November Snow

s i x t e e n

Maybe I felt a little bit delighted that day, I don't really know, but I felt like I might needed a little fresh air though I was perfectly happy inside. So, instead of wandering in the castle all Sunday, I went to Hagrid's hut.

Hagrid had become quite a friend to me after he was appointed as a teacher of Care of Magical Creatures. Looking at the staff members, I had a thought that this year would be so much better than last year, considering we had Professor Lupin instead of that fraud Gilderoy Lockhart whose name had already sent disgusted goosebumps down my spine at the mention.

As I reached the hut, there wasn't only Hagrid there. There were also Harry, Ron and Hermione, and a hippogriff chained to a pole in his pumpkin field. They saw me coming, but they all looked grimly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Buckbeak has been sentenced to death, Nov." Hermione said "He didn't do anything wrong. He was just offended by Draco and hit him."

"But Malfoy wasn't terribly hurt or anything!" Ron exclaimed.

"He just gets what he wants, Ron." Hermione sighed.

I looked over to Buckbeak laying sadly on the field, his eyes filled with sadness. I turned to Hagrid to ask if I could come closer, and he nodded. I walked towards Buckbeak, he looked at me as I approached. I came closer and closer, slowly but steady, my hand to the front to touch him. Before I could touch the hippogriff, I stopped and waited for his response. Then, Buckbeak nudged my hand with his wet nose. I chuckled as I put my arms around his neck.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" Hagrid asked, coming from behind me.

I nodded, trying to stop the angry thought of Draco Malfoy being the cause of his death. Such a beautiful creature about to be executed because of an arrogant little boy.

Leaving the trio and Hagrid, I walked back to the castle, no longer feeling happy or delighted. That loathsome arrogant vermin! And speaking of the devil, as I turned at a corner, I bumped into Malfoy with Crabbe and Goyle on his two sides like bodyguards. Steam escaped from my ears as I fumed in anger.

"Ah, look who we have here." He said smirking "Ditched by your friends, is that--?

"I can't believe I had a decent conversation with a kind like you." I spat "Don't you ever open that mouth in front of me again!"

"What--"

I brushed past him and left immediately, not wanting to let my mind wander anywhere near him or Buckbeak. I needed to blow off some steam.

•••••

The next day wasn't any better, I didn't really want to talk to anyone, though just this morning Hermione walked past me and told me it was Buckbeak's execution day. We had classes all day, so I really didn't have that much chance to talk to any of the trio anymore.

As I walked out of my Transfiguration classroom and headed for lunch, I bumped into Professor Lupin. Quickly, he dragged me to an empty corner, looking very serious.

"Can you do me a favor?" He asked "I need you to go to the Shrieking Shack tonight and tell Sirius something."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Last night, Snape caught Harry wandering around after hours with this." He reached for his pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment "This is a map James, Peter, Sirius and I made during our Hogwarts years. It shows all the secret passageways and all people wandering the school. I don't know how he had it, but last night he was using it. Guess what he told me he saw on the map?"

"I--"

"Peter Pettigrew." Professor Lupin continued "I don't think it's a ghost. I was walking that way, if there was any ghost or human I must have known."