Chapter Seven – The Flight of the Fat Lady.

News about Harry's breakdown in the middle of a corridor spread faster than anyone could imagine, and the many different rumors about what happened were starting to get out of hand. The 'tamest' rumor was that Harry had died. And, though Harry's friends tried, nothing they did could stop the rumors, it also didn't help that no one outside of his group had seen Harry since that day. Harry had taken to hiding in his fathers' shared rooms with either his fathers, McGonagall, or Flitwick keeping an eye on him. His group would visit him every day and help him with his homework or give him the notes for the classes he missed. And, after the first Hogsmeade trip, they had even brought him many treats from their trip to the village.

"Do you think you'll be up for going to the feast tonight?" Hermione, who had stopped by to allow him to copy her class notes, asked softly. Harry's quill froze mid stroke as he looked over at the girl across from him as he thought. Harry didn't want to leave the safety of his fathers' room; however, he knew that he couldn't allow his fear to control him any longer. Harry sighed as he sat his quill back in the ink pot, maybe it was time to ask for help.

"I think I'm going crazy." Harry whispered to her as he hid his face.

"Why do you think you're going crazy?" Hermione asked worried.

"I swear that time keeps rewinding." Harry told her softly, after a long moment of mentally fighting with himself. He didn't want any of his friends to think he was losing his mind; however, he knew that (after what had happened) he couldn't handle whatever was happening to him alone.

"R-rewinding?" Hermione squeaked out before coughing to clear her throat. "How so?" She asked, her voice back to normal.

"I-I don't know how to explain it other than rewinding." Harry told her with a heavy sigh as he dropped his hands to his lap. He had told her, the hard part was over, and she would either believe him or think him mad.

"Is it like Déjà vu? Or a – a vision?" Hermione asked her mind racing to try to understand as she fiddled with the golden chain of her necklace. Harry shook his head as he began to pick at his shirt.

"No, nothing like that. I go to class; I have the class. And I know I'm in the class, I feel the seat, hear the teacher teaching, hear the students answering the questions. I smell the ink and parchment… everything feels so real so it can't be anything other than real life. And then, after class ends and I'm leaving the world around me slows down before time rewinds and I'm at the beginning of the class once more." Harry told her. There was a long silence and Harry wondered if Hermione had run away, he looked up at her to see her debating with herself. Was she decided to stay or run? Would she still see him as her friend Harry, or would he become some looney person to her?

"And this happens after every class?" Hermione asked, her voice barely higher than a whisper. Harry nodded and Hermione's body all but collapsed. "Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry." She cried, and just as Harry opened his mouth to tell her he didn't need her sympathy, Hermione pulled at the golden chain of her necklace, pulling it all the way out of her shirt. Harry blinked, at the end of the chain was a small hourglass with golden sand and incased in two circles.

"Is that –" Harry asked, he had only ever seen crude drawings of this in books, never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he'd actually see one. Especially since they had been outlawed years ago, and it was thought that every last one of them had either been destroyed or sealed away.

"A Time Turner?" Hermione finished for him. "Yes. Professor McGonagall gave it to me just before school started with a promise that I wouldn't let anyone know I have it. I am only supposed to use it to get to all of my classes." Harry reached out to touch it before remembering a fact about the Time Turner.

"I thought that Time Turners were only supposed to affect the person wearing it." Harry said and Hermione looked thoughtful.

"So did I, but there isn't a lot known about the Time Turners. Maybe you're magic and the magic of the Time Turner are on the same wavelength." Hermione said looking down at the Time Turner in thought. "There is only one way to know if this is the cause." She muttered before getting up and running out of the room before Harry could stop her. A minute later he felt that sensation in his mind, watched as the world came to a slow stop before rewinding.

"– only one way to know if this is the cause." He heard Hermione say once more as he gasped with a jolt.

"It's the Time Turner." Harry gasped out as Hermione ran back into the room, a worried look on her face. At hearing that, Hermione quickly pulled the Time Turner off of her.

"We need to inform Professor McGonagall about this!" She said and spun on the balls of her feet to leave the room once more only to gasp in shock when Harry bolted from his seat and grabbed her wrist tightly.

"No!" He heard himself growl out at her. "We can't let anyone know about this. We can't have anyone but us know, if they know they'll take the Time Turner from you. You need it."

"Harry," Hermione told him calmly, "I don't need to take all of these classes. I'm sure once we inform Professor McGonagall why I can no longer use the Time Turner she will allow me to drop some classes." She explained to him only to gasp and wince when his hand tightened painfully around her wrist. "You're hurting me, Harry." But Harry's body was no longer under his control anymore.

"I don't give a fuck about your classes, 'Mione, we didn't sneak that out of His realm so you could have extra classes. We did it so that you could save him. If that Time Turner is taken away from you, then you won't be able to save him, and then everything we've done, everything I suffered through would all be in vain. You will play your part in this, and you will continue to use that damned Time Turner, and you will save him." Harry's body growled causing Hermione's body to shake in fear.

"W-wh-who are you? Who am I supposed to save?" Hermione asked as her eyes teared up.

"You know who I am, 'Mione." Harry's body told her before he collapsed to the ground, finally back in control.

"Oh god, not again." Harry cried before quickly crawling away from Hermione until his back hit the wall where he pulled his knees to his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Don't hate me. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." He cried as he hid his face in his knees and began to rock while continuing to mutter "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it's okay." Hermione told him softly as she cautiously made her way over to him. "That wasn't you. It's okay. I forgive you." She knelt down in front of Harry, he gasped and flinched away from her when she reached out to touch him. Hermione pulled the trembling boy into a tight hug. "I forgive you."

"What's wrong with me?" Harry asked.

"Nothing." Hermione told him.

"Then why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?" Harry cried as he latched on to her.

"I don't know. I wish I knew. But you don't have to go through this alone, I'm here, I'll help you." Hermione promised as the two pulled away to look at the other.

"I don't think who that was wants you to get rid of the Time Turner." Harry joked weakly.

"Really? I for sure thought they were for that idea? I couldn't really tell." Hermione joked back as she rubbed her now bruised wrist.

"Do you want me to – Could I – Please?" Harry stuttered nodding his head at her bruised wrist. Hermione glanced down at her wrist before holding it out to Harry, letting him know that she still trusted him. Harry ran a gentle finger along the bruise, healing it. As the seriousness of what just happened sank in, Harry shifted awkwardly away from Hermione. "You – You don't have to stay here. I should be fine alone, if you want to run away, screaming. Remus's last lesson of the day should be done by now, so he should be here any minute. I'll be fine. You don't have to stay…" Harry let his words drift off as he looked away from Hermione. He closed his eyes and fought back his tears when she stood up only to have his eyes snap open in shock when she sat down next to him, brushing her shoulder against his.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, mister." Hermione told him. "I'm staying right here, and besides, what kind of friend would I be if I left you in your time of need. So, no, I will not be running out of here, screaming, I'm going to stay right here. I'm going to stay beside you for so long that you'll be begging me to leave you." Harry started laughing. "I'm gonna be beside you so often people are gonna mistake me for your sibling." Harry's laughter slowly turned into tears. "You're not alone in this, Harry. I'm here, Haiden is here for you, and let's not forget Draco. And then there's Myari, Luna, Neville, Fred and George, Professor Lupin and Professor Snape, even Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick." She told him softly as he sat there and cried, everything he had been hiding, everything he had been trying to deal with alone, came flooding out. "We're on your side, Harry."

"You saved me." He told her. "The day I collapsed; it was after the rewind. I had just been attacked by a dog at the entrance to the Fat Lady's corridor. The stairs shifted away, and I fell all the way to the ground floor. I had just hit the ground when you activated the Time Turner. I would be dead if it wasn't for you."

"Oh Harry." Hermione breathed out before hugging him, her own tears falling. Almost ten minutes later, Remus rushed into the room to find that the two of them had cried themselves to sleep. A wave of painful nostalgia filled him as he remembered the time he had found Lily and Severus curled up together just like that, also having cried themselves to sleep. He carefully carried Harry and Hermione to Harry's room where he tucked both of them in. Whatever the two had just worked through, he hoped it would help his son heal from whatever had happened to him.

– Lock Me In Your Heart –

That night, after Harry and Hermione woke from their impromptu nap and Hermione had gone back to the Gryffindor tower to meet up with Haiden, Harry finally felt that he was ready to leave the safety of his fathers' rooms. As him, Remus, and Severus walked to the Great Hall, Harry was practically plastered to Remus's side as he tried to ignore all of the stares he was getting. He had to keep telling himself that this was that hardest part, and that once he got passed this then it would get easier, he just had to make it through the feast.

The trip to the Great Hall felt longer than it should have been, and when Harry caught sight of a few students doubling back to get another look at him he was brought back to his first year. Professor Trelawney didn't help when she nearly fainted at the sight of him with a strangled whisper that he was alive. Whispers from the students who had heard her quickly spread, and Harry had nearly bolted back to the safety of his fathers shared rooms.

Once their small group had finally made it to the Great Hall (and after a small tantrum from Harry) found Harry sitting at the Professor's table sitting in between his fathers. And though Harry hated the attention he was now receiving from the rest of the students, he also knew that he would not be able to make it through the rest of the feast without the safety that the two men gave him. There was this annoying voice that was whispering that something big would be happening to him tonight. As Harry nibbled on the food on his plate, Severus (having caught on to how uncomfortable Harry was) shifted so that he was shielding Harry a little more.

"I hear you've received a delivery of some Grindylows today, Remus." Severus started receiving a knowing smile from the man as he, too, shifted so that Harry was now shielded from the rest of the students.

"A what?" Harry asked quietly as he took a bite of his food, feeling more comfortable.

"A water demon." Remus informed him as he took a sip from his goblet. "We shouldn't have much difficulty with them, not after Kappas." He was now in teacher mode as he picked up a celery stick. "A grindylow has long fingers that are strong but very brittle. Once they've grabbed onto their target they rarely let go as they drag them to the bottom of their lake. The trick is to break their grip by breaking their fingers." Remus broke the celery with a smirk before eating one half of the broken celery. Harry took a small bite of his food before he looked down at his plate in confusion. "It's a lot easier than it sounds."

"I see." Harry muttered; his food tasted strange. He took another bite, he could tell it wasn't poisoned, but something about the taste was off. Harry took another bite, maybe he was over thinking and it was just his anxiety making the food taste off. The food he had just taken a bite of felt like sand in his mouth catching him off guard and caused him to sputter and cough as it got lodged in this throat.

"Harry!" Severus cried before he began to rub Harry's back as he got his breath back.

"Here, take a sip." Remus offered a cup of tea. Harry went to reach for it when he caught sight of the image of the dog that attacked him in the tea.

"No." Harry cried slapping the cup out of Remus's hand, causing Professor McGonagall to look over in concern. "I – I mean, no thank you." Harry muttered as he awkwardly picked up the cup as the spilled tea magically cleaned itself. "Nothing with tea leaves for me." He tried to joke as he sat the cup back on the table with trembling hands. "I've gotten enough grims for one lifetime."

"Grims?" Remus asked glancing over at Severus who shrugged.

"In Divination, every time we read our tea leaves I always get grims." Harry explained as he began to rub his hands. It was getting closer; he could sense it. Harry's eyes began to scan the dark corners of the room. What was coming closer, he didn't know, nor did he know how he could sense it.

"Well then," Severus said tightly, head turned towards the end of the table that Professor Trelawney usually sat at when she joined them, "we'll just have to keep the grims from you."

"Beware the dog." Harry muttered as he forced himself to look away from the dark corners, missing when Remus nearly choked on his own food.

"My goodness, I think someone needs to teach you and your son to slow down while eating." Professor McGonagall joked thought tight lips.

"I shall remember to try and chew my food, I'm not a wild animal." Remus also joked tightly. Harry reached out for the goblet of juice that had appeared in front of him only to knock it over, spilling it.

"Oh shoot!" Harry cried and began to try to clean it catching the attention of Severus, Remus and Professor McGonagall. "Sorry. I'll clean it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." He muttered, tears in his eyes. Severus calmly took Harry by his hand before he magicked the mess away.

"Breathe." Severus told him calmly. "No one here is mad at you. You are safe here."

"But the dog…" Harry started only to cut himself off. Severus and Remus shot each other a concerned look.

"What dog, Harry?" Remus asked and Harry refused to look at anyone.

"There's no dog. Why would there be a dog? How could there be a dog in the castle? I didn't see a dog." Harry spat out nervously as his mind began to replay the dog attacking him over and over. "I don't want to talk about it. There's nothing to talk about. Leave me alone!" Harry's magic broke from the control he barely had over it and began to lash out causing the students to scream. When a few of the students tried to bolt from the Hall, his magic slammed the doors shut, locking them in. Harry felt his body move without his permission as he quickly broke away from Severus's hold and easily jumped onto the table, his hair floating around him.

"Beware the Dog. He roams the castle, searching for his prey. The Dementors will not take him. Two from the light will shield him from their darkness with some help from the Lost One." Harry informed everyone, before he caught sight of a man covered with a dark cloak, the hood was covering his mouth so that only his mouth was showing, it was the same man from last year, the one who spoke through him. The man opened his mouth and spoke words that Harry couldn't hear, before the man turned and melted into the shadows. "The Fat Lady has been attacked and has fled from her painting." Harry heard himself say before Dumbledore quickly rose from his seat and ordered Nearly Headless Nick to go check on the Fat Lady.

Harry found himself looking directly at a scared and worried Hermione before his eyes swept over the Great Hall to land on Myari who was fighting to barely hold a terrified and worried Draco in his seat. "For the one who holds Time in their hands: To save what you will lose, walk the path of the Lost One or suffer the consequences." With his message sent, Harry's magic slammed back into him, knocking him from the table. He would have hit the ground had Remus not quickly caught him. By this time Nearly Headless Nick had made his way back into the Great Hall dragging Peeves behind him.

"Young Potter is right; the Fat Lady has been attacked and has fled her painting." Nearly Headless Nick informed causing the students to panic.

"Silence!" Professor Dumbledore ordered.

"Peeves claims to have seen what happened." Nearly Headless Nick explained before forcing the snickering Peeves in front of him.

"You'll be lucky." Peeves said cackling.

"What do you mean?" Professor Dumbledore asked as Remus shifted so that Harry was in his lap as he ran a calming hand through Harry's hair. Peeves's grin faded a little, he didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead, he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle.

"Ashamed, your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen." A dark smirk slipped onto his face. "She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscapes up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful." The dark smirk quickly changed to an obviously fake look of concern. "Poor thing." He added unconvincingly.

"Did she say who did it?" Professor Dumbledore asked quietly, and though he looked calm and collected, from the way the old man was gripping the side of the table Harry could tell he wasn't as calm as he tried to appear.

"Oh yes, Professorhead." Peeves said with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black." Remus's grip on Harry tightened as the students began to panic even more than they had been. Professor Dumbledore had a hard time calming them, but once he did he began to give out orders.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle." Professor Dumbledore told them as Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick quickly stood up and made their way towards the Great Hall doors and quickly sealed them. "I am afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrance to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Head Girl in charge." He added looking towards Percy who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghost should anything happen."

"Don't worry, Harry, me and your father will be back." Remus informed Harry softly as he stood up and sat Harry down in the seat he had once occupied. Severus gently squeezed Harry's shoulder before the two of them began to follow Professor Dumbledore (and the other professors) out of the room.

"Oh, yes, you'll be needing…" Professor Dumbledore said as he paused at the doors of the Great Hall. With a casual wave of his wand, the long tables flew to the edges of the fall and stood themselves against the walls, forcing everyone who was still sitting down to jump up. With another wave of his wand, the floor was now covered with hundreds of squishy purple sleeping bags. "Sleep well." Professor Dumbledore said as he closed the doors behind him.

A second after the Great Hall doors closed with a heavy 'thud' every student's head suddenly shot towards Harry who was now standing alone at the head of the Great Hall. For a long second it felt as if everyone was frozen before the student body shot towards Harry who screamed and flung himself back. His magic, reacting to the shock of everyone rushing at him, erected a barrier between him and the rest of the student body.

"How did you know about the Fat Lady?"

"Everyone settle down!"

"Can you see the future!?"

"Leave him alone!"

"Stop pushing!"

"Tell me my future!"

"Get out of my way before I make you!"

"Are you working with Black?!"

"Harry!"

As everyone screamed, yelled, and tried to shove their way closer to him, Harry backed up as far as he could until his back hit the wall and he slowly slid down it to curl up. His hands were covering his ears, and his eyes were screwed shut as he tried to block everyone out. He hid his face into his knees as he tried to make himself as small as he could.

"Leave me alone." Harry muttered.

Don't come near!

"Don't notice me." He muttered tears were starting to fall from his eyes.

Look away!

"I don't want to be noticed." He muttered curling further in on himself.

I'm not important!

"I'm invisible, you can't see me." He muttered as a small gasp ran through the crowd of students.

I'm not needed!

"You can't notice me. I'm hidden." He muttered as the noise slowly started to fade.

I could disappear and everything would still be the same.

"I'm not here." He muttered before he felt a squeezing sensation as if he was going through a tube for a few seconds, there was a soft pop. The cold, hard floor of the Great Hall changed to something warm and soft. Harry peeked out only to suddenly find himself back in Remus and Severus's room, on their bed.