Just like Brothers

Chapter 36

Professor Trelawney's head rolled onto her chest, she made a grunting noise and suddenly her head snapped up, making Harry stumble in shock.

"I'm so sorry dear boy," she said dreamily, "the heat of the day, I drifted off for a moment..."

Harry stood there and stared at her.

"Is there something wrong my dear?" She asked, pleasantly.

"You— you just told me the Dark Lord is going to rise again...that his servant is going back to him!"

Professor Trelawney looked startled. "He Who Must Not Be Named? My boy that's hardly something to joke about."

"But!" Harry's mind swirled, "but you just said—"

"I think you must've dozed off too my boy!" She said cheerily, "I would certainly not presume to predict something as far fetched as that!"
    
"Must've dozed off then," Harry lied, making his way towards the trapdoor. "Goodbye Professor."
     
"Goodbye, dear boy."
      
Harry felt instant relief as soon as he started down the ladder. Unlike the classroom, the air was clear and the temperature was comfortable. With a soaring heart, Harry realized it would be months before he had to go back into the Divination classroom and face the odd Professor.

Her words had left a pit of unease in his stomach. The Dark Lord she had said. Voldemort? He will rise with the help of his servant? Harry tried to analyze Trelawney's ramble all the way back to Gryffindor tower however he was still as confused as when she first spoke.

"Harry!" Hermione smiled as Harry sat down in an armchair.

"How'd it go, Mate?" Ron asked.

"I think Trelawney might've made a prediction," Harry started cautiously, "I'm not sure if it was real or just her idea of an impressive way to end the exam, did she do that for you Ron?" Harry turned to the redhead.

"No," Ron said, his features requested with confusion. "I finished my exam, she wished me a good day and I left. What'd she tell you?"

The pit in Harry's stomach worsened as Ron spoke.

"She told me that tonight the servant will return to Voldemort and the Dark Lord would rise again stronger than before." Harry slumped further down in his chair.

Hermione snorted, "That loon has been predicting your death since the beginning of the year," she said matter-of-factly, "you have absolutely nothing to worry about Harry."

"You're right," Harry agreed half-heartedly with the brunette.

"C'mon Harry, we were planning on going down to Hagrid's, Buckbeak's execution is today."

"I forgot about that," Harry groaned, "I don't have my cloak."
  
"What!" Ron and Hermione's eyes grew wide.
   
"What do you mean you don't have the cloak? Where is it?" Hermione screeched.
   
"Quiet, Hermione!" Harry said urgently as other Gryffindors looked over at them.
   
Hermione's face grew red and she sat back down. "Where is it?!" She hissed quietly.
  
"It got taken away," Harry sighed, "apparently I'm too impulsive to handle it responsibly while a murderer is out to get me."
  
"I don't disagree." Hermione stated.
   
Harry shot a glare at her, to with she answered with a shrug.
    
"How're we going to get to Hagrid's now?" Ron asked.
    
"We'll go before dinner instead of after," Harry spoke, "nobody will be paying attention if we slip out of the castle."
    
"Alright," Ron said.
    
"That may work," Hermione agreed.
     
The trio went down to dinner with the rest of Gryffindor however they snuck past the Great Hall and out the front door. Nobody noticed them go, that is nobody but Draco Malfoy.
     
"What if he's at dinner?" Ron asked as they hurried past the dementors to Hagrid's hut.
    
"He's not going to be at dinner," Hermione answered, exasperated, "Hagrid's not going to leave Buckbeak by himself."
    
Harry kept a tight grip on his wand. If something were to happen everyone was in the Great Hall, there would be nobody to come to their aid.

He gritted his teeth and walked faster.

It didn't take long for the three to make it to the hut. They pounded on the door, eager to get out of the open and into the security of Hagrid's home.

"What're you all doing here, yer supposed to be at dinner." A red, puffy-eyed Hagrid opened the door, quickly ushering them inside.

"We thought we would come down, we didn't want to leave you alone." Hermione perked up.

Hagrid smiled sadly and patted the girls shoulder, making her stumble. However the half-giants smile faded when he turned to Harry.

"You're not supposed to be outside the castle," he grumbled shooting Harry a look. "Especially without your cloak."

"Sorry," Harry mumbled looking down at his feet.

"Can I have a cup of tea Hagrid?" Ron directed the attention away from Harry, "I'm parched."

"Yeah, sure," Hagrid sniffled, grabbing the tea kettle with shaky hands.

"Where's Buckbeak?" Hermione asked not seeing the Hippogriff in his typical place by the fire.

"I put him outside," Hagrid answered, spilling the milk all over the table as he filled the jug. "He's tethered in the pumpkin patch, thought he would like to see the trees and smell fresh air, before, well, you know." Hagrid's hands trembled so violently that the milk jug slipped from his grasp and shattered on the floor.

"I'll do it, Hagrid," said Hermione quickly. She hurried over and began cleaning the mess.

"There's another one in the cupboard." Hagrid told her, sitting at the table with Ron and Harry.

"Isn't there anything anyone can do?" Harry asked desperately. "What about Dumbledore?"

"He tried," Hagrid answered, "He's got no power over the committee."

"I'm sure it was Lucius Malfoy's fault." Hermione interjected.

"Couldn't be," Ron said, "the ministry's been really quiet about it all, I forgot all about it it happened ages ago, I think it was July, or maybe before then–"

"Spit it out, Ron," Hermione interrupted.

"Alright, alright," Ron grumbled, "Dad says Malfoy lost all his power in the ministry, he won't tell me what happened or where he went but supposedly Lucius and his wife are 'incapacitated'. That's what the papers said at least."
     
Harry and Hagrid shared a discreet look over the table. They knew what happened to the Malfoys. 
     
"Maybe that's why Malfoy hasn't been as an insufferable prat lately." Hermione commented, opening the cupboard.
    
"How could Dumbledore not be able to convince the committee if Lucius Malfoy wasn't there to threaten them?" Ron asked Hagrid.
   
"I dunno Ron, but the committee came to a decision and Professor Dumbledore can't do anything to change it." Hagrid swallowed, "Dumbledore's coming down when, when it happens. Wrote me this morning, says he wants ter— ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore..."
    
Hermione stood up with the new jug in her hands and tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
   
"Oh, Hagrid, we'll stay with you too!" She began, but Hagrid shook his shaggy head.
  
"You'll go back to the castle where you belong," he said firmly, "I don't want you watching, and you lot shouldn't be here to begin with. If Dumbledore or Fudge saw you, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble."
    
"But Hagrid..." Harry started to protest but was cut off by Hermione's shriek. She was holding the milk jug up and staring at it with wide eyes.
     
"Ron," she breathed, "Ron, I—I don't believe it! It's Scabbers!"
    
Ron gaped at her, "What're you on about?"

Hermione came over with the new milk jug in her hands. She turned it upside down and with a frantic squeak, Ron's pet rat Scabbers came tumbling out.
   
"Scabbers!" Ron gasped, "Scabbers! What're you doing here?" He grabbed the rat that was scrambling to get back inside the milk jug and held him up in the light.
    
Scabbers looked dreadful, he had bald patches, thinner than ever and squirming to get loose of Ron's grip.
   
"It's ok Scabbers," Ron soothed, "there's no cat here to get you."
    
Hagrid checked the time and grimaced.
    
"Better be on your way, you don't want to run into the minister while he's on his way down without your cloak." Hagrid sighed, "come on now, I'll let you out the back way incase they decide to come early."
     
Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and they followed Hagrid out back to the garden. Buckbeak was tethered a few feet away, looking anxious, as if he knew something was about to happen. The Hippogriff turned his sharp head side to side and pawed the ground nervously.
    
"It's ok, Beaky," Hagrid soothed with a thick voice. He turned to the trio who all watched the Hippogriff with solemn faces. "Off you go now," Hagrid ordered, "get going." But none of them moved from where they stood.
    
"Hagrid, we can't!"
    
"I'll tell them what really happened!"
    
"They can't kill him!"
   
"Go!" Hagrid said, fiercely, "it's bad enough without you lot in trouble."
     
The three of them knew they had no choice, they began walking with one final look at the condemned Hippogriff and the half-giant.
    
Hagrid watched them pass the pumpkin patch before trudging back inside.
   
"Oh! It's awful!" Hermione sobbed into her hands.
   
"It's all my fault!" Ron proclaimed, furiously, "I should get in trouble! Buckbeak shouldn't die because of what I did."
    
"Please, let's hurry!" Hermione cried, "I can't stand it."
  
They started up the sloping hill back to the castle. The sun was beginning to set and the summer breeze ruffled their hair.
    
Ron stopped dead.
   
"What is it Ron?" Harry asked, agitated, "we have to go before we get in trouble!"
   
"It's Scabbers, he won't, stay put!" Ron huffed. He was bent over trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket but the rat was going berserk. He was squeaking madly, twitching, flailing and trying to sink his teeth into Ron's hand, anything to get away. "Scabbers!" Ron yelled, "Scabbers it's me!"
     
The three of them stood, exposed halfway back to the castle.
   
"Ron! We have to go! Now!" Hermione hissed.
   
"Ok! Scabbers, stay put!"
    
They began walking again, quicker than before, however they didn't get far until Ron stopped once again.
  
"I can't hold him!" Ron cried.
   
Scabbers was squeaking madly, twisted in Ron's sturdy grip. He pressed the rat to his chest pocket and they broke out into a run to the castle.
  
"Scabbers!" Ron yelled as the rat threatened to fall out, "What's the matter with you? You stupid rat! Stay still—OUCH! He bit me!"
   
"Ron! Be quiet!" Hermione hissed, as she pulled both boys behind a line of bushes, "Fudge will be out here any minute now!"
   
"He won't stay put!" Ron continued his struggle with the rat.
   
Scabbers was plainly terrified, he equaled and squirmed to get out of Ron's hold. Writhing with all his might.
   
"What is wrong with him!"
   
But Harry saw, slinking towards them was an orange cat, his eyes locked on Ron's chest.
    
"Crookshanks! No!" Hermione moaned. "No Crookshanks! Go away! Bad cat! Crookshanks!"
    
But that cat was getting closer.
    
"Scabbers! No!" Ron yelped as the rat dropped to the ground and scampered away. In one massive bound, Crookshanks threw himself at Scabbers. Before Harry or Hermione could stop him, Ron went bounding after the cat and rat.
    
"Ron!" Hermione yelled. With one look at each other, Harry and Hermione sprung after the redhead. They could seen Ron in the distance and heard his shouts at Crookshanks.
     
"Get away from him! Get away! Scabbers come here!"
    
There was a resounding thud.
    
"Gotcha, you stinking cat!" Ron yelled triumphantly.
    
Hermione and Harry came to a skidding halt as they almost fell over Ron who was at their feet.
    
"Ron! Let's go! We're going to get caught!" Hermione cried anxiously.
    
But before they could get back to cover, they heard an echoing noise of gigantic paws pounding on the grass.

Horrified, they spotted an enormous, pale- eyed, jet black dog coming straight at them.