"They can't do this," Harry hissed, shaking his head as he looked at the letter. "They can't! Buckbeak isn't dangerous!"
"Malfoy's dad frightened the committee into it," Hermione said, wiping her eyes. "You know what he's like!"
"They're a bunch of wrinkly old fools without a brain of their own! They were scared into agreeing with Malfoy!" Grace hissed angrily. "There will be an appeal, there always is one for face but... but nothing will change. Their decision is final as long as Malfoy has them on his payroll."
"It will! It has too!" Ron exclaimed. "You two won't have to do the work alone this time! I'll help!"
"Oh Ron!" Hermione cried, flinging her arms around Ron's shoulders and stated crying into his neck. Ron, looked at Grace and Harry, completely terrified on what to do, just patted Hermione on the head awkwardly. "Ron, I'm really, really,reallysorry about Scabbers! I really am!" she sobbed as she pulled away.
"Oh – well – he was old," Ron shrugged, looking relieved when she finally pulled away. He could handle a crying Grace, he's had years of practice with her, but other crying girls? Ron couldn't do it. "And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now," he hoped.
Grace was happy that Ron and Hermione were finally talking again, she was not happy with the outcome of Buckbeaks trial. She wish she could console Hagrid, but with the extra security measures on the castle, it was next to impossible to talk to Hagrid in the evenings, or to be outside in general. She missed sitting outside by the lake reading with Snuffles, and was sad that she didn't get to see Snuffles on her birthday, but she realized that maybe it's best if he was away for a little while with all the security.
"S'all my fault, got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked of fer me, 'Mione. An' then Lucious Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em," Hagrid told them that afternoon during Care of Magical Creatures class, as it was the only time they were able to talk to Hagrid about it.
"There's still the appeal!" Ron reminded him fiercely. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it!" he said as they all made their way back up to the Castle. Grace glared murderously at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who were all looking back at them and laughing.
"S'no good, Ron," Hagrid told him sadly as they reached the castle steps. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure that the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that..." he nodded, and turned to head back to his hut with his face buried in a hankerchief.
"Look at him blubber!" Malfoy cackled. "Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" he laughed. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"
Grace glared at him, pulling her wand from her robes as she followed Hermione. She held out her wand, ready to hex him with the scalping hex again, but Hermione beat her to him and thenSMACK!Grace blinked, staring at Hermione in awe. She had just slapped Malfoy across the face.
"Don't youdarecall Hagrid pathetic, you foul – you evil –"
"Hermione!" Ron called, grabbing her hand and tried to pull her away.
"Getoff,Ron!" Hermione shouted, pulling her arm away.
"Yeah, Ron! Let Hermione loose!" Grace encouraged, grinning at Hermione as the other girl pulled out her wand, aiming it at Malfoy, who stepped backward.
"C'mon," Malfoy muttered, glaring at them and pulling Crabbe and Goyle along as they all made their way to the dungeons.
"Hermione!" Ron said, both stunned and impressed.
"Harry, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch Final!" Hmerione said, turning to Harry. "You just have to because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!" Harry only nodded, still staring at Hermione in awe.
"Hermione, you're my new favorite person," Grace grinned, and the other girl's cheeks flushed. "I aspire to be like you."
"Well the next time Malfoy acts like a git, you can hit him," Hermione promised, and Grace's grin widened in excitement.
"We're due in Charms," Ron told them, still goggling Hermione. "We'd better go." Grace and Harry nodded as they followed after them. When they reached Professor Flitwicks classroom, Grace turned and frowned, wondering where Hermione went.
"Where's Hermione gone?" Ron asked, as he placed his bag on his desk.
"That's weird," Harry said, frowning as he also looked around. "Maybe – maybe she went to the bathroom or something?" he asked, turning to Grace, who shrugged and took her seat next to Ron.
Hermione didn't turn up at all during their Charms lesson, and Grace frowned in worry. It was never like Hermione to miss a class.
"She could've done with a Cheering Charm on her too," Ron said as they left for lunch, all of them grinning. The Cheering Charm had left them all with a feeling of giddiness.
When Grace noticed that Hermione didn't make it to lunch either, she grew concerned. She packed up her things and stood up, gaining the attention of Ron and Harry. "I'm going to go find Hermione," she said.
"You don't think Malfoy did something to her do you?" Ron asked anxiously, but Grace shrugged. "Let's go," Ron nodded as they hurried out of the Great Hall and raced to the Gryffindor Common rom.
Grace was relieved when they found Hermione fast asleep at a table, resting her head on her Arithmancy textbook. "Hermione," Grace said softly as she gently shook Hermione's shoulder.
"W-what?" Hermione muttered groggily, she blinked her eyes open then shot up, looking around her wildly. "Is it time to go? W-which lesson have we got now?"
"Divination, but it's not for another twenty minutes," Harry answered. "Hermione, why didn't you come to Charms?"
"What? Oh no!" Hermione groaned loudly. "I forgot to go to Charms!"
"How could you forget?" Grace asked, confused. "We were all on our way to Charms together. You were with us up until we walked in."
"I don't believe it!" Hermione exclaimed furiously. "Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh it was Malfoy! I was thinking about him and I lost track of things!"
"You know what, Hermione," Ron started, looking down at Hermione's large Arithmancy textbook, as well as all the scattered pieces of parchment and quills. "You're trying to do too much. You've spread yourself too thin!"
When they reached Divination, Hermione was arriving at the bottom of the steps right behind them. Grace frowned. There was no way that Hermione could have gotten to the Charms classroom, and up to the Divination classroom in less than twenty minutes. Nonetheless, she took a seat at a table, and Ron took the seat across from her. She frowned as she looked at the Crystal ball that sat in the middle of their table.
"I have decided to introduce the Crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned," Professor Trelawney announced. "The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice!" Grace heard Hermione snort, and she glared over Ron's shoulder. "Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art," Trelawney said dreamily. "I do not expect any of you to See when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes – " Ron stuck his fist to his mouth to keep from laughing, and Grace kicked his shin, forcing him to wince and glare at her. This was why he didn't like sitting with her during Divination. "So as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will See before the end of the class!"
Ron and Grace then leaned forward, and stared intensely at the crystal ball. Ron stifled a yawn as he rested his head in his hand, and Grace rested her chin on her hands. "See anything?" Ron whispered after fifteen minutes but Grace shook her head.
"You?"
"Yeah, burn marks," he muttered, and she frowned. "On this table, someone's spilled their candle," he finished and she tutted at him with a roll of her eyes before staring back at the Crystal ball.
"Oh my, what do we have here?" Professor Trelawney asked as she got close to Harry and Hermione's table.
"Can – can I try?" Hermione asked, a smirk forming on her face. Grace frowned as she watched, Ron turned around in his seat to watch too; both of them were surprised as Hermione hated this class. "The Grim," she said, not even bothering to look at the crystal ball. "Possibly." Grace rolled her eyes at Hermione, she knew what the girl was doing and was feeling mildly annoyed. Why didn't she just drop the class already?
"My dear," Trelawney started. "From the moment you first arrived in my class," she said as she took Hermione's hand in hers, flipping her palm up to look at it. "I sensed that you did not possess the property spirit for the novel art of Divination. No, you see here?" she paused, running a finger down Hermione's palm. "You may be young in years, but the heart of that beats beneath your bosom is as shriveled as an old maid's, your soul as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave, mhm," she sighed, and held Hermione's hand gently, giving it a light pat as she gave Hermione a small, sad smile.
Hermione looked like she was ready to explode, instead she yanked her hand from Professor Trelawney's grip and stood up from her seat. With a scoff, she flicked her wrist and pushed the crystal ball from the table, letting it roll out of the class room as she stormed away. Grace blinked, as well as the whole class who silently watched as Hermione left.
"Oooh!" Lavender exclaimed. "'In late spring, one of our number will leave us forever!'" Lavender announced, remembering one of Trelawney's predictions from the first day of class. "Youknew, Professor! Yousaw!" Lavender said in awe.
"On these occasions, I take no joy in my gift, Miss Brown," Professor Trelawney sighed sadly.