John was on his way to see Sirius, a matter of great importance. The weather was agreeable, suggesting a clear night ahead. However, upon arriving at Sirius's holding place, an unsettling silence greeted him. Normally, Sirius would express his displeasure with loud howls, but today, there was nothing. A sense of dread washed over John as he approached the door, only to find the room empty, save for a pile of dirt in the corner. His face fell as he spotted a hole leading outside. "Have you become an expert at digging tunnels now?" he muttered under his breath. The hole, nearly ten meters thick, was a clear sign: Sirius had escaped. Realizing the gravity of the situation, especially considering Sirius's potential leverage against the Ministry of Magic with Veritaserum, John wasted no time and hurried out in search of him.
Meanwhile, from Harry's perspective, using the Time-Turner, chaos ensued. "Where is the monster?!" demanded the commissioner, his voice piercing through the air. But it was too late; Buckbeak had already been rescued by Harry and Hermione. Hagrid's tears of joy were a stark contrast to the commissioner's frustration. Dumbledore, with a knowing smile, invited Rufus Scrimgeour for tea, subtly celebrating the small victory.
Harry and Hermione, having secured Buckbeak, positioned themselves near the Whomping Willow, waiting for what was to come. Soon, they spotted Ron chasing after Scabbers—or rather, Peter Pettigrew. Harry's gaze hardened at the sight of the man who betrayed his parents, fighting the urge to act rashly, a sentiment Hermione quickly echoed.
This moment followed the trio's departure from Hagrid's cabin, with Crookshanks frightening Scabbers into the open. Harry admitted to resenting the cat at first, but now, he wished Crookshanks had been quicker. Ron, stepping out of the cloak's protection, seemed to materialize out of nowhere, with Harry and Hermione following suit. The sudden appearance startled Ron, causing a commotion that drew Sirius's attention.
Sirius, in his animagus form of a large black dog, focused intently on Scabbers. With swift movement, he pounced, causing Ron to cry out as Sirius bit down on his leg. The sound of bone cracking echoed ominously. In a desperate attempt to save Ron, one of them kicked Sirius, eliciting a pained groan from the dog. However, Sirius remained undeterred, dragging Ron into the secret passage beneath the Whomping Willow, which retaliated against the intrusion.
The pain from the tree's assault was still fresh in Harry's mind, a terrifying reminder of their perilous situation. Inside the Whomping Willow, Crookshanks proved to be an unexpected ally, helping them navigate the tree's defenses. As they waited for the next development, Snape's arrival, cloak in hand and aware of the tree's secret, prompted a smirk from Harry.
"Hermione, is John the helper you mentioned?" Harry inquired, his curiosity piqued. Hermione confirmed, adding that John was unaware of their situation but was crucial to their plans. The question of how to find John, now that he was missing, hung in the air. Harry, reflecting on a later encounter with a dementor, shared his awe at witnessing a powerful Patronus chase the creatures away, a moment that left him wondering about the identity of the caster. Lost in thought, Hermione said, "Could it be John? As far as I know, the only ones capable of conjuring a Patronus are him and Professor Lupin." Hermione immediately thought of John, recalling how he had chased away the Dementors that had swarmed the Quidditch pitch. She had previously harbored doubts about whether John was aiding Sirius. In the Shrieking Shack, Sirius, despite his bruised face, insisted that John hadn't helped him but had instead captured him and locked him away. Hermione felt a pang of guilt for having suspected her friend.
While they were discussing this, Hagrid emerged, beaming with joy and holding an empty glass. Harry had always believed it was his father who had conjured the Patronus. At this moment, Hermione chose not to correct him, especially since they were about to leave. Buckbeak, sensing the tension, became restless and pecked at Harry's hand, causing him to yelp in pain and release the creature, which then ran into the woods. Harry made to chase after it, but Hermione held him back.
Emerging from the secret passage beneath the Whomping Willow, Lupin appeared first, followed by Pettigrew in human form, Ron, Sirius, and then Hermione. Harry nearly bolted out to confront them but was restrained by Hermione. "What if Pettigrew escapes again?" Harry asked, frustration evident in his voice. Hermione understood the difficulty of capturing Pettigrew in the dark and stressed that their priority was to save the others. Harry, though reluctantly, agreed.
The moon then emerged from behind the clouds, catching Lupin off guard. It was too late; the full moon had risen. Lupin's transformation into a werewolf began, his limbs seizing as panic ensued beneath the Whomping Willow. Harry again attempted to rush out, but Hermione held him back, her patience wearing thin.
Sirius transformed into his Animagus form, a large dog, and lunged at the werewolf Lupin in an attempt to buy time for the others to escape. Unnoticed in the chaos, Pettigrew seized Lupin's wand, casting a spell on Ron before transforming into a mouse and fleeing. From a distance, Harry and Hermione anxiously watched as Lupin, now fully transformed, chased after Sirius. The sounds of wolves howling and dogs barking filled the air until they merged into a single, eerie howl.
In a desperate attempt to distract Lupin, Hermione mimicked a wolf's howl. The werewolf paused, confused by the sound. Lupin, now a werewolf, seemed almost to want to correct the "grammatical errors" in the howl but was soon distracted by other concerns. Harry and Hermione fled in terror as Lupin turned his attention towards them.
Suddenly, the forest was filled with the ominous sight of Dementors swarming through the trees. In a dramatic turn, Buckbeak reappeared, bravely confronting Lupin and managing to drive the werewolf away.
"There's no time to waste!" Hermione urged, pulling Harry along as they ran towards the lake. The moonlight was dimmed by the sheer number of Dementors gathering above them. Harry, desperate to see his father's Patronus, which he believed had saved them before, was met with disappointment. Realizing that no one else would come to their aid, Harry knew it was up to him.
Standing at the edge of the lake, Harry raised his wand and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!" A brilliant silver stag erupted from his wand, charging into the mass of Dementors and scattering them. This moment mirrored the one Harry had witnessed just before losing consciousness earlier. Overwhelmed by the realization that it was he, not his father, who had conjured the Patronum, Harry was filled with a complex mix of emotions. Hermione screamed, "Harry!" Snapping back to reality, Harry saw the sky darkened by a swarm of dementors. Despite the strength of his stag Patronus, it was struggling against the sheer number. Panic surged through both him and Hermione as they watched a dementor fly menacingly towards Sirius, its intent clear: to suck out his soul. More dementors were closing in on them, and Harry desperately maneuvered his Patronus to fend them off.
In a moment of desperation, Hermione thought of a plan. Clenching her teeth, she extended her wand, aimed it skyward, and cast it with all her might. "Lumos Maxima!" A ball of light shot from her wand, soaring into the sky before exploding into a brilliant burst of light.
" Hermione, what are you doing? The Patronus Charm is what works on dementors, not light spells," Harry yelled, thinking she was confused.
Ignoring him, Hermione kept her eyes fixed on the sky, whispering a prayer under her breath, "John, you must see this."
The number of dementors had grown to over a hundred, a daunting force that threatened to overwhelm them. Just as their situation seemed dire, a glimmer of silver cut through the darkness. An albatross, majestic and swift, sliced through the dementors, clearing a path.
"John!" Hermione gasped in astonishment.
Following the albatross, a streak of light descended rapidly from the sky, plunging into the center of the lake. The impact sent waves crashing against the shore. In the heart of the turmoil, a sword emerged, its hilt grasped by a hand adorned with slender fingers and well-defined knuckles. Silver and black rings encircled the middle and ring fingers, engraved with symbols that seemed to whisper in ancient or perhaps draconic tongues.
"I am a fire dragon," a voice declared.
The silver sword burst into flames, its purple crystal core pulsing with magical energy. With a flourish, the flames transformed into a dragon, its wings spreading wide, melting the ice on the lake and forcing the dementors to retreat.
Harry and Hermione watched, spellbound, as the mysterious figure made a dramatic entrance. Descending from the heavens, he stepped onto the lake's surface, a fire dragon coiling around him. The sword in his hand blazed fiercely, a beacon of hope in the dark night.
_________
If you are tired of reading I also have this converted to an audio novel on my youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge