Elegy//Harry Potter [3]

24

The three walked back into the forest where they came. Autumn's heart was still racing after seeing, what looked like, her dying.

"You were right, Autumn! It wasn't my dad I saw earlier: it was me! I saw myself conjuring the patronus before. I knew I could do it this time because. . . well, I'd already done it! Does that make sense!"

"No!" Hermione said, carefully stepping over large branches.

"Not at all, Harry," Autumn smiled.

"It's nearly time." Hermione said looking at her watch. "We've got just about forty-five minutes until Dumbledore leaves the hospital wing."

"How do we get to Sirius in time? Where is he again? The highest cellar of the Dark Tower?"

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. We can't walk up there unless we have the cloak, but by the time we get it, time would be up."

The three sat down on the dirt, seriously thinking about how they could get Sirius.

Just as Autumn lost all hope, she thought of how they could do it. It was so easy and not-hard-to-think-of that she laughed. She laughed so hard that she had to cover her mouth.

"Autumn?" Hermione asked. "Are you alright?"

"Guys," Autumn began. "Other than to save his life, why could Dumbledore get us to save a flying animal?" She smiled. "All we have to do is fly Buckbeak to the top of the tower."

Harry began to laugh, as did Hermione.

"How did we not think of this?" Harry asked, standing up.

"The answer was literally right there." Autumn laughed, pointing across the forest to see Buckbeak lying on the dirt.

Harry shook his head in amusement. "Let's go."

>>>

The three landed on the tower and instantly jumped off. They found the gate to the cell and Hermione was quick to open it though.

"Alohomora!" Hermione shouted, pointing her wand at the lock. When nothing happened, Hermione spoke again. "Didn't expect that to work. Autumn, what other spells unlock things?"

"Aberto? I dunno." Autumn suggested.

"Aberto!" Hermione yelled, but nothing worked. "Oh, that's all the spells I can think of!" Hermione said, looking around the tower for ideas.

"If I could try something. . ." Autumn said. "What if instead of unlocking the lock, we blow it up?"

 Hermione pointed her wand at the door and cast the spell. "Bombarda!"

The door blew up and Sirius quickly ran out. The four of them rode the Hippogriff off of the tower. 

>>>

They landed in the courtyard, Hermione was quick to jump off. Harry helped Autumn off of Buckbeak and they smiled, seeing as Sirius stood alive; not almost dead in a cell.

"I'll be forever grateful for this, you three." Sirius said, looking around Hogwarts.

"I want to go with you," Harry stated, looking at Sirius.

"One day, perhaps, Harry." Sirius said sadly. "But now. . . now things are too unpredictable. Besides," Sirius put his hands on Harry's shoulders. "You're meant to be here.

"But you're innocent!" Harry said, matter-of-factly. 

"And you know it. But for now, that'll do. I expect you're tired of hearing this," Sirius reached up and cupped Harry's head. "But you look so like your father. Except your eyes, you have your mother's."

Harry smiled widely as Sirius spoke again.

"It's cruel that I got to spend so much time with James and Lily and you so little. But know this: The ones who love us never really leave us. You can always find them in here." Sirius pointed to Harry's heart.

Autumn looked at the ground. But what if they chose to leave you?

Sirius turned his attention to Autumn. "How. . . How is Amelia —Erm, your mother doing?"

Autumn smiled weakly. "I wouldn't know. I've never met her."

"Never met her—" Sirius said confused. "So she and your dad aren't. . . together?"

"Again, I wouldn't know. For all I know, they're still living together happily. Just not with me." Autumn said gently.

Sirius looked confused, so Autumn decided to explain more.

"I'm an orphan." Autumn said, looking at Sirius. "Could you tell me about my mother before you leave?"

Sirius looked at Autumn with so many emotions, then he blinked. Sirius sat down on the bench that Harry was just sitting at and pat the area next to him. "Come. Sit." 

Autumn moved to sit next to him.

"Your mother. . ." Sirius paused, staring ahead smiling as the mere memory of her. "Was most beautiful creature that ever walked this earth." 

Autumn grinned.

"She knew everyone. She wasn't exactly popular, but she knew everyone. She was kind to everyone, and everyone was kind to her." Sirius smiled wider. "She liked to go by Amy. Granted, I always called her Amelia, and she scolded me for it — while laughing of course, never able to keep a straight face while telling me off — but I called her Amelia anyway."

Autumn felt her nose burn and chest thump. "Thank you." Autumn told Sirius, glad that they all saved him. Not so that she could learn about her mother, even though that was a big part of it. She was glad because she liked the way Harry smiled around him and how he now had some family that liked him too.

Sirius stood up, and quietly walked over to Buckbeak.

"You really are the brightest witch of your age, Hermione." Sirius smiled and Hermione grinned back.

The three backed away, giving Sirius and Buckbeak some room to fly away. Buckbeak trotted off, gaining speed before flying away with the man who told her about her mother. She watched as the two disappeared behind a cloud.