Lyra could barely hear a bit of muttering as she woke up. For a few moments, she wondered whether she had been transported back several years in the past. Why else would she find herself in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts?

Once she opened her eyes, she quickly sat up. She felt the back of her head as she remembered what had happened. Remus had transformed, and she had tried to keep him from attacking the children. The children, she suddenly remembered.

She glanced around the Hospital Wing, quickly catching sight of Ron's red hair. In the beds next to his, she saw two other heads of hair, both dark and messy. They all seemed to be sleeping soundly.

She sighed in relief as she realized she had was no longer bleeding. Madam Pomfrey had to have fixed her up quite nicely. She had always been a talented healer, even back in her own school days. She had been friends with James, Sirius and Remus, after all. They'd all found themselves in her care more than a few times.

She focused her ears on the muttering she had heard as she pulled herself off the bed. She felt as good as new, thankfully. No pain or soreness at all. It made it much easier to recognize the voices of Severus Snape and Cornelius Fudge.

"Extraordinary," she could hear Fudge say quite proudly. Lyra hadn't ever heard the Minister sound quite so happy as he did in that moment. "And yet Black, and Harry, and Lyra and the girl..."

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers and brought them straight back to the castle," Snape beamed, sounding like he was having the best day of his life as Lyra approached the door to outside the Hospital Wing. Him being happy made her more and more worried for Sirius and Remus.

"Minister?" asked Lyra hesitantly, poking her head through the door. Snape stiffened the moment he heard her voice, turning to raise his eyebrows at her, as if to tell her he had ended up winning.

"Lyra, how wonderful that you're awake!" exclaimed Fudge, reaching out to shake her hand in a friendly manner. "Severus here was just telling me of everything that's happened tonight. What a horrid ordeal you've had to go through."

The blonde tried to stay calm, because she didn't want to seem like she was going crazy and wasn't to be trusted. "I'd actually like to talk to you about what's been happening. I feel like Severus here has probably left out a few details."

"Not to worry," the Minister waved her off, making her clench her jaw. "He has told me every detail of the night. I know all about Sirius Black trying to convince you and those poor children of his innocence, seeming to be willing to force it upon you. I feel especially sad for you. He's your cousin, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," Lyra confirmed quickly, trying to subdue her temper. "But he wasn't trying to convince us of anything that wasn't true. Sirius Black is an innocent man! I am completely sure of it."

"See, it's like I told you, Minister," Snape spoke up, barely sending her a smug glace before continuing. "She has these strange delusions. She's been having them for years. I'm quite close with the Malfoy family, I've heard them many times.

"I'll show you delusions-" Lyra hissed through her gritted teeth. She hated Snape more and more every time she had to see his face. She hated him and that personal grudge he'd held against her and those she loved.

"Lyra, please," the Minister sighed, though surprised at her temper. "I know the Malfoy family well, Snape. I've never heard anything about any delusions. This must be the work of a Confundus charm. Lyra would never believe such nonsense."

"It's not nonsense!" she exclaimed. She'd been the only one to believe in his innocence for the past almost thirteen years. It was time that somebody else found out. "I know Sirius like the back of my hand! He'd never betray the likes of James and Lily. It was Peter Pettigrew!"

"Peter Pettigrew's dead," said Fudge sternly, though looking quite concerned at her. "Are you sure you're feeling alright, Lyra? You seem a bit light-headed and confused. Perhaps your head injury was worse than we thought!"

She pursed her lips, trying to keep from cursing in his face. "My mind's clearer than it has been in years! I've always had a feeling he was innocent, but Lucius wouldn't let me come out and say it. Peter Pettigrew was the Secret-Keeper, he betrayed them. He was an Animagus and hid away for years!"

"A likely story," said Snape dryly. He looked to the Minister again, trying to seem like he wasn't doing all this because of an old grudge. "I've stood by my claims that Lyra Malfoy has been the one to break Sirius Black out of Azkaban. She said it herself, she's always had these ideas that he's innocent."

Fudge glanced at the blonde nervously. "I'm sure that's not true."

"It's not! I have no idea how I'd break someone out of Azkaban! Why does everyone think that I do?" Lyra sighed, exasperated. "I know what I'm talking about. You know me, Cornelius. I'm not the type to spout lies."

"I've always said that she's been a troubled woman. Ever since our youth, running around and causing trouble with gangs of troublemakers," Snape tried to sound like it was sad, but she could hear the smug edge in his voice. "Perhaps we should try to get her admitted to St. Mungo's, to help with her delusions."

"Perhaps you're the one who'll be making a trip to St. Mungo's soon if you don't stop with all your lies!" she threatened. "I know you've got a school boy grudge, but grow up, Snape! It's been almost twenty years!"

"Perhaps we should calm down," Fudge glanced between them, uncomfortable as he realized there was more history there than he previously had thought. "I suggest we allow Poppy to take another look at your head, Lyra. I don't believe you have these delusions, but you are quite mistaken. We all know that Sirius Black is guilty."

Lyra looked up, rolling her eyes in quite a dramatic manner, releasing an annoyed breath. She supposed it was the Black gene in her that was making act like that. "Can't you listen to a word I'm saying? He's not-"

"What?!" a familiar voice from inside the Hospital Wing yelled, stopping Lyra in the midst of her sentence. She hurried back inside the door, with Fudge and Snape following her, worried about Harry.

She hurried to his bedside, seeing him red with anger. Madam Pomfrey was standing in front of him, looking quite shocked at the sudden outburst. Lyra tried to smile comfortingly, like she always did when Draco used to have nightmares. "Harry, are you alright?"

"Lyra, thank god," the thirteen-year-old boy sighed in relief. He spoke quite hurriedly, nervous about everything that was going to happen to his godfather, who he just gotten into his life. "Did you hear what they're going to do to Sirius? They can't-"

"Harry, Harry, what's this?" asked Fudge, finally catching up with them. He wasn't quite as fast as Lyra, especially when her maternal instincts kicked in. "You should be in bed. Has he had any chocolate?"

Harry's eyes widened as he caught sight of Fudge. "Minister, listen! 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-"

"It's just as I said, Cornelius. You can't expect that Harry and I both have the same so-called delusions," Lyra said the last word mockingly, casting a glance at Snape, who looked more annoyed by the second.

Fudge seemed to getting more and more exasperated by the second. He wished Lucius was there to help get a hold of his wife. "Harry, Lyra, you're very confused. You've been through a dreadful ordeal. Lie back down, Harry, now. We've got everything under control."

"You haven't!" Harry yelled. Lyra winced. He was a young, hormonal teenager so he hadn't really understood that nobody will listen to what you say when you're screaming it. "You've got the wrong man!"

"Minister, listen, please," Hermione spoke up, standing next to her own bed. She hurried to stand next to Lyra and Harry to show her support. "I saw him, too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and-"

"You see, Minister?"sighed Snape, as if he was feeling sorry for his two students, when he'd like nothing more than an excuse to expel them both. "Confunded, both of them... Black and Malfoy here have both done a very good job on them."

"We're not confunded!" Harry yelled right in his face, not caring that this man was his Professor, talking to the Minister of Magic. He just cared that they were dismissing his stories, trying to discredit both his godfather and Lyra.

"And I haven't confunded anyone either!" the blonde woman defended herself. The Minister still didn't seem to think she'd had anything to do with Sirius and his escape, but Snape was a true Slytherin, and would try to convince him with all his might.

"Minister! Professor! Mrs. Malfoy!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, sending the three adults stern glares. "I must insist that you leave. You're free to go, your head's alright, Mrs. Malfoy. But Potter is my patient, and he should not be distressed!"

"I'm not distressed!" the Potter boy exclaimed. He'd already had an exhausting night, and having to explain everything he'd learned only for nobody to believe him was incredibly frustrating. "I'm trying to tell them what happened! If they'd only listen-"

Madam Pomfrey simply didn't care. She hurried to push a piece of chocolate into Harry's open mouth. He choked on it, and she used the distraction to push back on the bed. "Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave-"

She was cut off as the door to the Hospital Wing opened once more, only to reveal the flowing robes of Albus Dumbledore, who looked strangely calm for the situation. Harry hurried to swallow his chocolate. "Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black-"

"For heaven's sake! Is this a hospital wing or not?" asked Madam Pomfrey hysterically, throwing her hands into the air in frustration. It was hard enough to be a mediwitch, only for others to keep interrupting her when she was trying to work.

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr Potter and Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses as his gaze met Harry's. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black-"

"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale him and Black have painted in Potter's mind." Snape nodded towards Lyra so he'd understand which Black he was talking about, still refusing to call her by her married name unless he really had to. "Something about a rat and Pettigrew being alive-"

"The truth, you mean," said Lyra coolly. He didn't have try to indite her being an insane criminal who'd been going around and trying to help murderers. That was something he just did because he disliked her. It had gone way too far she, thought. She'd never have done the same to him.

"That, indeed, is Black's story," Dumbledore confirmed calmly, barely sparing a glance Lyra's way.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" asked Snape angrily, hoping his friendship with the headmaster would get him some benefits in this situation. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sight of him at the grounds!"

"Yours is not the only evidence we have! Everybody else who was there all say the same story, except for you! That should count for something," Lyra retorted, glaring heatedly at him. She couldn't stop thinking about how much she hated him.

"And you didn't see him because you were knocked out, Professor!" exclaimed Hermione, hoping to help Dumbledore and Fudge understand the situation better. "You didn't arrive in time to hear-"

"Miss Granger, hold your tongue!" Snape yelled in her face, not seeming to care that he was supposed to be kind to her as her teacher. Lyra was about to start yelling at him for being the way he was to the children.

Fudge spoke up before she could though. While she knew he wouldn't be defending their cause, he'd at least defend the way the children were being treated. "Now, Snape, the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances-"

"I would like to speak with Harry and Hermione alone," Dumbledore repeated himself, not caring much about the petty fights between Lyra and Snape. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy, Lyra. Please leave us."

"Headmaster!" exclaimed Madam Pomfrey, as if she was personally offended at being asked to leave her own hospital wing, where she had the authority. "They need treatment, they need rest-"

"This cannot wait. I must insist." After hearing these words, Madam Pomfrey quickly stormed off, hurrying to her office at the end of the ward. Lyra's eyebrows were raised, never having known her to be so aggressive.

Fudge wasn't in the mood to argue with Dumbledore, only glancing down at his pretentious, golden pocket watch. "The Dementors should have arrived by now. I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs. Lyra, I suppose Lucius should be coming any second now."

"Lucius?" Lyra repeated, feeling her breath hitch in her throat. She could barely catch Harry sending her a worried glance, knowing how much she detested her husband and his actions. "He's coming here?"

"He was quite concerned about where you'd ran off to when you didn't show up to go home after the appeal," said Snape, suddenly much more smug. "I gladly informed him, as a good friend, of where you were and what you had been doing."

"I bloody hate you so much," Lyra muttered his way, but he didn't seem to care.

Snape only turned to look to Dumbledore once again, looking quite desperate for his approval and agreement. "You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?"

"I wish to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," Dumbledore only repeated. He looked at both Lyra and Snape with stern looks, as if to tell them both to walk away. She refused to do so before Snape did, not wanting him to try and poison Dumbledore against her once again.

"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen. You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster?" the greasy-haired man asked quietly. "You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"

"It wasn't meant to kill you, you know that as well as I do," Lyra reminded him heatedly. She looked to Dumbledore, her eyes wary. "And I hope you haven't forgotten that, knowing it could be dangerous, Snape here forced me with him in hope of using me as some sort of human shield in case he could get hurt."

"My memory's as good as it ever was, Lyra," said Dumbledore shortly. Snape quickly turned on his heel, muttering curses to himself as he walked away. Lyra stayed put to Dumbledore's chagrin. "You best be going. I suspect Lucius will be here soon, and he won't be happy with you. Everything will be alright, Lyra."

The blonde woman knew she had no choice but to trust him. She sent reassuring smiles to both Harry and Hermione, not wanting them to worry about her or Sirius. If Dumbledore said things would be alright, she needed to have faith that they would be.

Once she walked out the door to the Hospital Wing, she saw the familiar flash of platinum blond hair hurrying towards her. She pursed her lips, preparing for the argument as he grabbed her arm. "What the hell were you thinking, Lyra?"

"I was thinking that I was helping save an innocent man from a horrible fate that he'd already suffered through for too long!" she hissed as he led her further away from the hospital wing. "I found out all of the truth. Peter Pettigrew's alive, by the way. Thought you'd might like to know that. I know you want him dead. That's the one thing we can both agree on."

"I don't care about Peter Pettigrew," Lucius spat at her, a dangerous glimt in his eye. "I care that my wife has been embarrassing me in front of the Minister, spouting ridiculous stories about faked deaths and switched Secret-Keepers! You're not even supposed to know that they were under the Fidelius Charm! Do you even realize how this will come back and reflect on me?"

"Do you even realize that I don't care?" she asked, ripping her arm out of his grip. They both stopped in their tracks as she glared defiantly up at him. "I have been your pretty, little wife for years. Because you made me empty promises! Because you made threats!"

"I have kept my promises, if you must know," he responded coolly, though a bit affected by her words. "You have never been a Death Eater, you have not been considered for a prison sentence in Azkaban. I have protected you time and time again and you give me no appreciation!"

"Appreciation?" she scoffed. "I can't even... What is going on in that head of yours? I have been miserable for years. Sirius has been stuck in Azkaban and I've been feeling guilty for your actions. Remus Lupin has been left a lonely man all alone because I was too afraid that you'd get him hurt. Do you not see how much you've hurt me time and time again?"

"Come on," he said quietly, taking in her words. She frowned at his sudden change in demeanor, but didn't argue with it. He took another hold of her arm, though not nearly as harshly as he led her back the way they had come.

She frowned, especially when started hearing Snape's angry yelling. "He didn't disapparate! You can't apparate or disapparate in this castle! This has something to do with either Potter or Lyra Black!"

The married couple, although not in the best place, exchanged glances at this. They both quickly realized what this was about. Sirius Black had somehow escaped captivity. While Lucius frowned at this, Lyra smiled slightly.

"What's this about?" asked Lucius as he could see Snape, Dumbledore and Fudge approach the hospital wing. They hadn't entered yet, and Lucius wasn't planning to. If he could avoid seeing Harry Potter's face, then he would.

"He's escaped, Lucius!" Snape screamed, yelling accusingly at Lyra. "Your wife- she's been helping him, I know it! Helping him escape, first from Azkaban and then from here!"

"I'd appreciate it if you stopped spreading these lies, Severus. I've just been talking to Lyra this whole time since she left the hospital wing," retorted Lucius coolly. "I'm quite sure she hasn't broken anyone out of Azkaban, either."

Lyra, while thankful that somebody finally seemed to realize that she wasn't the kind to stage prison breaks, was quite surpised at his defending her, though she was sure she wasn't out of the woods yet. "Right. Exactly."

Snape looked just as surprised as she did, glancing between the two madly. "She's been spouting all these lies about his innocence! Her and her delusions and crazy ideas! You've ought to get her locked up already!"

"She's suffered a head injury as far as I know. I'll be taking her to St. Mungo's to get it checked up, but I am not throwing her into some ward," Lucius scoffed at the ridiculousness. "She's my wife after all. I know her. She's no delusional liar."

"Thank you, Lucius," muttered Fudge, though still quite wary of Snape, who looked ready to explode. Dumbledore met Lyra's eyes, looking quite pleased. She smiled slightly at him, having a feeling he'd had something to do with Sirius's escape.

"Well, if that's all, we'll be on our way. We haven't been home in hours and we need to eat a late dinner, I suppose," said Lucius, not waiting for anybody's reactions as Snape stalked into the hospital wing to yell at some children.

"Why'd you do that?" asked Lyra softly as they walked through the halls to find a way home. The way he'd protected her reminded her of the man she thought he was when she married him. A man that wasn't so half-bad. She knew what he had done, but part of her was wondering what had changed now. What had brought that young man back?

"You're my wife, Lyra. Though I don't agree with what you've done, and we will have words about it at home... You're still my wife," he said tightly. "I made a promise to protect you, to keep you out of trouble before we married. I'm not letting anyone, not even Severus, make me break that promise."

Lyra didn't say anything else, mostly just considering the day a relative success. Maybe Sirius wasn't considered a free, innocent man and Peter was out there somewhere. But her cousin wasn't going back to Azkaban, Harry and his friends were safe, something she'd said gotten to Lucius, so maybe he'd be calmer and nicer from now on (she doubted it) and soon school was over so Draco'd be home. All in all, not the worst night of her life.

▹▹▹

A/N: That's a wrap on PoA! GoF won't be as long as this one, but that's mostly because OoTP will be very much fun, and I'm very excited for that, where there will be more fun things for Lyra to do.