Half Blood: Prisoner of Azkaban

Time

Tada, the final chapter... no telling when GoF will be out, I'm only on the Yule Ball at the moment... also theres school and stuff so :\

"Shocking business... shocking... miracle none of them died... never heard the like... it was lucky you were there, Snape..." Was the first thing Maddy heard when she came to.

"Thank you, Minister."

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can manage 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, Nevra, de la Mare, and Granger, Minister..."

"No! And this bruise?"

"Mender. Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They 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 lineance 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..."

"What amazes me most is the behavior of the dementors... you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"

"No, Minister... I had been inside when I came back around..."

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

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."

Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to Harry's bed. Maddy turned to look at her. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate she had ever seen in her life, it looked like a small boulder.

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

"How's Ron?" said Harry and Hermione together.

"He'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "As for you all... 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.

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

"WHAT?" Harry jumped up out of bed; Hermione and Bella 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-"