I woke up in the Hospital Wing. Big deal. Madam Pomfrey was as fussy as usual and kept checking my temperature and forcing me to take some chocolate despite the fact that I told her I was perfectly alright. I mean the Dementors can't possibly come inside Hogwarts, right? Not with Dumbledore as Headmaster, no chance. And it's a blessing really. 

Eventually as my senses became more alert, bits and pieces of what had happened on the train flashed through my mind. I had had an encounter with a nasty Dementor (of course I remember that) but more importantly I had found out that the new DADA teacher was none other than Moony.

Speaking of DADA, I glanced at the clock. Eight in the morning. Freaking Broomsticks, I was in the Hospital Wing for the whole night? No wonder Madam Pomfrey was treating me like a patient who's about to die. And 8 o' clock means that I probably missed the first two classes. More so, this was OWLs year and missing classes meant absolute disaster. 

I simply had to get out of here even though I hardly doubt it that Madam Pomfrey would allow me to go. I craned my neck over to see that she was brewing some potion at the far end of the infirmary and her wand was at the table two beds away from her. Fantastic. That means she won't be able to catch me if I ran away from here even if she tried to. Great. 

I will just have to risk it then. Slipping on my shoes as silently as possible I cautiously got off the bed and tiptoed to the door. 

"Where do you think you're going?" Madam Pomfrey turned around. 

Uh oh, guess I'll have to make a run for it. Without answering her I sped off and she kept yelling at me to come back. I'm sorry, Madam Pomfrey, but this is much more important right now.

***

I stopped in front of the DADA office. There was only one possible thing I could do. I pushed open the door and stepped inside almost out of breath. 

"It is always polite to knock before entering especially when you're entering a teacher's office," I was greeted by a familiar voice and looked up to see Moony arranging the books on his shelf. His back was facing towards the door so I don't think he saw who entered. 

"Yeah, but when the teacher used to be a best friend years ago, I don't think that's necessary," I replied after I had regained my breath. 

He stiffened and stopped doing his work then turned around to face me, "oh. Katerina. Do take a seat." 

I wounder why is he being so formal? 

"No thank you," I replied firmly, "and please don't call me Katerina. I'm not used to it." 

He nodded, "well then, Kat, what brings you here?" 

Out of all the questions he could have asked... But of course he's Moony. Even after all the years, he's bound to be the same. 

"We need to talk," I stated. 

"I don't see why," he replied with an unusual coldness in his voice, "if you're going to ask about him then you should know that you won't be receiving any answers." 

I spoke, "what do you mean?" 

Honestly, yes, what does he mean? 

He went back to aligning his book shelf, "in simple words, it would be better if both you and me refrain from discussing the closed chapters of our lives. All that happened is past now and no good will come from dwelling in it."

"I need to know what happened that has made you hate Sirius so much of all people."

"Do NOT say his name," his voice attained a dangerous pitch and I tried hard not to flinch. Moony never got angry but when he did, it was something worth fleeing from.

"And why may I ask? Why don't you want to hear the name of someone who used to be your closest friend?" Pushing him further in an argument when he was angered could lead to regrettable consequences but I had no other way. 

There was no chance I could find out about all that was going on from any other source. It was not all because of Sirius. I was worried for Moony as well. Worried about the fact that he hated someone he referred to as his brother.

He turned to face me and his jaw was clenched in suppressed rage, "Kat... Please, don't... Don't mess in matters that concern you in no possible way."

"Moony," I tried to resist but he interrupted me. 

"Miss Weasley, you ought to be attending your classes. And from now on, you are to call me Professor Lupin as under the current circumstances, you happen to be one of my students."

Like hell you can force me out of here. You might be a Professor now, Moons, but not even Snape has enough ability to intimidate me. And trust me that is saying something. 

"At least tell me what was his crime," I persuaded, "and don't mention being a Dark Wizard among it because I simply can't believe that. He would never do anything of that sort."

He took a deep breath and it was unnerving seeing the fiery blaze in his eyes, that one aspect which showed the wolf inside at times in his human form, that one aspect of his anger that was most terrifying. 

He spoke in a laboriously calmed voice, "the point here is simple. You said he would never do anything of that sort instead of he could never do anything of that sort. There is a long list of things, which in our opinion, he would never do but he's done all of them because he could." 

I still didn't get it. 

"He did not deserve our friendship," he sort of exploded as if all the lava that had been building up in him for so long finally erupted, "he broke us all apart. We were wrong to put our trust in him.  If Harry's an orphan, it's because of him. If Wormtail died, it's because of him too. And yet you ask his crime? There isn't one crime for me to mention." 

The words shocked me and Sirius's voice was echoing through my ears, his painful cries of distress surrounded me like a thick heavy fog. 

"He couldn't do anything bad to you guys. It's just not possible," my voice was quivering but I tried to state it as firmly as I could. 

"And how can you be so sure?" he asked, "you of all people who had only been with him for like, what, five months?" 

I protested, "but you knew him! Both you and me know how much he loved James, Lily, the rest of you and how much he hated all that Death Eater crap."

His voice was low to a whisper this time, "I thought I knew him. I was mistaken."

I can't believe this. I can't freaking believe this. Somehow, something deep inside me told that it was not the way he was seeing this, that all of this was a misunderstanding. 

And I simply had to let him know that whatever happened was not Sirius's fault, it just couldn't be, "you knew him for seven long years. You should have known that he could never even think of something so heinous. And yet he was sent to Azkaban, for a crime he hadn't even committed. Do you know what Azkaban is?"

His voice was sharp and sudden, "do you know either?" 

That nightmare flashed in front of my eyes. Those prison cells, the Dementors, the wailing prisoners, the intense cold and Sirius... Pale, weak, suffering yet innocent.

I shuddered at recalling all of it, "I know. I've been there."

His eyes widened in disbelief, "you what?"

But before he could say anything else or I could explain, Professor McGonagall stepped in. She might have been passing from there and for all I know it can be highly possible that someone alerted her on the escapade from the infirmary. 

"Miss Weasley, I heard you ran away from the Hospital Wing without authorized permission and I hope you're aware that it could prove adverse for your health," she was giving me one of her clear no nonsense look and I knew she wasn't too happy about what I had done. 

"But I am feeling perfectly fine, Professor," I replied.

She adjusted her thin rectangular specs not once taking her eyes off me, "you don't appear perfectly fine to me. What are you doing here?" 

I spoke the first thing that came to my mind, "detention." 

It must seem quite believable, really, considering that me and the twins often break past records of holding detentions.

Moony spoke almost immediately, "she missed the first few classes so she came to understand the lesson, that's all. She's not in a detention." 

I know, I know, the last sentence was addressed to me, thanks a bunch, Professor Lupin. 

"I see," Professor McGonagall replied, "I'm pleased to know that you're taking your studies seriously but there are some precautions you must take into account. Remus, give her off early or try to, at least. I'll arrange an extra class in one of her free periods if needed."

Moony shook his head, "that won't be needed. We're almost finished." 

She nodded, "good. And, Miss Weasley, I want you to go straight to your dormitory after you're done here. Am I understood?" 

I nodded back feebly. She gave me one last long look as if knowing there was something we weren't telling her but instead of saying so, she walked out.

I sometimes feel uncomfortable in her presence. It's almost as if she knows about my time travel episode because I often find her staring at me with a thoughtful frown on her face as if trying to remember where else she had seen me before.

"You don't look well. You should go and rest," my train of thoughts was broken by Professor Lupin's voice. I looked up at him. He took my hand and made me sit down in one of the chairs and I realized that I was slightly trembling.

"You should have given him a chance to explain," I was resolute though because I had to make sure that he understood and believed what I was trying to tell him. 

He sighed wearily, "explain what exactly? That he joined evil because he was afraid of getting himself killed?" 

I shook my head, "you should have heard him at least. How could you let them shut him up in Azkaban?" 

He replied, "even if I, for once, believed that he was innocent, still there are numerous proofs that we can't possibly ignore. People witnessed him blowing up a whole street with 13 Muggles in it. Fudge, being an eye witness himself, published a whole report on it. There wasn't any need of a trial in front of the Wizengamot either. He happily accepted Azkaban." 

I was shocked. Stunned beyond imagination. No one happily accepts Azkaban. It's worse than hell. Sirius's words were still flashing in and out of my conscience. 

After a long while of silence, Moony whispered, "that night... That night when James and Lily died... He came to me. But I didn't listen. I shut the door on his face. I didn't give him any chance to speak." 

Oh. Of course. Anyone would have done that. Anyone but Moony. 

"I was shattered," he resumed as he sank down on his chair visibly grieved and broken, "my whole world had come tearing down at that moment. Life was never the same afterwards."

"What if it was all a great mistake? A misunderstanding?"

He shook his head, "I don't know. And I don't know why you are defending him, why you think he's innocent. Have you got any proof in his favor?"

Not exactly. 

"I don't know myself." Then upturning my palm, I showed him the imprinted scars on it which formed the word AZKABAN. "Remember that night in the common room when I had a fear attack?"

He nodded and I resumed, "I had a nightmare back then. One of those visions I told you about. I saw myself in Azkaban. And I saw Sirius as well. He was in an awful state and kept repeating that he did not betray James and Lily. Ever since that night, I've had these scars. Azkaban is worse than hell, trust me, and ever since that night it has been haunting me." I leaned back and closed my eyes. This was surely getting too much. 

"I'm calling your brothers to take you back to the dorm," he spoke.

Shortly afterwards, I heard his voice again only this time it was muted to a whisper, "I lost all my friends. Only you are left. It hasn't been easy for me. Nowhere near easy."

He was going through a lot. A state of not knowing what to believe and what not to believe. "You have a chance to save one if you try," I spoke. 

He paused before replying as if contemplating his answer, "I'll look into it thoroughly. And if he's innocent... You have my word, he won't come to any harm."

***