After dinner on June 6th, Harry, Ron and Hermione took me aside for a private word in a chamber off the entrance hall.
"Hagrid lost the appeal. They're gonna execute Buckbeak tonight. We're going down to see him, he can't be there on his own. Do you want to come?" said Harry.
"Yes" I said.
"Put this on then"
It was the invisibility cloak. I had to crouch down really low in the middle in order for all 4 of us to be able to fit under it, and it was very uncomfortable, but I knew how important this was so I didn't complain. Walking very close together so that nobody would see us, we 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. We 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 we stepped inside.
Hagrid shut the door quickly and Harry pulled off the Cloak. Hagrid was not crying, nor did he throw himself upon our 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. '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.
'There's another one in the cupboard,' Hagrid said, sitting down and wiping his forehead on his sleeve. Harry glanced at Ron and I, who looked back hopelessly.
'Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?' Harry asked fiercely, sitting down next to him. 'Dumbledore –'
'He's tried,' said Hagrid. 'He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared … yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like … threatened 'em, I expect … an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's … but it'll be quick an' clean … an' I'll be beside him …'
I suddenly had an idea.
"Hagrid" I said "I know this is a bit caniving and all, but why couldn't Dumbledore just put a memory charm on Fudge and the executioner so that they would forget what they came to do?"
Hagrid looked interested for a moment, but then Hermione intervened
"First of all, that would be highly illegal Ginny, and secondly, the Ministry would wonder why the task hadn't been done. They'd surely ask them about it just as a matter of security. Dumbledore can't just go around modifying memories like that"
Hagrid swallowed. His eyes were darting all over the cabin, as though looking for some shred of hope or comfort.
'Dumbledore's gonna come down while it – while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter – ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore …"
"Harry and I are dating now" I told him, trying desperately for something to cheer him up even slightly. This did seem to work momentarily.
"Are yeh? Well, congratulations" he replied, smiling very briefly. "But tha' makes it even worse. Hardly a good first date is it, watching an execution"
'We'll stay with you anyway Hagrid,' Hermione began, but Hagrid shook his shaggy 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.'
Silent tears were now streaming down Hermione's face, but she hid them from Hagrid, bustling around making tea. Then, as she picked up the milk bottle to pour some into the jug, she let out a shriek.
'Ron! I – I don't believe it – it's Scabbers!' Ron gaped at her.
'What are you talking about?'
Hermione carried the milk jug over to the table and turned it upside-down. With a frantic squeak, and much scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers the rat came sliding out onto the table.
How was this even possible, Scabbers had been dead for months! I couldn't believe what I was seeing!
'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 OK, 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' …'
We 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.
'Yeh gotta go,' said Hagrid. Every inch of him was trembling. 'They mustn' find yeh here … go on, now …'
Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione picked up the Cloak.
'I'll let yeh out the back way,' said Hagrid
We followed him to the door into his back garden. We saw saw Buckbeak a few yards away, tethered to a tree behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch. Buckbeak seemed to know something was happening. He turned his sharp head from side to side, and pawed the ground nervously.
'It's OK, Beaky,' said Hagrid softly. 'It's OK …'
He turned to us.
'Go on,' he said. 'Get going!'
But we didn't move.
'Hagrid, we can't –' said Ron
'We'll tell them what really happened –' said Hermione
'They can't kill him –' said Harry
"This is disgraceful-" I said
'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 us, we heard voices at the front of the cabin. Hagrid looked at the place where we 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. Slowly, in a kind of horrified trance, we set off silently around Hagrid's house. As we reached the other side, the front door closed with a sharp snap.
'Please, let's hurry,' Hermione whispered. 'I can't stand it, I can't bear it …'
We started up the sloping lawn towards 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.
'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, it's Ron,' Ron hissed.
We heard a door open behind them and men's voices.
'Oh Ron, please let's move, they're going to do it!' Hermione breathed.
'OK – Scabbers, stay put –'
We walked forwards but then 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 unmistakeable swish and thud of an axe.
Hermione swayed on the spot.
'They did it!' she whispered. 'I d-don't believe it – they did it!'
