Countenance [1] Sirius Black's Daughter

xxx- gone again

      Jessica glanced at Harry with her mouth fully open. She was gazing at him with a mixture of alarm and pity.

"Harry, your Dad's -- well -- dead," Hermione said quietly.

"I know that," Harry said quickly, probably trying to not make Jessica and Hermione think he had gone cuckoo.

"You think you saw his ghost?" Jessica asked.

"I don't know... no... she looked solid...."
Harry scratched the back of his neck, "Maybe I was seeing things,"

     Jessica turned to took at Buckbeak, who was digging his beak into the ground, apparently searching for worms. But she wasn't really watching Buckbeak.

　　She was thinking about my mum and dad, and about my father's three oldest friends ... and her mom ... Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs ... and her mom ...

　　The leaves overhead rustled faintly in the breeze. The moon drifted in and out of sight behind the shifting clouds. the three of them sat with their faces turned toward the Willow, waiting.

　　And then, at last, after over an hour ...

"Here we come!" Harry whispered.

　　Jessica, Hermione and Harry got to their feet. Buckbeak raised his head. They saw Remus, Ron, and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly out of the hole in the roots. Then came Hermione ... then the unconscious Snape, drifting weirdly upward. Next came Harry, Jessica, and Sirius. They all began to walk toward the castle.

　　Jessica's heart was starting to beat very fast. She  glanced up at the sky. Any moment now, that cloud was going to move aside and show the moon ...

"Jessica," Hermione muttered as though she knew exactly what she was thinking, "we've got to stay put. We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do..."

"So we're just going to let Pettigrew escape all over again..." Harry added quietly.

"How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?" snapped Hermione. "There's nothing we can do! We came back to help Sirius; we're not supposed to be doing anything else!"

"All right!"

　　The moon slid out from behind its cloud. They saw the tiny figures across the grounds stop. Then they saw movement --

"There goes Lupin," Hermione whispered. "He's transforming

"Hermione!" Jessica said suddenly. "We've got to move!"

"We mustn't, I keep telling you --"

"Not to interfere! Remus' going to run into the forest, right at us!" Jessica exclaimed which caused Hermione to gasp.

"Quick!" Hermione moaned, dashing to untie Buckbeak. "Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The dementors will be coming any moment --"