Chapter Fifty Five

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Sorry if this is all over the place and theres mistakes, I'm currently writing it on my phone at 3:40 am so its gonna be a little messy. But hey at least I have Brendon Urie's amazing voice to keep me going 👌 Who else loves Panic! At The Disco? Let me know in the comments and tell me your favourite song!

Mines a tie between Nicotine and La Devotee...

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I opened my mouth to speak as Dumbledore came closer. "Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black -"

"For heaven's sake!" Madam Pomfrey said hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist-"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr Potter, Miss Swan and Miss Granger," Dumbledore said calmly. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black -"

"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's and Swan's minds?" Snape spat. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive -"

"That, indeed, is Black's story," Dumbledore said, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" Snape snarled. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him in the grounds"

"That was because you were knocked out Professor!" Hermione said earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear -"

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

Bitch hold my shoes imma bout to slap his ass for speaking to Hermione like that!

"Now, Snape," Fudge said, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances-"

"I would like to speak to the three of them alone," Dumbledore said abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy - please leave us"

"Headmaster!" Spluttered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest -"

"This cannot wait," Dumbledore said. "I must insist"

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.

"The Dementors should have arrived by now," he said. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs"

He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved.

"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.

"I wish to speak to them alone," Dumbledore repeated.

Snape took a step towards Dumbledore

"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly.

Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them and Dumbledore turned to us. We burst into speech at the same time.

"Professor, Black's telling the truth - we saw Pettigrew-"

"- he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf-"

"- he's a rat -"

" - Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut off -"

" - Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius -"

But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.

"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word - and the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full eye-witnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself have evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potter's Secret-Keeper"

"Professor Lupin can tell you -" I said, unable to stop myself.

"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the Forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little - and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends -"

"But -"

"Listen to me, Bella. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours"

"He hates Sirius," Hermione said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him -"

"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady - entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife - without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius' sentence"

"But you believe us"

"Yes, I do," Dumbledore said quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister for Magic..."

I stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath me was falling sharply away. I had grown used to the idea that Dumbledore could solve anything. I had expected Dumbledore to pull some amazing solution out of the air. But no...our last hope was gone.

"What we need," Dumbledore said slowly, and his light-blue eyes moved from Harry, to me, to Hermione, "is more time"

"But -" Hermione began. And then her eyes became very round. "OH!"

"Now, pay attention," Dumbledore said, speaking very low, and very clearly. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, all of you. You must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law - you know what is at stake.... you - must - not - be - seen."

I didn't have a clue what was going on. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.

"I am going to lock you in. It is -" he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck"

"Good luck?" Harry repeated, as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"

I shrugged. "Beats me -hey, Hermione, what's that?"

Our life was sure about to get more interesting.

*****

I am blown away by the support I'm getting. Thank you each and everyone of you! I'm off to bed, night guys ❤

Start time : 3:40 am
End time : 4:22 am.

Word count: 1046



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