In The Shadows² ★ Draco Malfoy

*Saving Sirius

When Briar awoke in the hospital wing, she was in a state of panic until Hermione managed to get her to drink some water and calm down

"What happened?" She asked

"Something saved you, Harry, and Sirius" Hermione said and Briar looked past her shoulder, spotting Harry sitting awake in one of the other hospital wing beds "A patronus I'm guessing"

"Where's Sirius?" She asked sharply

"They have him," Hermione whispered "Locked away. They're going to perform the dementor's kiss" 

"They're going to kill him?" Briar gasped

"No, Briar, it's worse, much worse, they're going to suck out his soul" she closed her eyes

"What?!" Briar leaped out of her hospital bed and Harry was out of his too "We can't let them, he's an innocent man and we can prove it-"

The doors to the hospital wing burst open and Professor Dumbledore entered, looking tired and flustered, but worried about the four teenagers in there nonetheless

"Professor!" Briar exclaimed "Professor you can't let this happen! They've got the wrong man!" she cried

But Dumbledore held his hand up to silence her "It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," hesaid quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word — and theword of three thirteen-year-old wizards and one twelve-year old will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnessesswore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius hadbeen the Potters' Secret-Keeper."

"But my dad-" Briar started

"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he ishuman again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves areso mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little and the fact that heand Sirius are old friends —"

"But —" 

"Listen to me, Briar. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape'sversion of events is far more convincing than yours." Dumbledore said finally

"But you believe us." Harry said, sounding more like a question

"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, orto overrule the Minister of Magic...What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved toHermione, "Is more time."

"Oh" She squeaked, her eyes wide and the other three looked at each other in confusion

"Time is a mysterious thing, powerful, and when messed with, dangerous" he walked over towards her "Sirius Black is in the topmost cell of the Dark Tower. You know the rules Miss Granger, you must make it back here before the last bell chimes 12" he went to leave the room but then said one last thing "Three turns should do it" he winked and closed the doors behind him, leaving the three confused children and Hermione alone

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Ron asked in confusion

"Sorry Ron but seeing as you can't walk" Hermione glanced at his cast wrapped broken leg and pulled out a long gold chain from the neck of her shirt. She pulled Harry and Briar in towards her, throwing the chain around their necks too

"What are we doing?" Harry asked

But her eyes were fixed on the sparkly hourglass hanging from the chain, which she turned over three times

Suddenly the hospital wing around them dissolved, and Briar had a feeling like she was flying. No, falling. There was a blur of colours and images around them, none of them clear.