The Outcasts Of Hogwarts

Chapter 32 Trip to the Shrieking Shack

The first thing Amaris registered as she slowly came to consciousness was the smell, the scent of chemicals clashing with the familiar smell of people. The next sense to come into focus was hearing and suddenly her surroundings filled with indistinct chatter and the clacking of footsteps. And everything echoed off smooth walls. She felt warm and the sense of protection from being wrapped up in a bed. She tried to open her eyes but found that her eyelids were too heavy.

Slowly, vague memories of what had happened to get her here passed through her consciousness. Her mind still foggy, Amaris tried to piece together what had happened.

She remembered leaving her Muggle Studies exam with Hermione when they had received the note from Hagrid. The knowledge that Buckbeak was going to be executed had felt to Amaris like she had been struck with an arrow. She had been so preoccupied with her own problems that it had slipped her mind that the appeal had taken place that day. 

She had felt so guilty about it that when the others had revealed they had a plan to sneak out of the castle to see Hagrid, she couldn't refuse. She had known she shouldn't have agreed, that it was far too risky and the others would be worried about her. But she had convinced herself that it would be fine by reasoning that even though the execution was set for sunset (or more importantly, moonrise), they wouldn't be staying out for that long. Hagrid wouldn't want them, especially Harry, to be out in the grounds when it started to get dark.

Besides, how could she have refused? She couldn't easily come up with a lie like Steffan could. The idea of getting a chance to sneak around under Harry's invisibility cloak may also have had something to do with her decision to go. And so, they had headed down to dinner together with the plan to sneak off afterwards.

Walking through the entrance hall, she'd spotted Steffan ahead of her. Quickening her pace, she'd run through the things she'd needed to say to him. She'd know that she would have to be quick so that the other Gryffindors wouldn't notice. She had been trying to decide whether it was more important to say she was going to be late or just asking him to take the potion up to Gryffindor Tower, when another thought came to the front of the mind.

"I know what's causing it," she'd whispered into Steffan's ear. She hadn't meant to, it had hardly been the most important thing to say and it would only leave him with more questions. But she didn't have time to say anything else because Steffan had stopped dead in the doorway to the Great Hall and the Gryffindors had come up behind Amaris, leading her to their table. 

They had sat down with their backs to the Slytherin table and Amaris had no excuse to leave. So she'd just hoped that she would make it back in time to meet them all in the library and that she wouldn't make them too worried. She had also hoped that the Gryffindors would have eaten a little faster. 

Eventually, the four of them had left the Great Hall and, in the deserted entrance hall, they had all huddled under Harry's invisibility cloak. It had just been big enough for all of them as they had walked down the grassy slopes to Hagrid's hut.

Amaris remembered how lost Hagrid had looked when he had let them in. It was like all his emotions had been used up, leaving an empty shell behind that barely knew where he was. Needless to say, he had not been in a state capable of making them tea but his attempt had led to the discovery of Scabbers hiding in the milk jug. 

When the Ministry Officials had started coming, the others had been reluctant to leave. Amaris hadn't wanted to leave Hagrid alone either but the sun was getting low and she had started to feel an aching creeping into her bones. Her time had been running out. The walk back to the castle had been unbearably slow, what with the four of them under the invisibility cloak and because Ron had been struggling with Scabbers.