TRUST ME ── Harry Potter

( 052, the confunded teens )

( CHAPTER FIFTYTWO, "Maybe if you weren't poking your nose in their business when you were younger then that wouldn't have happened." )

CASSIE STIRRED, HER BODY WAS ACHING badly. At first, she was confused. But then, the events of last night came flooding back to her. She turned on her side, noticing Harry already looking over at her. She gave him a weak smile.

Poppy came walking briskly up to Harry's and Cassie's beds. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate they had ever seen in their lives. It looked like a small boulder.

"Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on Harry's bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer. She gave both Cassie and Harry a piece — although Cassie wasn't affected by the dementors. Poppy just knew how much the blonde loved chocolate.

"How are the others?" Harry asked as Hermione approached their beds and sat at the edge of Cassie's.

"They'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "As for you three, you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're — Potter, what do you think you're doing?"

Harry had sat up, put his glasses back on and picked up his wand.

"I need to see the headmaster," he said.

"Potter," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, "it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The Dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now —"

"WHAT?" Cassie, Harry and Hermione shrieked.

The three of them jumped out of the beds; Cassie picking up her wand as she did so. However, the next second, Cornelius Fudge and Snape had entered the ward.

"Harry, Harry, what's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed — has he had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.

"Minister, listen!" Harry said. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the Dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's —"

But Fudge was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.

"Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control..."

"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN! ASK CASSIE, GO ON! SHE'S A SEER, SHE CAN TELL YOU ALL ABOUT HER MEMORIES!"

Cassie looked at Harry, and then the Minister.

"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said as she and Cassie had hurried to Harry's side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face. "Cassie and I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and —"

"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, all three of them... Black's done a very good job on them..."

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.