Mara's Magic

iii - utter chaos and confusion

 Not long after our match, I was alerted that Buckbeak, Hagrid's beautiful hippogriff, had been ordered to a trial. Hermione explained to me that she'd been helping him with his case. Apparently, Malfoy had insulted Buckbeak and so Buckbeak, being a proud creature, attacked him. Malfoy wasn't hurt terribly, just a scratched up arm that Madam Pomfrey fixed for him easily, but he and his father were furious. 

When Hagrid returned from the trial, he was heartbroken; Buckbeak was sentenced to death. 

I headed down to his hut prior to the execution time, being able to get out due to my status as a prefect. I walked down with a shiver running down my spine. I pulled my quidditch jumper closer to my body, trying to warm myself from the cold of the setting sun and from the cruelty that was killing Buckbeak. 

I knocked on Hagrid's door. 

"Mareh?! What 'er yeh doin' 'ere?" He asked, beckoning me inside. I nodded in thanks and began petting Fang, who had come up to greet me. 

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," I told him. "I don't want you to go through this alone. It's hard losing a pet, especially in a way like this."

"But, yeh can't be 'ere, Mareh. He'll be lookin' for yeh," he said. He was shaking slightly and looked utterly helpless as to what was going to happen in a matter of minutes. His eyes were red and he looked as though he'd been crying. My heart hurt at the sight of him.

"Who? Sirius Black?" I asked. He nodded fervently as someone began pounding on the door. His brows furrowed and he opened to door to find my little brother and his friends standing there.

"Yeh too?" He asked, disappointed. "Harreh, you can't be 'ere! It's 'orribly unsafe."

"We had to be here for you Hagrid," Hermione insisted. 

"Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?" Harry asked quickly, sitting down next to him. "Dumbledore —"

"He's tried," said 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..."

He swallowed and Hermione rested a soothing hand on his shoulder as his eyes welled up in tears again.

"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..."

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," Hermione decided, holding back tears of her own.

"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. Oh, Ron, I believe this belongs ter yeh."

He handed Ron a box and upon opening it, Scabbers, Ronald's pet rat, peaked up. Ron gasped.

"Scabbers you're alright!" He exclaimed in joy.

"I guess that means you owe someone an apology," Hermione noted, staring at him expectantly. Ron looked up at her ironically.

"Next time I see Crookshanks, I'll let him know," he said with a sarcastic smile.

"I meant me!" Hermione replied with furrowed eyebrows.

Suddenly, a vase sitting on Hagrid's table shattered, causing us to look up and out the window. 

"They're coming," I said, watching as three men walked down the steps that led to the hut.

"Yeh better go," Hagrid said. "I'll let yeh out the back way."