"How long 'as it been?" Hagrid asked cheerfully strolling over to Amanda and Aly.
"Forty-five minutes," Amanda said gloomily.
"Havin' fun?" he said with a grin.
"Lovely," Aly answered with a fake smile. She gulped with disgust at the sight of the Flobberworms. Really, she would've preferred to see Cosmos. It was the middle of the afternoon (the hottest time), and they were at Care of Magical Creatures. Their exam was to keep a flobberworm alive for an hour. She sat on the ground, bored and stared at the sky. Flying up there would be such a dream, she thought, and closed her eyes.
She imagined herself flying atop of Cosmos' back, just the two of them, sailing in the sky without restrictions, limits, or exams. The wind would blow around her hair and they'd soar all around Hogwarts, the belles of the ball.
"Time's up!" Hagrid called. Aly jumped awake and looked around. "Let's see how the Flobberworms held up."
He strode around to everyone's Flobberworms. He peered into Aly's.
"Great job." He grinned at Aly and she sighed with relief. She heard a squawk behind Hagrid's hut. A hippogriff came into view. It was Cosmos.
"Cosmos!" Aly exclaimed happily. "Hagrid, how come they're back?"
"Supportin' Buckbeak," he said grimly.
"Oh," was all she said.
"Wanna have a go?" he asked, motioning to Cosmos. "You can stop by later, if you wan'."
"Sounds good," Aly grinned. The bell rung distantly, and the Gryffindors ran towards Hogwarts.
"Just where d'you think you're going?" Hayden asked that evening. Aly threw on her jacket. Amanda and Hayden were doing homework in the common room.
"Outside," she replied.
"Are you nuts? You'll get caught," Amanda said. "What do you have to do?"
"Visit Cosmos."
"What?" Amanda said in disbelief. "I thought you were joking!"
"Heck no! It's a beautiful May evening, and I wanted to go visit Cosmos before he left. Hagrid says the only reasons why the hippogriffs are back are to support Buckbeak," she added sadly. "Hagrid said they're going back home tomorrow morning."
"Well, visit him in the morning!"
"I'm not getting up then. I'm going now." Aly strode to the portrait. Amanda shook her head.
"Are you sure you won't need any company?" Hayden asked hesitantly. Aly did not hear him because she already disappeared through the portrait. Aly smiled to herself as she walked through Hogwart's walls, admiring the portraits.
"Excuse me!" a man's voice called out. Aly looked up and saw a picture of a man dressed in a bowler hat, and a outright outrageous suit, leaning on a tree. "Where might you be going?"
"She isn't supposed to be out, Wilbur," a woman's portrait added.
"Shame on you!" another portrait said. Aly glared at Wilbur, and kept walking. Portraits continued talking about her, until Aly had enough. She pulled out her wand. "Silencio!"
Suddenly, Wilbur talked, but no sound came out of his mouth. Aly smirked and kept walking. She walked outside and saw Hagrid's hut. She walked at a steady pace.
"Aly!" Hagrid's voice said. "Nice ter see ya!"
"Hey!" Aly called as she approached his hut. "Where's Cosmos?"
"Out by the lake, I suppos'. Have a go, then. Be careful, ya hear?"
"I hear," Aly grinned. She walked past Hagrid's hut, and saw Cosmos lapping water from the lake. She approached Cosmos and bowed low. He bowed in respect. Aly grinned and began stroking his plumage.
"How're you doing?" she asked softly. "I haven't seen you in a while."
Cosmos made a soft humming noise.
"Anything new happen?" Cosmos looked at her, perplexed. His golden eyes shimmered in the reflection of the setting sun. "I feel so stupid, talking to a hippogriff," she said lightly. "You can't talk."
"Actually, a lot has been happening with me. I just had my exams," she said admiring his feather. "I think I passed."
She smiled sadly. "I heard about your friend Buckbeak." Cosmos immediately looked sad. "Don't worry. I lost someone, too. You'll get over it. Time heals everything," she said softly. Cosmos stood up abruptly.
"What?"
Cosmos motioned to his back. "Really?!" Aly squealed with excitement. Cosmos nodded. Aly smiled happily and climbed onto his back.
"Ok," she said taking a deep breath, "I've never ridden a hippogriff before, so take it-"
Cosmos lurched into the air. Aly screamed. Cosmos rose in altitude and flew over the lake. Aly was hyperventilating. In a few minutes, she began to adjust to Cosmos, just as long as her hold on his neck was tight. She grinned as she felt the breeze in her hair. She looked at her reflection in the lake. It was just as she pictured it earlier. Cosmos suddenly flew higher. He veered left and flew over the forbidden forest. Aly looked down and saw Firenze, a centaur. He waved. Aly grinned. They continued flying. Cosmos turned right and started heading back for Hagrid's hut. Aly looked down and gasped. A group of people were heading for Hagrid's hut. She peered down and noticed one of them had an axe. The executioner!
"Cosmos," she said urgently, "We need to move. We can't let the executioner reach Hagrid before we do." Cosmos let out a squawk and accelerated. Aly held onto his neck for dear life. Slowly, they inched past the group and arrived at Hagrid's hut. Aly dismounted quickly and looked at Cosmos.
"GO!" she said urgently. Cosmos sprinted off for Buckbeak. Aly sprinted for Hagrid's hut. She burst into the door.
"Hagrid!" she yelled. "They're coming!"
Hagrid grabbed her and shoved her into something soft and big.
"Get outta here," he said with panic. Aly looked around and felt someone grab her arm.
"Get in!" Harry's voice said frantically. She was surrounded by Hermione and Ron as well. They ran out the back door. Aly choked back a sob. Why isn't he doing anything?!!
They approached a cliff that overlooked Hagrid's hut. The group arrived and went behind Hagrid's hut. Harry took off the Invisibility Cloak. Aly looked into the sky. Buckbeak will never fly again...
Turning her head; she made out the figure of a person sitting on the cliff above them.
"Aly." Char sitting down on a rock, staring at the hut. She climbed up to him.
"Char! What're you doing down here?!" Aly exclaimed.
"I'm here to watch. I know there's nothing to do," he said solemnly, "But I want to be here and support Buckbeak."
Aly sat down next to him, tears threatening to escape and she shook. Suddenly the whole forest went quiet.
The swift swish of an axe connected with a thud.
Buckbeak was dead.