The Girl Who Found Hope [2]

Year 3 - 35

Cassiopeia had heard from Draco that it was Buckbeak's execution that day, so she made her way on her own down to Hagrid's hut. She knew that she had to go early because the Golden trio and Amelia would not want to see her there, so she had to see Hagrid before they turned up. So, she walked down the steps towards his hut. Once she got there, she took a breath and then knocked on the door. Hagrid opened the door and looked in shock and who had knocked on the door. He smiled at the young girl.

"Come in, come in." He said, she followed him into the hut. But she glanced back sadly at the Hippogriff tied up to the pumpkin patch. "Wha' can I do for yeh?"

"I came to apologise. I didn't even know Draco was going to tell my father, and now I can't help but feel guilty that I didn't stop him." Cassiopeia said- her voice returned and the marks around her neck now almost non-existent- to the half-giant, looking to the floor. Hagrid put a hand on Cassiopeia's shoulder.

"It's not yeh'r faul'." He told her. "I don't blame yeh."

"The others do." She muttered sadly.

"They do?" He asked, she looked to him and nodded. "They have no righ'. It's not yeh'r faul'."

"I should go before they turn up. Will you be alright, Hagrid?" She asked. He nodded.

"Thank yeh for coming down, Cass." Hagrid said, bringing the girl into a hug. "It was nice o' yeh." But before she could leave, there was a knock on the hut door. Hagrid opened it and in walked the quartet that she didn't want to see.

"And what are you doing here?" Amelia spat.

"Talking to Hagrid." Cassiopeia replied.

"You have no right to be here." Amelia replied.

"Now, now. Stop this. This is not Cass' faul', it is her father's faul'. Now I wan' yeh ter apologise. And put this behind yeh. She already feels bad enough wit'out yeh making it worse." Hagrid said to Amelia. Amelia looked to Hagrid and then back to Cassiopeia, who was looking to the floor.

"I'm sorry." Amelia said, causing Cassiopeia's head to snap up in shock. "Hagrid's right, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions and blamed you." Amelia reached forwards and brought Cassiopeia into a hug, which Cassiopeia happily returned. The group then stayed together and spoke to Hagrid.

"Oh, look at 'im. He loves th' smell o' th' trees when th' wind blows." Hagrid said looking out the window at Buckbeak, Harry comes behind him.

"Why can't we just set him free?" Harry asked.

"They'd kno' it was me." Hagrid replied. "An' Dumbledor' would get in ter trouble. He's coming down, yeh know, Dumbledor'. 'Cause he wants ter be wit' me when it... when it happens. Great man, Dumbledor'." The pair then look back to the room.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid." Hermione said.

"You'll do no such thing." Hagrid replied. "I don't wan' yeh seein' somethin' like that. No, yeh just drink yeh'r tea and be off. Oh, before yeh do. Ron." Hagrid then walked to get something, he turned back with Scabbers in his hands.

"Scabbers! You're alive!" Ron said happily, taking the animal from Hagrid.

"You ought ter keep a closer eye on yeh'r pets, Ron." Hagrid said.

"I think that means you owe someone an apology." Hermoine said.

"Right. Next time I see Crookshanks, I'll let him know." Ron said.

"I meant me." Hermione snapped back. Then suddenly a pot smashed, everyone turned to it.

"Wha' was that?" Hagrid asked. No one replied, and Cassiopeia walked forwards and held the stone in her hand.

"Ow!" Harry exclaimed. The others turned to see that a stone had hit him in the head. He turned to see where it had come from, but he saw something else. "Hagrid." He called, and Hagrid came over.

"Blimey. It's late, it's nearly dark. Yeh shouldn't be here." Hagrid said, after seeing Professor Dumbledore, the Minister of Magic and the Executioner coming down the path. "If som'one sees yeh outside the castle at this time of nigh' yeh'll be in big trouble. Particularly yeh, Harry and Cass." There's then a knock on the door. "Be with yeh in a moment." Then turned to the others. "Quick, quick."

"Hagrid, it'll be fine." Harry said to him just before he went around the corner. Hagrid gave him a small smile. Hermione opened the door at the side of the hut and looked out to see the group standing on the doorstep. They watched as Hagrid opened the door for them, and they left as the group entered. They rushed behind the pumpkin patch. They stand there for a moment and hear the conversation, but then Hermione's head, along with Cassiopeia's, whipped around- after hearing a snap of a branch in the woods behind them.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I thought I just saw... nevermind." Hermione replied. But Cassiopeia was too focused on the fact that she could see a pair of feet sticking out from behind a tree. They looked like her shoes, but that couldn't be. She shook her head and came back to attention.

"Let's go." Ron said, and together the group of five rushed away from the pumpkin patch and up the hill. They stood there and looked back at the hut, where they saw the executioner raise his axe, all grateful that Buckbeak was sitting out of view for them. Hermione began to whimper, and then as the axe fell and the crows flew away she turned into Ron's shoulder and cried. Harry put his arm across Hermione's shoulder in comfort, while Cassiopeia and Amelia gave each other a hug. 

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Thanks for reading

-Zoe