Chapter 9 - Buckbeak
Hermione followed Loki closely. She didn't understand how a teacher could be so irresponsible. The bright words on the back of his jacket made it easy for her to follow until he went behind a tree. He had disappeared from sight, but when she looked on the other side of it, only his jacket remained on a nearby branch.
"What the … " she said. Thankfully she caught eye of him again sneaking around the large pumpkin patch in a white, muggle office shirt and tie. She grabbed the jacket for safe measure. Harry and Ron lagged behind her. Fudge, Dumbledore, and the executioner were entering Hagrid's hut.
"Mr. Laufeyson!" Hermione whispered called, but he ignored her.
"Mr. Laufeyson!" She tried again. Buckbeak relaxed in the pumpkin patch chained to a post. Ron and Harry finally caught up to them.
"Professor!" called Harry. Loki whipped his head around swishing his black hair out of his face. Clearly Loki set out what he was going to do, eyeing the people in the hut carefully. He put up a finger to his lips to silence them.
"Wait!" hissed Harry. If Mr. Laufeyson didn't bow to Buckbeak, then he could end up like Malfoy. To Harry's surprise, he did bow to the beast. Buckbeak noticed him and bowed back sleepily. Loki crept closer to the creature.
"Mr. Laufeyson! Don't!" hissed Hermione, but Loki did something she did not expect. He conjured a limp fish and put it closer to the hippogriff. Buckbeak recognized the smell and slowly rose to meet it. She gasped.
"How the hell did he do that?" whispered Ron. Hermione was in disbelief. Keeping an eye on the company in the hut, he threw the fish to Buckbeak who snapped it up graciously. Loki crept closer to the beast and conjured another fish.
"Did you see that?! He did it again?!" squeaked Ron. Harry did not fully understand what was wrong with Loki's spells, he was simply in awe of it. Loki threw Buckbeak another fish getting close enough to remove the chains from his neck. He then conjured a saddle and harness for the horse bird. Buckbeak made some noise at the fitting. He pulled Buckbeak further away from the hut and the company that was just about to exit from it.
"What are you doing?!" hissed Hermione.
"Escaping!" whispered Loki with a wide grin, "I suggest you do the same!" He mounted the hippogriff and slapped his hind quarters to get him to take off. Buckbeak reared before bounding off. Harry still stared at him in shock and awe. Loki flew off leaving them behind.
"Why do I feel like he's done this before?" he noted.
"Let's get this over with, please." said a voice coming just outside of Hagrid's hut. The trio whipped their heads around.
"All right." said Dumbledore.
"Move!" commanded Hermione and they scampered off into the woods. Fudge, Dumbledore and Hagrid came out of the hut. The minster of magic looked around frantically.
"But where is it? I saw the beast, just now. Not a moment ago!" said Corenlious Fudge.
"How extraordinary." remarked Dumbledore.
"Buckbeak." whispered Hagrid, scanning the area.
"Come now, Dumbledore. Someone's obviously released him. Hagrid?" said the minister of magic.
"Buckbeak," whispered Hagrid again.
"Don't think the minister's suggesting you had anything to do with this. How could you? You've been with us all the time," they could hear Dumbledore say the further the got away. The used the outskirts of the forest to shield themselves from sight as they made it back up the hill.
"That lunatic left us there! And stole Buckbeak! What the hell was that all about?!" Ron said finally breaking their silence.
"What do you mean? He saved Buckbeak!" said Harry.
"Yeah if no one finds out that it was him," remarked Ron.
"Harry, didn't you see?" asked Hermione.
"See what?" he asked. Hermione and Ron paused knowing something he did not.
"He performed magic without a wand Harry," said Hermione quietly.
"Yeah, so? Dobby can do that. I'm sure other people can," said Harry.
"Yeah magical, non-human folk can … but not people Harry," said Ron carefully.
"Why not?" he asked confused. Ron and Hermione shared glances.
"To perform magic without a wand is beyond most wizards and witches. Unless controlled, magic can be raging, chaotic and volatile – that's why wizards use wands to channel it – and requires the utmost skill and discipline to control," added Hermione. Harry thought for a moment.
"So, what are you suggesting?" he asked. Ron and Hermione paused.
"He's either a very powerful sorcerer or … he's mad as hell," finished Ron," my money's on the latter." Dumbledore's request popped into his mind.
Hermione spread out the jacket she snagged in her hands reading the large orange lettering again.
"And what do you suppose this means?" she asked showing them the word on the back.
"I dunno, but it looks like … something a prisoner would wear … " noted Harry.