Diving Into You | Fred Weasley

18 | The End of Year Three

"We need to talk to professor Dumbledore-"

"You two need to REST! That's what!"

Naia winced and peeled her groggy eyes open. She felt absolutely awful. Her head felt like someone had hit her with a hammer and split it open. The light coming from the windows made her think it was the early hours of the morning. She looked around to see she was in the hospital wing, Ron lay in the bed right across her. She moaned softly at the pain in her head as she tried her best to sit up which hurt way more than it should. Her chest hurt as well and she was winded with breath at the small action.

"Oh dear- Ms. Vance please lay down!" Madame Pomfrey said hurrying her way to Naia. Harry and Hermione whipped their heads to her and quickly followed.

"What- what happened? Where's... where's Sirius!?" She forgot about her pain to ask Harry and Hermione. They looked at her silently with a sad look. "Harry? Where is he? Is...is he-?"

"He's alive." Harry gulped the expression on his face as desperate and crestfallen as Naia's. "But he's locked up, they're... waiting for the Dementors to come."

Naia's eyes widened and her heart beat fast in her chest. "No! No, they can't he's- he's innocent! Where's Dumbledore, we need to-"

"We know, we're trying to get to him but they won't let us out."

Naia went to stand, but her energy seemed insanely depleted and her headache got so bad she winced and released a moan. Harry immediately put his hand on her and instructed her to lay back down.

"You're not going anywhere. Hermione, and I will find him."

"No! No, I have to help him, I have to-"

"Naia! I think you're feeling more drained because of what you did by the lake... Madame Pomfrey said your energy levels were dangerously low, please just, rest." Hermione pleaded. Frustrated tears flowed down Naia's cheeks. She grit her teeth in desperation. "I can't lose him, Hermione, not after I just got him back." Her voice broke.

Suddenly, they heard the door swing open, and in walked Dumbledore himself. He asked Madame Pomfrey to give them some privacy. Naia breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, and Harry and Hermione were quick to tell him what happened. "Professor, my father is innocent. Please we have to do something-"

"They've got the wrong man!" Hermione exclaimed.

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

"It was Scabbers who did it!" Ron exclaimed.

"Scabbers?" Dumbledore questioned. "My Rat, Sir! He wasn't really a rat, he was an Animagus!"

"Point is we know the truth. Peter Pettigrew did it and turned himself into a rat to fake his own death-"

"I believe you," Dumbledore said to the kids. "But I'm sorry to say that the word of four third-year teenagers will convince a few others." Naia and Hermione sighed frustratedly. She tried to get up, but Dumbledore moved to her bedside to gently push her back down. "Sir- sir I'll do anything, please."

The Headmaster looked at Hermione. "A mysterious thing, time. Powerful, and when meddled with, dangerous... Sirius Black is in the topmost cell of the dark tower." Naia looked at him in confusion. "You know the laws, Miss Granger. You must not be seen and you will do what I feel to return to this last time, if not... the consequences are too ghastly to discuss. If you succeed, more than one innocent life will be spared. Three turns should do it." He went to sit down by Naia's bed as Hermione nodded in determination.

"I don't understand... what are you-"

"Sorry Ron and Naia but since you guys are injured..." Hermione pulled a gold chain out of her clothes and put it around her and Harry. She gasped. It was a time-turner. Of course! That's how Hermione had been getting to her extra classes all year...