Black Spirit • harry potter (AU)

f o u r t e e n • the cat, rat and dog

Me, Harry, Hermione and Ron were walking towards Hagrid's hut, We all wanted to see Buckbeak one more time before they killed him.

The feeling was horrible. Me and Hermione had worked so hard, found so many reasons why Buckbeak should not be blamed for attacking Malfoy. At some point I was absolutely certain that we would win the case, but it was all for nothing. The rich and powerful will still get what they want if they just say the right thing and pay the right people.

"I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak, it's just too horrible." Hermione said, reading my mind.

"Just got worse." Ron stated, his voice quivering slightly. I followed his line of sight, seeing Malfoy, Crabbe and Pike, talking with one another.

"Look who's here!" Crabbe said.

"Ah! Come to see the show?" Malfoy asked arrogantly, strutting forward.

"You! You foul loathsome evil little cockroach!" Hermione yelled, pointing her wand at Malfoy's neck, making him shiver with fear.
I was quite shocked. I hadn't expected such behavior from Hermione, but I could understand her motives. Malfoy was truly a loathsome cockroach sometimes.

"Hermione no! He's not worth it!" Ron yelled. Me and Harry remained quiet, feeling no need to get involved.
Hermione slowly lowered her wand, making Malfoy return to his arrogant, bully persona. He started snickering, followed by Pike and Crabbe.
Hermione simply couldn't have him get off without even a scratch and before I knew what was happening, Hermione's fist had connected with Malfoy's nose, and the three of them had run off.

"That felt good." Hermione said, making me laugh.

"Not good, brilliant." Ron replied.

"We should go now, it's starting to get dark." I said, and we continued our way to Hagrid's. The half-giant let us into his small home, made us some tea and sat us down at the table. A strange animal was next to his bed, screeching and clearly upsetting Fang, who was sitting on Hagrid's bed in a guarding position.

"Look at him. Loves the smell of trees when the wind blows through them."

We were all looking at the hippogriff who was sitting in the garden, chained to a pole surrounded by pumpkins and crows, who flew around, completely ignoring the scarecrow.

"Why don't we just set him free?" Harry asked.

"They'd know it was me, and Dumbledore'd get into trouble. Coming down you know, Dumbledore, says he wants to be with me when they-, when it happens." Hagrid said, pausing and remembering the cruel reality.
"Great man, Dumbledore, great man!" Hagrid threw a piece of meat at the creature, removing himself from the window.

"We'll stay with you too Hagrid." Hermione said.

"You do no such thing! Think I want you seeing something like that? No, you just drink your tea and be off." Hagrid stated. "Oh, before you do, Ron." The giant walked to a cupboard and pulled out a milk jug, containing a quivering and ragged rat, Ron's rat.

"Scrabbers! You're alive!" Ron cheered.

"You should keep a closer eye on your pets, Ron." Hagrid stated. As he gave the rat to Ron, I stared at the place where Scabbers was missing a toe. It was Peter, but I couldn't do anything about it. I shouldn't get involved.

"Think that means you owe someone an apology." Hermione said, I rolled my eyes.

"Right. Next time I see Crookshanks, I'll let him know." Ron mocked.

"I meant me." Hermione snapped, before something small flew in from the window and broke a ceramic pot, flour pouring out of it like sand. Hermione picked up a stone from next to the pot. The same stone that had flown in the window.
Seconds later, another stone flew in, this time at Harry's head.