"For heaven's sake!" Madam Pomfrey's voice brought in a fresh wave of pain. "Is this hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist—"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter 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—"

"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore.

"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!"

Ria hissed at her throbbing head, too weak and uncomfortable to move. Uncomfortable because she had this feeling that something was coming towards her. As if her body was reaching out for something, trying to grasp it and pull it in.

Almost like that feeling she had when she was waking up from petrification in second year. She gasped, feeling it grow more and more uncomfortable. 

But then, something snapped.

Wake up, Asteria.. wake up!

She snapped her eyes open, and immediately felt the pull being released. She grabbed her head at the sharp pound. Too bright..

Her gaze roamed around until it fell onto a face.. Pomfrey. Not just her.. Harry, Hermione, Snape, Dumbledore, even the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. They were all around her, watching her with concern and curiosity.

"Ah.. Miss. Edwards, you're awake!" Madam Pomfrey said with a rush of relief washing over her. She began checking her pulse, while the conversation continued.

"Are you alright?" asked Harry. "You— You were struggling just now.. Do you need anything?"

"Did you—" started Hermione, but her eyes glanced towards Fudge for a mere second before coming back. "Did you see another vision?" She whispered.

Did she? Asteria wondered. Of course, she did not. She would know. All she had experienced was this weird feeling.

"No." She answered Hermione's question first. "Yeah.. yeah. I'm fine." Though that wasn't important now. The authorities in the room were slipping farther and farther away from the truth.

"She is right, Sev— Professor, Minister.." she added. "Sirius Black is innocent, Pettigrew is the real criminal.. It was because of his spell I was knocked out—"

"Asteria, you don't know what you're speaking about—"

"I know well what I'm speaking about!" Ria interrupted before Snape could complete. "Maybe you really should consider listening to everyone else before coming to conclusions!"

"Now, now.." said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, she took a serious hex to her head, we must take allowances—"

"I would like to speak to Harry, Hermione and Asteria alone," said Dumbledore abruptly, thinking that he should do something before Ria snapped with anger. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy— please leave us."

"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey, "They need treatment, they need rest—"

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

At this, 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 didn't move.

"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 Harry, Hermione and Asteria alone." Dumbledore repeated. Snape took a step towards him.

"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't 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. When it closed behind them, Harry, Ria and Hermione 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-"

"—you can ask Isabella too! She was there—"

"—that disgusting, traitorous rat—"

"—Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off—"

"Pettigrew attacked Ria, it wasn't Sirius—"

But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem their flood of explanations.

"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you to not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he mumbled. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word— and the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will convince nobody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I, myself, gave evidence that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."

"Mum can give the evidence—" Ria chimed hopefully.

"It will be too late till the message reaches Isabella." Dumbledore mused.

"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, Sirius and Isabella 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."

"But, Severus hates Sirius," Ria said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him—"

"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."

"But you believe us."

"Yes, I do. What we need is more time." said Dumbledore quietly, then he turned towards Hermione. "Mysterious thing, time. Powerful... and when meddled with, dangerous." 

Hermione looked at Ria, and then back at him. 

Dumbledore walked towards the door. "Sirius is in the topmost cell of the Dark Tower." He turned towards the trio again. "You know the laws, Miss. Granger. You must not be seen. And you would do well, I feel, to return before this last chime. If not, the consequences are too ghastly to discuss." He walked towards them.

"If you succeed tonight, more than one innocent life may be spared." He added and walked away from them. 

Ria looked at her. "Is he talking about what I think he is talking about?" She asked quietly. Hermione nodded in response. Before closing the door, Dumbledore peeked in again.

"I am going to lock you in," they heard him saying. "It is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck" He smiled, closing the door.

"What did that mean?" Harry asked in a confused tone, while Hermione fumbled with the golden chain around her neck.

"Can you walk?" She asked Ria, and the girl quickly nodded, getting off the bed. Her balance almost faltered, but she gathered herself.

Hermione pulled the two closer and put the chain around their necks. Harry went to fumble with the hourglass, but Hermione slapped his hand away and spun the hourglass. Ria noticed it was smaller than the one her mother had.

Their surroundings started changing, the room began going much brighter. Many people came in and went out, all in fast backward motion. Ria closed her eyes for the bright light to come, but when it didn't come, she opened her eyes in confusion.

"Hermione.. Are you sure you've done it right?" asked Ria. Hermione nodded while removing the chain.

"Of course, I have! I've done it many times! 7:30.. Where were we at 7:30?" She asked hurriedly.

"Going to Hagrid's?" Harry replied the same time as Asteria answered, "Giving my Divination exam?"

Hermione grabbed their wrists and the three rushed out of the hospital wing. "Come on, and we can't be seen!"

The three began hurrying out of the castle. At the turn of the third corridor, they saw a familiar face. Hermione and Harry stopped in shock as the two Asterias looked at each other.

Ria blinked in realisation. Is that why it happened? It wasn't her imagination?

Then she knew what to do.

She dragged them with her and forced them down the stairs. She held the past-Ria's shoulders. "This is just a hallucination, Asteria. Rub your eyes and wake up!" She shook her furiously. When she began rubbing her eyes, Ria dashed down the stairs.

She caught up with Harry and Hermione. "How— what— you—" Harry stuttered in disbelief.

"Shut up before I make you!" She warned. Harry closed his mouth, face slightly flushed with red. She realised what she said and rolled her eyes, her cheeks warming up a little too. "You— You know what I meant.." she muttered.

"Honestly, how did you not freak out?" asked Hermione. 

Ria shrugged. "I don't know! I thought the Seer thing was just messing with my head! I was going to sleep it off!" She exclaimed. "But Lord, when I tell you, it felt like I pulled a Lorraine Warren or some shit like that—"

"What?"

"I'll explain later." She sighed heavily. Seriously? It wasn't even a pop culture reference! Lorraine Warren is famous!

The three reached the grounds and hid behind a big rock, seeing their past selves in far front of them. Harry gasped in shock. "That's us.. First Ria, now us. This is not normal."

Hermione backed him against a wall and held her time-turner out. "This is a time-turner, Harry.. McGonagall gave it to me, first term. This is how I've been getting to my lessons all year." She explained, while Harry looked at them, baffled.

"You mean— You mean we've gone back in time?" He asked, making the two girls nod.

"Dumbledore wanted us to return to this time.. Clearly, something happened that he wants us to change." She added, looking as the Gryffindor trio vanished under the invisibility cloak. Harry, Hermione and Ria followed the footsteps silently, hiding behind the erect rocks in order to not be seen.

"Buckbeak's still alive.." Ria breathed, then turned to the two with wide eyes. "More than one innocent life could be spared! Does that mean we can save him?" She gasped.

Hermione turned towards her. "Yes, of course! That's what Dumbledore meant! Let's go!"

They ran to Hagrid's hut and hid behind the pumpkin patch. Dumbledore, Fudge and the executor were walking down the hill to Hagrid's. 

Harry's head perked up. "Here they come... I better hurry." He got up, but Hermione pulled him back down.

"Fudge has to see Buckbeak before we steal him, otherwise he'll think Hagrid set him free." She explained. The three looked at the window. They watched as Ron clutched his rat happily in his hands.

"That's Pettigrew.. We can trap him." Ria whispered, her eyes looking like they had suddenly fired up. Hermione shook her head rapidly.

"Yes.." Harry muttered with the same ambition and hastily got up. Hermione pulled him back down. "He betrayed my parents! You don't expect me to just sit here." He added, trying to get up again. But Hermione held him down.

"Yes, but you must!" She ushered. The three ran, hiding themselves from Fudge, Dumbledore and the executor.

"Harry, you're in Hagrid's hut now.. Ria had too much on her mind already, and she knows how time-turners work, and she handled it with no damage! But if you go bursting in, you'll think you've gone mad!" She whispered harshly. "Awful things happened to wizards who've meddled with time, that's why, we can't be seen." She added urgently. He nodded in defeat, but the girls knew he felt frustrated.

"Fudge is coming. Why aren't we leaving?" Harry whispered in panic, making them look towards the window. Hermione spotted a familiar stone on the ground. She picked it up and threw it in, breaking a vase.

Ria was quick to follow her lead as she picked one up herself and showed it to Harry, "How many for your head?" She asked with a small smirk and threw it in, hitting the past-Harry on the back of his head. Ria chuckled silently as both the Harry's rubbed their heads.

"10 points to Slytherin." She mused.

"Oww.. that hurt." Harry whined. 

Ria pouted at him, making him forget about the pain for a moment. "Sorry.." she said, ruffling his hair.

Dumbledore knocked on the door of Hagrid's hut, while the back door opened and closed. They had left. "You're coming out of the back door.. I'll be coming soon. We can't stay here!" She ushered. The three entered the edge of the forest, hiding behind a gigantic tree. 

Hermione pushed a branch aside from her front and stared at the three. "Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?" She whispered.

"Don't worry, Mione. It looks fabulous." Ria answered, glancing at her. 

Hermione chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Always count on Asteria Edwards for being the confidence booster." She replied, accidentally placing her foot on a twig and snapping it. 

The three hid behind the trees as the past-Hermione looked behind. "What?" The past-Harry asked.

"I thought I just saw.. Nevermind." She answered.

"Let's go." The past-Ron whispered urgently, the three put on the cloak again and presumably left the place.

Harry, Ria and Hermione took the opportunity and rushed towards the pumpkin patch again. Successfully dodging everyone's eyes, Harry stood in front of Buckbeak. The hippogriff looked at him as Harry bowed and returned the gesture. He took the chain off the wooden stand and pulled it. Buckbeak didn't move.

The three held their breaths as the door opened, but left them in relief as it closed again. The two girls sneaked behind him. "Okay, Buckbeak. Come quickly.." He whispered furiously, pulling on the chain. The hippogriff still didn't move.

"Come with us now, come on." He tried pulling again, but Buckbeak rested his head on his forelegs and went to sleep again. Hermione hurriedly took the dead ferrets from far beside her and hung the rope around her neck with a disgusted look.

She held one out to Buckbeak. "Come on, Buckbeak! Here's some delicious food!" She whispered, waving the white ferret. 

"Come and get it! It's your favourite ferret, Draco Malfoy!" Ria added. Buckbeak perked his head up at this and got up. Harry suppressed his urge to laugh.

Hermione tossed it in the air, which Buckbeak happily caught. She held another one. "Come on! It's here!" The four started ushering back into the forest, but stopped dead in their tracks as the door opened. 

The four adults walked out, making the three students freeze. Dumbledore turned his back on the theft, showing something over the hills to the two Ministry people. Hermione held a ferret higher, backing away slowly. The four successfully managed to enter the forest.

They hid behind the trees, watching the confused interaction quietly. "Can you take this for a second? It's making me nauseous." Said Hermione, holding the dead ferrets to Ria, and she nodded, quickly taking over.

Buckbeak silently tried to steal a ferret from Ria, which she noticed. She sighed and shook her head sternly, making it back away. "You've had enough of them." 

Buckbeak looked at her with innocent, orange eyes. Ria rolled her eyes and fed him one. "Ah.." She sighed in realisation and smiled wide, stroking his feathers. "Sophie's going to be so happy.."

A sharp snap took her attention, and she turned towards the scene again. The enormous axe had just split a pumpkin in two. 

Ria blinked in disbelief. "I can't believe we cried over a pumpkin." She muttered to herself.

"So that's it," said Hermione quietly. "We're all down there.. and now we've just got to wait until we come back up again.." 

She took the end of Buckbeak's rope and tied it  securely around the nearest tree, then sat down on the dry ground, arms around her knees. 

"Harry, 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.."

"What— dementors?" asked Ria, confused. "What exactly did I miss?"

Harry sat down too, along with Ria. He sighed. "Well.. after you passed out, Sirius turned into a dog and fought Lupin. He ran away, Sirius got hurt, and ran to the edge of the forest. There were dementors.." he took a sharp breath.

"Hermione and I tried to fight them off since Sirius was too weak. We were about to lose him to them.. but then.."

"A silver something.. came from across the lake and forced the dementors to retreat."

Hermione's and Ria's mouths were slightly open by the time Harry had finished. "But what was it?" 

"There's only one thing it could have been, to make the dementors go," said Harry. "A real, corporal Patronus. A powerful one." 

"But who conjured it?"

Harry didn't say anything. He was thinking back to the person he'd seen on the other bank of the lake. He knew who he thought it had been.. but how could it have been? 

"You must've at least seen what they looked like.." said Ria eagerly. "Was it someone we knew? Maybe a teacher—" 

"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—" 

"Yeah, I saw him," said Harry slowly. "But.. maybe I imagined it. I wasn't thinking straight.. I passed out right afterward.." 

Ria interrupted him. "Who did you think it was?" 

"I think—" Harry swallowed, knowing how strange this was going to sound. "I think it was my dad."

There was a beat of silence. Ria was thinking, but Hermione looked like she was hesitant to talk. She only spoke when Harry looked up at them. "Harry.. your dad—" her gaze was a mixture of pity and alarm. "Well.. your dad's dead." She said quietly.

"I know.." he nodded quickly.

"You think you saw his ghost?"

"I don't know. He looked solid. And a ghost can't really conjure a Patronus, can it?"

Hermione pressed her lips in a thin line, slowly nodded. Harry sighed, his eyes turning to Ria, who was staring off into distance, seeming deep into thoughts.

"Ria?" He said, making her look up. "What're you thinking about?"

She quickly shook her head. "Oh— no. It's nothing, really—"

"Yeah, sure." Harry nodded, his tone sarcastic. "When you say that you have the most intense thoughts. You might fool everyone else, but you're not fooling me."

Ria pursed her lips, looking down at her hands. She really shouldn't tell him that. It would be wonderful if it's true, but if not, she'll just end up hurting him, or getting his hopes up—

"Ria.."

She sighed. "Right now.. we just saved Buckbeak." She said. "The true versions of us, of this time don't know he's alive.. They won't know until they come back in time and actually save him like we did—"

"What's your point?" asked Hermione impatiently.

"What if—" she emphasised. "What if what Harry's saying is the truth? What if he really saw his father out there—"

"No." Hermione forced out a chuckle. "That's a barbaric thought, Ria, even for a Seer like you."

"But what if someone has done this.. the thing that we're doing right now?" She urged. "What if someone did this to save his parents? And we just don't know yet—"

"Ria, you don't get time-turners just like that!" Hermione explained. "They're very rare to get! They're kept in very guarded places, even in the Ministry."

"And if you come to think of it, they must have been guarded even more heavily back when You-Know-Who was in his prime— they must be taking extra care that He doesn't get His hands on them—"

"But what about now?" Ria chimed in, her tone a mixture of desperation and hope. "We have one with us, right now. What if we use it and travel back.. travel back 12 years?"

Hermione was staring at her with her eyes wide in disbelief. While now Harry was the one staring off in the distance, eyes wide open as he thought about all the possibilities.

"Surely, we won't be able to defeat You-Know-Who, but we can at least warn James and Lily? Maybe Sirius? Or Minnie, or Dumbledore about everything that's going to happen, and maybe they save them—"

"Ria.. I thought you knew how time-turners work." Said Hermione. "12 years? That's barbaric! They work over the span of some hours. That's all!"

Asteria sighed. "Maybe you're underestimating their capabilities, Hermione." She argued back. "Maybe every time-turner has a different capacity!"

"This isn't Quidditch, Ria." Hermione stated, and Ria was mildly offended. Why did she have to bring Quidditch into this? "Every time-turner has been made the same way. They're all the same. That's what's been stated in the books. That's what McGonagall told me."

Ria rolled her eyes, now frustrated. "Then how did she manage to travel back and forth with us over a time period of 30 years?" The words slipped out, and she quickly covered her mouth.

The silence hung in the air. It made even Harry come out of his thoughts. "Wait.. what did you say?" He asked, his voice just a whisper.

"30.. years?" Hermione's was at the same volume. Just a mere whisper of disbelief.

"Nothing.. I— I just—"

"You just don't blurt up stuff like that in the middle of a serious argument, Ria. I know you." said Harry, now more attentive than ever. "What do you mean by 30 years?"

Ria sighed, shutting her eyes close in regret. She wasn't supposed to tell that to anyone. But now she couldn't hide it. The truth was half out already.

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, explaining everything she had gone through, since the age of seven. How they had travelled forward to 2017 while her mother was experimenting with a time-turner, how they had lived there for around four years.. and how their McGonagall had found them and brought them back with her.

The two could do nothing but blink and stare at her when she was finished with the story. They didn't know what to make of it. Harry's mind was swarming with different possibilities, curious at most.

"That's.. That's so.. so many problems could be solved with that time-turner.." he said, his mind wandering off.

Ria just shook her head. "They can be.. but only if they've already been solved. Like the one we're solving right now. When we were there, the future versions of us were already working behind the scene." She explained. "The time-turner worked just like the one Hermione has. The only difference was the amount of time it could have us travel over.."

She looked at Hermione for some reaction.. but she looked scared. "Hermione?"

"No.. No, it can't be. Your mother can't have the— the—" Hermione slapped her hand to her mouth. "Ria! Do you know what time-turner you're talking about?" She asked, making her slowly shake her head in response.

"I'm pretty sure you've heard of Lagarde!" She said, and Ria nodded. "You know how Lagarde wasn't only a Seer? She was what you called a genius! She was considered the brightest witch of the century! She also invented things!"

"Yeah, I know that—" Ria started off pretty calm, but then realisation dawned on her. Her mouth fell open. "No.."

Hermione nodded, holding her time-turner out to her. "This is a simple, normal time-turner. The only model that is Ministry approved. It allows users to only travel in time over a few hours. And you can use it multiple times."

"The one you had was probably Lagarde's time-turner." She explained. "What happened to the one that your mother used?"

"She— She returned it to McGonagall.. she told me she would get it fixed so we could go back—"

Hermione shook her head, and she gulped. Her mother had lied to her again? Why?

"Lagarde's time-turners are strictly a one-time trip. They turn to dust once you use them. So.. if one of them got you and your mother to 2017..  one got McGonagall to 2021, and then another got all three of you back to 1991.." she gulped.

Ria was nervous by now. "Then.. what?"

"That's all three. All three that she ever managed to successfully make when she was sane.. before she was sent to mental asylums and then Azkaban. And she never exposed the true process to anyone, she never did with any of her inventions. So no one would be able to copy it. Maybe recreate something similar, but won't be able to make the same type of time-turner again.. And that would be a hard task, since no one on Lagarde's level of intelligence has been found yet.."

Asteria gave her a small nod. Her mother having those time-turners wasn't really a big deal, all three of them knew that. They had heard how Isabella had been a double-agent. She must've probably stolen them at that time.

Ria's arms huddled her knees close to her chest as she succumbed into her guilt. She was right, she shouldn't have said anything. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Harry.

She really shouldn't have gotten his hopes up.

The three were swept away into silence.. all three so submerged in their own thoughts that they could hear the slightest of noises; the leaves over their heads rustling in the breeze, the swishes of the Willow's branches, the gentle breaths of Buckbeak as he rested under the moonlight.

They waited and waited in that silence.. and then finally..

"Here we come!" Hermione whispered.

They tried to get over the previous events and got back to their feet. Buckbeak raised his head at the sudden commotion. They saw Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron clambering  awkwardly out of the hole in the roots.. followed by the unconscious Snape, drifting weirdly upward. Next came Harry, Hermione, Ria, Isabella and Black. They all began to walk toward the castle.

Harry's heart was starting to beat very fast. He  glanced up at the sky. Any moment now, that cloud was going to move aside and show the moon..

"Harry," Hermione muttered as though she knew exactly what he was thinking, "we've got to stay put. We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do.." 

"So we're just going to let Pettigrew escape all over again.." said Harry quietly. Now he was sure there was no way his parents were alive, but was he really going to let go off the person that had betrayed them?

"How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?"  snapped Hermione. "There's nothing we can do! We came back to help Sirius; we're not supposed to be doing anything else!" 

"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," Hermione whispered. "He's transforming—" 

"Hermione!" said Harry suddenly. "We've got to move!" 

"We mustn't, I keep telling you—" 

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

Hermione gasped. "Quick!" she whispered, dashing to untie Buckbeak. 

"Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The dementors will be coming any moment—"

"Back to Hagrid's!" Harry said. "It's empty now— come on!" 

They ran as fast as they could, Buckbeak cantering along behind them. They could hear the werewolf howling behind them. Harry kept looking at Ria, who was still in silent thoughts. She still had that guilty look over her face, but this time.. there was something else too. And he couldn't quite figure it out.

The cabin was in sight; Harry skidded to the door, wrenched it open, and Ria, Hermione and Buckbeak flashed past him; he threw himself in after them and bolted the door. Fang the boarhound barked loudly. 

"Shh, Fang, it's us!" said Hermione, hurrying over and scratching his ears to quieten him. "That was really close!" she said to Harry. 

"Yeah.." 

Harry was looking out of the window. It was much harder to see what was going on from here. Buckbeak seemed very happy to find himself back inside Hagrid's house. He lay down in front of the fire, folded his wings contentedly, and seemed ready for a good  nap. 

"I think I'd better go outside again, you know," said Harry slowly. "I can't see what's going on— we won't know when it's time—" 

Hermione looked up. Her expression was suspicious. "I'm not going to try and interfere," said Harry quickly. "But if we don't see what's going on, how're we going to know when it's time to rescue Sirius?" 

"Well.. okay, then.. we'll wait here with Buckbeak.. but Harry, be careful— there's a werewolf out there— and the dementors—"

"I'm going with him." Ria finally spoke again after what seemed like an hour. Harry didn't argue, he just gave her a stiff nod.

They stepped outside again and edged around the cabin. They could hear yelping in the distance. Harry looked at Ria. "Dementors.. they must be closing in on Sirius."

She nodded in acknowledgement, and Harry turned to stare towards the lake. It was true that she still felt guilty, but there was one more possibility.. this one more probable than the first one she had suggested.

And there were the dementors. They were emerging out of the darkness from every direction, gliding around the edges of the lake.. They were moving away from where they stood, to the opposite bank.

"I want to get a closer look.. if you—"

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm coming with you."

At her answer, Harry couldn't help but smile. He took her hand, fingers intertwined with each other's before they made a run for it.

Where Ria had one too many thought thrumming in her head, Harry had none except his father. He knew it was stupid. It was so stupid. He had even got an explanation now from Hermione. The one rational possibility that his father was alive had been shut down, but yet..

They stopped behind a large tree, watching as the two; Harry and Sirius, struggled against the dementors. The past-Harry shot out tiny glimmers of Patronus with all his might. But he was too weak and too desperate at that moment.

Harry waited and waited.. for that one moment where he would see him..

"Harry.." Ria said, and he looked at her. There was no better moment than this to talk. "I'm sorry.. I'm sorry for.. for—"

"Getting my hopes up?" He chuckled sarcastically, before looking back at the miserable scenery in front of him. "Don't worry. I tend to do that to myself a lot. I'm just too stubborn to accept that I'm lonely, I guess.."

It was just a playful remark for him, but Ria's grip on his hand tightened, and he quickly looked back at her. She seemed.. angry.. and kind of hurt.

"Lonely? Lonely, huh?" She said, eyebrows knitted. "What the hell do you think the people who stand for you, with you, are? What do you think I am?"

He didn't know why.. but the way she talked to him at that moment, it made his heart race.

"I know they're your parents. And I know it hurt. It's normal to hurt." said Ria. "But it doesn't give you the goddamn excuse to underestimate us.. and even yourself, Harry James Potter!"

He blinked. He knew he missed his parents.. but he never underestimated the people he had in his life. He could never. But he didn't understand her comment about underestimating himself..

"Sadly.. James is not going to be here tonight." She said, the bitter, truthful words rolling off her tongue with discomfort. "But you're here, aren't you? You worked so bloody hard to be here!"

And the wind that hit his sweat-drenched skin was like a wave of realisation.

Ria knew he could do it. She had seen him do it in that one match where Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had pretended to be dementors. His Patronus had been just as mesmerizing, radiating its presence and power, just like its caster.. just like Harry.

Her look was enough for him to restore his confidence in himself. He flung out from behind the tree and pulled out his wand. 

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he yelled. And out of the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless  cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal.

He screwed up his eyes, trying to see what it was. It looked like a horse. It was galloping silently away from him, across the black surface of the lake. He saw it lower its head and charge at the swarming dementors.. Now it was galloping around and around the black shapes on the ground, and the dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness..

They were gone.

He had done it. He had saved them. But somehow through that rush, all he could think about was Ria's trusting eyes as she looked at him, her warm touch that still lingered in his hand, rooted deep between his fingers, within the smallest of grooves and lines on his palm.

Why did she affect him so much?

His thoughts broke down when she approached him from behind and hugged him tightly. She placed her chin on his shoulder and said, "Look.. there you are, Prongslet."

Harry looked towards his Patronus. It was cantering back toward them across the still surface of the water. It wasn't a horse. It wasn't a unicorn, either. It was a stag.

Harry chuckled as he realised. Prongs.. that's what it meant..

But as his trembling fingertips stretched toward the creature, it vanished. 

Harry stood there, hand still outstretched. Then, with a great leap of his heart, he heard hooves behind them— they whirled around and saw Hermione dashing toward him, dragging Buckbeak behind her.

"What did you do?" she said fiercely. "You said you were only going to keep a lookout! Ria, why didn't you keep a watch over him!" 

"I just saved all our lives.." said Harry, and Ria nodded. "Get behind here— behind this tree— I'll explain." 

Hermione listened to what had just happened with her mouth open yet again. "Did anyone see you?" 

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

"Harry, I can't believe it.. You conjured up a  Patronus that drove away all those dementors! That's very, very advanced magic.." 

"I knew I could do it this time," said Harry, "because I'd already done it.. Does that make sense?"

"Well.. doesn't matter." said Ria with a grin that almost reached her ears. "You did it."

He smiled back at her gratefully, and she could pick something different about this smile, she just didn't know what it was.

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