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"We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us - before Dumbledore locks the door," Hermione said drawing Lina's and Harry's attention away from the night sky.
"Ok," Harry said "let's go" he grabbed Lina's arm "Come on."
They ran through the doorway behind them and down a tightly spiralling stone staircase. As they reached the bottom, they heard voices, they flattened themselves against the wall and listened. It sounded like Fudge and Snape, they were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase.
"Only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," Snape said, "the kiss will be performed immediately?"
"As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet that we've got him at last...I daresay they'll want to interview you Snape...and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved him."
Lina gripped Harry's arm so he didn't lunge at a smirking Snape as he and Fudge passed their hiding place. Lina, Harry and Hermione waited a few moments to make sure they were really gone, then they ran in the opposite direction. Down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor but they skidded to a halt when they heard a cackling ahead.
"Peeves!" Harry muttered grabbing Lina's and Hermione's wrists "in here!" They ran into an empty classroom just in time. Peeves were bouncing along the corridor laughing his head off.
"Oh he's horrible" Hermione whispered her ear to the door "I bet he's all excited because the Dementors are going to finish Sirius" she checked her watch "three minutes!"
They waited until Peeves gloating voice had faded into the distance, they slid out the room and broke into a run again.
"What happens if we don't get back inside before Dumbledore locks the door?" Lina asked panting.
"I don't want to think about it" Hermione replied checking her watch again "one minute!"
They reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance "I can hear Dumbledore."
They slowed down and crept along the corridor until the door opened and Dumbledore back appeared. "I'm going to lock you in," he said "it is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck" Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door and took out his wand to magically lock it. The three panicked and sprinted forward causing Dumbledore to look up, a wide smile appeared under his long silver moustache. "Well?" he asked quietly.
"We did it!" Lina said breathlessly.
"Sirius had gone, on Buckbeak" Harry added.
Dumbledore beamed at them "well done, I think-" he listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing "yes, I think you're gone too. Get inside - I'll lock you in."
Lina, Harry and Hermione slipped back inside the wing, it was empty except for Ron who was still lying unconscious. As the door clicked behind them, they crept back into their own bed and Hermione tucked the Time-Turner back under her robes.
"Did I hear the Headmaster leaving?" Madam Pomfrey questioned striding out of her office "am I allowed to look after my patients now?"
They accepted the chocolate give to them in silence knowing it would be best to keep Madam Pomfrey happy but as they ate they listened for when the inevitable time came when Sirius was discovered gone. Finally, on their fourth piece of chocolate, they heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them.
"What was that?" Madam Pomfrey asked in alarm.
"I can take a wild guess" Lina mumbled.
They could hear angry voices that were growing louder and louder.
Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door "really they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"
The voices got nearer. "He must have disappeared, Severus, we should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out-"
"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, he was very close now "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS - HAS - SOMETHING - TO - DO - WITH - POTTER - AND - BLACK!"
"Severus - be reasonable - Harry and Miss Black has been locked up-"
The door to the hospital wing burst open. Fudge, Snape and Dumbledore came striding into the ward, Dumbledore looked calm, almost like he was enjoying what was happening, Fudge was angry but Snape was something else altogether, he was completely livid.
"OUT WITH IT POTTER, BLACK" he bellowed "WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"See here Snape, be reasonable," Fudge said, "this doors been locked, we just saw-"
"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT" Snape howled pointing at Lina, Harry and Hermione, his face was twisted and red and spit was flying from his mouth.
"Calm down man!" Fudge barked "you're talking nonsense!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER OR BALCK! THEY DID IT, I KNOW THEY DID IT-"
"That will do Severus," Dumbledore said quietly "think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"
"Of course not!" Madam Pomfrey said, "I've been with them ever since you left!"
"Well there you have it, Severus," Dumbledore said calmly "unless you are suggesting that Harry, Lina and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."
Snape looked from Fudge who looked shocked at his behaviour and then to Dumbledore. Snape whirled around, robes swishing behind him and stormed out the ward.
"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," Fudge said staring after him "I'd watch out for him if I were you Dumbledore."
"Oh, he's not unbalanced" Dumbledore replied "he just suffered a severe disappointment."
"He's not the only one!" Fudge huffed "the Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now if for the story of that Hippogriff's scape to get out and I'll be a laughing stock! Well...I'd better go and notify the Ministry..."
"And the Dementors?" Dumbledore asked, "they'll be removed from the school, I trust?"
"Oh yes, they'll have to go. Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the kiss to an innocent boy...completely out of control...no I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight. Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance..."
"Hagrid would like that" Dumbledore said. As he and Fudge left the ward, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again muttering angrily to herself and went back into her office.
Lina couldn't help but laugh as she sunk back into her pillow "we actually did it!" She whispered.
There was a low moan from the other end of the world. Ron had woken up, he sat up, rubbed his head and looked around "what - what happened?" He groaned "Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"
"Not it," Lina said shoving more chocolate into her mouth.
Harry looked over to Hermione "you explain" he said and he too then helped himself to more chocolate.
