Blood Magic - Golden Trio Era

22. Visions of Mortality

The three were silent as they made their way back to the castle. Amy wasn't particularly bothered, she'd seen and done worse at The Court, but she could tell that Hermione and Pansy were having an internal struggle coming to terms with what had happened. She could sense the adrenaline was still running high in them.

They noticed in the distance a few men leaving Hagrid's hut. The half-giant weeping in the door.

"Hagrid..." Hermione muttered.

"Buckbeak!" Amy realised.

Before Pansy could object, she was being dragged by the two girls over to the hut at a run.

"Hagrid!" Hermione called as they approached.

"'Ermione." He replied quietly, "Amy. Pansy?"

"It's bad news isn't it?" Amy asked slowly, tears forming. The giant broke down into tears and pulled the three into a hug. Pansy and Hermione struggled to breahe under the hold.

"Can I see him?" Amy asked quietly when he let them go. She didn't have the close relationship with Hagrid that Hermione, Ron and Harry had but she did care for the Hippogriff. He nodded and took them inside his hut. He'd been letting Buckbeak stay inside during the winter.

Once inside Hermione spoke to Hagrid, comforting him and asking for details. Pansy just sat silently by Hermione.

Amy walked straight over to Buckbeak. The creature was working at a bone, trying to get all the meat off. Amy no longer needed to bow, she'd visited a few times and formed a relationship with the hippogriff, nevertheless, she gave a small bow out of respect and approached. She sat next to his head and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You don't even understand what's happening do you?" She asked sadly. "I don't know if I can help you."

She just cuddled up to the creature for a while before talking again, "remember the flight we took when we first met? I was suffering under the open sun but I'd never felt so alive. I'll never forget you Buckbeak."

When Hermione had finished talking to Hagrid, she came over to her girlfriend to say it was time to go.

That night was a bleak one. None of them slept, they all had thoughts racing through their head about the day and about Buckbeak.

*

Later in the week, at Care for Magical Creatures, Hagrid didn't seem to be entirely present. Harry and Ron had clearly heard but were avoiding the girls as much as possible. While the rest of the class were adding food to fires for the salamanders they were caring for, Ron and Harry were talking to Hagrid, the giant crying as they did.

"Look at him blubber!"

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were talking loudly by their fire, watching the exchange.

"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

Before Amy could even say anything, Hermione was storming over to them. They froze, their eyes wide when the saw the three girls glaring at them. To the classes surprise, Hermione grabbed the blonde boy by his shirt, pulling him down to her level. Amy and Pansy stepped up to stop the two goons from intervening. They looked too terrified to do anything anyway.

Hermione spoke quietly so only Malfoy could hear but Amy's sensitive hearing could make it out. "Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul – you evil – Do you think your father would cry like Hagrid if I tossed you in this fire? I doubt it."

Amy placed a hand on her girlfriends shoulder to guide her away. The whole class looked astonished at what they'd just seen. Hermione Granger, bookworm and teacher's pet, had just grabbed the bully. More shocking, the boy and his goons seemed too scared to respond.