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Chapter Eighteen: Completing the Timeline
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves overhead. The moon slipped in and out of the clouds as the three waited in silence…
At last—after more than an hour—
They rose to their feet. Buckbeak lifted his head. Below them, Lupin, Ron, and Peter struggled out of the tunnel's entrance, followed by Hermione... and then Snape, unconscious and drifting in midair. Black and Harry appeared moments later.
They began making their slow way toward the castle.
Harry's heart hammered. He glanced up; soon the clouds would part, the moon would rise, and that was when Lockhart was meant to act…
"Professor," Hermione whispered, "it's up to you. You have to catch Peter. We're counting on you."
"We can't let him escape this time," Harry said through clenched teeth.
The moon broke through the thinning clouds. In the open space below, a small figure halted. They watched him intently.
"It's Lupin," Hermione murmured. "He's about to transform—"
"Hermione, Harry," Lockhart said suddenly, "I'm going now. You two go—save Black. Harry, I know you can."
"Be careful, Professor." Hermione nodded and pulled Harry and Buckbeak deeper into the trees. By then, Black—back in his dog form—was already grappling with the newly-transformed werewolf.
Lockhart inhaled sharply, sprinted forward, and fired a Full Body-Bind at Peter, freezing him mid-escape.
"Professor Lockhart, you're here! Brilliant—!" the earlier Hermione exclaimed.
A low, guttural snarl came from behind. Lockhart looked up just in time to see the black dog thrown aside by the werewolf before bolting into the forest.
Lockhart grabbed the petrified rat Animagus and tucked him into his pocket. "Quickly!" he shouted to the earlier Harry and Hermione. "Go! I'll handle the werewolf—this is what I'm best at!"
His wand trembled in his grip as he hurled a barrage of spells. A searing hex exploded against the werewolf's hide—no real damage, of course, but painful enough to draw its attention. As expected, the creature rounded on him with a furious roar and lunged.
Harry and Hermione seized the chance to run after Sirius into the forest.
"Impedimenta! Impedimenta! Impedimenta—Nngh—Scalding Hex! Impedimenta!"
Lockhart unleashed spell after spell. The mana-restoring potion he'd swallowed earlier made his magic seem endless, yet a werewolf's natural resistance meant every slowing charm barely held for seconds. He had to pour more and more raw magic into each cast. Whenever the beast tried to ignore him, a well-aimed Pain Jinx snapped its fury back toward him.
He kited the werewolf all the way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where a whipping vine suddenly coiled upward and snared Lupin, holding him fast.
Only then did Lockhart cast Flight, his body turning into a streak of white light shooting toward the castle. It was flight through pure magic—far more difficult than Apparition, but far safer within Hogwarts.
The spell drained him sharply. Nearing the castle, he dropped back onto his feet and continued on foot. At the gates, he saw Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge—and Snape.
Snape looked almost triumphant, certain he had caught the man who killed Lily Potter. Fudge greeted him politely.
"Good evening, Professor Lockhart."
"This is… rather serious, Minister," Lockhart said, drawing out the rat. "I believe Black's case needs to be re-examined."
He tossed Peter to Fudge. "This is an unregistered Animagus: Peter Pettigrew. I trust you recognise him. It appears the truth differs quite a bit from what we were told."
"That's impossible—he's been dead for years!" Fudge spluttered, while Snape's face twisted in disbelief.
"Nothing is impossible." Lockhart tapped the rat with his wand. Slowly, its form stretched, swelled, and reshaped until the Minister recoiled and dropped him with a shout. Moments later, a paunchy, trembling man lay unconscious at his feet.
Ignoring their stunned expressions, Lockhart turned and made for his office. It was only ten o'clock; at this point, his earlier self should still be inside, deep in thought. Harry and Hermione should still be resting in the hospital wing. So Lockhart stayed hidden in the shadowed corridor outside.
Half an hour later, he saw Hermione and Harry racing down the hallway. They burst into his office:
"Professor, thank goodness you're alright!"
He watched as they—Harry, Hermione, and the earlier version of himself—left the office and turned the Time-Turner. In an instant, they vanished.
Lockhart exhaled slowly, stepped out from the shadows, and finally walked inside. Good. The loop had closed. Now there was only one Lockhart, one Harry, and one Hermione in this timeline.
He had barely sat down when footsteps thundered up to the door. He stood—already sensing what was coming.
Hermione rushed in and threw her arms around him. "Professor, I'm so glad you're alright."
Both Lockhart and Harry—standing behind her—looked equally taken aback.
"I've handed Pettigrew over to the Ministry," Lockhart said calmly. "I expect we'll soon be able to clear Sirius' name."
"Oh—but we've already rescued him!"
"Let him stay hidden for a few more days," Lockhart said lightly. "Then he'll be able to walk free."
The following morning, although Lockhart tried to persuade Lupin to stay on as a private teaching assistant for Defence Against the Dark Arts, Lupin was adamant about resigning and leaving Hogwarts.
Which meant Lockhart had no choice but to prepare the final exam for his own Defence class—despite not having taught a single lesson that entire term. In the end, he settled on a simple test… just enough to make sure every student passed.
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