Navigating Hogwarts

Chapter 29

We waited, watching the moving clouds reflected in the lake, while the bush next to them whispered in the breeze. Buckbeak, bored, was ferreting for worms.

"Do you reckon he's up there yet?" I said, checking my watch. I looked up at the castle and began counting the windows to the right of the West Tower.

"Look!" Hermione whispered. "Who's that? Someone's coming back out of the castle!"

I stared through the darkness. The man was hurrying across the grounds, toward one of the entrances. Something shiny glinted in his belt.

"Macnair!" said Harry. "The executioner! He's going to get the Dementors! This is it, —"

Hermione put her hands on Buckbeak's back and Harry gave her a leg up. He did the same for me. Then he placed his foot on one of the lower branches of the bush and climbed up in front of her. He pulled Buckbeak's rope back over his neck and tied it to the other side of his collar like reins.

"Ready?" he whispered. "You'd better hold on to me —"

"Oh, no — I don't like this oh, I really don't like this —" I hate flying, I really do.

Harry urged Buckbeak forward. We were gliding quietly toward the upper floors of the castle... Harry was trying to count the windows flashing past.

Buckbeak slowed down and we found ourselfs at a stop, unless you counted the fact that we kept rising up and down several feet as the Hippogriff beat his wings to remain airborne.

"He's there!" Harry said, spotting Sirius as they rose up beside the window. I reached out, and as Buckbeak's wings fell, I was able to tap sharply on the glass.

Black looked up. I saw his jaw drop. I leapt from his chair, hurried to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Stand back!" Hermione called to him, and she took out her wand.

"Alohomora!"
The window sprang open.
"How — how —?" said Black weakly, staring at the Hippogriff.

"Get on — there's not much time," said Harry, gripping Buckbeak firmly on either side of his sleek neck to hold him steady. "You've got to get out of here — the Dementors are coming — Macnair's gone to get them."

"Wait, we can't al fit on him" I looked around. One of us had to jump in and fly himself to the other place. Without further thinking, I jumped of Buckbeacks back, into the cell. Sirius was just in time to catch me from falling down.

"You're not staying here Skye" Hermione told me.

"I'll be at the West Tower in a couple of minutes, meet me there!"

"Are you sure Skylar" Sirius asked me worried.

"Don't worry about me, go"

Black placed a hand on either side of the window frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. In seconds, he had managed to fling one leg over Buckbeak's back and pull himself onto the Hippogriff behind Hermione.

"Okay, Buckbeak, up!" said Harry, shaking the rope. "Up to the tower — come on."

The Hippogriff gave one sweep of its mighty wings and they were soaring upward again, high as the top of the West Tower.

Just as they arrived, I enter the tower too, out of breath from the running.

"Sirius, you'd better go, quick," I panted.

Harry backed me up. "They'll reach Flitwick's office any moment, they'll find out you're gone."

Buckbeak pawed the ground, tossing his sharp head. "What happened to the other boy? Ron?" croaked Sirius.