Toujours Pur: Prisoner of Fear

Elated Endings

Recap:

The moon slid out from behind its cloud. We saw the group freeze and Professor Lupin started transform.

"Hermione - Gemma!" said Harry suddenly. "We've got to move!"

"We mustn't, I keep telling you —" Hermione started.

"Not to interfere! Lupin's going to run into the forest, right at us!" We gasped.

"Quick!" I moaned, I untied Buckbeak and looked at the others.

"Quick!" Hermione said as grabbed Buckbeak's rope with me. "Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The Dementors will be coming any moment."

We all shared a horrified look, we were trapped between a werewolf, facing our past selves, or a hundred soul-sucking dementors. "Out of the frying pan, into the fire." I croaked. 

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"Back to Hagrid's!" Harry said. "It's empty now, come on!" We all took off running, Buckbeak followed us and we all threw ourselves in Hagrid's cabin.

Harry shut and locked the door behind us. Hermione went and petted Hagrid's dog to calm him down. Buckbeak laid down in front the fireplace and was content to be back in his owner's house.

"I think I'd better go outside again, you know," said Harry slowly. "I can't see what's going on, we won't know when it's time." Hermione looked at Harry suspiciously, but I could see his point.

We really couldn't see anything from here. "I'm not going to try and interfere," said Harry quickly. "But if we don't see what's going on, how're we going to know when it's time to rescue Sirius?"

"Well okay, then. I'll wait here with Buckbeak but Harry, be careful, there's a werewolf out there and the Dementors."

"You know, you're right Hermione. It is dangerous, perhaps I should accompany you, Harry."

Hermione lit up at the idea and Harry grudgingly agreed. We creeped outside and around the cabin. I could hear Sirius yelping in the distance. That meant he was at the lake with the dementors. We saw hundreds of dementors crossing the grounds to the lake.

I glanced at Harry and had to bite back a sigh, we locked eyes and I rolled my eyes. I gestured for him to go and we both took off at a run. We came to the opposite side of the lake from our past selves. Harry and I stayed back in the bushes peering at what was happening.

"Come on!" Harry muttered, staring about. "Where are you? Dad, come on."

I felt my heart break for him, I put my hand on his back and we watched as a dementor lowered its hood. It moved towards Sirius and Harry stood up and edged towards the edge of the lake. I knew it. I had a feeling and I knew it. I stood up and joined Harry.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM! " Harry yelled.

Out of the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. It was galloping silently away from him, across the black surface of the lake. It lowered its head and charge at the swarming Dementors. Now it was galloping around and around the black shapes on the ground, and the Dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness.

They were gone. The Patronus turned. It was cantering back toward Harry across the still surface of the water. It wasn't a horse. It was a stag. Slowly, it bowed its antlered head. "Prongs," Harry whispered. His fingertips stretched toward the creature, it vanished. Harry stood there; hand still outstretched.