Sky Above//Remus Lupin

☽six☾

As I take Ron to the hospital wing Dumbledore finds Harry and Sirius both passed out in the woods. Harry is taken straight to the hospital wing. Sirius is taken to a dungeon. We sit with Harry as he starts to stir.

"Harry?" I ask.

"I saw my dad," Harry states.

"What?" Hermione asks.

"He sent the Dementors away. I saw him across the lake," Harry explains.

"Harry, they've captured Sirius. Any minute the Dementors are gonna perform the Kiss," I tell him.

"You mean they're gonna kill him?" Harry asks as he sits up.

"No. It's worse. Much worse. They're going to suck out his soul," I explain.

Dumbledore opens the door.

Hermione rushes towards him. "Headmaster, you have to stop them."

"They've got the wrong man," I state.

"It's true, sir. Sirius is innocent," Harry says.

"It's Scabbers who did it," Ron says from a hospital bed of his own.

"Scabbers?" Dumbledore questions.

"He's my rat, sir. He's not really a rat. He was a rat. He was my brother Percy's rat. But then they gave him an owl..." Ron trails off.

"The point is, we know the truth. Please believe us," Hermione pleads.

"I do, Miss Granger. I'm sorry to say but the word of three 13-year-old wizards will convince few others. A child's voice, however honest and true... is meaningless to those who have forgotten how to listen," Dumbledore tells us. We can hear the bells of the clock ringing. "Mysterious thing, time. Powerful... and when meddled with, dangerous. Sirius Black is in the topmost cell of the Dark Tower. You know the laws, Miss Granger. You must not be seen. And you would do well, I feel, to return before this last chime. If not, the consequences are too ghastly to discuss. If you succeed tonight... more than one innocent life may be spared. Three turns should do it, I think." Dumbledore turns to leave but stops. "Oh, and by the way. When in doubt, I find retracing my steps to be a wise place to begin. Good luck."

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron questions.

"Sorry, Ron, but seeing as you can't walk..." Hermione says.

She pulls her necklace out from her jacket. She wraps it around, Harry, her, and myself. Harry goes to touch it but Hermione slaps his hand away.

It starts to get lighter outside and people move backwards through the room. Ron is gone, no longer in bed.

"What just happened? Where's Ron?" Harry questions.

"7:30. Where were we at 7:30?" Hermione asks.

"I don't know. Going to Hagrid's?" Harry tells her.

"Come on. And we can't be seen," Hermione tells us as she takes off running.

"Hermione!" I shout after her.

"Hermione! Hermione, wait," Harry tells her.

"Hermione, will you please tell me what it is we're doing?" I ask.

We stop and I can see the events of earlier playing out in front of us.

"That's us," Harry states.

"This is not normal," I say.

Hermione pushes Harry and I back out of sight. She holds up her necklace. "This is a Time-Turner. McGonagall gave it to me first term. This is how I've been getting to my lessons all year."