Towers - Fred Weasley

39

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HARRY HAD RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SIRIUS. He made sure to immediately show it to Ebony to make sure she knew about the events that would soon take place. Especially since it seemed to be a very important thing. 

Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish & Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can. And if you can, I know she's stubborn, also bring Ebony.

So, as much as Ebony wanted to study with Lee in the library today, she was dragged down to Hogsmeade with Harry, Ron and Hermione. The weather is milder than it had been all year, and by the time they arrived in Hogsmeade, all four of them had taken off their cloaks and thrown them over their shoulders. The food Sirius had told them to bring was in Harry's bag; they had sneaked a dozen chicken legs, a loaf of bread and a flask of pumpkin juice from the lunch table.

They went into Gladrags Wizardwear to buy a present for Dobby, where they had fun selecting all the most lurid socks they could find, including a pair patterned with flashing gold and silver stars, and another that screamed loudly when they became too smelly. Ebony didn't bother choosing with them. She was there for the chocolate socks. Then, at half past one, they made their way up the High Street, past Dervish and Banges, and out towards the edge of the village.

Ebony had never been in this direction before. The winding lane was leading them out into the wild countryside around Hogsmeade. The cottages were fewer here, and their gardens larger; they were walking towards the foot of the mountain in whose shadow Hogsmeade lay. Then they turned a corner, and saw a stile at the end of the lane. Waiting for them, its front paws on the topmost bar, was a very large, shaggy black dog, which was carrying some newspapers in its mouth, and looked very familiar ...

"Hello, Sirius," Harry says, when they reach him.

The black dog sniffles Harry's bag eagerly, wagged its tail once, then turns, and begins to trot away from them across the scrubby patch of ground which rose to meet the rocky foot of the mountain. Harry, Ron, Ebony and Hermione climbed over the stile and followed.

Sirius leads them to the very foot of the mountain, where the ground is covered with boulders and rocks. It is easy for him, with his four paws, but Harry, Ron, Ebony and Hermione are soon out of breath. Ebony even considered turning herself. They follow Sirius higher, up onto the mountain itself. For nearly half an hour they climb a steep, winding and stony path, following Sirius' wagging tail, sweating in the sun.

Then, at last, Sirius slips out of sight, and when they reach the place where he has vanished, they see a narrow fissure in the rock. They squeeze into it, and find themselves in a cool, dimly lit cave. Tethered at the end of it, one end of his rope around a large rock, is Buckbeak the Hippogriff. Half-grey horse, half-giant eagle, Buckbeak's fierce orange eye flashes at the sight of them. All four of them bow low to him, and after regarding them imperiously for a moment, Buckbeak bents his scaly front knees, and allows Hermione to rush forward and stroke his feathery neck. Ebony, however, keeps her eyes on her dad.

Sirius is wearing ragged grey robes; the same ones he had been wearing when he had left Azkaban. His black hair is longer than it had been when he had appeared in the fire, and it is untidy and matted once more. He looks very thin.

"Chicken!" he says hoarsely, after removing the old Daily Prophets from his mouth and throwing them down onto the cave floor.

"Hello to you too, dad." Ebony replies, sarcastically.