Disclaimer: See chapter 1

A/N: This is gonna be long so that's why it took forever to get it out. I'm trying to wrap up the first three years pretty quick just because I want to write the last three soooooo badly! Anyway. Enjoy and please review!

There was no way Hermione and Ron would ever be friends again. Ron was so ticked that Hermione hadn't looked out more for Crookshanks and Hermione was ticked that Ron wasn't actually taking into consideration that those hairs could have been there since Christmas. And it probably didn't help that Harry sided with Ron, and then I was automatically the one to either even things out or have Ron outnumber Hermione. I just wanted to stay neutral. Hermione had taken to eating at the far end of the table alone. I would often alternate between her and Ron and Harry. Sometimes, if Fred, George and Lee weren't sitting with Ron and Harry I would simply sit with them in order to stay out of the whole mess. But on this particular day I was sitting with Hermione.

"Hey." I said sitting down. She barley looked up at me.

"Hi." She mumbled back.

"Listen, Hermione. Ron has always been a jerk about this sort of stuff. Well mainly about everything he doesn't like. He'll come to his senses soon." I hope. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sick of it Hannah. Harry could at least back me up a bit."
"No, cause then he'd and Ron be on the outs and I'd have to pacify everyone even more because just imagine how miffed Ron would be."

"I know." She glanced out the window and sighed. "Do you think we'll really be able to save Buckbeak?" She asked in a small voice.

"I don't know." I replied truthfully. We had been working during all our spare time, which was really not a lot, to get information on how to save Buckbeak. Every time I thought about how unfair it was I wanted to hex Malfoy into the next century. It was his own fault for not listening. Damn him! I didn't have much time to dwell on the thought because soon dinner ended and I had to get to Quidditch. I had made up my mind to talk to Harry about maybe at least talking a little to Hermione. But that all went out the window when I emerged from the changing room with the rest of our team and saw Ron in the stands. No way I could do it with him around. Our practice went well and Harry stayed after to let Ron have a go on his broom. I changed quickly and headed down to Hagrids.

"Hannah! Hannah!" A voice from behind me called. I turned around and saw Fred walking towards me.

"Hey." I said.

"Where are you going?"

"Hagrids house. Why?"

"Oh, no reason." I raised an eyebrow.

"Alright then. If that's all I'll be off." I turned away and started walking. "See ya later Fred."

"Wait Hannah!"

"Yeah." I said stopping.

"Good job today in practice."

"Uhhh. Thanks." I continued walking wondering what that had been about. I reached Hagrids cabin and knocked then walked in. "Hey guys." I said sitting down at the table where Hermione and Hagrid were sitting, a pile of papers spread out around Hermione.

"Hi Hannah. Could you hand me a book from my bag." Hermione said quickly.

"Which one?"

"The…History of Creature Trials."

"Okay." I dug through her many books in her bag then handed her the book.

"Thanks." From then on the two of us, Hermione and I, wrote out a bunch of notes for Hagrid. Hermione more on the history of other trials and why Buckbeak should be free on those terms, while I set to work the note for what really happened. We had been there for about two hours when Hermione slammed her book.

"Dammit!" She cried putting her head in her hands.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" I asked.

"There is nothing useful in this book!" I looked at Hagrid quickly wondering if that was the best way to put it.

"Hermione, it's all righ'." Hagrid said patting her on the back, which I'm sure just

smashed her head into her hands giving her neck issues. "We'll find somthin' else."

"It's not just that." She whispered her voice suddenly very quiet. "I'm just so worn out. All my extra classes have put me over the edge and now Ron and Harry won't talk to me because of Scabbers and I'm just barley hanging on emotionally around them." She finished slightly out of breath. I rubbed her back gently as she calmed down.

"I think you need to take a break." I said clearing all of our notes up. "Let's go back up to the castle and eat dinner. Then my dear you are going straight to bed." I finished packing up all our stuff and gently guided Hermione to her feet. "Let's go. See you later Hagrid." Hagrid waved us off and then we were on our own walking up to the castle. It was getting darker and I walked as fast as I could without rushing too much for Hermione's sake. I looked off towards the Quidditch pitch wondering how Ron liked the new broom when I saw a hulking shape. I stopped in my tracks Hermione passing me. I took a few steps in the direction of the Pitch and saw a huge black dog. The same one I had seen in Mongolia Crescent with Harry. I gasped and turned back to Hermione dragging her the rest of the way to the castle. We finally reached those huge oak doors and I had never felt safer in my life.

"What was that about?" Hermione demanded as we entered the Great Hall.

"Nothing, I thought I saw some dementors and just wanted to get out of there." I lied easily. She looked at me not sure if I was telling her the truth then sat down at the far end again. I glanced at Harry then sat with Hermione. What was that dog doing here? I wondered. And why does it look so familiar?

The next morning I got up a little earlier and sat looking out the window preparing for our game. We were playing Ravenclaw and I knew that we had the luck because of Harry's new broom. But, it was still a game and I was nervous. After breakfast we all headed down to the pitch to get ready. I saw Hermione enter the Great Hall as we left and I also saw Ron completely ignore her as she walked by. Big surprise there. The team changed and met back in the, well meeting area for Wood's usual pep talk, but they didn't seem to need it. It seemed as if Harry's Firebolt had them all charged up. So the team headed out to the field and I headed up to the stands where Ron had saved me a seat. I looked around but saw no sign of Hermione. The game started and it seemed as if Harry were taking a walk in the park with the amount of ease he played on the Firebolt. There were a few times when Harry spotted the Snitch only to have to veer off course because of one of the Ravenclaw beaters. Then finally he saw it again. As he went into a dive he looked over and down and I followed his line of vision. On the field were three dementors staring up at Harry. I pulled my wand out just incase Harry couldn't drive them away himself. But he did out of his wand burst a huge silver stag that chased down the dementors. Then he caught the Snitch. I vaulted the barrier of the stands and raced down to him, the rest of Gryffindor behind me. Fred was giving him a tight hug and Angelina, Katie and Alicia all kissed him. I tackled him from behind putting both him and Fred off balance.

"Harry! That was a fantastic Patronus!" I said as he turned to give me an actual hug.

"They didn't seem to affect me at all!" He exclaimed excitedly.

"That's because, well they weren't real." Another voice said. We both turned to see Professor Lupin.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Come over here." He turned away and the two of us followed. Lying on the ground trying to untangle themselves from the long black robes were Crabbe, Goyle, the Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint and Malfoy. "You gave them quite a start." McGonagall was berating them and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Seriously?" I asked. Lupin nodded. Just then George ran up.

"Harry! Hannah! Party in the Gryffindor common room now!" He sprinted away and Harry and I followed. The party was pretty fun. It lasted for a long, long, LONG time. When Fred and George started juggling butterbeer bottles, Harry and I went to talk to Hermione.

"Hey Mione." I said dropping into an empty chair next to her. She glared at me for calling her 'Mione' then returned to her work.

"Hey Hermione." Harry said and she barley looked up at him. I looked at my brother then back at my best friend.

"Hermione? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She said calmly. She flipped through her book entitled Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles, oblivious to the rest of the room.

"Uhhh, no your not." I said snatching her book. "Otherwise you'd be hanging out with the rest of us over there." I said nodding at the rest of the room.

"Did you even come to the match?" Harry asked.

"Yes. And I'm glad we won I just have so much work and it's all due Monday and…" But before she could go on Harry interrupted.

"Come on Hermione. Come get some food at least." He gently took her hand and tried to get her up.

"He doesn't seem to want me over there." Hermione all but hissed looking at Ron. And as if on cue the devil spoke.

"If Scabbers hadn't just been eaten then he could have had some of these Fudge Flies." He said very loudly. Hermione burst into tears, grabbed her book from me and ran up stairs to our dorm, absolutely sobbing. I stood up and strode over to Ron.

"Can't you just give her a break?!?" I snapped barley and inch from his face. Which, granted, required me standing on my very tippy toes and I was still only barley at his eye level. He backed up but didn't respond to me. He instead spoke to Harry.

"No I can't. If she would act like she was sorry then maybe. But Hermione, not unlike your sister always has to be right no matter what." At this he glanced at me. "Their both acting as if Scabbers is on vacation or something." I was towering with anger. I brought my hand up about to slap him then thought better of it and turned on my heel leaving the common room in silence.

"Hermione?" I called to the darkness that engulfed my dorm. I heard a faint rustling of sheets from her bed and walked over to it. "Hey, you okay?"

"No." She said in a stuffy voice, emerging from under her covers. From the moonlight I could see her eyes were swollen and puffy. "I…I can't. Why is he so mean?" She cried out in desperation.

"Because he's too prideful to even think that he was wrong and won't apologize ever." I took a breath wondering how to put this next part. "And you are being pretty prideful too Hermione." I said softly. But it ticked her off.

"I am not!"

"You kind of are. You won't even think of admitting that you were wrong. You both are so set in your way that you can't see past that. I know what it's like to always have to be right Hermione. And I'm getting better at it. Now you have to work on it." She rolled away from me and I knew she was done listening. I stood up and changed. As I brushed out my long black hair I glanced out the window. Sitting under the glow of the moonlight was a huge black dog. I dropped my brush and heard Hermione sigh in exasperation from her bed. Why did that dog keep popping up? I stared at it until a cloud came over the moon and I couldn't see. When the cloud passed, it was gone.

"Where do you want to go first?" I asked as Hermione and I walked through a snowy Hogsmeade. She didn't seem to ear me. "Hello? Hermione? Earth to Hermione!" I said waving my hand in front of her face.

"Huh?" she said coming out of her fog.

"There you are. I asked where you wanted to go…"

"Do you think Harry used the map to get out of the castle again?" she asked quickly.

"Or not." I said giving up trying to talk. "I don't know Hermione. And if he did he most likely brought his cloak…." I trailed off seeing Ron emerging from Honeydukes. Luckily Hermione didn't see him. "Let's go in the Three Broomsticks." I said decidedly, steering her in that direction. "You could use a butterbeer." She gave in and we walked in. She sat down and I slipped back out. I spotted Ron and ran over to him.

"Ron! Ron!" I called to him over the wind that was picking up. He seemed to be talking to something or someone and didn't notice me till I was right behind him.

"Oh, uhh, hi Hannah." He said looking nervous. I stopped and looked him in the eye with a smirk.

"Is it fun walking around talking to your imaginary friend?" I asked.

"Wha…what are you talking about?"

"I bet it is." I continued seriously. "especially when his name happens to be oh, I don't know." I paused thinking. "Maybe Harry James Potter?" He opened and closed his mouth a few times but nothing came out. "Later Ron." I turned and ran back to the Three Broomsticks. I scanned the room and saw Hermione still sitting at the table looking around nervously. I caught my breath and walked over to her.

"Hannah! Where were you?" She asked relief flooding her voice.

"Sorry Hermione! I saw Oliver just outside and you know him, he wanted to set up a meeting for strategy again." I lied easily. She nodded and we ordered our drinks. We spent the rest of the day mainly just talking in the warmth of the Three Broomsticks. Before we knew it, it was time to head back up to school. As we reached the doors a small tawny owl flew up to Hermione with a letter in it's beak. She took it and opened it then gasped.

"NO!" She exclaimed stopping in the middle of the hallway. I pulled her off to the side as she re-read the letter a few times.

"What is it?" I asked taking the letter from her now limp hand. I read it and my heart stopped in my chest. "No." It was a letter from Hagrid.

Dear Hermione,

We lost. I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts.

Execution date to be fixed.

Beaky has enjoyed London.

I won't forget all the help you and Hannah gave us.

Hagrid.

I looked at Hermione in shock. She looked back at me and we walked the rest of the way to the common room in silence. As we reached the portrait hole we saw Ron and Harry. We walked up to him and Ron glared at Hermione.

"Come to have a good gloat?" He snapped at her. Hermione looked taken back then composed herself.

"No." She held out the letter with trembling fingers. "I just thought you ought to know. Hagrid sent this to me. Buckbeak is going to be…going to be…" She couldn't say it.

"Buckbeak is going to be executed." I said quietly. Ron and Harry stared at us in disbelief.

"They can't do this!" Ron cried.

"Absolutely not!" Harry went on. "Buckbeak is innocent. He's the farthest thing from dangerous!" He cried.

"Lucius Malfoy scared the stupid committee into it! I just know it!" Hermione said wiping tears from her eyes. "There will be an appeal but I can't see the hope."

"They'll get it then Hermione. We'll help you this time. We promise!" Ron said. Harry nodded in agreement. At that Hermione totally lost it. She threw her arms around Ron's neck and sobbed into his shoulder. Ron patted her awkwardly on the head. It was pretty funny and I smiled through my own tears. Harry drew me into a quick hug then released me the same time Hermione drew away from Ron.

"I'm sorry about Scabbers." She said in a chocked voice. She glanced at me and I smiled. Good, she had let go.

"Oh----well----he was old." He said looking glad she had let go of him.

I guess now would be a good time to mention the second break in. On one Saturday a few weeks back, Ron had been woken by something. He looked up and saw Sirius Black standing over his bed with a knife. He had slashed the curtains. That's why Hermione freaked out and told Harry he had to turn in the map that Fred and George had given him. It was a map that showed all the secret entrances in and out of Hogwarts. Created by four people it was never wrong. Messer's Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot and Prongs were absolutely brilliant. The map was well protected so you could only read it if you touched it with your wand and said, 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' Then to clear it you say 'Mischief managed.' Clever right? Anyway, after Black's second break in, more security measures were put in place. So it was all but impossible to visit Hagrid in the evenings. So the only time we could talk to him was during Care of Magical Creatures. He kept saying that it was all lost, that there was no chance that he could win the appeal. We were walking back to the castle when Hagrid broke down and ran back to his cabin. We were walking towards a tree and I went one way and the other three went another. On the other side of the tree were Malfoy and his body guards.

"Look at him blubber." He said maliciously. "Have you ever seen anything quite so pathetic?" Harry and Ron made furious move towards him but Hermione and I got to him first. She slapped him from one side and I punched him from the other almost simultaneously.

"Don't you dare?" She shirked. "Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic you foul evil little" She dug into her robes for her wand but I was already one step a head. I had my wand out and it was pointed straight in his face. He backed away looking from me to Hermione and back. He finally made up his mind and he and Crabbe and Goyle left. I lowered my wand and turned back to Ron and Harry. Hermione and I were both furious. We walked the rest of the way to Charms in silence. Once we were there we ended up being late.

"Gentlemen, lady you are late. Hurry, hurry wands out. We're practicing Cheering Charms today. We've already divided up into pairs." Professor Flitwick said briskly. Ron and Harry turned to each other and I turned around to face Hermione. Only she wasn't there.

"Uhhh, guys. Where'd Hermione go?" I asked. Both boys turned and looked just as shocked as I felt.

"She was right behind us!" Ron said. "How'd she do that?" I shook my head and tried to shrug it off.

"She'll turn up. She might have just stopped by oh, I don't know maybe the bathroom or something." I said trying to hide the bit of anxiety growing in me. Harry, Ron and I paired up as a trio and practiced Cheering Charms. By the end of class we were all almost giddy. Harry especially since I had over done my spell a bit. Hermione was still no where to be found. She didn't show up during lunch either. About half way through I stopped eating. It was some weird psychotic thing I had. When something was wrong, or missing, I didn't eat. After Ron and Harry had finished we made our way up to the common room. We walked in in silence hoping to see Hermione. And sure enough she was there, sound asleep on her Arithmancy book. I walked over to her and gently shook her.

"Hermione?" I asked quietly.

"Wha…What lesson do we have next?" She asked suddenly wide awake.

"Divination but that's not in twenty minutes or so." I said.

"Why weren't you in Charms?" Ron asked. Hermione groaned and collapsed back onto her book.

"I forgot to go to Charms!" She said on the verge of tears. "Was Professor Flitwick angry?"

"You forgot?" Harry asked skeptical.

"It was Malfoy. I was thinking about him and I just lost track of things." She explained quickly. "What did we do today?"

"Cheering Charms but Hermione…" Ron started.

"Oh and Professor Flitwick hinted they might be on our exams! Oh I had better go talk to him!" She gathered her things and ran towards the portrait hole. "I'll see you in Divination." We all watched her leave in a stunned silence.

"It's official, I'm best friends with a freak." I said finally.

True to her word, Hermione met us in Divination twenty minutes later. We climbed the ladder into Professor Trelawney's room and took our seats. Sitting on our tables were crystal balls. I rolled my eyes. This was exactly what I needed.

"I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term." Ron whispered to us.

"Don't complain. This means we've finished palmistry. I was sick of her flinching every time she saw my hands." Harry muttered.

"I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned." Professor Trelawney said. "The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice."

"Well honestly. The 'fates have informed her'….who sets the exams? She does! What an amazing prediction." Hermione said not bothering to keep her voice low. Harry, Ron and I chocked back our laughs. Professor Trelawney continued as if she hadn't heard.

"Crystal gazing is a particularly fine art," Professor Trelawney began, "I do not expect any of you…" By this point I had stopped listening. Don't I just have an amazing attention span? It's like a four year olds. I gazed out of the window thinking about a number of different things. One of them being that dang dog. I had just started to think of where else I had possibly seen it as Hermione nudged me and nodded to our crystal ball. I glance around the room. Everyone else was staring deeply into their crystal and Hermione and I followed suit.

"I think this tops all absolutely dumb things I've done." I muttered.

"Besides you know, maybe tripping over air?" Hermione whispered back. I rolled my eyes at her and continued staring. I heard her say something about Cheering Charms but didn't respond.

"Would anyone like me to help translate what the shadowy portents within their Orb?" Professor Trelawney asked serenely as she walked past.

"I don't need help." Ron muttered. "It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight." Hermione, Harry and I burst out laughing.

"Now really?" Professor Trelawney said as the class looked at us.

"Yeah really." I replied with a straight face. "I can tell as well." She glared at me then swooped upon Harry's 'Orb'.

"There is something there!" She whispered dramatically. "Something moving…but what is it?" She paused and I glanced at Harry who looked a little nervous I must say. "My dear, it is here closer than ever before….stalking ever closer to you…the Gr--------" But she never finished the word.

"Oh for goodness sake! Not that ridiculous Grim again!" Hermione exclaimed. Professor Trelawney stood up facing Hermione with unmistakable anger.

"I am sorry to say that the moment you arrived in this class my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires." I mouthed the word noble to Harry with a raised eyebrow. He shrugged. "Indeed I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane." Hermione stiffened at that and my eyebrows went even higher.

"Fine!" She exclaimed, stuffing her book into her bag, swinging it over her shoulder, smacking me in the head on her way, and left the room. I watched her go with a growing sense of awe. Who was this girl and what the hell had she done to my best friend?

"OH! Professor! You said that around Easter on of us would leave! Did you know Hermione would leave?" Lavender asked.

"Indeed I did. The inner eye, is much more attuned than most senses." Lavender and Pavarti moved over and Trelawney joined their table instead. We finished up class I and I raced out to find Hermione and see what had gotten knocked into her. I found her right before dinner leaving Professor Flitwicks office, thanking the tiny professor for teaching her Cheering Charms. She turned smiling and saw me.

"Hello Hannah."

"Hi. Mind telling me who you are and what you've done with my best friend?" She looked and me and rolled her eyes.

"What? You think I can't be rebellious too?"

"No." I stated simply. She seemed a little hurt but she didn't say anything until we reached the Great Hall.

"How was the rest of Divination?"

"What do you think?" She nodded. "You know what? I think she just says those things to say them and then they go into our subconscious. And even though we aren't thinking about them we are. So then when Easter comes round something in our mind says, 'Oh well someone's leaving Divination soon." I stopped and looked at Hermione. "You know?"

"Hannah, I never thought I'd live to hear you say some thing so…intellectual."
"Ouch." I said clutching my heart. "Cut me deep 'Mione. Cut me deep."

"Of course HannahBannanaBooBooBear. I always do."

It was the night before the Quidditch final and nothing normal was happening. Even Hermione wasn't studying.

"I can't think much less concentrate." She said as she stuffed her books in her bag. Across the room Fred and George were being exceptionally loud and rambunctious. Angelina, Alicia and Katie were all laughing loudly at their jokes and near the fire you could see Wood studying a model of a Quidditch field. Harry was more nervous than I'd ever seen him. He opened his mouth to say something but at the same time Wood called me over. I looked at him like 'Really? You expect me to uncurl form my comfy chair and book to talk Quidditch?' but all that did was make him call to me louder. I uncurled, much to my displeasure and walked over to him.

"Yes Oliver?" I asked.

"What do you think the chances are of another freak dementor thing tomorrow?"

"Very slim. Plus Harry would most likely be able to produce a Patronus this time." I said simply crouching down next to him.

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm not." He sighed and looked back to his model. "But if he can't I can." I said quietly.

"Really?" He asked not taking his eyes off the model.

"Really."

"Excellent." Then without warning he stood up. "Team! Bed!" he called. The other six members of our team ambled upstairs. Wood looked down at me and grinned. "You too Potter."

A/N: DONE! I was going to just finish the book in this chapter but there was no way I could. I was so bored. SO the actual match and the rest of it will have to wait till next time. Anyway, you know those things called reviews? I really like them and they make me happy. SO if you leave them I will love you forever. OH and tell your friends about this story! And I will try to check your stories out soon! Thanks!