The hearing for Buckbeak was to be held the day final exams ended. The execution for sundown. Assuming that the appeal would fail, Mina had decided that she'd take matters into her own hands and release Buckbeak.

Artemis, seeing that she was not to be dissuaded, cautioned her about every step.

"Even if you are not caught there are many complications. Hagrid will be accused of freeing the hippogriff. And he'll get into trouble with the ministry. Who knows what Lucius Malfoy might do to him?"

"Don't tell me to drop it."

'I'm not! But you should realize that there is only one option. You've got to set the hippogriff loose only after the executioner sees it tied up. Only then will they know that Hagrid wasn't involved and he'll be safe."

"Then we might not get the chance at all."

"Yes. But in this case better Buckbeak than Hagrid."/

After the last exam Mina went outside where all the students who were finished with school were enjoying the June sunshine. She sat under a tree within sight of Hagrid's hut, pretending to be focused on soaking up sunshine. As she had thought, Hagrid had lost the appeal.

Artemis stayed with her, talking about her defense against the dark arts final, a gauntlet of moderately dangerous creatures that they had studied.. Mina had nearly gotten lost when she had come across the hinkypunk, but remembered that the creature was untrustworthy and went on her way. She didn't try to cast a patronus on the boggart at the end, but instead made a bucket of bleach spill on the dementor, turning most of it's black cloak white. It was one of only two exams that she thought she did well on; the other being care for magical creatures.

As the day grew later moved closer to the tree to better hide, all thought of soaking up some sun forgotten. Towards sunset they heard a knock on Hagrid's door. They looked, and at first nobody was there. Hagrid was just as confused when he opened the door, but realization seemed to dawn on him quickly and he closed the door.

A few seconds later Mina and Artemis began to hear voices inside. They went to a window which Mina hid below while Artemis looked inside.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were inside, talking to Hagrid.

"How-"Artemis stammered.

"They've got an invisibility cloak." Mina whispered.

"Well I'll be. That would be really useful right about now. Do you think that that's"

"It's not big enough for Buckbeak."

"True."

There was a scream from inside. "Don't worry." Artemis said. "They just found a rat. Looks like it was the Weasely boy's missing pet or something like that."

A minute later Hagrid had shooed the three outside under the invisibility cloak, and not a moment too soon, for right afterwards four adults arrived, an old official, the executioner, Professor Dumbledore, and-

"Fudge!"

"Who?"

"The minister of magic!" Mina said.

"Oh wow. Do they really think this is such a big deal?"

"I guess so."

"Listen, Mina. You've got to wait until at least one of them sees Buckbeak tied up."

"I know, but by then it'll be too late."

All of the visitors went outside to look at Buckbeak while Mina and Artemis used the round curve of the hut to spy on them without being seen. It looked like they were going to do the execution then and there.

But then Dumbledore said something about more forms, and they all went inside.

Mina looked at Artemis. "This is perfect!"

"Yes. Do it quickly!"

She walked over to Buckbeak and bowed. The hippogriff gave an affectionate hoot and bowed back. She walked up to it, undid the ropes magically with her wand, and walked Buckbeak into the nearby forbidden forest.

A few seconds after they had disappeared the execution party came out again.

"Where the hell is it!" the executioner screamed.

"Beaky!" exclaimed Hagrid. "Bless em, he flew away!"

"He was tied up. We saw him. Someone must have set him loose."

"Mancair," Dumbledore said. "If someone did escape with Buckbeak do you think they'd just walk away? Search the skies if you wish, but I think I'd like some tea, if you don't mind Hagrid."

The people from the ministry walked away while Dumbledore and Hagrid went back into the hut.

"He's right." Mina said. "He should fly away." But Buckbeak was unwilling to fly, possibly because it did not want to leave Hagrid. Artemis hissed at it, which was good motivation for the creature to fly away.

"It'll probably be back." he said.

"But now Hagrid'll be able to do something about it without getting in trouble."

"Right. So how do we get back into the castle?"

Mina looked at Artemis, horrified. "I thought you had that figured out!"

"Me? This was your idea!"

"But you planned all the steps until now!"

"So what are we going to do? We can't stay in the forest all night."

"I don't-"

There was a growl behind them. They turned around to see a great, shaggy black dog approaching, foaming at the mouth. Mina gulped, but the dog ignored them as it walked past them and out of the forest.

"Whew. That thing looked rabid."

"Mina, what's happening out there?"

Mina looked up the hill towards the castle. Someone had started running like crazy. The next second two more people appeared out of thin air.

"It's Harry!"

"Mina, the dog!"

Sure enough, the giant dog had begun to charge at Harry Potter and his friends.

"Oh no!"

Mina and Artemis ran out of the forest, but they were so far behind.

The dog bit the one in front on the leg and began to drag him away. With a jolt Mina thought that it was Harry, until she heard his voice scream "Ron!"

The dog dragged Ron all the way to the whomping willow, where it and he disappeared from Mina's view. Harry and Hermione were struggling to get past the swinging branches.

Then the tree suddenly stopped attacking. 'Huh?' Mina thought. And Harry and Hermione disappeared too.

But Artemis was close enough to see where they went. "There's a gap in the roots. Some sort of tunnel underneath!"

"I see it. Let's hurry before the tree starts hitting things again."

"Mina, wait!"

"What?"

"Do you see that on the ground?"

Lying on one of the large roots near the tunnel entrance was a sheet that looked like it was made of an incredibly fancy fabric.

"You think that's the invisibility cloak?"

"Put it on!" After she had Artemis said "Yes! I can't see you! Now transform so you'll be at your best for whatever's down there!"

So Mina and Artemis slowly and silently worked their way through the long dark tunnel under the whomping willow. The walk seemed to take forever, but at last they heard

loud noises and raised voices, the sounds of a struggle.

Mina hurried into the room at the end of the tunnel. It was filled with furniture that had been torn by some large animal. A door in the room stood ajar. Mina went through it, her wand in one hand, the crescent compact in the other. It led to a staircase which she ascended. There was one more door open up there.

Inside Ron was on a bed, his leg broken. Hermione was standing against the wall, her hands over her mouth.

And Harry was pointing a wand at a filthy, hairy man on the floor who looked insane and yet strangely calm.

Sirius Black.