Chloe Cullen 3 - A Harry Potter and Twilight Crossover

Chapter 14: Tragedy

I don't get to relax after winning the cup. None of us do. While we're still thrilled that we won - I love to walk past the Slytherins now like I own the place - we have to study for exams. I decide to do my homework with Fred and George because the slightest noise will make Hermione explode. I think she's finally starting to crack. Every day she looks like she wants to burst into tears. I want to tell her that she's doing too much, or ask if there's anything I can do, but I'm afraid she might kill me. Fred and George are a lot nicer than her around exam season. When I get up to go get another book from my dorm, I happen to walk past Harry, Hermione, and Ron. They're reading a note from Hagrid.

"Buckbeak's appeal - it's set for the sixth." "That's the day we finish our exams," says Hermione. "And they're coming up here to do it. Someone from the Ministry of Magic and - and an executioner." This makes me stop in my tracks. I go straight towards them. "They're bringing the executioner to the appeal?! That sounds like they've already made up their minds!" "Yeah, it does," says Harry slowly. "They can't!" Ron howls. "I've spent ages reading up on stuff for him; they can't just ignore it all!" "Sounds like they're going to anyway..." I say.

I think Hermione and I are the only ones who aren't overly stressed about exams. I'm more worried about what's going to happen after school is over. My mom has still been sending me more letters, and I haven't read them. I don't even know if I'll be able to look at her the same way. I don't cry as often about thinking of them dying anymore. I guess I've thought of it too many times for me to get that upset. At Hogwarts, though, I can avoid talking to them if I don't want to. At home, though, I can't avoid it at all. I could lock myself in my room, but then I'll just feel guilty because I know my mom would try and get my attention the whole time. I wish I could just go to the Weasleys with Fred. There's no one I can talk to about this except him. Hermione would get overly emotional, I would feel bad about talking about this with Harry because he's already lost his parents, and Ron wouldn't be very empathetic.

The only exam that I'm worried about is Divination, because it's not often that I see stuff in the crystal ball. I have before, but it varies based on how tired I am. My worries don't get any better when Harry, Ron and I walk to the trapdoor for our last exam. Waiting outside is a long line of students. "She's seeing us all separately," Neville tells us as we sit by him. "Have any of you ever seen anything in a crystal ball?" he asks us. "I have a few times. Only when I've gotten enough sleep though. How can she expect us to pass with her classroom so hot?" I ask. They shrug. As Parvati Patil comes down bragging about how well she did, I hear a misty voice come down. "Chloe Cullen." I groan and climb up the ladder.

"Good day, my dear," she says when I enter. "If you would kindly gaze into the Orb... Take your time, now... then tell me what you see within it..." I sit down in front of her and bend over the crystal ball. If I stare at it hard enough and at the right angle, I can make out an animal. It could be my mind playing tricks on me, but it's better than nothing. "I see... a rat," I tell her. "Indeed! Is there anything else?" I look harder. The rat like thing disappears. A couple minutes later, it's replaced my something else. "A cup," I say. I have no idea what that could mean, but that's what it looks like. "Very good! Does the cup have anything inside of it?" she asks. I'm assuming she means aside from fog. "Flames," I say hesitantly. "Yes!" she says excitedly. "I think we should leave it there. I think you to could be a true Seer. You have done spectacular all year," she says. I say thank you and head out. "Did you see anything?" Ron asks. "Yeah. Took a bit, but I did," I answer. I agree to meet them in the common room.

When I get there, I start reading for pleasure. More books on the different known death eaters. I'm on the chapter with Bellatrix Lestrange. She sounds like a Class A nut job. Ron comes back twenty minutes later. Just as I get to Bellatrix's husband Rudolphus, a letter comes. From Hagrid. We stare wordlessly at the letter as we read it.

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

Just as we finish reading it, Harry comes in. He starts to speak when we hand him the letter.

"We've got to go. He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!" he says. "Sunset, though. We'd never be allowed. Especially you, Harry." I say. "If only we had the Invisibility Cloak..." "Where is it?" I ask. He tells me a story about leaving it in the passageway to Hogsmeade. "...if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," he says. "That's true," I say as I get up. "I won't get in trouble though. How do you open the witch's hump?" "You - you tap it and say, 'Dissendium," he says. I walk away just as he says something else. It's easy for me to find the witch's hump. What's not easy is waiting until the people around it are gone. Finally, after fifteen minutes, I see my chance. Quietly, I tap my wand on the witch's hump and say 'Dissendium'. I climb in and crawl down a stone ladder. It only takes me a couple minutes to find the cloak. Carefully, I fold it under my robes and return to the Common Room soon after. "Chloe, What's gotten into you lately!" says Ron, astounded. "First you hit Malfoy, now this?" he continues. I shrug. "Guess dating your brother is finally starting to rub off," I say with a smirk.

We go to dinner with everyone else, but we don't leave for Gryffindor tower with everyone else. After dinner, we wait in an empty chamber until everyone else is gone. I keep a look out. "Okay," I whisper once the last person has left. "No one there - cloak on -" We have to walk at a snail's pace so no one sees us. It seems like an eternity later when we reach Hagrid's place. I'm the one that knocks and a minute later, Hagrid answers. "It's us," I hiss. "We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off!" "Yeh shouldn've come!" he whispers, but lets us in anyway.

We take it off and observe Hagrid. He's not crying, but he looks helpless. It's so sad to watch. "Wan' some tea?" he asks with shaking hands. "Where's Buckbeak?" Hermione asks hesitantly. "I - I took him outside," says Hagrid, spilling milk as he fills a jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an' - an' smell fresh air - before -" I almost start crying. I hate seeing Hagrid so sad. He's shaking so bad, he accidentally drops the jug. "I'll do it, Hagrid," says Hermione quickly and starts to clean up the mess. "Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?" I ask, sitting down next to him. "Dumbledore -" "He's tried," says Hagrid. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared... Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like... threatened 'em, I expect... an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's... but it'll be quick an' clean... an' I'll be beside him..."

"Dumbledore's gonna come down while it - while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter - ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore..." I can hear Hermione sob in the corner. A tear falls from my eye, but I quickly wipe it before anyone notices. "We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," I say, but Hagrid shakes his head. "Yeh're ter go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway... If Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble." Suddenly, we hear Hermione scream. "Ron! I - I don't believe it - it's Scabbers!" Rob gapes at her. "What are you talking about?"

Hermione carries the jug over to us and turns it upside down. Scrambling out, is Scabbers. "Scabbers! Scabbers, what are you doing here?" Rob says blankly. He grabs him and holds him up to the light. If possible, he looks even worse. "It's okay, Scabbers! No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!" Suddenly, Hagrid stands up. "They're comin'..." All of us whip around. Sure enough, a group of three familiar men come walking down the castle steps. "Yeh gotta go. They mustn' find yeh here... Go now..." We immediately go for the cloak and throw it around us. As we leave, we see Buckbeak pawing the ground nervously in the pumpkin patch. I start to shake to. Hagrid forces us to go and we walk numbly back to the castle. I'm shaking the whole walk and trying not to cry as well. "Please, let's hurry. I can't stand it, I can't bear it..." Hermione whispers.

Just as we're getting to the lawn, Ron stops dead. "Oh, please, Ron," Hermione says. "It's Scabbers - he won't - stay put -" Ron bends over to try and keep Scabbers in his pocket. "Scabbers, it's me, you idiot, it's Ron," Ron hisses. We hear a door open and men's voices. "Oh, Ron, please let's move, they're going to do it!" Hermione breathes. "Okay - Scabbers, stay put -" We walk forward, numbly again. Then Ron stops again. "I can't hold him - Scabbers, shut up, everyone'll hear us -" Ron's not wrong. The rat is squealing like never before. I hear indistinct male voices and then a very distinguishable axe. "They did it!" Hermione whispers. "I d- don't believe it - they did it!"