PETTIGREW GOT AWAY.

"SORRY ABOUT THE BITE. I reckon that twinges a bit."

"A bit?" Ron asked in disbelief. As they were traveling back through the tunnel, Harry and Sirius were helping Ron limp along. "A bit? You almost tore my leg off!"

"Now, I was going to the rat. Normally, I have a very sweet disposition as a dog," Sirius defended. "In fact, more than once, James suggested that I make the change permanent."

"Ivy can vouch for that," Harry spoke up. "She was just as worried about whether Snuffles had rabies as if Ron was gonna lose his leg."

"You were more worried about the dog than me?" Ron asked, looking over his shoulder at Ivy with an accusing glare. "You've known me since I was six. You've only been feeding him for a year."

"Ivy's been feeding you?" Remus asked, not holding back a laugh. He was guarding Pettigrew and making sure he didn't change back into a rat. "No wonder you look so much healthier than your mugshot."

"She's been bringing you cookies all year and hasn't mentioned her precious stray dog, Snuffles?" Harry asked, a little shocked. Ivy often talked about Snuffles and constantly snuck out of meals early to go feed him.

"Miss Arora, dogs are not one of the permitted animals to have at Hogwarts," Remus said in a playfully scolding tone.

"Oh, I'm sure if you write my parents, there's still time for me to get one final howler before leaving this place," she said, only partly joking. She probably would get scolded once they learned of her involvement in all this.

As the group — Ivy was certain she'd never be surrounded by such a strange mix of people again — made it to the end of the tunnel, they helped Ron out first. He rested at the base of the Whomping Willow, which had gone still as Sirius had pressed a knot at the bottom of the entrance.

As Ivy, Hermione, and Harry knelt by Ron to make sure he was alright, Sirius wandered forward and stared at the glowing castle in the distance. His freedom was no more than a mile or two away. Harry watched him go with a longing expression on his face, one which they all recognized.

"You'd better go," Ron said, nodding to the man.

"No, no," Harry said, shaking his head. He wanted to stay by his friend's side while he was injured. "Don't worry. It's fine. I'll stay."

"You go. We'll stay," Hermione told him. They knew he needed to talk to Sirius.

"You okay?" Harry asked Ron, wanting to make sure.

"I'm fine. Go." Harry nodded and followed after Sirius.

Ivy looked down at Ron's wound, knowing she couldn't try any healing spells with how severe it was. As he shifted it slightly, Ron winced from the pain.

"Ow. That looks really painful," Hermione said in a small voice.

"So painful," Ron agreed. "They, uh, they might chop it."

Ivy snorted while Hermione refrained from rolling her eyes. "I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will fix it in a heartbeat."

"It's too late," Ron continued dramatically. "It's ruined. It'll have to be chopped off."

"Well, I'll be sure to bake you some fresh cookies to make up for your lack of leg," Ivy said in a teasing tone.

Ron smiled, already tasting the sweet treat. "That's all I ask." Then he looked to Sirius and Harry, who were talking quietly. "What d'you suppose they're talking about?"

"Well, Sirius is Harry's Godfather after all. Maybe... once this is all cleared up, they could live together," Hermione said.

Ivy smiled a real smile. "Good. I can't stand him going back to that horrid Dursley family again. They always put time limits on my visits."

"Do you suppose it'll be weird visiting him if he lives with Sirius?" Hermione asked. "I mean, he's spent a year practically glued to your side yet he's a stranger to you still."

Ivy's eyes were glued to Sirius's tall figure. Even though she didn't know the man, she still felt a connection to him — felt like she could trust him. She was, after all, the first to believe he was innocent and come at the situation with an open mind. Perhaps it was her bond with "Snuffles" that led to that.

"I'll sit and think about how awkward the entire situation is after Pettigrew has been turned in, and I have a nap," Ivy said, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

Speaking of Pettigrew, Remus had finally forced him out of the tunnel and out into the open. The coward was begging for anything but the Dementor's kiss.

"Turn me into a maggot. Dung beetle. Flobberworm! Anything but the Dementors!" Remus tried to shush his annoying pleas. Pettigrew grasped at Ron's sweatshirt. "Ron! Ha - haven't I been a good friend, a good pet? You won't let them give me to the Dementors, will you? I was your rat!"

Ron simply looked on in disgust, taking Scabbers's true identity as an insult and betrayal. "Get back!"

Pettigrew turned to the girls, but as soon as his eyes landed on Ivy, Sirius was yelling, having kept an eye on them despite talking to Harry. "Get away from her!"

While Hermione stayed sitting by Ron, Ivy got to her feet. Harry had returned her wand, which she held out towards Remus, figuring she could help guard him until they made it to the castle.

"You don't have to—"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts is one of my best classes," she told Remus, assuring him that she didn't mind. "I know plenty of defensive spells, Professor."

"Well—"

Remus was cut off again, but this time by himself. A low groan left his throat and his eyes went wide. Ivy was confused for only a second before the clouds drifted away, revealing the moon. The full moon.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted, spotting it as well.

As soon as the moonlight shined on Remus, all hope was lost. His eyes were blown wide as fangs began to grow in place of his teeth.

"Remus, my old friend," Sirius said, running forward. "Have you taken your potion tonight?"

The pained groans and lack of control over his body gave them the answer. If a Werewolf missed even one dose of the Wolfsbane Potion, they'd lose their mind in a battle against the moon and its control.

Sirius tried to reason with the screaming and writhing man. "You know the man you truly are, Remus. This heart is where you truly live! This heart here. This flesh is only flesh."

Ivy ran to help Ron stand, knowing Sirius wouldn't be able to stop what was happening. As the students backed away, Remus dropped his wand. Pettigrew saw his chance and took the wand. However, Ivy quickly disarmed him.

Pettigrew simply smiled at them as he shrunk down, turning into a rat once more. Harry bolted after him, but Hermione held him back, not wanting him running around the woods alone when a Werewolf was no doubt about to roam free.

"Remus!" Sirius tried once more. But it was too late. Remus was already transforming. "Run!"

Then the wolf threw Sirius back, snarling loudly. Ivy grabbed Ron's arm and tried to pull him along, but Hermione whispered for them to wait.

"Bad idea. Bad idea," Ron whimpered.

Ivy knew what she was doing, she just didn't agree. Assuming that Remus had drunk six out of the seven potions, there was a chance he'd retain some of his cognitive control — but it was a very, very small chance. Not one that Ivy wanted to take.

"Professor?" Hermione called gently. The wolf's snarling turned to whining as he looked at Hermione. "Professor Lupin?"

The wolf reared back and howled loudly, spooking Hermione. Ivy reached out and pulled her back to stand with them. Despite her fear, Ivy made sure the children were behind her as they carefully watched the creature.

"Nice doggie," Ron whispered, shaking in his bones. "Nice doggie."

Before the wolf reached them, Snape appeared from the tunnel, having finally woken up. However, he hadn't noticed the Werewolf as he ran to the students angrily. "There you are, Potter!"

"Professor Snape!" Ivy whined. She put her hands on his shoulder and turned him to face the wolf, who roared loudly. Snape protectively stood in front of them, but it didn't do much good as the wolf swiped at them all. Hermione and Ivy screamed as they were all knocked to the ground.

The Werewolf towered over them, growling as he prepared to attack. But then Sirius, in Animagus form, came out of nowhere, barking and growling as he barreled into the world. Once to their feet, Snape again made sure to keep the students behind him while Sirius faced off against the Werewolf.

Sirius wasn't much of a match, but he managed to annoy the wolf enough to lure it away.

"Sirius!" Harry called, worried about his Godfather. Then, he broke from Snape's hold and ran after them.

"Get back here, Potter!" Snape shouted. But he couldn't run after him and leave the others alone.

Ivy peered helplessly through the dark. "Pettigrew got away."

"Pettigrew?" Snape asked, shooting her a confused look. But then he decided he did not want to hear it. "You are still a Prefect for one more day, Arora. Get these two to the castle and to the Hospital Wing. Do not leave."

"What are you going to—"

"Not a word, Weasley," Snape snapped, glaring at him. He looked back at Ivy. "You still have your wand?" She nodded quickly and held it at the ready. "If you come across Lupin—"

"Stupify, Petrificus Totalus, or Flipendo," she said, recalling the best spells to temporarily defend oneself against a Werewolf — the non-lethal ones at least.

As Ivy led Hermione and Ron to the castle, Snape ran after Harry, Sirius, and the Werewolf.

"W - what's Snape gonna do? Lupin will tear him to shreds," Ron said, looking over his shoulder. "Sirius is probably dead already."

"He's not going to stop Remus," Ivy said, sucking in a breath. "He'll go searching for the Dementors. So, we need to hurry, get you to the Hospital Wing, and find Dumbledore. He'll know how to fix this."

"You don't sound very sure, Ivy," Hermione noted.

She took in a deep breath and looked through the trees at the last place she'd seen Sirius and Harry. "I'm not."

| | |

Harry was surprised when he woke up. The last thing he had seen before passing out on the shore of the Black Lake next to Sirius was hundreds of Dementors swarming above as a bright stag Patronus chased them off. Instead of feeling sand and rocks, he felt a soft hospital bed underneath him.

Hermione gently calling his name brought him to reality.

"I saw my dad," was the first thing out of his mouth.

"What?" Ivy asked, taking his hand. He turned his head and saw that the cuts on her face had been cleaned and stitched up.

"He sent the Dementors away. I saw him across the lake," he explained.

Ivy and Hermione shared a look, knowing they didn't have time to convince him otherwise. "Listen, Harry," Hermione said. "They've captured Sirius. Any minute, the Dementors are going to perform the Kiss."

"You mean they're gonna kill him?" Harry asked, sitting up quickly.

"No, it's worse," Ivy said in a small voice. "It's much worse. HJ, if we don't do something, they're going to suck out his soul. Pettigrew is gone, Professor Lupin is no help, and Professor Snape won't hear it."

Before Harry could even fully get off the bed, Dumbledore let himself into the Hospital Wing. While Ivy gave Harry his shoes, Hermione rushed up to him. "Headmaster, you've got to stop them! They've got the wrong man."

"It's true, sir," Harry said, as he and Ivy rushed over. "Sirius is innocent!"

"It's Scabbers who did it!" Ron pipped up from his hospital bed. Ivy sighed in relief, not knowing he was awake yet.

"Scabbers?" Dumbledore asked, giving him an odd look.

"He's my rat, sir. Well, he's not really a rat," he explained, grimacing. "Uh, well, he was a rat. He was my brother Percy's rat. But then they gave him an owl, then I got—"

Having enough with his ranting, Hermione spun back around to face Dumbledore. "Point is, we know the truth. Please believe us."

"I do, Miss Granger," he told them in a calm voice. "But I'm sorry to say, the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards and one eighteen will convince few others." He then moved across the room to check on Ron. "A child's voice, however honest and true, is meaningless—" Ivy covered her mouth as Dumbledore thoughtlessly pat Ron on his foot, earning pained whimpers from the boy. "—to those that have forgotten how to listen."

Then the midnight bell began to toll, and Dumbledore's demeanor changed. He looked to be in deep thought as he passed by them. "Mysterious thing, time. Powerful, and when meddled with... dangerous. Sirius Black is in the topmost cell of the Dark Tower." He paused at the door and sharply looked at Hermione. "You know the laws, Miss Granger. You must not be seen, and you would do well, I feel, to return before this last chime. If not, the consequences are too ghastly to discuss. If you succeed tonight, more than one innocent life may be spared. Three turns should do it, I think."

Harry and Ivy had never been more confused by the Headmaster in their life as he made his way out. Though, just before he shut the doors, he said one more thing. "Oh, by the way, when in doubt, I find retracing my steps to be a wise place to begin. Good luck."

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron asked, voicing all their thoughts — except Hermione's.

"Sorry, Ron, but seeing as you can't walk," she said. Then she pulled a long necklace out from under her sweatshirt. Harry and Ivy were puzzled as she threw the chain around all three of their necks. Hermione began to fiddle with the round charm, and Ivy's eyes went wide.

Before she could ask if that really was what she thought it was, Harry moved to touch it, and Hermione smacked his hand away. Then she turned the dial three times just as Dumbledore had instructed.

Ivy and Harry looked around in awe as the room around them began to fall back in time. People blurred past, their conversations distorted. Outside the window, the night faded away as the sun rose again — only it rose in the wrong direction.

They were traveling back in time.