Hexad (hiatus)

Book three, chapter twenty-three

Book three!
chapter twenty-three of this secret-spilling book-in-a-book: Home.

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"We've got ten minutes to get down to the Hospital wing," Hermione said, pulling open the door to the West Tower.

"Right," Harry nodded, forcing his eyes away from the spot in the sky where Sirius and Buckbeak previously were.

"Uh-- should I go down and check that- um- nobody's there?" Lisa asked as they sprinted down the tight, spiral staircase. But she didn't need to, because they could hear voices before they even made it to the bottom of the staircase. It sounded like Fudge and Snape. Harry peeked around the corner-- they were walking rather quickly along the corridor.

"...can only hope Dumbledore won't make any difficulties," Snape said. "The Kiss will be performed immediately, you say?"

"As soon as Macnair returns with the dementors. This whole Black-affair has been highly embarrassing, really, I can't wait to tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Prophet that we've caught him at last... I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape... and once Harley's back in his right mind, I'm sure he'll want to tell the Prophet himself... really, Harry... we spent so long calling him the wrong name now he's thinking it's real too..."

Harry had to bite his tongue to stop himself from doing anything stupid. Stupid "Harley"-- stupid Fudge! He'd told him about twenty times over... Harry was just able to see Snape's smirk when he and Fudge passed. Their footsteps died away quite shortly. Harry, Hermione, Lisa and Draco didn't wait to see if they were really gone-- there wasn't time to spare, especially not now. Down one staircase, and then another, along one corridor-- then they heard a cackling up ahead.

Draco swore under his breath, before muttering, "Peeves! Stupid-- Peeves!"

"Just, I'unno, freeze him or something! That stuff works on ghosts, it should work on Peeves!" Lisa insisted. "That one thingy-- Immo-something!"

"Just wait," Hermione hissed. "There's nothing here... as long as we're quiet, he'll wander off on his own and cause trouble somewhere else..."

They didn't even spare a second to think about it, the moment Peeves' laughter disappeared as he flew throught the roof-- there were much more important matters to focus on at the moment.

"Three minutes!" Hermione gasped, tripping over her own feet.

After what felt like an eternity, the doors to the hospital wing entrance came into view at the end of the corridor they'd made it to. They could hear Dumbledore speaking through the now-ajar door.

"I will lock you in. It is currently five minutes to midnight. Three turns should do it.... Good luck."

Dumbledore exited the wing, closing the door behind him and taking out his wand to lock it.

"Wait!" Lisa whispered sharply as they all ran forwards. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared underneath the silver hair concealing his face.

"Well?" he asked quietly.

"We did it!" Harry breathed. "We-- we saved Sirius, and Buckbeak!"

Dumbledore beamed, a proud look on his face.

"Brilliant. None of you are any more hurt than before, I hope? Now--" he paused, listening for any sound in the hospital wing. "I think you've all left. Here, get inside now-- I'll lock you in--"

The four slipped back into the infirmary-- it was empty, save for Padma and Ron, both of them still lying unconsciously on their beds. As the lock clicked behind them, Harry, Hermione, and Lisa went to their own beds, while Draco pulled up a chair to put beside Harry's bed. In moments time, Madam Pomfrey came striding out her office.