“What?!”
“You're joking!” Harry said.
“I wish I was...” Hermione said sadly. “He sent this...”
She held out the piece of parchment. Megan unrolled it and held it out so Ron and Harry could read over her shoulder. It was covered in smudges where Hagrid’s tears had fallen on the letter.
Dear Hermione.
Lost appeal. I can bring him back to school. Date to be fixed. Thanks for your help. Won’t forget it.
Hagrid.
“They can’t do this!” Megan said in outrage.
“Malfoy scared the committee into it…” Hermione said, wiping her eyes. “You know what he’s like…”
“Isn’t there anything we can do?” Harry asked.
“Well, I’ll look into it, but I can’t see much…” Hermione answered sadly.
“No you won’t, Hermione. Not alone. We’ll help.” Ron said.
Hermione looked at him and threw her arms around him. And Megan took it as a good sign that Ron's arms wrapped around Hermione as well. Maybe her attempt from the previous night had proven useful after all.
“I’m really sorry about Scabbers…” Hermione said when she released him.
Ron shuffled his feet.
“Well… he was old…” he said awkwardly. “Not to mention useless. And it's not all bad, when you think of it. Never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl.”
Despite the terrible news about Hagrid, Megan was glad it had at least enabled Ron and Hermione to make up. They'd be stronger together if they were to try anything to stop Buckbeak's execution.
So from that day on, they spent all their free time in the library looking up for something to stop Buckbeak’s sentence. Harry had suggested they ask Cedric for help, but Megan had refused.
“He’s in fifth year.”
“So?”
“So, he’s got huge exams, this year, and I don’t want him to fail because of us.” Megan said.
“But you don’t mind us failing?” Ron asked.
“We’ll be okay.” Megan said. “And anyway, I don’t think there’s anything more Cedric can do.”
So they’d looked without him. But unfortunately, there was nothing very useful. They half had a mind to ask the teachers for their advice, but didn’t think they’d be taken very seriously. And they would probably say the sentence had been decided and that there was nothing more to be done.
“Still no luck?” Cedric asked over dinner that evening as they joined in the Entrance Hall.
“No…” Megan sighed. “I can’t help but feel I let Hagrid down… If I’d looked into it earlier, maybe…”
“I don’t think it would’ve changed much,” Cedric said heavily. “Like Hermione said, Malfoy scared the committee into the decision. Even with an air tight defense, all he would have to do is threaten the committee, like he did the school board.”
“Or buy them off…” Megan agreed bitterly. “It’s sickening how that kind of people get their way like that…”
Cedric sighed.
YOU ARE READING
Megan Potter - A saga of the Heart - Book 3 - Past and Present
Fanfiction- Things are seldom what they appear - Megan was ready for yet another long, boring summer at the Dursleys. Little did she know that this summer would soon turn out even worse than the last. The reason? Her cousin's aunt Marge. And as if that wasn'...
