to soothe Buckbeak, giving the three of them some privacy. "I suspect you're tired of hearing this but... you look so much like your father," he started, taking Harry's face in his hands. "Except your eyes-"
"I've got my mother's eyes," Harry nodded with a smile.
"It's cruel that I've got to spend so much time with James and Lily, and you so little..." Sirius started, "but know that the ones that love us never really leave us, and you can always find them here," Sirius rested a hand on Harry's chest, just above his heart. He gave Harry a small smile before standing up, turning to Grace. Harry stepped away from them, letting them also have a moment of privacy.
Grace stared at her father, feeling the tears swell in her eyes. She wasn't ready to say goodbye, not yet. "Please don't leave me again," she whispered. Sirius shook his head as he rested his hands on her face, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"Oh, love, I won't ever leave you, I promise," he whispered.
"Do you have to go?" she asked, and he nodded.
"I'm sorry, Grace, but I do."
"Where will you go?"
"I hear there's a nice place in Yorkshire where I could hide," he whispered, a smirk growing.
"How did you..."
"I'll tell you later," he winked, and Grace smiled.
"So I'll see you soon?"
"Before you know it," Sirius assured her, pushing back her hair. "You're smart, you know, smarter than you realize. Don't doubt yourself, alright?" he asked, and she nodded as he let go of her before making his way to Buckbeak.
"Dad," she called, and he turned around, but she wrapped her arms around him tightly before he could ask what she wanted. Sirius paused for a few seconds before returning her embrace. "I love you," she whispered. "I didn't get to tell you before, but I love you. I always have, I think..." Sirius smiled and kissed the top of her head. With one more squeeze, they separated, and he gave her another smile before climbing on the back of Buckbeak.
"You should go," Harry nodded, coming up beside Grace.
"I'll see you soon," Sirius nodded, giving them all a grateful smile before nudging Buckbeak's chains, and then they were off in the air.
"Come on, let's get back to the hospital wing," Hermione spoke up, and the three of them made their way back through the castle.
As they were slowing to a stop, they arrived just in time to see Dumbledore closing the Hospital wing door. Dumbledore turned around and paused, looking at them curiously. "Well?"
"We did it," Harry nodded.
"Dad, he's free...we did it," Grace added.
"Did what?" Dumbledore asked, but the three noticed a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Goodnight," he waved before leaving.
Hermione, turned to give Harry and Grace a confused look, and Grace turned to Harry as he spoke to Dumbledore more than any of them, but he only shrugged. The three of them opened up the doors to the Hospital wing, just in time to see them disappear.
"How'd you lot get over there?" Ron asked, pointing to where they are then to where they were just at. "I was just talking to you...over there!"
Harry, Grace and Hermione all looked at each other, trying to contain their smiles. "What d'you think, Harry? Grace?" Hermione asked, nodding to Ron. "Too much for him – everything that's happened tonight?"
"Afraid so," Harry nodded. "Always been a bit of a nervous type, Ron has."
"What?" Ron asked, blinking, looking at them, but the three of them grinned.