Lionheart ~ Harry Potter (Under Heavy Editing)

Chapter Twenty-Eight | Snakes and an Executioner

"I'm not going back there!" Ron protested, adamant that he wasn't returning.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I think I'll go and find Hermione, see how she is doing after being slightly insulted," Ariana replied, shooting Harry an apologetic smile. "I'll see you in the Common Room?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded, then retraced his steps back up the stairway.

Ariana and Ron made their way back down from the tower, the latter still reeling over Hermione's actions.

"Ariana, you're a girl," Ron said.

"Yes, great observation," Ariana retorted sarcastically.

"Why is Hermione acting so mad? She's even more metal!"

"Again, Ron, she's not mad, bored is she mental. I suggest you quit bring it up around her, unless you want to suffer her wrath," Ariana stated, then smiled at Ron. "She'll come around. As long as you stop accusing her cat if murder every time you see her."

Once Ariana peeled away from Ron, she located Hermione in their dorm room. She had changed out of her robes, just as Ariana intended to do.

Buckbeak's execution was only a few hours away, and the quartet of Gryffindors wanted to pay a visit to Hagrid before the time came.

"Hi, Hermione," Ariana greeted, picking clothes from her trunk.

"Hi, Ariana. How was Divination? Has Trelawney completely lost it yet?" Hermione questioned sarcastically, with a hint of genuine concern.

"Unfortunately not. If I have to 'Crystal-gaze' again, I will be the one who loses it," Ariana chuckled dryly.

The two girls laughed while Ariana changed, after having letting the curtains on her four-poster bed down.

This was one of the moments Ariana lived for. It was joyful, lighthearted and spent with one off her closest friends. But, as with all of the brief happy moments life granted her, it was to be followed by a horrid, bitter aftertaste.

As promised, Ariana and Hermione rejoined Harry and Ron after they had changed. Ariana was sporting her usual flattering black attire, which contrasted with her pale hair, skin and blue eyes.

They immediately set off for Hagrid's hut, making it down from Gryffindor Tower to the edge if the Forbidden Forest. It was no short journey, but one Ariana loved nonetheless, since it meant she wasn't at the place she was forced to call 'home'.

Four hearts broke when they spotted Hagrid feeding Buckbeak his last meal of dead ferrets, tears moistening his tomato red eyes.

"I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak! It's too horrible," Hermione whined.

A few minutes ago, they had spotted the Executioner. He was dressed like Death himself, with a massive axe that would soon remove the innocent Hippogriff's head, crows flying about him.

He sat with on a stone, sharpening his savage blade with a sinister look upon his face that sent shivers down everyones' spines.

"It just got worse," Harry groaned, nodding ahead in front of them.

Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were standing by a grouping of monolithic menhirs, all basking in the glee of Buckbeak's imminent doom and Hagrid's misery.

"Did you see the big, fat blubbering oaf?! Oh, this is going to be rich. Did I tell you, Father said I can keep the head. I think I'll donate it to the Gryffindor Common Room -" Draco looked up "- Ah. Come to see the show?"

Ariana's blood boiled within her veins. How dare he take so much joy out of the death of an animal he provoked to attack him?

Hermione was the one who lost it. She stormed ahead and thrust her wand in Draco's face, leaving the blonde boy panting in fear. "You... foul... loathsome... evil... little cockroach!"

"Hermione, no!" Ron protested. "He's not worth it."

Ariana, on the other hand, was quite happy to stand back and watch, resisting the urge to join Hermione. She couldn't contain the small smile that curled the corners of her lips.

Draco was pinned in between the towering rock and Hermione's wand, which was stationed underneath his nose. The Gryffindor nodded, withdrawing her wand, apparently agreeing with Ron. When - SMACK - she wheeled around and hammered her fist into Draco's jaw.

Ariana gave a breathy laugh of shock, amazed that her previously shy, rule-abiding friend just punched Malfoy.

In result of the punch, Draco's head smacked off of the stone. He scrambled away, actually whimpering in fear. His two goons chased after him, concerned about his health.

"That felt good," Hermione breathed, a smile appearing on her face.

"Not good. Brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.

All of them chuckled at the memory of Draco running away in fear, cowering when Hermione was poised to attack. It was the most hilarious thing Ariana had seen in a long time.

~~~~~

Question:
Which Hogwarts Professor has the ability to put students to sleep with his droning voice?

A: Professor Snape

B: Professor Binns

C: Professor Flitwick

Congratulations to CaraTQ for answering the previous question correctly.