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𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐏𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐌 ── ◦'𖥸'◦ ── 𝒜𝒞𝒯 𝒪𝒩𝐸
↳ ❛ the time turner ❜︎
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟲 ╱ ╱ 🏛🧺 ˚◞𑁍ﾟ𝙳𝙸𝙾𝚁𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙸𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚃

"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 much as fact, it was Potter, Black, Weasley, and Granger, and Minister..."

"No!"

"Black's had a bewitched theme, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. 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 licensed by the headmaster, always dragging Celeste Black ─"

"Ah, well, Snape...Harry Potter, we shall see....you know...we'll all get 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 to 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 the school rules ─"

Celeste listened to all the bullshit Severus Snape was spilling to the Minister.

"What amazes me the most is the behavior of the Dementors...you've really had 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, Harry, and the girls ─ poor Miss. Black must've been petrified."

Annoyance breathed in her nose. Celeste hated being treated like a delicate flower. She was strong and independent. Not many seemed to understand that she didn't need protection.

Or any more protecting after the age of one. Celeste didn't want to be protected since the day her mom died.

Celeste's eyes fluttered open. Everything around her was slightly blurry.

"Celeste." there was a voice from the bed next to hers. Harry was already looking at her with squinting eyes.

The brunette grabbed his glasses from the table and put them on him. "Here."

"Thanks."

"W─Where am I?" Celeste's voice brought the two adults through the corridor outside. Madam Pomfrey on cue stepped forward with the two largest blocks of chocolate making Celeste's eyes glow.

"Ah, you're awake. Miss Granger─I see that you are as well alright."

Celeste snapped her head in Hermione's direction. "You alright?" she asked in concern.

The Granger sent her a tired smile. Her hair was sticking out in some places and there were bags under her eyes. "This isn't the first time I've ended up in a hospital wing."

Madam Pomfrey placed a big block of chocolate at each of their bedside tables and broke it with a small hammer.

"How's Ron?" Hermione, Celeste, and Harry said together.

"He'll live."

Celeste lets out a sigh of relief.

"S for you three, you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied with you─Potter, Black, what do you think you two were doing?"

Harry's face contorted into one of panic and determination. "I─we need to see the Headmaster."

"We need to tell him something!" Celeste stated earnestly.

"Potter, Black," 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? YOU CAN'T!" cried Celeste angrily. Harry's voice drowned in the Black's. By Harry's next protests Snape and Fudge enter the room abruptly.

"Harry, Celeste, What's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed ─ both of you ─ have they had any chocolate?" he asked anxiously.

"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. "Harry, Celeste, both of you are 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!"

"Please Minister, listen to us, he's innocent!" announced Celeste pleadingly.

"Minister, listen please," Hermione said; she hurried to Harry's side and was gazing imploringly at Fudge. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and ─"

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

Celeste glared at him hatefully.

"WE ARE NOT CONFOUNDED!" Harry roared.

"AND MY UNCLE DIDN'T DO SHIT!" the female Black shrieked.

"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient...and I figured the last time you angered anyone in the Black family you finally learned your lesson but I guess not."

That seemed to shut Snape up and Celeste wanted to ask Pomfrey on what she meant by that.

"I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Harry said furiously.

"If anything, Professor Snape is a dunderhead that needs ─"

Professor Snape shoved a large chunk of chocolate into Celeste's mouth; she almost choked, and the man seized the opportunity to force her back to bed.

"Miss. Black, must rest now, your hallucinating, look at the bags under your eyes─"

Madam Pomfrey was doing the same with Harry who also seemed mildly frustrated.

"Stop coddling me, I'm not a baby, you know...you know he's innocent so why are you doing this. Are you still hungover by what my mum did?" Celeste stated in anger.

His fake persona twisted to his usual sneer, "I suggest you watch your next words, Miss Black."

"Now please Minister, these children need care. Please leave." the door opened to reveal Dumbledore.

"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. Black, 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. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive ─"

Celeste was baffled by his attitude.

"That indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.

"And what 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."

"Because I knocked you flat on your ass," Celeste muttered only for Snape to hear and for a moment the Professor debated on lunging on her and ended her right there and now.

Yet there was some part of him that felt a bit spooked at the loathing glare that practically screamed Reyna De Mar─Black.

Hermione seemed to be finishing her thoughts because she repeated the same thing except adding along to Snape's embarrassment of getting knocked down by a little girl,, "You didn't arrive in time to hear sir."

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

Celeste stood up from the bed, "DON'T TALK TO HERMIONE LIKE THAT!" she placed her hands out and shoved him back.

A string of pain entered her mind which made Celeste groggy. It was Harry who reached out and caught her from collapsing on the ground.

"Now Snape," said Fudge startled by his behavior. "The young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances ─"

"I would like to speak to Harry, Celeste, and Hermione alone." Dumbledore started abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy ─ please leave us."

"Headmaster!" spluttered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest ─"

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

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away.

"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 fixated on Dumbledore's face.

"I wish to speak with them alone, Severus."

"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?"

For once Celeste's face washed with a bit of guilt. Although she wasn't there, Celeste couldn't help but feel a bit bad because even her own mother tried to cover it up. Despite not being there she did help them.

Then she remembered that her mom wanted to protect Remus' secret. And according to what everyone told her about her father being utterly smitten by Reyna, he of course helped her out.

"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 holding. The door closed with a light slam.

The three burst into their own personal speeches.

"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─"

"─Pettigrew attacked Ron, It wasn't Sirius ─"

"─Please you can't let them do this to my uncle ─"

Dumbledore held out his hand, "it's your turn to listen, and I get 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. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murdered 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 distrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little and fact that he and Sirius are old friends ─"

"But ─"

"Listen to me Harry, Celeste, It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version is far more convincing than yours."

"He hates Uncle Sirius," stated Celeste desperately.

"All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him─" Hermione finished.

"Yes because he's petty and a git. Honestly, he has his grudge and pride against him...quite stupid if you ask me."

From the grounds, Regulus would've been rolling around his grave.

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

"But you believe us."

"Yes, I do. But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic..." Celeste's eyes watered.

"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, "is a little more time."

"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking low. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. The thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent tonight. But remember this, three of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law ─ you know what is at stake...you ─ must ─ not ─ be ─ seen."

Dumbledore turned on his heels and left them baffled.

"What the fuck is he smoking on?"

Hermione sheepishly held out the time turner. "Harry, Celeste, there's still time...do you trust me?"

"Always," the two friends stated in unison.

"I can't believe you had a time-turner...imagine how many detentions and pranks I could get out of," Celeste mumbled.

They managed to save Buckbeak from getting executed from the clutches of the Committee.

The three moved around the edge of the forest, darkness falling thickly around them until they were behind a clump of trees.

"Get away from him ─ get away ─ Scabbers, come here ─"

And then they saw two more figures materialize out of nowhere. Harry watched himself, Celeste and Hermione chased after Ron. Then they saw him dive.

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat ─"

"There's Sirius!" said Harry. The great shape of a dog bounded out from the roots of the Willow.

"This whole situation makes my head hurt," mumbled Celeste.

The Whomping Willow was creaking and lashing out with its lower branches; they could see themselves dart there, trying to reach the trunk. And then the tree froze.

"Thank Leo and Crookshanks," Hermione said in amusement.

"And there we go..." Harry muttered. "We're in..."

The moment they disappeared the tree moved again. Seconds later, Dumbledore, Macnair, Fudge, and an old Committee member were making their way up to the castle.

"Right after we'd gone down into the passage!" said Dumbledore. "If only Dumbledore had come with us..."

"Mcnair and Fudge would've come too," said Harry bitterly.

"I bet anything Fudge would've told Macnair to kill him right there and now," said Celeste, also equally bitter by the whole ordeal.

Lupin then came halting towards the Whomping Willow.

"He should've grabbed the cloak," Celeste muttered. "The poor thing."

Harry seemed to be crushed about his cloak.

"I should just dash out right now, grab it, Snape never be able to get it and ─"

"Harry, we mustn't be seen!"

"How can you stand ts?" he asked Hermione fiercely.

"Just standing there and watching it happen?" he hesitated.

"Harry we can't, tempting as it is Hermione is right," Celeste said looking at him sternly.

"Harry no!" Hermione seized him in time to hear a burst of song. Hagrid was making his way up to the castle singing at the top of his voice with a large bottom swinging from his hands.

"See?" Hermione whispered. "See what would have happened? We've got to keep out of sight! No Buckbeak!"

Buckbeak made several attempts to get to Hagrid but sadly Hagrid had to restrain him until he left. The creature's head drooped sadly.

Celeste gave Buckbeak a hug, "Don't worry, you'll see him again."

Two minutes later Snape came charging out towards the Whomping Willow. He looked around and grabbed the Invisibility cloak.

"Get your filthy hands off it," Harry snarled under his breath.

"SHH!"

"Harry, Celeste, there's something I don't understand...Why didn't the Dementors get Sirius? I remember them coming, and then I think I passed out. There were so many of them."

Celeste launched into the explanation about how there were two powerful streaks that came out of their wands.

"But who conjured them?"

Harry didn't say anything.

"Didn't you see what they looked like?" said Hermione. "Was it one of the teachers?"

"No," said Harry.

"He wasn't a teacher."

"But it must have been a really powerful wizard, to drive all those Dementors away...If the Patronus was shining so brightly didn't it light him up? Couldn't you see ─?"

Celeste shrugged shyly, "I─I thought it was my dad...Must've been imagining it."

"I thought it was my dad too..." Harry murmured, sounding strange.

Harry and Celeste glanced up at Hermione and saw her mouth drop.

"Harry, Celeste, ─ your dad is dead and Regulus Black hasn't been seen in years ─"

"You think you saw their ghost?"

"I don't know...no...they looked solid."

"But then ─"

"We were just seeing things...Mione." Celeste shook her head. She laughed slightly to herself. "We know our parents are dead...but I can't help but feel hopeful that he might still be out there...I have so many questions to ask."

Hermione looked at her sadly and wondered if she should question their sanity. Harry, on the other hand, felt a similar reaction to Celeste about the whole Patrnous thing.

After almost an hour, they finally saw Lupin, Ron, and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly. Then Hermione came into view...then an unconscious Snape.

Celeste snickered quietly.

The look on Harry's face made Hermione sigh, "Harry, we've got to stay put. We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do."

"So we're just gonna sit here and let that rat escape again," said Harry quietly.

"How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?" snapped Hermione earning a look of agreement from Celeste.

"We came back to help Sirius. Time is not something to mess with." Celeste added.

Celeste wished there was another way, but time travel is a scary thing to do.

"All right!" the moon slid out from behind its cloud. They saw the tiny figures across the grounds stop. Then they saw movement ─ "

"There goes Lupin. He's transforming."

Realization dawned Black, "Oh my gosh we need to move now...Hermione, I am not joking."

"We mustn't, I keep telling you─"

"Not to interfere! Lupin's going to run into the forest, right at us!" Hermione then gasped.

The group retreated to Hagrid's hut and hid there.

Harry and Celeste decided to go outside to see what's going on, especially with the time to find out when to rescue Sirius.

"I have a good feeling about saving Uncle Sirius...I just wish things worked out earlier."

"Pettigrew shouldn't have gotten away," Harry stated, fists clenched.

All of a sudden there were whimpering sounds coming from the distance. Harry and Celeste's heads snapped towards the direction of the Lake.

They were eager to know who sent the Patronus.

And then there were the Dementors emerging out of the darkness from every direction, gliding around the edges of the lake...they were moving away from where Harry stood.

Celeste's hand was captured in Harry's who had the same thoughts as her. They had to know if it was them. The two best friends ran in the direction with no care.

Their fathers.

Little did they do it was someone else. Once they came near the lake there was no sign of anybody.

Celeste's head dropped sadly.

And then Harry shook Celeste's arm, "I think it was us ─"

They hadn't seen James and Regulus, instead, it was Harry and Celeste who cast the spell.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

For a moment Celeste's eyes squinted at the bright light. But she could see a stag and raven across the surface of the lake.

The Dementors fall back into the darkness retreating.

"Prongs..."

"Raven."

( A/N: so I decided to change Regulus Patronus to a raven instead. I feel like it would fit together since Reyna's a dove. ).

They turned around at the sound of hooves and footsteps.

"What did you two do?" Hermione said fiercely. "You two said you were only going to keep a lookout!"

"Long story," Celeste said simply.

"Get behind this bush ─ I'll explain."

Doing as told Hermione looked at them expectantly,

"Did anyone see you two?"

"Yes, haven't you been listening? I saw me but I thought it was my dad! It's okay!"

"Harry, Celeste, I can't believe it... you two conjured up a Patronus that rove away those Dementors! That's very, very advanced magic...."

"I─I can't believe it." murmured Celeste, still trying to process the whole thing.

"I don't know ─ look at Snape!"

Celeste groaned at the mention of the greasy git.

Soon after Macnair went to go get the Dementors they went on Buckbeak.

Celeste was the last person to go on Buckbeak and controlled reigns on Buckbeak.

"Ready?"

"Let's go, we have to hurry." Celeste piped up. She was eager to save one of her last relatives.

They were gliding quietly toward the upper floors of the castle. They then found themselves stopping when they found the window where Sirius is behind held.

Buckbeak used his wing to tap the glass and Sirius' mouth dropped when he looked up. He leaped from his chair and hurried to the window and tried to open it.

"Stand back!" Hermione called out to him. "Alohomora!"

The window sprang open and Black had a series of questions. "H─How?"

"There's isn't much time, the Dementors are coming!" Celeste dismissed and helped Sirius on Buckbeak.

"Okay Buckbeak, up!" said Harry once Sirius was safe on Buckbeak. The Hippogriff gave one simple sweet of its mighty wings and flew up on top of the west tower.

The three slid off except Sirius.

"This is your chance to go quick." Celeste painted.

"You better go quick." pated Harry.

"What happened to that other boy, Ron?"

"He's going to be alright. He's still out of it but Madam Pomfrey says he's going to be better." Hermione smiled brightly. "Quick, go─"

However, Sirius was staring down at Harry and Celeste. He glanced at Celeste lovingly, "You got my brother and I's crazy hair...and you got Reggie's eyes...but you resemble Reyna so much..."

He then turned to Harry, "And you look like James except with ─"

"My mother's eyes, I know." smiled Harry.

"There's always Harry, Celeste, right here," he pointed to their hearts.

This made a wide grin spread across Celeste and Harry's faces.

Black wheeled Buckbear around, facing the open sky. "We'll see each other again, You truly are your mother's daughter Celeste, and Harry you are your father's son."

Sirius didn't forget about Hermione. "You two are truly the brightest and cleverest witches your age."

This made Hermione beam and Celeste laugh.

With that Sirius gestured for Buckbeak to go and the trio stepped back as Buckbeak's wings flapped, now taking off in the air towards the night sky.

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╭ ╮
✎↷... 𝒂 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒂 ✉️
➩ 𝑣𝑜𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢!
╰ ╯

two more chapters and act one are officially over! The extra chapter will be the showdown between the Tonks family and the Malfoy family finally reading Reyna's will she left for Celeste.

FRIENDLY REMINDER: Remember to vote & comment because it makes my day to know what you think! Even if it's just a 'hello' I'm totally cool about it cause I love to hear from you guys.