The Griffin's Hiss || Chapter One: BLACK

Sudden Force

"I can't believe the ministry's actually going through with this," Madeline announced as her and her friends walked down to Hagrid's later in the day. 

"It's completely inhumane," the Granger girl finally agreed with her, and even started a somewhat comfortable conversation about their shared distress.

They approached Hagrid's hut right when the older girl complimented the well-deserved punch Hermione served to Malfoy at the castle, earning a rare smile as they paused in front of a clueless Buckbeak relaxing in the pumpkin patch. Madeline quickly decided to stay with him as they visited Hagrid, so they gave her a quick, 'see you later,' and left her be.

"You know," she began once she was alone with her friend and sat next to him, "I really thought Draco would be better than this, but I guess I just created a false picture in my mind," the creature tilted his head up as if he was actually listening, "maybe if I never-," the girl paused to prevent tears, "he's just such a prick now," she sighed and pressed her forehead against the beautiful beast, gently stroking his beak, "you don't deserve this, Buckbeak, you truly don't. I'm so sorry," she finally quieted down, tears beginning to form while she rested there.

Her friend suddenly moved his head and made an announcing sound, making her look towards the path that led to Hagrid's. She saw a member of the ministry approaching the hut alongside her grandfather and an unsettling axe wielder. She gave Buckbeak a big, heart wrenching hug and hid behind the large group of pumpkins closest to the forest. She thought she was alone, but when her vision focused on the tress nearby she spotted Harry and Hermione hiding behind them. Madeline looked towards the hut, then back to the forest.

"Make sure you wait for them to see Buckbeak, so they don't think Hagrid had anything to do with it," she warned casually and waved them away.

After they hid themselves better she lifted up a rock and threw it at the original Harry, gaining his attention so she could tilt her head towards the pathway. Him and the others quickly left the hut, skillfully making their way to Madeline. They waited a bit longer, the older girl grabbing Hermione's attention after the two heard something in the forest before making their way back up the path. 

The group stood close to the castle, still keeping themselves near the long pathway. Listening to Buckbeak's death made their reality feel so genuine, and with a loud swing of the stranger's axe they all cringed. Hermione pressed her head against Ron's chest for comfort, and Madeline grabbed Harry's arm, looking up to make sure he was okay with it. He didn't react negatively at all, in fact, he looked back at her with empathy pouring out of his eyes. 

She smiled sadly as Scabbers bit his owner and ran off. The four of them followed as quickly possible, Ron ahead of them quite a bit. He dove down when he finally caught up to Scabbers and grabbed him, relieved to have his pet back.

The rest of the group looked up at where he was sitting and began to panic again.

"Ron, run," Harry yelled as the Whomping Willow prepared to strike his friend, but instead of listening the red head shouted the same thing, pointing between the other three.

They turned around and saw a growling black dog run towards them, only to move past them towards Ron with Ari and Crookshanks trailing behind it. The dog bit the boy's leg while the other animals hovered near the Weasley's head, following their leader as it yanked him below the Whomping Willow.

"Ari," Madeline shouted as she prepared to follow, only to be stopped by Harry, receiving her own advice about making a plan.

The three stood in shock for barely a second before the tree suddenly picked them up and threw them around. They screamed and panicked, too dizzy to figure out a solution. Harry was refocusing his blurry vision after he was thrown into the ground, his broken glasses laying next to him. The girls were being swung around on the same branch, trying their best to help one another. Right when the boy picked up his glasses he was grabbed by a terrified Hermione Granger and pulled into the sickening rollercoaster.