I wasn't hurting anymore. The fresh scent of lemon was in the air, and with the soft blankets around my shoulders and the fact my ankle felt weightless—I knew I was in the hospital wing. Hearing voices, I rolled over and tried to listen.

"--Nasty cut you've got there... Black's work, I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact, it was the children Minister..."

"No!"

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now... 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."

"And yet — is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Any other student would be suspended—"

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

Even though I felt like a ton of bricks was on my head and my heart, there was a part of me that wanted to spring up from the bed and strangle Snape for telling such lies....

"What amazes me most is the behaviour of the Dementors... you've really no idea what made them retreat?"

"No, Minister... by the time I had come they were heading back to their positions?"

"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girls—"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. And of course I tied up Black...."

They had Sirius. I needed to find Dumbledore.

Finally finding the strength to open my eyes, everything looked blurry and out of tune. Looking to the right I could see Hermione, looking shocked and silent.

Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to my bed. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate I'd ever seen—and I'd been to America at one point.

"Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on my bedside table and began breaking it with a small hammer.

"How's Ron?" said Harry and Hermione together. I jolted upwards, seeing my brother was in the bed next to Hermione.

"He'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly.

"Where's Gennie?" I questioned, noticed that she was nowhere in sight. Cole was asleep on a bed near Ron, snoring, a bandage around a large lump on his forehead.

"With her Father no doubt, he's running around outside." Madam Pomfrey said with a kind smile. "As for you three, you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're — Oswin, what do you think you're doing?"

I was sitting up, putting my glasses back on, and picking up my wand.

"I need to see the headmaster," I said boldly.

"Oswin," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, "it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The Dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now —"

"WHAT?" Harry and I yelled at the same time. His glasses were on askew, his mouth open wide.

Harry jumped up out of bed but our shouts had been heard in the corridor outside; next second, Fudge and Snape had entered the ward.

"Harry, Harry, Aurora what's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should both be in bed — have they had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.

"Minister, listen!" I said quickly. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the Dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's —"

But Fudge was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.

"Aurora, Aurora, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control..."

"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry yelled. "LISTEN TO MY SISTER; YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"

"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said; she had hurried to Harry's side with me, "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and —"

"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, both of them... Black's done a very good job on them..."

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.

"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter and Oswin are my patients, and they should not be distressed!"

"I'm not distressed; I'm trying to tell them what happened!" I said furiously. "If they'd just listen —"

But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into my mouth; I choked, and she seized the opportunity to force me back onto the bed.

"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave."

The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. I swallowed my mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty and got up again. But Harry began speaking.

"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black —" Harry began

"For heaven's sake!" said 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, Miss Oswin 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?" spat Snape.

"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his glasses.

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

"That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear."

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

"Don't talk to her like that!" I shouted.

"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances —"

"I would like to speak to Harry, Aurora and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy — please leave us."

"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest —"

"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her

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

Snape hadn't moved. "You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" he whispered.

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

Snape took a step toward Dumbledore. "Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster?"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly.

Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door. We all burst into speech at the same time as it slammed shut..

"Professor, Sirius is telling the truth--We saw Pettigrew--He escaped when Remus turned into a werewolf--"

"— he's a rat —"

"— Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off —"

"— Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius —"

But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.

"There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word — and the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody—"

"Professor Lupin can tell you —" Harry said, unable to stop himself

"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest with his daughter, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little—"

"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."

"He hates Sirius," Hermione said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him —"

"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady — entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife — without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."

"But you believe us." I said softly.

"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth."

My heart sank and I felt like crying. Our last hope was gone.

"What we need is," Dumbledore began, looking between the three of us, his blue eyes calm. "Is more time."

"But--" Hermione began. Then her eyes widened. "Oh!" She exclaimed loudly.

"Now pay attention," Dumbledore said his voice low and urgent. "Sirius is locked in Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. If all goes well, you'll be able to spare more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, all three of you must not be seen."

What was he on about?

He started to walk to the other end of the hospital wing, but he turned to the three of us.

"I'm going to lock you in. It is--" He looked to his watch. "--Five minutes to midnight. Three turns ought to do it, Miss Granger. Good luck."

"Good luck?" I repeated as the door clicked shut. "Three turns? Hermione, what the hell is going on?"

"What is he even talking about? What do we have to do?" Harry asked, tripping over his words.

"Harry, Rory, come here." Hermione hissed.

The two of us moved towards her. She pulled something out from her shirt—a sparkling hour glass necklace

"Ready?" Hermione said breathlessly.

"What are we doing?"

"I think she's lost it, Harry." I said feeling confused.

Hermione turned the hour glass over three times.

Colour and lights flashed around us like the Waltzers in Oxford fair Kayley was always sick on, but we stayed glued to the same spot, voices and whispers and light passing over us. Then the weightless feeling left, and I could see.

We were in the deserted entrance hall, but there was sunshine around us. I felt like I was going to faint and scream at the same time. This had always been one of my dreams, but I'd never thought it was possible.

"In here!" Hermione seized our arms, and dragged us into a broom cupboard.

"Hermione, what's going on?" Harry demanded.

"We've gone back in time, three hours in fact." Hermione said quickly, as if it was no big deal.

"I KNEW IT!" I burst out. "I knew there was a reason you always snapped at me if I mentioned time travel!"

Even though it wasn't the biggest priority, I couldn't help grinning. I was right.