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"He's not out, is he?" Hermione asked, shivering under her cloak.
Lucifer casually stepped in between her and the wind that was blowing in, blocking it from hitting her.
She glanced at him, and if it weren't for the cold already doing so, her cheeks would have turned pink.
Ron had his ear to the door, "There's a weird noise... Listen, is that Fang?"
They all put their ears to the door, too. From inside the cabin came a series of low, throbbing moans.
"Think we'd better go and get someone?" Ron asked nervously.
"Hagrid?" Harry called out, thumping his fist on the door, "Hagrid, are you in there?"
There was the sound of heavy footsteps, then the door creaked open. Hagrid stood there with his eyes red and swollen; tears splashing down the front of his leather waistcoat.
"Yeh've heard!" He bellowed out and to their surprise, he flung himself onto Harry's neck.
Hagrid being at least twice the size of a normal man, this was no laughing matter.
Harry was about to collapse under the weight of the giant man, but Lucifer was able to lift Hagrid off of him and help him back into his cabin.
Hagrid didn't fight Lucifer's guidance and allowed himself to be steered into his massive chair and slumped over the table, sobbing uncontrollably, his face glazed with tears which dripped down into his tangled beard.
"Hagrid, what is it?" Hermione asked, aghast.
Lucifer noticed as he led Hagrid to his chair that there was an official-looking letter lying open on the table, "What's this, Hagrid?" He picked it up, and began to read it aloud:
'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...
It was then followed by a list of the School Governors.'
"Oh, but Buckbeak isn't a bad Hippogriff, you said so yourself. I bet he'll get off-" Ron started to say.
"Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!" Hagrid got choked, wiping his eyes on his sleeve, "They've got it in fer interestin' creatures!"
A sudden sound from the corner of Hagrid's cabin made them all whip around.
Buckbeak the Hippogriff was lying in the corner, chomping on something that was oozing blood all over the floor.
Lucifer looked in the opposite corner and saw Fang huddled into it, shivering; his mind was put to ease at least.
"I couldn' leave 'im tied up out there in the snow!" Hagrid wailed, "All on his own! At Christmas!"
The four of them looked at each other.
None of them had ever exactly seen eye-to-eye with Hagrid about what he called 'interesting creatures' and other people called 'terrifying monsters'.
On the other hand, there didn't seem to be any particular harm in Buckbeak.
In fact, by Hagrid's usual standards, they were all rather fond of the Hippogriff, and Hermione even found him to be cute.
Buckbeak looked up at them and eyed Lucifer, but he returned to chomping his meat, because his eyes were soft when looking at the poor creature.
If Malfoy had only listened to Hagrid, this whole situation could've been avoided, "Malfoy is a real piece of work..."
"You'll have to put up a Strong Defense, Hagrid," Hermione said, sitting down and laying a hand on Hagrid's massive forearm, "I'm sure you can prove Buckbeak is safe."
"Won' make no difference!" He sobbed, "Them Disposal devils, they're all in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared o' him! An' if I lose the case, Buckbeak-" instead of saying it, Hagrid drew his finger swiftly across his throat, then gave a great wail and lurched forwards, his face in his arms.
"What about Dumbledore, Hagrid?" Harry suggested.
"He's done more'n enough fer me already," Hagrid groaned, "Got enough on his plate what with keepin' them Dementors outta the castle, an' Sirius Black lurkin' around-"
Lucifer, Hermione, and Ron looked quickly towards Harry, as though expecting him to launch into interrogation mode right then, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, not now with how miserable and scared Hagrid seemed.
"Listen, Hagrid," he got the giant man's attention, "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 about a case of Hippogriff- baiting," Hermione said thoughtfully, "where the Hippogriff got off. I'll look it up for you, Hagrid, and see exactly what happened."
"Hippogriffs are Proud creatures, I don't know why anyone would consider them dangerous, just don't treat them badly and they won't hurt you. It's Malfoy's fault this time for not listening, Hagrid," Lucifer said helpfully.
Hagrid still howled, and Harry, Hermione, and Lucifer now looked at Ron to open his mouth.
"Er - shall I make a cup of tea?" He asked. Ron looked at Harry, and spoke quietly, "It's what my mum does whenever someone's upset," he shrugged.
At last, after many more assurances of help, and with a steaming mug of tea in front of him, Hagrid blew his nose on a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth, which Lucifer was sure was actually just a tablecloth, and said.
"Yer right... I can' afford ter go ter pieces... gotta pull meself together."
Fang chose that moment to walk over to Hagrid timidly, and he laid his head on his knee, "I've not bin meself lately," he said, stroking Fang with one hand and mopping his face with the other, "Worried abou' Buckbeak, an' no one likin' me classes-"
"We do like them!" Hermione lied immediately.
"Yeah, they are fun, just... maybe it's time to graduate from the Flobberworms," Lucifer suggested.
"How are they, anyway?" Ron asked.
"Dead," Hagrid said gloomily, "too much lettuce."
"Oh, that's terrible!" Ron said with false despair.
"An' them Dementors make me feel ruddy terrible an' all," Hagrid said with a sudden shudder, "Gotta walk pas' them ev'ry time I wan' a drink in the Three Broomsticks. 'S like bein' back in Azkaban-"
Hagrid fell silent, gulping down his tea.
They all watched him breathlessly; Hagrid hadn't ever talked openly about his brief spell in Azkaban Prison.
After a brief pause, Hermione asked in a timid voice, "Is it... awful in there, Hagrid?"
"Yeh've no idea," he said quietly, "never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was goin' mad. Kep' going over horrible stuff in me mind... the day I got expelled from Hogwarts... the day me dad died... the day I had ter let Norbert go..."
His eyes filled with tears as he remembered the baby dragon he once cared for back in their First Year.
"Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while... an' yeh can' see the point o' livin' at all. I used ter hope I'd jus' die in me sleep... when they let me out, it was like bein' born again, ev'rythin' came floodin' back ter me, it was the bes' feelin' in the world. 'Course, them Dementors weren' ter keen on lettin' me go," Hagrid recalled the feelings of being back there in Azkaban and being released.
"But you were innocent!" Hermione said at once.
Hagrid gave a snort, "Yeh think that matters tae them? They don' care, long as they got a couple o hundred humans stuck in there with 'em. Tha' way they can leech all the happiness out o' them. They don' give a damn who's guil'y and who's not."
Hagrid went quiet for a long moment, staring into his mug.
The four of them refused to break the tension themselves.
Eventually, Hagrid did speak back up, but he was quiet, "Thought o' jus' lettin' Buckbeak go... tryin' ter make 'im fly away... but how d'yeh explain ter a Hippogriff tha' i's gotta go , he said streaming down his face and through his beard, "I don' ever wan' ter go back ter Azkaban."
The trip down to Hagrid's had been far from happy, but Hermione now felt a burning in her stomach.
She was not going to let Buckbeak suffer because of Malfoy's stupidity.
Lucifer jogged to catch up with her.
"You okay?" he asked, as Hermione unconsciously wrapped her arm around his.
"If I have to spend another minute around Ronald today, I might hex him for making trouble for Crookshanks!" Hermione spat acidly.
"So, where are we going then?" Lucifer asked, brightly.
"You should know this corridor better than anyone," Hermione said as they arrived outside the library, "But you don't have to come with me. You can go back with them if you want..."
"You really think I'd rather be around Potter and Weasely than you?" Lucifer asked, raising his eyebrows in question.
"How am I meant to know who you prefer? You have been avoiding me lately, doing even more homework than me!" Hermione said, grumpily, eyes not meeting his own.
Lucifer stepped forward to kiss her on the cheek. Despite how often he'd done it, Hermione felt her face getting heated.
"Does that answer who I prefer?" he smirked.
'Don't know. Might need another example,' Hermione said, nodding her face at him to go further, she hadn't brightened up much yet.
Lucifer shook his head and stepped forward, but this time Hermione intercepted him.
She turned her face so that Lucifer's lips connected with her own instead of her cheek.
His eyes widened in surprise at first, and then he seemed to relax into her.
"Pretty substantial evidence there," Hermione said as they broke apart. 'I think you may have given me more than enough to go off!"
"Guess I never have to do it again then," Lucifer retorted back, and his lips disappear in his mouth.
"Let's see which of us caves to that first shall we?" Hermione said, as she pushed open the door to the library.
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They spent many of the next few days huddled together in the library, pouring over books to find anything they could for Buckbeak's defence.
For the first few days, Madam Pince prowled the bookshelves nearby to ensure they weren't taking anything or being too loud.
But after a while, even she seemed to give up and only came over to tell them off if they started moaning around too loud.
Meanwhile, the rest of the school was preparing for the holidays.
Streamers of Holly and Mistletoe were hung along the corridors, odd lights shone from the inside of the suits of armour and the Great Hall was kitted out with its usual twelve Christmas trees.
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On Christmas morning, Lucifer took the small pile of presents at the foot of his bed before sliding out of the door and down into the common room.
He sat in his favourite armchair by the fire and began opening them.
He was just about to begin when there was a soft tap tap at the window and he looked around to see perched just outside.
"Hello!" he called brightly as she fluttered in. "It's been too long."
Rowena hooted happily and landed on the sofa across from where he'd been sat before looking at him expectantly.
He threw a treat into the air for her and then, with a chuckle, Lucifer slid back into the chair.
He'd received a specialised book on Hippogriffs from Hagrid that covered dietary needs, exercise and almost anything else you needed to know about the creatures, boxes of sweets from Harry, a broom maintenance and cleaning kit from Ginny, and from Luna a weird new set of scales (his own had been getting worn down).
He had given her the bracelet which Amenadiel charmed at Lux.
Finally, he turned to the last parcel and unwrapped it, out fell a deep ocean blue knitted jumper emblazoned with his initial and a note.
He picked up the note and read.
'Dear Lucifer
We still owe you for the investment. And, Somehow able to convince mum to do it. Been sent along to Hermione.
Hope it was worth the wait!
Merry Christmas
Fred George
Fred and George Fred George'
Laughing at the mental image of Fred and George fighting over who got to write their name first, Lucifer pulled the jumper on over his head and picked up the parcel that he'd wrapped himself to give to Hermione.
He wasn't left waiting long as she came down around 15 minutes later.
He turned to greet her and choked.
Hermione was wearing a deep purple knitted jumper that suited her, but along the front was emblazoned with a large red heart supporting Lucifer and her initials.
He spluttered at the sight, but Hermione seemed completely unphased as she moved over to join him.
"Something wrong?" she asked innocently, staring at the look on his face.
"I… uhhh… no… nothing at all… Mrs Weasley sent you something nice then?"
"Oh yes!" Hermione said brightly, looking down at her jumper. "She said Fred and George wanted to try and embarrass me, but quite frankly I don't see what there is to be embarrassed about."
She plonked herself down onto the arm of his chair, her smile a mix of genuine happiness and a smirk.
"Well… of course not…" Lucifer said, trying to compose himself, "After all, we are dating."
"Yep. And if people don't like it then they need to learn to deal with it," Hermione said and she pushed something into his hands.
"Now, before you set the chair on fire with the heat from your face, open that!"
Lucifer unwrapped it and out fell a small handheld mirror. He picked it up curiously and span it between his fingers, then raised it in front of him.
"Bit blurry," he said as vague shadows moved along the outskirts of its frame.
"That's because it's not a normal mirror," Hermione said "It's a foe glass."
"Where on earth did you get one?" Lucifer asked, a pretty shocked expression on his face, it wasn't even available in the Knockturn alley!
"Dervish and Banges. They've got all sorts in there. I didn't think you'd want a Sneakoscope, Harry's already got one so-" she was interrupted from continuing as Lucifer got to his feet and hugged her.
He tilted her head up and kissed her, before pulling out the wrapped package he had for her.
Her eyes lit up as she withdrew the planner, and she thumbed through it excitedly, each colour representing a different subject and awaiting her notes.
"This will be perfect for my exam revision!" Hermione called happily once she'd finished checking it over. "Thank you so much!"
Rowena gave a hoot as the two hugged again and Hermione laughed.
"Don't worry. Haven't forgotten you."And she pulled out a small bag of owl treats, throwing a couple towards her.
"She's going to change owners soon," Lucifer said, throwing a small glare at the owl. "Pretty sure she loves you more than me at this point."
"Wait, I'll be back in a minute. I forgot Crookshanks up there!" And that, Hermione marched upstairs to the boy's dorm, while Harry and Ron entered through the Gryffindors Portrait, laughing out loud.
xxxxxx
"Sorry...."
She picked Crookshanks up who had string of tinsel tied around his neck and looked grumpy.
Hermione came back downstairs back to the Common Room, now seeing both Harry and Ron there too.
Her attention was on a new broom Harry had gotten, while Crookshank's expression changed when he saw Eve playing with a toy mouse that Lucifer had gotten her.
He launched himself from Hermione's arms and started playing with his female companion.
"And I see you both got jumpers as well," Harry said, nodding to the deep blue and purple the two of them supported.
Hermione straightened her jumper out slightly to show the heart and Ron coughed horribly.
"The twins thought it would be a hilarious prank," Hermione said simply as she turned back to her planner on the armchair, "But I quite frankly don't mind it."
'Wonder why,' Harry said smugly.
Moments later, she turned her attention back to the broom, "Oh, Harry, who sent you that?" She asked.
"No idea, there wasn't a card or anything," Harry responded.
"Don't waste your breath, Hermione," Lucifer now really had palmed his forehead.
She looked at him curiously, and irritated that he had put his shirt on at night, otherwise would have come downstairs just naked, "Why?"
"I already told him it could be from Sirius Black, but neither he nor Weasely seems to care," Lucifer said, glaring at the other two boys.
Hermione looked at them as well, "Have you both lost your minds? With the possibility that Black could have actually sent you that, with intent to kill you, Harry, and you still want to take it for a quick fly?"
"Uh, yeah," it was Ron who spoke up, "this is the fastest broom in the world right now. It's the international standard for National Quidditch Teams of course we are going to test it out!"
Crookshanks suddenly stopped chasing the toy mouse and jumped towards Ron, but Lucifer was quick with his reflexes and caught him out of midair, "Crookshanks!" Hermione yelled, "I told you to stop that!"
"Get! Him! Out of here!" Ron yelled at her.
Lucifer stepped in between them to hand the cat back to Hermione, "I think you should shut Crookshanks up in your dormitory for a while, just to be safe? Besides, I'm of the opinion that if Potter wants to kill himself riding a broom possibly sent to him by a psychotic murderer, I say let him. It's his life that his parents gave up theirs to protect, so why should we stop him? If he dies, he dies."
Hermione was incredibly reluctant to agree with him on that, and how he could talk about his friend like that was beyond her.
She grabbed Crookshanks and looked up at her boyfriend, she was sure he'd grown a little taller in the time they've already been at Hogwarts, "Okay..." she said quietly.
Lucifer nodded and went back to Rowena, who Hermione just noticed was wearing a tiny little Elf Hat, and she glared at Lucifer with daggers.
If looks could kill, he'd be one dead Wizard.
She giggled and went back to her dormitory and left Crookshanks there, with a sad face.
"At least, you would have Eve to play with...." She said, noticing Lucifer's cat following them both towards her dorm.
Then, she got back down to the Common Room and Lucifer was there, waiting on her, "Ready to go to the Great Hall?"
"Of course," she smiled, interlocking her fingers with his and walking together.
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Author's Note
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1 Extra Chapter - 125 Power Stone's! 😈