Secrets and Misery

EIGHT

CHAPTER 8

Hermione was waiting for me outside of the room. She guided me through Hogwarts and at some point we met with Harry and Ron. We eventually made it out of the castle. Outside I could see Draco and his friends. Hermione's face changed to pure anger when he saw him. He was the reason Buckbeak was going to die.

"Oh come to see the show!" Draco sang.

"You, you foul loathsome evil little cockroach!" Hermione uttered with her wand up high as he approached Malfoy, who stumbled back.

"Hermione! No!" Said Ron. "He's not worth it."

Hermione Lowered her wand. I was sure she wasn't going to do anything, but then -SMACK! - quick as lightning, her hand punched Malfoy's face. Draco was embarrassed and as soon as he could he got out of here, Crabbe and Goyle huffing and puffing behind him.

"That felt good." Said Hermione.

"Not good, brilliant." Ron said.

"Ok enough about that, someone's about to be killed, remember?" I said to bring back our focus.

Everyone nodded and we went down to see how Hagrid was doing.

We make our way down the slope and past Buckbeak, who is chewing on a ferret with idle satisfaction, oh how I wish that ferret was Draco.

We knock on Hagrid's door. "Yeh shouldn've come!" Said Hagrid when he opened the door for us, letting us pass anyway. Before I come in I give Hagrid a big him to let him know that everything is going to be OK.

"It's going to be OK Hagrid, it's going to be fine."

"Thanks, Elle."

I let go and go stand next to Hermione. He stands by the window watching Buckbeak while Harry and Ron sit. Hermione makes tea and I try to help her not knowing what else to do.

"Look at 'em. Loves the smello- the trees when the wind blows..." said Hagrid.

"I say we set him free." Said harry.

"They'd know I did it. And tha'would only get Dumbledore in trouble. Gonna come down, yeh know. Says he wants ter be with me when it... when it happens. Great man, Dumbledore." Said Hagrid while he shook his head no.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid." Hermione said, clearly worried.

"Yeh will do no such thing! Think I wan' yeh seein' a thing like this! No. Yeh'll drink yer tea an' be off. But before yeh do Ron..." said Hagrid. Then he turned and grabbed what looked like a flour tin. He took the lid off and something I did not recognise emerged from it.

"Scabbers! You're alive!" Said Ron happily.

"Yeh should keep a closer eye on yer pets, Ron." Responded Hagrid.

"I think you owe someone an apology." Hermione snapped.

"Right. Next time I see Crookshanks, I'll let him know." Ron snapped back. These two were fighting like an old married couple, and normally I would have teased them about it, but it was not the time.

"I meant me." Said Hermione angrily.

I was about to say something for the first time but- SMASH! A jar on the table shattered.

"Blimey? What was that." said Hagrid as Hermione scooped up what had made the jar shatter. After that, a second stone hits Harry's head.

"Ow! Harry turns, looks out the window."Harry said as he rubbed his head. "Hagrid..."

Everyone turned to look out the window to see what Harry was talking about. Dumbledore and Fudge were approaching. Behind them, the executioner is following them, axe at his side.

"Yeh got to go! It's almost dark. Anyone sees yeh outside the castle it'll be trouble! Big trouble! 'Especially you, Harry" said Hagrid when he got interrupted by knocking on the door.

"Whit yeh in a moment!" shouted Hagrid. "Quick! Quick!"

"Hagrid" Harry said. "It'll be fine. It'll be ok."

"Go on, go on!" Hagrid whispered.

As we exited through the back door, Fudge, Dumbledore and the Executioner entered through the front. We hide behind the pumpkins, and we watch Hagrid and the others. Just then I hear a 'shh' from behind me and I turn, noticing Hermione was turned too.

"What?" asked Harry.

"Nothing, I just thought I saw...Never mind." said Hermione.

"I got closer to her and in a whisper, I spoke." I saw it too.

She looked at me and said nothing back in response.

"Let's go! " says Ron.

We went back up until we were somewhat close to the back entrance of Hogwarts. In the background, the bell from the clock tower begins to toll.

In the distance, we saw how everyone came out of Hagrid's cabin in Buckbeak's direction. And it's done. All the crows fly away and Hermione hides her face in Ron and hugs him. Harry weirdly makes himself part of the hug.

That was when I saw him, a big black dog in the distant forest, what else could have I done but get out of there? I hate my father too much to be able to do anything involving him. I wanted to warn them but I froze the moment I realised who that anumagus was. But I couldn't let them go into this blind I should at least tell them somethings. And so I turned to do so. But they weren't there, I was standing alone with no idea to where they were.

Maybe I should've tried looking for them, maybe I could've done something. At the time the most reasonable thing that I came up with was go back in the castle and find George or Ginny and talk about this.