In the library, Harry was absent-mindedly doing his holiday homework. He always glanced at the Marauder's Map hidden in the book. When he found that everyone gathered in the principal's office had left, Harry immediately became energetic and stood still.
He got up, knocked down the chair, and made a loud noise, which attracted the attention of the students who were doing their vacation homework in the library.
Ron and Hermione, who were doing their holiday homework seriously, both looked at Harry who was packing up his homework. They seemed to have thought of something and started packing their things.
Ron actually wanted to see how the appeal was going over there, while Hermione was worried that the two of them would cause unnecessary trouble at a critical moment.
It's not that Hermione doesn't want to trust Harry and Ron, it's that the two of them don't do things very carefully. If they have a hot head, God knows what will happen, and it may even ruin Albert's plan.
Albert was obviously worried about similar problems happening, so he specifically reminded the three of them not to get involved in this matter.
As soon as they left the library, Ron asked, "What's wrong, Harry?"
"Malfoy and everyone else have left the Headmaster's office. I think Buckbeak's appeal is over." Harry said in a low voice.
"Harry, I know what you are thinking, but we don't want to interfere in this matter." Hermione quickly followed the pace of the two of them and reminded sternly: "We promised, you might make things worse if you go there now.
worse."
"Hermione, we just want to know how Buckbeak's appeal is going." Ron comforted softly.
"Harry, now we have reached a critical moment." Hermione took Harry's arm and said seriously: "We have no good solution, so don't cause trouble to them. After this matter is over, we will visit Hagrid.
Okay?"
"Hermione, we just want to know the results, not make trouble."
Hermione's distrust made Harry a little annoyed.
"You messed up everything in the past two days, and in the end you had to ask someone else to help you clean up the mess, Harry." Hermione reminded angrily: "If you insist on seeing Hagrid sad, take the rest of the way."
Will people be satisfied only if they cheat together?"
Harry was rendered speechless by Hermione.
Yes, he almost tricked Albert and Hagrid together a few days ago.
"Hermione, it was just an accident." Ron argued.
"If Buckbeak loses his head because of this, are you going to tell Hagrid that it was just an accident?" Hermione glared at Ron fiercely and warned: "We haven't been able to help, so don't go and tell him again.
If they make trouble, just wait quietly and wait for the results, you should believe..."
Hermione suddenly shut up because at the corner of the corridor ahead, she saw a group of Malfoys walking towards this direction.
Everyone's faces looked unhappy.
Seeing their gloomy expressions, Harry was absolutely delighted. The reason could be imagined. It was obvious that something bad had happened.
For example, Hagrid's Buckbeak appeal was successful.
After the four people left, Ron touched Harry's arm with his elbow and said excitedly: "Harry, did you notice the expression on Malfoy's face just now? I dare say Hagrid will win the case."
, otherwise Malfoy will never give up the opportunity to ridicule us."
"Yeah, I said Hagrid will definitely win the lawsuit." Harry had a smile that couldn't be concealed on his face. He knew Malfoy's character very well. If Hagrid lost the lawsuit, the other party would see it.
They will definitely stop and make a sarcastic comment instead of looking shocked.
In fact, Hermione thought so at first, but she soon remembered Albert's words, shook her head and said, "No, Hagrid lost."
"Do you really want Hagrid to lose the lawsuit?" Ron glared at Hermione dissatisfied, "Besides, from Malfoy's doubtful expression, it is not difficult to see that Hagrid's appeal was successful."
"No, you don't understand. This is not a matter of appeal at all. Albert told me about it."
Hermione was more willing to trust Albert's judgment than the "so-called" truth, because Albert once told her why Hagrid couldn't win.
"We don't understand?" The expression on Ron's face became increasingly weird, "Albert may be a genius, but he must also make mistakes sometimes."
"Let's ask Hagrid ourselves," Harry interrupted the possible dispute, put away the Marauder's Map again, and trotted towards Hagrid's location.
After a while, the three of them met Hagrid in the corridor on the third floor.
However, after seeing Hagrid, Harry and Ron felt their hearts tightening, because there was no joy of victory on Hagrid's face.
"Hagrid, we just met Malfoy. His face looked very ugly. Did you win the appeal?" Harry immediately stepped forward and asked.
"No, I lost." Hagrid looked at Harry and the three of them and said expressionlessly: "The officials of the Dangerous Creatures Disposal Committee were bribed by Malfoy. You know what Lucius Malfoy is like.
He is good at coercing and luring others. Even the legal adviser I was looking for was taken away by Lucius with Galleons, as well as the executioner MacNeil, who is Malfoy's old partner."
Ron also looked at Harry dumbfounded, and Harry also looked at Ron and fell silent. Just as Hermione said, Hagrid lost Buckbeak's appeal.
"Where's Anderson?" Harry asked tremblingly, "Don't he have a way?"
"Albert has tried his best. He prepared a bunch of hand cards for me," Hagrid said, taking out a bunch of hand cards from his pocket, and said with the bottle of water containing the tranquilizer: "I followed his suggestion.
, drank the tranquilizer, and relied on the content he provided, it was true that Malfoy and his team had nothing to say, but the result was the same as Anderson said, Lucius Malfoy bribed the people of the Committee to Dispose of Dangerous Creatures, and forcibly announced
Buckbeak is guilty and sentenced to death."
"Where is Dumbledore?" Harry asked angrily, "How could Professor Dumbledore allow this to happen?"
"Dumbledore tried his best," Hagrid said after taking a sip of the tranquilizer. "Dumbledore does not have the power to control the committee, and he was asked to be a witness... However, I am still very grateful to him, Dumbledore
Delaying the execution until after sunset gives me time to say goodbye to Buckbeak."
"How could it be? They are derelict in their duties." Harry's eyes widened in shock. He finally understood why Hermione said that Hagrid would lose, because from the beginning, Hagrid had no chance of succeeding in his appeal.
And Albert obviously knew it from the beginning.
"Don't be sad Harry, the situation is not as bad as you think." Hagrid suddenly said, "By the way, you guys should have a drink too!"
As he spoke, Hagrid took out several paper cups from his pocket and poured a cup of tranquilizer each for Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"What is this?" Harry looked at the potion in front of him in confusion.
"Tranquilizer." Hagrid said without hesitation: "After drinking it, don't discuss this matter anymore, don't get involved, let it be. No matter what the outcome of Buckbeak is, I have to accept it."
"Hagrid!" Hagrid
"Even if I don't accept it, what can I do!" Hagrid stopped, reached out and patted Harry on the shoulder and said, "Albert always said that anger can't solve problems. I think he is right."
Harry stared blankly at Hagrid's leaving figure, then at the paper cup in his hand, and fell into a short silence.
"Drink it, let's go back and continue doing homework." After Hermione finished the glass of sedative, she was ready to go back to the library to continue doing homework.
"What is this? Hagrid is comforting us in turn?" Ron was also a little dumbfounded. "Did he drink this thing and make himself stupid?"
"He is not stupid, you are the ones who are stupid." Hermione had already understood what Hagrid meant and said to Harry and Ron, "Let's go back and finish the holiday homework. We will go find Hagrid tomorrow."
…
The people from the Dangerous Creatures Committee did not go to Hagrid's hut to stare at Buckbeak.
After all, they had just fallen out with Hagrid, no one wanted to bask in the sun, and Professor Dumbledore had made a promise.
Throughout the afternoon, Hagrid stared at Buckbeak in the pumpkin patch.
Buckbeak seemed to sense that something bad was about to happen, and he seemed to be in low spirits, but Hagrid did not dare to touch him because Albert had told him not to touch Buckbeak after he brought him to the pumpkin patch.
Never mind it anymore.
After throwing all the cards in his pocket into the fireplace and burning them, Hagrid continued reading another piece of parchment.
It says what you should do if you lose your appeal.
All right!
Albert planned to let Buckbeak break free from the rope and fly away.
As for how to do it, Albert didn't say.
Although Hagrid felt that this method was very unreliable, it was Albert who proposed this plan. Hagrid believed that since Albert planned to do this, he must be fully prepared.
After memorizing the contents of the parchment over and over again, rehearsing it in his mind again and again, until the sun tilted and the sky grew dark, Hagrid threw the parchment into the fireplace and watched it turn into a pile.
ash.
Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't show up, which made Hagrid relieved. He was really afraid that the three of them would show up rashly and disrupt Albert's plan!"
At this moment, Yaya stood at the door and barked outside.
"Yaya, be quiet."
Hagrid walked to the door and saw Dumbledore, Lucius, the old members of the committee and executioner MacNeill walking down the stone steps towards the hunting lodge.
"Where is that beast?" McNeil asked grimly.
"Outside, outside, in the pumpkin patch." Hagrid glared at Lucius fiercely.
A cruel smile appeared on McNeil's face, and he walked across the house and saw Buckbeak pecking at the mouse.
Just as he was holding an ax and preparing to carry out the execution, Dumbledore suddenly said: "If I remember correctly, the official notice on the execution must be read out first, and then you need to sign it. McNeil
, you should also listen, and you, Lucius, since you are here, you also need to sign, this is the procedure of the Ministry of Magic."
"Yes, that's what it is."
Everyone crowded into Hagrid's hut, and McNeil was still observing the hippogriffs in the pumpkin patch through the window, seeming to be considering where to lay the axe.
"...the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures has decided that Buckbeak the Hippogriff, hereafter referred to as the Condemned, shall be executed at sunset on June 6th...the beheading shall be carried out by Wall, the executioner designated by the Committee.
"Don MacNeill..." The old wizard read the contents of the parchment under Hagrid's hostile gaze.
"...As a witness, Hagrid, you need to sign here!"
"I want a copy later." Hagrid took the quill tremblingly and said to the old wizard.
"This is a perfectly reasonable request," said Dumbledore.
"Okay, but we have to wait until we finish this matter." The old wizard agreed reluctantly.
"McNeil, it's your turn." After Dumbledore signed the parchment, he said to several others, "Malfoy, since you are here, you also need to sign."
The two came to the table, picked up the quill on the table with disgust, and signed their names on the parchment.
"Okay MacNeil, I'll leave it to you next." The old wizard rolled up the parchment and put it in his pocket, not intending to make a copy for Hagrid.
"Hagrid, please don't go out, it might be better..." Dumbledore comforted softly.
"No, I want to accompany it on its last journey." As soon as Hagrid finished speaking, he heard a scream from outside: "Where did that beast go?"
"It was tied here," McNeil said angrily. "That's what I just saw!"
"How strange." Dumbledore said with interest, "We all just saw it here."
Lucius felt as if his heart was being held by someone, and looked angrily at Hagrid who had just walked out of the hut.
"Oh, God bless it. It left. It must have broken free on its own. Buckbeak, how smart you are! Hagrid ignored Lucius at all and shed tears of joy.
"Someone untie the chains," Maconiel growled. "We should search around the castle and the woods."
"It's Potter. It must be Harry Potter who hid that beast."
Malfoy thought of Harry Potter he had met in the corridor earlier and roared angrily: "He must have done it. I'm sure he took that beast away."
"Don't be stupid, Mr. Malfoy, the dementors are monitoring Hogwarts from all directions, and they will not let other creatures enter and exit the castle at will." Dumbledore said softly, "If you are willing, search the sky and the woods.
Yes, but I have to remind you: Dementors are never allowed to enter Hogwarts."
"Okay, Hagrid. I'd like a cup of tea, or maybe a brandy."
"Of course, Professor," Hagrid's voice trembled slightly with excitement, "I have an unopened bottle of brandy here, which Anderson gave me as a Christmas gift last time."
"You!" Malfoy flushed with anger. He knew that he had been tricked by a gamekeeper. He really didn't believe it without Dumbledore's help.
"I'm sure they used the Disillusionment Charm to hide the beast in the castle. We'd better search the entire Hogwarts castle." Lucius Malfoy said angrily.