Trelawney's Prediction
The euphoria of winning the Quidditch Cup lasted atleast a week. Even the weather seemed to be pleased; June approached fast, and the days were cloudless and so calm that all anyone wanted to do was stroll across the grounds and find a comfortable spot in the grass to sit with magically chilled drinks and maybe playing a game of Gobstones or watch the giant squid waft relaxedly across the lake's surface.
But to the disdain of practically the entire school, Exams had nearly arrived, and instead of lying around outside, students had to be inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentration, working their hardest to ignore the enticing wafts of summer air. Etta dragging herself along after Fred and George Weasley was not an unusual sight as of late; They'd become friends at some point, working together to study for their O.W.L.s(Ordinary Wizarding Levels), seeing as they were all fifth-years. Etta looked absolutely crushed when she spotted Percy preparing for his N.E.W.T.s(Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), realising she'd have to take them in the future. And it was clear why; Percy had been very tense anywhere he went, and he’d been very hard on Ron, insisting he get started earlier and forcing book upon book into his rotation of studying.
In the library, if he were studying there or gathering books to take to the Gryffindor common room, he snapped and gave harsh punishments to anyone who dared even try to disturb him. The only person who was more anxious than Percy was Hermione-- and she was starting to affect Harry. The classes had really begun to take their toll.
"Okay, we've got Arithmancy and Transfiguration at nine next Monday," Hermione muttered, making a list of the exams they'd be taking. The clicking of the pen she used was almost irritating, because she refused to use her quill on the paper in her notebook from home. "Then after lunch, we've got Charms and Ancient Runes at one."
"At the same time? Mione, I don't want to take exams anymore," Harry complained. Truthfully; He couldn't have cared less for the exams-- it was Potions he didn't want to do.
"Yes, well, I don't want to either, but we're not allowed to drop any classes now that we're about to start." Hermione replied, sighing, before gnawing on the cap of her pen. Her voice dropped to a mutter, "I suppose it’s some practical joke... maybe a teacher knows we have a Time-Turner--"
“We?” Harry repeated in disbelief.
Hermione scoffed. “Oh, please, Harry, we practically share it at this point. What exams do we have on Tuesday?"
"Potions, Care of Magic Creatures, and Astronomy. I think. That may be Wednesday." answered Padma, appearing from behind a bookshelf with stacks in her arms. Ron and Lisa followed, carrying their own. "And you might have different, since you've got more classes. So, mind if we sat here?"
"No, of course not." Hermione shook her head, moving unread books out of the way.
"Do I want to bother asking how you're going to be taking two exams at once?" asked Ron, opening one of his books on Transfiguration.
"No," Harry and Hermione said at the same time, and Padma shrugged. "Those two work in mysterious ways." she said, picking out a book on Defence Against the Dark Arts.
"Do any of you see my copy of Numerology and Grammatica? It was right here a moment ago," Hermione asked, looking under papers and books.
"No, but , I did find a copy of Errors and Laws! Honestly, I was starting to think I never would." Lisa said, clearly relieved. "If we're lucky, this'll be the last bit we need for Hagrid!"
Hermione hummed, nodding as she threw books on the floor in a tizzy. Just then, Madam Pince shrieked, and Hedwig came into view, carrying a letter and a note in her beak.
"Thank you, Hedwig-- this one's from Hagrid," Harry said, taking the note and the letter. "Uh- Buckbeak's appeal is set for the sixth."
"We finish our exams that day!" Padma said cheerfully, and Hermione hummed, still looking for her Arithmancy book. Lisa had been somewhat conversing with Hedwig, and Ron was looking at her sideways.
"They're coming up here to do it..." Harry continued, squinting to make sure he was reading properly. "Someone from the Ministry 'll be coming... and an executioner."
Hermione, who'd been checking under the table, bumped her head, but stood up in an instant.
"If the executioner's gonna be there, they've already made their choice!" Lisa gasped. Madam Pince shushed her sharply.
"They can't do that! We've spent weeks working on this, they can't just..!" Ron muttered, although it was more of a shout than a mutter with how quick Madam Pince was to shush him.
Harry had an odd feeling as he tore up the envelope of the letter. It was from Draco, as he could tell from the thin cursive that was Draco's handwriting.
'I'm sorry. I tried to convince my father, but he's already told the Committee what he wanted. Would you meet me in the Kitchens at midnight on Wednesday?'
It was brief, but it said enough.
"Who's it from?" asked Padma.
"Just Draco," Harry said, folding it up. Ripping up one of the papers he'd yet to write on, scribbling a quick ' I'll be there ' for Hedwig to take.
At some point, I did add a scene here(which was originally not) and because of that, I’m going to consider it a bonus.
Exam week began, and an unfamiliar silence fell over the castle as a whole. The third-years had been released from Transfiguration just before lunchtime on Monday, and all of them had been comparing results and complaining about the tasks they had gotten, one of which was turning a teapot into a tortoise.
The break Hermione and Harry took, however, was not long at all, because they had an Arithmancy exam they were due to take. Hermione spent a short while rambling on and on about how her tortoise looked more turtle than tortoise, wondering if it'd worsen her score, though they had other things they had to worry about. Harry was sure he'd failed the Arithmancy exams so spectacularly it'd be a record; He'd never taken a test or exam so puzzling.
And after a hasty lunch and pretending they had only just finished their Transfiguration exam, it was back upstairs for Hermione and Harry to get to Ancient Runes, which was admittedly easier than either of them expected, and then to rush as fast as they could for Charms. Hermione's semi-annoying insisting had been correct; Professor Flitwick did test them on Cheering Charms. Harry ended up paired with Lisa, who'd been influenced entirely by even the slightest bit of the spell that hit her, by the effect the spell had on her, and she nearly laughed herself into unconsciousness when Harry's nerves led him to somewhat overdo it.
If you counted Lisa having to be led into a quiet room where she laughed at nothing for twenty minutes-- before passing out for another twenty minutes-- until she could do the spell herself, though he wasn't sure how much of that was his fault.
And after a very silent dinner, the students hurried to their common rooms; Not to relax, but to start looking over their material for their next tests; in Harry's case, this was Care for Magical Creatures, Potions, and Astronomy. Harry would've had Muggle Studies, and he didn't think he'd ever be happier to hear that he only had to take three exams that day.
Hagrid presided over the Care of Magical Creatures exam the next morning with a very dry tone to his words. He didn't seem to be up to it, infact; He provided them a large tub full of Flobberworms and said to pass the test, the Flobberworm had to be living at the end of an hour. Seeing as Flobberworms did best when left to themselves, it was by far the easiest exam any of them had ever taken. And it also gave Harry, Padma, Hermione, Ron, Lisa, and Draco time to speak with Hagrid.
"Beaky's bin a bit depressed," Hagrid said, bending low enough and pretending to be ensuring Harry's Flobberworm hadn't dropped dead. "Bin cooped up too long. But still-- we'll know day after t'morrow. One way or another..."
They had Potions that afternoon, which was a disaster in the making from the moment they had Snape as a Professor. Although, as much as he trying wouldn't do anything, Harry just couldn't get his Confusing Concoction to thicken; If he dare say, the fumes alone were making his mind fuzzy. Snape, standing over him, watched with an air of vindictive pleasure, hastily scratched what looked all too much like a zero into his notes before moving away. Only when Harry was certain Snape was not facing him did he quietly flip him off, cursing his stupid notes, wishing they'd burn up his hand. Of course, Harry had enough self-control to not let that happen.
Then the Astronomy exam at midnight, up on the tallest tower in the castle, and Harry tried to remember all things Draco had told him that were relevant to any of the questions; History of Magic Wednesday morning left Harry's hand aching, having scribbled all of what Florean Fortescue had told him, trying his best to not think about the delicious sundaes he got, and it was especially hard when the classroom was getting hotter every minute. Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology in the greenhouses and baking alive underneath the blazing sun; And returning to the common room again, rubbing the backs of their sunburnt necks, excitedly awaiting for when this would all this would all be over.
The second-last exam, early Thursday morning, was Defence Against the Dark Arts. This was the only exam Harry wasn't worried about-- he was always good at Defence Against the Dark Arts. Although the way the exam had been compiled was more than strange; Professor Lupin had set up a sort-of obstacle course outside, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a Grindylow, across handfuls of potholes full on Red Caps, find their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring a misleading Hinkypunk, and then climb into an old trunk to battle with a new boggart.
"Excellent, Harry," Lupin said when Harry climbed out of the trunk with a grin; "Full marks."
Harry stuck around to see how his friends did; Lisa got full marks, although the boggart left her a bit pale in the face-- Padma found it funny until it was her turn, where she lost on of her shoes in the paddling pool and nearly lost the other in the marsh, not even making it to the trunk. Draco got full marks, but he refused to tell anyone what his boggart was or why it left him shaking. Ron was doing well until the Hinkypunk successfully tricked him into going the wrong way, leaving him waist-high in the quagmire. Hermione was on her way to full marks, but she came rushing out the trunk with a sore throat and a wet face.
"I-- I heard her." She murmured when Lupin asked what had happened. "I tried-- I tried my hardest to-- to cast a Patronus, like you taught us, but... but.." Her lip trembled and she threw herself at Harry, sobbing into his shoulder. It took a while to calm her down, and Ron was still patting her back encouragingly while they walked back up to the castle.
Quite the odd sight awaited them at the top of the steps; Cornelius Fudge, sweating and picking at his pinstriped cloak, stood there, staring out at the grounds. He was caught off-guard at the sight of them.
"Hello, children!" he said, avoiding their eyes. "Just had an exam, yes? Nearly finished, I presume?"
"Yes, sir," nodded Harry, looking at the bracelet on his wrist and the ring on his finger rather than the nervous gaze of Fudge. The others, who weren't really on speaking terms with the Minister, stood awkwardly to the side.
"Lovely day," said Fudge, casting a glance over the lake. "Pity, pity...."
He took a deep breath and looked down at Harry, and then past him, to his friends, and then back to him.
"I'm here on quite the unpleasant mission, Harley. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a Hippogriff gone mad. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to, er, check up on the situation on Black anyhow, it was requested I step in."
"The appeal's already happened?" Lisa spoke up, stepping forward.
"No, no, it's scheduled for the afternoon... when outside exams should be mostly finished..." Fudge said, looking at Lisa curiously.
"Then you might not have to witness it at all!" Ron blurted. "Buckbeak-- er- the- the Hippogriff might be gone by the time you make it there!"
Before Fudge could respond, two men exited the castle from the doors behind him. One looked older than even Dumbledore, as if he were withering that very moment; The other was tall and strapping, a thin black moustache on his face. Surely, they were representatives for the Committee, because the old wizard squinted towards Hagrid's cabin, speaking in a feeble voice, "Dear, dear... I'm getting too old for this. Two o'clock, is it not, Fudge?"
The moustached man was anticipatingly running a thumb along the blade of a shining axe. Padma gasped, and Ron went to speak, but Hermione elbowed Ron in the ribs and Draco tapped Padma's shoulder almost in a threatening manner. They all silently walked around Fudge and the two men, into the Entrance Hall.
"They can't--! They've already got the axe ready, that's...! That's not justice!" Ron stated furiously, kicking the door behind him.
"Ron, your dad and both of Malfoy's parents work in the Ministry! How would it look if either of you were caught saying things like that to the Minister? Their boss?" Hermione told him, though the look on her face insisted she had words of her own she wished to say.
"Hermione, you saw the look on his face! The Minister doesn't want to do this either!" Padma argued, turning around to open the door back, but Lisa stopped her. "You're being stupid. I mean, yeah, you're right, but like, if anything, but we shouldn't be putting ourselves in more trouble. Come on, let's go get lunch... as long as Hagrid sticks to what we found for him, then they can't possibly... yeah. They couldn't."
It was clear by the look on her face that she felt otherwise, but nonetheless, they went to the Great Hall. All around them, people were conversing excitedly, awaiting the end of their exams that afternoon, but they weren't included; They couldn't find the joy to be excited for it while they were worried about Hagrid and Buckbeak.
Harry, Ron, Padma and Draco's last exam was Divination; Hermione had a Muggle Studies exam to take-- Harry still didn’t know why she was in the class-- and Lisa, her Literature class; Luna had apparently already taken it-- and would be taking her remedial English exam. They made their way upstairs until reaching the corridor where they'd have to break off for their separate classes. Most of the Divination class was sitting on the steps, trying to spare themselves some last-minute revision.
"She's seeing us separately," Neville said as Ron led them in his direction. "Have any of you seen anything in a crystal ball?" he asked, glancing at the page open in the copy of Unfogging the Future in his lap. All of them shook their heads and his face went from despaired to utterly miserable.
The line of people waiting shortened very slowly. Whenever a person came back down the ladder, everyone would whisper wonderingly, 'What did she ask? Was it okay?'
But they all refused to respond.
Samantha Puckle went stumbling down the stairs, teary-eyed, wailing about how she hated Divination and hated Trelawney. She pushed away anyone who so much as gave her a questioning look. When Neville came down the ladder, he, too, refused to say a word. "She said-- she said the crystal ball told her that, if I tell you, I'll have a horrible accident!"
"Sounds more like she just wants us all expecting the worse," Draco said, rolling his eyes.
"Real convenient too," Ron snorted. "Thinking Hermione was right about her. She's a downright fraud if I've ever seen one."
"Of course she is, Hermione's right most of the time.” Harry said, checking his watch. It was just at two o'clock. “And I bet she and Lisa were right to drop this class."
Parvati came down the ladder with a large grin. Padma looked at her expectantly.
"She said I've got all the makings of a Seer! Saw loads of stuff! Padma, you shouldn't..." Parvati said, pausing. She started to bite her nails. "Nevermind, I... shouldn't say. Good luck."
She hurried down the staircase, making a beeline for Lavender.
"Ronald Weasley," said the familiar misty voice from the top of the ladder. Ron turned around, a horrified look in his eyes, before climbing the ladder, up and out of sight.
Harry watched the others go before him, suddenly doubting his decision to stand behind them, an aching feeling burning in his chest. And soon-- or rather, not soon, seeing as it was atleast an hour-- he was the only one left to be tested.
"How'd it go?" Harry asked Draco desperately. Ron said Trelawney was unconvinced by whatever he'd said and Padma said she'd never been so insulted by a teacher in her life-- other than Snape, of course-- before storming off in a rage.
"She's mental, I swear... I made up this ridiculous thing, and she was all excited... really, she's a lunatic. You haven't got a thing to worry about."
Left with a brief kiss on the cheek and the promise from Draco that he'd stay behind and wait, Harry climbed up the ladder once his name was called.
The room was stuffy and hotter than ever-- the curtains had been pulled shut and the burning fire was not helping. The perfumed scent was stronger than ever and it made Harry cough as he stumbled through the mess of chairs and tables to where Professor Trelawney had sat, a large crystal ball before her.
"Good day, my dear," she said softly. "If you'd kindly gaze into the Orb... take your time now, then tell me what you see...."
Harry pulled over a chair and stared into the crystal ball, squinting so hard it took him a moment to realise his eyes had closed at some point. All he saw was swirling white fog that never faltered.
But then, the fog went dark, as if it were about to storm, and a figure came into view. A figure that looked suspiciously like himself. Yet, when he blinked, it was all gone.
"Well?" Professor Trelawney prompted, making him jump. "What do you see, dear?"
The heat was starting to sizzle his brain and his senses were overwhelmed by the perfumed smoke from the fire. His headache was beginning to become agonising, making it hard to keep his head up, but he forced himself to stay up.
"Er," he muttered, pretending to be focused on the crystal ball. "A silhouette... uh..."
"What does it resemble?" whispered Trelawney, eyes wide. "Think, now...."
Harry rummaged his brain, thinking to Hagrid and Buckbeak.
"A hippogriff."
"Indeed, yes!" Trelawney whispered, excitedly scribbling something on the parchment laying on her knees. "My boy, you may be seeing the outcome of poor Hagrid's trouble with the Ministry of Magic! Closer, my dear... does the Hippogriff, if I may ask, have its head?"
"Yes," Harry said sharply.
"You're sure?" Professor Trelawney urged. "Are you very sure, dear? You don't see it writhing in pain on the ground, perhaps, and a shadowy figure raising an axe behind it?"
"No," denied Harry, and the aching feeling returned. He was beginning to feel sick.
"No blood? No weeping Hagrid?"
"No, I -- it's..." denied Harry again, burying his face in his hands, wishing he could leave the room and think properly. "It's fine, it-- is- flying... away..."
Professor Trelawney sighed.
"Well, dear, I think we'll leave it here.... A bit disappointing, but you did well. I'm sure you did your best."
Taking a relieved breath and trying his best to not breathe in too much perfumed air, Harry grabbed his bag, turning to leave, but just then, a loud, harsh voice spoke behind him.
"IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT."
Harry had never turned around so quickly; Professor Trelawney had gone completely rigid in her armchair. Her eyes were unfocused and her mouth was sagging.
"Wh- what?" Harry asked, but it didn't seem she heard. Her eyes had begun to roll back into her head; It looked as though she were going to have a seizure. Harry turned for a bare moment, thinking of having Draco go get Madam Pomfrey from the hospital wing-- but then Professor Trelawney spoke again, in the harsh voice, much unlike her own--
"THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS, ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS. TONIGHT, BEFORE THE CLOCK RINGS MIDNIGHT... SERVANT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT THE REJOIN HIS MASTER. THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANTS AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN HE EVER WAS. TONIGHT... BEFORE THE CLOCK RINGS MIDNIGHT... SERVANT AND MASTER WILL REUNITE..."
Professor Trelawney's head fell forward, and she made a groaning sort of noise. Harry stood, frozen, staring at her. Then, suddenly, her head snapped up so quick that her neck made a sharp noise.
"I'm so sorry, my dear," she said airily, rubbing the back of her neck. "The heat of the day, you know... I must have drifted off for a moment."
Harry's words caught in his throat.
"Is something the matter, my dear?"
"Y-- you-- you just- you told me," Harry tried, breathless, "that the-- that the Dark Lord's going to rise again... and hi- his servant's going back to him? I- er-- how am I-- how am I supposed to react to that?"
Professor Trelawney jumped, looking utterly bewildered.
"The Dark Lord?He-who-must-not-be-named? My boy, that is hardly anything to joke of! Rise again, indeed...."
"You said it! I watched- you say it! You said--"
"Sounds like you dozed off too, my dear!" Professor Trelawney denied sharply. "I would certainly not presume to predict anything as far-fetched as that!"
Harry climbed back down the ladder before he said something rash, not answering any of the questions Draco was asking. His mind was much elsewhere; Had he heard Professor Trelawney make a real prediction? Or had that just been her way of ending off the year?
It was only when Draco had actually stopped Harry and forced them to face eachother did he realise where he was.
"What the hell happened? You haven't said a word since you exited!" Draco asked.
"I think Trelawney's either... mental in the head, in all the wrong ways and it makes her seem like a Seer... or she's an actual Seer that just isn't any good unless its the worst possible moment. And I- I- you want to know what she said? She-- she told me that the Dark Lord would rise again. Tonight, before midnight-- tonight! Tonight, of all nights?" Harry rambled, unable to control himself. It all felt very odd, but he couldn't imagine the last time he'd ever seen someone do something like what Trelawney did just to end the school year with a bang.
Draco let Harry have a moment, talking on and on of nonsensical things that bothered him, and surprisingly, he was listening intently. That was, until Padma, Lisa, Ron, and Hermione came rushing down the hall, Hermione gripping a paper in her hand.
"I'm sorry to-- to disrupt whatever's happening here, but Hagrid just sent this," she said, throwing out the hand with the letter in it.
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
"Well now we have to go," Harry said immediately. "If he thi-- if he thinks we're just gonna sit here on our arses--" ("Language, Harry!" Hermione shrieked,) "-- then he is seriously mistaken. I mea- I'm not staying here. As if I'm just going to let the world run me by because Black's out there, and he alone is apparently much more threatening than all I've gone through in this stupid castle--"
"Harry, you're talking totally crazy. I am so in.” Lisa said excitedly. “I have never been more in on something in, like, my entire life! But, you're, like, going to get in waay more trouble than we are if we're caught out after sunset. Ooh! The Invisibility Cloak, where is it?"
"In my trunk. I haven't used it since..." Harry trailed off. He couldn't remember the last time he'd used it.
"I'll go get it. I have some books I need to return to your common room anyway..." Hermione said, sprinting off before any of them could get a word in, vanishing from sight.
"She knows your password?" Ron asked. "Do you know ours?"
"No, she-- well, we don't know how she's been getting in, actually, because none of us tell her anything. She's just able to get in. Have no idea how." Padma explained. "Hey, do you think anyone's in the Library right now? I've got a super important thing I need to--"
"Is it that idea you had about taking one of the books on you-know-what that you've been looking at?" Lisa asked. "Because I can tell you right now, you are so totally affected by--"
Padma shushed her quickly, looking out the window. "Speaking of, it's starting to get late... we should head to dinner soon. So no one suspects us." she said, and didn't even let them answer before she went walking for the staircase.
"I'll go meet Hermione halfway." sighed Lisa, and that was agreed upon.
When they all finally met up again, they went down to dinner and to their respective tables. The Invisibility Cloak was shrunk to fit in Harry's pocket, and they waited. Harry tapped Draco's shoulder when he spotted Ron and Hermione making their exit. Lisa and Padma popped up behind them. They sat silently in an empty chamber off the Entrance Hall, listening. Soon enough, the last few people left for their common rooms and the Great Hall's door slammed shut. Hermione poked her head out the door, and then Lisa went past her, peeking around the corner.
Enlarging the cloak to be large enough to cover all of them, they huddled together, walking very slowly as they crossed the hall on tiptoe; Down the front steps and into the grounds. The sun had already started to fall behind the Forbidden Forest, just barely visible along the tops of the trees.
They reached Hagrid's cabin and knocked; He took a minute or so to answer, and when he did, he looked around frantically, pale-faced and trembling.
"It's us, Hagrid," Harry said in a hushed voice. "We're under the Invisibility Cloak. Will you let us in?"
"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but with a short look around the grounds, he stood back and let them in. He shut the door and Harry tugged the cloak off their heads, shrinking it back to pocket-size.
Hagrid was not crying, nor did he throw himself at them; He looked like a man who was very recently hit with a Confundus Charm, unaware of where he was or what to do. The empty look on his face was more painful to watch than it would be if it was coated in tears.
"Wan' some... tea?" He asked, and his hands were shaking as he reached for the kettle.
"Er-- Hagrid? Where's Buckbeak?" Lisa asked hesitantly.
"Took 'im outside." said Hagrid, spilling milk over the table as he filled up the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he'd like ter see the trees an'... an' smell some fresh air... before... before..."
His hand shook so violently that the milk jug slipped from his hands and shattered on the floor.
"I'll make the tea, Hagrid," insisted Hermione, hurrying over the clean up the mess.
"There's another one in me cupboard," Hagrid said blankly, sitting down to wipe his forehead on his sleeve.
"Can't Dumbledore help?" asked Ron. "He's--"
"Tried. He's tried." Hagrid denied. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee's decision. He told 'em Buckbeak's alright, but they're all scared... yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like. He threatened 'em, I expect... an' the executioner, Macnair, 'e's an ol' pal of 'is.... But it'll be quick an' clean, an'... an' I'll be beside 'im..."
Draco tensed up with he heard his father's name.
"I'm- I'm sorry. I've been sending him letters all week, but he hasn't replied to any of them. He's made his choice, and he won't listen to anything I've got to say now..."
"Yer fine! It's not yer fault! An' Dumbledore's gonna come down while-- while it happens, an' he wrote me this mornin'... said he wants ter be with me. Great Man, Dumbledore...."
Lisa was facing the window, looking out with hopeful eyes at Buckbeak; Padma was beside her, though she was looking elsewhere. Ron had taken a seat beside Hagrid, though he too couldn't bring himself to look up. Hermione, who'd been silent as she rummaged through the cupboard, let out a short, stifled sob. Her back straightened, the new milk jug in her hands, but her eyes were glossy with tears.
"We'll stay with you too," She said, but Hagrid quickly shook his head.
"Yer goin' back up ter the castle! I told yeh, I don' wan' any o' yeh watchin'. Yeh shouldn' be down here no way... if Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh outside without permission, you'll all be in big trouble, especially you, Harry."
"I'm fine with getting in trouble! I want to stay here with you," Harry denied. Tears were stinging his eyes, though he wouldn't let himself cry. And suddenly, Hermione shrieked--
"Ron! I-- I don't-- it's-- Scabbers! He's in here!" She said, holding the milk jug away from herself. Ron, meanwhile, was gaping at her.
"What are you talking about? Scabbers is... dead, Mione--"
"He's not! Here--" carrying the milk jug to the table, Hermione turned it upside down. With a frantic squeak and much effort to get back inside, Scabbers came sliding out the jug and onto the table.
"Scabbers! He's-- uh-- wait, what's he doing here?" Ron wondered. He picked up Scabbers and held him up to the light. He looked absolutely dreadful. He was even thinner than before, almost completely bald, and he writhed in Ron's hands, desperate to get away, and the bandages still wrapped around him were grey and peeling, revealing large, red spots and evident cuts.
"Scabbers, it's okay!" Ron tried. "No cats, or- or snakes! Nothing here's gonna hurt you!--"
Lisa cut him off with a quiet gasp.
"The-- the guys! They're-- they're coming down the- the--!"
The others wheeled around. A group of men were walking down the castle steps. Dumbledore led them, his silver-white beard gleaming in the slowly-dying sun. Next to him trotted Fudge, and behind them, the elderly Committee member and the executioner-- Macnair. Lisa was scrambling to find a spot small enough for her to hide in, bumping into everyone on the way. Hagrid picked her up by the scruff of her neck and she squealed, trying to free herself.
"None o' that! Yeh've gotta go! Yeh can't be spotted! On, now, out the back,"
Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Harry was scrambling to get the Invisibility Cloak out his pocket whilst Draco dragged him by the wrist. Padma had a short, although heated, squabble with Lisa, who eventually ended up being dragged along as they ran. Hagrid led them to the door to his back garden.
The feeling of it all was unreal, and Harry couldn't bring himself to look in the direction of the pumpkin patch, not even when he overheard Hagrid trying to mutter soothing words to Buckbeak before turning back to them.
"Go on, yeh lot! Get goin'!"
But none of them moved.
"Hagrid, we--"
"We'll tell them what actually happened--"
"They don't know everything that happened!"
"I'll tell them, it's not worth all this--"
"Go!" Hagrid said fiercely. "It's bad enough, you lot don't need'ta be in trouble an' all!"
With a hesitant hand, Harry enlarged the cloak and Hagrid threw it over them, looking at where they had just vanished.
"Go." he said, his voice hoarse. "Don' listen..."
He strode back into his cabin just as someone knocked at the door.
Slowly, Padma and Lisa led the way, much to Lisa's disdain, eventually followed by the rest of them-- Draco had to drag Harry, who was looking longingly at Hagrid's cabin, by the hand. When they crossed the pumpkin patch and passed, the front door closed with a sharp 'snap'.
"I don't want to hear it, I can't bare it..." Hermione insisted, urging them all forward.
They started up the sloping lawn towards the castle. The sun had begun to sink fast, and one side of the sky had turned a purplish-grey, but to the west, glowing a ruby-red.
Ron suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Ron, we don't have time for this-- and my arm's starting to hurt," Padma complained.
"Well let me go then!" Lisa argued quietly.
"No! You're just going to run!" Padma whispered back.
It was at that moment Harry saw why Ron had stopped; He was bent over, struggling to keep Scabbers still, but the rat was fighting back-- squeaking madly, sounding horrified, twisting and flailing, trying to sink his teeth into Ron's hand.
"Scabbers, it's me, you idiot-- it's Ron," Ron hissed.
A door opened behind him and men's voices became audible.
"Let's go! They're about to do it!" Draco snapped silently.
"Okay!-- Scabbers, just stay put--"
They walked forward, and Harry tried his hardest to get out of Draco's grasp, but he couldn't get his hand free-- even as Draco was distracted, as Ron had abruptly stopped again.
"I can't-- Scabbers, shut up! Everyone's gonna hear us!"
The rat was squealing wildly, but not loud enough to cover up the voices in the air from Hagrid's garden. There was a jumble of voice, and, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe.
They had all froze in that moment; Even Lisa, who'd been childishly pulling Padma's hair, trying to be let go.
"They've done it." Hermione breathed, a horrified look on her face. "They've actually... done it."