The last two weeks going into their exams were notable only for disappearing into a fog of books, notes and revision. Nearly everyone was focused on their preparations, and while there were a few holdouts like Ron, who barely cracked open a book, any disturbance was swiftly removed from the common room. As such, he and a few of the first and second years were barely seen inside their common room, getting ejected every time for being too loud when others were trying to revise.
It wasn't Harry, Hermione, or any of the third years that kicked Ron out, despite Hermione really wanting to, rather it was all three of his brothers and their Gryffindor classmates. The students revising for their O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts were just too high-strung at the moment to put up with anyone disturbing them.
A few disagreements between the N.E.W.T students had even resulted in hexes flying across the common room from time to time. The seventh years were too stressed out and were snapping at everyone who disturbed them even for a few moments.
Harry had even been hit by a stray silencing charm that had been aimed at a particularly obnoxious first year who was getting into arguments with his own classmates.
Harry had almost gotten into a massive fight with another N.E.W.T student when she started on at Hermione for turning the pages of her textbook too loudly. Honestly, he was lucky that Percy had stepped in, as he wasn't going to stand down when someone was being unfair to Hermione, but LeAnn Swift was known for being one of the top students in D.A.D.A currently attending Hogwarts. As good as Harry was at defence, her four more years of education would give her a big advantage if it had come to wands.
Percy had agreed that LeAnn was being unreasonable. Hermione was one of the quietest most studious people at the school, let alone in Gryffindor, which was typically the house of those that were loud and boisterous.
It wasn't like Hermione couldn't be as loud and direct as any of them when she felt like it, she was a force of nature whenever she was tackling something she saw to be unjust, but she tended to keep quiet and study unless something big happened.
The only times not spent revising were now dedicated to finalizing their case for Buckbeak's trial, or doing their Friday trips to the Room of Requirement. Harry was very happy that the room could make two entirely separate rooms for privacy, because after a conversation with Daphne and Tracy, with the two of them saying how high strung they were at the moment with the approaching exams, the girls were now joining them on Fridays for their own dates.
As neither Harry nor Hermione were willing to explore the recent step up in the physical side of their relationship in the Gryffindor dorms, the loss of privacy on their date night would have been extremely frustrating.
Harry was convinced that it was only the new level of closeness that he and Hermione had achieved that was keeping them sane. The stress of the exams was oppressive. He was finally starting to understand how Hermione could be such a nag about school work. She was doing all the stressing for herself, Harry and until recently, Ron as well.
Harry was a little surprised that Ron hadn't made up with them by now. He was more than a little hurt that the person whom he considered his first real friend, and had been one of the most important people in Harry's life, had thrown away their friendship so easily over a pet; a pet that Mione and Crooks had nothing to do with going missing. Yes, Crooks had chased the rat during the first few days of term, but Hermione had done everything possible to keep Crooks away from Scabbers over the course of the year.
The first and second years had their exams first, which was good for everyone else. Even the least studious of them dove into their books during that week, making it the quietest week Harry had ever experienced in the Gryffindor common room (apart from the Christmas holidays, when almost all of Gryffindor went home to their families).
The next week, however, during the third and fourth year exams, the first and second years were experiencing their end of exams relief. This meant that people like Demelza Robins, Colin Creevey, Ginny and a whole host of others that Harry couldn't begin to name were suddenly very interested in the fun, noisy, and disruptive pursuits that they had put off over the last few weeks in order to revise.
Harry and Hermione found a little respite from the noisy hordes by spending their time between exams not in the crowded common room, but taking their books out onto the now sunny grounds. They would find a nice spot and the two of them would sit quizzing each other for a few hours. The exams themselves were split, there would be two theory exams in the morning and one practical in the afternoon.
The exams were a strange experience for Harry. He thought that perhaps the exams themselves had gotten easier, it wasn't that they were a breeze, but he had a lot less trouble with them than he had in his first two years.
When he asked Hermione if she thought that they were easier, she had laughed in obvious joy before she calmed down and told him, "It's not that the exams are easier Harry, it's because you took your work seriously this year. Questions are always easier if you know the answer."
Hermione's explanation definitely fit, but Harry was still surprised that it made so much of a difference. Who knew studying could have such a big effect?
Harry breezed through his Runes and D.A.D.A. exams, with the obstacle course that Professor Lupin had set up for their practical a lot of fun. Hermione had a little problem with the Bogart at the end, which had apparently shown Bellatrix LeStrange killing Harry and their friends. Hermione had known it was a Boggart, but faced with such a sight she was unable to picture something funny to force on to the shape shifter.
Harry had struggled in a few subjects; History of Magic was a real slog as was Astronomy. While he kind of liked the class, Harry had a little trouble remembering which name went with which star. The rest of his exams were a mixed bag and Harry would have to see how they turned out when he got his results in the summer.
---ϟϟϟ---
Friday afternoon arrived, along with a mix of attitudes among the third years. Some were letting off a little steam, having finished the last of their exams that morning, while others were anxiously studying for their Divination exam that afternoon. Harry and Hermione, however, were anxious for a completely different reason as they ate their lunch.
Seated at the staff table with the teachers and the headmaster were four people from the Ministry of Magic, along with Lucius Malfoy. Two of the ministry people were known to the two teens on sight; Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge and Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge.
The other two could only be Director Amos Diggory of the Department for Control of Magical Creatures, and Walden McNair from the Department for the Disposal of Dangerous Magical Creatures.
It was easy to tell which was which with those two; one of them had a strong resemblance to a certain Hufflepuff seeker who had saved Harry earlier in the school year, while the other was wearing a bloody huge axe on his back, something that wasn't common for normal wizards to have. The one who was most definitely Mr. Diggory kept looking over at the Hufflepuff table, directly at the younger Diggory.
It was less than an hour now until the start of Buckbeak's appeal. Harry and Hermione had a plan that they hoped would give the Hippogriff a chance. They quickly finished their lunch of cold cuts and salad and left the main hall to collect what they needed.
The appeal trial was held in a disused classroom on the ground floor. Officially, the room was for the use of the Care of Magical Creatures classes, but both Hagrid and Professor Kettleburn had preferred a more hands-on teaching method. This meant the room was left unused and was available.
Harry and Hermione joined up with a group walking into the temporary trial room. The people from the Ministry were already inside with Warlock Malfoy and Draco when Hagrid's group walked in.
While the group from the Ministry were all looking well-dressed and imposing, Hagrid's group looked like something from a fever dream. Hagrid was towering over everything, wearing an ugly brown suit that Harry had never seen before (and secretly hoped that he wouldn't see again for a long time). Dumbledore was wearing robes that fit his regular fashion sense, in this case an eye-watering mix of lilac and sunflowers. Harry and Hermione looked the most normal, both wearing their school robes.
It was the last two people in the room, both sitting innocently in the corner, that drew the most attention from everyone. One of the two looked exceptionally normal and uninteresting except for the large camera hung around his neck.
The other, though, was a witch who seemed to have not realized how many birthdays she had had. The woman, while looking good for her age, was evidently in her mid-forties, maybe even her early fifties.
The bright acid green robes she was wearing, while in no way inappropriate, were definitely designed with a witch maybe half her age in mind. It was not the witch's apparel, however, that shook the group.
It was her reputation.
Rita Skeeter, journalist, gossip columnist, and author of many takedown pieces, was not someone they had expected to be at the hearing.
"M-Miss Skeeter, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't know you would be here," Fudge quickly covered his stammer as he addressed the reporter.
"Ah, Cornelius. This is a surprise indeed, it's a little unusual for the minister to attend an appeal for a dangerous magical creature, is it not? I have an appointment with Mr. Potter here scheduled for after this little soirée; the public has been looking forward to hearing from the Boy-Who-Lived for years, and I finally convinced Mr. Potter to give me an interview. I'm just a little early and this little matter is the only thing that may interest my readers while I wait for Mr. Potter to be available," The smile never left Miss Skeeter's face, but to Harry it looked cold, almost predatory.
Most of what Miss Skeeter said to Fudge was completely true; only a few points had stretched the truth. Harry did have an interview scheduled with her after the hearing, but it had been Hermione who had contacted the Daily Prophet about the interview. Originally, when Hermione had proposed the idea of using Harry's fame to bring in the press, he had been against it.
But, he quickly came to realise that Buckbeak didn't stand a chance against a Ministry that had been bought off by Warlock Malfoy. After Buckbeak had saved his life when he rescued Harry from LeStrange, he really did owe it to the Hippogriff to do everything he could to return the favour.
After he had agreed, Hermione had contacted Miss Skeeter through the Daily Prophet and arranged everything. The idea was that with the press there, it would be a lot harder for the Ministry to just ignore the arguments and evidence that Hagrid's team were going to present.
It wouldn't guarantee a win, but it would give them a fighting chance. The only guarantee in the whole affair was that Harry would be giving an interview. It was a steep price for Harry, but he would gladly pay it for Hagrid and Buckbeak's sake.
"Well I certainly look forward to reading it. Your interviews are always quite illuminating Miss Skeeter. As to why my undersecretary and I are here for this matter, an appeal like this requires a triad to pass judgment and, as such noteworthy parties such as Warlock Malfoy and Hogwarts are involved, I thought it best that my office oversees this matter. Just to make sure everything goes smoothly, you understand," Harry could see why the Minster was such a good politician. In a few words, he had flattered Rita Skeeter and made his being there look like concern for the integrity of the system.
Lucky for them, Miss Skeeter was not so easily misled, "Oh, I can see why you would be worried, Minister Fudge. If I recall, wasn't Warlock Malfoy one of the largest contributors to your election campaign? It wouldn't look well on you if he had a complaint that things were unfair. Then again, maybe you don't have to worry about money as much now. After all, the condemnation or the support of people who are held in high regard to the public can swing a lot of public opinion. Why, just think what an interview with, say, Mr. Potter here could do to your public image if the things he saw the Ministry do were in any way unfair."
Harry, Hermione, and Dumbledore watched as the Minister's complexion took on the colour of soured milk. Miss Skeeter's words had done more to level the playing field in a few seconds than Harry or Hermione had been able to in months of studying.
"Hum hum," The toad-like witch used a fake cough to draw everyone's attention, "As fascinating as this little academic discussion is, we are scheduled to begin our hearing. I'm sure we will have time to discuss such topics at length after we are done protecting the children here from such a dangerous monster," The undersecretary quickly showed that the Ministry wasn't bettered yet.
If it came to the media, the Ministry line of an overabundance of caution in keeping the students safe at school would play well with the public.
The Wix took seats in the room. Harry and Hermione sat towards the back with Rita Skeeter; they were to remain silent until they were called on. Harry was a little surprised that it was Director Diggory that led the hearing. Even though this was a case that fell under the purview of the Department for the Control of Magical Creatures, Harry had expected Minister Fudge to pull rank and lead the hearing.
Everyone listed as Director Diggory read out the charges and a bunch of information that was mostly only important for keeping records, such as dates, case numbers and names of everyone present. It was about as engaging as one of Professor Binns's lecturers. Thankfully, it was also a lot shorter.
They soon moved on to the meat of why they were there, and Warlock Malfoy made his opening statement, "Honoured Ministry officials, as much as it pains me, I must ask that you uphold the decision that was put in place at our previous hearing. Magic is everything, and as such every true magical life is sacred, even the lives of magical creatures. It is clear that asking for the extermination of such a magical creature weighs heavily on my heart.
However, after the Hippogriff in question viciously and with intent set upon my son, it reveals that even such noble creatures have the occasional bad seed. In the interest of my son and all the other students at this school, I implore you to please make sure that this danger to the future of magical Britain never sees another sunrise."
Malfoy's opening speech was eloquent and infuriating. Harry had felt Hermione stiffen next to him when he mentioned 'true magical lives'. It had taken Harry a moment to catch the meaning, but the Malfoy family's stance on Muggleborns was widely known. Harry couldn't believe he could get away with such a blatant blood purist statement right in front of the Minister of Magic.
Harry put a comforting arm around Hermione as he watched the three judges. Diggory was attentive to the points Malfoy was saying, occasionally scribbling something on a roll of parchment. Fudge was looking at Malfoy and nodding along with what the man said, but his eyes were glazed over.
It reminded Harry of the look most of the students got when they were able to stay awake in one of their History of Magic classes, where their minds wandered to wondering what they would have for lunch.
The overly girly toad, however, was barely paying attention to the speech. Instead, her focus was intently on Hermione, the exact same way it was in the hospital wing a few weeks ago. Harry really didn't like the looks she was giving his girlfriend. He couldn't place exactly why, but it really gave him the creeps.
Once Malfoy returned to his seat, it was Hagrid's turn.
The difference between Hagrid's speech and Malfoy's was like night and day. Malfoy's speech was well spoken and had a few well placed points that supported his position. Hagrid was never the most eloquent of speakers, and his approach was to speak from the heart and insist that "Beaky is a good boy."
Unfortunately, the biggest difference between the two speeches was that Malfoy's was effective. Harry wanted to blame the judges for being biased, but he had to admit to himself if he hadn't seen what happened with his own eyes then he would have probably voted with Malfoy's argument. Dangerous animals had no place in a school. Fluffy, Aragon and the basilisk had taught him that.
There was a little more procedure as they started introducing evidence. The Malfoys produced a medical record for Draco's injury, a copy of Hogwarts accident report that was written by Hagrid, and a witness statement by Pansy Parkinson. Hagrid entered both Harry and Hermione as witnesses, a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , another medical report, and a written statement from Madam Pomfrey.
The next half an hour seemed to be mostly wasted time as both sides tried to attack the credibility of the other's evidence. The two Gryffindors could understand how that could be important in a lot of cases, but in this case even Harry could see that all the evidence would be permitted.
It was all rather official documentation or someone saying what they personally saw. The only bit of evidence that didn't fit those categories was the copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. That was kept as an impartial source of information on Hippogriffs.
Once all that was done, Warlock Malfoy called on Draco to tell his side of the story. The Slytherin stood up with a smirk on his face and began recalling his side of the tale, "Well, it was our first ever Care of Magical Creatures class. When I selected the class last year, Professor Kettleburn still taught the subject and I was looking forward to it. Our first lesson with Hagrid-"
"Professor Hagrid," Dumbledore interrupted.
Draco gritted his teeth and continued, "Our first lesson with Professor Hagrid was a joke. No classroom, no lecturers. No one in class had even opened their textbooks before class, as the book which he'd set; The Monster Book of Monsters was charmed to try and bite anyone who tried to read it, and none of us had figured out how to calm the book.
Despite learning that we had no preparation for the class, the professor took us to a clearing just inside the Forbidden Forest . There were a number of Hippogriffs in a fenced off area of the clearing. Then, with no instructions, he had Potter ride one of the beasts and then told us to just do what Potter did. I tried to do that, I even approached the same Hippogriff Potter had ridden, it appeared friendly enough with him. Next thing I know the beast was attacking me. It slashed me with one of its claws, which gave me a deep nasty cut on my right arm that didn't heal properly for months."
Warlock Malfoy took over talking, "I refer now to the medical report I entered into evidence, 'Student Malfoy, Draco presented to the hospital wing with an eight inch long, two inch deep, laceration to his right forearm that cut though the flesh and muscle of said arm and exposed the bones.' These are not the injuries that a tame animal would inflict.
It seems to me that it is clear that the beast in question has gone feral and needs to be put down before it hurts another student," Malfoy Senior sat back in his chair. The smug look that both he and Draco shared showed that they both thought that they had won this already.
After being given permission from Director Diggory, Professor Dumbledore stood up and faced Draco, "Young Mr. Malfoy, I have a few simple questions for you," Dumbledore remained respectful and almost jovial even as Malfoy just looked at him coldly and nodded once, "Mr. Malfoy, you said that you approached the same Hippogriff that Mr. Potter here had just used, correct?"
Draco replied with a short, "Yes."
"Did the Hippogriff in question show any sign of violence or hostile intent to Mr. Potter during the demonstration?" Dumbledore asked.
"No. If it had been violent to Potter I would have not gone near it," Draco sneered at the question. While he never said it, the 'obviously' ending was evident in his tone.
"And what of the rest of the class with their Hippogriffs? Was there any hostility there?"
Draco hesitated before replying, "I was too focused on my own work to watch what was happening with everyone else," Harry suspected that to be a lie but he doubted anyone could prove it.
"Given that no-one else has complained about being attacked by a Hippogriff, do you think it's safe to assume that you were the only one who encountered a problem?"
Draco remained silent.
"I think that this shows you, Mr. Malfoy, to be the one at fault here. Clearly, none of the other students had trouble handling the school's Hippogriffs, and the Hippogriff we are discussing was quite amenable to students, as he demonstrated with Mr. Potter only minutes before."
Dumbledore then turned to Harry and Hermione, "Miss Granger, you were in the class during the incident, correct?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes Professor. I was in the class and saw the entire thing."
"Most excellent, can you please tell us your version of events?"
Hermione stood up, "Well, Professor Hagrid had just finished demonstrating with-" Hermione's eyes flicked to Harry for a second before she continued, "-Warlock Potter. He explai-"
"Hum-hum," the Undersecretary Umbridge tried to interrupt, but Hermione continued as though she hadn't heard.
"He explained about how to treat a Hippogriff with respect-"
"Hum-hum," the fake cough interrupted again.
"Do you have something to add, Delores?" Director Diggory asked, evidently getting frustrated with the Undersecretary's interruptions.
"Thank you, Director. I just wanted to ask the girl what she means by referring to the boy as Warlock Potter," She stressed the word "girl" in a way that set Harry's teeth on edge, but Hermione once again acted as though she hadn't heard it.
"What do you mean when you ask, 'what do I mean'? Harry is a member of the House of Potter and, like his father before him, he received the title of Warlock, a title signifying that he is the Head of his House upon the passing of his father. This is an official Ministry hearing, so unless I am misinformed, we should refer to Warlock Potter with his formal title," Hermione explained calmly.
"Mr Potter has not yet come of age. He has no grounds to use that title."
"I'm afraid I must disagree, Madam Undersecretary," Hermione replied, "Warlock Potter's age does preclude him from the full rights of his title, such as voting for the next Minister of Magic, when such an election is called," Hermione then nodded to the Minister, "Which we hope won't be for some time," The minister smiled back at her, "Despite his lack of his full rights, though, the title of Warlock is still his."
The Minister spoke up, "The girl is quite right, Delores. And rather well-spoken as well. Potter does indeed, as the last of the Potters, hold the title of Warlock. And convention is to use full titles for Ministry hearings," Delores looked upset that Fudge had sided against her.
"All of this is beside the point. We are here to determine the fate of this Hippogriff and Miss Granger was telling us her recollection of the incident," He nodded for Hermione to continue.
"Thank you, Minister. As I was saying, Professor Hagrid had just finished informing us that Hippogriffs were proud animals with good manners; how we had to bow to them before anything else and that you had to maintain eye contact with them as they don't trust people whose eyes they can't see.
He then clearly told us that you should never insult a Hippogriff as they will attack you. And to quote the professor, 'them talons hurt.'
Draco approached Buckbeak, and after bowing to the Hippogriff and receiving a bow in return said, and I quote again, 'This is very easy, I knew it must have been if Potter could do it. I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you? You ugly great brute?' Then, just like Professor Hagrid told us would happen if you insult a proud Hippogriff, Mr Malfoy found out that those talons do indeed hurt," Hermione finished and sat back down.
"Thank you, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said once Hermione had taken her seat, "All, or nearly all, magical animals and plants have a level of danger to them. That is why here at Hogwarts we take pains to teach our students how to handle the flora and fauna that they are likely to encounter in their lives. When a student fails to heed the instruction of their professor, they risk experiencing the dangers that we are trying to council them against. In such a circumstance it is not that the Hippogriff in question is a dangerous monster, it is just a Hippogriff that acted as any Hippogriff would in that situation."
Dumbledore sat back down. Director Diggory looked thoughtful at what he had heard, the Umbridge woman was looking down her nose at Dumbledore and the Minister still looked bored. The short leader of the Ministry had taken to fiddling with his lime-green bowler hat.
Warlock Malfoy stood back up, "You talk as though my son would know already how to handle a dangerous monster, but let's not forget that this was his first-ever Care of Magical Creatures lesson and the book he was told to buy was charmed to try and bite anyone who tried to read it. When was he supposed to learn how to handle this Hippogriff?" The elder Malfoy didn't look as calm any more.
Harry stood up and waited for Director Diggory to nod to him, "I would say that Draco was meant to learn how to handle a Hippogriff at the same time all the other students in the class and I did. By paying attention to the professor telling us only a few minutes before, Draco was asked to practice," Harry sat back down. He knew he was being argumentative but he wasn't going to just sit there and let Malfoy try to slip the blame from his son to Hagrid's teaching.
Dumbledore stood up once Harry was finished, "As to the coursebook being unreadable, that is hardly a defence in this case," He picked up the copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , "This book is a first-year textbook that has been on every first year's required book list for a few decades. Miss Skeeter, could I beg a small favour of you on behalf of this proceeding? Would you please read out what it says about insulting a Hippogriff? The page is marked."
Miss Skeeter looked a little surprised at being asked to participate, even in such a small way, but quickly agreed. She took a few moments to stand and find the relevant passage, "As stated above, the Hippogriff is a proud beast, the pride of an eagle while mixed with the nobility of a horse shows not only in its bearing but how it behaves. Hippogriffs are known to spend a number of hours a day obsessing over their personal grooming. It is important to remember when dealing with these beasts that you must never do anything to mess up their carefully groomed appearance or to in any way reference their appearance as a negative. This will cause the Hippogriff to attack the offender."
Miss Skeeter closed the book and handed it back to the headmaster.
"As you can see, young Mr Malfoy had ample access to the information he needed. He has had the book for almost three years now," Dumbledore returned to his seat, setting the book on the desk in front of him.
"This is all very interesting, but we are here to determine if the Hippogriff is dangerous. Nothing you have presented so far convinces me that the half breed in question is unlikely to attack another student," Umbridge spoke up.
Harry stood up, "Well, if that's not my cue nothing is. Dobby!" Harry called on his elf friend. He had originally asked Dobby to recommend another elf that could help, but the energetic little guy instead insisted on doing whatever Harry needed himself. Harry had tried to explain that Malfoy would be there, but Dobby refused to let anyone else do anything Harry wanted. He was determined to be the one to help.
The look on everyone's face when there was a knock on the door was only surpassed by the look they got when Harry opened the door and they saw what was on the other side.
Of the seven people at the hearing who didn't know what Harry had planned, five of them (Fudge, Umbridge, Diggory, McNair, and Rita Skeeter) completely ignored the elf. The Malfoy's however, looked furious at the sight of the elf that was formerly theirs.
"What is that elf doing here?" Warlock Malfoy was red-faced and shouting.
Dobby answered back to his former master, "Dobby is findings new work since leaving former masters."
"Did you expect him to just cease to exist after you gave him a sock?" Harry asked incredulously.
Unfortunately, most of Malfroy's outburst was ignored by everyone else in favour of gaping at what Dobby had brought with him - Buckbeak.
"W-what is that dangerous beast doing here?" The arrival of Buckbeak had finally pulled the Minister's attention to what was happening around him.
"Minister, whether Buckbeak is dangerous or not is the point of this trial. If you continue to be prejudicial about the outcome before the evidence is fully explored, I will have no choice but to declare a mistrial and reschedule with a different panel of judges," Director Diggory cut off Fudge before he could start to rant or demand that Buckbeak be removed, "That being said, Mr Potter, why is the Hippogriff here?"
Harry cleared his throat before talking, "Director, Minister, Undersecretary, we are here to determine the character and temperament of this Hippogriff. So far, all that has happened here is that the Malfoys have called him dangerous based on their evidence and we have said he is not based on ours. It is my intention to offer more evidence right here that Buckbeak is not only trustworthy but an amazing Hippogriff that deserves recognition."
Everyone was paying attention to Harry now as he took the lead from Dobby and led Buckbeak into the room. Then, after quickly removing the ropes from the large animal, Harry bowed to him.
Harry stared into the regal eyes that reminded him of golden honey. Buckbeak bowed back to Harry almost as soon as Harry started his bow. Harry stepped up and hugged the Hippogriff that had saved his life, "This Hippogriff is not a danger to the students. In fact, I am in Buckbeak's debt for saving my life, as I told the Minister and his Undersecretary when it happened.
A few weeks ago, when another student and I were out on the grounds, we were attacked by someone from outside the school. Bellatrix LeStrange got the better of me and the other student. We had lost, my friend was unconscious, and I was immobilized. There was nothing either of us could do. LeStrange was burning the dark mark into my skin, laughing about the furore it would cause in the press to have the Boy-who-lived found with Voldemort's mark burnt in his chest."
Harry didn't really like talking about what happened, but something inside him pushed him to keep talking. Harry guessed it was magic pushing him to repay the debt he owed Buckbeak for saving his life, "Buckbeak was the one who saved us. He came to the aid of a student who needed help. He saved my life and you want to execute him for giving a rude over-entitled daddy's boy a scratch. A scratch that was healed in minutes," Harry finished. Hermione looked like she wanted to get up and hug him but couldn't because of the trial. Harry knew he was being more than a little rude but at this point, he didn't care.
"My arm was in pain for months!" Draco shouted at Harry.
"And then miraculously healed overnight when Madam Hooch said that Slytherin either needed to play their quidditch matches or they would forfeit. You stopped faking as soon as your position as the Slytherin seeker was put at risk," Harry retorted. It was hard for him to remain calm while Draco was shouting at him but he knew that Draco looked more unreasonable to everyone in the room when he did that.
"That thing is violent and a menace!" Draco was shouting at the top of his voice, "Tell them, father!"
Unfortunately for Draco, Buckbeak was currently more concerned with getting Harry to scratch an itch he had at the base of his beak and looked more cuddly than dangerous.
"Oh! This will make such a fascinating article for my readers. 'Our saviour's saviour! The Boy-Who-Lived and his battle to save the Hippogriff who saved him!' I'm so glad I came early," Miss Skeeter had a huge grin on her face.
Upon hearing Miss Skeeter's words, Fudge turned a little pale before he stood up and said, "I think we have enough evidence to make a decision now, any objections?" There were none.
Director Diggory took back control, "As there are no objections, I declare we shall move into deliberations. Please can everyone not here to represent the Ministry clear the room? We shall deliver our verdict in two hours."