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Hogwarts seemed eerie that morning when Max woke up. There were dark clouds overhead, along with crows flying around the grounds.
He hated the feeling that rested in his stomach as he, Hermione, Ron, and Harry walked through the courtyard. The sound of the executioner sharpening the blade for Buckbeak making him sick to his stomach.
"I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak. It's just too horrible," Hermione told the boys angrily. The four were going to Hagrid's to check on how he was doing.
"What do you expect from Lucius?"
"It just got worse," Ron whined.
Max moves toward his friend, seeing Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle waiting on the hill above Hagrid's hut.
Without a word Hermione stormed forward, Harry and Ron sharing confused looks while Max's was one of panic.
"Hermione! Hermione, don't fight."
The boy's warnings fell deaf on her ears as she pulled out her wand.
"Look who's here," Draco grinned, "come to see the show?"
"You," Hermione seethed. "You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach." She held her wand to Draco's throat, the boy whining as his head slammed against the rock behind him.
"Hermione, no!" Ron shouted. "He's not worth it."
"Like you said, he's quite vile and most definitely not worth any of your time," Max agreed.
Hermione slowly lowered her wand, Max's shoulders falling as he let out a sigh of relief.
And then Hermione turned around and punched Draco square in the nose.
"'Mione!"
"Malfoy, are you okay?" Goyle asked shakily.
Without replying the three Slytherins hurried back up the hill, sprinting away from the girl.
"That felt good," Hermione sighed.
"Not good, brilliant."
"Is your hand okay?" Max ignored Ron's words as he stepped toward Hermione.
"I'm fine, Max. Promise."
Max nodded softly, glancing at the girls hand to make sure she wasn't lying.
"Let's go." Harry walked ahead of the three, reminding them what their original plan was.
They all jogged down the hill, seeing smoke coming out of Hagrid's chimney. All four of the Gryffindors held their breaths as they walked past Buckbeak. The Hippogriff was chained up in Hagrid's garden, looking utterly miserable.
"Look at him." Hagrid sounded devastated as he let the four inside. "Loves the smell of the trees when the wind blows through them." Harry joined him by the window, watching Buckbeak.
