Dark Magic

Revelations

I sighed, tapping my wristwatch impatiently as I waited in the Gryffindor tower for the trio to emerge. It had been fifteen minutes since my arrival, The Fat Lady telling me I needed to go and find my 'other Slytherin friends', that 'Gryffindor's and Slytherin's don't mix'. And I thought Slytherin were supposed to be the most prejudiced house...

"Em? You ready?" I flinched, my eyes finding the trio of friends as they stood outside the portrait, looking at me as though I was crazy being lost in my own thoughts, to the point I hadn't even noticed their presence.

"Sorry. That Fat Lady is driving me bloody insane." I cursed, pointing angrily towards the portrait as she began to argue her case determinedly; repeating those phrases exactly as she had when I had been waiting for my brother and his friends...Her outward segregation was pushing me to the end of my tether. 

"Right, then I suggest we get going." Hermione diverted the subject as we took a step on one of the moving staircases, headed for the courtyard. "Where exactly are we going? Steaking out the grounds or..." I trailed away, waiting for one of the friends to answer. Harry sighed, shaking his head. "Not tonight, Em. We're going to see Hagrid first."

I nodded, instantly feeling guilty that I could have possibly forgot for a brief moment that tonight wasn't the night it was...The night Buckbeak would be executed...Pouting, I nodded in understanding and fixed my jacket as we made our way out of the school and towards Hagrid's Hut.

It was silent, and mellow...Hagrid's sadness projecting across the room as we sat there...Quietly supporting our friend and Professor. "I'll make us some tea." I spoke, breaking the moment at long last and putting the teapot on the stove. Hagrid outstretched a hand towards me, squeezing it in 'thanks'.

"Oh, look at him. He loved the smell of the trees when the wind blows through em'." Hagrid noted, his eyes hypnotic as he watched the bird from his window, taking a sip of his tea. "I'm so sorry we couldn't have done more, Hagrid." I sighed sympathetically, exchanging a short glance with a very tearful Hermione.

"Why don't we just set him free?" Harry questioned, exasperatedly. But Hagrid shook his head, dismissing the notion immediately, "Nah, they'd know it was me. Dumbledore would get into trouble..." Hagrid noted solemnly. Trying to think around his answer, I knew it was futile; Buckbeak was going to die, and there was nothing any of us (not even Draco Malfoy) could do about it.

"Dumbledore's going to come down, you know? When they-" Hagrid cut himself short, unable to finish the last part of his sentence. It was too unbearable for him to say and for any of us to hear. "When it happens." Hagrid sighed, his voice breaking a little from the tears that threatened to fall.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid!" Ron spoke adamantly, but Hagrid's eyes filled with a fury I had only seen a small number of times, "You will do no such thing! I don't want you seeing something like that!" He pointed out the window, where Buckbeak sat absentmindedly pecking at the pumpkins growing in Hagrid's garden.

"No, you lot just drink your tea and be off." A sudden realisation occurred in Hagrid's eyes, "Oh! Before you do, Ron..." He trailed away, reaching into one of his many cages and fishing out Ron's, newly missing and now found, rat.

"Scabbers! You're alive!" Ron cried, taking him carefully from Hagrid's grasp. The half-giant nodded, "You best keep a closer eye on your pets." He reprimanded the boy, a glare crossing Hermione's face, "I think you owe someone an apology." She spat, sharing a small glance with myself. I nodded, agreeing with her statement. 

"Right, sorry Emerald." I accepted his apology, his eyes now finding Hermione's, "And next time I see Crookshanks, I'll let him know." The red-head smirked, only warranting a slap on the arm from me as Hermione continued to argue with the boy, "I meant me!"