𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐜𝐞 | ʜ. ᴊ. ᴘ. [ hiatus ]

• 𝐆𝐫𝐲𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 •

❾¾ ⌁☍ ♪ ‹ 𝓶𝓪 𝓭𝓸𝓵𝓬𝓮 › ♪ ☍⌁¾❾

"What?" Mal yelled.

She snatched the letter from Hermione, quickly opening the scroll with trembling hands. Her heart sank, Harry and Ron peered out from behind her reading the letter.

The parchment was damp, and enormous teardrops had smudged the ink so badly in places that it was very difficult to read.

ɖɛǟʀ ʍǟʟ ǟռɖ ɦɛʀʍɨօռɛ,
աɛ ʟօֆȶ. ɨ'ʍ ǟʟʟօաɛɖ ȶօ ɮʀɨռɢ ɦɨʍ ɮǟƈӄ ȶօ ɦօɢաǟʀȶֆ.
ɛӼɛƈʊȶɨօռ ɖǟȶɛ ȶօ ɮɛ ʄɨӼɛɖ.
ɮɛǟӄʏ ɦǟֆ ɛռʝօʏɛɖ ʟօռɖօռ.
ɨ աօռ'ȶ ʄօʀɢɛȶ ǟʟʟ ȶɦɛ ɦɛʟք ʏօʊ ɮօȶɦ ɢǟʋɛ ʊֆ.
ɦǟɢʀɨɖ.

Mal sobbed, clutching the letter as tears welled up in her eyes. Harry knew how Mal loves magical creatures so much, holding Mal in a hug letting her cry into his chest as Hagrid's letter was handed to Ron weakly.

"How - how did that happen?" Mal sobbed, Harry tightened his arms. "Was our defense not enough?"

"Malfoy's dad's frightened the Committee into it and Helen Malfoy gave few story and complain about the dangerous of hippogrif." said Hermione, wiping her eyes. "You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope. . . . Nothing will have changed."

"Yeah, it will," said Ron fiercely. "I'll help you."

"Oh, Ron!"

Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely. Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head.

"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers . . . ," she sobbed.

"Oh - well - he was old," said Ron. "And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now."

Harry patted Mal's shoulder, she popped her red wet face. He nodded his chin to Ron and Hermione, smile slowly blooming on her pretty lips, they looked each other knowingly.

❾¾ ⌁☍ ♪ ‹ 𝓶𝓪 𝓭𝓸𝓵𝓬𝓮 › ♪ ☍⌁¾❾

The safety measures imposed on the students since Black's second break-in made it impossible for Harry, Ron, Mal and Hermione to go and visit Hagrid in the evenings. Their only chance of talking to him was during Care of Magical Creatures lessons.

He seemed numb with shock at the verdict.

"S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me. An' then Lucius Malfoy
stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em. . . ."

"There's still the appeal!" said Ron fiercely. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it!"

"Buckbeak still has a chance, Hagrid." Mal said insistently. "As long as the appeal doesn't go through, we can save Buckbeak."

"No, it's Fudge's decision." said Hagrid sadly. "I was goin' to ask A'rien and Pesy fer help but neither o' them can, I 'on' feel comfortable askin' 'hem fer help 'cause they'r' busy preparin' to journey Turkey with soon-would-be-Auror trainee's on a mission ter hun' down dark witches murdere's chil'ren, they uphold ruddy cannibalism."