Lionheart ~ Harry Potter (Under Heavy Editing)

Chapter Twenty-Nine | Death's Crows

Teacups clinked as Hermione and Ariana made tea for their companions. Harry and Ron sat down at the table, while Hagrid stood by the window, not wanting to take his eyes off of his beloved Buckbeak.

The creature was idly chewing on a ferret, unaware of his gruesome fate. Ariana was incredibly depressed to see such a beautiful animal condemned to such a cruel destiny.

"Look at 'em. Loves the smell o' the trees when the wind blows..." Hagrid sighed, his heart audibly breaking.

"I say we set him free," Harry commented.

Ariana set two cups of tea down on the table for her male friends, and they thanked her. She took a coffee and leaned against the counter top. "That won't work."

Hagrid shook his head. "Ariana's right. They'd know I did it. And tha' would only get Dumbledore in trouble. Gonna come down, yeh know. Says he wants ter be with me when it... when it happens. Great man, Dumbledore."

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," Hermione added, intent on staying by his side as a support.

"Yeh will not! Think I wan' yeh seein' a thing like this! No. Yeh'll drink yer tea an' be off. But before yeh do - I wan' ter see you an' Ron shake hands, Harry," Hagrid said, looking between the boys.

Ariana furrowed her eyebrows, just as confused as her other friends. She shared a look with Hermione, taking a small sip of coffee.

"Thin' I haven' seen 'ow it's bin between you two? Go on now..."

Ariana agreed with Hagrid; Ron and Harry's friendship had been strained of late. As had Ron and Hermione's, it was quite shocking how much the events of this year had put pressure on all of them.

Reluctantly, Harry and Ron extended their hands, shaking.

"Good. Now then. Ron, I wan' ter see you give Hermione a hug."

"What!" Ron and Hermione exclaimed in synchronisation, astounded.

"Go on! You two've been at it all year. An' I'm sick o' it," Hagrid continued, being totally persistent.

Ariana could see that her two friends were acutely uncomfortable and they slowly gave each other the most awkward hug she had ever seen.

Ariana and Harry looked at each other, reveling in the horrible hug. The witch shrugged her shoulders as they pulled apart, finishing up her coffee.

"Crikey, tha's jus' abou' the most pathetic hug I e'er seen. But yeh did it, an' tha's wha' matters. There's jus' one other thing..." Hagrid stated, finding Ron and Hermione quite amusing.

"Hagrid, I'm not kissing Fang if that's what you're about to suggest that," Ariana chimed in, her face serious.

As brief laughs filled the room, Fang - Hagrid's giant boarhound - thumped his large tail on the ground happily. Ariana smiled, breathing a laugh through her nose at the dog's reaction to hearing his name.

Hagrid pulled a lid off of a flour tin, dipping his massive hand inside. When he removed his hand, it opened to reveal a scruffy rat, its ears flecked with white powder; Scabbers.

Ariana watched Hermione smirk triumphantly as Ron spotted his rat, meaning he knew that Crookshanks was innocent.

"Scabbers! You're alive!" Ron exclaimed happily, cuddling the rat into his chest.

"Yeh should keep a closer eye on yer pets, Ron," Hagrid reprimanded, like a father would his son.

"I think you owe someone an apology," Hermione said, an expectant look upon her face.