Ron raises his fist and knocks on Hagrid's door. We all wait a few moments, shivering with cold, but there's no answer.
"He's not out, is he?" asks Hermione, huddling close to me for warmth.
"I'm not sure," Ron says, pressing his ear to the door to listen. "There's a weird noise . . . Is it Fang?"
We all crowd around the door, listening hard. From inside comes hear a series of low, sad groans.
"Should we go get someone?" Hermione asks nervously, looking from me to Ron to Harry.
"Hang on, let me use my necklace to contact Fang," I murmur, then reach out with the magic.
Fang? What's going on, buddy?
The answer doesn't come immediately, but when it does, the dog sounds very distressed: Hagrid! Hagrid very sad. Fang sad too for Hagrid.
I withdraw my mind, and turn to the others, who are waiting aprrehensively.
"Fang says Hagrid is sad, but I don't know why. I think we should check on him," I tell them.
"Hagrid!" Harry yells, thumping on the door. "Hagrid it's us! Let us in!"
The sound of heavy footsteps reaches me, and then the door freaks open. Hagrid stands there, his eyes swollen and blotchy, tears running down his face into his beard.
"Yeh've heard?" Hagrid wails, throwing himself onto Harry.
Ron, Hermione, and I jump to my twin's rescue, grabbing Hagrid's arm and heaving the giant man back into his cabin. Harry follows us in, helping to steer our friend into a chair. Hagrid collapses onto his dinner table, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Hagrid, what is it?" Hermione asks, looking a bit scared.
"What's this?" Harry asks, holding up an official-looking letter.
Hagrid let's out a wail that makes the windows shake and then manages to sob, "Read it!"
Harry pulls out the parchment inside the envelope and reads aloud:
Dear Mr. Hagrid,
Further to our inquiry into the attack by a hippogriff on two students in your class, we have accepted the assurances for Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.
"Hagrid, that's good!" I exclaim, smiling as Fang lays his huge head in my lap sadly.
Hagrid responds with another sob, waving his hand as if to signal Harry to keep reading.
However, we must register our concern about the hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.
Yours in fellowship . . .
Harry read off a list of the school governers as Ron, Hermione and I sat still, unsure of how to react.
YOU ARE READING
Rory Potter, the Girl Who Lived
FanficRory Potter is Harry's twin sister, but she doesn't know it. After Lord Voldemort killed her parents, she and Harry were separated. Under Albums Dumbledore's orders, Remus Lupin raised her as Rory Lupin, and leaves her out when he tells her the lege...
