CHASING HOUR

The moon slid out from behind the clouds. 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! But Lupin’s going to run into the Forest, right at us!”

Hermione gasped.

“Quick!” she moaned, dashing to untie Buckbeak. “Quick! Where are we going? Where are we going to hide? The Dementors will be coming any moment –“

“Back to Hagrid’s!” Hary said. “It’s empty now – come on!”

They ran, fast as they could, Buckbeak cantering along behind them.

With a loud thud Hermione, who was a few yards behind on Harry, crashed to the Forest ground.

“Harry!” she yelled. There was no way he could have heard her, the werewolf form of Lupin was howling to loud. Her foot was stuck in a hole in the ground. She tried to get it out, but she couldn’t; it was stuck. The sounds of the battle between Sirius and Lupin faded away.

“Harry! Help!” she yelled. But Harry and Buckbeak were too far away to hear her. After another attempt to free her stuck foot, it came out of the hole.

Crawling up again she gasped in horror. The werewolf had entered the forest and slowly, yet threateningly, it approached her. Fangs barred and salvia dripping out of its mouth.

“P- Professor Lupin,” Hermione whimpered.

Not waiting for the werewolves’ reaction, she ran. She couldn’t run to the clearing, or she would be seen by her past self or by Professor Snape. She dashed towards Hagrid’s, hoping she could find shelter inside and lock the door. The werewolf chased after her, but she still had a head start.

Through the window she saw movement in Hagrid’s cabin. Someone with brown hair was inside. She couldn’t enter; she would bring danger to that other person if the werewolf managed to get in as well. From a short distance she heard Harry’s voice shouting: “EXPECTO PATRONUM!”

She could not go to Harry either. It seemed that he was in trouble – Dementor’s, adding a werewolf to the fray would only cause more chaos. She saw only one option, and dashed deeper into the Forest, the werewolf leaping after her.

Hermione ran, as fast as her legs could carry her. Her side begun to hurt, she was getting out of breath and the werewolf was closing in fast. The Forest became denser and darker every few feet. Small twigs and branches whipped across her face as she pushed them aside. She was exhausted. She stood immobile for a moment, her hands on her knees, panting. Just a few yards behind her she could hear the growling of the werewolf. She took out her wand, and turned around quickly.

“PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!” she cried, pointing her wand at the werewolf. She expected to perform a full body bind at the monster, but instead her spell was deflected by its skin. She was not powerful enough to penetrate its magical defenses. Hermione remembered from her essay for Professor Snape that werewolves have certain protection against magic, just like giants, but less powerful.

Hermione ran, again. How long had she been running? Fifty minutes? An hour? Behind her she heard the howls of the werewolf again. She knew running was not an option, fighting it was neither. She spotted a hollow tree and climbed into it. One side of the tree was gone; climbing into it was easy; as if she was stepping into a small room. She was covered from view, except for the gap she climbed in through, which was about one foot wide and covered the entire height of the tree.

Squeezed tight in the narrow and dark tree she held her breath as the werewolf stalked near the three. Did he see her? He smelled the air. Could he smell her? Sniffing continuously the werewolf drew closer and closer. Hiding here was foolish, Hermione knew now. It could smell her. She was cornered; the tree blocked her escape.

And sure enough, with a loud and terrifying series of snarls and growls, the werewolf approached the hollow three now. It was looking straight at her, through the gap. It scowled at her, snarling. Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs, and clutched her chest in fear. She felt something, under her robes.

The Time-Turner! She fumbled pulling it out through the fine golden chain around her neck. The werewolf threateningly lowered itself, as preparing to jump. Hermione looked in terror at the werewolf as she pulled out the Time-Turned from under her robes. As the werewolf jumped straight at her, she turned the hourglass of her Time-Turner around once and instantly traveled one hour back in time, never seeing the werewolf crash into the empty hollow tree.

Hermione arrived in the forest, just several yards behind the place she, Harry and Buckbeak were hiding.

“Back to Hagrid’s!” she heard Hary say. “It’s empty now – come on!”

She watched Harry and Buckbeak run away, she watched herself fall down. She hesitated not and dashed after Harry and Buckbeak.

Hagrid’s cabin was in sight. Harry skidded to the door, wrenched it open and Hermione and Buckbeak flashed past him; Harry threw himself 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…”

Hermione wondered if Harry even realized she was talking about her own little adventure in the Forest. Should I tell him what happened, she thought and decided against it. Traveling through time was complicated enough for Harry to understand. Adding a time travel inside a time travel would certainly be too much for him. Harry never knew differently than her being only a few feet behind him all the time that they ran to Hagrid’s cabin.