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Harry could still hear Dumbledore's voice talking from within the cabin。 He gave the rope another wrench。 Buckbeak broke into a grudging trot。 They had reached the trees。。。
〃Quick！ Quick！〃 Hermione moaned； darting out from behind her tree； seizing the rope too and adding her weight to make Buckbeak move faster。 Harry looked over his shoulder； they were now blocked from sight； they couldn't see Hagrid's garden at all。
〃Stop！〃 he whispered to Hermione。 〃They might hear us
Hagrid's back door had opened with a bang。 Harry； Hermione； and Buckbeak stood quite still； even the hippogriff seemed to be listening intently。
Silence。。。 then …
〃Where is it？〃 said the reedy voice of the mittee member。 〃Where is the beast？〃
〃It was tied here！〃 said the executioner furiously。 I saw it！ just here！〃
〃How extraordinary；〃 said Dumbledore。 There was a note of amusement in his voice。
〃Beaky！〃 said Hagrid huskily。
There was a swishing noise； and the thud of an axe。 The executioner seemed to have swung it into the fence in anger。 And then came the howling； and this time they could hear Hagrid's words through his sobs。
〃Gone！ Gone！ Bless his little beak； he's gone！ Musta pulled himself free！ Beaky； yeh clever boy！〃
Buckbeak started to strain against the rope； trying to get back to Hagrid。 Harry and Hermione tightened their grip and dug their heels into the forest floor to stop him。
〃Someone untied him！〃 the executioner was snarling。 〃We should search the grounds； the forest。〃
〃Macnair； if Buckbeak has indeed been stolen； do you really think the thief will have led him away on foot？〃 said Dumbledore； still sounding amused。 〃Search the skies； if you will。。。 Hagrid； I could do with a cup of tea。 Or a large brandy。〃
〃O'…o' course； Professor；〃 said Hagrid； who sounded weak with happiness。 〃e in； e in。。。〃
Harry and Hermione listened closely。 They heard footsteps； the soft cursing of the executioner； the snap of the door； and then silence once more。
〃Now what？〃 whispered Harry； looking around。
〃We'll have to hide in here；〃 said Hermione； who looked very shaken。 〃We need to wait until they've gone back to the castle。 Then we wait until it's safe to fly Buckbeak up to Sirius's window。 He won't be there for another couple of hours。。。 Oh； this is going to be difficult。。。〃
She looked nervously over her shoulder into the depths of the forest。 The sun was setting now。
〃We're going to have to move；〃 said Harry； thinking hard。 〃We've got to be able to see the Whomping Willow； or we won't know what's going on。〃
〃Okay；〃 said Hermione； getting a firmer grip on Buckbeak's rope。 〃But we've got to keep out of sight； Harry； remember。。。〃
They moved around the edge of the forest； darkness falling thickly around them； until they were hidden behind a clump of trees through which they could make out the Willow。
〃There's Ron！〃 said Harry suddenly。
A dark figure was sprinting across the lawn and its shout echoed through the still night air。
〃Get away from him…get away…Scabbers； e here …〃
And then they saw two more figures materialize out of nowhere。 Harry watched himself and Hermione chasing after Ron。 Then he saw Ron dive。
〃Gotcha！ Get off； you stinking cat …〃
〃There's Sirius！〃 said Harry。 The great shape of the dog had bounded out from the roots of the Willow。 They saw him bowl Harry over； then seize Ron。。。
〃Looks even worse from here； doesn't it？〃 said Harry； watching the dog pulling Ron into the roots。 〃Ouch…look； I just got walloped by the tree…and so did you…this is weird…〃
The Whomping Willow was creaking and lashing out with its lower branches； they could see themselves darting here and there； trying to reach the trunk。 And then the tree froze。
〃That was Crookshanks pressing the knot；〃 said Hermione。
〃And there we go。。。〃 Harry muttered。 〃We're in。〃
The moment they disappeared； the tree began to move again。 Seconds later； they heard footsteps quite close by。 Dumbledore； Macnair； Fudge； and the old mittee member were making their way up to the castle。
〃Right after we'd gone down into the passage！〃 said Hermione。 〃If only Dumbledore had e with us。。。〃
〃Macnair and Fudge would've e too；〃 said Harry bitterly。 〃I bet you anything Fudge would've told Macnair to murder Sirius on the spot。。。〃
They watched the four men climb the castle steps and disappear from view。 For a few minutes the scene was deserted。 Then …
〃Here es Lupin！〃 said Harry as they saw another figure sprinting down the stone steps and hating toward the Willow。 Harry looked up at the sky。 Clouds were obscuring the moon pletely。
They watched Lupin seize a broken branch from the ground and prod the knot on the trunk。 The tree stopped fighting； and Lupin； too； disappeared into the gap in its roots。
〃If he'd only grabbed the cloak；〃 said Harry。 〃It's just lying there。。。〃
He turned to Hermione。
〃If I just dashed out now and grabbed it； Snape'd never be able to get it and …〃
〃Harry； we mustn't be seen！〃
〃How can you stand this？〃 he asked Hermione fiercely。 〃Just standing here and watching it happen？〃 He hesitated。 〃I'm going to grab the cloak！〃
〃Harry； no！〃
Hermione seized the back of Harry's robes not a moment too soon。 just then； they heard a burst of song。 It was Hagrid； making his way up to the castle； singing at the top of his voice； and weaving slightly as he walked。 A large bottle was swinging from his hands。
〃See？〃 Hermione whispered。 〃See what would have happened？ We've got to keep out of sight！ No； Buckbeak！〃
The hippogriff was making frantic attempts to get to Hagrid again； Harry seized his rope too； straining to hold Buckbeak back。 They watched Hagrid meander tipsily up to the castle。 He was gone。 Buckbeak stopped fighting to get away。 His head drooped sadly。
Barely two minutes later； the castle doors flew open yet again； and Snape came charging out of them； running toward the Willow。
Harry's fists clenched as they watched Snape skid to a halt next to the tree； looking around。 He grabbed the cloak and held it up。
〃Get your filthy hands off it；〃 Harry snarled under his breath。 〃Shh！〃
Snape seized the branch Lupin had used to freeze the tree； prodded the knot； and vanished from view as he put on the cloak。
〃So that's it；〃 said Hermione quietly。 〃We're all down there。。。 and now we've just got to wait until we e back up again。。。〃
She took the end of Buckbeak's rope and tied it securely around the nearest tree； then sat down on the dry ground； arms around her knees。
〃Harry； there's something I don't understand。。。 Why didn't the dementors get Sirius？ I remember them ing； and then I think I passed out。。。 there were so many of them。。。〃
Harry sat down too。 He explained what he'd seen； how； as the nearest dementor had lowered its mouth to Harry's； a large silver something had e galloping across the lake and forced the dementors to retreat。
Hermione's mouth was slightly open by the time Harry had finished。
〃But what was it？〃
〃There's only one thing it could have been； to make the dementors go；〃 said Harry。 〃A real Patronus。 A powerful one。〃
〃But who conjured it？〃
Harry didn't say anything。 He was thinking back to the person he'd seen on the other bank of the lake。 He knew who he thought it had been。。。 but how could it have been？
〃Didn't you see what they looked like？〃 said Hermione eagerly。 〃Was it one of the teachers？〃
〃No；〃 said Harry。 〃He wasn't a teacher。〃
〃But it must have been a really powerful wizard； to drive all those dementors away。。。 If the Patronus was shining so brightly； didn't it light him up？ Couldn't you see …？〃
〃Yeah； I saw him；〃 said Harry slowly。 〃But。。。 maybe I imagined it。。。 I wasn't thinking straight。。。 I passed out right afterward。。。〃
〃Who did you think it was？〃
I think …〃 Harry swallowed； knowing how strange this was going to sound。 I think it was my dad。〃
Harry glanced up at Hermione and saw that her mouth was fully open now。 She was gazing at him with a mixture of alarm and pity。
〃Harry； your dad's…well…dead；〃 she said quietly。
〃I know that；〃 said Harry quickly。
〃You think you saw his ghost？〃
〃I don't know。。。 no。。。 he looked solid。。。〃
〃But then …〃
〃Maybe I was seeing things；〃 said Harry。 〃But。。。 from what I could see。。。 it looked like him。。。 I've got photos of him。。。〃
Hermione was still looking at him as though worried about his sanity。
I know it sounds crazy；〃 said Harry flatly。 He turned to took at Buckbeak； who was digging his beak into the ground； apparently searching for worms。 But he wasn't really watching Buckbeak。
He was thinking about his father and about his father's three oldest friends。。。 Moony； Wormtail； Padfoot； and Prongs。。。 Had all four of them been out on the grounds tonight？ Wormtail had reappeared this evening when everyone had thought he was dead。。。 Was it so impossible his father had done the same？ Had he been seeing things across the take？ The figure had been too far away to see distinctly。。。 yet he had felt sure； for a moment； before he'd lost consciousness。。。
The leaves overhead rustled faintly in the breeze。 The moon drifted in and out of sight behind the shifting clouds。 Hermione s