"it's over?"
In the library, Harry, who was absent-mindedly doing his holiday homework, always secretly glanced at the Marauder's Map tucked in the book. After he found that everyone gathered in the principal's office had left, Harry immediately became alert, stood up on the spot, knocked over his chair, and made a loud noise, attracting the attention of the students who were doing their holiday homework in the library.
Ron and Hermione, who were originally working hard on their holiday homework, looked at Harry who was packing up his homework. They seemed to have thought of something and started packing up as well.
Ron actually wanted to go and see the situation of the appeal, but Hermione was worried that the two of them would cause unnecessary trouble at a critical moment.
It's not that Hermione is unwilling to trust Harry and Ron, but the two of them don't think before doing anything. If they act on impulse, who knows what will happen, and it may even ruin Albert's plan.
Albert was obviously also worried about similar problems, 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 the others have left the headmaster's office. I think Buckbeak's appeal is over," Harry said in a low voice.
"Harry, I know what you're thinking, but let's not interfere in this matter." Hermione quickly caught up with the two of them and reminded them sternly, "We promised you that if you go over now, you might make things worse."
"Hermione, we just want to know how Buckbeak's appeal went," Ron whispered soothingly.
"Harry, now has come to a critical moment." Hermione held Harry's arm and said seriously: "We don't have any good solution, so don't cause them trouble. After this matter is over, we will go to visit Hagrid, okay?"
"Hermione, we just want to know the result, not to make trouble."
Harry was a little annoyed by Hermione's distrust.
"You messed up so badly the other day that you had to ask others to clean up the mess for you, Harry." Hermione reminded him angrily, "Do you have to see Hagrid sad and screw others over before you're satisfied?"
Harry was speechless by Hermione.
That's right, he almost got both Albert and Hagrid into trouble a few days ago.
"Hermione, it was an accident," Ron argued.
"If Buckbeak loses his head, will you tell Hagrid that it was just an accident?" Hermione glared at Ron and warned him, "We can't help, so don't mess with them anymore. Just wait for the result quietly. You should believe..."
Hermione suddenly shut up because she saw Malfoy and his group walking towards them at the corner of the corridor ahead.
Everyone's face looked unhappy.
Harry was overjoyed to see their gloomy expressions. It was obvious that something terrible had happened.
For example, Hagrid's Buckbeak's appeal was successful.
After the four of them left, Ron nudged Harry's arm with his elbow and said excitedly, "Harry, did you notice the look on Malfoy's face just now? I bet Hagrid must have won the case, otherwise Malfoy would never have given up the opportunity to sneer at us."
"Yeah, I said Hagrid would definitely win the case." Harry had an unconcealable smile on his face. He knew Malfoy's character too well. If Hagrid lost the case, the other party would definitely stop and sneer at them when he saw them, instead of looking shocked.
In fact, Hermione thought so at first, but she quickly remembered what Albert said and shook her head and said, "No, Hagrid lost."
"Do you really want Hagrid to lose the case?" Ron glared at Hermione in dissatisfaction. "Besides, from Malfoy's doubtful expression, it's not hard to tell that Hagrid's appeal was successful."
"No, you don't understand. This is not an appeal at all. Albert told me about it."
Hermione was more willing to believe Albert's judgment than the "so-called" truth, because Albert once told her why Hagrid couldn't win.
"We don't understand?" Ron's expression became more and more strange. "Albert may be a genius, but he definitely makes mistakes sometimes."
"Let's go ask Hagrid ourselves," Harry interrupted the possible dispute, put away the Marauder's Map again, and trotted towards Hagrid's position.
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 tighten, because there was no trace of joy of victory on Hagrid's face.
"Hagrid, we just met Malfoy. He looked very unhappy. Did you win the appeal?" Harry immediately stepped forward and asked.
"No, I lost." Hagrid looked at Harry and the other two and said expressionlessly, "The officials of the Dangerous Creatures Committee were all bribed by Malfoy. You know what Lucius Malfoy is like. He is good at intimidating and bribing others. Even the legal advisor I found was taken away by Lucius using Galleons. And the executioner McNeill is Malfoy's old partner."
Ron also stared at Harry in amazement, and Harry also stared at Ron in silence. Just as Hermione said, Hagrid lost Buckbeak's appeal.
"And Anderson?" Harry asked tremblingly. "Doesn't he have a solution?"
"Albert has done his best. He prepared a bunch of cards for me," Hagrid said, pulling out a bunch of cards from his pocket and the bottle of tranquilizer. "I followed his advice and drank the tranquilizer. I relied on the content he provided to really make Malfoy and his group speechless. But the result was the same as Anderson said. Lucius Malfoy bribed the people of the Dangerous Creatures Disposal Committee and forcibly declared Buckbeak guilty and sentenced him to death."
"Where's Dumbledore?" Harry asked angrily. "How could Professor Dumbledore allow this to happen?"
"Dumbledore tried," Hagrid said after taking a sip of tranquilizer, "Dumbledore didn't have the power to control the committee, and he was asked to be a witness... However, I am still very grateful to him. Dumbledore delayed the execution until after sunset, giving me time to say goodbye to Buckbeak."
"How could that be? They are committing dereliction of duty." Harry's eyes widened in shock. He finally understood why Hermione said Hagrid would lose, because from the beginning, there was no chance that Hagrid would succeed in the appeal.
And Albert obviously knew it from the beginning.
"Don't be sad Harry, it's not as bad as you think." Hagrid said suddenly, "By the way, you guys should have a drink too!"
As he spoke, Hagrid took out a few paper cups from his pocket and poured a cup of sedative each for Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"What is this?" Harry looked at the potion in front of him in confusion
"A tranquilizer," Hagrid said without hesitation. "After you drink it, don't discuss it anymore, and don't get involved. Let it take its course. Whatever the outcome of Buckbeak is, I have to accept it."
"Hagrid!"
"Even if you don't accept it, what can I do?" Hagrid stopped, patted Harry on the shoulder and said, "Albert always said that anger can't solve the problem. I think he is right."
Harry stared blankly at Hagrid's departing back, then looked at the paper cup in his hand and fell into a short standing silence.
"Let's drink it and go back to do our holiday homework." After Hermione finished the sedative, she prepared to go back to the library to continue her homework.
"What the hell, Hagrid is trying to comfort us?" Ron was also dumbfounded. "Did he drink this stuff and make himself stupid?"
"He's not stupid, you are." Hermione understood what Hagrid meant, and said to Harry and Ron, "Let's go back and finish our holiday homework. We'll go find Hagrid tomorrow."
…
The people from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures did not run to Hagrid's hut to keep an eye on Buckbeak.
After all, they had just fallen out with Hagrid, no one wanted to go out in the sun, and Professor Dumbledore had given his word.
Hagrid spent the entire afternoon staring at Buckbeak in the pumpkin patch.
Buckbeak seemed to sense that something bad was about to happen and looked listless, but Hagrid didn't dare to touch it because Albert had instructed him to leave Buckbeak alone after taking him to the pumpkin patch.
After throwing all the cards in his pocket into the fireplace and burning them, Hagrid continued to read another piece of parchment.
It tells you what to do after losing an appeal.
All right!
Albert planned to let Buckbeak break free from the rope and fly away by himself.
As for how to do it, Albert didn't say.
Although Hagrid felt that this method was unreliable, it was Albert who proposed this plan. Hagrid believed that since Albert intended to do this, he must have been fully prepared.
After memorizing the contents of the parchment over and over again, rehearsing it in his mind again and again, until the sun slanted and the sky gradually darkened, Hagrid threw the parchment into the fireplace and watched it turn into a pile of ashes.
Hagrid was relieved that Harry, Ron and Hermione did not show up. He was really afraid that the three of them would show up and disrupt Albert's plan! "
At this moment, Yaya stood at the door and barked outside.
"Ya, 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's the beast?" McNeill asked grimly.
"Outside, outside, in the pumpkin patch." Hagrid glared at Lucius fiercely.
A cruel smile appeared on McNeill's face as he walked around the house and saw Buckbeak pecking at a mouse.
Just as he was about to step forward with the axe to carry out the execution, Dumbledore suddenly said, "If I remember correctly, the official notice of the execution must be read out first, and then you will need to sign it. McNeill, you should listen as well. And you, Lucius, since you are here, you should sign as well. This is the procedure of the Ministry of Magic."
"Yes, that's it."
Everyone crowded into Hagrid's hut, and McNeill was still watching the hippogriff in the pumpkin field through the window, seemingly considering where to strike with the axe.
"… The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures has decided that Buckbeak the Hippogriff, hereinafter referred to as the Convicted Person, should be executed at sunset on June 6th… The execution will be carried out by beheading, and the executioner appointed by the Committee, Walton MacNeill…" The old wizard read the contents of the parchment under Hagrid's hostile gaze.
"… I am a witness. Hagrid, you need to sign here!"
"I'll need a copy later." Hagrid took the quill tremblingly and said to the old wizard.
"That is a perfectly reasonable request," said Dumbledore.
"Okay, but we have to wait until we finish this." The old wizard agreed reluctantly.
"McNeill, it's your turn." Dumbledore signed on the parchment and said to the 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 disdain, and signed their names on the parchment.
"Okay, McNeill, I'll leave it to you from now on." The old wizard rolled up the parchment and put it in his pocket, with no intention of making a copy for Hagrid.
"Hagrid, it might be better for you not to go out..." Dumbledore comforted softly.
"No, I want to accompany it to the end." Hagrid had just finished speaking when he heard a scream from outside: "Where is the beast?"
"That's where it was tied," said McNeill angrily. "That's where I saw it just now!"
"How strange," said Dumbledore, with great interest. "We have just seen it here."
Lucius felt as if someone was holding his heart, and looked angrily at Hagrid who had just walked out of the hut.
"Oh, God bless it, it's gone, it must have broken free, Buckbeak, you're so clever!" Hagrid ignored Lucius and shed tears of joy.
"Someone has untied the chains," growled Magnus. "We should search the area around the castle and the woods."
"It was Potter. It must have been Harry Potter who hid the beast."
Malfoy remembered Harry Potter, whom he had met in the corridor earlier, and roared angrily: "It must have been him who did it. I'm sure it was him who took the beast away."
"Don't be silly, Mr. Malfoy. Dementors are monitoring Hogwarts School from all directions. They will not allow other creatures to enter and leave the castle at will." Dumbledore said softly, "If you want, search the sky and the forest, but I must remind you: Dementors are not allowed to enter Hogwarts."
"All right, 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. Anderson gave it to me as a Christmas present last time."
"You guys!" Malfoy's face turned red with anger. He knew that he was fooled by a game keeper. He really didn't believe that Dumbledore hadn't helped him.
"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.