19 Hippogriff

The students were in the Gryffindor Common Room while Percy tried to argue and explain the dangers of leaving the castle walls; it was just another annoying speech of his.

"Let's visit Hagrid," Harry said to his friends, suggesting an escape from listening to another speech by Percy.

So, the three grabbed their cloaks from the dormitories and exited through the portrait hole, making their way through the empty castle and crossing the oak doors.

The boys strolled leisurely through the gardens, leaving shallow tracks in the sparkling loose snow. The hems of their cloaks and their socks were getting wet and freezing.

The Forbidden Forest seemed enchanted; every tree was covered in silver splashes, and Hagrid's hut resembled a cake with icing.

Ron knocked, but there was no response.

"Did he leave?" Hermione, shivering under the cloak from the cold, asked.

Ron pressed his ear against the door. "There's a strange noise," he said, and the young ones heard someone crying and another person consoling them.

"Could it be Hagrid having visitors?" Harry thought.

"Listen... could it be Buckbeak?" Ron said to Harry and Hermione, who also pressed their ears against the door.

"Shouldn't we get someone?" Ron asked, nervously.

"Hagrid!" called Harry, knocking on the door. "Hagrid, are you there?" Afterward, they heard heavy footsteps, and then the door creaked open. Hagrid stood there, eyes red and swollen, tears falling down his leather vest, and behind him, the young ones noticed the presence of another person in the cabin – a Hufflepuff student unknown to them.

"Have you heard?" he shouted, grabbing Harry in a tight hug. The boy almost had his bones crushed by the half-giant's strength but was saved by Ron and Hermione.

The gamekeeper allowed himself to be led to a chair and slumped onto the table, uncontrollably sobbing, tears shining on his tangled beard.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione noticed the young Hufflepuff student looking at them.

"Um... Hello?" Hermione asked.

The young boy smiled and introduced himself: "Hello, nice to meet you all, I'm Lorenzo. Second year in Hufflepuff."

Hagrid, still in tears, noticed the situation among the youngsters and mediated the awkward atmosphere. "I have visited young Lorenzo's family in Italy for consultation about some magical creatures," he explained why he knew the boy. "And when he learned about what happened, he came to visit me," making it clear why Lorenzo was in his cabin.

"Ron," he lazily introduced himself without much care.

"Hi... I'm Harry," he said.

"Hermione Granger, nice to meet you," the only one who managed a proper introduction.

"But Hagrid, what's wrong?" Harry asked, noticing an official-looking letter open on the table.

"What's this, Hagrid?" Ron picked up the letter, and Hagrid's sobs doubled.

But Hermione took the letter and read aloud:

Dear Mr. Hagrid,

Continuing our inquiry into the hippogriff's attack on your student, we accept the considerations of Director Dumbledore that you are not responsible for the regrettable incident.

"Well, then everything's fine, Hagrid!" exclaimed Ron, patting his friend on the shoulder. But Hagrid continued to sob, and gestured with one of his gigantic hands, inviting Hermione to continue reading the letter.

However, we must express our concern regarding the aforementioned hippogriff. We have decided to uphold Mr. Lucius Malfoy's official complaint, and the case will be referred to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we request your presence with your hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on this date. Meanwhile, the animal must be kept confined and isolated. Sincerely.

Followed was a list of the school advisors' names.

"Oh!" exclaimed Ron. "But you said Buckbeak isn't a fierce hippogriff, Hagrid. I bet he'll get through."

"That's true, Hagrid. I've had contact with him, and I'm perfectly fine," Lorenzo said, trying to cheer up the half-giant.

"You don't know the people from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures!" replied Hagrid with a choked voice, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "They're biased against interesting creatures!"

Indeed, by Hagrid's normal standards, the creature was undoubtedly cute.

"You'll have to prepare a good defense, Hagrid," Lorenzo said, sitting down and placing his hand on his friend's massive arm.

"I'm sure you can prove that Buckbeak is safe," said Hermione.

"It won't make any difference!" sobbed Hagrid. "Those Elimination demons, they're controlled by Lucius Malfoy! They fear him! And if I lose the case, Buckbeak will..." Hagrid quickly ran a finger across his throat, then let out a wail and slumped forward, resting his head on his arms.

"And Dumbledore, Hagrid?" asked Harry.

"He's done more than enough for me," moaned Hagrid. "He's got plenty to deal with, holding off the Dementors outside the castle and Sirius Black lurking around."

"But you should ask for help, Hagrid! We can't let Buckbeak be a victim of the Malfoys," Lorenzo said, already knowing Draco's bad personality, so obviously, his father wouldn't be any better.

Ron and Hermione quickly looked at Harry, as if expecting the boy to start criticizing Hagrid for not telling the truth about Black.

But Harry didn't have the heart to ask anything, not at that moment when he saw his friend so unhappy and frightened.

"Listen here, Hagrid," said Harry, "you can't give up. Hermione's right; you just need a good defense. You can call us as witnesses."

"I'm sure I've read a case of someone provoking a hippogriff," said Hermione, thoughtfully.

"Yes, I've read about it too, and in that case, the animal was acquitted," Lorenzo added, agreeing with Hermione.

"I'll look for you, Hagrid, and check exactly what happened," Hermione said.

"I can help you if you want," Lorenzo offered.

"Of course, any help is welcome to see Hagrid well," she accepted the offered help, as Hufflepuffs were usually known for their dedication to friends.

Hagrid cried even louder. Harry and Hermione looked at Ron, asking for help. "Um... what if I made us a cup of tea?" offered the boy.

Making Lorenzo look at him strangely.

And Harry looked at him, amazed.

"That's what my mum does whenever someone's upset," muttered Ron, shrugging.

Finally, after many reassurances of help and a steaming mug of tea in front of him, Hagrid blew his nose with a cloth the size of a tablecloth.

"You're right. I can't give up like this. I have to pull myself together," Hagrid said, perking up a bit.

Fang, the boarhound, timidly came out from under the table and rested his head on his owner's knee. "I haven't been doing very well lately," said Hagrid, petting Fang with one hand and wiping his face with the other. "Worried about Buckbeak and the class that doesn't like my lessons."

"We like them!" Hermione lied instantly.

"Yeah, they're great!" added Ron, crossing his fingers under the table.

"And I'll like them when I take it next year," added Lorenzo, who didn't have the discipline yet.

"And... how are the blast-ended skrewts doing?" asked Harry.

"Dead," said Hagrid grimly. "Too much lettuce."

"Oh no!" exclaimed Ron, a trace of laughter on his lips.

"And these Dementors making me feel awful and all," said Hagrid with a sudden shiver. "I have to pass by them every time I want a drink at the Three Broomsticks. It's like I'm back in Azkaban."

He fell silent and took a sip of tea. Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched him, holding their breath.

"You? In Azkaban?" Lorenzo asked.

None of them had ever heard Hagrid talk about his brief stay in Azkaban.

After a pause, Hermione timidly asked, "Is it really bad there, Hagrid?"

"You have no idea," he said with a restrained voice. "I've never been in a place like it. Thought I was going mad. Kept remembering terrible things... the day I was expelled from Hogwarts... the day my dad died," his eyes filled with tears. "A person can't remember who they are after a while. And they start thinking it's not worth living. I hoped to die in my sleep... When they released me, it felt like being reborn, everything rushed back like an avalanche, it was the best feeling in the world. And mind you, the Dementors didn't like letting me out," he finished.

"But you were innocent!" exclaimed Hermione.

Hagrid snorted. "Do you think they care about that? Not at all. As long as they have a few hundred human beings locked up with them to suck out all their happiness, they don't give a damn whether someone is guilty or not," he explained, and the atmosphere in the cabin turned dark again.

Lorenzo, noticing the moment, decided to intervene to ease the tension. "But those are past moments; now our focus is to keep Buckbeak alive! Right, Hagrid?"

"Yes," Hagrid said with a subdued voice.