Dark Magic

Buckbeak's Sentence and Peter Pettigrew

"How did it go Hagrid; the hearing?" Hermione pressed as we all sat by the Black Lake, watching Hagrid skim rocks across it's watery depths. I sat a little further back than my brother and his friends, feeling a little unease at the thought of getting any closer. My attention was soon diverted from the pages of the book I had been reading about Potions, as my interest in their conversation peaked. Sitting up from the tree I had been perched against, I brushed the dust from my trousers.

"Well, first off, the Committee took turns telling me why we were there...And then I got up and did my piece; 'said how Buckbeak was a good Hippogriff and always cleaned his feathers..." Hagrid sighed, staring away from us all and out onto the lake ahead.

"And...?" I pressed, impatiently waiting for Hagrid to tell us the answer to all the hard work Hermione and myself had been doing since the incident. Hermione had been over to Hagrid's Hut more than myself, there was no doubt about that. But we had both tried to achieve the least harsh outcome possible. I could only hope Draco had talked with his father...

"And then...Lucius Malfoy got up-" My stomach dropped at the mention of the man's name as Hagrid continued, "Well, you can imagine what he said...'Buckbeak was a deadly and dangerous creature who would kill you, as soon as you look at him..." Hagrid held another rock firm, skimming it across the lake, once more.

"And then?" Hermione was now the one impatiently waiting for an answer. But Hagrid's mind had become vulnerable for a moment...I already knew the outcome...

"And then he asked for the worst, good, old Lucius..." Hagrid sighed.

"They're not sacking you!?" Ron questioned, hoping Hagrid would soon be the one to soothe his worries. 

"No, they're not sacking me...Buckbeak's been sentenced to death!" Hagrid cried out, throwing the stone in his hand hard into the water. 

I sighed, feeling the wave of Hagrid's thoughts and emotions overwhelm me completely. And without any deliberation, I walked into the lake and over to my professor, standing beside him as the fish swam around my feet and the water soaked through my jeans. The half-giant turned to face me, as I used his sadness to suppress my fear of the Black Lake and embraced him, as best as I could. 

Hagrid sobbed, accepting my embrace, "I'm so sorry, Professor Hagrid." I sighed, a tear of his rolling down onto the top of my head. "It's alright, me' dear. I know that Lucius Malfoy will get what's coming to him, one day. You mark my words."

'Em, can you hear me?'

My eyebrows furrowed as I turned to face the trio of friends, looking on at myself and Hagrid with concern. None of them heard the voice...

'Meet me at the Gryffindor Tower tonight at 11. Bring the map.'

I watched in utter confusion and shock as my older brother sent a curt nod in understanding my way. He knew he was sending me a message that no-one else could hear...That meant, he knew about my gift...But how?

I had been fidgeting for the entire evening, to the point where even Draco grew concerned about my consistent ticks over dinner. How could Harry have possibly figured out I was a Legilimens? I had never given him any inkling of the fact and neither Snape nor Lupin would tell him such a secret. I couldn't think too much about it; my brother would need to know eventually, anyway.

As we made our way back to the Slytherin Common room, it wasn't long before everyone departed for bed. I, however, waited in my clothes to head for the Gryffindor Tower. I'm sure getting there early won't cause too much of a problem. Tying my hair away from my face, I grabbed the Marauder's Map and made haste to my brother's Common Room entrance.