toward Hagrid's cabin and said in a feeble voice, "Dear, dear, I'm
getting too old for this.... Two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?"
The black-mustached man was fingering something in his belt; Harry
looked and saw that he was running one broad thumb along the blade of a
shining axe. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione nudged
him hard in the ribs and jerked her head toward the entrance hall.
"Why'd you stop me?" said Ron angrily as they entered the Great Hall for
lunch. "Did you see them? They've even got the axe ready! This isn't
justice!"
"Ron, your dad works for the Ministry, you can't go saying things like
that to his boss!" said Hermione, but she too looked very upset. "As
long as Hagrid keeps his head this time, and argue, hi case properly,
they can't possibly execute Buckbeak...."
But Harry could tell Hermione didn't really believe what she was saying.
266
All around them, people were talking excitedly as they ate their lunch,
happily anticipating the end of the exams that afternoon, but Harry,
Ron, and Hermione, lost in worry about Hagrid and Buckbeak, didn't join
in.
Harry's and Ron's last exam was Divination; Hermione's, Muggle Studies.
They walked up the marble staircase together; Hermione left them on the
first floor and Harry and Ron proceeded all the way up to the seventh,
where many of their class were sitting on the spiral staircase to
Professor Trelawney's classroom, trying to cram in a bit of last-minute
studying.
"She's seeing us all separately," Neville informed them as they went to
sit down next to him. He had his copy of Unfogging the Future open on
his lap at the pages devoted to crystal gazing. "Have either of you ever
seen anything in a crystal ball?" he asked them unhappily.
"Nope," said Ron in an offhand voice. He kept checking his watch; Harry.
knew that he was counting down the time until Buckbeak's appeal started.
The line of people outside the classroom shortened very slowly. As each
person climbed back down the silver ladder, the rest of the class
hissed, "What did she ask? Was it okay?"
But they all refused to say.
"She says the crystal ball's told her that if I tell you, I'll have a
horrible accident!" squeaked Neville as he clambered back down the
ladder toward Harry and Ron, who had now reached the landing.
"That's convenient," snorted Ron. "You know, I'm starting to think
Hermione was right about her" -- he jabbed his thumb toward the trapdoor
overhead -- "she's a right old fraud."
"Yeah," said Harry, looking at his own watch. It-was now two o'clock.
"Wish she'd hurry up..."
Parvati came back down the ladder glowing with pride.
"She says I've got all the makings of a true Seer," she informed Harry
267
and Ron. "I saw loads of stuff... Well, good luck!"
She hurried off down the spiral staircase toward Lavender.
"Ronald Weasley," said the familiar, misty voice from over their heads.
Ron grimaced at Harry and climbed the silver ladder out of sight. Harry