Adelaide

Ch 41- Freeing Beaky & The Firebolt

After seeing Dawn off, Adelaide jogged or rather trudged through the snow to Hagrid's hut.

"Hey, I just sent the letter. What's going o--" She opened the door to see Hagrid blowing his nose on a table-cloth sized handkerchief, Hermione patting his arm with a sympathetic look in her eyes, Harry's anger had faded away, and Ron looked sadly at Hagrid. Then it struck Adelaide.

"Oh no! Not Buckbeak!" she cried as she walked over to the table and snatched the parchment lying there.

'Dear Mr Hagrid,

Further to our inquiry into the attack by a hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.

However, we must register our concern about the hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will, therefore, be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.

Yours in fellowship . . .'

There followed a list of the school governors.

Though she knew it, Adelaide's hand trembled as she read the notice. Her eyes filled with tears threatening to flow.

"Hagrid," she said softly. "It'll be alright. You just have to put up a strong defence" she said in a voice barely above a whisper, her eyes still on the note.

Hermione, noticing Adelaide's saddened face, got up from Hagrid's side and hurried over to Adelaide pulling her into a hug, throwing their previous argument in the dumpster. They all knew Adelaide particularly liked Buckbeak, in fact, everyone in her grade knew she liked the hippogriff and it doesn't take a long time for the word to spread in Hogwarts.

After consoling Hagrid, the four of them went to the library led by Hermione.

"Here's something . . . there was a case in 1722 . . . but the hippogriff was convicted — ugh, look what they did to it, that's disgusting —" Harry said

"This might help, look — a manticore savaged someone in 1296, and they let the manticore off — oh — no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it. . . ." Ron contributed.

"Oh, just help us do some research, would you? I understand. You are upset, but there is no point in sulking," Hermione said crossly, as she dropped a huge book on Adelaide's lap. She hadn't bothered to look for anything knowing the future.

"There's no point in this either" Adelaide answered, getting up to put the book back in its shelf. Ron had this weird look on his face. It was as though there was something he wanted to say but was sure would get yelled at by Hermione for that.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione looked like McGonagall, every time she caught a Gryffindor student break a rule.

"Lucius Malfoy is going to make sure that Beaky is executed and there is no changing that," Adelaide said, now taking the book from Harry and Ron and putting them back on their shelves.

"So we just do nothing?" Harry asked.

"Nah. I'm not letting Buckbeak die just because Malfoy decided to be less smart than a flobberworm," Adelaide said. "We need to set Buckbeak free"

Hermione's mouth fell open. Ron's eyes showed a special glint, the one he would have every time he knew they were going to break rules. Harry looked like he was seriously considering going down to Hagrid's and setting the hippogriff free that very instant.