Astra

XXXIII - The Hippogriff Trial

TRELAWNEY SEEMED TO THINK that Astra seeing dementors was a good thing, and believed what she had said. Though, Astra was filled with fear. Could the dementors be finding her father? Was her dad going to suffer the kiss? Would they attack the school? Her questions were thrown out of her mind, however, when she saw Hermione and Ron huddled together over a piece of paper.

They said no words but handed her the paper.

Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it.
Hagrid

Hagrid's note was dry this time, no tears had splattered it, yet his hand seemed to have shaken so much as he wrote that it was hardly legible. She felt both sad and angry at the same time. She spun on her heel, hoping that Luna would be in the library; she would certainly want to hear the news, even though it was terrible.

When given the note, a single tear fell down from Luna's wide eyes and she followed Astra to the Gryffindor tower. She didn't care that Luna was a Ravenclaw, but knew that they had to do something. When arriving, Harry looked like he had just arrived.

"Buckbeak lost," said Ron weakly. "Hagrid's just sent a note."

Astra handed it to him, and they all watched, Hermione not even arguing against Astra for bringing a Ravenclaw to the Gryffindor tower, and no one noticed as everyone was celebrating the end of exams.

"We've got to go," said Harry at once. "He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!"

"Sunset, though," said Ron, who was staring out the window ill a glazed sort of way. "We'd never be allowed ...'specially you, Harry...Astra..."

Astra thought and thought and could tell Harry was doing the same. "Invisibility cloak," she said, as the thought came to her head. Harry looked up and nodded.

"Where is it?" said Hermione.

Harry told her about leaving it in the passageway under the one-eyed witch. "... if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," he finished.

"That's true," said Hermione, getting to her feet. "If he sees you...How do you open the witch's hump again?"

"You -- you tap it and say, 'Dissendium,'" said Harry. "But --"

Hermione didn't wait for the rest of his sentence; she strode across the room, pushed open the Fat Lady's portrait and vanished from sight.

"She hasn't gone to get it?" Ron said, staring after her, but then he turned towards Luna, realizing that she was a Ravenclaw, but didn't say anything about it. Hermione returned a quarter of an hour later with the silvery cloak folded carefully under her robes.

"Hermione, I don't know what's gotten, into you lately!" said Ron, astounded. "First you hit Malfoy, then you walk out on Professor Trelawney --"

Hermione looked rather flattered.

They went down to dinner with everybody else, but did not return to their common rooms afterward. Harry had the cloak hidden down the front of his robes; he had to keep his arms folded to hide the lump. They skulked in an empty chamber off the entrance hall, listening, until they were sure it was deserted. They heard the last pair of people hurrying across the hall and a door slamming. Hermione poked her head around the door.

"Okay," she whispered, "no one there -- cloak on --"

The cloak couldn't fit all five of time, so Astra and Hermione tried to put on a disillusionment charm. It didn't work perfectly, but it was good enough. They crossed the hall on tiptoe beneath the cloak or hiding in the shadows so no one would see past the charms, then walked down the stone front steps into the grounds. The sun was already sinking behind the Forbidden Forest, gilding the top branches of the trees.