The Future

39: Jamie

Im not going to bother with a re cap. Hope you don't really care to much.

Chapter 39

           A little after Harry passed out, and the random people kinda saved us from dementors, Snape found us.

"Stupid children, messing with things they should be messing with." He said to himself. With a lot of effort, I stood up.

"Stupid? Have you heard the way you talked?" I told him. He looked at me shocked. "I trusted you, Snape. I thought you would at least remember me, much less gag my godfather and I, as well as threaten to bring my father to dementors." Tears were flowing freely down my cheeks.

I stumbled up to the castle, ignoring the howls of my godfather. I got to the hospital wing, and thank Merlin I got there when I did, because I walked in and promptly fainted in front of the door.

****

　　"Shocking business... shocking... miracle none of them died... never heard the like... by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape...."
　　"Thank you, Minister."
　　"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!"
　　"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."
　　"Nasty cut you've got there.... Black's work, I suppose?"
　　"As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Weasley, and Granger, Minister...."
　　"No!"
　　"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. All of them, including Evans and Matthews, seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape.... They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now... I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves... and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster --"
　　"Ah, well, Snape... Harry Potter, you know... we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned."
　　"And yet -- is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended -- at the very least -- for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister -- against all school rules -- after all the precautions put in place for his protection -- out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer -- and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too --"
　　"Well, well... we shall see, Snape, we shall see.... The boy has undoubtedly been foolish... And Jamie Evans doesn't even attend Hogwarts, so we cannot expel her..."
　　I lay listening with my eyes tightly shut. I felt very groggy. The words I was hearing seemed to be traveling very slowly from my ears to my brain, so that it was difficult to understand.... My limbs felt like lead; my eyelids too heavy to lift.... I wanted to lie here, on this comfortable bed, forever....
　　"What amazes me most is the behavior of the dementors... you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"
　　"No, Minister... by the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances...."
　　"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the two girls --"
　　"All unconscious, except Jamie, who made it here herself, by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."
　　There was a pause. My brain seemed to be moving a little faster, and as it did, a gnawing sensation grew in the pit of my stomach....
　　I opened my eyes.
　　Everything was blurred. I blinked a few times and my eyesight was back to normal. I was lying in the dark hospital wing. At the very end of the ward, I could make out Madam Pomfrey with her back to me, bending over a bed. I squinted. Ron's red hair was visible beneath Madam Pomfrey's arm. Anna's dirty blonde hair was just barely visible next to the red head.
　　I moved my head over on the pillow. In the bed to my right lay Harry. On Harry's right, was Hermione, moonlight was falling across her bed. Her eyes were open too. She looked petrified, and when she saw that I was awake, pressed a finger to her lips, then pointed to the hospital wing door. Harry seemed to be awake as well. The door was ajar, and the voices of Cornelius Fudge and Snape were coming through it from the corridor outside.
　　Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to Harry's bed. He turned to took at her. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate I had ever seen in my life. And that's saying a lot. 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 handed me some pieces, and I quickly started eating it.
　　"How's Ron?" said Harry and Hermione together. Anna was still passed out.
　　"He'll live, said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "As for you three, and four when she wakes up, you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're -- Potter, what do you think you're doing?"
　　Harry was sitting up, putting his glasses back on, and picking up his wand.
　　"I need to see the headmaster," he said. I stood up as well, grabbing my wand.
　　"Potter, Evans," 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?"
　　Harry and I jumped up out of bed; Hermione had done the same. But his shout had been heard in the corridor outside; 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. I growled.
　　"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!" I yelled, finally speaking up. "YOUVE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"
　　"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said; she had hurried to Harry and my side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and --" Pettigrew!
　　"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, both of them.... Black's done a very good job on them...." "WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared. I started looking around the room for the stupid rat.
        "Jamie, what are you doing?" Snape asked, trying to push me to a bed.
        "Trying to find a murderous rat. That I will murder with my bare hands." I replied, a deadly tone to my voice. I continued to look for the rat.
　　"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter and Evans are my patients, and they should not be distressed!"
　　"I'm --We're -- not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Harry said furiously. "If they'd just listen --" I was still looking for that rat, who was no where to be seen. I should've made the circle smaller...
　　Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry's mouth; he choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed. Is started laughing hysterically, and Snape shook his head, picking me up and throwing me back in bed. I didn't stop laughing.
　　"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave--"
　　The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. Harry swallowed his mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty and got up again. I stood up as well, stopping my laughing fest.
　　"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black --"
　　"For heaven's sake!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist --"
　　"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter, Miss Evans and Miss Granger," said Dumbledore calmly. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black --"
　　"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's and Jamie's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive --"
　　"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.
　　"And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Snape. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."
　　"That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear --"
　　"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"
　　"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances --"
　　"I would like to speak to Harry, Jamie and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy -- please leave us."
　　"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest --"
　　"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."
　　Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.
　　"The dementors should have arrived by now," he said. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs."
　　He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved.
　　"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.
　　"I wish to speak to Harry, Jamie and Hermione alone," Dumbledore repeated.
　　Snape took a step toward Dumbledore.
　　"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"
　　"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly.
　　Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them, and Dumbledore turned to the three of us. We burst into speech at the same time.
　　"Professor, Black's telling the truth -- we saw Pettigrew "-- he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf --"
　　"-- he's a rat --"
　　"-- Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off --"
　　"-- Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius --"
        "I swear he should be within 10 feet of me!"
　　But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.
　　"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word -- and the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."
　　"Professor Lupin can tell you --" Harry said, unable to stop himself
　　"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little -- and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends --"
　　"But --"
　　"Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours."
　　"He hates Sirius," I said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him --"
　　"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady -- entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife -- without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."
　　"But you believe us."
        "And he should be alive, and here!"
　　"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic... And you have no proof Jamie, I'm sorry."
　　Harry stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath him were falling sharply away. I had expected Dumbledore to pull some amazing solution out of the air. But no ... Our last hope was gone. Or so they thought... *cue evil laughter* *cue hacking cough from evil laughter*
　　"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved from Harry to me to Hermione, "is more time."
　　"But --" Hermione began. And then her eyes became very round. "OH!" I smirked, acting like I knew everything. Well, technically I did.
　　"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, both of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, Miss Evans, you know the law -- you know what is at stake.... You -- must -- not -- be -- seen."
　　Harry didn't have a clue what was going on. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.
　　"I am going to lock you in. It is --" he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."
　　"Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do? And how do you know?"
　　But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.
　　"Harry, Jamie, come here," she said urgently. "Quick! And I'm not even going to bother on how you know."
　　Harry moved toward her, completely bewildered. She was holding the chain out. I saw a tiny, sparkling hourglass hanging from it. A time turner.
　　"Here --"
　　She had thrown the chain around both of our necks.
　　"Ready?" she said breathlessly.
　　"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost. I nodded in response.
　　Hermione turned the hourglass over three times.
　　The dark ward dissolved. I had the sensation that I was flying very fast, backward. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past me, my ears were pounding, it felt like Luna and Ginny sending me back here in the future.
　　And then I felt solid ground beneath my feet, and everything came into focus again --
　    I was standing next to Hermione in the deserted entrance hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors. Harry looked wildly around at Hermione, the chain of the hourglass cutting into our necks.
　　"Hermione, what --?"
　　"In here!" Hermione seized mine and Harry's arms and dragged us across the hall to the door of a broom closet; she opened it, pushed us inside among the buckets and mops, then slammed the door behind us.
　　"What -- how -- Hermione, what happened?"
         "This looks so wrong, Hermione..."
　　"We've gone back in time," Hermione whispered, lifting the chain off our necks in the darkness. "Three hours back... I'm going to ignore that comment, Jamie." I smirked while she sighed.
　　"But --"
　　"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think -- I think it might be us!" Hermione had her ear pressed against the cupboard door.
　　"Footsteps across the hall... yes, I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!" I whispered.
　　"Are you telling me," Harry whispered, "that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there too?"
　　"Yes," said Hermione, her ear still glued to the cupboard door. "I'm sure it's us. It doesn't sound like more than three people... and we're walking slowly because we're under the Invisibility Cloak -- "
　　She broke off, still listening intently. I was trying to contain my laughter.
　　"We've gone down the front steps... Oh stop Jamie, we're going to be caught."
　　Hermione sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperately anxious, but Harry obviously wanted a few questions answered.
　　"Where did you get that hourglass thing?"
　　"It's called a Time-Turner," Hermione whispered, "and I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I've been using it all year to get to all my lessons. Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies.... I've been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several lessons at once, see? But... Jamie how did you know?"
        "Magic." I said, and she gave that look that says, I'm going to find out whether you like it or not.
　　"Harry, I don't understand what Dumbledore wants us to do. Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help Sirius?"
　　Harry stared at her shadowy face.
　　"There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change," he said slowly. "What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago...."
　　"This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid's," said Hermione. "We just heard ourselves leaving...." I leaned against the wall, where there was no mops or brooms, and crossed my arms.
　　Harry frowned; he looked as though he were screwing up his whole brain in concentration.
　　"Dumbledore just said -- just said we could save more than one innocent life...." And then it hit him. "Hermione, we're going to save Buckbeak!"
        "Finally! A genius!"
　　"But -- how will that help Sirius?" I think you know who said what.
　　"Dumbledore said -- he just told us where the window is -- the window of Flitwick's office! Where they've got Sirius locked up! We've got to fly Buckbeak up to the window and rescue Sirius! Sirius can escape on Buckbeak -- they can escape together!"
　　From what I could see of Hermione's face, she looked terrified. I face-palmed. Loudly. Oops.
　　"If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle! And be a bit quieter Jamie, please!"
　　"Well, we've got to try, haven't we?" said Harry. He stood up and pressed his ear against the door. "Doesn't sound like anyone's there.... Come on, let's go."
　　Harry pushed open the closet door. The entrance hall was deserted. As quietly and quickly as we could, we darted out of the closet and down the stone steps. I ninja rolled off the last step. And hurt my head. They ignored me of course. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest gilded once more with gold.
　　"If anyone's looking out of the window --" Hermione squeaked, looking up at the castle behind them.
　　"We'll run for it," said Harry determinedly. "Straight into the forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout --"
　　"Okay, but we'll go around by the greenhouses!" said Hermione breathlessly. "We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door, or we'll see us! We must be nearly at Hagrid's by now!"
　　Still working out what she meant, I set off at a sprint, Harry following me, and Hermione behind him. We tore across the vegetable gardens to the greenhouses, paused for a moment behind us, then set off again, fast as we could, skirting around the Whomping Willow, tearing toward the shelter of the forest....
　　Safe in the shadows of the trees, Harry turned around; seconds later, Hermione arrived beside him, panting.
　　"Right," she gasped. "We need to sneak over to Hagrid's.... Keep out of sight, Harry, Jamie...." I rolled m eyes. Duh I'll keep out of sight.
　　We made their way silently through the trees (how I managed that I have no idea), keeping to the very edge of the forest. Then, as we glimpsed the front of Hagrid's house, I heard a knock upon his door. We moved quickly behind a wide oak trunk and peered out from either side. Hagrid had appeared in his doorway, shaking and white, looking around to see who had knocked. And I heard Harry's voice.