Part Thirty-Two

By the time the five of them got back to the Shrieking Shack, no one was in a good mood. Lily very quietly told Remus about what had happened in the clearing and though he didn't blame Sirius and James for doing what they had, especially James, he felt that this could be a very bad thing given that between the five of them, they had killed, or badly wounded, three Death Eaters while in animagus form. He thought that Voldemort might start getting suspicious about who these animals were.

Searching for a way to calm the others down, he suggested getting back to the book. Sirius managed, but barely, to calm down enough to continue reading, though there was a distinct note of fury in his voice.

Five minutes later he was dashing past the security trolls outside the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, Professor Trelawney's words still resounding in his head. people were striding past him in the opposite direction, laughing and joking, heading for the grounds and a bit of long-awaited freedom; by the time he had reached the portrait hole and entered the common room, it was almost deserted. Over in a corner, however, sat Ron and Hermione.

Lily- That doesn't sound good.

"Professor Trelawney," Harry panted, "just told me -"

But he stopped abruptly at the sight of their faces.

"Buckbeak lost," said Ron weakly. "Hagrid's just sent this."

Remus- (bitterly) Surprise, surprise.

Hagrid's note was dry this time, no tears had splattered it, yet his hands seemed to have shaken so much as he wrote that it was hardly legible.

James- (sarcastically) Is it ever really legible?

Lily- (sharply) James!

James- Sorry.

Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. nothing you can do.

Don't come down. I don't want you to see it.

Hagrid.

Lily- This is so unfair. It wasn't the Hippogriff's fault!

"We've got to go," said Harry at once. "He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!"

"Sunset, though," said Ron, who was staring out of the window in a glazed sort of way. "We'd never be allowed ... specially you, Harry ..."

James- Ron, I don't think they care at the moment. This is one of those times when you're supposed to disregard all rules and help a friend.

Harry sank his head into his hands, thinking.

"If only we had the Invisibility Cloak ..."

"Where is it?" said Hermione.

Lily- Why?

Harry told her about leaving it in the passageway under the one-eyed witch.

... if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," he finished.

"That's true," said Hermione, getting to her feet. "If he sees you ...

Remus- Wow, she's going to go get it.

how do you open the witch's hump again?"

"You - you tap it and say, 'Dissendium'," said Harry. "But -"

Hermione didn't wait for the rest of his sentence; she strode across the room, pushed the Fat Lady's portrait open and vanished from sight.

"She hasn't gone to get it?" Ron said, staring after her.

She had.

All- (smile)

Lily- She's a true friend.

Hermione returned a quarter of an hour later with the silvery Cloak folded carefully under her robes.

"Hermione, I don't know what's got into you lately!" said Ron, astounded. "First you hit Malfoy, then you walk out of Professor Trelawney -"

Hermione looked rather flattered.

Sirius- She would.

They went down to dinner with everybody else, but did not return to Gryffindor Tower afterwards. Harry had the Cloak hidden down the front of his robes; he had to keep his arms folded to hide the lump. They skulked in an empty chamber off the Entrance Hall, listening, until they were sure it was deserted. They heard a last pair of people hurrying across the Hall, and a door slamming. Hermione poked her head around the door.

James- Always check to make sure the coast is clear.

Sirius- Too bad they don't have the Map.

All- (sigh)

"OK, she whispered, "no one there - Cloak on -"

Walking very close together so that nobody would see them, they crossed the Hall on tiptoe beneath the Cloak, then walked down the stone front steps into the grounds. the sun was already sinking behind the Forbidden Forest, gilding the top branches of the trees.

They reached Hagrid's cabin and knocked. he was a minute in answering, and when he did, he looked all around for his visitor, pale-faced and trembling.

Lily- Poor Hagrid.

"It's us," Harry hissed. "we're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

James- Yeah, never take off the Cloak when you are somewhere you're not supposed to be.

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but he stood back, and they stepped inside. Hagrid shut the door quickly and Harry pulled off the Cloak.

Lily- Of course they should, Hagrid, they're your friends.

Hagrid was not crying, nor did he throw himself upon their necks. he looked like a man who did not know where he was or what to do. This helplessness was worse to watch then tears.

All- (look sad)

"Wan' some tea?" he said. His great hands were shaking as he reached for the kettle.

Sirius- You don't have to act the host right now, Hagrid, they'd understand.

Lily- He needs to do something to keep busy.

"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" said Hermione hesitantly.

"I - I took him outside," said Hagrid, spilling milk all over the table as he filled up the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an' - an' smell fresh air - before -"

James- I'm sure that if he knew what was going to happen, Buckbeak would appreciate that, Hagrid.

Hagrid's hand trembled so violently that the milk jug slipped from his gasp and shattered all over the floor.

"I'll do it, Hagrid," said Hermione quickly, hurrying over and starting to clean up the mess.

Lily- Good idea, Hermione.

"There's another one in the cupboard," Hagrid said, sitting down and wiping his forehead on his sleeve. Harry glanced at Ron, who looked back hopelessly.

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

James- Surely Dumbledore could do something.

"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 ..."

All- (have tears in their eyes)

Hagrid swallowed. His eyes were darting all over the cabin, as though looking for some shred of hope or comfort.

"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 ..."

All- Damn straight.

Hermione, who had been rummaging in Hagrid's cupboard for another milk jug, let out a small, quickly stifled sob. She straightened up with the new jug in her hands, fighting back the tears.

"We'll stay with you, too, Hagrid," she began, but Hagrid shook his shaggy head.

"Yeh're to 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."

Lily- Hagrid, if they cared about that, they wouldn't be there now.

Silent tears were now streaming down Hermione's face, but she hid them from Hagrid, bustling around making tea.

Then, as she picked up the milk bottle to pour some into the jug, she let out a shriek.

"Ron! I - I don't believe it - it's Scabbers!"

All- Scabbers!

Harmony- (hisses)

Ron gaped at her.

"What are you talking about?"

Hermione carried the milk jug over to the table and turned it upside-down. With a frantic squeak, and much scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers the rat came sliding out onto the table.

James- He's still alive!

Remus- There's something weird going on here.

"Scabbers!" said Ron blankly. "Scabbers, what are you doing here?"

Remus- Good question. One I'm not sure I want the answer to.

He grabbed the struggling rat and held him up to the light. Scabbers looked dreadful. he was thinner then ever, large tufts of hair had fallen out leaving wide bald patches, and he writhed in Ron's hands as though desperate to free himself.

"It's OK, Scabbers!" said Ron. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"

James- So why is he fighting so hard?

Hagrid suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the window. His normally ruddy face had gone the color of parchment.

"They're comin' ..."

All- !

Harry, Ron and Hermione whipped around. A group of men was walking down the distant castle steps. In front was Albus Dumbledore, his silver beard gleaming in the dying sun.

Lily- Get out of there. Hurry.

Next to him trotted Cornelius Fudge. Behind them came the feeble old committee member and the executioner, Macnair.

James- Macnair!

Lily- What?

Sirius- Macnair is one of Voldemort's Death Eaters, right now.

Lily- Uh-oh.

"Yeh gotta go," said Hagrid. Every inch of him was trembling. "They mustn' find yeh here ... go on, now ..."

Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione picked up the Cloak.

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

They followed him to the door into his back garden. Harry felt strangely unreal, and even more so when he saw Buckbeak a few yards away, tethered to a tree behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

Lily- Why don't they let him go?

James- The committee would think Hagrid would do it, remember?

Lily- Oh, yeah.

Buckbeak seemed to know something was happening. He turned his sharp head side to side, and pawed the ground nervously.

"It's OK, Beaky," said Hagrid softly. "It's OK ..." He turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Go on," he said. "Get goin'."

But they didn't move.

"Hagrid, we can't -"

"We'll tell them what really happened -"

Sirius- It wouldn't do any good.

"They can't kill him -"

"Go!" said Hagrid fiercely. "It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"

Lily- He has a point.

They had no choice. As Hermione threw the Cloak over Harry and Ron, they heard voices at the front door of the cabin. Hagrid looked at the place where they had just vanished from sight.

"Go quick," he said hoarsely. "Don' listen ..."

James- I don't think they will have a choice in the matter, Hagrid.

And he strode back into his cabin as someone knocked at the front door.

Slowly, in a kind of horrified trance, Harry, Ron and Hermione set off silently around Hagrid's house. As they reached the other side, the front door closed with a sharp snap.

Remus- Good timing.

"Please, let's hurry," Hermione whispered. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it ..."

Lily- We know, Hermione, we know.

They started up the sloping lawn towards the castle. The sun was sinking fast now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged gray, but to the west there was a ruby-red glow.

James- How ironic.

Ron stopped dead.

"Oh, please, Ron," Hermione began.

"It's Scabbers - he won't - stay put -"

Remus- Why does that rat remind me so much of Peter? (shakes his head) No, Peter would never do anything like that.

Ron was bent over, trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket, but the rat was going berserk; squeaking madly, twisting and flailing., trying to sink his teeth into Ron's hand.

James- What a stupid rat.

"Scabbers it's me, you idiot, it's Ron," Ron hissed.

They heard a door open behind them and men's voices.

Lily- Get going, hurry.

"Oh Ron, please let's move, they're going to do it!" Hermione breathed.

"OK - Scabbers, stay put -"

They walked forwards; Harry, like Hermione, was trying not to listen to the rumble of voices behind them. Ron stopped again.

Sirius- What is going on with that stupid rat?

"I can't hold him - Scabbers, shut up, everyone will hear us -"

The rat was squealing wildly, but not loudly enough to cover up the sounds drifting from Hagrid's garden. There was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe.

Lily- No!

Hermione swayed on the spot.

"They did it!" she whispered to Harry. "I d-don't believe it - they did it!"

Remus- (bitterly) I can believe it. I'm just sorry that those three had to hear it.

Sirius- Well, that's the end of the chapter. Remus, it's your turn to read.