Draco tore across the field to the castle as fast as he could. He paused briefly at the top of the steps, squinting over at the small forested area where he knew Hari and Hermione were hiding, waiting. He couldn’t see them in the darkness, but the knowledge of their presence was enough. He opened the front door to the castle.

It was still and quiet, the lanterns now lit up where they lined the walls. Everyone was already getting to bed, no doubt exhausted after their exams. Carefully, quiet as a breath, Draco moved towards the staircase which led towards the dungeons. He held his breath at every sudden sound, pressing himself against the cool stone wall when a ghost bobbed past, disappearing through a nearby wall.

When he reached Severus’ office, he could see a flickering green light filtering under the door. He was in his office.

Draco knocked once, twice on the door. He waited.

“Draco? What are you doing here?” asked Severus once he opened the door to find Draco standing before him. He opened the door wider to allow Draco to slip inside and shut the door behind him. There was a small pewter cauldron sitting on his desk, bubbling with a green potion which emitted a bright green light that filled the entire room rather eerily.

“This is going to sound absolutely bonkers,” began Draco. Severus raised a single dark eyebrow curiously, staying quiet. “Well, uh, there’s been an incident near the Whomping Willow… Specifically, there’s a group of four students that found the entrance that leads to the Shrieking Shack and they’re there with Professor Lupin and… Sirius Black.”

“Sirius Black and Remus Lupin have a group of students at the Shrieking Shack.”

“Yes.”

Severus sighed heavily, turning the fire off under the cauldron sitting on his desk. “So, this just proves that Lupin has been helping Black into the school this entire year. I had hoped he changed, but clearly—”

“He hasn’t! He hasn’t, Severus,” interrupted Draco desperately. “There’s no time to explain, but he had nothing to do with it. But he forgot to take his Wolfsbane Potion—yes I know he’s a werewolf—and it’s almost too late before he could turn!”

“You’re insufferable,” Severus said, moving towards the door. Draco made to follow him, but Severus stopped him. “Don’t follow me. You’re already on thin ice being out past curfew, nevermind with Sirius Black being on the grounds.”

Draco huffed irritably but let Severus go. He peered around the office space while he waited for Severus to be far enough away for him to go without him knowing. The usual jars on the shelves were still there, filled with imps and salamander eggs and porcupine quills. There was a faintly damp and old smell from the complete lack of sunlight or fresh air in the room and Draco idly wondered how Severus could stand working in there so often.

He glanced at the small black alarm clock sitting on Severus’ desk. He needed to go now. Time was running out fast and he had the horrible feeling Remus would be transforming soon.

Glancing up and down the corridor before he left, Draco shut the door to the office behind him and hurried back up the stairs, making for Hari and Hermione once again.

¤¤¤

“Hari, what drew away the dementors if your Patronus charm didn’t work?” asked Hermione tentatively.

Hari and Hermione were sitting back against a large tree trunk, side by side with their shoulders pressed together as they waited for Draco’s return, talking quietly despite no one nearby. Professor Snape came running out of the front doors of the castle a few minutes ago, using a large stick to press the knot on the tree and then disappearing inside the tree with Hari’s cloak.

Draco had yet to return from the castle.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy…” Hari replied, lifting a small twig off the ground and tearing it apart between his fingers.

“Doubtful,” said Hermione with utmost certainty. “Just tell me, Hari. I promise I won’t think you’re crazy or anything.” She reached out her hand and rested it on his forearm, giving him a sincere, soft smile.

“I… I think...” Hari replied, taking a deep breath, “I think it was… my dad…”

“But Hari, your dad’s—”

“Dead. I know, Hermione,” replied Hari. “I know it sounds crazy, but that’s what I saw. I saw Prongs.”

Hermione gave him a pitying look, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. “Are you sure it wasn’t someone else? Perhaps it was Professor Snape? He went after you and Draco.”

“It didn’t look anything like Snape,” replied Hari, shaking his head. He sighed, dropping the destroyed twig on the ground and running his hands through his hair. “Maybe I was just seeing things… wouldn’t be the first time I was imagining things that no one else was…”

“Oh, Hari,” said Hermione. She squeezed his forearm and let go, dropping her head onto Hari’s shoulder.

“Where do you think Draco’s got to?” asked Hari a few minutes later, glancing around in the darkness as though he was simply hiding behind a tree or bush.

As if on cue, footsteps suddenly appeared from nearby. Hermione and Hari both looked up just in time as Draco came jogging over to them, robes whipping out behind him like wings. Panting, he came to a stop just inside the clearing and reached out a hand to help Hari and Hermione to their feet.

“What took you so long?” asked Hari.

Draco shook his head, gasping for breath. “Had to—wait for Severus—to be gone—and then I got stuck with Peeves—bashing around the corridors,” he said between breaths. “Anyway… there’s no time. Look, we’re leaving now.” Draco pointed out of the clearing where the strange group was clambering one by one out of the tree, followed behind Crookshanks.

The three of them stood silently in the clearing, watching in horror at the events unfolding as Lupin suddenly started transforming and Pettigrew started to escape. His transformation was even more horrific now that Hari was watching it, the tearing and the breaking of bones as he grew absurdly fast, growing less and less like the man Hari grew up with.

When Pettigrew turned back into a rat, Hari impulsively started towards it, grumbling as both Hermione and Draco held him back. “You can’t expect me to just sit here and let him get away again, can you?” he gritted, trying to pull away from both of their unnaturally strong grips.

“How do you expect to find a rat in the dark like this, Hari?” said Draco. “With your shit eyesight as well?”

“Hari, there’s nothing we can do…”

Hari huffed but gave up on struggling. “Alright!”

“Oh, he’s transformed! He’s going after us!” exclaimed Hermione fearfully, pointing. “It looks even more horrible, now…”

“Didn’t something howl before?” said Hari.

Draco’s eyes widened. He cupped his hands around his mouth and, surprising both Hari and Hermione, howled up into the sky, sounding remarkably similar to a wolf. It seemed to work, diverting Remus away from the others and towards the sound—

“Draco, he’s coming our way now, you eejit!” Hari shouted.

Remus took off towards them. Gasping, Hari grabbed Hermione’s hand as she grabbed Draco’s, all three of them sprinting off in the opposite direction, Hari leading the way as he tugged on Hermione’s hand to keep from losing her. He ignored the stitch forming in his side, moving through the thick branches and bushes that caught in his hair and scratched more at his skin.

They didn’t stop running for what felt like hours, but were likely minutes, stopping in a small clearing of trees. Hari let go of Hermione’s hand and leaned against one of the trees, trying to get his breath back, clutching his chest. Draco dropped onto a small tree stump, head in his hands as he also panted heavily from running. Hermione was clutching her side, her hair full of twigs and leaves.

“This is near the lake, I think,” said Hari once he caught his breath for the most part, speaking in a whisper. He pushed off the tree and moved aside a few branches of another tree, walking through. He could hear Hermione and Draco’s tentative footsteps behind him.

Just as he expected, they were on the other side of the bank from where Hari and Sirius had gone. Seconds after they peered through the branches, Sirius came stumbling down the side of the hill across from them, knees giving out. Hari winced as the older man fell onto his back, looking up at the sky as his own past self came jogging down the hill and dropped to Sirius’ side, on his knees.

“That must have been awful,” breathed Hermione, watching beside Hari.

“It was,” said Hari grimly, shivering at the memory.

“That’s where I found you,” whispered Draco, gesturing across the lake. “I got to the top of that hill and saw you two…”

A sudden chill went through the air, sending a shiver up Hari’s spine that had nothing to do with memory. He looked around and felt the now familiar dread coursing through his veins at the sign of hundreds of dementors. He had never seen so many at once before this evening. Hari’s heart raced inside his chest, helplessly watching the dementors crossing the lake towards Sirius and his past self. Any minute now, his father or whoever had conjured that Patronus would show up…

“Where is he?” Hari breathed, looking around for other people. Only Hermione and Draco were nearby, however, Hermione’s eyes fixed across the lake and Draco staring directly at him, terror in his eyes.

Hari pushed further through the branches, moving towards the edge of the lake. “Come on, Prongs, where are you?” he muttered, looking around in the darkness.

Over on the other side of the lake, Hari watched the dementor lifting up his face, moving towards him to suck out his soul. From here, it was painful, watching and waiting as the dementor started to take away his own existence…

And then it hit him.

Hari yanked his wand from his inside pocket and ran to the very edge of the lake. Determination and certainty thrumming through his veins, Hari pointed his wand high into the air and shouted at the top of his lungs, “EXPECTO PATRONUM!”

A blinding white light burst from his wand, lighting the entire surroundings. As well as this, a silver stag pranced out, somewhere between light and vapour as it charged across the icy lake. It was just as bright and powerful, hope settling in Hari’s bones as the stag crossed the lake. At once, the dementors began retreating back, away from the powerful light of the silver white stag. Hari watched the dementor drop his past self onto the ground and fly off with the rest of its companions, disappearing into the night. Immediately, warmth flooded back into the space like stepping into a furnace.

As the light of the stag faded out, Hari was hit with a realization so strong, it almost hurt.

“Prongs…” he breathed.

“Hari! Hari!” Hermione’s voice was calling out to Hari and he jogged towards her.

Draco and Hermione were both gaping at him in awe, eyes wide and Draco’s jaw dropped as Hermione covered her mouth with both hands.

“Salazar, Hari, that was fucking brilliant!” exclaimed Draco breathlessly, nodding impressively and patting his shoulder.

“Yes, Hari! That’s really advanced magic!” said Hermione, grinning. She glanced down at her watch. “Come on, it’s almost time. We’ve got to hurry.”

They made the rest of the trek back to Hogwarts through the forest with their arms linked, Draco shining the way with his wand. Draco wouldn’t stop talking about Hari’s impressive Patronus the entire way back, only stopping once they were nearing the school and had to keep quiet.

“Blimey, I wish we had the Cloak,” Draco muttered as they marched up the stairs, Draco putting his wandlight out. “Imagine if we got caught sneaking around the school just now…”

Thankfully, Draco’s words did not prove to be premonition as they managed to climb up to the hospital wing without running into anyone. Just as they turned the corner past the clock tower, they heard Dumbledore’s voice getting farther and farther away.

Looking around one last time, they crossed the last few metres to the hospital wing and slipped inside, moving towards their beds. Not a moment later, Madam Pomfrey entered once again, carrying her lump of chocolate once again.

She urged them all to eat more chocolate, tutting about disregard for rules and safety. Hari exchanged looks with Draco in the bed next to him, imagining her shock if she knew they had just gone back and gotten into even more trouble without her knowing.

They had only been sitting for a few minutes when voices carried from outside the door once again. Madam Pomfrey, who had been checking over Draco’s head wound as he happily munched on chocolate, looked up towards the door, frowning.

“You cannot deny it, Fudge!”

“Memories can be modified!”

The door to the hospital wing burst open as Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape and Fudge entered the room. Fudge looked furious as he marched into the room ahead of the other two. Dumbledore had a serene smile as Professor Snape continued bickering with the Minister of Magic.

“And what exactly is this?” asked Madam Pomfrey, giving the three men a stern glare and moving away from Draco. “I have patients and you are disrupting them!”

“He insisted, Poppy,” said Severus, sharing a look with the matron as they neared. He turned back to Fudge, who was still scowling. “I can assure you, Minister, that in the twenty minutes I spent almost entirely with you, I did not modify my memory just to lie on Sirius Black’s behalf.”

“It could be possible…” said Fudge stubbornly.

“I don’t mean to contradict you, Cornelius, but it is virtually impossible to do so with such short notice,” said Dumbledore calmly, smiling serenely at the frowning Fudge. “I suggest we send someone up to go and let Sirius out of his cell and he can come back down for proper treatment from the brilliant Poppy here.”

“Oh, now you’re telling me how to do my job, Albus?” snapped Fudge, shaking with anger, his face a violent shade of red.

“You must admit, Cornelius, it is very unlikely for Severus to have modified his memory so successfully as you claim in such a short period of time!” repeated Dumbledore. “It is simply foolish to insist without any proof that he is still guilty of these crimes! You must, at least, hold a trial, Cornelius!”

Fudge stared at Dumbledore for a very long time, completely motionless, clearly trying to find even the smallest of arguments against it. Hari looked back and forth between Hermione and Draco as they waited, wondering if the Minister of Magic would actually admit his flaws.

Finally, Fudge’s shoulders sank and his resolve broke. Under the piercing gaze of Albus Dumbledore and so many people against him, he had no choice but to relent. “Fine! I’ll call the dementors off—which they won’t be happy about, mind you—and you can let Black come and get treatment. But we’ll set up trial dates immediately.” Fudge put his green bowler hat on his head, scowling like this decision took all the effort in the world for him.

“Wait, so you’re letting him go?” blurted Hari, unable to control himself. He was trying very hard not to grin in excitement.

Fudge nodded stiffly, not making eye contact.

Hari, Draco and Hermione’s faces lit up with grins and Draco whooped in triumph.

“I must go call off the dementors, now,” said Fudge irritably. He moved towards the door as Hari and the others were still celebrating quietly, but stopped before he could open it, turning back with a frown. “But mark my words, Albus. This is the last time you have the upper hand over the Ministry of Magic.” And then he opened the door and disappeared out of the hospital wing.

As soon as he was gone, the celebrations got significantly louder as Hermione practically sang with happiness.

“Severus, if you will go and inform Minerva of the situation and release Sirius to the hospital wing…” said Dumbledore once they stopped celebrating. He smiled at the three celebrating teenagers, a glint in his blue eyes.

Severus nodded, casting a slightly reluctant glance at the headmaster and following out the same way Fudge disappeared, shutting the door heavily behind him.

Dumbledore turned back to Madam Pomfrey, who was staring silently at the exchanges, still clutching chocolate. “I shall leave you to your work, now, Poppy. I daresay Sirius will be here soon,” he said, smiling over his half moon spectacles.

“So Sirius Black was innocent this whole time?” asked Madam Pomfrey quietly.

“Indeed,” said Dumbledore. “And Peter Pettigrew was the real culprit. I daresay there is much to do to make up for it.”

Dumbledore cast one last smile at the others in the hospital wing and then swept out of the hospital wing.

Not two seconds later, Ron groaned as he woke up, sitting up on his elbows and glancing around in confusion, yawning. “Whasappening? Is Sirius free?” he asked groggily.

Hari, Draco and Hermione shared looks and then resolved to tell him in the morning.

¤¤¤

Sirius was brought to the hospital wing shortly after Hari and the others fell asleep. After Madam Pomfrey treated his wounds and the effects from the Dementors, he ended up sleeping all the way until after Hari, Ron, Draco and Hermione were released from the hospital wing just before noon. Almost the entire castle was empty as everyone from third year and above were down at Hogsmeade, enjoying the end of their exams and the sun shining high over the castle.

Hari had no interest in going down to the village however. Instead, he wandered the corridors with his three best friends, explaining to Ron about their time travelling mission and Sirius’ freedom. Ron was none too pleased about having missed out on all the excitement, seeming to forget about his leg being broken less than 12 hours prior.

“Hari!”

At the sound of his name, Hari looked up from where he had been looking at a stained glass window as they traipsed up the stairs. Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley were standing together at a small balcony overlooking the grounds below. Hari smiled politely and led his friends over to the two girls.

“Is it true?” asked Luna. “Is it true that you met Sirius Black and he’s really innocent and that his friend Peter Pettigrew is actually alive and that he framed Sirius Black, but he got away again because he’s an Animagus that pretended to be the Weasley family rat?”

“How the hell do you know every detail?” blurted Hari bemusedly, sharing looks with his friends.

“Wait, it istrue?” said Ginny, eyes wide. “I thought it was fake! Especially that Scabbers was actually him…”

“Nope,” said Ron, shaking his head at his younger sister. “It was really weird but true. Sirius is up in the hospital wing right now.”

“I always suspected he was innocent, you know,” said Luna airily. Everyone turned to gape at her, though she seemed either unbothered or ignorant of this. “Daddy said so. I’m glad he’s free again.”

“Uh, yeah. It’s great,” said Hari awkwardly, taken aback by Luna’s comments.

“I’m going to go see if my new copy of The Quibbler has arrived,” Luna said suddenly. “Goodbye.” She waved to Ginny and the others and then wandered off down the corridor in the direction of Ravenclaw tower. It was only now that Hari noticed she was barefoot.

“Ginny, who the hell is that?” asked Ron as soon as Luna was gone.

“Luna Lovegood. She’s a Ravenclaw in my year,” replied Ginny simply. “We’re friends. She’s a little odd, but she’s also really kind and nice to talk to.”

“A little odd?” said Ron, raising his eyebrows.

Ginny scowled, poking her brother hard in the chest. “Don’t be so mean! She’s a lovely person, you git! She was one of the only people to treat me like normal this year, thank you very much!” she snapped. Ron raised his hands in surrender. She glared once again at her brother before stalking off down the corridor.

A few minutes later, a shadow passed over them as Hagrid appeared in the doorway, grinning down at them. “Hello, Hagrid!” said Hari, smiling up at the towering man.

“Is it true what they’re sayin’ about Sirius Black?” asked Hagrid.

“Yeah, it’s true,” replied Draco. “He’s currently asleep in the hospital wing. They’ve set a court date for July.”

“Blimey! I could hardly believe it when McGonagall came to tell me!” exclaimed Hagrid. He shook his head in disbelief. “It’s a real shame about Remus resignin’. After all he did…”

“What?” said Hari sharply, eyes wide.

“Didn’t hear? After the whole story got out about him being a werewolf because of last night, he resigned. Says he can’t risk the students again…”

“I’ve got to go see him,” said Hari abruptly.

“But if he’s already resigned—”

“There’s nothing we can do—”

“He can’t take back his resignation—”

Hari interrupted his friends. “I don’t care. I’m going to see him.”