Holly Potter and the Animagus 15

Holly

“…yes, very well done, Professor.”

Holly awoke slowly, as if emerging from hibernation. The sound of voices penetrated her torpor and, slowly, she regained consciousness. The feel of sheets and a soft pillow told her she was in the infirmary. Holly opened her eyes a crack, staring at the ceiling. She turned her head to find Heracles’s eye wide open, listening to the words being spoken. He gave her a barely imperceptible nod.

“Capturing Black and saving four children, one of them our own Holly Potter! I think Headman Talit would agree with your awarding of the Order of Merlin,” said Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic.

“Thank you, Minister,” Snape replied. “Though I must say that this isn’t the first time Holly Potter and her gang have had to be rescued.”

“You mean?”

“Miss Potter has an extraordinary likeness to her father in her propensity to get herself into trouble. Naturally the headmaster takes a lax view on the matter. I, however, try to treat her just as I would any member of my house,” Holly could almost hear the sneer in his voice. “He has allowed her to parade around the grounds with next to no impunity. In any other context a pupil would be expelled for this kind of stunt.”

“Well we must excuse some indulgence on their part. After all, they are still young.”

The bustling sound of Madam Pomfrey prompted Holly to turn over to find the matron placing potions by the bedside of Ronnie and Hamish. Her friends were still unconscious.

“Ah good, you’re awake,” the matron said grudgingly, passing them bars of chocolate. “Honestly, the nerve they have to discuss such serious matters in my infirmary. Eat those and then get some rest.”

“Ah Poppy, I trust they will make a full recovery,” Fudge smiled as she came up to the pair.

“They certainly would if you two gentlemen would remove yourselves from my infirmary,” she replied angrily.

It was at that moment that Professor Dumbledore entered the infirmary.

“Professor, please, I must ask you too to leave this instant, I have patients resting.”

“Indeed you do, Poppy,” he said calmly. “However, I must speak to Holly and Heracles very briefly, afterwards I will follow your every wish in vacating your domain.”

“Quite,” Fudge said, glancing at his watch. “Well I’d best be off, the Dementors will arrive at any moment. Care to join me Severus?”

“Of course, Minister,” Snape replied.

“But Minister, you can’t!” Heracles cried, surprising Holly as the first to react.

She hopped out of bed to follow him. “You’ve got the wrong man!”

“Yes, you can see Minister, Black must have put these children under the Confundus charm,” Snape shook his head.

“Minister!” Holly pleaded, but Fudge was having none of it.

“You just get back to your beds, children, you should be resting,” he chided, before leading the way out of the infirmary, Snape following him like a bat.

“I’m afraid that while I believe you, the word of two thirteen year olds will not convince everyone,” Professor Dumbledore told them calmly the minute the doors had closed.

“What do we do then, professor?” Holly asked, her usual determination back on her face.

“We cannot hope to find Pettigrew now, however there is a way you two could save more than one life,” Professor Dumbledore looked pensive for a moment, then he turned to Heracles. “If only we had more time,” he said cryptically.

Heracles seemed to know what Professor Dumbledore meant.

“Holly, come here,” he said, pulling his timeturner out of his pocket.

“I’d imagine three turns should do the trick,” Professor Dumbledore said nonchalantly. “You remember the laws, my boy, you must not be seen.”

“Yes, professor,” he replied, slipping the chains around his and Holly’s necks.

“Cles, what’s going-” she began.

“Now I am going to lock you in,” Professor Dumbledore said, cutting off Holly’s protests. “I would suggest tracing back your steps, I find it helps when I am lost.”

The door shut with a click. Heracles gave what looked like a miniature brass sand timer three twists.

It was if they were watching a film played backwards, rewinding the conversation they had just had with Professor Dumbledore, protesting the Minister’s decision, they’re unconscious forms being brought into the infirmary. The film sped up, people fading into bustling shapes until finally, after what felt like an age, the film stopped. The infirmary was empty, the sun was still in the sky, though Heracles could see its rays lengthening.

“Three hours ago, where were we?” he asked Holly quickly.

“On our way down to see Hagrid,” Holly replied, her eyes flashing in confusion. “What just happened?”

“We just travelled back in time three hours, Holly,” he said, rushing out of the infirmary. They had to catch up with themselves. “I’ve been using this Timeturner to get to all my classes.”

Before Holly could reply, however, the sound of footsteps forced Heracles to push her into an alcove. He put a finger to his lips as the patter of several feet went by; sticking his head from out of the alcove, he saw no one there. It must have been them under the cloak - he and Holly would have to be careful not to be seen.

“That was us,” he whispered. “On our way down to Hagrid’s.”

“Let’s go,” Holly suggested.

Heracles nodded.

Slowly, the pair left the alcove and followed the sound of footsteps.

“Dumbledore said we might be able to save more than one life,” Holly said as they went. “But I can only think of Sirius.”

“I think he meant Buckbeak,” said Heracles. “Though it’ll have to be fast.”

As they came outside, Heracles tapped her shoulder. “Let’s go a little into the trees, they’ll provide cover if we turn around.”

“Oh, hello Holly,” a soft, dreamy voice interrupted their scramble for cover. Luna Lovegood was skipping back up to the castle, her feet bare.

“Luna, why are you out so late?” Holly asked.

“I’ve been to see Hagrid; his hippogriff is being executed tonight did you know?” she replied.

Heracles piped up. “We really ought to go Holly.”

“Ooo yes,” Luna added. “I think the executioner’s coming, if you want to save Buckbeak and not be seen you should get into the trees.”

“How did you-” But before she could ask, Heracles was dragging her into the trees.

“Bye Holly,” Luna waved dreamily, skipping back up the hill.

Holly was still a little confused by the situation, but she acquiesced nonetheless, ducking under some of the lower branches. Thankfully it wasn’t much further to Hagrid’s, and Holly nearly threw herself behind some of his larger pumpkins. Heracles was quick to join her.

Someone rapped on the door.

“Who’s there?” Hagrid asked on opening the door.

Holly nearly fell when she heard herself answer “It’s us, we’re under the Cloak. Let us in.”

Hagrid stepped to the side and closed the door.

Heracles turned to her. “We should get back into the trees before we come out again.”

“What about Buckbeak?”

“If the committee don’t see him then they’ll assume Hagrid set him free,” Heracles explained, pulling her behind a maple. “We have to let them see Buckbeak first.”

And not a moment too soon, for their past selves burst out of Hagrid’s hut and snuck around the pumpkins themselves. In Ronnie’s pocket, Holly could see the bulge where Pettigrew sat. Before she could anything, however, the Cloak hid the quartet from sight.

Professor Dumbledore had joined the committee member, a wizened old man struggling with a cane, the Minister, and the executioner, McNair.

“Ah hello, Hagrid, “ he said as Hagrid opened the door to the party.

“Professor Dumbledore, Minister, Mr Crickworth,” he nodded in return.

Mr Crickworth almost looked sorry as he looked at Buckbeak, chained to his post in the pumpkin patch. “Ghastly business Hagrid, terribly sorry about all this.”

“Yeh,” Hagrid replied mournfully. “Still, yeh migh’ as well come inside.”

The party trooped inside Hagrid’s hut.

“Now Holly, go!” Heracles whispered. They stepped out from under the branches, Heracles making a beeline for the pile of dead ferrets, Holly cautiously making her way over to Buckbeak. He croaked when he noticed her. Perhaps it was the sight of McNair’s axe, or that he was chained to a post, but Holly couldn’t help but notice there was something lacking from him since the last time she had seen him.

Not one to want to lose her head to a grumpy hippogriff, Holly bowed before him. From inside, she could hear the Minister speaking.

“And I sign here as witness, do I?”

“Don’t you think I ought to sign too, Giles?” Professor Dumbledore asked.

Mr Crickworth replied. “Yes, but be quick about it.”

Buckbeak his head in return. Holly unwound the chain from around the post, giving it a tug to get Buckbeak on his feet. Heracles threw him a ferret, which the hippogriff deftly caught in his beak.

“It is a rather long name.”  

“Ah McNair, you have to sign too,” the Minister piped up. McNair presumably was getting a little too enthusiastic.

Holly tugged frantically on the chain as the door opened, Buckbeak trotted behind, far too slowly in her mind. Heracles threw another ferret, mercifully speeding the trio into the forest.

“Well good heavens, where is the beast?!” Holly heard Fudge cry out.

Thankfully they were too far into the woods for Fudge to see, but Holly took great delight at seeing the anger on McNair’s face.

“We should search the grounds!”

Professor Dumbledore chuckled. “Search the skies if you must, my dear fellow. I meanwhile, will take a spot of tea with Hagrid, care to join us, Giles, Minister?”

“Can’t, I’m afraid, Albus, lots to do,” the Minister declined, slipping his lime green bowler back onto his head.

“Oh well, now that I’m here I may as well,” Mr Crickworth chuckled.

McNair and the Minister began trudging back up to the castle, leaving Mr Crickworth and Professor Dumbledore to request their teas as Hagrid muttered to himself.

“Well done, Beaky, well done.”

“What now?” Holly asked Heracles.

“Now we wait,” he replied. “I think right now we’ll be chasing Ronnie down the Whomping Willow, then we’ll come back, Professor Lupin will transform and Pettigrew will escape.” Holly tensed at that. “There’s nothing we can do, Holly, it’s already happened. Besides, trying to catch a rat in the dark would be impossible.”

Holly gave the rope a tug as Buckbeak strained to get back to Hagrid. “Fine, but let’s wait where we can see the Willow.”

She led the way through the trees, occasionally tugging on the rope if Heracles waving a ferret wasn’t enough incentive for Buckbeak to move away from Hagrid. When they reached a clearing from which they could see the Willow, Holly looked around for a stump where she could tie the rope. Thankfully one wasn’t too far, and she quickly looped the rope around it.

Heracles was already sitting on a rock when she finished. “I suppose you’ll want to wash the Cloak after seeing Snape touch it,” he remarked.

Holly snorted. “Is he picking it up now?”

“Yes,” Heracles replied.

Indeed, Snape was, holding the Cloak with some disdain before slipping under it.

“Headman Talit’s looking for other premises,” Heracles said offhand.

“Really?” said Holly. She had barely thought about where the refugees would be going next year, recent events had pushed it from her mind.

“I was talking to Handan the other day, she seemed to think it would be somewhere in Wales,” he explained.

“Isn’t the war ending?”

“Yes, but not for the right side,” Heracles shook his head. “The rebels are winning most battles, and I don’t think they’d treat the school well. Apparently, they don’t like the idea that Muggleborns exist.”

“Sounds like someone we know,” Holly grunted.

“True, but for now Malfoy isn’t in any position to act upon her prejudices.”

“She saved me from falling, you know,” Holly said abruptly, unsure why she had just told Heracles that.

“I saw,” he said mildly. “It might have something to do with my rant at her the other day, but I think Ismail’s having an effect on her.”

“How do you know that?”

“Daphne Greengrass, a Slytherin in my runes class, was saying how much time they’re spending together,” he explained. “He’s a Muggleborn so I’d say it’s challenging some of her prejudices, for the better from what she did.”

“Heracles, I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but before I fainted I saw someone,” Holly changed the subject.

“What do you mean?”

“Someone cast a Patronus that scattered the Dementors,” she answered. “I don’t know who it was.”

“Perhaps we’ll find out,” Heracles mused.

)(

It was dark by the time Holly saw herself emerge from the Willow, followed by Sirius levitating Snape behind her.

“Heracles, that’s Sirius saying I could live with her,” Holly pointed to where her past self stood with her godmother.

He sighed. “We should get ready.”

Watching the action unfold made Holly realise how much danger they were in. She watched herself chase after Sirius and Professor Lupin. Her stomach turned seeing Pettigrew escape, her powerlessness making her choke.

All too soon and the fight was over. Holly felt Heracles clutch her hand. Turning to him she followed his eyes skywards. Dementors were converging on her past self.

“We should go,” she said briefly, before rushing to the edge of the forest where the trees met the ferns. Condensation was already freezing on them.

A circle of Dementors descended leisurely downwards towards where her past self stood with Hamish.

“Whoever they are, they’ll come,” Holly insisted at Heracles’s sceptical look.

A Dementor swept over Sirius, taking a deep rattling breath.

Heracles’s hand clenched tighter on hers as another followed suit on her. “You’re dying, Holly, we’re watching you die.”

“They’ll come,” Holly said with a lot more confidence than she felt. “They’ll come.”

“Holly, no one’s coming,” Heracles said kindly.

All of a sudden, Holly was taken with a peculiar feeling, she knew exactly what to do. Tearing her hand from Heracles’s, Holly whipped her want from her pocket as she took two steps forwards.

She focused on the feeling, the way she had felt when Professor Dumbledore had told her she wouldn’t be living with the Dursleys anymore, how she had felt when Sirius had offered her the chance to live with her, the feeling of picturing her parents talking to her. She bundled those feelings of joy into her breast, lifted her wand and spoke.

“Expecto Patronum!”

It started in her chest, a rumble that spread to her shoulder and along her arm. By the time it reached her hand, the rumble had turned into a thunder. Holly struggled to keep her wand straight as something erupted from its tip.

The Dementors turned to face the threat, some casually floating towards her. Her Patronus made quick work of them, knocking them to the side, chasing them away from the crumpled forms in the ferns and filling Holly with a joyful hum.

With the Dementors dealt with, the Patronus swooped back to Holly. It was at this moment that she realised the form it had taken, as the hawk landed on her shoulder.

Heracles gasped.

Holly smiled as the Patronus dissipated into a hazy mist before disappearing altogether.

“We should go, before the rest come to investigate,” Heracles nudged her.

Holly nodded. “Follow them from adistance.”

)(

Buckbeak’s wings brushed against Holly’s legs as he swooped towards the castle. Holly’s mind was buzzing with amazement at what she had achieved half an hour ago.

“Amazing, wasn’t?” She asked over the rush of air.

“What?!” Heracles shouted back.

“I thought it was someone else casting the Patronus, but it was me all along,” Holly yelled in reply. “Only I sort of already knew I could do it because, well I’d already done it. That doesn’t make sense.”

“No,” Heracles answered grimly.

“Everything all right?”

“You mean aside us being some forty metres above the ground? No, no, nothing’s wrong!”

Holly chuckled; it was common knowledge Heracles didn’t like flying. At least they weren’t far now, as Holly could see the bars on the window to Sirius’s prison.

In minutes they had landed on the tower. Holly leapt from Buckbeak’s back, landing smoothly as Heracles completely failed to do the same, slipping on the stones. She grabbed his arm to stop him from falling.

The door to Sirius’s cell was bolted shut. Holly cursed, startling the occupant.

“Holly? What are you doing here?” Sirius asked in amazement.

“Rescuing you, of course,” she replied with a grin.

“Stand back,” Heracles said, pulling his wand from his pocket. “Alohomora!”

The padlock gave a half-hearted click, but remained in place.

Heracles kicked the ground in frustration.

“Let me try,” Holly patted his arm. “Stand back, Sirius. Bombarda!”

The padlock wasn’t so much unlocked as blasted off with substantial parts of the doorway. Sirius emerged from the dust grinning.

“So what’s my getaway plan?” she asked.

Holly pointed to Buckbeak. “Buckbeak can fly you to some place safe.”

“If we get down to the quad then you can make your way from there,” Heracles suggested.

The flight down was decidedly more entertaining, Holly and Sirius whooping with pleasure, the sound of Heracles’s “oh no, oh no, oh no” a faint whisper in their ears.

Buckbeak landed with a canter, stopping by the fountain and allowing them to dismount.

“We don’t have much time,” Heracles warned them, glancing at his watch.

Sirius turned to Holly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I should thank you, Holly. If it weren’t for you I’d still be in that tower. More importantly still, I wouldn’t have met the most amazing goddaughter in the world.”

“Where will you go from here?” Holly asked.

“I’m not sure just yet, probably somewhere sunny until my trail goes cold,” she replied. “I’ll be in touch once I’m secure.”

Holly nodded.

“You’ve probably heard this a few times, but you remind me a lot of Lily, except for that nose, that’s James’s,” Sirius said, pulling Holly into an embrace. “They’d be proud, of what you’ve done, of who you’re becoming.”

“We need to go, Holly,” Heracles said softly.

Sirius smiled down at her. “I’ll be in touch soon.” Turning to Heracles, she spoke. “Keep an eye on her; she’s the only goddaughter I’ve got.”

Sirius walked up to Buckbeak, mounting the hippogriff with ease. With a pat of the neck the two were off into the night. Holly stared at their receding figures for a moment before Heracles’ hand pulled her from her vigil.

They rushed back to the infirmary, panting a puffing.

“Now I am going to lock you in. I would suggest tracing back your steps; I find it helps when I am lost.” Professor Dumbledore’s voice greeted their skid around the corner.

Professor Dumbledore locked the door, turning the greet them.

“Hang on a moment, there, it should be clear for you to enter,” he smiled.

“We did it,” Holly said breathlessly.

“Did what? I’m afraid I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about,” Professor Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling in amusement.

Holly stared in confusion after him.

“Come on, Holly,” Heracles said, forcing her mind back to the infirmary.

She pushed open the door.

“Wait, you guys were just there, now you’re there,” Ronnie could only stare as she lost the power of speech.

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re going on about, Ronnie,” Heracles chuckled.

Holly smiled. “Yeah, how can be people be in two places at once?”

Their banter was interrupted by a yell as Snape burst into the infirmary, Fudge and Professor Dumbledore in tow.

“You!” He snarled. “It was you, wasn’t it Potter!”

“Now really, Severus!” Fudge cried. “The children never left the infirmary.”

Madam Pomfrey, alerted to the noise, scurried over. “Professor Dumbledore, Severus, Minister, I must ask you to leave at once. These children need rest!”

“I can confirm, Minister, as can Poppy I presume, that the four here did not leave this room,” Professor Dumbledore said calmly, his eyes twinkling at Holly.

“Indeed, Professor,” Madam Pomfrey nodded. “But now you must leave. The more rest Potter and her friends get, the better.”

“Terribly sorry, Poppy,” Fudge apologised. “Come now Severus, the children need to rest.”

Reluctantly, Snape followed the Minister out of the infirmary, glaring at Holly over his shoulder the way. Professor Dumbledore left after them, humming a chirpy tune.

Holly and Heracles looked at each other, before bursting into fits of giggles.