The next morning, when, Ron, Hermione and I woke and headed down to the common room, we found that Harry wasn't there, and he didn't show up for several hours. In that time we started discussing him. I decided not to mention having already known about Black's betrayal, because this would just make Ron angry with me and we hardly needed that at the moment. It was the first day of the holidays, and everyone else had gone home. That is, with the exception of Demelza, who was in Iceland with her parents.

"We'll need to be really careful with what we say to him" I said

"We just need to make sure we emphasise that he can't do anything stupid like going after Black" said Hermione.

"Yeah, if when we ask how he is, he just responds with fine darkly, then we'll know he's still thinking about it. That's when we all need to contribute to press the point home" said Ron

Harry didn't show up until just before lunchtime.

'Harry you – you look terrible" said Hermione

It looked like he'd struggled to sleep all night.

'Where is everyone?' said Harry.

'Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?' said Ron, watching Harry closely. 'It's nearly lunchtime, I was going to come and wake you up in a minute.'

Harry slumped into a chair next to the fire. Snow was still falling outside the windows. Crookshanks was spread out in front of the fire like a large, ginger rug.

'You really don't look well, you know,' Hermione said, peering anxiously into his face.

'I'm fine,' said Harry.

'Harry, listen,' said Hermione, exchanging a look with Ron, 'you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid.'

'Like what?' said Harry.

'Like trying to go after Black,' said Ron sharply.

"Yeah, we know you're having those thoughts. It's so easy to tell" I added

'You won't, will you, Harry?' said Hermione.

'Because Black's not worth dying for,' said Ron. Harry looked at them.

'D'you know what I see and hear every time a Dementor gets too near me?'

We shook our heads, and I bit my lip, unsure if I actually wanted to know the answer.

'I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her –

'There's nothing you can do!' said Hermione, looking stricken. 'The Dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and – and serve him right!'

'You heard what Fudge said. Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for him like it is for the others.'

'So what are you saying?' said Ron, looking very tense. 'You want to – to kill Black or something?'

'Don't be silly,' said Hermione in a panicky voice. 'Harry doesn't want to kill anyone, do you, Harry?'

"Harry, they're right!" I said. "You go after Black and he will blow you to pieces on sight, he's mad, you would be dead before you could blink!"

'Malfoy knows,' Harry interrupted. 'Remember what he said to me in Potions? 'If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself … I'd want revenge.''

'You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?' said Ron furiously. 'Listen … you know what Pettigrew's mother got back after Black had finished with him? Dad told me – the Order of Merlin, First Class, and Pettigrew's finger in a box. That was the biggest bit of him they could find. Black's a madman, Harry, and he's dangerous –'

'Malfoy's dad must have told him,' said Harry, ignoring Ron. 'He was right in Voldemort's inner circle –'

'Say You-Know-Who, will you?' interjected Ron angrily. '– so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for Voldemort –'

'– and Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew! Get a grip, Malfoy's just hoping you'll get yourself killed before he has to play you at Quidditch.' 'Harry please,' said Hermione, her eyes now shining with tears, 'please be sensible. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants … oh, Harry, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your mum and dad wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!'

'I'll never know what they'd have wanted because, thanks to Black, I've never spoken to them,' said Harry shortly. There was a silence, in which Crookshanks stretched luxuriously, flexing his claws. Ron's pocket quivered.

'Look,' said Ron, obviously casting around for a change of subject, 'it's the holidays! It's nearly Christmas! Let's – let's go down and see Hagrid. We haven't visited him for ages!'

'No!' said Hermione quickly. 'Harry isn't supposed to leave the castle, Ron –'

'Yeah, let's go,' said Harry, sitting up, 'and I can ask him how come he never mentioned Black when he told me all about my parents!'

Further discussion of Sirius Black plainly wasn't what Ron had had in mind.

'Or we could have a game of chess,' he said hastily, 'or Gobstones. Percy left a set –'

'No, let's visit Hagrid,' said Harry firmly

"No, I think Hermione's right, Harry really shouldn't be-" but before I could say anything else, they had gotten up to go and get their cloaks. When they got back, Hermione said "You coming, Gin?"

I rolled my eyes and got up to join them.

We made our way slowly down the lawn, making a shallow trench in the glittering, powdery snow, our socks and the hems of our cloaks soaked and freezing. The Forbidden Forest looked as though it had been enchanted, each tree smattered with silver, and Hagrid's cabin looked like an iced cake.

Ron knocked, but there was no answer.

'He's not out, is he? 'said Hermione, who was shivering under her cloak.

Ron had his ear to the door. 'There's a weird noise,' he said. 'Listen – is that Fang?'

Harry, Hermione and I put our ears to the door, too. From inside the cabin came a series of low, throbbing moans.

'Think we'd better go and get someone?' said Ron nervously.

'Hagrid!' called Harry, thumping the door. 'Hagrid, are you in there?'

There was a sound of heavy footsteps, then the door creaked open. Hagrid stood there with his eyes red and swollen; tears splashing down the front of his leather waistcoat.

'Yeh've heard!' he bellowed, and he flung himself onto Harry's neck. Hagrid being at least twice the size of a normal man, this was no laughing matter. Harry, about to collapse under Hagrid's weight, was rescued by Ron, Hermione and I. We seized Hagrid under an arm and heaved him, Harry helping, back into the cabin. Hagrid allowed himself to be steered into a chair and slumped over the table, sobbing uncontrollably, his face glazed with tears which dripped down into his tangled beard.

'Hagrid, what is it?' said Hermione, aghast. Harry spotted an official-looking letter lying open on the table. 'What's this, Hagrid?'

Hagrid's sobs redoubled, but he shoved the letter towards Harry, who picked it up and read aloud: Dear Mr Hagrid, Further to our inquiry into the attack by a Hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.

'Well, that's OK, then, Hagrid!' said Ron, clapping Hagrid on the shoulder. But Hagrid continued to sob, and waved one of his gigantic hands, inviting Harry to read on.

However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your Hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated. Yours in fellowship …

There followed a list of the school governors.

'Oh,' said Ron. 'But you said Buckbeak isn't a bad Hippogriff, Hagrid. I bet he'll get off –'

'Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!' choked Hagrid, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. 'They've got it in fer interestin' creatures!'

"Mary's father works in that department" I said "Just after the Malfoy incident happened, we got into an argument about it in our dormitory. She had a go at Demelza, Amy and I for backing you and Buckbeak, so her dad has clearly brainwashed her. Lucius Malfoy will also use any excuse to punish Dumbledore or his associates!"

"Ginny knows, see, Ron" coughed Hagrid, "yeh should listen to your sister more, she talks so much sense"

A sudden sound from the corner of Hagrid's cabin made us whip around. Buckbeak the Hippogriff was lying in the corner, chomping on something that was oozing blood all over the floor. 'I couldn' leave him tied up out there in the snow!' choked Hagrid. 'All on his own! At Christmas!'

We looked at each other. We had never seen eye to eye with Hagrid about what he called 'interesting creatures' and other people called 'terrifying monsters'. On the other hand, there didn't seem to be any particular harm in Buckbeak. In fact, by Hagrid's usual standards, he was positively cute.

'You'll have to put up a good strong defence, Hagrid,' said Hermione, sitting down and laying a hand on Hagrid's massive forearm.

'I'm sure you can prove Buckbeak is safe.'

'Won' make no diff'rence!' sobbed Hagrid. 'Them Disposal devils, they're all in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared o' him! An' if I lose the case, Buckbeak –' Hagrid drew his finger swiftly across his throat, then gave a great wail and lurched forwards, his face in his arms.

'What about Dumbledore, Hagrid?' said Harry. 'He's done more'n enough fer me already,' groaned Hagrid. 'Got enough on his plate what with keepin' them Dementors outta the castle, an' Sirius Black lurkin' around –'

Ron, Hermione and I looked quickly at Harry, and I bit my lip nervously. Was he about to start shouting at Hagrid for not talking about Black? He surely couldn't, not with Hagrid in this state!

'Listen, Hagrid,' he said, 'you can't give up. Hermione's right, you just need a good defence. You can call us as witnesses –'

I let out a sigh of relief I didn't even know I was holding in.

'I'm sure I've read about a case of Hippogriff-baiting,' said Hermione thoughtfully, 'where the Hippogriff got off. I'll look it up for you, Hagrid, and see exactly what happened.' Hagrid howled still more loudly. Harry and Hermione looked at Ron to help them.

'Er – shall I make a cup of tea?' said Ron