Yellow light danced behind my eyes. My limbs felt both as light as clouds and as heavy as bricks. My head span but at the same time I felt perfectly sharp and clear. These contradictions told me one thing: I was recovering from delayed healing in the hospital wing.

I'd only felt like this after my rushed healing from the Quidditch match, so while I knew I was in safety, I felt on edge. So many questions raced through my head. What had happened after the silver light consumed us?

As the dizziness edged away from my mind, I was aware of voices. Keeping very still, I strained my ears to listen.

"Nasty burns you have there, Snape." It was Minister Fudge. "The work of Black, no doubt?"

"In fact, it was Elijah Carrow—remember, Minister, the one Dumbledore refused to expel despite him being a young arsonist?"

Anger began to flare inside me. Snape obviously knew about the experiments—he'd alluded to as much—and yet wouldn't tell the Minister that Elijah had powers.

"How dreadful! I always say Dumbledore is too soft—where is the boy now?"

"Dumbledore set him to his dormitory—pathetic if you ask me, no consequence to his actions." Snape sniffed. "Though I suppose he just stumbled into matters, led astray by Sasha and Lyra Black. They were bewitched by their Father—he told them tall tales of his innocence. Ridiculous."

Slowly, my brain began working. Did this mean that they'd captured Dad, that Pettigrew and Evelyn had gotten away? Had I lost Dad forever?

Fudge paused. "What of Cara Black? Do you believe she helped him get into the castle grounds?"

My heart beat furiously. Whatever Snape said now could either make or break my Mother, and I could potentially loose them both tonight.

Snape paused. "I don't believe she would do anything to put her daughters in danger." He paused and gulped. He sounded as if he was trying to swallow a lemon. "Despite her poor taste in men, she has morals."

"I see." Fudge sounded uninterested. "Do you believe she led Harry Potter astray, being his godmother?"

Snape scoffed. "Cara Rees couldn't control that boy if she tried. He's a nuisance, and Dumbledore has let him, and his friends get away with too much. Foolish, if you ask me."

"Hmmm...." Fudge said without interest. "Yes, well I'm more interested in what made those dementors retreat. Did you see?"

"No—by the time I stopped the children distracting me to get to Black: the dementors were retreating. Of course, Minister, I was the one to tie up Black and rescue the children."

"Ah, yes." Fudge again sounded un-interested by Snape's boasts. "Well—I must check on our prisoner. If you wish you accompany me, Snape, we can continue this conversation."

Painfully, I waited until the footsteps faded away and the click of the locks sliding into pace. Counting to three, I waited. Still, silence. Then, my eyes burst open.

Like I'd deducted, I was in the hospital wing. Sasha was on the bed to my left, Harry to the bed to my right. To my greater surprise, Ron and Hermione were opposite us: Hermione with a cut on her cheek and Ron—in plaster cast?

Before I'd had time to process this, Sasha and Harry had both had leapt to action in a similar fashion to me. Harry automatically began pacing.

"How could they capture Sirius? We know the truth—we saw Pettigrew, we saw his daughter!" Harry tugged at his hair. "They can't give him the Dementor's kiss!"

"What?" I had to clutch onto the bed frame, swaying at the intensity of Harry's words. "They're---they're going to give him the dementor's kiss?"

Harry nodded grimly. "I must have woken up before you—Snape was sucking up to Fudge, telling him how brilliant he thought the Dementor's kiss was." He let out a growl of frustration. "They have to believe us!"

The smashing of glass took my attention away from Harry's frantic figure. Sasha had knocked her pitcher of water onto the floor, glass fragments twinkling on the floor like stars. She looked hollowed, and for once, I could see the troubled girl who struggled with me gone.

"They won't believe us." Sasha's voice was full of pain, and yet she didn't cry. "We're just kids to them. They wouldn't believe Remus either, because he's a werewolf—and they certainly won't believe Mum." She sat on the bed, head in hands, defeated. "It's over."

"No it's not." Harry said abruptly. He pulled his hoodie on and grabbed his wand. "I'm going to see Dumbledore."

"Harry—" both Ron and Hermione had woken up now, looking worried. "What's going on—"

I too, began pacing. "Wait—Ron, what's wrong with your leg—I healed it!"

Ron grumbled, and poked at his plaster cast. "That stupid Evelyn—I'm not sure what she did, but after she turned invisible my leg started hurting. By the time you ran off, I was in agony. Somehow—she managed to take away the healing."

My hands shook. Evelyn. Just how powerful was she? "But how did you get hurt, Hermione?"

"Dumbledore set Elijah straight to his dormitory—Gods know why, and I knew I had to stay with you all." She touched a chain at her neck, which was odd. Since when did Hermione wear a necklace? "I cut myself on a rock to be here with you all."

"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed. "Now we're all caught up—I'm going to find Dumbledore and save Sirius!"

Almost as if Harry had summoned him with his words, the hospital wing door opened, and Dumbledore was stood there. He shut the door behind him, and Harry fell silent.

"You aren't all as quiet talking as you believe." Dumbledore said quietly. "I believe you think we have the wrong man?"

We all began a messy tirade of everything—Pettigrew, Evelyn, the dementors—until Dumbledore held up a hand for us to stop.

"Yes, I've spoken to Sirius, and he's saying the exact same thing." Dumbledore said, and hope burned in my chest, a flicker.

"So, you can let him go!" Sasha burst out. "Professor—our Father can't die for crimes he didn't commit—please—"

Dumbledore gave my sister a kind smile. "I'm afraid not, Sasha. The Ministry wouldn't believe any of you, being underaged wizards and witches. That's how our world works, sadly—"

"Then talk to Remus!" Harry burst out. "Or Aunt Cara—they saw everything—"

"Remus is in the forest, unable to speak to anybody rationally until dawn. Cara is still with him—she doesn't know anything that has happened, and by the time they leave the forest, it will be too late."

Dumbledore sounded sad, and that in broke my heart again. If Dumbledore didn't have hope, why should I? To my surprise, he turned to Hermione, his eyes twinkling. "What we need—is more time."

Hermione gasped, and touched the chain around my neck. "Are you saying—"

"Now pay attention," Dumbledore said his voice low and urgent. "Sirius is locked in the office directly below the Astronomy tower. If all goes well maybe more than one innocent life may be spared. But Miss Granger, you know the rules: you mustn't be seen."

Hermione nodded eagerly. Dumbledore walked back to the doors, but he placed a hand on them, turning back to us.

"I'm going to lock this door at eleven-fifty-five. Three turns should do it, Miss Granger. Good luck to you all."

He locked the door behind him, and we all span to face Hermione. I wasn't sure what was going on, but Dumbledore's words had unlocked something in me. Somehow, I knew that we were going to try and save Dad.

"What's going on Hermione?" Harry said, flustered. "What did he mean—three turns?"

"And whatever's going on—does this mean I'm counted out because I'm injured?" Ron said sourly from the bed.

"I'll tell you all now—and yes, Ron you'll be staying here." She turned to me. "Lyra—I don't think you should heal him. In case Evelyn is still close by—we don't want Ron breaking his leg a third time."

Anger sizzled at my fingertips at the thought Evelyn could unravel my healing, but I contained it, and nodded. "Yeah, sorry Ron." I said apologetically. "That would be just mean. You'll heal quick with magic anyways."

The three of us moved closer to Hermione. She pulled out a necklace from her jumper, attached to the chain she'd been wearing. It was a delicate gold circular necklace, and in the centre was a tiny silver hourglass.

Sasha's eyes glinted with excitement. "How the bloody hell did you get one of those, Hermione?"

"What is it?" I frowned.

Hermione ignored us and threw the chain over our heads. It must have had an extension charm on it, as it fit securely around our four necks. Hermione turned the hourglass three times, and I braced myself.

As if we were travelling through a film reel, everything rewound in front of our very eyes. Patients appeared and disappeared in beds, Madam Pomfrey paced backwards and forwards and the sky lightened, and stars vanished. Then, everything paused.

We were in the hospital wing, but the sunset was dappling in through the window, and the beds empty. Hermione pulled the necklace up from our necks.

"Come on!" she declared. "Quickly!"

We followed her down back corridors of the school I'd never used before, and Hermione didn't allow us to speak until the four of us were squished in a broom cupboard by the main doors.

"Hermione—what is going on?" Harry demanded. "You need to tell us, now."

Sasha laughed, and it was nice to hear after her grim tone in the hospital wing. "Haven't you both realised?"

Harry and I looked at each other and shook our heads. Part of me had a feeling what was happening, but surely that was impossible....

"We're travelled back in time!" Sasha clapped her hands together, confirming my thoughts. "Isn't it amazing?"

This night was getting weirder and weirder.

**

While I took in this shocking revelation, hurried footsteps went past the door. If I strained my ears, the voices sounded familiar...

Harry looked pale. "Is—is that us going down to Hagrid's?"

"So, there's two versions of us wandering around the castle now?" my eyes widened. "This is so cool—and reminds me of that muggle show with the phone box, but Hermione—how did you get this necklace?"

Hermione smiled, pleased to be asked questions. "It's called a time-turner. It's how I've been doing all my classes and exams. McGonagall and Dumbledore had to write to the Ministry to vouch for me to have one. They're not used lightly."

Sasha sat down on a mop bucket and twirled a curl around her finger. "Right..." she said, she sounded like she was thinking hard. "Three hours ago—you lot were going down to Hagrid's, and we were up in Mum's office—"

"Evelyn!" I shouted abruptly, and Hermione hissed for me to me quiet. I ignored her. "She was outside Mum's office—we can stop her from ever getting close to her Dad!"

Hermione reached out and lightly touched my arm. "You can't, Lyra, I'm sorry. Bad things happen to witches and wizards who mess with time. You can't be seen by Evelyn—she already knows you're in the office."

My heart sank. "Well what was Dumbledore on about 'saving more than one innocent life?"

Harry gasped, and practically bounced off the floor. "Buckbeak!" he exclaimed. "We can save him—then fly him to where Sirius is being held! They can escape together!"

Hermione looked wary. "If we could do that without being seen... It'd be a miracle."

Sasha leapt to her feet and forced her curly hair into a tight bun on the top of her head. She meant business. "Well the odds have been worse. Not to mention I know more spells—and you all have nerves of steel." My sister looked around at us all. "We can do this. It's our only option if we want to save Dad."

Bursting with pride at my sister's determined voice, I pushed open the cupboard door. The hall was deserted, and two-by-two, we scurried into the darkening night.

Navigating the way to Hagrid's was difficult, as we had to keep to the edge of the forbidden forest, to avoid the past-versions of my friends. But edging slowly, we reached Hagrid's hut just as three figures went into the hut.

"Phase one complete." I whispered. My heart was beating so fast that I thought it was ready to leap from my chest. I could see a sad looking Buckbeak sat by Hagrid's pumpkin patch. "Okay—there's our Hippogriff—what next?"

We turned to Hermione, who with her time-travel necklace had automatically been elected as leader. Before she could open her mouth, Harry—being Harry—began creeping out of the tree-line.

"Harry!" Hermione hissed, grabbing him quickly by the hood. "Not yet—Fudge and the executioner have to see Buckbeak! Otherwise they'll blame Hagrid!"

"And I am not helping prove another man's innocence." Sasha grabbed Harry and forcefully pulled him down next to her. He gave her a dirty look. "Stop it, you—it's for your own good. You can be the hero soon."

Harry grumbled under his breath but nodded. Through the silence of the forest, a tinkling of broken china sounded through the air, making me jump.

"Pettigrew was in the jug." Hermione murmured. Then suddenly she gasped, putting her hand over her mouth.

I grabbed her arm. "Hermione—Hermione, what is it?"

She pointed a shaking finger towards the pumpkin patch. Blinking into existence, looking as proud as punch, was Evelyn, wearing the face of Daphne Greengrass. She kicked at a pumpkin, looking bored.

We all ducked into the shrubbery. We didn't need to be dealing with this pyscho when there were lives on the line.

"Scabbers!" Past-Ron's voice echoed out of the window.

Evelyn let out a tiny high-pitched squeal and jumped up and down, her face full of anger. With her fists clenched and feet stomping against the pumpkin-strewn ground, she looked like a toddler having a tantrum.

"Dad!" she squealed. "Why do you always have to be so difficult?"

Then, once more, she blinked out of existence: becoming invisible once more. We all exchanged a tense look. Evelyn was something none of us had encountered before.

"I was thinking." Hermione said, her voice low. Hagrid's door opened of its own accord, so we knew Evelyn had snuck inside, out of ear-shot. "We all believed her to be Daphne Greengrass, right?"

"Yeah...." I trailed off, sensing Hermione was going somewhere with this.

"Well, all magical children are put on a register when they're born—excluding muggle-borns of course—and put automatically on the Hogwarts acceptance list, unless they end up being a squib, or enrol in a foreign school." Hermione whispered. "So, Evelyn couldn't lie her way into Hogwarts. She took the place of the real Daphne Greengrass."

Suddenly everything seemed too close, and my chest tightened. "So, there is a real Daphne Greengrass." Harry said, speaking what I was afraid to say.

Deathly silence came over our group at the possibility. "Hopefully Evelyn isn't too messed up to actually have killed anybody." Sasha said uncertainly. "Another mystery to solve, I suppose..."

Hermione waved her hand again, letting out a tiny squeak. I turned my attention away from morbid thoughts to see Dumbledore, Fudge and the executioner walking down the steps to Hagrid's hut.

Seconds later; Harry, Ron and Hermione hurried from the hut with Scabbers the rat in Ron's grip. We watched as Evelyn blinked into existence for a second, to point and laugh at Buckbeak as the executioner approached: just to disappear again.

While I considered myself to be quite kind-hearted and forgiving, I honestly couldn't see a single redeeming quality in Evelyn Pettigrew.

Shaking my head, I turned back to Hagrid's hut. Buckbeak was the priority here, not Evelyn. Fudge's voice snaked outside, reading official documents regarding the execution.

"I'm going." Harry said firmly, and before any of us could volunteer, he'd already vaulted over the small fence into Hagrid's garden, keeping low to the ground.

"That's our brother." Sasha told Hermione proudly.

Biting down on my lip, I watched with anticipation as Harry knelt in front of Buckbeak. It took several agonising seconds, but the creature finally locked gazes with Harry.

Harry wiggled the rope off the post keeping Buckbeak secure and wrapped it around his hand twice. Slowly he got up, and patted Buckbeak on the beak.

"Come on... Come on Buckbeak—we're here to save you."

Buckbeak seemed to like Harry, as he obediently trotted after him. They were half-way back to us when a reedy voice came from inside the hut. "Let's get this over with—we have other matters to attend to."

Harry froze. Sasha swore, and vaulted the fence. Hermione and I watched in terror, hand-in-hand as Sasha helped both Harry and Buckbeak get to safety.

"Almost there, almost there..." Harry was visibly sweating as they got ever closer to us.

Then—Sasha and Harry were climbing over the fence, Buckbeak doing an adorable hop over the fence. Then they were in the safety of the fence.

"Phase two—complete." Sasha said breathlessly, leaning against a tree. "Dear God, that was the most stressful thing—and I'm best friends with Fred and George."

Then through the trees, we could hear shouting. "Where is it? Where is the beast?" it was the executioner, who sounded furious. "It was just here!"

"Maybe it flew away?" Dumbledore sounded amused, and I could barely hold back a grin.

"Oh, Buckbeak!" Hagrid cried, and he sounded delighted. With relief, I realised I would be able to tell Cassie that Buckbeak was alive later, something which warmed my heart.

"Come on," Hermione nodded towards the depth of the forest.

With our wands lit, we walked deeper into the forest, but I didn't feel afraid like I had been two years ago. There were scarier things in the world than darkness and the rustling of trees.

We'd been walking for maybe half-an-hour before Hermione stopped us. We were on the edge of the forest, in view of the Whomping Willow and the forest lake the dementors had appeared at.

"We'll have to wait for you all to be attacked by dementors." Hermione said, sitting down on the floor with a thump. "Then we'll have to fly straight to the tower—before they can get Sirius."

My stomach flopped as we nestled in a circle on the ground, Buckbeak chewing on moss attached to a tree. We might have got Buckbeak, but now we had to break into the school and rescue Dad.

We sat in silence for a while, before Harry let out an irritated noise and leapt to his feet. "My cloak is just sitting there!" he pointed at a spot near the tree. "If I grabbed it, Snape wouldn't get it and—"

"We'd all get into a lot of trouble." Hermione said firmly. "Harry—please, don't."

"How can you stand this?" he demanded. "I don't care, it's only a stupid cloak—"

He'd taken two steps before Sasha reached out and grabbed his leg, Harry stumbling face-first onto the ground. With a face-full of moss, he glared at my sister.

"What was that for?"

"Ever the observant one." Sasha nodded towards the tree. "Snape just took the cloak." She was right. "Don't you think he'd be concerned with how you're in two places at once?"

Harry grumbled, rubbing moss off his shirt. "It's just frustrating, okay?"

"Don't you remember Back to the Future?" I said quietly. "All Marty did was speak to his parents—and he almost erased his own existence."

"Haven't seen it." Harry mumbled, just to be greeted by all of us crying out that he hadn't lived. "Well who cares?" he looked towards Sasha and I, with a small smile. "We'll have all the time in the world—once we're a family."

Inside I felt like honey had been poured into my veins. The thought of us all being a family was all that was getting me through this tense time. We were all in the Shack now though—give it an hour, and it'd all be over.

"What did get rid of the dementors?" Hermione asked after a few minutes. "Did you see who conjured the patronus?"

Sasha shook her head, but to my surprise, Harry nodded with me. "Who did you see?" I asked eagerly. My theory had seemed so strange, but since as we'd time-travelled....

"My Dad." Harry said quietly.

"Harry..." Sasha reached for him. "He's—"

"Dead, I know." Harry said harshly. He sighed and laid back on the grass. "I'm sorry, Sasha. I just—it looked just like him. I know how impossible it sounds."

Everybody says you look just like your Father. I didn't voice my thoughts with Harry. He would realise, sooner or later. I wasn't going to take his hope from him.

Harry and Hermione sat quietly talking for a while, so I scooted closer to Sasha, who was lightly stroking Buckbeak. She looked content.

"Mum said I can go study dragons this summer, in Romania." Sasha said quietly. "She said to me yesterday—she's arranged it all with the reservation."

"Sasha!" delighted, I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. But she stayed perfectly still. I let go of her and frowned. "What's the matter? Don't you want to study dragons anymore?"

"I do!" Sasha said, but she bit down on her lip. "But wouldn't it be horrible of me to go, when we need to find Pettigrew? Dad would hate me."

"He wouldn't hate you, Sasha. We'll keep fighting." I said quietly, nudging her arm. "Working with magical creatures is your dream. Remember when your Halloween costume was Newt Scamander for three years straight?"

"Four." Sasha said, with a hint of a smile. "You even helped make a tiny bowtruckle for me."

"I only drew a face on a leaf." I nudged her shoulder again. "Sasha—go to Romania. It's your dream. Anybody who says you shouldn't follow it is ridiculous."

Sasha suddenly sat up straighter, alert. The tension went from her shoulders, and a smile went on her face. "Thank you, Lyra."

"For what?"

She pressed a sloppy kiss to the side of my head. "You've helped me realise something."

It was another half-an-hour before Hermione shouted: "Look!"

All of us were trailing out of the Whomping Willow. Elijah's fire was visible even from a distance. This reminded me that him, Kat and I needed to have a chat about our powers after all of this was done.

"Quick!" Sasha exclaimed. "We need to move!"

"Move over there, stay here—make your mind up!" Harry grumbled.

"She's right Harry—otherwise we'll be flattened by a werewolf and lynx cat!" I exclaimed, and Harry's face paled.

With a quick unanimous decision to hurry to the lake-side, Sasha took control and gently coaked Buckbeak to follow us deeper into the dark forest. As the trees rustled around us, we could here animalistic noises in the distant.

Within minutes we were at the lake-side, all breathing heavily. We had only minutes now. We'd only just regained our breath, when a dog tumbled down the banking opposite us.

My breath hitched, wanting more than anything to help Dad, pained that we had to wait there. We watched as he transformed into human, yelping in pain.

Then Harry and Sasha were there at his side, trying to help. Minutes later, there was my pale hair, white in the darkness. Then, the ice went back into my bones... they were here.

"Don't worry!" Harry cried, as we huddled with Buckbeak in the safety of the trees. "My Dad will be here now—he'll save us!"

The dementors swooped down on us, and I could see my past-hands glistening with Dad's blood. Come on, Harry... Realise... Realise...

"Where is he?" Harry cried. "We're dying!"

Unable to take it, I grabbed Harry abruptly, my nails curling into his shoulders. "Harry!" I shouted. "It's you! It was you all along!"

Shocking realisation beamed onto Harry's face. He nodded once, then burst out onto the lake-side. "EXPCTO PATRONUM!" he screamed.

We watched in awe and delight as a pure silver stag erupted from the end of Harry's wand. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Like an avenging angel it flew at the dementors, and they scattered into the trees.

Harry stumbled back against the tree, breathing hard. I was there, hand on his back. "You okay?"

Harry gave me a devilish smile. "Phase three—complete."

"I—I can't believe you did it!" Hermione said in awe. "That was—that was brilliant, Harry! Amazing!"

We couldn't praise Harry for too long unfortunately, as when we next looked up, we'd all disappeared. We were on our way back to the castle, and Dad to his doom.

"We won't make it in time!" Hermione cried, looking at her wand. "It's half eleven now—we need to find the tower as well!"

Sasha began swearing, and Harry collapsed against a tree. But for some reason, I didn't feel hopeless. Instead, I felt... I knew exactly what to do.

"Everybody—get onto Buckbeak." I said very calmly. They stared at me. "Now!"

Something in the tone of my voice made everyone listen. Hermione swung up first, Harry wedged himself in the middle, and Sasha slid on behind him. They turned to me expectantly.

My brain was on auto-pilot as I approached Buckbeak. Quickly winning his affection, I wrapped my hand firmly around the rope. Deep inside me was a low buzz, like a thousand tiny bees all working in harmony.

When the buzzing reached a crescendo, I clapped my hands together, thinking of the office Dad was being held. Then a wall of flames surrounded us.

But I knew they wouldn't hurt us. These were my flames.

**

Travelling by phoenix fire was instantaneous. My head span as we appeared on a balcony outside the office, exactly where I'd imagined. I couldn't help but be stunned. While I'd known this was a phoenix power, I'd been unsure if I could wield it.

All my friends stared at me open-mouthed. "How—how—"

"Saved us a bit of time." I said breezily, though I felt anything but. You're not the only one with power, Evelyn.

Hermione opened her mouth and shut it again. "F-Fascinating."

Sasha had paled under her freckles. "You surprise me every day, sister."

Harry cleared his throat. "While that was cool—we have other matters." He nodded towards the window.

Dad was at the locked window, his face full of amazement. He mouthed our names. Sasha urged him to stand back. "I'll unlock it!" Dad stepped back. "Alohomora!"

The window sprang opened to my surprise. They hadn't anticipated Dad would escape. Looking starstruck, Dad climbed out of the window.

"You—how did you all—" he glanced at all of us in turn. "Lyra—you used fire to transport—"

"There's no time!" Harry hissed. "The dementors are coming—you need to escape!"

Dad was startled into action, and Harry leapt down next to me as he climbed onto Buckbeak. Visualising the courtyard, I held tight onto Harry's hand and the rope. Clapping my hands together—once again we were gone in a flurry of flames and dust.

The courtyard was deserted, and we hurried into a hidden alcove as Sasha and Hermione slid off Buckbeak's back.

"What about the others?" Dad demanded. His expression darkened. "And your mother?"

"She's with Remus." Sasha lightly touched our Father's arm. "We'll take care of her."

Dad looked towards the sky, and back to us. His eyes were full of tears. "I wish it didn't have to be like this—I may not see you all for a while."

"We'll find Pettigrew." My voice was thick as I spoke. We'd saved him, and yet this was still goodbye. "We'll keep fighting."

Dad smiled. "My girls. You're both so brave." He turned to Sasha. "Especially you—Sasha, you're a natural leader."

Sasha looked touched, and squeezed her eyes shut. Dad locked eyes with Harry. "Oh, Harry. You—your parents would be so proud. We will see each other soon—I'll try my hardest to keep in touch." He looked like he was swallowing a lump in my throat. "Goodbye for now—give my Mother and Remus my love."

Then Dad lightly patted Buckbeak's side, and the wings took to the sky. Dad rose higher and higher in the sky, waving at us. We stood there, arms linked until we couldn't see them anymore.

Goodbye for now.

------

A/N  Yes I know... long chapter. But neccasary. The next chapter is the last full one--and we have two more twists!! Ahhh!

Also has anybody watched the new Fantastic Beasts trailer? I can't believe Nagini was a person once... I'm not sure how to feel about it ha. 

Until next time.