Percy Jackson and the Hound of Hogwarts [Book 3]

47) Scabbers Reborn

"Hagrid's just sent this," Ron said, holding up a letter. He read it aloud, "Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it. Hagrid."

I felt the tears pooling in my eyes again, but couldn't force them away this time. Harry wrapped an arm around my shoulder, and I hid my face in my hands as I cried. It was the unicorns from first year all over again.

"We've got to go," Harry said. "He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner."

"Sunset, though," Ron said, his voice still shaky. "We'd never be allowed... 'specially you, Harry...."

"If only we had the Invisibility Cloak...." Harry whispered.

"Where is it?" Hermione asked.

Harry explained that he had left it inside the tunnel.

"... if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble."

"That's true," Hermione said, standing. "If he sees you.... How do you open the witch's hump again?"

"You — you tap it and say, 'Dissendium,'" Harry said. "But —"

Hermione left before Harry could finish his sentence.

"She hasn't gone to get it?" Ron asked, staring at the portrait hole.

She had. Thirty minutes later, she came back with the silvery cloak folded under her robes.

"Hermione, I don't know what gotten into you lately!" Ron said, baffled. "First you hit Malfoy, then you walk out on Professor Trelawney—"

Hermione looked flattered.

***

We walked across the grounds, the cloak hiding us completely. The sun was sinking behind the branches of the Forbidden Forest. When we got to Hagrid's hut and knocked on his door, the man took a minute to answer. He was pale and trembling.

"It's us," Harry hissed. "We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but he still moved to let us in. Hagrid shut the door, and Harry pulled the cloak off of us.

Hagrid wasn't crying or trying to hug us. He looked like he didn't know what was going on around him. He was helpless, and that was worse than tears.

"Wan' some tea?" Hagrid's hands were trembling as he grabbed the kettle?"

"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"I — I took him outside," Hagrid spilled milk onto the table as he filled the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an' — an' smell fresh air — before —"

His hands trembled so badly that the milk jug fell from his hands and shattered against the floor.

"I'll do it, Hagrid," Hermione said, hurrying to clean the floor.

"There's another one in the cupboard," Hagrid sat down, wiping his forehead on his sleeve.

"Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?" Harry asked, sitting down next to Hagrid. "Dumbledore —"

"He's tried," Hagrid said tiredly. "He's got no power to overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared.... Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like... threatened 'em, I expect... an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's... but it'll be quick and clean... an' I'll be beside him...."

Hagrid looked around his cabin, seemingly searching for hope or comfort that we didn't know how to give.

"Dumbledore's gonna come down while it — while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter — ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore...."

Hermione, who had been looking for the other jug, let out a sudden sob. She straightened with the new jug, fighting back tears.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," Hermione started, but Hagrid shook his head.

"Yeh're ter go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway.... If Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble."

Tears were steaming silently down Hermione's face, and I forced my own to stay back. She busied herself making tea, and as she opened the milk jug, she let out a shriek.

"Ron! I — I don't believe it — it's Scabbers!"

Ron gaped, "What are you talking about?"

Hermione turned the milk jug upside down over the table. With a panicked squeak, and a lot of scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers came sliding out onto the table.

"Scabbers!" Ron said blankly. "Scabbers, what are you doing here?" He grabbed the rat and held him up to the light. He was thinner than I had ever seen him. Tufts of hair had fallen out. He wriggled in Ron's hands, desperate to escape.

"It's okay, Scabbers!" Ron said. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"

Hagrid stood up abruptly, staring at the window. "They're comin'...."

I whipped around. Four men were walking towards the hut. Dumbledore was in the front. Cornelius Fudge trotted next to him. Behind them was the ancient wizard and the executioner, Macnair.

"Yeh gotta go," Hagrid said, trembling all over. "They mustn' find yeh here.... Go now...."

Ron shoved Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione grabbed the cloak.

"I'll let yeh out the back way," Hagrid said. We followed him to the back door. I was holding onto Ron's arm much tighter than I should have been, but he didn't say anything. Buckbeak was tied to a tree a few yards away, and he didn't say a word. He just nodded at me.

"Go on," Hagrid turned to us. "Get goin'."

We didn't move.

"Hagrid, we can't —"

"We'll tell them what really happened —"

"They can't kill him —"

"Go!" Hagrid said fiercely. "It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"

We didn't have a choice. When Hermione threw the Cloak over us, we heard voices from the front of Hagrid's hut.

"Go quick," Hagrid said hoarsely. "Don' listen...."

He walked back into the cabin as someone knocked on the door.

We walked back towards the school in this horrified trance. Ron was now gripping my arm with the same strength, and I could hear Hermione's quiet gasps as she cried. Harry would twitch every few seconds, as if forcing himself to not run back.

My dad yelled at me yesterday for laughing at a joke I thought he had made. Turns out that wasn't the joke. He had said sometimes he liked it kinky and sometimes he liked it straight when talking about the butt. Surely you can understand why I thought it was dirty? But nah, he was talking about butt hair or whatever, and apparently kinky means curly. Uhh. Hiccup is dead. May he Rest In Peace. I have to go to this place for people who were sexually abused on Monday to answer some of the police's questions. I wasn't sexually abused, but this is for my sister's stuff or whatever. Uh, we had a girl's day today or whatever? We just went to look at shoes then got groceries. I also got Cold War today, so that's cool. I got a sucker. I like suckers. I am building my house in Bloxburg on Roblox. I don't even really play Bloxburg all that much. Apparently you can be a baby now. Also my dad did that whole stupid 'I am the boss' thing again that I mentioned ages ago. I hate it. But I'm in a good mood rn and I don't know why. Eh. Uhhhhhhhh I'm bored, but I don't want to write. I'll probably write anyways.

Anyway, I hope you guys have had a great Saturday, and I will see you on Monday! Love ya!