'After thirteen years?' Hermione entered the fray. 'I doubt it.' She said. 'If she had powers that could help her escape why wait for all these years? She could have escaped long back. Staying there for such a long time; I hope no one in the ministry helped her?'
'No, no!' Seamus hastened to tell her. 'The prison is guarded by dementors Hermione. They suck souls and leave a man worse than death. They won't let anyone inside.'
'They won't know. They'll think that the aurors came in with Ministry permission. The ministry is not saying anything except that they are looking for her and they will capture her at any cost.' She said, frowning at no one in particular, trying to remember all that she had read the last week. Neville was still not saying a word and Harry decided that he would need to talk to him, if he continued this way. This could end up stressing Neville in a way that could affect him badly.
At the end of the meal Dumbledore stood up, asking for attention. The smile had vanished leaving a serious looking Headmaster and all the students fell silent.
'I have information for all of you. Last week Bellatrix Lestrange escaped Azkaban. She was one of the more fearful death eaters following Lord Voldemort and this is not good news at all. The Ministry has appointed the dementors to guard the School in case Bellatrix would try and enter. Please do not leave the School without permission and do not approach the gates where they would be stationed.' Dumbledore looked for a second at Harry and continued, 'The Forbidden Forest is forbidden as usual and Mr. Filch has a list of things that are not allowed and has posted a list for those interested in his office.' The students were still as they looked at Dumbledore and he continued, 'On a happier note, we have a new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Jim Tim.'
A small, thin man who looked as if he needed to be defended stood up and bowed and then sat down. The students looked at each other and then looked away, trying not to laugh. Dumbledore sat down and then it was time to leave the Great Hall and Harry got up and left with Hermione and Neville, grinning at Draco, Pansy and Blaise
The Gryffindors walked up to their tower and feeling tired, Harry, Hermione and Neville walked up to their dorms and after changing and setting his things in place Harry walked over to Neville's bed and called out softly to him.
'What is it Harry?' Neville asked him.
'Can I come in for a minute?'
'What is it?' Neville said opening the curtains and Harry walked in.
'How have been holding up Nev?' Harry asked him, abruptly the moment he sat down on Neville's bed.
Neville blinked at the frankness of the question and looked at Harry for a few moments trying to find the right answer and decided to tell the truth. 'Pathetic!' he said. 'Gran has been a wreck ever since that…that hag escaped Azkaban and she has also been very worried. We went to St.Mungo's and asked for additional protection for my parents and she almost decided against sending me to Hogwarts. It was only because Uncle Algie told her, that I would be safest here, with Dumbledore that she reluctantly agreed. It has been terrible. I…I just want to kill her Harry.' Neville finished with a snarl that looked so out of character. He also felt relived that he had spoken out and got it off his chest and looked at Harry a little defiantly.
Harry was silent for a few minutes, giving time to Neville to calm down. 'Well we will be safe here. Along with Dumbledore, we also have the dementors and powerful wards that would protect all of us.' Harry sighed. 'I hate her as well. Sirius feels very bad; they are related you know and he was also very worried. I really, had to work to convince them to come here this year. Don't let it stress you out Nev. She's not worth it.'
Neville smiled a bit, and Harry after sitting with him for a little more time, stood up, and saying good night to Neville, left to his own bed to sleep the first day of his third year, leaving Neville feeling somehow better for having got all that out and knowing that someone else understood his feeling of extreme frustration, anger, helplessness.
The first morning Harry, Neville and Hermione walked to the Great Hall and met the Slytherins at the door.
'Hey Draco!' Harry called. Draco turned with a smile and stopped when he saw Neville. Coming to a decision, he nodded to his Slytherins friends to move on and spoke to Harry in a low voice. 'I want to talk to you three. Meet me tonight somewhere?'
'In the second floor classroom. All three of us will be there. You'll be careful? If Snape catches you…' Harry left it there and Draco and the three Gryffindors went into the Great Hall for their breakfast.
Harry looked at the Head Table to see Snape glaring at him; he smiled and waved cheerily and grinned when Snape snarled. His good deed for the day being done, Harry ate his breakfast, wondering what Draco would tell him and how he could meet Snape to talk with him. He would have had news about Bellatrix from Dumbledore and hopefully from Lucius Malfoy as well. If he didn't, well, then Harry could suggest it.
Finishing their breakfast they collected their schedules from McGonagall and walked out. Harry noticed they had potions the last class of the day, and he wondered if he could get detention somehow. Harry had taken Runes and Arithmancy this time along with Care of Magical Creatures. Professor Grubby-Plank was the Professor this time and Harry resolved to do something about Hagrid; even if he was not made Professor, the least he could do for Hagrid was to somehow help him to prove his innocence.
On that note Harry spent the rest of his day, learning about animagus transformations and attended his first Ancient Runes class. He sat with Hermione, smiling at her enthusiasm and then all of them went to the last class of the day. Potions.
The door was closed and they stood around the door when Snape surprisingly came from outside and he was in a foul mood. He glared at everyone, especially Harry, and banged the doors open and strode inside. 'Come in, and don't waste time. Get out your things and follow the instructions on the board!' a flick of his wand and there were instructions on the black board about how to prepare the pepper up potion.
Harry prepared his potion cleanly and neatly and at the end of the class walked up to Snape and tripped, tipping his potion all over Snape. There was a deathly silence for a minute. Snape looked at Harry with utter disbelief in his face.
'Detention, Potter!' he paused for a second. 'For a week!' he glared at Harry who managed to look shocked instead of nodding his head at Snape.
'You will start today Potter. Come here straight after dinner, to redo your potion you spilt.' He smiled nastily at Harry and turned that smile on the class. 'Get out! All of you! What are you waiting for?' he barked and watched with satisfaction as all of them pushed each other to get out first.
The moment dinner was over, Harry went down, and smiling at the sympathetic looks he received from Hermione and Neville, and walked to the Potion Master's office. Snape was waiting for him, and he took out his wand and warded the doors as soon as Harry closed them and walked to his chair, watching Harry plonk himself on the other chair.
'What's the news Snape? Did Dumbledore tell you anything?' Harry asked him, abruptly, coming straight to the point.
'Did this happen last time?' Snape asked one of his own, his eyes boring into Harry.
Harry shook his head. 'Last time Sirius escaped Azkaban. He saw Wormtail's photo in the paper when Fudge visited Azkaban and he escaped.'
'How? How could that be possible? Are you quite sure?' Snape asked sounding very suspicious, as if Sirius of all people could escape Azkaban and that Harry was lying, and even though Harry had told him that Sirius had escaped Azkaban long back.
'Yes, Snape. Sirius escaped Azkaban last time; I have told you this before. He is an animagus. He slipped out one day, apparently, when the dementors opened his door to place the food inside. I think Bellatrix is also an animagus. Sirius said the last time that when it got too much for him, that is when the dementors stayed near him for a very long time, he used to change into his animagus form. That used to make him feel better. To think Bellatrix may have done the same…' Harry's voice trailed away, very bitter.
'What was Black's form?' Snape asked after a silence. 'A grim.' Harry answered absently. 'Did you contact Lucius? What did Dumbledore say?' asked Harry, looking at Snape.
Snape sneered at the mention of Dumbledore, watching Harry carefully. Harry grinned at Snape and laughed when Snape glared. 'I have nothing against Dumbledore. I only think he need not know now. He is on the right side Snape.'
'Then why don't you talk to him?' Snape asked.
'Because he can seriously upset everything. Already so much is different from the original timeline. If I add Dumbledore to the mix, it will become explosive.' Harry explained.
'How?' Snape asked quietly, his black eyes watching Harry very carefully.
'He will act; he will not be like you. He will improve and act on the knowledge he will insist I give him. And then we would be in trouble because we would be seriously upsetting everything. I plan to tell him, no doubt about it, only not now. Already there is so much of a difference, it's scary.' Harry said looking pensive.