. . .

"Harry!"

Hermione stood a little behind Harry and Matilda, she began to worry about their time running out.

Matilda began tugging at his sleeve, looking back at Hermione who was looking down at her watch. "We've only got about ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us — before Dumbledore locks the door—"

"Okay," said Harry, wrenching his gaze from the sky, "let's go..."

They slipped through the doorway behind them and down a tightly spiraling stone staircase. As they reached the bottom of it, they heard voices. They flattened themselves against the wall and listened. It sounded like Fudge and Snape. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase.

"... only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," Snape was saying. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"

Matilda's small hands clenched into fists at her sides as she listened to Professor Snape talk about Dumbledore.

"As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet that we've got him at last... I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape... and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved him..."

Matilda rolled her eyes at Fudge's words as Harry, who stood beside of her, clenched his teeth. Matilda had caught sight of Snape's smirk as he and Fudge passed their hiding place. Their footsteps died away. The three students waited a few moments to make they'd really gone, then started to run in the opposite direction. Down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor — then they heard a cackling ahead.

"Bloody hell!" Matilda muttered, rolling her eyes. "Peeves."

"In here!"

Harry had pulled Hermione and Matilda by their wrists into a deserted classroom to their left just in time. Peeves seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in boisterous good spirits, laughing his head off.

"Oh, he's horrible," whispered Hermione, her ear to the door. "I bet he's all excited because the Dementors are going to finish off Sirius..." She checked her watch. "Three minutes, Harry!"

They waited until Peeves's gloating voice had faded into the distance, then slid back out of the room and broke into a run again.

"Hermione — what'll happen — if we don't get back inside before Dumbledore locks the door?" Harry panted.

"I don't want to think about it!" Hermione moaned, checking her watch again. "One minute!" They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance. "Okay — I can hear Dumbledore," said Hermione tensely. "Come on, Harry!"

"Are you sure you want an answer to that question?" Matilda asked, looking back at Harry.

Harry shrugged, an innocent look on his face.

"One minute!" Hermione checked her watch again.

They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance.

"Okay — I can hear Dumbledore," said Hermione tensely. "Come on!"

They crept along the corridor. The door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared.

"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."

Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door, and took out his wand to magically lock it. Panicking, Harry, Matilda, and Hermione ran forward. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under the long silver mustache. "Well?" he said quietly.

"We've done it!" said Matilda proudly. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak..."

Dumbledore beamed at them.

"Well done. I think —" He listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you've gone too — get inside — I'll lock you in —"

The three of them slipped back inside the dormitory. It was empty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed. As the lock clicked behind them, Matilda, Harry, and Hermione crept back to their own bed, Hermione tucking the Time-Turner back under her robes. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office.

"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"

She was in a very bad mood. Harry, Matilda, and Hermione thought it best to accept their chocolate quietly. Madam Pomfrey stood over them, making sure they ate it. But none of them could hardly swallow. Matilda, Harry, and Hermione were waiting, listening, their nerves jangling... And then, as they both took a fourth piece of chocolate from Madam Pomfrey, they heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them...

"What was that?" said Madam Pomfrey in alarm.

Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door.

"Really — they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

Matilda was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing nearer —

"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out —"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS — HAS — SOMETHING — TO — DO — WITH — POTTER — AND HIS FRIENDS!"

"Severus — be reasonable — Harry and the other three have been locked up —"

BAM!

The door of the hospital wing burst open.

Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.

"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Quickly, Matilda, who had been lying down upon Madam Pomfrey's orders, shot up so that she could see what was happening.

"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"

"And Miss Winters," she said, turning around to see her sitting up. "Didn't I instruct you to lay down?"

Matilda shrugged, this caused Madam Pomfrey to sigh and roll her eyes. Matilda had been the hardest of the evening to try and get to take orders. It was quick that Madam Pomfrey learned the only person she listens to is herself, and sometimes Dumbledore.

"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw —"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry and Hermione, then turning around to accuse Matilda. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.

"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT —"

"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Matilda, Harry, and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

Matilda found herself agreeing with Fudge, for the first time in her young life.

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

"Well," sang Matilda, in an annoyingly high and squeaky tone. "He may be a little unbalanced..."

Dumbledore turned his head and peered over his glasses at Matilda, to which she responded by rolling her eyes and laying back down in her hospital bed.

"Well, he's not the only one!" puffed Fudge. "The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story of that Hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well... I'd better go and notify the Ministry..."

"And the Dementors?" said Dumbledore. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said Fudge, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy... Completely out of control... no, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight... Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance..."

"Hagrid would like that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Matilda, Harry, and Hermione. As he and Fudge left the dormitory, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.

There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Ron had woken up. They could see him sitting up, rubbing his head, looking around.

"What — what happened?" he groaned. "Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"

"Ron!"

Once again Matilda shot up to a sitting a position, a look of relief painted over her face upon hearing Ron's voice.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other before turning their gaze to Matilda.

"You explain," said Harry, helping himself to some more chocolate.

When Harry, Matilda, Ron, and Hermione left the hospital wing at noon the next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle. The sweltering, heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade visit. Hermione, Matilda, and Ron had decided not to go on the trip, so they and Harry wandered onto the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now. Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water, Matilda lost the thread of the conversation as she looked across the opposite bank. She wondered what Sirius had told Harry before he left.

A shadow fell across them and they looked up to see a very bleary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at them.

"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night," he said. "I mean, Black escapin' again, an, everythin' — but guess what?"

"What?" they said, pretending to look curious.

"Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!"

"Hagrid, that's wonderful!" said Matilda, giving Ron a reproving look because he looked as though he was close to laughing.

"Yeah... can't've tied him up properly," said Hagrid, gazing happily out over the grounds. "I was worried this mornin', mind... thought he mighta met Professor Lupin on the grounds, but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night..."

"What?" said Harry quickly.

"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. "Er — Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'... Thought everyone'd know by now... Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night... He's packin' now, o' course."

"He's packing?" said Harry, alarmed. "Why?"

"Leavin', isn' he?" said Hagrid, looking surprised that Harry had to ask. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happening again."

Matilda's eyes widened. He couldn't leave. He's been the only Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor that has been able to successfully teach a classroom of students in that subject since she's been there.

"Leaving?" Matilda questioned with the same alarm as Harry.

Matilda scrambled to her feet.

"Harry, we're going to see him."

Harry stood from the ground, dusting of his trousers. He had no objections in following Matilda to Lupin's office.

"But if he's resigned —"

Started Hermione.

" — doesn't sound like there's anything we can do —"

Ron finished.

"Guess what? I don't care!" said Matilda. "Perhaps we can convince him to stay after all, and if not, I'll bring Dumbledore into it!"

Harry nodded, agreeing with Matilda. He wasn't ready to lose Lupin either.

"We'll meet you guys back here."

Harry and Matilda turned away from the lake and started for the castle. Once inside Harry stopped Matilda by grabbing onto her wrist. He looked confused.

"How do you plan on convincing Lupin to stay?" Harry asked, his expression worried.

Matilda shrugged.

"Yell at him, guilt him into staying," she told him as if that was her usual in getting her way. "Maybe I'll try and get Dumbledore to force him to stay?"

Harry nodded, but he was unsure of Matilda's plan. And even though Matilda was the most convincing person he knew, he feared that Lupin had already made up his mind on leaving.

As Harry and Matilda neared Lupin's office, they ran into Daisy Morgenstern who had just walked from the room. Her eyes were glassy, as though filled with tears, and her cheeks were stained pink from the tears that had already fallen. Her curly hair was knotted, as though she had constantly been running her hand through it. From this, Matilda took that she too knew about Lupin's plan to depart from Hogwarts.

Lupin's office door was open. He had already packed most of his things. The Grindylow's empty tank stood next to his battered old suitcase, which was open and nearly full. Lupin was bending over something on his desk and looked up only when Harry knocked on the door. Matilda who had been a few steps behind him due to stopping to take in the Morgenstern girl's appearance did not bother to knock, she instead walked right past Harry into the empty classroom.

"I saw the two of you coming," said Lupin, smiling. He pointed to the parchment he had been poring over. It was the Marauder's Map.

"I just saw Hagrid," said Harry. "And he said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?"

"I'm afraid it is," said Lupin. He started opening his desk drawers and taking out the contents.

"No!"

Matilda stomped her foot. Surprised, Lupin's attention turned to the dark-haired girl standing in the middle of his classroom pouting.

"You can't leave us," pleaded Matilda. "You've been the only competent Professor for this class since I've arrived at Hogwarts!"

"The Ministry of Magic doesn't think you were helping Sirius, do they?" Harry asked.

Lupin crossed to the door and closed it behind Harry.

"No. Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives." He sighed. "That was the final straw for Severus. I think the loss of the Order of Merlin hit him hard. So he — er — accidentally let slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast."

Matilda scoffed, rolling her eyes. She was in no way surprised that Snape was responsible for Lupin's resigning.

"You're not leaving just because of that!" said Harry.

Lupin smiled wryly.

"This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents... They will not want a werewolf teaching their children. And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you... That must never happen again."

"Well then," said Matilda, angrily crossing her arms over her chest. She began to pace around the classroom that was once full of different creatures and posters. "Perhaps I might have to let it slip that Professor Snape is incredibly abusive. So much so that he happens to be a student's boggart!"

Harry had no objections.

Lupin shook his head and didn't speak. He carried on emptying his drawers. Then, while Matilda was trying to think of a good argument to make him stay, Lupin said, "From what the headmaster told me this morning, you two saved a lot of lives last night. If I'm proud of anything I've done this year, it's how much the two of you and everyone in my class has learned... Tell me about your Patronus."

"Tell you about the Patronus?" Matilda questioned and her eyes went wide in disbelief. "You're trying to distract us. You don't want us to convince you to stay!"

"How d'you know about that?" said Harry, distracted.

Matilda scoffed, annoyed at how easily Harry gave in.

"What else could have driven the Dementors back?"

Harry told Lupin what had happened. When he'd finished, Lupin was smiling again. Matilda was still not smiling.

"Yes, your father was always a stag when he transformed," he said. "You guessed right... that's why we called him Prongs."

Lupin threw his last few books into his case, closed the desk drawers, and turned to look at two of his favorite students.

"Here — I brought this from the Shrieking Shack last night," he said, handing Harry back the Invisibility Cloak. "And..." He hesitated, then held out the Marauder's Map too. "I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving you back this as well. It's no use to me, and I daresay you, Matilda, Ron, and Hermione will find uses for it."

Harry took the map and grinned.

"Okay, so you're might be alright with leaving, but what about me?" Matilda interjected. "What about me, and my education? If you leave my education could be in jeopardy!"

Lupin looked at Matilda, his eyes soft.

"You'll be just fine without me, Matilda," said Lupin. "Your intelligence exceeds anything I could have taught you."

Matilda sighed. She agreed with Lupin, but she'd still prefer a Professor who cares about his students and knows how to do his job.

There was a knock on the door. Harry hastily stuffed the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak into his pocket.

It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn't look surprised to see either Harry or Matilda there.

"Your carriage is at the gates, Remus," he said.

"Thank You, Headmaster."

Lupin picked up his old suitcase and the empty Grindylow tank.

"Well — good-bye, Harry," he said, smiling. "It has been a real pleasure teaching you. I feel sure we'll meet again sometime."

As he began to walk out, he stopped once more in front of Matilda.

"Matilda, you are the smartest wizard I've ever come across in my life — and I've known many, very bright wizards," Lupin told Matilda. "Now, promise me you'll watch out for Harry, Merlin knows he'll need you there."

Matilda nodded, even though she wasn't happy about the entire situation.

"I promise."

Lupin smiled and started for the door once more.

"Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage..."

Matilda had gotten the impression that Lupin wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

"Good-bye, then, Remus," said Dumbledore soberly. Lupin shifted the Grindylow tank slightly so that he and Dumbledore could shake hands. Then, with a final nod and a swift smile to Harry and Matilda, Lupin left the office.

Harry sat down in his vacated chair, staring glumly at the floor. Matilda heard the door close and looked up. Dumbledore was still there.

"I can't believe you just allowed to him to walk out," said Matilda, shaking her head at Dumbledore. He already knew he was sure to get a scolding from her during their last tea-time of the school year. "He was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor we've had!"

"Remus had already made up his mind," said Dumbledore, his tone soft and calm. "There was nothing I could do, Matilda."

Matilda scoffed before storming out of the office behind Lupin. She was angry. She had grown fond of Lupin and his teaching abilities, and now he's gone. All because he's a werewolf, and Professor Snape saw it necessary to tell his secret. Matilda had already started to dread the thought of who might fill Professor Lupin's position the next school year.

. . .

Nobody at Hogwarts now knew the truth of what had happened the night that Sirius, Buckbeak, and Pettigrew had vanished except Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Professor Dumbledore. As the end of term approached, Matilda heard many different theories about what had really happened, but none of them came close to the truth.

Malfoy was furious about Buckbeak. He was convinced that Hagrid had found a way of smuggling the Hippogriff to safety, and seemed outraged that he and his father had been outwitted by a gamekeeper. Claire Morgenstern, meanwhile, had much to say on the subject of Sirius Black's escape.

"My father is not happy about the escape, no one in the Ministry is. He's planning on completely changing the Magical Law Enforcement Office!" she told the only person who would listen — Cho Chang.

And though the weather was perfect, though the atmosphere was so cheerful, though he knew they had achieved the near-impossible in helping Sirius to freedom, Matilda had never seen Harry approach the end of a school year in worse spirits.

He certainly wasn't the only one who was sorry to see Professor Lupin go. Most of the students who had Lupin as a Professor in Defense Against the Dark Arts was miserable about his resignation.

"I wonder what they'll give us next year?" asked Padma Patil gloomily.

"Maybe a vampire," suggested Luna Lovegood hopefully.

The exam results came out on the last day of term. To no one's surprise, Matilda had gotten 'Outstanding' in all of her classes, even Professor Trelawney had given her an 'Outstanding'. She was also amazed by her scores in potions. Because of how much Professor Snape despised her, Matilda had expected for him to purposely try and fail her. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had passed every subject as well, but Ron had only scraped by in Transfigurations. Padma Patil had also achieved high marks on her exam results as well, she got an 'Acceptable' in potions and an 'Exceeds Expectations' in Transfigurations, the rest of her results were 'Outstanding'.

Gryffindor House, also at the end of the term, was announced to have won the House championship for the third year running. This meant that the end of the term feast took place amid decorations of scarlet and gold, and that the Gryffindor table was the noisiest of the lot, as everybody celebrated. Even the Ravenclaws were happy because for the first time in a long time they had beaten Slytherin and took the second-place spot, in the running for the House championship.

. . .

As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next morning, Hermione gave Harry, Matilda, and Ron some surprising news.

"I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Muggle Studies."

"You passed that class with a three hundred percent, Hermione," said Matilda. "Why would you drop it?"

"I know," sighed Hermione, "but I can't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again."

"I still can't believe you told Matilda about it before Harry and me," said Ron grumpily. "We're supposed to be your best friends."

Ron made sure to emphasize the best part of friends.

"Well, for one, you and Harry weren't exactly talking to me for a long while," said Hermione, raising her eyebrows at the two boys who sat across from her. "And second, Matilda understood what I was going through, better than you or Harry ever could."

Matilda nodded, Hermione was right. 

"It's true, I was doing the same thing this term," said Matilda. "Except I never needed a time-turner."

Matilda smirked as she stood from her seat.

"Well, I should be off," she said, making her way to the cart door. "I'll write the three of you soon to catch up. And Harry, do your best to not murder the Dursleys, yeah?"

Harry nodded with a chuckle, standing to give Matilda a hug. A hug that she happily returned. But during that hug, Harry had slipped her a folded envelope. It looked to be a letter. But she didn't question him on it, he didn't want her to.

"Where are you off too?" Ron asked.

"I've got other friends, you know," said Matilda rolling her eyes.

And with she left their cart and went off to find Luna, stuffing the letter into the pocket of her skirt, only to forget about it later on. 

. . .

AN:// And that is the end of Matilda's second and third year at Hogwarts. 

Would you guys like to see summer chapters or for me to go ahead into "Saturn" which will follow Matilda's fourth and fifth year at Hogwarts?

I hope you've enjoyed "Sapphire" because I have definitely enjoyed writing it and developing Matilda Winters.