Bucolic- RBR Book 3

Bucolic || 14

Chapter 14: Hermione's Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

In the midst of all the drama with Ron and Hermione and Harry, as well as the Firebolt and the patronus lessons, Harry and Ron had clearly forgotten about Buckbeak's impending sentence. Hermione and I had done all we could, but the situation was looking grave. Lucius Malfoy had the Committee in his stupid waistcoat pocket and there was nothing that Hermione and I could do to save Buckbeak short of simply murdering both Lucius and Draco ourselves.

It was late in the afternoon when Hermione received the letter. We shared a grim glance after looking at the shakiness in Hagrid's writing as he addressed the letter to her. Hermione froze and dropped the thick piece of parchment before she even opened it. I gently sat her in a chair and picked the letter up myself. At a first glance, the letter was highly smudged with tears and it wasn't looking good for Buckbeak.

Dear Hermione and Rumor,

We lost.

I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts. Execution date to be fixed.

Beaky has enjoyed London.

I won't forget the help you both gave us.

Hagrid

Hermione choked back a sob and I raised my hand to my mouth in shock. I knew it was coming but it still rattled me. Neither Buckbeak or Hagrid deserved this. I felt cold inside, like I was loosing a dear friend, even though I didn't even take Care of Magical Creatures.

"We should tell Harry and Ron," I said softly, placing my hand on the small of Hermione's back. She stood and took the letter from my hands as a comfort. She wiped her tears away and let me lead her to he boys.

"What!" Ron snapped at her as soon as he saw us approach. "Come to bother us about something else?"

"No," Hermione said, biting her lip. "Hagrid just wrote. Buckbeak lost." Ron's harsh face dropped in an instant and Harry's face fell as well. Harry reached out for the letter and read the smudged words.

"They can't do this. They can't. Buckbeak isn't dangerous," Harry said furiously. I snorted from my position on Ron's chair.

"On the contrary," I said, bitterness invading my tone, "this is all they know. And they can very well do this. I'm sure Malfoy presented it to them as their only choice." I sneered. "What a prissy bitch."

"There'll be an appeal though, there always is," Hermione said, wiping her eyes. "Only I can't see any hope...  Nothing will have changed."

"Yeah it will," Ron said, rising with vigor and nearly mocking me off my chair. "This time I'll help." Hermione's eyes watered heavily and she flung her arms around him. He awkwardly patted her back. I grinned at Harry, and he grumbled, handing me three galleons. After Crookshanks had killed Scabbers (which he had coming for him, that rat was terrifying), the two had been in the most intense fight, even in addition to the Firebolt incident. My three month prediction had been closer.

"Ron, I'm really sorry about Scabbers," Hermione said, drawing away from their awkward hug. I had a huge grin on my face.

"S'alright," Ron said, caving at last, perhaps due to the uncomfortable he felt during the hug. "He was old. Plus, Mum and Dad might buy me an owl now!" He finished brightly.

Ron, Hermione and Harry had told me they had spoken with Hagrid. I had been let out early of class, so I scurried down to meet them. They were walking back up to the castle with the rest of class, behind Malfoy who was (of course) walking with Crabbe and Goyle, and kept looking back, laughing derisively. I caught up with them just as Hagrid turned around and hurried back to his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief.

"Look at him blubber!" Malfoy laughed and his goons followed mindlessly. My eyes narrowed and my hand tightened on my wand. " Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic? And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

Harry and Ron made furious moves towards him, as did I, but Hermione beat us all there. She slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength the could muster. Malfoy staggered. She raised her wand and I gripped us sleeve and pulled his ear to my mouth as he tried to run off with his goonies.

"If I catch you playing like that again," I hissed in his ear and his eyes widened in fear, "then you know who I'll be speaking with."

"But..."

"We are not two year olds, Draco. And now, if I may quote you, my father will hear about this." His eyes widened and he scampered off with Crabbe and Goyle. I spat on the ground. "Pathetic."

"Hermione!" Ron said, sounding stunned and impressed.

"Harry, you better beat him in the Quidditch final!" Hermione said, quite shrilly. "I don't think I'll be able to stand it if Slytherin wins!"

"We're due in Charms," I said, glaring after Malfoy's long gone form.

That day, Hermione didn't show up in Charms. Then in Divination, Hermione walked out of class, confirming Trelawny's prediction. I was mildly impressed.

The Easter Holidays came and went in a blur. Everyone was highly anticipating the upcoming Quidditch match. If that was even the right word. People were cursing each other in the hallways over the upcoming final. This would decide the cup.

Finally, the game arrived. We all decked out in all of our Gryffindor gear. However, I do have to admit that I wore green socks to the pitch. I kept my wand safely tucked in my coat pocket. Professor Snape sat in the front row for the Slytherins and wore a very grim smile. Part of me wondered if he even knew how to smile.

"And here are the Gryffindors!" Lee cried and we all cheered as loud as we could. It was do or die for us. "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinner, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years..." However, boos drowned out his next few words. I pulled out my wand and magically threw a piece of toast at the Slytherins.

Soon, the sound of the shrill whistle started the game. I sat on the edge of my seat as Angelina scored a goal before Fling threw her off of her broom. I stood up and violently flipped him off, screaming dirty curse words at him. Alicia scored her penalty shot for Angelina and Wood save the shot that Slytherin got from Fred knocking a bludger into Flint's head during a stoppage of play.

Quickly after, I was on my feet booing and spitting any foul word I could think of at Montague, who had deliberately swerved in front of Katie, who barely managed to stay on his broom. Harry began to use the speed of his Firebolt to create diversions and scatter the Slytherins. Everyone was on edge as he and Malfoy raced for the snitch. Hermione's eyes were narrowed, as if she would personally cat h the snitch for Harry as long as Malfoy didn't win.

A glint of gold in Harry's hand and the shrill whistle of Madam Hooch caused us all to jump up and down, screaming. I hugged Hermione, tears in my eyes. Impulsively, I turned around and grasped Neville, kissing him on the lips. He turned a bright shade of marron. But I didn't care. I was too busy screaming insults at the Slytherins and floating in the first Gryffindor victory in nearly seven years. Even McGonagall was wiping her flow of tears away with her enormous Gryffindor as she hugged Lee. A sobbing Wood passed Harry the cup and he lifted it high into the air. We all screamed and I felt like I could have produced the best Patronus ever.