Chapter 208 + 209 + 210

"Sorted things out!?" Pettigrew squealed, looking wildly about him, as though looking for escape, "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" Lupin asked with a furrowed brow, "when nobody has ever done it before?"

"He's got Dark Powers the rest of us can only dream of," Pettigrew shouted shrilly, "except maybe that boy," he pointed to Lucifer, but faltered under the glare he was being given by said boy.

"And where are you saying I learned these 'Dark Powers' huh? Your old master, Voldemort?" Black asked and he flinched upon hearing name, "What, scared to hear his name? I don't blame you, Peter," Black said with an evil smirk in his direction, laughing a bit as well, "His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"

"Don't know - what you, Sirius," Pettigrew muttered under his breath, which was growing faster with each breath taken. His face was now practically shining with sweat.

"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years," Black said, "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter... they all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them... I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them."

"Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information... and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways... If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter-"

"Don't know... what you're talking about..." said Pettigrew again, more shrill than ever.

He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Lupin. "You don't believe this - this madness, Remus-"

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," said Lupin evenly.

"Innocent, but scared!" squealed Pettigrew. "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban – the spy, Sirius Black!"

Black's face contorted, "How dare you," he growled, sounding suddenly like the bear-sized dog he had been. "I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter – I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us... me and Remus... and James..."

Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath, "Me, a spy... must be out of your mind... never... don't know how you can say such a–"

"Lily and James only made you Secret Keeper because I suggested it," Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backwards. "I thought it was the perfect plan... a bluff... Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you... it must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."

"Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked, "Can I say something?"

"Certainly, Hermione," said Lupin courteously.

"Well, if this..." she regarded Pettigrew a moment, "poor excuse of a man was working for Voldemort... why not just kill Harry some time in the past three years?"

"There!" Yelled Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Hermione with his maimed hand.

Lucifer stepped in between them, causing Pettigrew to once again falter a moment before he looked back at Lupin, "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?"

"I'll tell you why," said Black. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for twelve years, they say he's half-dead."

"You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him..."

Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk.

"Mr. Black?" Hermione addressed him.

He looked at her, almost startled, and stared at her, as though being spoken to politely was something of a foreign concept to him.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you get out of Azkaban? I'm not saying I don't believe you, but I can't wrap my head around it."

"Thank you!" Gasped Pettigrew, nodding frantically at her. "Exactly! Precisely what I–" But he stopped talking when Lupin looked at him to shut up.

"I'll tell you why I think," Lucifer said, "it's because he's an Animagus. Animals, most of them at least, can't have the kind of complex emotions humans do, so the Dementors don't have as bad of an effect on animals, am I right?"

"Mostly," Sirius said, looking at Lucifer, "but even to transform into an animal requires a strength most don't have even a week in their stay at Azkaban. I think the only reason I still had that strength was because I knew I was innocent. But seeing the paper."

Black turned his attention back to Pettigrew, "seeing Peter on the front page... I realized he was going to be perfectly poised to act if word ever got out to him that Voldemort was working to come back... that's what gave me the strength to get out of Azkaban. I had made a promise to Lily and James after they made your Godfather."

He looked at Harry, his eyes misting a bit, "I made a promise that if for whatever reason I had to, I'd take care of you like you were my own son... obviously... being thrown in Azkaban forced me to break that promise..."

Harry was looking at him and was having a hard time to try not get emotional.

"Believe me," Black croaked, "believe me, I never betrayed James or Lily... I would have gladly died for them before I betrayed them..."

Harry began to smile, seeming to finally believe Sirius Black.

"No!" Pettigrew yelled, having fallen to his knees as though the smile on his face had been his own death sentence.

He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying, "Sirius - it's me... it's Peter... your friend... you wouldn't..."

Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled, "There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," he spat at Pettigrew.

"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him, "You don't believe this... wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," Lupin said with a wry look, "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?"

"Forgive me, Remus," Black said regretfully.

"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," Lupin said, now rolling up his sleeves, "and you will, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"

"Of course," Black said, grinning at his old friend, also rolling up his sleeves, "shall we kill him together?"

"Yes, I think so," Lupin said grimly.

"You wouldn't... you won't..." Pettigrew gasped at realizing they were serious. He scrambled over to Ron, "Ron... haven't I been a good friend... a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you? You're on my side, aren't you?"

Unfortunately for Pettigrew, Ron was staring at him with the utmost revulsion possible, "I let you sleep in my bed!" He yelled.

"Kind boy... kind master..." Pettigrew crawled towards Ron anyway, "you won't let them do it... I was your rat... I was a good pet..."

"If you made a better rat than human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," Black said harshly.

Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach.

The pathetic man turned on his knees and staggered forwards towards Hermione, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Peter... Lucifer seems like he'd kill you for less, right now," Lupin tried to stop him, but he kept trudging forth.

He grabbed the hem of Hermione's robes, "Sweet girl... clever girl... you - you won't let them-" He was suddenly picked up with absolute ease by Lucifer, who raised his fist back and punched him hard.

Everyone in the room, minus the unconscious Snape, heard a sickening crunch as the fist connected with his nose.

"You even look in her direction again, I'll send you to Hell myself!" Lucifer yelled angrily.

Pettigrew looked at him, "The boy of Merlin's blood, please, please have mercy on me?"

"And why the fuck should I?" Lucifer's eyes started to glow red again, causing Pettigrew to turn away from him.

He looked back at Hermione when she placed a hand on his arm.

She felt the toned muscle of his triceps, her cheeks burning, and she saw his eyes return to normal from the bright red they had just been.

Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly towards Harry, "Harry... Harry... you look just like your father... just like him..."

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" Black roared at Pettigrew, "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"

"Harry," whispered Pettigrew, shuffling towards him, hands outstretched, "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed... James would have understood, Harry... he would have shown me mercy..."

Both Black and Lupin strode forwards, seized Pettigrew's shoulders and threw him backwards onto the floor.

He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them. "You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," said Black, who was shaking too, "Do you deny it?"

Pettigrew burst into tears.

It was horrible to watch: he looked like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor, "Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord... you have no idea... he has weapons you can't imagine... I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen... He Who Must Not Be Named forced me–"

"DON'T LIE!" Bellowed Black, "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"

"He – he was taking over everywhere!" Gasped Pettigrew, "Wh-What was there to be gained by refusing him?"

"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" Black asked, with a terrible fury in his face, "Only innocent lives, Peter!"

"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew, "He would have killed me, Sirius!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" Roared Black, "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised, "You should have realized,' said Lupin quietly, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Goodbye, Peter."

"NO!" Harry yelled.

He ran forwards, placing himself in front of Pettigrew, facing the wands, "You can't kill him," he said breathlessly, "You can't."

Black and Lupin both looked staggered, "Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Black snarled.

"This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die, too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family."

"I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors. He can go to Azkaban... just don't kill him."

xxxxx

"Harry!" Gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees, "you – thank you – it's more than I deserve – thank you–"

"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because I don't reckon my dad would've wanted his best friends to become killers – just for you."

No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest.

Black and Lupin were looking at each other.

Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.

"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry," said Black." "But think... think about what he did..."

"He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does..."

"I hope you..." Lucifer spoke up, feeling not the greatest about this, "that you made the right choice, Potter."

Harry turned to look at him, Pettigrew still wheezing behind him.

He didn't say anything.

"Very well," said Lupin, "Stand aside, Harry." Harry hesitated, "I'm going to tie him up," said Lupin. "That's all, I swear."

Harry stepped out of the way.

Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.

"But if you transform, Peter," growled Black, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew, too.

"We will kill you. You agree, Harry?"

Harry looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor, and nodded so that Pettigrew could see him.

"Right," said Lupin, suddenly business-like, "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."

He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped his leg with his wand and muttered, "Ferula."

Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet.

Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince.

"That's better, thanks," Ron said gratefully to Lupin.

"What about him?" Hermione asked, standing over Snape's prone, unconscious form.

"Well, there is nothing seriously wrong with him," Lupin said and bent down to check his pulse, "he's alive, but had you not stopped Lucifer, he wouldn't be."

Lucifer glared at the Potions Professor on the floor.

He should feel remorse, but if Snape wasn't so cruel to Hermione, he wouldn't have almost strangled the life out of him, twice.

"Probably for the best if we don't wake him until we are back to the Castle. We can move him with us like this," Lupin pointed his wand at Snape.

"Mobilicorpus" and Snape began to levitate.

His body moved like invisible strings had been attached to him, almost like a human sized marionette.

His head still lolled about.

Harry walked over to his cloak and picked it up, tucking it into his robes.

"Two of us should be chained to this," Black said, motioning to Pettigrew.

"I'll do it," Lupin said, walking over.

"And me," Ron said savagely, limping forward.

Black conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Lupin's right, right arm to Ron's left.

Ron's face was set.

He seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult.

Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed, Rowena flew off of her perch, and both led the way out of the room.

Lucifer walked ahead of everyone else, Hermione right on his heels, his wand aimed forward, just in case.

The trek through the tunnel wasn't an easy one, especially when they got to the tight squeeze in the tunnel, but they managed it.

Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron had to turn sideways and bend incredibly low, somehow getting through without much issue.

Hermione kept glancing back as they walked carefully through the tunnel, following Crookshanks and Rowena as they did, "Sirius Black will be a free man when this is over," she said to Lucifer.

"He will be, I'm sure Potter is excited about that, given that Black is his Godfather. He'll never have to go back to those horrible people he calls relatives," Lucifer said, managing a smile on his face as they walked.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, Crookshanks darted up to keep the Whomping Willow from attacking them.

Lucifer turned around and interlocked his fingers together, "I'll help everyone out, you first, Hermione."

"Aren't you a gentleman?" She smirked and set her foot on his hands.

He lifted her up with surprising ease, 'He's really far stronger than I previously estimated...' 

That thought caused her cheeks to burn again, which she felt when she scratched her face.

Eventually everyone was out but Lucifer and Sirius extended his hand down to help him up, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Sirius said and walked over to Harry.

Lucifer walked over to Hermione when he heard Lupin talking.

"One wrong move, Peter," his voice was threatening.

His wand was still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest.

They silently trampled across the grounds, the Castle lights growing slowly larger.

Snape was still drifting weirdly ahead of Sirius, his chin bumping on his chest every few seconds.

Suddenly, a cloud shifted in the sky, their party was bathed in moonlight, which cast dim shadows on the ground.

Lucifer looked up and he stopped dead in his tracks, "The Full Moon..."

"What?" Hermione asked, turning to look at him. She registered what he said and looked up as well.

She saw the Moon, completely Full, shining brightly upon them.

"Snape... he said Professor Lupin forgot to take his Potion!" She said urgently.

They both turned to warn everyone, but they were already aware when they looked at Lupin and saw his arms and legs shaking.

Lucifer ran forward; Ron was still chained to the man. Sirius blocked them, "I'll save him, leave it to me - RUN!"

There was a terrible snarling noise.

Lupin's head was lengthening, as was his body.

His shoulders were hunching, hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into paws.

Crookshanks fur was on end again, he was backing away. Rowena hooted and flew four meters above everyone.

As the werewolf had reared, snapping its long jaws, Black had vanished from sight and in his place was the large, black dog again.

Werewolf-Lupin had wrenched himself free of the manacle binding him and Black had seized him by the neck.

The last time they had to do this, there was a Stag with them, so Lucifer wondered how long he would hold out against a raging Werewolf that didn't take the Wolfsbane Potion.

Black did his best to pull Lupin away from Ron and Pettigrew.

They were both snapping and ended up locked jaw to jaw, claws ripping at one another.

Lupin threw Black aside, disorienting him, which gave him time to look at the others before him.

Hermione had been backing away slowly, but when Lupin looked at her, she knew she was the target.

She saw him bounding after her, she was paralyzed with fear.

Lucifer tackled her out of the way just in time, and when she hit the ground, she heard Harry yell.

"Expelliarmus!" Hermione knew she didn't have time to feel the way she currently did, but when Lucifer stood up from her, his eyes never leaving Werewolf-Lupin, his hand brushed along her chest.

It was the lightest touch in the world, but his hand brushing lightly against her breasts felt way much better than it had any right to at their current predicament.

Or this was just the effect he had on her body?

When Hermione was on her feet, she refocused herself to the threat before them.

Before the Werewolf got any closer, there was a distant howling.

Lupin growled and went off in the direction it came from.

Both of them went over to Harry and Ron to see Pettigrew gone.

"FUCK!" Lucifer yelled angrily, and Hermione didn't blame him.

Harry must've already told Black that he was gone, because they saw the fading figure of the Dog.

"What did he do to Ron?" Hermione asked in a whisper.

His eyes were only half-closed; his mouth hung open. He was definitely alive, they could hear him breathing, and he suddenly snored.

He was out of it without being totally out of it.

"I don't know," Harry answered her.

Snape was still hanging in the air, which Lucifer did found some amusement in it.

"We'd better get them up to the Castle and tell someone," Harry suggested to them.

He pushed his hair out of his eyes when out of the darkness, they heard a yelping, a whining; a dog in pain.

"Sirius," Harry muttered and stared into the darkness.

He suddenly broke into a run, with Lucifer and Hermione right behind him.

The yelping had been coming from the Lake's direction.

They pelted towards the lake, and when Sirius was in view, he was on all fours, his hands were over his head.

That was when they all felt the rush of cold, and Lucifer heard the yelling and pleading, but it was far worse than it ever had been.

He looked up and in the sky was at least a hundred Dementors.

They were gliding in a black mass around the lake towards them and Sirius.

"Hermione! Think of something Happy!" Harry yelled, raising his wand.

Hermione raised her wand as well, but when she turned to Lucifer, she lowered it and knelt down.

"Expecto Patronum!" She heard Harry yelling.

Lucifer was on his hands and knees, clawing at the wet sand and gravel beneath them on the Lakes edge, it's like he was picking up a dead body.

He was overwhelmed, and he wasn't able to be of any help.

Hermione thought of the Memory of her first time with him, even seeing last year on September 1st, having missed him the day prior.

She raised her wand, "Expecto Patronum!"

To her complete shock and delight, she did cast a Patronus in the form of a Misty, Silvery Shield.

In the end it didn't matter, and Hermione was overwhelmed as well.

She passed out, watching Lucifer's face just before losing consciousness; he was afraid?

Lucifer missed seeing Hermione faint, and continued hearing Harry yell.

He looked up when Harry stopped, he didn't know how much time had passed, but Harry soon fell out of it, too.

There was a blinding light off to his side, something was pushing the Dementors away.

He looked over and saw something, but wasn't sure what.

It was on the opposite shore of the lake, over the water, roaring mightily, flying towards them.

But his vision went blurry before he could tell what it was, and he was out like a light.

xxxxxx

Hermione had just awakened in the Hospital Wing, and the first thing she heard was Snape talking about Lucifer.

"As a matter of fact, it was Morningstar, Minister... he attacked me when I had Black at wand-point."

"No!" The Minister said, rather surprised.

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately... it was not their fault they were acting the way they did. It was a Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent."

"They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape... they obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now... I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves... and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the Headmaster-"

"Ah, well, Snape... Harry Potter, you know... we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned," Fudge said.

"And yet - is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally I try to treat him like any other student.

And any other student would be suspended - at the very least - for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister: against all school rules - after all the precautions put in place for his protection - out of bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer - and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally, too-"

"Well, well... we shall see, Snape, we shall see... the boy has undoubtedly been foolish..."

Hermione had her eyes shut tightly as she listened to them talk.

Snape knew the truth, he had to, why was he saying they were Confunded?

"What amazes me most is the behavior of the Dementors ... you've really no idea what made them scream in that inhumane like voice, Snape?" Fudge asked.

"No, Minister. By the time I had come round they were rapidly flowing back to their positions at the entrances in pure terror from Salazar knows what..." Snape said in his annoying drawl.

"Extraordinary... and yet Black, Harry, the girl, and Morningstar-"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. Morningstar also must have been attacked by Black before then, because he had bruises on his chest and stomach when I checked him over. Minor cuts for the others. Naturally, I bound and gagged Black, conjured stretchers and brought them all straight back to the Castle," Snape said.

Hermione's eyes widened. She lay there, her breathing increasing in speed.

'Black didn't attack Lucifer... th-that means... was - was it Snape? That's the only logical solution... Dementors don't bruise people, they leave them with nothing Happy in their life... I swear to God... if it was Snape-' 

Hermione was brought from her thoughts when Madam Pomfrey walked up to them.

"Ah, you're both awake!" She said briskly.

She placed some Chocolate on Hermione's and Harry's bedside table, breaking them into smaller pieces with small hammers.

"How's Ron?" She heard Harry ask.

"He'll live," she said, almost dismissively.

"How's L-Lucifer?" Hermione asked with fear in her voice.

Madam Pomfrey looked over to the far end of the Hospital Wing.

Hermione followed her gaze and there he was, lying on a bed, asleep; tears escaped her eyes, "He took the worst of it, Miss Granger. Black did a serious curse on him, if not for his own magical healing patching the boy up...."

Pomfrey turned back to them, "As for you two... you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're - Granger! Potter! What do you both think you're doing?"

Hermione got out of bed and immediately ran down to Lucifer, ignoring Madam Pomfrey's protest.

She missed much of what happened next, because she was trying to get her boyfriend awake, "Please... please wake up... we need you, Lucifer... I need you..."

She leaned down towards his face, just like Prince Charming, planting a kiss on his lips; even hoping to God, that he would wake up, just like Snow White did.

She felt bad for doing so while he was asleep, but she didn't feel that bad when she really thought about it.

She heard the door open again behind her and turned around to see Dumbledore enter the Hospital Wing, "Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black-"

"For heaven's sake!" Yelled Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist-"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter and Miss Granger," said Dumbledore calmly. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black-"

"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" Snape was getting furious by the minute, "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive-"

"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.

Hermione had by that point gotten up next to Harry, having moved from Lucifer's bed when her name was said.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" Snape was going to explode, "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him in the grounds."

"That was because you were knocked out!" Hermione said, almost sounding dismissive. "You didn't arrive in time to hear-"

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

"Severus!" Dumbledore's voice ricocheted off the walls, staring at the Potions Professor as it did.

Snape snarled again.

"I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," Dumbledore said as calmly as he could, "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy - please leave us."

"Headmaster!" Spluttered Madam Pomfrey, "They need treatment, they need rest-"

"This cannot wait, I must insist," Dumbledore said, which only angered Madam Pomfrey.

She pursed her lips and strode away to her office, slamming the door shut behind her.

Fudge consulted a large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.

"The Dementors should have arrived by now," he said, "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs."

Snape however, did not leave, "You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?"

Snape whispered, but where Hermione and Harry were close to Dumbledore, they heard him.

"I wish to speak to Harry and Hermione, alone," Dumbledore repeated.

"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," was all Dumbledore said, which was enough to cause Snape to turn heel and march towards the door.

Harry launched into explanation for the Headmaster, but Hermione knew how fruitless it was of an effort.

She turned to look back at Lucifer, he was still lying there.

She turned back when Harry stopped talking abruptly.

Dumbledore had his hand up, "It is your turn to listen, Harry, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly.

"There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word - and the words of a xxxx year old wizard and xxxx year old witch will not convince anybody. A street full of eye-witnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret Keeper."

"Professor Lupin can tell you-" Harry hadn't been able to stop himself.

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

"But-"

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

"And besides, without Pettigrew, alive or dead, there would be no chance to overturn Sirius' sentence."

At those words, Hermione looked over and Harry's soul looked crushed.

Even with Pettigrew dead, it would have proved that he hadn't murdered Pettigrew back then, the crime he'd been imprisoned for from the start.

"What we need," Dumbledore said slowly, leaning closer to Hermione, "is more time."

"But-" She began, but realization hit her immediately, "OH!"

"Miss Granger, I was hoping that Mr. Morningstar would be awake for this, but it seems we will have to proceed without him," Dumbledore said and Hermione's eyes widened.

"No, you're not," a gravelly voice said behind her.

She turned and saw Lucifer getting out of bed, grunting in pain and holding his stomach, fingers glowing a white light, probably trying to heal.

"Lucifer!" She rushed over to him, "Are you okay to walk?"

He slid off the bed, standing on his feet, a bit wobbly, "I don't have a choice," he eyed her carefully before walking with her to Dumbledore.

"Alright, this will make it a bit easier," Dumbledore said, "Now pay attention. Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the Seventh Floor. Thirteenth Window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight."

"I don't have to remind you and Mr. Morningstar of this, Miss Granger, but I will reiterate anyway."

"You-must-not-be-seen. You know the law, what's at stake... for the essence of time, Harry, we will have to leave you in the dark about this. I am sorry," he turned to Harry for a brief moment, before walking to the doors slowly.

"It is... five minutes to midnight, three turns should do it. I am going to lock you in. Good luck."

When the door latched shut, Hermione immediately pulled out the Time Turner, wrapped it around Lucifer and herself, listening to Harry's frantic questioning that would most likely never get answered.

She turned it three times, and that familiar feeling wrapped around them in a dark blanket of sorts, sending them back in time.

They found themselves in an Empty Hospital Wing, "Okay... what were we-" Hermione was about to ask.

"Hagrid's... we were going to Hagrid's," Lucifer answered and began to hurry as fast as he could.

"Let me tell you," he started, grunting a bit, "moving with what I believe to be broken ribs is not fun. I'm albeit surprised to find my healing is currently dealing with both internal and outside damage...."

'Damn you, Snape...' She thought.

"I'm here if you need me," Hermione offered as they walked to the Entrance Hall.

They heard footsteps in front of them and Hermione quickly pushed Lucifer into a Broom Cupboard, closing it quickly behind her.

It was a small one for sure.

'If we weren't so pressed for time...' she glanced at him and observed his closeness.

'I'd snog him senseless, and maybe do other thi-' she slapped her inner self.

Hermione looked at him, at how close he was to her, "Why do you think Dumbledore wanted us to go back to this time?"

"We can save more than one innocent life... he's talking about Buckbeak..." Lucifer said slowly.

"But how..." she trailed off and she couldn't hear the footsteps anymore,

"Come on." They carefully exited the Broom Cupboard.

"So how is saving Buckbeak going to help Sirius?"

xxxxxx

Author's Note

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1 Extra Chapter - 125 Power Stone's! 🎉

Everything will be explained in next couple of Chapters, regarding him being vulnerable, his ways of becoming stronger during World Cup's Massacre, his true nature.