Astra

XXXVII - The Time Turner

"HERMIONE, WHAT --?" ASKED Harry.

"In here!" Hermione seized Harry and Luna's arms and dragged them across the hall to the door of a broom closet and Astra followed; she opened it, pushed them inside among the buckets and mops, then slammed the door behind them.

"What -- how -- Hermione, what happened?"

"We've gone back in time," Hermione whispered. "Three hours back..."

"But --"

"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think -- I think it might be us!' Astra had her ear pressed against the cupboard door.

"Footsteps across the hall... yes, I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!" Hermione said.

"Are you telling me," Harry whispered, "that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there too?"

"Yes," said Hermione. 

Meanwhile, Astra still had her ear against the door. "I'm sure it's us. It doesn't sound like more or less than five people... and you're walking slowly because you're under the Invisibility Cloak -- "

She broke off, still listening intently.

"We've gone down the front steps...."

Hermione sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperately anxious and Luna patted her on the back.

"Where did you get that hourglass thing?"

"It's called a Time-Turner," Hermione whispered, "and I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I've been using it all year to get to all my lessons. Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies... I've been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several lessons at once, see? Astra figured it out and so did Luna, I don't actually know how, but... I don't understand what Dumbledore wants us to do. Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help Sirius?"

"There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change," Harry said slowly. "What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago...."

"This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid's," said Hermione. "We just heard ourselves leaving...."

They frowned in confusion, but Luna smiled slightly. "Buckbeak!"

"Of course," gasped Astra, now moving away from the door. "I saw it- I remember. In Divination!"

"But -- how will that help Sirius?" asked Hermione.

"It's simple, isn't it? Sirius is hiding in Flitwick's office, and it has a window. We'll need to fly Buckbeak up and help him escape," Luna explained.

"Luna, you're a genius!" Astra squealed, hugging the Ravenclaw.

Harry nodded slowly, understanding the plan, while Hermione looked terrified.

"If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!"

"Well, we've got to try, haven't we?" said Astra, and Harry nodded. 

He stood up and pressed his ear against the door. "Doesn't sound like anyone's there... Come on, let's go."

Harry pushed open the closet door. The entrance hall was deserted. As quietly and quickly as they could, they darted out of the closet and down the stone steps. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest gilded once more with gold.