The Future

40: Jamie

Chapter 40

　　"We'll see each other again," he said. "You are -- truly your father's son, Harry... And I would love to get to know you, Jamie, Hermione."
　　He squeezed Buckbeak's sides with his heels. Harry and Hermione jumped back as the enormous wings rose once more.... The hippogriff took off into the air.... He and his rider became smaller and smaller as Harry gazed after them... then a cloud drifted across the moon.... They were gone. And three tears leaked, as I realized that my own father didn't recognize me.

　　"Harry! Jamie!"
　　Hermione was tugging at our sleeves, staring at her watch. "We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us -- before Dumbledore locks the door --"
　　"Okay," said Harry, wrenching his gaze from the sky, "let's go...."
　　We slipped through the doorway behind us and down a tightly spiraling stone staircase. As we reached the bottom of it, I heard voices. We flattened ourselves against the wall and listened. It sounded like Fudge and Snape. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase.
　　"... only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," Snape was saying. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"
　　"As soon as Macnair returns with the dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet that we've got him at last.... I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape... and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved him.... And I would really like to tell them how we found his daughter, I daresay you've been watching after her for the last few years?"
　　I clenched my teeth. I caught a glimpse of Snape's smirk as he and Fudge passed our hiding place. Their footsteps died away. Harry and Hermione and I waited a few moments to make sure they'd really gone, then started to run in the opposite direction. Down one staircase, then another, along a new ,corridor -- then I heard a cackling ahead.
　　"Peeves!" Harry muttered, grabbing Hermione's wrist in one hand and mine in another. "In here!"
　　We tore into a deserted classroom to my left just in time. Peeves seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in boisterous good spirits, laughing his head off.
　　"Oh, he's horrible," whispered Hermione, her ear to the door. "I bet he's all excited because the dementors are going to finish off Sirius...." She checked her watch. "Three minutes, guys!" I coughed, 'and girl' but she only rolled her eyes.
　　We waited until Peeves's gloating voice had faded into the distance, then we slid back out of the room and broke into a run again.
　　"Hermione -- what'll happen -- if we don't get back inside before Dumbledore locks the door?" Harry panted.
　　"I don't want to think about it!" Hermione moaned, checking her watch again. "One minute!" I almost chuckled.
　　We had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance. "Okay -- I can hear Dumbledore," said Hermione tensely. "Come on, Harry, Jamie!"
　　We crept along the corridor. The door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared.
　　"I am going to lock you in," I heard him saying. "it is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do It. Good luck."
　　Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door, and took out his wand to magically lock it. Panicking, Harry and Hermione ran forward, while I just strolled over behind them. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under the long silver mustache. "Well?" he said quietly.
　　"We did it!" said Harry breathlessly. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak...."
　　Dumbledore beamed at them.
　　"Well done. I think --" He listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you've gone too -- get inside -- I'll lock you in --"
　　Harry and Hermione slipped back inside the dormitory.
        "Good job Miss Evans." He said before I slipped in. I smiled and winked.

       The hospital wing was empty except for Anna, who seemed tone waking up, and Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed. As the lock clicked behind them, Harry and Hermione and I crept back to our own beds, Hermione tucking the Time-Turner back under her robes. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office.
　　"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"
　　She was in a very bad mood. Harry and Hermione thought it best to accept their chocolate quietly, while I took as much as Madam Pom Pom would allow me to have. I grew up with a chocoholic, therefore I have the excuse of being one. Chocolate is life, people. Never forget that. Madam Pomfrey stood over the two of them, making sure they ate it. But Harry could hardly swallow. He and Hermione were waiting, listening, their nerves jangling.... And then, as they both took a fourth piece of chocolate (and I probably about my sixth or so piece) from Madam Pomfrey, I heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them....
　　"What was that?" Madam Pomfrey said in alarm.
　　Now I could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door.
　　"Really -- they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"
　　I was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing nearer --
　　"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out --"
　　"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS -- HAS -- SOMETHING -- TO -- DO -- WITH -- POTTER -- AND -- JAMIE!"
　　"Severus -- be reasonable -- Harry, as well as Jamie, have been locked up --"
　　BOOM.
　　The door of the hospital wing burst open.
　　Fudge, Snape, and Dumbles came striding into the ward. Dumbles alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Meh, I would be as well.. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.
　　"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" Wow, no consideration with me?
　　"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"
　　"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw --"
　　"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry and Hermione and me. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth. I cringed, as some of that spit hit me in the face.
　　"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!" I gave a burst of laughter, and Harry kinda glared at me.
　　"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT --"
　　"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"
　　"Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!"
　　"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry, Jamie and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."
　　Snape stood there, seething, staring 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."
        "That's the understatement of the year." I muttered to Hermione, who tried to stop herself from chocking on chocolate because of laughing.
　　"He's not the only one!" puffed Fudge. "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...."
　　"Hagrid would like that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry and Hermione and me. "And the story about Sirius' daughter will stay quiet as well?"
          Fudge sighed, but nodded. "I guess since Black escaped. I can't tell them. But mind you..." And ashe and Fudge left the dormitory, 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, while Anna seemed to be having some sort of nightmare. I 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 and Hermione exchanged a look.
　　"You explain," said Harry to Hermione, helping himself to some more chocolate. I copied him, taking a whole huge basket for myself.