Draco Malfoy *3rd Year*

Chapter 12

"I find it astonishing that someone who prides herself on being so logical can be in such denial," Ron said in frustration as we made our way down to visit Hagrid.

"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 fired back, equally upset. Harry sighed and looked over to me, I shook my head at my two friends

"Harry was there! He'll tell you how it was. Go on, Harry, tell her." Ron urged looking hopeful.

"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 a few other things on my mind right now!" I raised my eyebrow at his response

"Really? Wasn't you who had to roll under the bed last night to avoid getting cut to ribbons! A person could die from being your friend, Harry!" Ron yelled. I gasped and Harry's expression fell as he looked to the ground. Ron looked distraught and immediately regretted it as soon as those words came out of his mouth. We walked the rest of the way in silence, it was only broken when we finally arrived at the lake to see Hagrid, knee-deep in the water skipping very large rocks.

"How'd it go, Hagrid?" Hermione asked gently, Hagrid turned to face us for a brief few seconds and we could see that his eyes were filled with tears.

"Buckbeak liked London." He replied sniffing

"I meant the hearing." Hermione sighed sadly.

"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

"And...?" I asked quietly looking over at the upset expressions on my friends' faces. Hagrid didn't reply he just flung another rock into the water.

"You mustn't blame yourself, Hagrid," Hermione said trying to be comforting.

"Draco. It's him the Committee should punish. It's him they should send off to the forest, not Buckbeak." Ron grimaced, I looked over at him and glared to which is shrugged his shoulders.

"Buckbeak's not going back to the forest..." Hagrid said, his voice close to breaking

"Where's he going, Hagrid?" Harry asked we all had some idea of the answer.

"He asked fer the worse, yeh see, Lucius Malfoy did. An' the Committee granted it. Buckbeak's bin sentenced ter death." Hagrid then sobbed, dropping the other rocks into the water with a great splash. I felt my heartbreak and I could see in their faces that my friends felt the same. The journey back to the castle was a slow, silent one. No one felt like talking and even if they did they wouldn't due to the ominous feeling in the air after we had stayed with Hagrid for a while longer. It was getting dark and I could feel a chill which I guessed was from the dementors so I quickened my steps. When we arrived I didn't really feel like hanging out in the common room so I retired early to bed.

The next morning our first period was Divination with Professor Trelawney. Oh, joy, the crazy old bat. As Harry, Ron, Hermione and I entered the classroom, we noticed that the Slytherin's were already seated and that the room smelled heavily of incense, it was very murky and hot. The tables were scattered and in the centre of them, all were giant transparent orbs. Hermione and I scared a skeptical look as we took our seats, I looked over to the other side of the room and was surprised to see that, when we made eye contact, Draco smiled at me, I returned the greeting and then turned to watch Professor Trelawney stumble into the room with her frog-like glasses.

"Relax... Let your mind... go..." She said waving her hands around gesturing to the glass orbs on our tables.

"This is a pointless subject" Hermione hissed as she stared with uninterest at the glass ball in front of us. I nodded and started playing with a frayed part of the purple-red table cloth.

"Crystal-gazing requires that you clear the Inner Eye. Only then, will you... See. Oh my, what do we have here...?" Trelawney said in her usual snail-paced tone as she came over to Harry's table. Hermione rolled her eyes

"Here we go again. It's the Grim! It's the Grim!" She sighed throwing her hands up, clearly having enough of this class. All attention was turned onto us

"My dear, from the moment you first arrived in my class, I sensed that you did not possess the proper spirit for the noble art of Divination. You may be young in years, but the heart that beats beneath your bosom is as shrivelled as an old maid's, your soul as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave." Trelawney said, I'm sure she didn't mean to upset Hermione but that's how it happened. Hermione then stood up, grabbed her bag and proceeded to knock the glass orb off the table and it bounced down the stairs as she left in a huff. Lavender Brown, an annoying girl in our year then spoke up

"'In late spring, one of our numbers will leave us forever!' You knew, Professor! You saw." I groaned and rested my head on the table, Ron snickered as Trelawney turned around

"On these occasions, I take no joy in my gift, Miss Brown." I then, childishly, pretended to be Trelawney as she spoke and poked my tongue out at every word she said. It was utter nonsense. Harry grinned at me and shook his head, while Ron was trying to contain his laughter. This made me smile and I looked away from them so as to not start laughing and I ended up catching Draco's eye. He rolled his eyes at me but smiled none the less and I shrugged my shoulders and smiled back.

Finally, the class was over, Harry, Ron and I made our way out of the classroom

"She's gone mental, Hermione has. I mean, not that she wasn't always mental, but now it's out in the open for everyone to see..." He trailed off as we spotted the glass orb on the floor that Hermione had knocked off.

"We should return this," Harry said bending down to pick it up.

"I'm not going back up there," Ron whined

"Alright, well I'll see you back at the common rooms then,"

"See ya," Ron said walking out of the tower.

"You coming Aurora?" Harry turned on the staircase to look at me, I shook my head

"No, I'll see you later" I waved and followed out after Ron.

*Harry's POV*

I had just placed the glass ball back on the table when a hand latched onto my shoulder. I jumped and turned around to see Professor Trelawney looking like she couldn't breathe

"He will return tonight...." A raspy voice that didn't sound like Trelawney came out of her mouth.

"Tonight, when the clock strikes twelve, the servant shall break free. He and his Master shall be reunited once more..." I felt my heart tighten at those words, not entirely sure what she meant. Trelawney then coughed and looked at me in surprise

"So sorry, dear boy. Did you say something?" She smiled, I shook my head

"No. Nothing," I replied before quickly running down the stairs and out of the building with my heart pounding in my chest.