I don't own Harry Potter. All rights belong to J. K. Rowling. The only thing I own is Ami.

Chapter Thirty Four

Danger Approaches

It was coming close to summer exams before everything came to fall into place that year.

Ami was finishing up her Ancient Runes class with Hermione when her temper seemed to flare up almost a second later, without being provoked by anything, at least, anything in front of them.

"Hermione?" she asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm dropping Divination! You were right! It's a load of rubbish!" Hermione snapped, curly hair swaying wildly behind her as she turned to face the Elemental.

"Actually, I believe I called it a load of tripe, but I get what you mean. At least it's one less thing off that ridiculous timetable of yours." Ami laughed.

The girl arched an eyebrow, but that didn't stop the smile spreading across her face.

Ron came up to them after lesson, without Harry.

"Where is he? Wasn't he with you?"

The boy waved a hand dismissively.

"He just went back to the classroom to return Trelawney's crystal ball. He'll be down in a minute."

Harry was down the stairs a moment later, looking thoroughly disturbed.

"You won't believe what just happened." He said softly.

"What?" Hermione sneered. "Trelawney actually give a prophecy?"

"Yes actually, it sounded like the real thing too." Harry responded with an arched eyebrow, as if daring her to challenge him.

Ami looked at Harry's watch, and realised the time.

"Oh crap!" she gasped. "Come on! It's time! We need to go see Hagrid!"

They realised immediately what she meant, and the Golden Quartet dashed off to Gryffindor Tower to get changed before they went down to Hagrid's. It was the day of Buckbeak's execution after all, and they needed to support their friend.

The evening was starting to roll in by the time they started to make their way out of the Clock Tower Courtyard. Ami eyed the executioner, Macnair if she remembered correctly, as he sat surrounded by ravens sharpening his enormous axe. The scraping of metal grated painfully on her nerves, was there any way to save the beautiful creature?

There was a moment when the man looked up at her from beneath his black hood. She shuddered under his gaze and quickly turned away, bringing her pink zip-up jacket closer to her shivering body. Wearing a fresh pair of blue jeans and her trusted white trainers with a long-sleeved black top, her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail; she didn't dare think about what was going through the man's head, especially if he took such pleasure in killing magical creatures.

"Disgusting scumbag!" she hissed as soon as they were out of his hearing range, walking across the Covered Bridge.

Hermione was more than ready to agree, although Ami couldn't help but wonder how they managed to make up similar outfits for the day.

As they walked across the Bridge she exclaimed.

"I can't believe they're doing this to Buckbeak! It's terrible!"

It was when they reached the Stone Circle Ron sighed heavily.

"It just got worse."

The group looked up and saw Malfoy and his cronies watching from behind the stones, laughing amongst themselves, looking forward to the creature's death. It was enough to make Ami feel sick. Hermione began to stride over to them with purpose glinting in her brown eyes when Malfoy turned around with a grin on his face.

"Come to see the show?"

"You!" Hermione snapped, drawing her wand. "You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach!"

The tip of her wand was placed under his chin, backing him up until his back was pressed against the stone.

"Hermione, no!" Ron shouted. "He's not worth it!"

"I beg to differ..." Ami muttered under her breath, causing Harry to nudge her in reprimand.

It seemed like an eternity had passed before Hermione lowered her wand and turned away. Draco thought he had gotten away with it, but then Hermione did something that not only got him back, but also gained Ami's uttermost respect to this very day. She punched Malfoy right in the face with a loud snap as her fist connected with his jaw. The Slytherins scampered away with their tails in between their legs, leaving the Gryffindors laughing at their expense.

"That felt good." Hermione smiled.

"Not good, more like brilliant." Ron retorted, causing the girl to blush.

"I think I've picked up on your bad habits, Ami."

"Hey! I'm proud of punching him in the face last year! I would have done it again if you hadn't!" Ami paused for a moment. "Do you think it's too late for me to catch up so I can break his nose?"

Harry patted the Elemental on the shoulder.

"Let's avoid giving Snape another reason to deduct points, no matter how good it would be." He reasoned. "How about we go down to Hagrid's now?"

When they were inside the little wooden hut they gathered around the table and watched as the giant man stared out of the window to watch the Hippogriff lying in the middle of his pumpkin patch, chained to a pole and surrounded by dead ferrets hung by their feet to supports.

"Look at him, loves the smell of the outdoors." Hagrid sighed wistfully.

"Why can't you just let him go? He doesn't deserve this." Harry asked.

"They'd know I let him go, then I'd be in more trouble, not to mention Dumbledore for letting it happen, even if he didn't know." Hagrid turned away. "He said he'd stay with me when it's done, he's a great man."

Hermione got up from her seat.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid."

Hagrid snapped at her.

"You will do no such thing! I don't want any of you seeing something like that! It would be better if you go back to the castle."

Just then he seemed to remember something.

"Oh Ron, I think I found something of yours."

He moved and took something out of a little metal box. When he turned around a smile spread across the boy's face, while the Elemental backed away with suspicious eyes glaring at the rodent.

"Scabbers! Hagrid, you found him!"

Ron took his pet gratefully from the Care of Magical Creatures professor.

"Oh Scabbers, I'm so sorry I lost you."

Hermione snorted and Ami glared at him.

"Ron, I think you need to apologise to someone else, not your rat." The Elemental said firmly, almost hissing in anger.

Ron rolled his eyes.

"I'll say sorry to Crookshanks next time I see him."

"She meant that you apologise to me!" Hermione snapped.

All of a sudden something smashed one of the pots on the table, and then something else hit Harry in the back of the head.

"Ow! What the Hell?" he exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.

Ami rushed over to him as Hermione was looking at the stone in her hand, she thought she heard someone else shout out their pain from outside, but she thought nothing of it. She reached up and touched the back of his head, stroking the spiky black hair under delicate fingers.

Blushing slightly she asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... But what hit me?" he responded.

The girl looked over his shoulder, her eyes widened at the sight.

"Apart from a stone? Time!" she turned to the others. "We have to go! The Minister and Dumbledore are coming with the executioner!"

Hagrid opened the back door.

"Quick, back to the castle! You're not meant to be here after dark! Not with Black still on the loose, you'll be in big trouble! Particularly you, Harry!"

As they were running out Harry turned back for a moment.

"Don't worry, Hagrid, everything will be fine."

"Go!"

With his friends he quickly ducked out of the hut.

As soon as the officials were inside Hagrid's Hut, the Golden Quartet hid behind the giant pumpkins within the giant man's pumpkin patch. Ravens fluttered over their heads and tried to peck at their exposed fingers. The group tried their best to listen to what was going on, but it wasn't really the most pleasant conversation to eavesdrop on, since it looked like there was nothing that would stop Macnair from executing Buckbeak.

Ami sighed heavily; she did not want to watch this. It didn't help that Scabbers was back with them, she had grown used to his lack of presence, made things much more comfortable. Hermione looked over her shoulder for a moment in suspicion, thinking she had seen something after a twig snapped behind them, but shook her head.

Soon they were making their way back up to the Stone Circle, giving them the perfect vantage point to reluctantly watch the proceedings.

With their hands joined they watched Macnair come out from the Hut and make his way over to the Hippogriff. Ami turned away and buried her face in Harry's shoulder. She heard the thud of the axe coming down, and finally raised her head when the sound of flapping wings entered her ears. Hermione held Ron as she cried, the Elemental hugging her from behind and Harry gripping her shoulder while resting his cheek against the crown of her head.

"It's okay... It's okay..."

Those were the mutterings for reassurance.

Ron then let out a cry, blood was running down the end of his finger. They all looked and saw that Scabbers was no longer in his hand.

"He bit me...!" he gasped. "Scabbers!"

Soon he was running after him. Harry, Ami and Hermione looked at one another, all of them quickly deciding to follow after him.

"Ron!" Hermione called.

"Scabbers, come back!"

The trio ran after their wayward friend, who eventually managed to catch up with his escaped pet and capture him before sitting down to stroke the rat's back.

Ami's violet eyes widened when she saw what was lying behind him.

"Oh Merlin..."

Hermione instantly caught on to the Elemental's thoughts and pointed it out to Harry.

"You do realise what tree that is?"

"The Whomping Willow!" Harry gasped. "Ron, move!"

"You've got an angry tree behind you! Move it!" Ami shouted.

Ron's eyes widened, but he wasn't staring at them, he was staring at something behind them.

"Guys, run! It's the Grim! It's the Grim!"

They all turned around to see a big black dog, with brownish orange eyes; its fur was matted with dirt and grime, Ami's first thought was that it needed a good bath, the second thought was when she looked at its paws, she recognised them as the paw prints that had led up to the Shrieking Shack that winter. The dog bounded over their heads with a great leap and headed towards Ron and Scabbers.

Ami's survival instincts kicked in and she dashed forward, her eyes turning green within a second; her hair was slowly transforming into long grass and becoming strewn with pink and purple flowers. Vines were pulsating under her skin and her earthly magic caused her shoes to vanish from her feet; the feeling of the grass and dirt under her feet filled with its magic, her heart beating like a drum in her ears. Something was telling her not to harm the dog, that its presence was good and familiar, but she didn't want it to hurt her friend.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" she bellowed, slamming her fist into the ground and causing it to quake.

Somehow the dog was able to keep its balance and latched its mouth onto Ron's ankle, and then began to drag him under the Whomping Willow.

"Harry, Hermione, Ami, help! Help!"

He then disappeared from sight.

Harry and Hermione joined Ami (who had returned to normal witch mode), and tried to reach him, but a long branch knocked the newcomers back, since the Elemental had the foresight to duck.

"Hey! Leave them alone!" she snapped, but it seemed that the tree was unwilling to cooperate with her.

One of the branches knocked Harry onto his back, making him lose his glasses, and another branch caught hold of Hermione. Ami was caught between them, but since Hermione was far too high for her Air magic to reach, she cautiously made her way over to the blind Harry and pulled him out of the way when the Whomping Willow tried to hit him with a bludgeoning branch. Hermione's screams rang through the air as the tree tossed her this way and that. Harry managed to scoop up his glasses and plant them back onto his face.

"Can't you stop it?!" he asked.

"Don't you think I've tried?! Going under the tree must have set it off! It's never attacked unless someone offends it first! Usually it lets me sit on its roots without touching me!" Ami retorted.

Just then Hermione came swinging towards them, her hand outstretched as she caught Harry by the collar of his blue t-shirt and yanked him off the ground. He only just managed to catch the Elemental's hand before takeoff.

"OH MY GOD!"

They were swung around like ragdolls until Hermione let go at just the right moment, sending them down the hole at the base of the tree.

Ami and Harry tumbled down the tree root slide until they landed very badly onto the dirt below; somehow Harry managed to land on top of her.

"Ow..." he groaned.

"While this position is funny... Can you get off me?" Ami whined. "You're crushing me..."

"Sorry!"

He made to get up, but then Hermione tumbling down, and proceeded to land on top of him with a scream.

"Ow!" she cried.

"Seriously? Again? Why am I at the bottom of the dog pile?" the Elemental asked.

"Sorry!" Hermione paused for a moment. "But poor choice of words. Was there a pun intended?"

"I would happily answer that, but you're both crushing my spine..."

Harry and Hermione looked at one another.

"Right, sorry."

The two helped Ami to her feet and got her back in order, they all knew that she was going to be bruised after that little trip. It was a wonder she didn't have more bruises given how clumsy she was, but that had been improving since they'd first met.

Looking at one another, and then down the long corridor, they wondered what their destination was going to be.

"Where do you suppose this goes?" Hermione asked.

"I have an idea... but I hope I'm wrong." Harry said ominously.

Ami let them go first so she could whisper something to herself.

"I don't, coz I'm thinking we're going to find out the truth."

She soon followed after them, her body thrumming with magical energy that was begging to be released.

After walking for what seemed like hours they found themselves poking their heads out of an entrance in the floor. There were black drag marks and paw prints on the floor that were clearly leading upstairs. One after the other the trio climbed up into the dusty old room they found themselves in. Ami immediately realised where they were, she had walked past the place enough times on the trips to Hogsmeade.

"It's the Shrieking Shack! There's a passage under the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack! Why on Earth would they do that?" she asked out loud.

"To hide something most likely. The school wouldn't put a fighting tree over something that anyone could get to if it wasn't a secret." Hermione deduced.

"We can play detective later. Right now, we need to find Ron." Harry said firmly.

No words were spoken while they made their way up the creaking staircase, heading towards the upper floors to search the rest of the house. Room by room they searched, following Ron's voice as he cried for help. Eventually they found a disused bedroom, where Ron was sitting in a corner of the room with Scabbers still in his hands (how did he manage that?). Harry and Hermione immediately ran over to check the damage to his blood covered ankle, while Ami entered far more cautiously, her eyes trained on the paw prints that changed step by step into human footprints.

"Ron, are you okay?" Harry asked.

"Harry, it's a trap! He's the dog! He's an Animagus!" Ron cried, pointing to the open door where Ami was standing.

The Elemental glanced up and slowly backed away, towards her friends as the door slowly creaked closed.

Standing before them was Sirius Black.

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