A Young Wizard's Journey - Order of The Phoenix

Recovery

Y/N entered the Hospital Wing to see his five fellow classmates dotted among the sets of beds furthest in. Sat right at the very end of the room was Remus, who was sitting on a small stool, having his head twisted this way and that by Madam Pomfrey.

'I'll get to you in a minute,' said Madam Pomfrey briskly, looking over just long enough to recognise who'd entered before pointing him towards the empty bed between Ginny and Hermione.

'Not yet,' said Y/N. 'Dumbledore has asked me to see Remus back first once you're done with him. Then I'm to rest.'

'Very well,' said Madam Pomfrey. 'I shouldn't be more than a few minutes.'

Y/N looked around at the others. Luna was asleep, no doubt exhausted from the day. Ron and Hermione were both out cold. Hermione had a small empty goblet on the bedside table. Ron's medicine was resting there still, waiting for him to wake up no doubt.

Ginny and Neville however were both conscious and smiled at Y/N.

'Don't suppose either of you know what happened to Dolores?' asked Y/N.

'Not really,' said Neville. 'We just know that Harry and Hermione managed to get rid of her in the forest. I think they mentioned something about Centaurs?'

'Ah, Dolores and half-breeds.' Said Y/N. 'A deadly combination.'

'She told us some interesting things though,' said Ginny. 'Harry tried to get in contact with you or Sirius through the Grimmauld Place fire. Didn't you hear him?'

'No? When did he do that?'

'About four o clock,' said Ginny. 'It was straight after the History of Magic OWL. We were trying to buy him the time he needed.'

'We were healing Buckbeak,' said Y/N 'Kreacher-' but Y/N's voice stopped. Kreacher? Had he known?

'Well, yeah, he tried to get in touch with you guys to see if Sirius was still there. But Kreacher apparently told him that Sirius had been taken.'

'Kreacher lied,' said Y/N. 'Me and Sirius were healing Buckbeak after Kreacher injured him. He must have known what was going on.'

'But how?' asked Ginny. 'He never left headquarters.'

'Christmas!' yelled Y/N, so suddenly that Madam Pomfrey and Remus jumped. 'You remember? He vanished for a couple of days!'

Ginny's eyes widened in horror.

'I knew something was up, but Sirius just wouldn't listen. Swore he was in the attic. And you even said you didn't think he had been.'

'What's the deal with Sirius Black?' asked Neville. 'I thought he worked for You-Know-Who?'

'A lie. One he reinforced for a while,' said Y/N. 'The street that he "blew up" was actually done by another wizard known as Peter Pettigrew. He blew up the street and escaped by being an Animagus. He turned into a rat and fled into the sewers. Sirius thought he'd killed himself so went quietly to Azkaban. He broke out of Azkaban because he found out Peter was still alive. Peter was always a Voldemort follower. Not Sirius.'

'Oh,' said Neville quietly.

'I knew him well,' said Remus from behind Madam Pomfrey. 'He was one of my closest friends in school. I couldn't believe what he'd done but times were tough back then, friend turning on friend was a regular occurrence.'

'But yeah, after all of that. Umbridge saw through our trick and found him. Apparently, she'd trapped her office after the last Niffler made it in. And obviously, we didn't have you to sense it. Harry tried to get a message to Snape, but I don't think it worked.'