Lumos (Book One)

Chapter Thirteen ~ Execution

Professor Trelawney's head fell forward onto her chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. I sat there, staring at her. Then, quite suddenly, Professor Trelawney's head snapped up again.

"I'm so sorry, dear girl," she said dreamily, "the heat of the day, you know... I drifted off for a moment..." I stood there, staring at her. "Is there anything wrong, my dear?"

"You--you just told me that the--the Dark Lord's going to rise again... That his servant's going to go back to him and s-someone's going to have to choose hi-him or lose everything."

Professor Trelawney looked thoroughly startled. "The Dark Lord? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? My dear girl, that's hardly something to joke about... Rise again, indeed --"

"But you just said it! You said the Dark Lord --"

"I think you must have dozed off too, dear!" said Professor Trelawney. "I would certainly not presume to predict anything quite as far-fetched as that!"

I climbed back down the ladder and the spiral staircase, wondering... Had I just heard Professor Trelawney make a real prediction? Or had that been her idea of an impressive end to the test? Five minutes later I was dashing past the security trolls outside the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, Professor Trelawney's words still resounding in my head.

People were striding past me in the opposite direction, laughing and joking, heading for the grounds and a bit of long-awaited freedom; by the time I had reached the portrait hole and entered the Gryffindor common room, it was almost deserted. Over in the corner, however, sat Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Professor Trelawney," I panted, "just told me --" But I stopped abruptly at the sight of their faces.

"Buckbeak lost," said Ron weakly. "Hagrid's just sent this." Hagrid's note was dry this time, no tears had splattered it, yet his hand seemed to have shaken so much as he wrote that it was hardly legible.

Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it. - Hagrid

"We've got to go," I said at once. "He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!"

"Sunset, though," said Ron, who was staring out the window ill a glazed sort of way. "We'd never be allowed... 'specially you and Harry..."

I sank my head into my hands, thinking.

"If we only had the Invisibility Cloak..." Harry muttered.

"Where is it?" said Hermione. Harry told her about leaving it in the passageway under the one-eyed witch.

"... If Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," he finished.

"That's true," said Hermione, getting to her feet. "If he sees you... How do you open the witch's hump again?"

"You--you tap it and say, 'Dissendium,'" said Harry. "But --"

Hermione didn't wait for the rest of his sentence; she strode across the room, pushed open the Fat Lady's portrait and vanished from sight.

"She hasn't gone to get it?" Ron said, staring after her.

She had.

Hermione returned 15 minutes later with the silvery cloak folded carefully under her robes.

"Hermione, I don't know what's gotten, into you lately!" said Ron, astounded. "Skip Charms, then you walk out on Professor Trelawney --" Hermione looked rather flattered. We went down to dinner with everybody else, but did not return to Gryffindor Tower afterward.