I'm Still Standing!~ Book 3

Threat of Azkaban

~ With Jade~

As Jade walks back into the school, she saw that Kit was waiting for her just at the entrance. "Where's Draco?" she asked just as angrily as when she spoke to Ron, but in parseltongue. Kit who cocked her head curiously at her soon enough lead her towards the Slytherin common room. Jade spoke the password to the portrait as it opened he told her, her anger felt like that of only one other Slytherin student but she didn't stay to listen. As soon as she walked in she saw Draco talking to another Slytherin student who she was far too angry to care who they were. "You better explain a few things to me, right now!" she said as her hands started to glow in an acid green colour and a snarl on her face.

Instinctively he whipped out his wand. "Explain what?" He asked genuinely not realising she knew he'd gone to his father about the Hippogriff. She did not say a word just touched the couch he was previously resting in and transformed it into a look-a-like miniature version of the Hippogriff. Draco's eyes widen slightly. "Oh, that..." he said nervously scratching the back of his neck. "Explain now or you will spar with me till Snape gives us both detention." She said with a look that dared him to accept that challenge. Draco closed his eyes and sighed as he thought about whether or not it was worth getting detention.

'Yes...' he thought opening his eyes. 'but it's not worth her being mad at me forever for.' He let one final sigh out before putting his wand away. "I'll explain everything, but please put the couch back cause I guarantee you still won't like my answer..."

~With Harry~

"I've not bin meself lately," said Hagrid, stroking Fang with one hand and mopping his face with the other. "Worried abou' Buckbeak, an' no-one likin' me classes..." "We do like them!" lied Hermione at once. "Yeah, they're great!" said Ron, crossing his fingers under the table. "Er... how are the flobberworms?" "Dead," said Hagrid gloomily. "Too much lettuce." "Oh no!" said Ron, his lip twitching. "An' them Dementors make me feel ruddy terrible an' all," said Hagrid, with a sudden shudder. "Gotta walk past 'em ev'ry time I want a drink in the Three Broomsticks. 'S like bein' back in Azkaban..." He fell silent, gulping his tea. Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched him breathlessly. They had never heard Hagrid talk about his brief spell in Azkaban before.

After a pause, Hermione said timidly, "Is it awful in there, Hagrid?" "Yeh've no idea," said Hagrid quietly. "Never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was goin' mad. Kep' goin' over horrible stuff in me mind... the day I got expelled from Hogwarts... day me dad died... day I had ter let Norbert go..." His eyes filled with tears. Norbert was the baby dragon Hagrid had once won in a game of cards. "Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while. An' yeh can' really see the point o' livin' at all. I used ter hope I'd jus' die in me sleep. When they let me out, it was like bein' born again, ev'rythin' came floodin' back, it was the bes' feelin' in the world. Mind, the Dementors weren't keen on lettin' me go."

"But you were innocent!" said Hermione. Hagrid snorted. "Think that matters to 'em? They don' care. Long as they've got a couple o' hundred humans stuck there with 'em, so they can leech all the happiness out of 'em, they don' give a damn who's guilty an' who's not." Hagrid went quiet for a moment, staring into his tea. Then he said quietly, "Thought o' jus' letting Buckbeak go... tryin' ter make him fly away... but how d'yeh explain ter a Hippogriff it's gotta go inter hidin'? An'... an' I'm scared o' breakin' the law..." He looked up at them, tears leaking down his face again. "I don' ever want ter go back ter Azkaban."