Daylight || Harry Potter

Chapter Thirty

Trying to talk to Snape was a no-go, because the guy was nowhere to be found. We searched all throughout the dungeons and got begrudging answers from Slytherins that the last place they saw him was his office, so we went there. Once again, nowhere to be found. Karl pointed out that the fireplace was still smoking, which most likely meant he'd taken the Floo network somewhere. And as luck would have it, he'd used the last of his Floo powder, so we couldn't do anything.

"How are we supposed to get to the Ministry now?" I asked, sitting on Snape's desk and feeling completely hopeless. Harry was in trouble and there was no way to get there.

"Well," Karl spoke up, "I have an idea."

"What?"

"But you have to promise not to ask questions."

"What?" Ernie and I asked uneasily at the same time. I was starting to doubt whether whatever idea he had was completely legal.

"That was a question," Karl snarked. "Are you in or not?"

Karl's idea turned out to be a flipping hippogriff. A gigantic black hippogriff that looked way meaner than Buckbeak but seemed pretty enthusiastic to see Karl.

"Karl," I said, "What the absolute Hades?"

"Oh, you're right. I'm sorry." Karl cleared his throat. "Ernie, Ash, I would like to introduce you to Caligo. He will be our transportation this evening. If he's willing. You should probably bow to him now."

Ernie spluttered, "But you — how did you —"

"Ah-ah. Ernie. Bow to the hippogriff."

"Right," Ernie muttered, bending in half. I followed suit not sure where any of this was going. Fortunately, Caligo seemed to be pleased with our show of respect, because he bowed back and let us approach him. Karl just casually went up to him, knelt down, and got into position to give Ernie and I boosts onto his back.

"Okay, let's go," he said.

"So are you not gonna tell us where you got a hippogriff, or..." I trailed off at the unimpressed look he gave me.

"You're the one saying we have to get there ASAP," he said. "There's no time for explanations."

"I think we can make time," Ernie retorted. "You practically pulled a huge hippogriff out of your arse — pardon my language, Ash."

"No, I'm with you," I told Ernie. "How long have you had a hippogriff on speed dial?"

Karl shrugged. "Almost since I got here? Before Ernie and I got close I snuck out into the forest a lot."

"This is crazy," I said.

"It's absolutely mad," Ernie agreed.

"Are you guys coming or not?" Karl asked boredly. Ernie and I exchanged a glance.

"Yes," we both said at the same time. Ernie, ever the gentleman, told me I could get on the hippogriff first. I think he was just scared to do it, but I didn't blame him. Buckbeak could be big and intimidating, and this hippogriff was twice his size and looked twice as scary.

Once we were all on the hippogriff, we shifted around to make room for him to move his wings. Then Karl urged the hippogriff into a run and we took off.

"Okay," he said, "Now where's London?"

"Are you serious?" Ernie demanded. "We don't even know where we're going?"

"Relax," I told him, grabbing my wand and performing the Four-Point spell. "We know London is south from here, since we're somewhere in Scotland. We just need to go south, and then slightly east, until we see signs or something telling us we're in London."