The Plot Unfolds

Albus stood outside the hospital door for as long as he dared, waiting to let the time travellers back in. When he could delay no longer, Albus reluctantly sealed the door. As the headmaster walked toward the room Sirius was currently being held in, his thoughts were all about what could have happened to the two teens.

Running through his head were the worse case scenarios that could see tonight ending very badly. They could have been seen and set off a paradox, kissed by dementors or bitten by a werewolf. Albus knew it was a risk sending them out there but he really couldn't just sit back and do nothing. The portraits reported that Sybill had made another prophecy, to Harry of all people. Albus needed the lad to trust him above all others. The look of devastation on Harry's face at the mere thought the great Albus Dumbledore couldn't help his godfather forced his hand. He was now regretting that decision.

Approaching the door behind which Sirius waited for death, Albus also couldn't help but examine the motives of the motley crew who were waiting there for his arrival. Walden Macnair couldn't contain his excitement, his eyes were sparkling with anticipation. He may have missed out on murdering an innocent hippogriff tonight but this would more than make up for it for the Ministry's executioner. Albus thought Macnair was as dark as the creature who stood beside him, waiting to administer its deadly kiss to Black.

The Minister's motives were almost innocuous - certainly not personal. Sirius Black was a problem Cornelius wanted to go away. While those motives might not be personal, a dementor would ensure Sirius never bothered anyone again.

Albus could see that for Severus, this was intensely personal. His clearly expressed anticipation was radiating off the potions Professor like some inner glow. It was disturbing for Albus to see someone he trusted so eager to witness the demise of another wizard. Severus was standing, wand ready, poised as if to get one more curse off at his enemy before the dementor did its job.

Even Cornelius noticed Severus' disturbing disposition with some alarm. Here was a wizard the Ministry was hoping to portray as the hero of tonight's fiasco acting more like a pantomime villain. That suggested Order of Merlin was looking more doubtful by the minute. As Albus opened the door, that Order of Merlin went out the window quicker than Sirius had.

Severus dived right into the room, a curse already on his lips. When it became obvious Sirius was no longer there, his scream of frustration rang throughout Hogwarts. It was soon followed by Snape screaming out the name of the person who he was positive had personally denied him his vengeance tonight. "POTTER!"

.....

As the infirmary window was already open it was a piece of cake for Harry to get them there mere seconds after Dumbledore had locked the door. Their feet had barely touched the floor when Dobby appeared to take Harry's Firebolt away. Those actions proved to be not a moment too soon as Madam Pomfrey bustled in to reclaim ownership of her domain.

"Right, now that they have gone, I can get on with my job. Potter, Granger, get up on those beds so I can carry out the scans that should have been done when you first came around."

Even if they had wanted to argue, it would have been physically impossible for the teens. While she had been remonstrating with them, Madam Pomfrey had broken large chunks off what looked like a boulder of chocolate and practically force fed those chunks to the young couple's mouths. All three heads were raised though at the scream reverberating around the castle. As that scream became a cry of "POTTER!", both Harry and Hermione were left wearing wide chocolate smiles.