Youngblood {Year 3, Book 1}

= Chapter 15 =

Peter quickly escaped, grabbing Lupin's wand and transforming back into a rat, scurrying away furiously. 

The werewolf prowled dangerously close to the huddled squad, Professor Snape standing in front.

'Aroooooooo!'

The werewolf charged, slashing the professor out of the way, its eyes lingering on Aspen. In a flash, it swiped her with its claw. She closed her eyes, prepared for the impact - as she had no time to duck - but it never came. There was the sickening yelp or a wolf and screech of an injured owl, then only whimpering from a straying werewolf. Aspen opened her eyes and gasped - Liberty.

"NO!" She gasped. "Nonononononono."

The poor owl was disembodied, lying motionless on the blood-stained grass. Aspen's eyes began to water and tear up.

"Libby..." She whispered, holding the owl's body up to her head.

"Aspen..." Dove whispered, placing a hand on the Slytherin's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but we've got better things to worry about - look." Dove pointed to Sirius - now transformed as the Grim - battling a werewolf Professor Lupin.

Aspen nodded, placing the owl's body on the ground and standing up, drawing out her wand. Before she could make a move, Harry dashed out, grabbing a spare rock off the ground and throwing it at the werewolf. The rock hit its head, causing it to turn towards Harry from an injured Grim. 

'Arooooooooo!' A howl from the dark forest behind them called, only to be returned by Professor Lupin, who madly dashed to the call.

Sirius' body rolled down the long hill limply. Harry panicked, looking between Dove and Sirius.

"Take them back." Harry sighed, running up to Dove. "I need to save him."

"But Harry..."

She froze when Harry kissed her abruptly, leaning forward, catching her lips in a passionate kiss. Their eyes flickered closed as they continued. Her heartbeat picked up, racing now. When they broke for air, she was breathless. Harry gave a faint smile, then sprinted off towards Sirius.

"C'mon Dove, let's go." Mya sobbed, grasping Dove by the arm and pulling her towards the castle. 

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"Aspen! Where do you think you're going?" Ember asked, tripping Aspen with the tip of her shoe.

Aspen grumbled, not in the mood to pick a fight. Hadn't she already been through enough today? She lost her childhood owl, what more had to happen before a new day arrived?

"What do you want?" Aspen turned around, composing herself and hiding her feelings, but failing to compress her tear-stained cheeks.

"What happened to you? Why are you all... teary? And why... ugh! Why do you have to get all the glory?" Ember screamed, frustrated.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"You don't think how everyone's going around the campus talking about how great and beautiful Aspen is? Or how she 'saved the day'?" Ember recoiled, leaving Aspen at a loss for words. "But of course you wouldn't. You don't know what it's like to live in someone's shadow your whole life."

"Ember-"

"No! I'm speaking!" Aspen stuttered back a few steps. "Our families hate each other, yet my mother sees you as a perfect woman. She wants - no - continuously tries to transform me into you. But I don't want to be you - ever! You're selfish and get everything handed to you!!!"

"Is that why you're such a bully to me? Because you're jealous of me?"

Ember looked down at her shoes, biting her lip. "This conversation doesn't leave this hallway, understood?" Before she walked off.

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Dove waited impatiently in the hospital wing, holding a medicine-soaked cloth to a scratch on her forehead. Her owl, Twilight flapped down to her, screeching.

"I'm glad it wasn't you." She sighed, the tears welling up as she remembered Liberty's act of bravery.

"D-Dove!" I masculine voice gasped from the hallway.

"Harry!" She said, ditching the cloth on the nightstand and running towards him, embracing him tightly.

"You've got to stop them, they've got the wrong man!" Hermione gasped, running towards Dumbledore as he entered the wing.

"It's true sir, Sirius is innocent!" Harry agreed, joining Hermione while bringing Dove with him.

"It was Scabbers who did it!" Ron exclaimed from a bed across from Dove's, his leg contained in a secure cast.

"Scabbers?" Dumbledore's calm face turned to a confused one.

"He wasn't really a rat - well, he was a rat, he was my brother's rat but-" Ron began.

"He's Peter Pettigrew - the rat I mean." Mya interrupted, clutching Ron's hand by his bedside.

"Please believe us," Eleara begged.

"I do believe you, but it's difficult to say that the Ministry probably wouldn't trust the word of six fourteen-year-olds," Dumbledore said calmly, thought pursing his lips into a thin line.

"A child's voice, however honest and true." Dumbledore continued, waltzing over to Ron and patting his leg. "Is meaningless to those who've forgotten how to listen."

Ron whimpered in pain, nudging closer to Mya as the old Professor spoke. The sound of the Hogwarts tower went off - creating a sound of a long ding dong sound. Dumbledore's eyes flashed open.

"Mysterious thing - time." He mumbled, moving swiftly towards the door. "Powerful, and when melded with, dangerous."

"Sirius Black is in the topmost cellar in the dark tower. You know the laws, Miss Granger." His gaze shifted towards Hermione. "Do not be seen, and you will do what you can to return before this last chime, for the consequences are too vastly to discuss."

"If you succeed tonight, more than one innocent life will be spared." Dumbledore turned to leave. "Three turns should do it, I think."

He walked out of the door, only keeping it open to whisper, "Good luck." Then closing it.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron asked.

"Sorry, Ron, but seeing as you can't walk." Hermione pulled a golden chained object out of her shirt - a time turner, throwing it around Harry and her own neck.

"Wait!" He said, pulling out of the necklace and grabbing Dove by the arm, pulling her behind a curtain.

"Harry..." Dove spoke, no more than a whisper. "I love you."

Her lips brushed against his, another passionate kiss brewing. Her hands lingered in his hair as his moved towards her hips. They broke not long after, and Harry smiled.

"I love you too."

Then turned and left, allowing Hermione to take him back in time...