𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 [𝐏𝐉𝐎 𝐗 𝐇𝐏]

xx: ariana sees a dead hippogriff

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chapter xx

(prisoner of azkaban)

ariana sees a dead hippogriff

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AFTER SHE DESCENDED THE LADDER, she told Harry to head up to the exam, and she waited for him. Ten minutes later, he stumbled down the ladder, took Arabella's arm and started running.

Five minutes later, they were dashing past the security trolls outside the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. People were striding past them in the opposite direction, laughing and joking, heading for the grounds and a bit of long-awaited freedom; by the time they had reached the portrait hole and entered the common room, it was almost deserted. Over in the corner, however, sat Ron and Hermione.

"Professor Trelawney," Harry panted, "just told me --"

But he stopped abruptly at the sight of their faces.

"Buckbeak lost," said Ron weakly. "Hagrid's just sent this."

Hagrid's note was dry this time, no tears had splattered it, yet his hand seemed to have shaken so much as he wrote that it was hardly legible.

"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."

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

"Sunset, though," said Ron, who was staring out the window ill a glazed sort of way. "We'd never be allowed ...'specially you, Harry...Ari..."

Harry sank his head into his hands, thinking.

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

"Where is it?" said Hermione.

Harry told her about leaving it in the passageway under the one-eyed witch.

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

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

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

Hermione didn't wait for the rest of his sentence; she strode across the room, pushed open the Fat Lady's portrait and vanished from sight.

"She hasn't gone to get it?" Ron said, staring after her.

Ariana sighed. "I don't know."

She had. Hermione returned a quarter of an hour later with the silvery cloak folded carefully under her robes.