Written In The Stars III -[Harry Potter xF!Oc]

Chapter Twenty-Two: Another Truth Unveiled.

"We're going to have to move. We've got to be able to see the Whomping Willow, or we won't know what's going on." Harry commented after a moment.

"Okay, but we've got to keep out of sight, remember..." 

"Don't worry, we'll be fine," Mel replied, taking a hold of the rope and pulling. "Let's go Beaky."

They walked for about three minutes until Harry stopped abruptly.

"There's Ron!" He whispered.

"Get away from him — get away — Scabbers, come here —" She heard Ron's voice plead.

Mel watched her own figure sprint across the grounds followed by Harry and Hermione's.

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat —"

"There's Sirius!" said Harry. "Looks even worse from here, doesn't it? Ouch — look, I just got walloped by the tree — and so did you — this is weird —"

"You sound too happy about watching yourself being hit over and over," Mel grinned.

"Well, it's not me who's getting hit, not really," Harry shrugged with a guilty smile.

"You have the bruises though, it sort of is you."

"That was Crookshanks pressing the knot," Hermione interrupted their chat. 

"And there we go... We're in." Harry pointed.

Merely ten seconds later, Dumbledore, Macnair, Fudge, and the Committee member were making their way to the castle.

"Right after we'd gone down into the passage! If only Dumbledore had come with us..."

"Macnair and Fudge would've come too," said Harry. "I bet you anything Fudge would've told Macnair to murder Sirius on the spot..."

"They must think we were so foolish," Mel shook her head. "Giving Sirius the opportunity to explain himself, 'childish' and all... In my opinion, some adults lack the morals children have to spare."

"You can't deny it was a bit foolish," Hermione retorted. "Lupin disarmed us in no time."

"Mel would've done something anyway," Harry defended. "She always knows what to do, don't you, Mel?"

The girl shrunk in her place, slightly embarrassed.

"I dunno, Glasses..."

Harry opened his mouth to insist, but his eyes moved back to the Whomping Willow and caught sight of someone else.

"Here comes Lupin!– If he'd only grabbed the cloak, it's just lying there..."

His eyes widened and suddenly turned to look at Hermione.

"If I just dashed out now and grabbed it, Snape'd never be able to get it and —"

"Harry, we mustn't be seen!"

"How can you stand this? Just standing here and watching it happen?"

"What difference would make?" Mel frowned. "He got there, heard us talking, yelled a few times, and then we knocked him out. Besides, if I hadn't had him near me when you went after Black... Hold on, what happened when you went looking for Black?"

Harry hesitated. 

"I'm going to grab the cloak," He repeated, standing up.

"Harry, no!" Hermione pulled him back down and at the same time, they watched Hagrid make his way up to the castle, apparently drunk. "See? See what would have happened? We've got to keep out of sight! No, Buckbeak!"