TRUST ME, harry potter ( very slow updates )

SIXTY - RON'S NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE!

FROM WHAT CASSIE HAD NOTICED, Snape had stood there, seething, and had looked from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

"He's not the only one!" puffed Fudge.

"That's a shame, isn't it?" Cassie stated, looking over at Harry who was passing her more chocolate to help her be quiet.

"The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story of that Hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well... I'd better go and notify the Ministry..."

"And the Dementors?" said Dumbledore. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said Fudge, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy... Completely out of control... no, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight... Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance..."

"YES!" Callie yelled. She had not long woken up. Aurora threw her pillow at her, trying to get her to be quiet. "DRAGONS!"

"Hagrid would also like that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry, Cassie and Hermione. He sent an amused look Callie's way. As he and Fudge left the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.

There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Ron had woken up. They could see him sitting up, rubbing his head, looking around.

"What — What happened?" he groaned. "Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"

Harry, Cassie and Hermione looked at each other.

"You explain," said Harry, helping himself to some more chocolate. Cassie got off her bed, and curled up in a ball next to Harry on his, sharing the chocolate.

When Cassie, Callie, Aurora, Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the hospital wing at noon the next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle.

The sweltering, heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade visit.

Callie and Aurora decided to visit Hogsmeade one last time before the summer, whereas Ron, Harry, Hermione and Cassie decided to stay.

They wandered onto the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now.

They had sat themselves near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water. Harry leaned his head on Cassie's shoulder, not paying attention to the conversation that was happening.

"So, explain to me again... Cassie, you're the reason Black didn't go insane in Azkaban?" Ron was saying. Out of everything, that was the one thing that battled him the most.

"I'm one of the reasons," Cassie told him. "The other reasons are purely hope, and the fact that he knew he was innocent."

"Wicked," Ron muttered. "I feel quite offended, though. How come you're Harry, Black's and Hermione's guardian angel and not mine?"

Cassie chuckled. "For all we know, Ron, I could be your guardian angel." She told him. "You haven't suffered a near death experience for you to find out."

"Yes I have!" Ron exclaimed. "I nearly had my leg torn off — I could've died of blood loss."

"Don't be dramatic, Ron!" Hermione commented, rolling her eyes. "Maybe try drowning yourself in the lake if you're so desperate to find out if she's also your guardian angel."

Ron looked at the lake and then at the two girls, "On second thought, I'm fine not knowing!"

A shadow fell across them and they all looked up to see a very teary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at them.

"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night," he said. "I mean, Black escapin' again, an, everythin' — but guess what?"

"What?" they said, pretending to look curious.

"Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!"

"That's wonderful!" said Hermione, giving Ron a reproving look because he looked as though he was close to laughing.

Cassie smiled, "I wonder how that happened!" She said, biting her lip to stop herself from laughing. She couldn't help it — Ron trying not to laugh was making her want to laugh.

"Yeah... can't've tied him up properly," said Hagrid, gazing happily out over the grounds. "I was worried this mornin', mind... thought he mighta met Professor Lupin on the grounds, but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night..."

"What?" said Harry quickly. Cassie's eyes had widened.

"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. "Er — Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'... Thought everyone'd know by now — well, the Smith's knew already... Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night... He's packin' now, o' course."

"He's packing?" said Harry, alarmed. "Why?"

"Leavin', isn' he?" said Hagrid, looking surprised that Harry had to ask. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happenin again."

Harry scrambled to his feet. Cassie's eyes had hardened. "Snape is such a greasy, horrible prick!" She exclaimed, "He is so lucky I don't want to get sent to Azkaban because I would've murdered him by now."

"I'm going to see him," Harry said to Ron, Cassie and Hermione as Hagrid wandered off into the distance.

"But if he's resigned —"

"doesn't sound like there's anything we can do —"

"I don't care. I still want to see him." Harry said.

Cassie looked up at him. "Tell him he best be home for summer," she said, "I think if I see him I might just bawl my eyes out."

Her three friends gave her sympathetic glances.

"I'll meet you back here." Harry said, and then he rushed off — no doubt to see Remus.

Hermione and Ron looked at Cassie. She was incredibly worried, if they knew about Remus, surely they'd know about Rowan? Though Hagrid didn't mention anything about him.

"Rowan's okay," Hermione said, "If they knew about him, Hagrid would've mentioned it."

A/N: yay we're finally coming to the end of PoA. this act was definitely a rollercoaster for cassie.