"Shocking business... shocking... miracle none of them died... never heard the like... by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape..." 
"Thank you, Minister." 
"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!" 
"Thank you very much indeed, Minister." 
"Nasty cut you've got there... Black's work, I suppose?" 
"As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Weasley, Granger and Willow, Minister..." 
"No!" 
"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behaviour. 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." 
"And yet -- is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and 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...." 
“And his sister, Willow-“

“Yes, I seemed to – as strange as this sounds – suddenly remember everything about the child. As though my memories had been wiped.”

“I had the same feeling minister. It is also the work of Black. Trying to conceal her so he could kill her and no one would notice.”

Bullshit.
I lay listening with my eyes tight shut. I felt very groggy. The words I was hearing seemed to be travelling very slowly from my ears to my brain, so that it was difficult to understand...not that there was a real link between my brain and ears.

"What amazes me most is the behaviour of the Dementors... you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?" 
"No, Minister... by the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances...." 
"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girls --"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle." 
There was a pause. My brain seemed to be moving a little faster, and as it did, a gnawing sensation grew in the pit of my stomach.... Of course, I wasn’t sure whether it was from fear or hunger.

I’d say hunger, because I haven’t eaten in the last three and a bit hours.
I opened my eyes. 
I was lying in the dark hospital wing. At the very end of the ward, I could make out Madam Pomfrey with her back to me, bending over a bed. Ron's red hair was visible beneath Madam Pomfrey's arm. 
Hermione and Harry lay awake listening too. Hermione put a finger to her lips and pointed to the door. It was ajar, and the voices of Cornelius Fudge and Snape were coming through it from the corridor outside. 
Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to my bed. I turned to look at her. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate I had ever seen in his life. It looked like a small boulder. 
"Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on my bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer. 
"How's Ron?" said Harry, Hermione and I together. I sat up and tried to look casual.  

Of course I’m not about to get up and leave.
"He'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "As for you three, you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're -- Potter, what do you think you're doing?" 
Harry was sitting up, putting his glasses back on, and picking up his wand. 
"I need to see the headmaster," he said. 
"Potter," 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?" I fell out of bed. Harry and Hermione had jumped up and landed on their feet, but you know, I’m un-co.

Our shout had been heard in the corridor outside; next second, Cornelius Fudge and Snape had entered the ward. 
"What's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed – have they had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously. See, chocolate is that awesome.
"Minister, listen!" Harry said. "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. I hurried to Harry’s side.
"Harry, Harry, 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. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!" 
"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said; she too had hurried to Harry's side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face. "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!" I roared. "WE KNOW THE TRUTH BUT YOU'RE SUCH AN IGNORANT BUM-HEAD THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN STAND TO LISTEN TO THE TRUTH!"

Just gonna stand there and hear me roar –

“Shush, I can’t hear.” Lucy said.

"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient, and she should not be distressed!" 

Ohh! I’m a Potter now. Unless she’s saying Harry is a girl. Either way it makes sense.
"I'm not distressed; I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Harry and I said furiously. "If they'd just listen --" Wow, same thought line.

Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry’s mouth; he choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed. 

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

The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. Harry swallowed his mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty and got up again. 
“Professor-“Harry started, but I was louder.
"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black --" 
"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 Granger and Willow," 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. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive --" 
"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles. 
"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!" 

“PRICK!” I shouted back. I hate him yelling at Hermione. I don’t know why, but it just irks me. Snape glared at me.

“How dare you, you audacious impertinent child-“he snarled at me. 
"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances --" 

"If there are allowances then I must say that Snape is a -" I began.
"I would like to speak to Harry, Hermione and Willow alone," said Dumbledore abruptly, cutting off the insult that I was still formulating. "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. Fudge consulted the 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." 
He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved. 
"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face. 
"I wish to speak to them 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? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?" 
"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. 
Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them, and Dumbledore turned to us. The three of us burst into speech at the same time. 
"Professor, Black's telling the truth -- we saw Pettigrew -- he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf --" 
"-- he's a rat --" 
"-- Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off --" 

“– And the voices told me it was the truth – I'm not schizophrenic-“

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

“—he framed Sirius! --“

 “- I like llamas-“

“-Shut up Willow-“

“-You shut up-“

But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations...and whatever I was saying.
"It is your turn to listen, 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 word of two thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. ("Oh, I get it, because I'm twelve now.") A street full of eyewitnesses 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 said, unable 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 mistrusted 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." 
"He hates Sirius," Hermione said desperately."All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him-“

“What happened to no interruptions?“ I wondered aloud.

"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." Dumbledore continued.
"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, or to overrule the Minister of Magic...." 
I stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath me were falling sharply away. I had grown used to the idea that Dumbledore could solve anything. I had expected Dumbledore to pull some amazing solution out of his arse. But no ... our last hope was gone. 

Or was it?

BING! LIGHTBULB MOMENT!

Hahahaha! Kidding!
"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved from Harry to Hermione, "is more time." 
"But --" Hermione began. And then her eyes became very round. "OH!" 

"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. "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. But remember this, all of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law -- you know what is at stake...You -- must -- not -- be --seen." 
I didn't have a clue what was going on. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door. 
"I am going to lock you in. It is --" he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck." 
"Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?" 
But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain. 
"You two, come here," she said urgently. "Quick!" 
Harry and I moved toward her, completely bewildered. She was holding the chain out. I saw a tiny, sparkling hourglass hanging from it. 
"Here --" 
She had thrown the chain around our necks too. 
"Ready?" she said breathlessly. 
"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost. 
Hermione turned the hourglass over three times. 
The dark ward dissolved. I had the sensation that I was flying very fast, backward. A blur of colours and shapes rushed past me, my ears were pounding,- 
And then I felt solid ground beneath my feet, and everything came into focus again -- 
I was standing next to Hermione in the deserted entrance hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors. I looked wildly around at Hermione, the chain of the hourglass cutting into my neck. 
Dear brain,

If you work out what’s going on for me, I promise I will use you more often.

Sincerely Willow.

“Okay, Hermione used magical skills to attend classed at the same time. She used this time thingy. Three turns. Three hours. Two lives to save. Buckbeak and Sirius.”

Good work brain.
"Hermione, what --?" Harry said
"In here!" Hermione seized our arms and dragged us across the hall to the door of a broom closet; she opened it, pushed us inside among the buckets and mops, then slammed the door behind us.
"What -- how -- Hermione, what happened?" 
"We've gone back in time," Hermione whispered, "Three hours back..." 
"But --" 
"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think -- I think it might be us!' Hermione had her ear pressed against the cupboard door. 
"Footsteps across the hall... yes, I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!" 
"Are you telling me," Harry whispered, "that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there too?" 
"Yes," said Hermione, her ear still glued to the cupboard door. "I'm sure it's us. It doesn't sound like more than four people... and we're walking slowly because we're under the Invisibility Cloak -- " 
She broke off, still listening intently. 
"We've gone down the front steps...." 
Hermione sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperately anxious.

"Where did you get that hourglass thing?" 
"It's called a Time-Turner," Hermione whispered, "and I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I've been using it all year to get to all my lessons. Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies... I've been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several lessons at once, see? But... 
"Harry, I don't understand what Dumbledore wants us to do. Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help Sirius?" 
I stared at her shadowy face. 
"There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change," he said slowly. "What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago...." 
"This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid's," said Hermione. "We just heard ourselves leaving...." 
“You two are stupid. Buckbeak, he’s innocent. We save him, then fly up to Sirius’ prison and save him before he dies. He flies off and two innocent lives are saved. It works.”

“How did you work that out?” Hermione said bewildered.

“I’m amazing, that’s how.”  I said, tapping my head, to give kudos to my brain.

"If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!"  
"Well, we've got to try, haven't we?" said Harry. He stood up and pressed his ear against the door. "Doesn't sound like anyone's there... Come on, let's go." 
Harry pushed open the closet door. The entrance hall was deserted. As quietly and quickly as we could, we darted out of the closet and down the stone steps. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest gilded once more with gold. 
"If anyone's looking out of the window --" Hermione squeaked, looking up at the castle behind them. 
"We'll run for it," said Harry determinedly. "Straight into the forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout --" 
"Okay, but we'll go around by the greenhouses!' said Hermione breathlessly. "We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door, or we'll see us! We must be nearly at Hagrid's by now!" 
Still working out what she meant, we set off at a sprint. We tore across the vegetable gardens to the greenhouses, paused for a moment behind them, then set off again, fast as we could, skirting around the Whomping Willow, tearing toward the shelter of the forest.... 
Safe in the shadows of the trees, I turned around.
"Right," Hermione gasped. "We need to sneak over to Hagrid's.... Keep out of sight, Harry...." 
We made our way silently through the trees, keeping to the very edge of the forest. Then, as we glimpsed the front of Hagrid's house, we heard a knock upon his door. We moved quickly behind a wide oak trunk and peered out from either side. Hagrid had appeared in his doorway, shaking and white, looking around to see who had knocked. I heard Harry’s voice 
"It's us. We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off." 
"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered. He stood back, then shut the door quickly. 
"This is the weirdest thing we've ever done," Harry said fervently. 
"Let's move along a bit," Hermione whispered. "We need to get nearer to Buckbeak!" 
We crept through the trees until we saw the nervous Hippogriff, tethered to the fence around Hagrid's pumpkin patch. 
"Now?" Harry whispered. 
"No!" said Hermione. "If we steal him now, those Committee people will think Hagrid set him free! We've got to wait until they've seen he's tied outside!" 
"That's going to give us about sixty seconds," said Harry. This was starting to seem impossible. 
At that moment, there was a crash of breaking china from inside Hagrid's cabin. 
"That's Hagrid breaking the milk jug," Hermione whispered. "I'm going to find Scabbers in a moment -" 
Sure enough, a few minutes later, we heard Hermione’s scream.
"Hermione," said Harry suddenly, "what if we -- we just run in there and grab Pettigrew --" 
"No!" said Hermione in a terrified whisper. "Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody! You heard Dumbledore, if we're seen --" 
"We'd only be seen by ourselves and Hagrid!" 
"Harry, what do you think you'd do if you saw yourself bursting into Hagrid's house?" said Hermione. 
"I'd -- I'd think I'd gone mad," said Harry, "or I'd think there was some Dark Magic going on --" 
“Exactly! You wouldn't understand, you might even attack yourself! Don't you see? Professor McGonagall told me what awful things have happened when wizards have meddled with time... Loads of them ended up killing their past or future selves by mistake!" 
"Okay!" said Harry. "It was just an idea, I just thought --" 
Llama! Llama! Llama!

Half my thoughts are on llamas. I wonder what a sane thought is like.

I dived into my mind in look of a sane thought and came across one.

“What if Harry doesn’t want me to be his sister? What do I do then?”

Well, that’s depressing.

Hermione nudged me and pointed toward the castle. I moved my head a few inches to get a clear view of the distant front doors. Dumbledore, Fudge, the old Committee member, and Macnair the executioner were coming down the steps. 
"We're about to come out!" Hermione breathed. 
And sure enough, moments later, Hagrid's back door opened, and I saw Ron, Hermione and Harry walking out of it with Hagrid.

 “Hey Hermione, what if mirrors are like windows to a different world, and when we look at ourselves, the other version of us is looking at themselves, but the moment we turn away our other lives continue.” I said vaguely

“Is that really what you think of in a time like this?”

“Well, I laughed in front of a convicted serial killer.”

“You’re just different.” Harry stated.

“Apparently our mum was weird.” I said before I could stop myself. It got kind of awkward, so we listened to what was happening.

The other versions of us had gone, but the versions of us hidden in the trees could now hear what was happening inside the cabin through the back door. 
"Where is the beast?" came the cold voice of Macnair. 
"Out -- outside," Hagrid croaked. 
I pulled my head out of sight as Macnair's face appeared at Hagrid's window, staring out at Buckbeak. Then we heard Fudge. 
"We -- er -- have to read you the official notice of execution, Hagrid. I'll make it quick. And then you and Macnair need to sign it. Macnair, You're supposed to listen too, that's procedure --" 
Macnair's face vanished from the window. It was now or never. 
"Wait here," Harry whispered to us. "I'll do it." 

“I’ve flown on Beaky before.” I complained.

“Fine, you do it.” Harry sounded annoyed. Painful child.

“Together?” I asked the pair of them.

“Yeah, but quick.” Hermione said.

The three of us slid out from behind the tree and approached Buckbeak.

“It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the Hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall he executed on the sixth of June at sundown." Fudge’s voice sounded.
Careful not to blink, I stared up into Buckbeak's fierce orange eyes once more and bowed. Buckbeak sank to his scaly knees and then stood up again. I began to fumble with the knot of rope tying Buckbeak to the fence. 
"... sentenced to execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Committee's appointed executioner, Walden Macnair..." 
"Come on, Buckbeak," Harry murmured from behind me. "Come on, we're going to help you. Quietly... quietly..."

“...As witnessed below. Hagrid, you sign here..." 
I threw all my weight onto the rope, but Buckbeak had dug in his front feet. 

“Help.” I asked the others softly.
"Well, let's get this over with," said the reedy voice of the Committee member from inside Hagrid's cabin. "Hagrid, perhaps it will be better if you stay inside --" 
"No, I -- I wan' ter be with him.... I don' wan' him ter be alone --" 
Footsteps echoed from within the cabin. 
"Buckbeak, move!" Harry hissed. 
Harry grabbed the rope and together we tugged. The Hippogriff began to walk, rustling its wings irritably. We were still ten feet away from the forest, in plain view of Hagrid's back door.

We were done for.

"One moment, please, Macnair," came Dumbledore's voice. "You need to sign too." The footsteps stopped. Hermione joined us and together we heaved on the rope. Buckbeak snapped his beak and walked a little faster. 
"Quick! Quick!" Hermione moaned.

We moved faster and into the forest before finally slinking out of sight.

"Stop!" Harry whispered to us. "They might hear us." 
Hagrid's back door had opened with a bang. Harry, Hermione, me and Buckbeak stood quite still; even the Hippogriff seemed to be listening intently. Silence... then -- 
"Where is it?" said the reedy voice of the Committee member. "Where is the beast?" 
"It was tied here!" said the executioner furiously. "I saw it! Just here!" 
"How extraordinary," said Dumbledore. There was a note of amusement in his voice. He was epic. Honestly. Even if he smells like hay.

"Beaky!" said Hagrid huskily. 
There was a swishing noise, and the thud of an axe. The executioner seemed to have swung it into the fence in anger. And then came the howling, and this time we could hear Hagrid's words through his sobs. 
"Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he's gone! Musta pulled himself free! Beaky, yeh clever boy!" 
Buckbeak started to strain against the rope, trying to get back to Hagrid. Harry, Hermione and I tightened our grip and dug our heels into the forest floor to stop him. 
"Someone untied him!" the executioner was snarling. "We should search the grounds, the forest." 
"Macnair, if Buckbeak has indeed been stolen, do you really think the thief will have led him away on foot?" said Dumbledore, still sounding amused. "Search the skies, if you will.... Hagrid, I could do with a cup of tea. Or a large brandy." 
"O' -- o' course, Professor," said Hagrid, who sounded weak with happiness. "Come in, come in...." 
We listened closely. I heard footsteps, the soft cursing of the executioner, the snap of the door, and then silence once more. 
"Now what?" whispered Harry, looking around.