The three of them sprinted down the stairs, splooshes of mud and wet stone flattening underneath their feet. "Woah!" Natsu hissed as he nearly tripped on his own two feet. "Careful!" Harry harshly gasped through gritted teeth. "Sorry!" The pink haired boy muttered as they all crouched behind trees growing just close enough for them.
"So what's the plan?" Natsu whispered, peeking from the tree. "We need to get Buckbeak away from here first." Hermione clarified, her eyes darting around the area for a plan. Any plan. "Then we'll see what happens after that…" She said, turning her attention towards the boys. "And if it doesn't work…?" Harry asked, a lump in his throat sliding hard down his throat as he swallowed air. "I-I don't know…" She whispered.
About a minute later, they heard another set of footsteps running. The Gryffindors pressed their backs against the trees. They could hear the person rummaging through the patch, not going away
Natsu silently tsked, remembering this moment. Now it made so much sense! Hermione and Harry looked at each with colour drained from every vein of their faces. The movements outside the hut stopped, the only sound was of sniffing. Twigs snapped with the crunch of leaves as the past Natsu got closer and closer to their hiding spot. Everyone squeezed their eyes shut and tried to push their backs up against the bark. Any more pushing and they could have morphed into the tree. A hand almost touched where Hermione was hiding, all of their future selves holding their breath until….
"Natsu! What are you doing out here?"
Breaths were audibly released and everyone slumped into relaxation. Everyone peeked around the tree trunks, the heavy door closing. All of them could hear the murmurs of the people inside, only Natsu hearing what they were saying in detail. It was mainly about Buckbeak and Hermione and Ron arguing.
Hagrid moved away from the window, handing Ron a furry creature with the ginger sighing with happiness.
"Scavers!"
Harry froze at that name, watching Ron hug his 'rat' in relief. "That's Pettigrew…" He gritted. "Harry you musn't!" Hermione pleaded, grabbing onto his sleeve. "Yeah we can't be seen!" Natsu slithered back, pulling him back down. "He betrayed my parents I can't just sit here!"
"Harry you have to!" Both of them exclaimed and moved him to a different spot behind the pumpkin pile, ready for the Halloween carvings, before getting caught. "Harry I know you want to kick his ass right now, but if we get caught, we could mess up the timeline! You're in there too it could end in disaster for all of us!"
As the two boys harshly argued back and forth, the future Hermione noticed the headmaster with the minister and executioner in tow muttering about business and the procedure for Buckbeak. A cold ice flooded her chest, looking at the hut. "Why aren't we leaving?" She looked around, looking for something, until a rock with a shell decoration met her eye resting on one of the pumpkins. Hermione pressed her lips into a thin line and picked up a stone, throwing it at the open window.
Crash!
"What was that?!"
Hermione gasped and ducked back down into the pile with her hand over her mouth. Both boys and cat gasped, scolding Hermione for her actions. "Are you mad?!" Harry exclaimed, looking back over the pumpkin pile. Hermione picked up another rock and threw it at the window. This time, it hit Harry square in the back of her head resulting in him turning around.
"Ow!" Both Harrys winced, rubbing the back of their heads. "That hurt…." The Harry hiding behind the pumpkins whispered. "Sorry…" His companion whispered back as the door to Hagrid's hut banged loudly. The three watched as Hagrid opened the front door, at the same time, the back door opening with the four students peeking out before moving out.
"We're coming out the back door go!" Hermione pushed the boys back into their original hiding spot beyond the trees as the past group took their spot in the pumpkins. Hermione pushed the branch out of her face, watching their past selves watching the hut. Hermione squinted at the back of her head. "Is that what my hair looks like from behind?" She whispered. "Hermione!" Both boys gasped, everyone ducking back behind into their hiding spots.
The past Hermione snapped her head around, tilting her head. "Hermione what's wrong?" Ron muttered he and past Harry looking in her direction. "I just thought I saw… Nevermind."
"Let's go!"
The four of them ran back up the hill before they could be seen by the minister. Once they were gone, Harry, Natsu, Happy and Hermione emerged from the trees. Mumbles could be heard about the charges and execution, too deep to have a sharp mind about what was happening outside. "Alright go Harry!" Hermione pushed him out while the others waited for him.
Crows cawed, attacking his feet. Harry gritted, shaking them away as Buckbeak looked up with his beady eyes. Harry froze, his mind drawing a blank. "W-What do I need to do again…?" He thought to himself. His mind suddenly clicked, like a light switch flicking on. He bowed stiffly to the hybrid, waiting for the creature to bow back. A few seconds passed, before the hippogriff bowed his head in response, before looking away. Harry stepped closer, reaching for the chain. A crow resting on top of the chain's post nipped the fleshy part of his hand to get it away from its territory.
"Ah!" Harry gasped as he retracted his hand, shaking the pain away. Hermione and Natsu crept up behind him, Happy resting on his friend's shoulder. Harry reached up again, successful in freeing the chain from the post.
"Right we should start."
Everyone froze as the front door opened slightly. Time almost stood still for them as the door froze itself. "Oh, minister, I must discuss something inside."
"...Alright…"
The door closed again, everyone outside relaxing. "C'mon Buckbeak time to go!" Harry whispered, pulling on the chain but Buckbeak did not move. He only gravel in annoyance. "Keep trying!" Hermione pushed. Harry sighed, pulling the chain again. "Come on Buckbeak we have to go!" He pleaded as Hermione ran off. "Ah! Buckbeak do you want a fish?" Natsu softly offered, putting his hand in Happy's backpack, pulling out one of his spare fishies.
"He-" Natsu quickly covered his partner's mouth before the cat could protest. Buckbeak immediately leaped up, interested in the fish. Natsu tossed the fish for Buckbeak, catching it with grace. Natsu reached for his hand back into Happy's backpack only to be faced with one problem.
Happy only had one fish.
"Crap!" He whispered, Buckbeak beginning to caw in agitation. "Buckbeak come on!" Hermione whispered, holding out the dried out racoons that were hanging out in front of the house. Buckbeak began to move forward for the food. He sniffed it, and snapped his beak at the food. Hermione jumped back just as the door to the hut opened.
"Oh minister look at that!" Dumbledore pointed to the sky, turning everyone's attention away from what was happening behind them. The trio looked at each other, and began to move. This time Buckbeak moved with them for the food. Hermione tossed one of the meat to keep Buckbeak quiet, everyone else distracted.
They finally managed to reach into the wood just as the minister turned around. "Where's the beast? It was here a moment ago!" He exclaimed. The students watched from the trees as Buckbeak tried to snap for more food, scaring Hermione slightly.
"Well how can you accuse Hagrid. He was with us the whole time…"
"Then we must search the grounds!"
"Oh might as well search the skies minister. I for one would like a nice cup of tea,"
Hagrid, still a bit stunned, nodded and smiled at Dumbledore's request, moving inside to let Dumbledore in, leaving the minister gawking like a dumb goldfish breathing. "Oh and executioner, your services are no longer needed." Dumbledore smiled, heading inside as a crow nestled itself on Fudge's hat.
The executioner was a little upset. His fingers were itching to chop something up. He looked around, finding a nice, big, juicy pumpkin, ready for harvesting. He gave a demented smile, raising his axe and swung it down with a heavy thud. The crows cawed, flying away from fright of the sound.
Natsu humed from the trees. "So that's why I couldn't smell any blood…" He thought to himself. "Come on let's move!" Hermione declared, everyone running further into the forest. Natsu nodded running behind them. His heart raced at what would happen next in this timeline…
The Dementors….