Later that afternoon, after attending classes after classes, Y/N finally settled into the common room. Harry was off to Quidditch practice, Hermione was in the library and Ron was probably... somewhere.
She was about to doze off just as Josie (her owl) came flying in and settled on her lap and dropped a parchment of paper which was damp. She softly petted Josie's head and picked up the paper. To her surprise, it was a note from Hagrid informing them that Buckbeak's execution will take place tomorrow. Y/N couldn't help but feel bad for Hagrid. She knew how much Buckbeak meant to him. Buckbeak was important to her too. The memory of flying through the clouds on Buckbeak's back with Harry was a core memory for her. It could also be one of those memories she could use for the Patronus charm. So if something were to happen to Buckbeak, it would be extremely painful for her also.
*****
"Broaden your minds. You must look beyond. The art of crystal gazing is in the clearing of the Inner eye. Only then can you see. Try again."
Professor Trelawny's voice echoed in the background while Harry and Ron were nodding off and Y/N took a deep drowsy yawn. Y/N, at least, felt extremely foolish, staring blankly at the crystal ball, trying to keep her mind empty when thoughts such as ‘this is stupid’ kept drifting across it.
"This is such a waste of time," Hermione hissed. "I could be practising something useful. I could be catching up on Cheering Charms –"
Professor Trelawney rustled to their table, "Now, what do we have here?"
Ron and Harry straightened at her arrival and wiped the drool from their faces.
"Oh! Do you mind me trying?" Hermione asked in her fake-sweet voice. She definitely hated Divinations.
Professor Trelawny gestured for her to continue.
"The Grim?... possibly." Hermione said.
Professor Trelawny raised her enormous eyes to Hermione’s face. "I am sorry to say that from the moment you stepped foot in my class, my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. You may be young in years, but the heart that beats beneath your bosom is as shrivelled as an old maid's, your soul as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave."
There was a moment’s silence. Then–
"Fine!" said Hermione suddenly, getting up and swinging the bag over her shoulder. She knocked the crystal ball to the ground, and to the whole class’s amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight.
"Was it something I said?" Professor Trelawny asked, looking completely oblivious to her words.
As soon as the class was over, the three of them ran out to go find Hermione.
"She's gone mental, Hermione has!" Ron exclaimed as they made their way down the stairs. "I mean not that she wasn't always mental.. but now it's certainly open for everyone to see."
"I would've done the same thing if someone told me my soul was as dry as books." Y/N shrugged.
"Hang on." Harry said as he bent down to pick up the crystal ball Hermione knocked down. "We better take this back."
"I'm not going back in there!" Ron said shaking his head.
"I'll come with you, Harry." Y/N said and Harry nodded.
Harry and Y/N carried the crystal ball up the stairs and pushed open the door to Trelawny's classroom. Harry set the ball back on its stand but something caught his eye.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Y/N asked, who was standing right behind Harry.
"There's... There's something forming in the crystal ball." He answered.
He leaned in closer and realised it was Sirius Black.
"Harry Potter" he whispered repeatedly..
An arm pushed Y/N to the side, causing her head to hit the side of a table. The arm grabbed Harry's shoulder from behind.
Professor Trelawny was breathing hard as she managed out "He will return tonight! Tonight, he who betrayed his friends, whose heart rots with murder shall break free. Innocent blood shall be spilt and servant and master shall be reunited once more!"
She started coughing like she had a hairball stuck in her throat.
"Harry." Y/N's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he looked and found her on the floor. She looked as if she was in pain. He immediately rushed to her side and leaned down to see the injury.
"Are you okay?" His face was full of worry and his hands were trembling as he slowly removed the hair from her face.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Y/N said.
"No, you're not. You're bleeding." He slowly touched the deep gash above her right eyebrow with his trembling fingers, and Y/N winced in pain.
"C'mon, let's take you to Madam Pomfrey's." Harry helped Y/N to her feet and kept a protective arm around her shoulder as he steadied her.
Professor Trelawny looked at them, completely clueless as to what happened just a few seconds ago and asked, "Oh, I'm sorry, dear boy, did I say something?"
"No." Harry said. His voice firm with a hint of anger. Y/N could feel the tension in his arm that was wrapped around her shoulder.
"Let's go, Harry." she hurriedly pulled him out of the classroom and led him to the infirmary while Harry provided the steadiness she needed.
*****
"I'm telling you that woman is mad!" Ron exclaimed as the quartet was walking through the corridors. "How can she just push Y/N like that? She was mad when we first met her and now she's even madder."
Y/N's head injury was nicely wrapped in bandage and the pain was almost unnoticeable, thanks to Madam Pomfrey. But her friends were still worried, especially Harry.
"It's okay, Ron. It doesn't hurt that much." Y/N said. "Besides we have more important things to worry about."
Just as they were outside Lupin's office, Y/N stopped and said, "Can you guys wait for me?... I have something to ask Professor Lupin."
Her friends nodded and she went inside his office and came back after 10 minutes...
Hermione broke the silence as they were crossing the bridge to go to Hagrid's hut.
"I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak." she said.
"It's horrible." Y/N said not looking up from the ground.
"And it just got worse." They all looked to where Ron was pointing and saw Draco and his goons standing behind a rock laughing at Buckbeak.
"Did I tell you?" They heard Draco say, "Father says I get to keep the hippogriff's head. I think I'll donate it to the Gryffindor common room."
Hermione stormed down the steps and pulled out her wand.
"Ah! Come to see the show?" Draco smirked.
"You! You foul loathsome evil little cockroach you!" she yelled pointing her wand at his throat.
"Hermione, no!" Ron whined, "he's not worth it."
She kept her wand at his throat while he whimpered like a baby.
"Come on, Hermione." Harry said.
She pulled her wand from his throat and turned to leave before he started laughing again.
That really set Hermione off.
She turned around and punched him square in the jaw. He fell to the ground while wincing in pain.
"Malfoy, you ok?" His goons asked as they helped him up. The minute Draco was on his feet, he started running back to the castle holding his nose in pain.
Y/N couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle. She was precisely waiting for this moment. It gave her immense satisfaction when she watched it in the movie and now when it happened in front of her, it felt even better.
"Nice one, Hermy." she said and patted Hermione on the back like a proud mama.
"That felt good." Hermione smiled in relief.
"Not good, brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.
They continued to make their way down to Hagrid's hut. They all gave sad looks to Buckbeak as they passed and entered the tiny hut.
"Oh look at him." Hagrid said, looking out the window with tearful eyes, "He loves the smell of trees when the wind blows through 'em."
"Why don't we just let him go?" Harry asked.
"Ah, they'd know it was me, and then Dumbledore could be in trouble. He's coming down, ya know, says he wants ter say goodbye one last time."
"We'll stay with you, Hagrid." Hermione said but Hagrid shook his shaggy head.
"Oh, yeh will do no such thing! I do not wan' any of yeh seein' somethin' like that! Just drink yeh tea an' be off. Oh! Before yeh do, Ron, I think I may have found somethin' that belongs to you."
He walked over to the shelf and opened up a small box, pulling out a grey rat.
"SCABBERS!" Ron said happily. "You're alive!"
"I think that means you owe someone an apology." Hermione said, walking over to the two and crossing her arms.
"Right. I'll apologize to Crookshanks when I see him." Ron said sarcastically.
"I meant me!"
A vase on the table next to Hermione broke open, "Blimey!" Hagrid said. "What was that?"
"Someone threw a rock?" Hermione picked up the small grey stone next to the vase.
"Ow!" Harry exclaimed beside Y/N as another rock hit the back of his head.
He turned to the window to see who threw the rock but instead his eyes landed on the executioner walking straight towards them.
"Uh Hagrid?" He said pointing out the window.
"Crikey. All of yeh out the back door."
They all ran to the back.
"It'll be okay, Hagrid." Harry said before going out the back door.
The quartet peeked out the door to see if the coast was clear. Once it was, they all ran down the trail and hid behind some pumpkins. They glanced from behind them to see the Minister of Magic talking to a now crying Hagrid.
"Oh, poor Hagrid." Y/N whispered.
Hermione turned around suddenly and looked at the wood behind us.
"What?" Harry asked her trying to see what she was looking at.
"I thought I just saw– nothing, it's nothing." she said turning back around.
"Let's go!" Ron whisper shouted at his friends.
They all ran back up the steps they had come where Draco and his goons had been standing earlier.
The executioner walked out of the hut, axe raised high in the air. They heard a swing and knew Buckbeak was now gone.
Tears started streaming down Y/N's face, even if she knew they'd bring Buckbeak back, it still hurt to witness something so horrible. She buried her head into Harry's chest and he wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on hers.
"Ow!" Ron shouted as he dropped Scabbers to the ground, "He bit me!"
Scabbers began running away from the quartet towards the Whomping Willow.
"Scabbers!" Ron yelled as he chased after the rat.
"Ron!?" Harry and Hermione yelled at the same time.
"Guys as bloody annoying as that stupid rat is, Ron's our friend and we need to help him." Y/N said before running after him.
Harry and Hermione came quick after her.
"Wait, Ron!" Y/N shouted and dived face-first in front of the Whomping Willow to grab Scabbers. She tightly held the rat in her fists, determined to not let go no matter how many times he bit her.
"Scabbers, you bit me!" Ron said as he looked at the rat in Y/N's hands.
"Y/N, run!" Harry yelled.
Y/N looked up and saw Sirius standing right behind her friends. She knew it was the time to initiate her plan and this was the only chance she had to prove that Sirius was innocent to Harry.
Harry followed her eyes and gasped as he saw the huge black dog with his teeth out standing behind them. Before they could even react, the dog jumped over them and grabbed Y/N by the leg.
She yelped as the dog pulled her into the Whomping Willow.