Lionheart ~ Harry Potter (Under Heavy Editing)

Chapter Twenty-Five | Sentenced to the Worst

The remainder of the night was heavily disturbed. Ariana tossed and turned all night, unable to get much sleep due to nightmares and a terrible gut feeling. By some miracle, the girl was able to drag herself out of bed.

Ariana's mind was absolutely full to bursting. Her concern for Harry was almost overwhelming, her craving for knowledge about her parents was massive, her need to study for her classes was huge, her memories were continually torturing her and the dread of returning to her carers (and Ariana used that word in the lightest sense possible) after the school year ended.

It was truly beginning to take its toll, but the witch never revealed her pain, not to anybody. The people who got closest to knowing were Ron, Hermione and Harry, but even they were ignorant to her never-ending agony.

Instead of doing the healthy thing and talking to someone, Ariana continued to bottle it up. The girl didn't want to burden anyone, nor did she was to give anyone ammunition to use against her.

~~~~~

The three Gryffindors were outside the castle, strolling down the green slope towards Hagrid's hut. The sunlight shone and birds chirped overhead, flying back and forth.

Draco had kept his word and told his father what had happened, and no doubt over-exaggerated. Lucius, Draco's father, had been furious. He was a powerful man with good connections, so he had Hagrid and Buckbeak dragged to London for a trail.

Earlier on, Hagrid had returned from London, so the quartet of students had set off to see him at the first opportunity.

"I find it astonishing that someone who prides herself on being so logical can be in such denial," Ron scoffed, his face creased with irritability.

He and Hermione were still at each other's throats about Scabbers and Crookshanks. Quite frankly, it was driving Harry and Ariana batty. They were getting quite tired of listening to them arguing about their pets.

"Harry. Will you explain to your friend Ronald that he has absolutely no proof whatsoever that my sweet, unassuming cat ate his shabby, decidedly decrepit rat?" Hermione asked, glaring daggers at Ron.

"Harry was there! Ariana too! They'll tell you how it was. Go on, guys, tell her," Ron countered.

Ariana sighed. "Right. Ron, you must take better care of your pets. If he has been eaten, who's to say it was Crookshanks? If it was, you have my condolences. If you don't look after Scabbers, something will get him, whether it be Crookshanks or the bloody Whomping Willow," she said in one breath, her eyes focused ahead of her.

"Exactly! And no, I won't. Know why? Because I don't care about your stupid rat! I don't care about your stupid cat! I've got few other things on my mind right now!" Harry yelled, stressed.

"Really? Wasn't you had to roll under the bed last night to avoid getting cut to ribbons! A person could die being your friend, Harry!" Ron retorted.

Ariana's eyes widened and her jaw dropped momentarily when Ron said that, completely shocked.

All four of them stopped dead. Ariana deduced that Ron wished he could take it back, going by the look on his face and his and Harry's friendship (that was more like a brotherhood).

The remainder of the walk was quite still and awkward. The air surrounding the four Gryffindors was stale and silent, each of them still reeling from Ron's comment. In their hearts, all of them knew Ron didn't mean what he said, it was just the heat of the moment.

They arrived at the edge of the Black Lake, having finally located Hagrid. He was wearing a gigantic, hairy brown suit, which was accompanied by what Ariana thought was the most hideous tie in the planet, though she would never tell anyone of her opinion on it.

The massive half-giant stood with his trouser rolled up to his knees, standing in the shallows of the water. As he skimmed stones in the dark water, Ariana noticed how sullen his face was, which raised red flags in her head.

Hagrid turned his head and caught sight of the students, but before they could see his face properly, he turned away from them with a record speed. Ariana frowned at his evasive maneuver, wondering how awful the trail really was.

"How'd it go, Hagrid?" Hermione enquired, walking down to the shore.

"Buckbeak liked London," Hagrid replied vaguely, skimming another rock.

"I meant the hearing."

"Oh. That. Well, I got up an' said my bit - You know, how Buckbeak was a good Hippogriff an' as long as yeh treated 'im with respect, he'd treat you the same. Then Lucius Malfoy got up an' said his bit -- you know, how Buckbeak was a deadly dangerous beast that no teacher in their righ' mind would expose their students to..." Hagrid trailed off, completely miserable.

"... What was their decision, Hagrid?" Ariana asked, dreading the answer, her body stiff with anticipation.

Hagrid couldn't reply, so he slung another large rock into the water. It skimmed across the surface, creating ripples as it hopped.

"You mustn't blame yourself, Hagrid," said Hermione tenderly.

"Draco. It's him the Committee should punish. It's him they should send off to the forest, not Buckbeak," Ron stated through gritted teeth, furious with the two stuck-up Malfoys.

"Buckbeak's not going back to the forest..."

Ariana realised what he meant. "Oh my God..." she sighed.

Hermione frowned and looked between Hagrid and Ariana. "Where's he going, Hagrid?"

"He asked fer the worse, yeh see, Lucius Malfoy did. An' the Committee granted it. Buckbeak's bin sentenced ter death."

~~~~~

Question:
During Ariana's second year of Hogwarts, why exactly was Hagrid sent to Azkaban?

A: Because he broke the law by creating a new breed of magical creature

B: Because he was believed to have opened the Chamber of Secrets

C: Because his mother, a Giantess, had murdered many Muggles and he was accused of being aware of her intention to do so before she did, and never acted to prevent it.

Congratulations to Blackstars36 for answering the previous question correctly.