Obliviate {Book 1--EDITING}

26. Time travel^

I wasn't hurting anymore. The fresh scent of lemon was in the air, and with the soft blankets around my shoulders and the fact my ankle felt weightless—I knew I was in the hospital wing. Hearing voices, I rolled over and tried to listen.

"--Nasty cut you've got there... Black's work, I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact, it was the children Minister..."

"No!"

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now... 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? Any other student would be suspended—"

"Well, well... we shall see, Snape, we shall see... The boy has undoubtedly been foolish..."

Even though I felt like a ton of bricks was on my head and my heart, there was a part of me that wanted to spring up from the bed and strangle Snape for telling such lies....

"What amazes me most is the behaviour of the Dementors... you've really no idea what made them retreat?"

"No, Minister... by the time I had come they were heading back to their positions?"

"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girls—"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. And of course I tied up Black...."

They had Sirius. I needed to find Dumbledore.

Finally finding the strength to open my eyes, everything looked blurry and out of tune. Looking to the right I could see Hermione, looking shocked and silent.

Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to my bed. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate I'd ever seen—and I'd been to America at one point.

"Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on my bedside table and began breaking it with a small hammer.

"How's Ron?" said Harry and Hermione together. I jolted upwards, seeing my brother was in the bed next to Hermione.

"He'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly.

"Where's Gennie?" I questioned, noticed that she was nowhere in sight. Cole was asleep on a bed near Ron, snoring, a bandage around a large lump on his forehead.

"With her Father no doubt, he's running around outside." Madam Pomfrey said with a kind smile. "As for you three, you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're — Oswin, what do you think you're doing?"

I was sitting up, putting my glasses back on, and picking up my wand.

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

"Oswin," 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 yelled at the same time. His glasses were on askew, his mouth open wide.

Harry jumped up out of bed but our shouts had been heard in the corridor outside; next second, Fudge and Snape had entered the ward.

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