A/N Oh god, it's been ages, hasn't it? I'm so sorry - exams, work experience, school production, school finishing for summer ... but hopefully now I can get back on my feet again! But I'm going on holiday on Saturday so I won't be doing that for like two weeks :( On other thoughts, I have found an awesome Fanfic - called Slytherin's Potter (rated M though, but you can skip the naughty parts) and it's about Lily Luna Potter :) xxx

Chapter Fifteen

Buckbeak's Appeal

The happiness from finally winning the Quidditch Cup was definitely not short-lived. They celebrated for more than a week as June fell upon them, but with June came exams. The weather was so nice, with the blue skies and summery air, but most of the time they were hauled up inside, trying the make their brains whirr into action like they had before.

Everyone seemed to be revising, the breeze of the summer washing throughout the castle, making Amara ache to go outside. She actually forced Harry, Ron and Hermione to revise outside, because she didn't want to waste the nice weather. Even Fred and George had been seen revising together, heads down and making no noise for they had their OWL exams this year. Percy was worse off, for he was doing his NEWT examinations, which were very hard and draining.

Amara was still worried about Hermione though. She was revising so much it was thought impossible. Harry and Ron couldn't help but butt in when they saw her exam timetable.

MONDAY

9 o'clock Arithmancy

9 o'clock Transfiguration

Lunch

1 o'clock Charms

1 o'clock Ancient Runes

"Hermione?" Ron asked her, cautiously, for she was like a ticking bomb nowadays. "Er – are you sure you've copied down these times right?"

"What?" snapped Hermione, checking it over. "Yes, of I course I have."

"But – but Amara's doing her Ancient Runes exam this evening with the rest of the class! Why aren't you?" Ron stuttered.

"I just am!" she snapped again.

"Is there any point asking how you're going to sit two exams at once?" said Harry.

"No," said Hermione shortly. "Have either of you seen my copy of Numerology and Grammatica?"

"Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading," said Ron, but very quietly. Hermione started shifting heaps of parchment.

Just then, Hedwig swooped in and dropped a letter onto Harry's lap. He ripped it open quickly.

"It's from Hagrid," he said. "Buckbeak's Appeal – it's set for the sixth."

"That's the day we finish our exams," said Hermione, still looking for the book. Amara took the letter from Harry to read herself, as he kept talking.

'Dear Harry, Ron, Hermione and Amara,

Just got word about Buckbeak's Appeal, it's on Thursday the sixth of June. They're coming here to Hogwarts to do it, saves us going to London again. Their bringing someone from the Ministry of Magic and an executioner –'

Amara read no more, she suddenly felt slightly ill. It seemed that even though it was just an appeal the Ministry had already made up their minds – Hagrid was right, Lucius Malfoy had got the committee in his pocket, for any fair trial would not have gone this sour so sharply.

To take her mind off of things, she decided to absorb herself in Transfiguration, for she loved it and it made her feel better.

"I can't believe they're doing this," said Ron a while later. "This wouldn't be happening if Lucius Malfoy hadn't had his 'say' in the matter."

"Too true," muttered Amara. "It would be much better if he hadn't."

-OOOOO-

Their first exam was Transfiguration, which Amara was proud to find that she excelled in, but decided not to tell Hermione, who was annoying everyone about how her tortoise looked like a turtle, which everyone found stupid, because some people's kept emitting steam.

Next was Charms, where Professor Flitwick made them do a Cheering Charm (Amara was please that she did hers on Hermione, because she was happy for the rest of the afternoon) and in the evening she did her Ancient Runes exam, which she also found easy. Unfortunately for her, that was the end of her good lessons.

"Beaky's gettin' a bit depressed," Hagrid told them the next time they saw him, during their Care of Magical Creatures exam, bending low on the pretence of checking that Harry's flobberworm was still alive, which was all they had to do for an hour. "Bin cooped up too long. But still... we'll know day after tomorrow-one way or the other -"

They had Potions that afternoon, which Amara hoped she did well in, but couldn't be sure, because her potion definitely not perfect.

Then came Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower, which Amara found boring, and couldn't wait until she could drop the subject; History of Magic on Wednesday morning, which Amara thought was a waste of time, considering she wouldn't need the information ever. Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology, in the greenhouses under a baking-hot sun, Amara, though, felt it went perfectly fine, and skipped away feeling confident.

Their second to last exam, on Thursday morning, was Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new boggart.

Harry went first and received top marks - Ron did very well until he reached the hinkypunk, which successfully confused him into sinking waist-high into the quagmire and Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the boggart in it. After about a minute inside it, she burst out again, screaming.

"Hermione!" said Lupin, startled. "What's the matter?"

"P-P-Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. "Sh-she said I'd failed everything!"

Amara went after Hermione, who needed to be calmed down. She went through the grindylow, went through the Red Caps and even got through the hinkypunk marshes. But she didn't want to get into the trunk. Bracing herself, she climbed inside, which was much bigger than she thought it was, and saw, with a jump, a Basilisk waiting for her. In the bustle to get rid of it and whilst trying to get out of there, Amara ended up flying out of the trunk whilst yelling the spell, successfully stopping the boggart, but not as well as Harry had at all. This made Ron laugh at her (for he couldn't laugh at Hermione, was still shaken) and Amara punched him in the arm, though still smiling herself.

They went back up to the castle afterwards, where their smiles were wiped from their faces. Cornelius Fudge, sweating slightly in his pinstriped cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds. He started at the sight of Harry.

"Hello there, Harry!" he said. "Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?"

"Yes," said Harry. Amara stayed behind with Hermione and Ron, hovering awkwardly.

"Lovely day," said Fudge, casting an eye over the lake. "Pity... pity..."

He sighed deeply and looked down at Harry.

"I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in."

"Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Ron interrupted, stepping forward.

"No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon," said Fudge, looking curiously at Ron.

"Then there might not be an execution!" Amara said hotly.

Before Fudge could answer her, two wizards came through the castle doors behind him. One was so ancient he appeared to be withering before their very eyes; the other was tall and strapping, with a thin back moustache. Amara knew that they were the representatives sent with Fudge.

"Dear, dear, I'm getting too old for this... Two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?" said the ancient wizard.

Amara suddenly noticed the axe that was strapped to the moustached man's belt. She glared before following the others into the Entrance Hall.

"Why'd you stop me?" said Ron angrily as they entered the Great Hall for lunch. "Did you see them? They've even got the axe ready! This isn't justice!"

"Ron, your dad works for the Ministry, you can't go saying things like that to his boss!" said Hermione, but she too looked very upset. "As long as Hagrid keeps his head this time, and argue, hi case properly, they can't possibly execute Buckbeak..."

Amara was sad that people around them could easily have fun and talk about what their after-exam plans were.

After lunch, Amara, Harry and Ron made their way up to the seventh floor for their divination exam.

"Urgh," Amara moaned. "I do not want to do this."

"At least you can leave after this year," Ron said. "We can't."

They saw all their classmates hurriedly cramming in more revision as they reached the landing.

"She's seeing us all separately," Neville informed them as they went to sit down next to him. He had his copy of Unfogging the Future open on his lap at the pages devoted to crystal gazing. "Have either of you ever seen anything in a crystal ball?" he asked them unhappily.

"Nope," said Ron in an offhand voice. He and Amara kept checking their watches, counting down the time to Buckbeak's appeal.

The line of people outside the classroom shortened very slowly. As each person climbed back down the silver ladder, the rest of the class hissed, "What did she ask? Was it okay?"

But they all refused to say.

"She says the crystal ball's told her that if I tell you, I'll have a horrible accident!" squeaked Neville as he clambered back down the ladder toward Harry and Ron, who had now reached the landing.

"That's convenient," snorted Ron. "You know, I'm starting to think Hermione was right about her"-he jabbed his thumb toward the trapdoor overhead-"she's a right old fraud."

"Yeah," said Harry, looking at his own watch. It-was now two o'clock. "Wish she'd hurry up..."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Amara snapped. "A horrible accident for not telling others that they saw nothing a stupid glass ball? Please."

Parvati came back down the ladder glowing with pride.

"She says I've got all the makings of a true Seer," she informed Harry and Ron. "I saw loads of stuff... Well, good luck!"

She hurried off down the spiral staircase toward Lavender.

"Good for you," muttered Amara, crossing her arms.

"Ronald Weasley," said the familiar, misty voice from over their heads. Ron grimaced at Harry and Amara and then climbed the silver ladder out of sight. Amara and Harry were the only ones left on the landing.

They didn't say much, each with the same thought in their minds: Hagrid and Buckbeak's appeal.

"I hope Hagrid keeps his head," said Harry after a while.

"If he does, there's more of a chance that Buckbeak lives," Amara said grimly. "And I'd hate to see him die."

Finally, after about twenty minutes, Ron's large feet reappeared on the ladder.

"How'd it go?" Harry asked him, standing up.

"Rubbish," said Ron. "Couldn't see a thing, so I made some stuff up. Don't think she was convinced, though..."

"Amara Matthews!" came the misty voice.

"Here goes nothing," Amara sighed and climbed the ladder into the tower room.

It was horrible in the Tower room – hot, sweaty and perfume wafted up Amara's nostrils so she gagged.

"Good Afternoon, my dear," said Professor Trelawney. "Would you please gaze into the orb and tell me what you see?"

Amara decided this was the perfect time to put on a show.

She sat down on the chair, prim and proper, gazing mysteriously into the orb. She widened her eyes theatrically.

"I think –" Amara started. "Yes, I see a window …"

"Go on?" Professor Trelawney said eagerly, scribbling on her parchment.

"It's a Hogwarts window – and it's summer outside, with bright skies and loads of birds. It's zooming out … yes, I see myself!" she whispered. "I'm standing talking to … you and Professor McGonagall. We all seem to be arguing … ah yes – you're stomping away now, and I'm looking out of the window again. Professor McGonagall is talking to me … oh!"

"Yes?" Professor Trelawney said expectantly.

"The scene is changing – there's a crowd of … of centaurs – it's in the forest!" Amara said quickly. "And they're holding someone screaming, they're dragging them away into the midst of the forest …"

She trailed off, leaving a silence in the room.

"Excellent!" beamed Professor Trelawney. "Quite excellent!"

"Thanks," said Amara, grinning.

"Yes, yes, you may leave now,"

Amara skipped down the stairs happily.

"Good luck Harry," she said. "But just make up a story - I think I passed."

Harry cracked a smile. "Thanks," he said. "See you in the common room."

Amara walked by herself back to Gryffindor Tower. There were people swarming out to get outside and into the sun.

"Finished your exams?" a voice from beside her said.

She turned and saw Fred, George and Lee smirking at her. George was the one to speak, it seemed, because he was doing it the most.

"Too right," retorted Amara good-naturally. "And I just passed my Divination exam with good marks."

"How?" Lee said, looking startled.

"Why I made it up of course!" Amara said. "But I'm dropping it at the end of this year - can't take another two years of that stuff."

"Good idea," said Fred. "How ignorant we were when we chose Divination." They sighed.

"How do you guys pass?" Amara asked.

"Angelina."

"Alicia."

"Julie Entwhistle," Lee finished.

"Kevin's sister?" Amara asked.

"Cousin," corrected George. "She has a massive soft spot for Lee here."

Amara giggled. "And what about Lee?"

"I don't know why he hates it - she's actually very pretty," George sighed.

"Obviously you can't please everyone," Fred snorted.

"Where are you off to then?" Lee interrupted, shaking his head.

"Urm, the common room, I think, we're waiting for Harry now," said Amara.

"Ah, well, we might see you lot outside then, see you," George grinned, ruffling her hair.

They sauntered off down the hallway, looking very suspicious. Amara scowled and fixed her hair before turning towards the common room.

"How'd it go?" asked Ron as she sat down.

"Awesome," Amara said. "Any news?"

"No," said Hermione, looking worried. Just as she said it, an owl swooped through an open window and dropped a letter onto Amara's lap.

"It's from Hagrid," said Amara, noticing the familiar scrawl.

"Read it!" urged Ron. Shakily, Amara opened the parchment.

"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."

Amara looked up, utterly horrified.

"Lost the appeal?" she whispered. "Oh no, oh no."

"I – I," Ron started. "That's not fair!"

"I don't think it matters, not with Lucius Malfoy in the midst," Hermione said.

Harry rushed into the Common Room at that moment, looking like he was bursting. He stopped, however, once noticing their ashen faces.

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

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

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

They all sat back in despair.

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

"Where is it?" said Hermione immediately.

"It's in the passage that starts at the one-eyed witch. On the third floor. You open the witch's hump and the passage goes to Hogsmeade. I left it there when I was running back and …if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," he said

"That's true," said Hermione, getting to her feet. "If he sees you... 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 open the Fat Lady's portrait and vanished from sight.

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

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

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

Hermione looked rather flattered.

-OOOOO-

They went down to dinner normally, but then went into an empty chamber in the entrance hall afterwards, instead of returning to Gryffindor Tower. Harry had taken the Invisibility Cloak down with him, under his robes, so that they could put it on straight away. Soon, no one else came through from the Great Hall.

"Okay," Hermione 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.

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

"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.

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 than tears.

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

"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. Amara felt very sorry for him. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an'-an' smell fresh air-before –"

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

"I'll do it, Hagrid," said Hermione quickly, hurrying over and starting to clean up the mess. Amara got up too, getting the dustpan and brush out.

"There's another one in the cupboard," Hagrid said, sitting down and wiping his forehead on his sleeve. Amara went to one of the three cupboards in Hagrid's hut, wondering which one it was in. Harry, Ron and Hagrid continued talking. Amara shared a glance with Hermione, who looked on the verge of tears.

Amara went through a cupboard but found kitchen ware in the second. Standing on her tiptoes, she rummaged around, moving plates and glasses. Finally, she found the jug, after Hermione sniffled quietly.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," said Hermione. Hagrid shook his head.

"Yeh're ter 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."

Hermione had tears streaming down her face, so Amara guided her back down to the table so she could make the tea. All was going well until she looked inside the milk jug. She screamed, making everyone jump.

"I – I, Ron its Scabbers!" she said, calming herself down.

Ron gaped at her.

"What are you talking about?"

Amara walked to the table and turned the jug upside down. Scabbers came skidding out of the jug and onto the table.

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

He grabbed the struggling rat and held him up to the light. Scabbers looked dreadful. He was thinner than 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 okay, Scabbers!" said Ron. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"

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

"They're comin'..."

Amara, 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. Next to him trotted Cornelius Fudge. Behind them came the feeble old Committee member and the executioner, MacNair, the friend of the Malfoys.

"Yeh gotta go," said Hagrid. Every inch of him was trembling. "They mustn' find yeh here... Go 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. Amara felt like she was floating, but from her head, so her body was being dragged along. It couldn't be happening. Buckbeak was tethered to a pole in the garden, shaking his head, looking worried. Amara gulped.

"It's okay, Beaky," said Hagrid softly. "It's okay..." He turned to Amara, 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 -"

"They can't kill him -"

"We have to stay –"

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

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

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

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

They slowly walked away from Hagrid's cabin, trying to ignore the voices inside.

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

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

Ron stopped dead. Amara gulped and turned towards him, wondering what it was.

"Oh, please, Ron," Hermione began.

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

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.

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

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

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

"Ron!" Amara squeaked.

"Okay-Scabbers, stay put -"

They walked forward. Amara tried with all her might to ignore the voices again. But Ron stopped again.

"I can't hold him-Scabbers, shut up, everyone'll 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.

Hermione swayed on the spot. Amara gulped, her throat constricting. She started to breather very fast.

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