The Art of New Beginnings

Chapter Twenty-Two: A Not-So Permanent Goodbye

"Erica!"

Hermione had appeared out of nowhere, tugging at her sleeve, 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," Erica shook her head, wrenching her gaze from the sky as she turned away from the window, "let's go..."

They slipped through the doorway behind them and down the tightly spiralling stone staircase. As they reached the bottom of it, they heard voices. They flattened themselves against the wall and listened. It sounded like Fudge and Severus. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase.

"... only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," Severus was saying. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"

"As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors. This whole Pettigrew 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, Severus... and once young Erica and Harry are awake, I expect they'll want to talk to the Prophet as well..."

Erica clenched her teeth, trying to will back the guilty pit that was gnawing at her insides. They wouldn't find Pettigrew there when they went to him with the Dementors. They wouldn't find anyone at all.

Eventually their footsteps died away. Erica and Hermione 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 they heard a cackling ahead.

"Peeves!" Hermione muttered, grabbing Erica's wrist. "In here!"

They tore into a deserted classroom to their left just in time. Peeves seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in tearing 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 Pettigrew... not that he doesn't deserve it..." She checked her watch. "Three minutes, Erica!"

They waited until Peeves' gloating voice had faded into the distance, then 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?" Erica panted.

"I don't want to think about it!" Hermione moaned, checking her watch again. "One minute!"

They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital-wing entrance. "Okay- I can hear Dumbledore," said Hermione tensely. "Come on, Erica!"

They crept along the corridor. The door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared.

"I am going to lock you in," they 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, Erica and Hermione ran forwards. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under the long silver moustache. "Well?" he asked quietly.

"We did it!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Buckbeak has been freed... he's off somewhere in the mountains by now..."

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-"

Erica and Hermione slipped back inside the dormitory. It was empty except for Harry, Ron and Sirius, who were all lying motionless in their respective beds. As the lock clicked behind them, Erica and Hermione crept back to their own beds, Hermione tucking the Time-Turner back under her robes. Next moment, Madam Pomfrey had come striding back out of her office.