Lionheart ~ Harry Potter (Under Heavy Editing)

Chapter Thirty-Seven | Rescuing Buckbeak

Hermione grasped a small stone that sat atop a pumpkin, then stood up. The girl tossed it straight through Hagrid's open window, immediately ducking back down after it left her palm. The stone collided with the jar, causing a loud crack as it shattered.

"Are you mad?" Harry enquired, but he was completely ignored.

Hermione hurled another stone into the house, but this one conked the back of Harry's head.

Ariana pursed her lips, knowing that must of been painful. She also knew Hermione hadn't meant to hurt Harry, but the smack told them it had.

Harry rubbed the back of his head. "That hurt."

"Sorry," Hermione breathed.

Ariana moved her eyes away from her friends and focused on Hagrid's front door. Fudge's party had arrives, rapping on the door. The Executioner's crows had landed atop the roof, their beady eyes searching their new surroundings.

"C'mon. Any minute now we're going to be coming out the back door," Hermione said anxiously.

She wasn't kept waiting for long. Ariana, Hermione and Harry quickly dashed into the forest behind them, ducking behind three trees. Their past selves - accompanied by Ron -crouched by the pumpkins where, only seconds before, they had been.

Ariana silently preyed that they hadn't been spotted, her back flat against the rough bark of a towering Oak tree. She spied Fudge in the window, then heard Hermione pondering the back of her own head:

"Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?"

"Shhh!" Harry shushed, trying to remain undetected.

Past Hermione and Ariana whipped around, studying the moving branches that Hermione had knocked when she ducked back behind the tree's trunk.

Ariana heard then speak.

"Nothing, I just thought I saw... Never mind," past Hermione said, turning away.

"I'm sure it was nothing," past Ariana stated, but narrowed her eyes nonetheless.

Seconds later, the quartet rushed away, starting up the slope. Once the coast was cleat, the three students slipped out of the trees. It was more or never.

"Now!" Hermione said, eager to steal Buckbeak before they were caught.

Ariana and Harry each vaulted into the patch, which was a great job considering Ariana only had one usable arm.

Crows had flocked around Buckbeak like a death omen, now pecking at their feet, cawing. Ariana ignored them, her main focus on the Hippogriff.

Fudge coukd be heard from inside the hut. "'It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the Hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed this day at sundown...'"

Buckbeak eyed the two Gryffindors curiously, a ferret leg hanging from his mouth. After a quick bow, the leg was slurped up, then Buckbeak bowed his head in respect.

Ariana sighed in relief and made towards the end of the iron chain that was looped around the creature's neck.

Harry made it over seconds before she did. A flint-eyed crook pecked his hand, so he waved at it. "Get away!"

Harry was yanking hard on Buckbeak's chain, but it was of no use, the animal did not move. Instead, he let out an irritated cry.

"Shhh, Buckbeak," Ariana goaded, stroking his beak.

"'The Committee's appointed executioner shall dispatch the condemned by means of beheading...'"

"C'mon, Buckbeak. Come on..." Harry pleaded, pulling mightily on the chain, but Buckbeak was stubborn.