The days following the Quidditch Cup felt like an odd dream, Marcus and Oliver started speaking to each other outside the pitch in an uninsulting manner, -they only spoke about Quidditch and immediately started fighting if they spoke about anything else- but after Puddlemere approached both of them about potential spots on the team, they were determined to be civil.

Even weirder was that she didn't have practice to waste her time anymore, which meant that she had no excuse to not study, but even with the exams approaching, she found it harder and harder to focus.

Arlene hadn't spoken to neither Hermione because it was still awkward between them, nor Harry because he was still mad about the stunt she pulled at the last game and she barley saw Sage, who was busy with the newspaper and her newfound relationship with Lee.

And so, she mostly hung out with her friends in Slytherin (by 'hanging out' she meant being in the same room as them while they all silently studied) and Neville, who offered to tutor her Herbiology if she could help him with Potions.

Naturally, she passed her Potions exam with flying colours, History was a bit rough (she usually did well in it if she had enough time to study) she messed up a few drawings in Ancient Runes but most of them worked, Transfiguration and charms were easy enough and Herbiology could've been worse.

The rest was a different story.

Divination wasn't what she expected, she'd tortured herself to memorise the symbolism in tarot cards and spent hours practicing palm reading only for Professor 'the stars informed me' to ask her to read the crystal ball –which had nothing but fog- and tut condescendingly every time Arlene made a guess.

The one subject she was sure of, Defence, went smoothly, up until she was meant to face the boggart.

The problem was, they all had a fixed fear, they all knew what the creature would turn to.

All except Arlene.

Her fears were confirmed when it was finally her turn, it was a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a Grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a Hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new Boggart.

It all went well in the beginning, she could see Lupin smiling as he scribbled down on his evaluation sheet.

For a moment, it seemed like she might ace the exam, then she saw the boggart and got a reality check.

"Hey Ari" A woman called out in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Not just any woman.

Her mother.

Paloma Burke stood in the middle of the darkness, wearing the Azkaban prison outfit, her hands and feet were chained, she stared with wide eyes at Arlene, her hair was dirty and tangled. But the most disturbing detail was her maniac laugh.

She looked like the female version of the photograph they'd put in the newspapers of Sirius Black.

Arlene stayed frozen, she should've seen this coming; her mother defended a mass murderer, of course she'd be the main suspect, they were going to prosecute her and put her in jail and Arlene would be alone and-

The darkness became overwhelming and Arlene got colder by the second, she suddenly realized that she'd fallen on the floor, she didn't even notice she'd started crying; but then she remembered why she was there.

"Ridiculous!" she yelled, but the woman continued laughing and getting closer "ridiculous! Ridiculous! Ridiculous!"

She pointed her wand at the creature and closed her eyes, she imagined her mother, sweet Paloma who used to sing to her when she was younger, who hand-painted buckets of cotton because Arlene insisted on going as fairy floss one year when she was seven during Halloween.

When she opened her eyes, Azkaban Paloma was drenched in pink paint, and Arlene couldn't resist; she burst out laughing.

The boggart retreated and Arlene was free to go, she climbed out and felt instant relief when she felt the sun.

"You were in there quit a bit, Arlene." Lupin started "you okay?"

"Peachy." She muttered running her hand through her hair, it was her last exam, and all she wanted to do was collapse on her bed.

She'd told Blaise and Theo not to wait for her, so she walked back to the dorms alone, but just as she was about to take step onto the shifting stairs that led to the dungeons, her plan was interrupted.

"Miss Burke!" a squeaky voice called out.

She recognized him immediately, Dobby the house elf, who was the center of one of Draco's rambles.

"Miss Burke asked Dobby to tell Miss Burke that she is at Hogwarts." Dobby informed her.

Now listen, Arlene was sleep deprived and did not immediately connect the dots.

"What..oh- oh ok, thank you Dobby." She muttered, attempting –and failing- to shake off her headache.

"Dobby is happy to help!" he said cheerfully, before disappearing in a POOF!

Putting the daydreams of her cool bed at rest, Arlene turned on her heel and headed to Hagrid's cabin, where she suspected her mother to be.

Paloma looked more like an American collage student than an attorney, she wore a worn out t shirt of some local band than was tucked into denim jeans with her hair pulled up into a pony tail, while surrounded by an endless amount of books and files.

"..Now you need to bring up the dragon case of 1922 –oh hello Ari- also Pomfrey's testimony that the boy was barley scratched, and don't forget-"

"Um.." Arlene interrupted "Hi?"

"O Arlene 'ould ya like some tea?" Hagrid, who looked very helpless, asked.

She waved him off "It's okay, I just, thought you were off the case?"

"I'm no longer representing Hagrid," she confirmed "but I'll be damned if I make it easy for Lucius."

"yer ma's been a great 'elp, I dunno 'ow to repay 'er."

Whatever Paloma was going to say next was cut off by a loud knock.

Arlene's heart sank "Is that them..?"

"Hagrid open up, it's us!" Ron's voice called out.

Recognizing that it's a fourteen year old and not a grown man, Paloma opened the door, and the infamous Golden Trio spilled in.

"Oh, uh hi Miss Burke." Hermione greeted awkwardly, followed by the boys echoing her.

"Wan' some tea?" he asked again, his great hands were shaking as he reached for the kettle.

"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" said Hermione hesitantly.

"I- I took him outside," said Hagrid, spilling milk all over the table as he filled up the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an- an smell fresh air- before-"

Hagrid's hand trembled so violently that the milk jug slipped from his grasp and shattered all over the floor.

"I'll do it, Hagrid," said Hermione quickly, hurrying over and starting to clean up the mess.

"There's another one in the cupboard," Hagrid said, sitting down and wiping his forehead on his sleeve.

"Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?" Harry asked fiercely, sitting down next to him. "Dumbledore-"

"He's tried," said Hagrid. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee, he told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared, Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like, threatened 'em, I expect an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's, but it'll be quick an' clean, an' I'll be beside him..."

Hagrid swallowed, his eyes were darting all over the papers spread across the cabin as though looking for some shred of hope or comfort.

"Dumbledore's gonna come down while it happens, wrote me this mornin', said he wants ter be with me, great man, Dumbledore...."

Hermione, who had been rummaging in Hagrid's cupboard for another milk jug, let out a small, quickly stifled sob. She straightened up with the new jug in her hands, fighting back tears.

Arlene glanced hopelessly at her mother, Paloma mirrored the desperate look.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," Hermione began, but Hagrid shook his shaggy head.

"Yeh go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin', an' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway, if Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble."

Silent tears were now streaming down Hermione's face, but she hid them from Hagrid, bustling around making tea, then, as she picked up the milk bottle to pour some into the jug, she let out a shriek.

"Ron, I don't believe it, it's Scabbers!"

Ron gaped at her.

"What are you talking about?"

Hermione carried the milk jug over to the table and turned it upside down. With a frantic squeak, and much scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers the rat came sliding out onto the table.

"Scabbers!" said Ron blankly "Scabbers, what are you doing here?"

He grabbed the struggling rat and held him up to the light. Scabbers looked dreadful, he was thinner than ever, large tufts of hair had fallen out leaving wide bald patches, and he writhed in Ron's hands as though desperate to free himself

"It's okay, Scabbers!" said Ron. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"

Hagrid suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the window. His normally ruddy face had gone the color of parchment.

"They're comin'."

Paloma let go of her tea and straightened up "Don't worry Hagrid, judge McMillian rarely changes the verdict during an appeal, it only happened once and it was to acquit not convict." But she sounded like she was reassuring herself.

"We need to leave." Arlene announced, glancing out the window, the group of men lead by Fudge were almost there.

Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione picked up the cloak. "I'll let yeh out the back way." said Hagrid.

They followed him to the door into his back garden, Arlene felt strangely unreal, and even more so when she saw Buckbeak a few yards away, tethered to a tree behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch, Buckbeak seemed to know something was happening, he turned his sharp head from side to side and pawed the ground nervously.

"It's okay, Beaky," said Hagrid softly "It's okay..." He turned to Harry, Ron, Arlene and Hermione. "Go on," he said. "Get goin'."

But they didn't move.

"Hagrid, we can't-"

"We'll tell them what really happened-"

"They can't kill him-"

"Go!" said Hagrid fiercely. "It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"

They had no choice as Hermione threw the cloak overthem, they heard voices at the front of the cabin. Hagrid looked at the place where they had just vanished from sight.

"Go quick," he said hoarsely "Don' listen."

And he strode back into his cabin as someone knocked at the front door.

"Please, let's hurry," Hermione whispered. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it."

They started up the sloping lawn toward the castle, the sun was sinking fast now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged gray, but to the west there was a ruby-red glow.

Ron stopped dead.

"Oh, please, Ron," Hermione began.

"It's Scabbers- he won't- stay put-"

Ron was bent over, trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket, but the rat was going berserk; squeaking madly, twisting and flailing, trying to sink his teeth into Ron's hand.

"Scabbers, it's me, you idiot, it's Ron," Ron hissed.

Arlene anxiously looked back at the cabin, she heard a door open behind them and men's voices.

"Oh, Ron, please let's move, they're going to do it!" Hermione breathed.

"Okay, Scabbers, stay put-"

They walked forward; Arlene was trying not to listen to the rumble of voices behind them. Ron stopped again.

"I can't hold him- Scabbers, shut up, everyone'll hear us-"

The rat was squealing wildly, but not loudly enough to cover up the sounds drifting from Hagrid's garden, there was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence.

Arlene prepared herself for the swing of an axe, but then-

"Excuse me!?" the unmistakable voice of Paloma Burke exclaimed, loud enough for them to hear "this is a mistrial! Mr Fudge, how can you bear witness to this gross obstruction of justice? You are taking judge jury and executioner to a new level, Malfoy-"

"What's happening?" Hermione whispered.

"I don't know," Arlene whispered back "but we can't stay to find out."

They walked back to the castle in silence, by the time they were in the open field, the sun had set.

That was when Crookshanks found them.

"Crookshanks no!" Hermione hissed as the cat started to pull the cloak off them, Arlene didn't know if the cat could see them or if it heard Scabbers' squeaks, but it needed to go away.

"Scabbers, stop!" Ron scolded his rat as it bit and scratched, finally, it jumped out of Ron's hand and made a break for the forest.

"Scabbers!" Ron pulled the cloak off him and started racing after the rat.

Crookshanks followed with Herculean speed, leaving the three of them with no choice but to follow.

That was when they noticed the dog.

Jet black and looking like the night embodied, it leapt at Ron and pushed him into the ground, it started drawing him away but Ron hooked one of his legs into a tree trunk and gripped Scabbers.

The three of them ran to help, but suddenly Arlene felt something knock her back, and before she knew it, she was bleeding across her collarbone.

Harry and Hermione were on the floor as well, Ron and the dog had disappeared, and Arlene realized what the problem was.

"The Whomping Willow." She concluded "I think it has an opening at the base, but how.."

Harry tried getting close again and barley dodged a trunk to his face "How did that dog get in?"

Crookshanks marched graciously to the tree, avoided triggering it, then pushed its paw against a knot at the center.

The violent plant froze as though it was a marble statue.

"How did you.." Hermione started.

"It's friends with that dog." Harry said curtly "I saw them, come on."

Harry climbed in and Hermione followed, Arlene moved to copy them, but crookshanks stood in her way.

"What's wrong?" Arlene frowned.

Crookshanks moved away from the tree and looked her in the eye.

Arlene watched the beady feline eyes mend and change into human ones the same way she saw McGongall do it many times before...

At first she thought it was Sirius Black, and then it hit her like a sack of bricks.

"Dad?"