As the three of them walked up the sloping grassy field toward the castle, the last rays of the setting sun cast a blood-red hue across the long shadows stretching over the grounds. Then, they heard a wild howl behind them.
"Hagrid," Harry muttered. Without thinking, he turned to go back, but Ron and Hermione both grabbed his arms to stop him.
At that moment, the rat Ron was holding tightly bit him hard and broke free.
"Scabbers!" Ron yelled, dashing off. Harry and Hermione didn't have time to stop him, he had already disappeared into the darkness. They looked at each other and ran after him.
They chased him all the way to the Whomping Willow. Ron caught Scabbers just before he reached the tree. But before they could catch their breath, Hermione and Harry saw what was behind Ron and shouted, "Ron, run!"
But Ron's face turned pale with terror as he pointed behind them instead and shouted, "Harry, Hermione! Behind you!"
They turned and saw a large black dog with pale eyes charging across the lawn.
In the ensuing struggle, Ron was dragged into the tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow by the black dog. With Crookshanks' help, Harry and Hermione followed them into the dark opening.
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Later that evening in the Slytherin common room…
Fanny pushed open the dormitory door just in time to see Anne toss a notebook into the fireplace. The flames quickly consumed the thin little book.
"Anne, what did you just burn?" Fanny asked, vaguely remembering seeing Anne with that notebook once before.
Dusting off her hands, Anne stared into the flames as the notebook curled and blackened. "Just a notebook I shouldn't keep. I used to think it was useful."
"If it was useful, why burn it?" Fanny asked, confused.
Anne took a silver Sickle from her pocket, watching the last page of parchment crumble into ash. "Because I don't think it's useful anymore. The best thing for it now is to be destroyed."
Fanny didn't press further. Instead, she brought up something else. "Anne, I didn't see Harry, Ron, or Hermione at the Gryffindor table during dinner tonight."
"Really?" Anne said absentmindedly, rolling the Sickle between her fingers. "Maybe they ate with Hagrid…"
Fanny sat down in the armchair next to her, frowning. "But if Buckbeak was really executed, I doubt Hagrid would be up for entertaining… And Anne, speaking of that, Hogwarts is still under lockdown. Sirius Black could still be lurking nearby. What if they…"
"I'm sure they've thought of that," Anne said nonchalantly.
"And what if they acted on impulse and didn't think it through?"
"Then it's not our problem. What, do you expect me to follow them and witness something dramatic?"
"I thought we were friends with them, Anne."
The Sickle stopped spinning in Anne's hand. Her voice dropped. "I helped them to repay the help they gave me… That's enough."
"Anne?" Fanny hadn't expected that kind of response.
"That's just the truth. I've repaid what they did for me. Now we don't owe each other anything, and that's the way I prefer it."
Fanny frowned. Anne's inexplicable resistance to the trio was back again. "Anne, haven't you noticed you always have this strange aversion when it comes to the three of them acting together?"
The Sickle stopped. "Do I?"
"Yes. It's obvious. Every time those three act as a group, your reaction is really intense. But you don't seem to dislike any of them individually. You're fine with Fred and George, and they're just as Gryffindor as anyone. So why is it always those three together that set you off?"
"…What are you implying?"
Fanny almost said it, that Anne looked like she remembered something terrible or was afraid of something. But she stopped herself. She didn't want to bring up memories that might hurt Anne, even if she didn't know exactly what they were.
"Nothing. I just want to understand why," Fanny said, locking eyes with Anne.
Anne froze. So she had been that obvious? She didn't want to get involved in the trio's business. The more involved she was, the closer she would be when the storm came.
That black storm… Many people around the main trio would die. And she, just an ordinary girl, had nothing but knowledge of the plot. No real power. Her get-rich-quick schemes with Fred and George were partially to escape the present, and partially to save money for when the storm hit. Gringotts wouldn't be safe forever; she'd need a private stash.
And the most important knowledge she had, the plot, had to be kept secret. If anyone discovered she knew the future, who knows what would happen? Dumbledore's side might treat her a bit better. Or maybe the Ministry would capture her for research. But if Voldemort found out… He'd stop at nothing to find her. Someone who knew about Horcruxes, the Deathly Hallows, even a method for his resurrection?
Magic was powerful. Maybe he could extract something from her soul.
That's why she avoided Dumbledore, avoided Snape's and Dumbledore's eyes. She couldn't lie in front of Legilimens.
Anne closed her eyes.
"A soul from another time…"
"A new world, bound by inevitable entanglement… Betrayal and trust will unfold around her… Her choices will determine her path… A terrible future looms… The Dark Lord's return… will bring death… and despair…"
Trelawney's prophecy echoed in her head.
The path you choose determines your future.
"Self-preservation," Anne whispered, opening her eyes. Her gaze was calm and still. "Fanny, that's my answer. I'm not lying to you. Lies need more lies to cover them, and experience has taught me this is the safest choice."
"But…" Fanny wanted to argue. "But Harry and the others might not really…"
"Might not what? Face many dangers?" Anne said. "Let me ask you: before you came to Hogwarts, what did the name Harry Potter mean to you?"
"Before?" Fanny thought for a moment. "I'd heard my parents talk about him. Later, I read about him in books and newspapers. He was the only person You-Know-Who ever tried and failed to kill, and he made You-Know-Who disappear. He pulled the wizarding world out of the darkness."
Exactly. To native witches and wizards, Harry was already a savior.
"So would you say, to someone who lived through those times, Harry was a kind of savior?"
Fanny thought hard, then nodded.
Anne pressed further. "Then think, how many major things has Harry been through in just three years at Hogwarts?"
"Well… First year, he became the youngest Seeker in a century. Then there was Norbert the dragon, you were there too! Oh, and the Philosopher's Stone, I was involved! Though you arranged that bit with Professor Snape…"
Anne motioned for her to keep going.
"Second year… He and Ron flew a car to school, the first time that's ever happened! Then he caught the Snitch in two minutes. And the Chamber of Secrets! You and Harry saved me and Ginny. Gryffindor won the House Cup because of him and Ron."
"Go on."
"Third year… Hmm. Oh, Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup, that was mostly thanks to Harry. Oh! And during the summer he blew up his aunt and nothing happened. My dad told me about that."
"Anything else?"
Fanny's eyes lit up. "He can cast a Patronus! I read about it, he used it on Malfoy when he dressed up as a Dementor. That's a really advanced spell!"
"Right. And he's only in third year. Don't you think he'll face more and worse in the future? That's why I'm choosing to keep my distance from their trouble-magnet group."
Fanny went quiet. When she thought about it, Anne had a point. They'd already faced so much in just three years.
But then, a spark of inspiration.
"Anne, you say that, but you were involved in a lot of those events too. You were with them for the dangerous stuff."
"Back then it was different," Anne replied. "But my gut tells me what's coming is going to be even more dangerous. There's still time to pull away. Self-preservation is my choice."
Fanny looked at Anne. For some reason, Hermione's gaze came to mind, how she looked at Anne, and Anne's tone when she spoke to Hermione. A strange feeling settled in her heart: Anne might not be able to truly pull away from that trio.
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The next morning, new rumors were already spreading.
Snape had captured Sirius Black the night before. But just as the Dementor's Kiss was to be performed, Black escaped. Buckbeak, too, had broken his chains and flown off.
And then Snape came into the Slytherin common room and announced that Professor Lupin was a werewolf. The news caused an uproar.
Draco Malfoy shrieked, "Merlin! I'm telling my father! A werewolf teaching us? That's outrageous!"
"He's just lashing out because of Buckbeak," Fanny grumbled to Anne.
Later, when they heard that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been admitted to the hospital wing, Fanny dragged Anne there instead of going to Professor Sprout's class.
"We're not joining their adventures," Fanny reasoned, "but visiting them in the hospital isn't dangerous."
"But I haven't gone to the greenhouses much this year…" Anne argued.
"And you, a Slytherin, always hang around after Herbology until dinner? Anne, that's not very Slytherin of you."
Anne rolled her eyes but followed Fanny to the hospital wing.
Madam Pomfrey cracked the door open. "Anne? Here to visit friends? Come in."
Inside, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were each on a bed. Ron looked the worst, his leg was bandaged and suspended in a sling.
Harry and Hermione were sitting up. When they saw Fanny and Anne, they lit up.
"Fanny? Anne?"
Fanny rushed to Ron's bed. "Wow, you guys must've had an eventful afternoon!"
"You bet!" Ron beamed from his bed.
Anne approached Hermione's bed and glanced at the tray. "Hospital breakfast hasn't changed, huh? Haven't eaten yet?"
Hermione made a face and shook her head. She had taken one bite and couldn't stomach another.
Anne frowned at the sad-looking bread and beige liquid. "I'll never understand how food quality varies so much in one castle…"
She rummaged through her bag and pulled out two paper bags and a glass bottle.
"Here. Fresh from the kitchens, breakfast edition. Pineapple buns, butter cookies, and hot cocoa."
Hermione lit up as she took them.
"Anne? When did you get those? I didn't see them at breakfast," Fanny asked suspiciously.
"I picked them up from the kitchens this morning," Anne replied. "They ran out, so I only got one set…" She had meant to save it for later.
"Why don't we get any…" Ron whined. "It smells so good…"
Hermione eagerly opened the bag. Warm steam rose from the food.
Fanny grinned and winked at Anne.
Anne turned away, sat down, and muttered, "It's payback for letting me borrow her Transfiguration notes. Otherwise, Professor McGonagall wouldn't have let me off easy…"
Hermione smiled and took a bite.
"It's delicious, Anne!"
"I don't pick bad food," Anne said smugly.
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A few days later, final grades were posted. Hermione was first in the year. A Ravenclaw girl was second. Anne was third. Fanny had climbed to fourth.
Then came another surprise: Professor Lupin had resigned. Many were saddened by the news.
On the Hogwarts Express, Anne once again found herself pulled into the Gryffindor trio's compartment.
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A/N: Book 3 is finished! Book 4 is on the way. Guess who Anne will dance with at the Yule Ball?
Next Volume: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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If you're enjoying the journey so far and want to read ahead, you can check out 25+ advance chapters on Patreon: Patreon/Crimson_Lore