Ashlyn groaned as the babble of voices outside woke her up. She sat up. She was sitting in a bed, at the hospital wing. She looked around and saw Harry and Hermione awake and listening, just like her. Both seemed unhurt, save for a few bruises and scratches. Ron, however, had a cast on his leg.
Ashlyn concentrated on the distant voices.
"What amazes me most is the behaviour of the dementors . . . you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"
"No, Minister . . . by the time I had come 'round, they were heading back to their positions at the entrances. . . ."
"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girls —"
"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."
They looked at each other, nervously. Just then the doors of the hospital wing opened and Fudge walked in followed by Dumbledore and Snape. Seeing them enter, Harry sprung out of bed. Ashlyn would have too, but her body was aching all over. She was the most hurt among all of them. She should tell Lupin how strong he was. Madam Pomfrey had healed all her bruises and cut, but her body was still aching badly.
"Harry, Harry, what's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed — has he had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.
"Minister, listen!" Harry said. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's —"
But Fudge was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.
"Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control. . . ."
"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"
"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said; she had hurried to Harry's side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and —"
"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, all of them. . . . Black's done a very good job on them. . . ."
"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.
"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient, and he should not be distressed!"
"I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Harry said furiously. "If they'd just listen —"
But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry's mouth; he choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed.
"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave —"
"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black —" Ashlyn started, but suddenly her throat ached terribly.
"Don't you even start Clarke!" Madam Pomfrey snapped. "You were so hurt when you came in, Black must have done a good job on you. You've even lost your voice."
"She must have screamed a lot," Fudge said.
"It was not Sirius," Ashlyn said softly. It must have been all the growling that's causing her throat to hurt.
"For heaven's sake!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist —"
"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr Potter, Miss Clarke, 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, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.
"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!"
"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances —"
"I would like to speak to them alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy — please leave us."
"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest —"
"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."
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."
Once they had left, closing the doors behind them, Harry, Hermione, and Ron launched into an explanation. Ashlyn looked sullen. She had let Pettigrew escape. It was supposed to happen. But she still felt terrible.
"Professor, Black's telling the truth — we saw Pettigrew —"
"— he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf —"
"— he's a rat —"
"— Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off —"
"— Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius —"
But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.
"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me because there is very little time," he said quietly. "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 not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."
"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."
"He hates Sirius," Hermione 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 — without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."
"But you believe us."
"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic. . . ."
"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved from Harry to Hermione to Ashlyn, "is more time."
"But —" Hermione began. And then her eyes became very round. "OH!"
"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. The thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, all of you: You must not be seen. Miss Clarke, you know the law,"
Harry didn't have a clue what was going on. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.
"I am going to lock you in. It is —" he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Three turns should do it. Good luck."
Ashlyn groaned as she got up and stumbled to the middle of the room pulling out the time turner from under her robes.
"Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"
Hermione ran towards Ashlyn and she put the thin golden chain around both their necks.
"Ashlyn, you are hurt. You should take some rest" Hermione said worriedly.
"No. I've got to go. Otherwise, I might end up dying" Ashlyn whispered, loud enough for them to hear.
"Harry, come here," Hermione said urgently. "Quick!"
Harry moved toward her, completely bewildered. She was holding the chain out. He saw a tiny, sparkling hourglass hanging from it.
"Here —"
She had thrown the chain around his neck too.
"Ready?" she said breathlessly.
"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost.
Ashlyn turned the time-turner thrice, and the room dissolved. They were back in time.
"Let's go," Ashlyn said steadying herself. Her body was aching all over, but she had to keep going.