Wands and Wings

Chapter 32

The next day I went with Ron and Hermione to watch Harry's Quidditch match.
Ron informed me they were playing against Ravenclaw today.
I watched without a word as the Gryffindor captain and the Ravenclaw captain shook hands.
The witch on the field, whose name was Madam Hooch, according to Hermione, picked up her whistle.
"Mount your brooms." She said briskly. "On my whistle!" She raised her voice slightly. "Three...two...one!"
Suddenly Harry was off the ground in a flash, zooming in the air faster than any other broom. He flew to the very top of the stadium and soared around.
Commentary was being blasted out, but I wasn't really paying any attention.
My wings were aching horribly and I couldn't focus.
Suddenly Hermione leaned forward and I snapped to attention. Harry was whizzing quickly around, trying to get away from a black haired girl that was right on his tail.
Suddenly he was diving towards the ground. The crowd was gasping, there was so much movement, my head started hurting.
And then a ball came flying out of nowhere and missed Harry by an inch. The crowed sighed and booed.
The Ravenclaws, however, cheered.
After that my vision started to blur. I didn't pay any attention, only to occasionally see what Harry was doing.
And then a scream shot through my head from the black haired Seeker girl. I glanced down and to my utter surprise, saw three tall dementors.
I snapped my gaze back up to Harry, who immediately had his wand out, and in a flash, a Patronus emerged down towards them, and then Harry had the Snitch and the game was over.
My head was pounding uncomfortably.
Everyone started cheering and screaming. Hermione and Ron sprinted onto the field.
Everyone was in such a rush that I quickly escaped the fray to stand off to the side. I watched, almost unsurprised, as Professor Lupin showed Harry that they weren't dementors at all, instead Malfoy and his gang.
Professor McGonagall was positively furious.
Everything was moving so quickly. Colors flashed dully before my eyes.
I put a hand to my forehead, and without even thinking, quickly whirled into a normal, regular white horse and cantered up to the common room.
No one was inside, and I changed back, and muttered the password.
I climbed in and sank down on a chair.
It was unbelievably quiet, except for Kiba's soft snoring.
He was curled up in the corner as a dog, next to Griffin, Tiger, and Crookshanks.
It wasn't long before the Gryffindors were partying in the common room.
Kiba, who didn't particularly like loud noises, nearly jumped out the window.
I watched quietly, and nobody pulled me in to party.
It was only when Ron and Harry went over to Hermione that I went in to the red and gold fray.
I arrived there just in time to see Hermione burst into tears and run up to the dormitory.
I looked over at the two boys. Harry seemed stunned and surprised, but Ron looked cranky.
"You're both idiots." I said lightly, and began to follow Hermione.
"Well, you're a freak." Ron spat back. I paused. My heart began to race. Did he know?
"Having a stupid dragon and all." He continued.
I let out a relieved sigh and quickly ran back up the stairs.
I couldn't find Hermione.
I sat down on my own bed, and realized how exhausted I was.
Soon I was fast asleep, only to be awoken seemingly seconds later by a thundering screech.
I bolted awake.
It sounded like...
Ron.
I flew down the staircase, Griffin hit on my heels. In a minute Ron and Harry were downstairs too.
Ron was pale as a ghost, and Harry looked concerned.
Ron was stammering quietly, and I caught the words, "Black...knife...curtains..."
I turned to Harry for an explanation, but he didn't supply one.
Boys filed downstairs and a few girls too.
"Are we carrying on?" Fred Weasley asked hopefully.
Suddenly Percy came flying down the staircase. "Everybody back to bed!"he yelled, his Head Boy badge pinned to his pajamas.
There was a few minutes of arguing, which was violently broken up by McGonagall's sudden entrance. "That's enough!" She shouted. "Yes, I'm glad we won, but this!" She shook her head.
"No, my brother had a nightmare' Profe-" "IT WASNT A BLOODY NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled loudly. "I WOKE UP, AND THERE HE WAS, HOLDING A KNIFE. SIRIUS BLACK."
The Professor paled.
"Surely that's ridiculous." She said uncertainly. "How could he have gotten through?"
"Ask. Him." Ron pointed towards the back of the annoying knight's picture.
Professor McGonagall paused, but then went over to the portrait hole.
"Sir Cadogan, did you let a man inside here?" She asked slowly.
"Why certainly! He had the passwords! Read the right off a handy little sheet of paper." The knight replied cheerily.
The Professor turned to us.
Her voice was shaking when she spoke.
"What foolish person...wrote down the passwords...and left them lying around." She said darkly.
It was quiet for a moment, until a toy squeal broke out, followed by a small hand raised into the hair.
A boy by the name of Neville Longbottom.

When the Professor was finished with us, no one slept that night.
We all knew the castle was being searched, and all the Gryffindors stayed in the common room, waiting for any news on Black.
At dawn the Professor returned, and told us that he had escaped.
That day, security was tighter than ever. Professor Flitwick was teaching the front doors to recognize Black, Filch was boarding up every nook and cranny, and, to the Gryffindors' great relief, Sir Cadogan had been fired.
The Fat Lady was back, nervous and scared, and had a bunch of surly security trolls to guard her.
And Ron had become a celebrity.
And to Harry, Hermione, and me, it was clear he was enjoying the experience thoroughly.
He was happy to tell anyone what happened, even though still shaken up about it.
I didn't pay any attention to Ron and his newfound fame.
Two days after the break in, at breakfast, Neville was sent the worst thing a student could ever receive.
A Howler.
I didn't exactly know what it was until Neville grabbed the scarlet envelope and bolted out of the Great Hall, and then a loud, very loud and angry, voice screeched through the castle.
Neville had already had punishments, like having to wait outside the common room for someone to let him in, with the trolls sneering at him.
I turned back from the screams from the entrance.
Hedwig, Harry's owl, pecked him sharply on the wrist when he didn't notice the letter.
Harry tore open the envelope. I watched Hedwig start to peck at Neville's cornflakes, and then hop over to me and look up at me curiously.
Harry read aloud the note.
According to the letter, Hagrid wanted to meet us at six this afternoon.
I stroked Hedwig's feathers as she looked and my white braid.
"He probably wants to hear all about Black." Ron said.
At six, we headed down to the entrance hall.
The tall man was already waiting for us.
"S'pose you want to hear about Saturday night, huh?" Ron said eagerly.
"I've already heard." Ron's face fell. I let out a small chuckle, and he shot a glare at me.
When we entered Hagrid's cabin I heard Buckbeack immediately. "Winghorn horse returns." He said quietly.
I looked around. A giant, hairy brown suit and hideous yellow and orange tie stood hanging from the top of Hagrid's wardrobe door.
"What are those for?" Harry pointed to the unpleasant clothes.
"Buckbeak's case this Friday. Against the Committee fee the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures." Hagrid grunted.
I furrowed my brow and looked back at Buckbeak.
The hippogriff had lost his flair, his attitude. His beak was a dull grey instead of a steely silver.
Feathers littered the quilt he was laying on.
Hagrid started to pour us tea, but I politely said no.
Suddenly he looked dead serious. "What did ya do to Hermione?" He asked.
Ron's ears turned pink. "Wh...what?" "She's bin comin' down yet visit me a lot since Chris'nas." Hagrid continued. "Bin feelin' a bit lonely, she has. Firs' yeh weren' talking to her because o' that broom, now because 'er cat-"
"-are Scabbers!" Ron interrupted angrily. "Because her cat acted like all cats do." Hagrid countered. "She's cried a few times, yeh know. Goin' through a rough time." Hagrid sighed loudly. "Bitten off more'n she can chew, all the work she's tryin' ter do. Still found time to help me with the trial. Found some really good stuff." He said.
"We really should've helped, sorry..." Harry said, sounding awkward. "I'm not blamin'." Hagrid waved the apology aside.
I turned back to Buckbeak as the other kept talking, going into the continual argument about Scabbers and Crookshanks.
I went over and knelt before him. I dipped my head in a bow, and he returned it.
"Winghorn horse is worried." Buckbeak said.
"Yeah... I don't exactly want you to die, you know." I whispered.
"I am hippogriff." Buckbeak replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Yes, I know, but this is a whole committee you'll be facing. They might sentence you to death." I stroked Buckbeak's tufted feathers on top of his head.
He leaned into the gesture, and looked up at me with determined eyes.
"I will live." He said.

-Well, there's your freakin update. Is it too short? I mean now that I have another book (which I'm determined to continue) I might not update as fast for this. (I can hear the anguished screams.)
Well. At least you have an update.
-Leap