Hermione grasped a small stone that sat atop a pumpkin, then stood up. The girl tossed it straight through Hagrid's open window, immediately ducking back down after it left her palm. The stone collided with the jar, causing a loud crack as it shattered.
"Are you mad?" Harry enquired, but he was completely ignored.
Hermione hurled another stone into the house, but this one conked the back of Harry's head.
Ariana pursed her lips, knowing that must of been painful. She also knew Hermione hadn't meant to hurt Harry, but the smack told them it had.
Harry rubbed the back of his head. "That hurt."
"Sorry," Hermione breathed.
Ariana moved her eyes away from her friends and focused on Hagrid's front door. Fudge's party had arrives, rapping on the door. The Executioner's crows had landed atop the roof, their beady eyes searching their new surroundings.
"C'mon. Any minute now we're going to be coming out the back door," Hermione said anxiously.
She wasn't kept waiting for long. Ariana, Hermione and Harry quickly dashed into the forest behind them, ducking behind three trees. Their past selves - accompanied by Ron -crouched by the pumpkins where, only seconds before, they had been.
Ariana silently preyed that they hadn't been spotted, her back flat against the rough bark of a towering Oak tree. She spied Fudge in the window, then heard Hermione pondering the back of her own head:
"Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?"
"Shhh!" Harry shushed, trying to remain undetected.
Past Hermione and Ariana whipped around, studying the moving branches that Hermione had knocked when she ducked back behind the tree's trunk.
Ariana heard then speak.
"Nothing, I just thought I saw... Never mind," past Hermione said, turning away.
"I'm sure it was nothing," past Ariana stated, but narrowed her eyes nonetheless.
Seconds later, the quartet rushed away, starting up the slope. Once the coast was cleat, the three students slipped out of the trees. It was more or never.
"Now!" Hermione said, eager to steal Buckbeak before they were caught.
Ariana and Harry each vaulted into the patch, which was a great job considering Ariana only had one usable arm.
Crows had flocked around Buckbeak like a death omen, now pecking at their feet, cawing. Ariana ignored them, her main focus on the Hippogriff.
Fudge coukd be heard from inside the hut. "'It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the Hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed this day at sundown...'"
Buckbeak eyed the two Gryffindors curiously, a ferret leg hanging from his mouth. After a quick bow, the leg was slurped up, then Buckbeak bowed his head in respect.
Ariana sighed in relief and made towards the end of the iron chain that was looped around the creature's neck.
Harry made it over seconds before she did. A flint-eyed crook pecked his hand, so he waved at it. "Get away!"
Harry was yanking hard on Buckbeak's chain, but it was of no use, the animal did not move. Instead, he let out an irritated cry.
"Shhh, Buckbeak," Ariana goaded, stroking his beak.
"'The Committee's appointed executioner shall dispatch the condemned by means of beheading...'"
"C'mon, Buckbeak. Come on..." Harry pleaded, pulling mightily on the chain, but Buckbeak was stubborn.
Ariana ripped her sling off, needing the use of both arms. She gently straightened her injured arm, gritting her teeth as the entire limb seared. After moving it a few times, the pain ebbed away, allowing her to use it with little pain.
"'As witnessed below.' You sign here, Hagrid. Very well, gentlemen. Let's step outside, shall we..."
The Hogwarts bell tower began to chime, loud tolls coming from behind the grand clock.
"Excuse me, Minister. I believe I must sign as well..." Dumbledore said, as if buying time for them.
Harry tugged on the chain furiously, willing the animal to move.
A thought popped into Ariana's head. She knew it was risky, but it was worth it. The girl jumped onto a large pumpkin and kicked off of it, swiftly landing on Buckbeak's hairy, feathered back. He danced around beneath her for a moment, but calmed down.
"Come on, Buckbeak," she encouraged, squeezing his sides with her heels.
The Hippogriff began to move forwards, led by Harry. Ariana's victory, however, was short-lived. Buckbeak yet again refused to move, claws and hooves planed firmly on the ground.
Hermione popped into view and bowed quickly. When Buckbeak returned it, Ariana went down with him, using her core strength and arms to remain on his back.
Her friend, she noticed, had dead ferrets hanging around her neck, and was dangling one out towards Buckbeak. "Here, Beaky... Come and get the nice dead ferret... yum yum..."
Harry eyed her as if she was mad, but Buckbeak began to move underneath Ariana.
Hermione moved backwards into the trees, and Buckbeak followed, snapping his beak in an attempt to snag the ferrets. Ariana planted her hands flat on Buckbeak's neck, moving her pelvis with his movements to remain on his back.
The quartet stopped on the spot as the back door opened, revealing everyone inside the hut. Ariana's blood froze in her veins; was this game over?
Dumbledore - as before - pointed in the opposite direction, diverting the attention of his companions away from his students. "Professor Dippet had those blackberries planted when he was Headmaster..."
Ariana kicked Buckbeak on and, goaded by Hermione and Harry, they made it into the treeline. The witch slid off of Buckbeak as they stood there, watching Fudge turn back around, intending to have Buckbeak executed.
"Let's get this over with, shall we?"
The students' view was unobstructed this time, so their eyes were pinned on the people inside the pumpkin patch.
A devious smile crept on to Ariana's face as they turned around, noticing that their intended target was missing. The Executioner's masked eyed soon became clouded with anger, much to the delight of the Gryffindors.
"But... where is it? I just saw the beast not moments ago - Hagrid?" Fudge questioned, flabbergasted.
"Buckbeak..." Hagrid said quietly, wondering where his Hippogriff had wondered off to.
At the sound of Hagrid's voice Buckbeak's strained against his chain, bumping into Ariana. She knew he pined after his owner, but he could not be allowed to go if he wished to keep his head intact. To quieten him, Hermione tossed him a ferret.
"How extraordinary!" Dumbledore smiled, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Come now, Dumbledore. Someone's obviously released him," Fudge deadpanned, irked.
"Professor, I swear! I didn't!" Hagrid protested.
"I'm quite sure the Minister isn't suggesting that you had anything to do with it, Hagrid. How could you? You've been with us all along," Dumbledore reasoned.
"We should search the grounds -"
"Search the skies if you must, Minister. In the meantime, I wouldn't say no to a cup of tea, Hagrid. Or... a large brandy." Dumbledore turned to the Executioner. "It seems your services will no longer be required."
As Dumbledore and Hagrid retreated into the house, the Executioner seemed outraged. With brutal fury, he lifted his blade and slammed it into the flesh of a pumpkin with a sickening chop.
Ariana smiled; it was never Buckbeak's neck that had been the cause of that noise.
~~~~~
Question:
Which type of dragon is Norbert?
A: Ukrainian Ironbelly
B: Swedish Shortsnout
C: Norwegian Ridgeback
Congratulations to Blackstars36 for answering the previous question correctly.