Draco Malfoy *3rd Year*

Chapter 18

*Aurora's POV*

Hermione and I rushed into the hospital wing to check on Harry and Ron. On our way there I could've sworn I saw someone following us but I disregarded it for now. We entered and saw Ron sitting up with his leg heavily bandaged and Harry passed out on one of the beds. We walked over to Harry just as he was waking up

"Harry --" Hermione started

"I saw my dad." was the first thing Harry said to us, Hermione and I shared a look before turning back to him.

"What...?" I asked

"He sent the Dementors away... I saw him. Across the lake..." I looked over to see Ron watching us with a confused look on his face

"Listen, Harry. They've captured Sirius. Any minute the Dementors are going to perform the Kiss." Hermione rushed out

"The Kiss...?" Harry asked sounding unsure

"It's what Dementors do to those they want to destroy. They clamp their jaws over the victim's mouth and... suck out his soul." I explained with a grave expression.

"You mean, they're going to kill Sirius?" Harry said sitting up panicked

"No. It's worse. Much worse. You go on living. But you have no memory. No sense of self. You're just a shall. An empty shell..." Hermione looked up from explaining as Dumbledore entered the wing,

"Headmaster! You've got to stop them! They've got the wrong man!" I fretted walking over to him with Harry and Hermione in tow.

"It's true, sir. Sirius is innocent --" Harry tried to tell him

"It's Scabbers who did it!" Ron said loudly from his bed

"Scabbers...?" Dumbledore asked looking confused,

"My rat, sir. Only he's not really a rat, Well, he was a rat. You. see, he used to be my brother Percy's --" He rambled

"The point is... we know the truth. Please, sir, you must believe us." Hermione said turning the attention away from Ron and his rat story.

"I do, Miss Granger. But I'm sorry to say the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will convince few others. A child's voice, however honest and true, is meaningless to those who have forgotten how to listen." Dumbledore said calmly.

"Ah... a shooting star. If ever one was to make a wish, now would be the time. But time, I'm afraid, is precisely our problem..." He said looking out the window into the night sky.

"Mysterious thing, time. Powerful. And, when meddled with... dangerous. Sirius Black is in the topmost cell of the Dark Tower." He said looking at Hermione who nodded

"You know the laws, Miss Granger. You must not be seen. And you would, I feel, do well to return before this last chime. If not... well, the consequences are really too ghastly to discuss. Three turns should do it, I think. If you succeed, more than one innocent life may be spared

Tonight," Dumbledore finished leaving me and Harry feeling very left out.

"By the way, when in doubt, I find retracing my steps to be a wise place to begin... Good luck." He then hummed as he walked out of the hospital wing.

"What in bloody hell was all that about?" Ron asked looking like he thought Dumbledore had lost his marbles. I snickered and nodded

"Hermione, what haven't you been telling us?" I asked turning to see her pulling a chain out of her shirt.

"Sorry, Ron. But seeing as you can't walk..." She then proceeded to wrap the chain around Harry and I. Harry curiously reached out to touch the small golden device that was attached to the chain when Hermione slapped his hand away and she gave him a disapproving glance making me laugh. Just as the last chime of the hour sounded, there was a buzzing noise and the three of us watched in awe as the events of the day wound back, it stops when the hospital wing is empty and Hermione unlooped the chain from around us.