History

XLIX. HE'S ESCAPED

chapter forty-nine; the prisoner of azkaban

1994

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

The leaves overhead rustled faintly in the breeze. The moon drifted in and out of sight behind the shifting clouds. Hermione sat with her face turned toward the Willow, waiting. And then, at last, after over an hour.

"Here we come!" Hermione whispered. She, Zoe and Harry got to their feet. Buckbeak raised his head. They saw Lupin, Ron, and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly out of the hole in the roots. Then came Hermione, then Zoe and then the unconscious Snape, drifting weirdly upward. Next came Harry and Black. They all began to walk toward the castle. Zoe's heart was starting to beat very fast. She watched as Harry glanced up at the sky. Any moment now, that cloud was going to move aside and show the moon.

"Harry," Zoe muttered as though she knew exactly what he was thinking, "we've got to stay put. We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do."

"So we're just going to let Pettigrew escape all over again. . . ." said Harry quietly.

"How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?" snapped Hermione. "There's nothing we can do! We came back to help Sirius; we're not supposed to be doing anything else!"

"All right!" 

The moon slid out from behind its cloud. They saw the tiny figures across the grounds stop. Then they saw movement. . . .

"There goes Lupin," Hermione  whispered. "He's transforming.

"Zoe! Hermione!" said Harry suddenly. "We've got to move!"

"We mustn't, I keep telling you," Zoe said. 

"Not to interfere! Lupin's going to run into the forest, right at us!" Hermione gasped.

"Quick!" she moaned, dashing to untie Buckbeak. "Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The dementors will be coming any moment. . . ."

"Back to Hagrid's!" Zoe said. "It's empty now, come on!"

They ran as fast as they could, Buckbeak cantering along behind them.They could hear the werewolf howling behind them. The cabin was in sight. Harry skidded to the door, wrenched it open, and Hermione, Zoe and Buckbeak flashed past him. Harry threw himself in after them and bolted the door. Fang the boarhound barked loudly.

"Shh, Fang, it's us!" said Zoe, hurrying over and scratching his ears to quieten him. "That was really close!" she said to Harry.

"Yeah. . . ." 

Harry was looking out of the window. 

Buckbeak seemed very happy to find himself back inside Hagrid's house. He lay down in front of the fire, folded his wings contentedly, and seemed ready for a good nap.

"I think I'd better go outside again, you know," said Harry slowly. "I can't see what's going on, we won't know when it's time. . . ." Zoe and Hermione looked up. Their expressions were suspicious. "I'm not going to try and interfere," said Harry quickly. "But if we don't see what's going on, how're we going to know when it's time to rescue Sirius?"

"I'll go with you," Zoe said, "that way we know you won't interfere."

"Well okay, then," Hermione said, "I'll wait here with Buckbeak, but Zo, Harry, be careful. There's a werewolf out there, and the dementors."

Zoe and Harry stepped outside again and edged around the cabin. Alyssa could hear yelping in the distance. That meant the dementors were closing in on Sirius. She, Harry and Hermione would be running to him any moment. Zoe stared out toward the lake, and then looked up at Harry.