Hermione Granger and the Prisoner Of Azkaban (Completed)

Chapter 4 - The Time Turner

The story of Harry fainting on the train seemed to have travelled fast, even by Hogwarts standards. When Hermione, Ron and Harry entered the Great Hall the next morning, they saw Malfoy at the Slytherin table telling a hilarious story to his peers. They couldn't hear it, but he was pretending to faint and some of the Slytherin's started to laugh as they saw Harry
"Ignore him" said Hermione quietly "Just ignore him, it's not worth it...."
"Hey, Potter!" squealed the pug faced Pansy Parkinson "Potter! The dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!"

Turning their backs to the Slytherins, Hermione, Ron and Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table by the twins
"New third-year course schedules" said George, giving slips of paper to the three of them "What's up with you, Harry?"
"Malfoy" said Ron angrily. George looked over just in time to see Malfoy pretend to faint again
"That little git" he said "He wasn't so cocky last night when the dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"
"Nearly wet himself" said Fred, with a grim smile
"I wasn't too happy myself" said George "They're horrible things, those dementors..."
"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred
"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" said Harry quietly
"Forget it, Harry" said George "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking... They suck the happiness out of a place, dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there"
"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match" said Fred cheerfully "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"
Harry smiled. Hermione knew that the only time Harry and Malfoy had faced each other on the pitch, Harry had definitely come out on top

Hermione looked at her timetable
"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today" she said happily. Ron looked over at her timetable and frowned
"Hermione?" he said "they've messed up your timetable. Look - they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time"
"I'll manage" said Hermione "I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall"
"But look" Ron laughed "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And look - underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know your good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"
That compliment made Hermione feel even worse about lying to Ron, but she remembered her promise to Professor McGonagall
"Don't be silly" she said "Of course I won't be in three classes at once"
"Well, then-"
"Pass the marmalade" said Hermione, anxious to change the subject
"But-"
"Oh Ron, what's it to you if my timetables a bit full?" Hermione said "I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall"

Just then, Hagrid appeared but Hermione couldn't concentrate on what he was saying. She stared at the floor. She hated lying and she hated lying even more to Ron. What if he found out and he didn't want to be friends with her anymore? She didn't think she would be able to bear it

Hagrid left and Ron looked at his timetable
"We'd better go, look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there"
The three of them said goodbye to Fred and George, before leaving the Great Hall

It turned out that, despite all three of them being at Hogwarts for two years, none of them knew the way to the North Tower. They ran up and down staircases getting more and more lost, before stopping in a corridor that Hermione thought was on the fifth floor. Harry started watching a portrait of a short knight
"There's - got - to - be - a - short - cut" Ron gasped
"I think it's this way" said Hermione uncertainly, pointing to her left
"Can't be" said Ron, squinting to where Hermione was pointing "That's south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake out of the window"

"Aha!"
Hermione and Ron jumped. The short, fat knight that Harry had been watching had noticed them
"What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands!" he said loudly "Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!"
The knight got out his sword, that was way too long for him, and made a wild swing. He overbalanced and fell face first onto the painted grass
"Are you all right?" asked Harry, taking a step towards the painting
"Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!"
The knight used his sword to push himself onto his feet. Unfortunately, this pushed the sword hard into the ground and, try as he might, the knight couldn't get it back out again. Admitting defeat, the knight sat down and lifted off his helmet to wipe the sweat off his face
"Listen" said Harry "we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?"
"A quest!" the knight suddenly seemed full of energy
"Come follow me, dear friends" he shouted "and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!"
He tried yet again to pull his sword out of the earth and attempted to mount his pony. Neither worked
"On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady!" he exclaimed, not in the least disheartened "On! On!"