Third Year Plot Overview

Pre-Term

Holly and Evie make plans to meet Fred and George to do Back-to-School Shopping in Diagon Alley on August 30th, the day before school is due to go back. They get their books, and have lunch in the Leaky Cauldron- (where it may or may not be decided that Holly stays overnight. Harry and Hermione do in the canon). We learn that Percy has been made Head Boy, and he and Evie have an incredibly enthusiastic discussion that the rest of the group are quite happy to ignore. Fred and George tease Evie a little about her deep interest in Percy's appointed position and proffer that incredibly, despite the substantial odds against it, Percy does actually have a girlfriend. Evie goes even pinker than she has just become and responds with a subdued murmur.

September 1st 

Next morning, Holly Sterling and Evie Hall return to platform 9 3/4 for another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Holly, Evie, the Weasley Twins and Lee Jordan were all crammed into a compartment when the whistle blew and the Hogwarts Express lurched into motion. A small cheer went up from the throats of the thirteen-year-olds and then their animated chatter continued. Fred was trying to convince Holly that over the summer, he and George had managed to completely destroy a sofa in an intense game of Wizarding Snap. Lee was doing his best to add sound effects and George was nodding solemnly."

Evie leaves the compartment for a few minutes to visit the bathroom, and on her way back she is waylaid by an unfamiliar girl, Dianne Jones (DJ), who pulls her into a compartment occupied by Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and an adult stranger.

"“Hello Evie,” Luna said, smiling as if this was a totally normal occurrence. 

“Hey Luna- Neville,” Evie said, noticing the boy for the first time.

“Hi Evie,” he replied, smiling, but looking a little nervous. "Dianne, be quiet- he's sleeping." Neville jerked his head to where a raggedy-looking stranger was slumped against the window, looking exhausted. 

“We're not sure who he is," Luna explained in her usual carefree lilt. "Some first years let off a dung bomb in our first compartment, so we've moved in here."

“'Professor R.J. Lupin'," Evie read from the label on his trunk. "

Evie finds a kindred fan of Doctor Who in Dianne, and they make muted discussion with their wizarding friends explaining (as best they can) the series. They have just really begun to relax around the sleeping stranger when the Hogwarts Express makes an unexpected halt, and the air begins to go cold and dark. A spectral figure clad in shreds of darkness hovers outside their compartment, and immediately R.J. Lupin awakens and sends it packing with a few well-spoken words and a Patronus Charm. He offers the stunned students some chocolate before going out to check the rest of the train.
  The rest of the train journey is more muted than before- and the teens turn to talking about the recently escaped convict plastered through the muggle and magical news: the infamous Sirius Black. The stranger returns near the end of the trip to retrieve his coat and battered case.
  Upon returning, Lupin tells the group that the spectral figure was a Dementor, and at Evie's insistence and wide-eyed enthusiasm, briefly explains the Patronus Charm as well.

Holly and Evie rendezvous on Hogsmeade Platform and take the carriages up to the castle with Fred and George, where they attend the Welcoming Feast as usual.

The Term Begins

Many new classes begin (see Information, Hogwarts School Subjects), shenanigans ensue. 
  These include Malfoy getting swiped by Buckbeak (first day back),  Professor Lupin's Boggart lesson (later that week), Professor Trelawny predicting at least one death within the year level (to be decided), and Fred and George finally cracking the entry code to the Marauders' Map (which they had been experimenting with for two years prior since pinching it from Filch in their First Year). History of Magic becomes infinitely more interesting with Professor Binns experimenting with the use of a giant Pensieve to try and teach the class areas of magic history.* 

*This was an idea from a fan fiction which I have pinched.

October

At the beginning of October, the Quidditch season begins. Evie Hall and Draco Malfoy have a confrontation that will set their dynamics for the rest of the year. 

  The first Hogsmeade weekend visit is the day of Halloween. Probably, there will be some shenanigans- not least of which is Fred and George begging Evie to test out a passage in the Slytherin common rooms. 

  After the feast has been completed, the students return to their dorms- but the Gryffindors are greeted with a terrible sight. The portrait of the Fat Lady has been slashed to pieces. 

"Terrible temper he's got- that Sirius Black!"

The teachers summon everybody back to the Great Hall, and Dumbledore conjures hundreds of poofy purple sleeping bags. Evie and Holly grab one each, locate each other, and are beckoned over by Fred and George. As the girls have no idea what has actually happened to warrant such a measure, the twins explain- in no doubt needlessly dramatic fashion.

End of First Term

The second Hogsmeade weekend for the year happens at the end of the first term. The weather worsens and begins to snow. Everybody breaks for Christmas Holidays.

Second Term and Easter

During the break, Hagrid is notified that while he is blameless for the attack, his hippogriff will have to face trial to decide whether he should be put down or not. Buckbeak's hearing has been scheduled for April 20th. To spite Malfoy and for the good of the universe, Evie tries to research some things for said hearing.

  The third Hogsmeade weekend of the year happens a few weeks into second term.

  There is an Easter break of one week with no classes, but the teachers set a load of homework anyway. 

  Buckbeak is sentenced to execution. There will be an appeal, but everybody knows it is more for show than anything else.

Third Term

The students are worked even harder leading up to exams. More stuff with the Map happens, most likely. (Shenanigans.)

June 6th 

The final day of exams- and the set date of Buckbeak's trial. You guessed it. Shenanigans. 

  Evie, Holly, Fred and George are sitting in an empty classroom after the final exams. Evie is quite distraught because she's still trying to think of a way out of Buckbeak's execution and debating whether to go see Hagrid. Holly tries to cheer her up by mentioning that there is a Hogsmeade weekend coming up shortly for the end of the year, and something in Evie's mind clicks. She turns to the twins and demand to know exactly how they knew about the passage to Hogsmeade in the Slytherin common room. They finally tell her about the map and she is incredulous. She demands to see it, and the twins obligingly get it out.

  They ask why they couldn't just set Buckbeak free, and Evie points out that the suspicion would then fall on Hagrid for releasing him and that Buckbeak probably would not go very far. They push forward, though, that they could let the Minister see the Hippogriff and then turn him loose. Evie says that would give them about five seconds to do it and that it is ridiculous anyway. Holly prompts that they could hide Buckbeak in the forest- Evie suddenly has the idea of charming Buckbeak a different colour and just hiding him in plain sight, with the other Hippogriffs in the paddock. Collectively, they sprint out of the classroom- but as they are exiting the castle they run into Draco, Crabbe and Goyle in the Entrance Hall. Seeing them in a hurry, he moves to bar their exit (as he is The Worst).

  He inquires if they are "going to see the show" of Buckbeak's execution, and Evie warns him in a bluff not to push his luck with her today. He scoffs, and she warns him that if he doesn't move out of their way he'll get a broken nose. He inquires sarcastically how she intends to manage that, and is halfway through calling her a mudblood when Holly's fist connects with his face and the back of his head connects with the wall.

  Evie is partially horrified and Holly basically has to drag her away because, "Who cares if he's alright? My fist hurts. Slimy git. What were you saying?"

  As they leave, they can hear outraged whines of "I'm bleeding! Did you see what she did to me? Am I bleeding? I must be!"

The Minister for Magic, Dumbledore, and McNair (the executioner) are about to leave to execute Buckbeak when Holly waylays the Minister- (she's met him briefly before, parental connections), and Evie pulls Dumbledore aside to ask if it would be terribly illegal to save some lives. Taking a conspiratorial wink as permission, she grabs Fred and George, and they hightail it the back way to Hagrid's house. Evie bursts through the door, delivers a high-speed ramble about how she will be right back to fix this and to stay strong, Hagrid, before shooting off a quick spell to black out Hagrid's window. Hagrid is so shocked at this intrusion that he drops the milk jug he had been holding- containing a hiding Scabbers, who then flees. Hagrid frowns heavily, says they should not at all have come, but they are already gone out the back of his cottage and waiting impatiently for Dumbledore, Fudge and McNair to enter the hut so that the plan can enter Stage Two. 

They go straight away to Buckbeak's collar and Evie curtsies before quickly untying him. When he then refuses to budge, George picks up a limp ferret and attempts to entice Buckbeak away. When they get into the fringe of the woods (not a moment too soon) Holly is waiting for them. Evie casts a spell to turn Buckbeak a ruddy, russet colour- which he seems to like, luckily. He prances a bit, seeming rather proud of himself, and then Holly bows. Evie barely has time to ask what on earth she thinks she's doing before Holly has got Fred to give her a boost up and swung Buckbeak around. Holly protests that this will certainly be faster, she's never had a go up on one, and after Evie grumbling that she's very frustrated in all of them for compromising the integrity of the plan, agrees to meet Holly back in the Entrance Hall. Holly has a great time riding a galloping Buckbeak through the trees to return him to the paddock, and when he reaches the fence, he does a very graceful jump. She removes his collar and sends him back to the rest of the herd before trudging back up to the castle.

  When she gets to Evie, Fred and George, she finds Evie arguing with the twins. Fred and George are snickering, and joking that maybe Percy isn't so serious with his girlfriend after all, but Evie's certainly not going to have any better luck. Holly asks what is going on and they show her two little dots on the marauders map that appear to be very, very close to each other, alone on the grounds, and staying very still:

  Percy Weasley and Peter Pettigrew. Evie complains that they are not listening to her, Peter Pettigrew was the man Sirius Black murdered. They say that it can't be true, because Pettigrew has been hanging around the Gryffindor dormitories (according to the map) for the last year at least, and they thought it was just a friend of Percy's. 

  Professor Lupin enters, frowns, asks them what they're all doing gawping about here ("You're missing dinner!"), but then recognises the map. He walks quickly over, confiscates the map before they can do anything about it, and then sends them on their way- but his eyes catch a glimpse of the name of an old (supposedly dead) friend, and he rushes off to get Dumbledore- not knowing that Dumbledore is not actually in his office. 

  Evie says she needs to get to the bottom of this immediately and Holly agrees, so they all go out into the night after Percy. 

Percy- poor thing- is trying to get his thirty seconds of fame. Ron's raggedy rat scurried up to him in the darkness and has been petting him absent-mindedly while he awaits the Minister's return from Hagrid's hut. They run up to him where he's loitering by the Whomping Willow, hiss at him over what he's doing there and ask where his friend went. Percy frowns and asks 'what friend', when they see two sets of eyes blinking out of the fast-approaching dark. One set, Evie realises with confusion, belongs to Nyx- but the other-

The members of the small party have a collective heart attack. The Grim itself appears to be staring at them out of the shadows. And then, in the weirdest turn of events, dives for Percy. Nyx runs up and taps the knot at the base of the trunk and then The Grim is dragging Percy down the passage. Nyx looks back at Evie and hesitates. Evie loudly berates her cat, insisting it comes here at once, while Fred, George and Holly look on, dumbfounded. The limbs start thrashing again and Nyx gives another impatient meow before pressing the knot again and disappearing down the hole. Evie and Holly manage to dart forward and get into the passageway, but Fred and George are just too slow. 

The pair discover that there is no death omen- only Sirius Black, an Animagus, who in his current state of hygiene looks a bit like a death omen anyway. Evie is scared stiff. Percy is moaning and groaning terribly on a moth-eaten bed, whining about his leg and how he's sure it's broken and he's going to be murdered.

Sirius shakes his head, saying no, Percy will not die, there will only be one murder here tonight. That is about when Lupin arrives, embracing Sirius as an old friend, and Evie's heart breaks a little bit because she trusted Professor Lupin completely and with her life and now he's hugging a deranged man. She begs to know who they want to kill and why, because Peter Pettigrew is dead. They explain that no, he is alive, Sirius is innocent, and force Pettigrew back into his human form. They're just about to murder his ass, and Evie turns her head away, when Holly blurts, "WAIT!"

  They turn to her, flabbergasted, and she gathers her courage to say that she actually knows Death Eaters in person, killers, and begs the two men in front of her not to become like them. Evie speaks up that yes, Holly is right, and right now Sirius can be proved innocent- if Pettigrew is dead, all they have as proof that Sirius acted righteously is the word of two terrified teenage girls and one half-delirious prefect- and that of a werewolf. Evie also asks Sirius to think back of the madness he experienced in that prison and that if he, an innocent man, should have to experience it- Pettigrew might as well suffer that fate ten times over. The Dementors are more a punishment than Sirius and Remus could ever administer. Holly is kind of concerned by Evie's dark mentality on that but she is more concerned by the fact that she has just called Professor Lupin a werewolf and he doesn't seem to be denying it. The explanation of his Lycanthropy follows. 

They all agree to clear Sirius' name- except for Percy, but Evie tells him to be quiet, so he is ignored. Mid-passageway, Evie also has another idea. She asks Sirius if he knows the spell for extraction of memories (to put in a pensieve), and Lupin says he does, but asks why. Evie excitedly explains that untampered memories can legally be brought fourth as evidence, she has read about it in preparation for the Buckbeak trials. Sirius was sent to Azkaban without trial the first time, but he will need trial to be acquitted, and they need all the evidence they can get. The memories of how Pettigrew faked his death and Sirius transferred the Secret Keepership to him are put in a vial which Lupin pockets. They transport the prisoner and the wounded Head Boy back to Hogwarts castle- or almost to Hogwarts castle. On the way there, Professor Lupin begins to transform painfully into a werewolf. Pettigrew transforms and escapes. Fred and George (who have been teasing the tree and playing stupid games of Eye-Spy to pass the time) are really incredibly confused by all these twists and turns of events, but Holly shouts at them to levitate Percy to the safety of Hogwarts Castle, and Evie riffles through Lupin's dropped coat's pockets for the vial of memories, and then sprints after them. They just get inside the doors- Holly has had to drag Evie part of the way to get her inside in time (Evie does not sport). They have a quick discussion that basically consists of Fred and George firing angry, confused questions and Holly and Evie not really being able to explain what has happened very well because there is still an emergency going on. They tell Fred and George to take Percy to the Hospital Wing, and after some groaning, the twins agree.

Evie and Holly are debating whether to go back out after Sirius or run and get a member of staff immediately when the decision is made for them. Snape, who noticed Lupin was not at dinner and went to check on him, enters the Great Hall and approaches the two girls with some nasty cape-swishing action that can only mean trouble. He escorts them immediately to the Headmaster's office, wanting to inform Professor Dumbledore of Lupin's slip-up at once.

Fudge is dining with Dumbledore that evening, as they are discussing what will happen to the Dementors at Hogwarts in the following school year if Sirius Black is not caught. Snape bursts in with the two girls, explaining coldly that they were outside and asking for them to please explain to Professor Dumbledore what they were saying about a werewolf. They both burst into talking about Sirius and Fudge (looking like he's about to wet his pants) has a major freak-out because,

  "Sirius Black? Here?"

He suggests that the girls must have been put under some kind of dark curse, but they proffer the actual evidence in the form of the vial. Dumbledore reveals, to Evie's astonishment, that he has his own pensieve, and he and the minister view the memories. When they surface, Fudge is white as a sheet, and Dumbledore looks grave. They are about to say something when they feel a cold descend upon the tower.

  "Sirius! He's still down there!" 

There follows a great rush where Snape very grumpily escorts the two protesting girls to the hospital wing, where they are pretty much ambushed by Fred and George. Resigned to their fates, they retell the events of the evening while being fussed over by Madam Pomfrey. All is well. 

The End of the Year

Presumably, in the few days after June 6th, the story gets around the school. Exam results come out in the next week, and the week after that, everybody goes home for the holidays. There will presumably be a few paragraphs on winding down for the year.