second//bill weasley

five

As I take Ron to the hospital wing Snape finds Harry and Sirius both passed out in the woods. Harry is taken straight to the hospital wing. Sirius is taken to a dungeon.

I stand with Maddie just outside the hospital wing. I put a hand on her shoulder.

"You need to listen to me very carefully," I tell them. Maddie nods cautiously. "Sirius Black is not the murderer everyone believes him to be. I have known him since my days at Hogwarts. He was one of your father's best friends." Maddie looks surprised. "Trust me I wish I could explain all of this to you right now, but there isn't time." Dumbledore walks towards us. "Go see Ron and Harry." She listens to me and walks through the door. "Albus there has to be something you can do."

"I'm sorry Annalise, but I have no say in what is about to happen," Dumbledore tells me.

"You're just gonna let him die?" I question.

Dumbledore looks at me not saying anything. I shake my head as I open the door and walk into the hospital. Maddie and Hermione are sitting with Harry. Dumbledore follows in after me.

Hermione rushes towards him. "Headmaster, you have to stop them."

"They've got the wrong man," Maddie states.

"It's true, sir. Sirius is innocent," Harry says.

"It's Scabbers who did it," Ron says from a hospital bed of his own.

"Scabbers?" Dumbledore questions.

"He's my rat, sir. He's not really a rat. He was a rat. He was my brother Percy's rat. But then they gave him an owl..." Ron trails off.

"The point is, we know the truth. Please believe us," Hermione pleads.

"I do, Miss Granger. I'm sorry to say but the word of four 13-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 tells us. We can hear the bells of the clock ringing. "Mysterious thing, time. Powerful... and when meddled with, dangerous. Sirius Black is in the topmost cell of the Dark Tower. You know the laws, Miss Granger. You must not be seen. And you would do well, I feel, to return before this last chime. If not, the consequences are too ghastly to discuss. If you succeed tonight... more than one innocent life may be spared. Three turns should do it, I think." Dumbledore turns to leave but stops. "Oh, and by the way. When in doubt, I find retracing my steps to be a wise place to begin. Good luck."

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron questions.

"Sorry, Ron, but seeing as you can't walk..." Hermione says.

Hermione pulls her necklace out from her jacket. She wraps it around Harry, Maddie, herself, and me. Harry goes to touch it, but Hermione slaps his hand away. It starts to get lighter outside and people move backwards through the room. Ron is gone, no longer in bed.

"What just happened? Where's Ron?" Harry questions.

"7:30. Where were we at 7:30?" Hermione asks.

"I don't know. Going to Hagrid's?" Maddie tells her.

"Come on. And we can't be seen," Hermione tells us as she takes off running.

"Hermione!" I shout after her.

"Hermione! Hermione, wait," Harry tells her.

"Hermione, will you please tell me what it is we're doing?" Maddie asks.

We stop and I can see the events of earlier playing out in front of us.

"That's us," Harry states.