0178 Crookshanks's New-Home

The first rays of dawn broke through the dark sky, and the massive gate of Hogwarts Castle creaked open with a sound of rusty hinges. The pale pink sun, tinged with a hint of gold, cast a soft glow over the dim hall. The ancient castle was slowly waking up from its nocturnal slumber. 

Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the sound of frantic footsteps echoing in the empty hall.

Hermione emerged from the shadows, clutching Crookshanks to her chest. Her face was pale and weary, and her eyes were red from crying. She glanced around nervously, making sure no one was watching. Then, she bent down and gave Crookshanks a gentle stroke on his head. He purred softly, oblivious to her troubles. His fur was orange and fluffy, and his eyes were bright and curious. With a determined look, she dashed out of the castle and headed for the misty lawn. 

At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid, who had calmed down a lot after more than a month, was busy in the field. The pumpkins planted in August and September were now ripe in October. The lush vines had lost most of their flowers, and the basin-sized pumpkins were everywhere in the neat field. They were round and smooth, and some of them had funny shapes and bumps. 

Hagrid gestured with the pink umbrella in his hand. Although he had cleared his innocence, Hagrid, who had been sneaking around in order to cast spells for most of his life, was used to hiding his wand in the umbrella. The umbrella was old and worn, and had a few patches on it. 

Looking at the fruits, Hagrid showed a happy expression. The swelling charm he had used last year worked very well. He planned to do the same in a few days and make the pumpkins grow bigger.

Buckbeak, who had not realized that he had gotten into trouble and also caused trouble for Hagrid, was crawling under the shade of a tree on the other side of the house, eating the nutritious breakfast that Hagrid had prepared for him - a large basin of ferrets. The ferrets were wriggling and squeaking, and Buckbeak's beak made a crunching sound as he bit into them. 

Fang lay at the door, drooling at the worm-like things that were eating lettuce in the wooden box like a beehive. The Flubberworms, which were as big as a toddler's arm, were also coveting them, but they obviously knew that those things were not their food, so they could only stare at them with envy. The Flubberworms were slimy and green, and they made a slurping sound as they munched on the lettuce. The lettuce was fresh and crisp, and had a few drops of dew on it. 

Suddenly, the thick morning fog surged a few dozen feet away. Fang, who smelled it first, immediately pricked up his ears and barked happily. His bark was loud and deep, and it echoed in the forest. 

"Don't bark, Fang, the little wizards haven't got up yet, don't disturb their sleep!" 

Hagrid scolded, straightening up from his pumpkin patch. He looked at Buckbeak, who was tearing apart a ferret with his sharp beak. 

"When he's done, I'll let him leave the bones for you!" he added gruffly. His voice was loud and booming, and it startled some of the birds in the forest. 

Buckbeak flapped his wings a few times, snorted at Fang, and then threw the ferret bones on the ground with his claws.

"Hagrid!" 

Hermione, who was covered with dew on her hair and eyebrows, like a drowned chicken, rushed out of the fog. When she saw Hagrid, who was stunned by her appearance in the pumpkin field, Hermione couldn't control her emotions anymore. She ran into Hagrid's arms and cried like a child who lost her candies. Her tears were hot and salty, and they soaked Hagrid's shirt. 

"Either let Crookshanks disappear, or let yourself disappear!"

Hagrid roared angrily, he picked up a towel and wanted to wipe the dew on Hermione's hair, but almost took off her head. 

"That little bastard dared to say that, Hermione, don't stop me, next time I see him, I have to teach him a lesson. Ask him if he still remembers how much you helped him!" 

"Don't be like that, Hagrid, Ron is just too worried about Scabbers, he didn't do anything wrong–"

Hermione, who still had red eyes, but was much better after releasing her emotions, defended Ron for a moment, stroking Crookshanks, who was lying on her lap.

"But I really can't keep Crookshanks in the castle. I have so many classes to attend, I don't have time to discipline him properly, I can only leave him here with you, Hagrid, at least Fang can be Crookshanks's friend." 

"No problem, Hermione, I have plenty of space here, enough for him and Fang to have fun–" 

Hagrid brought a cup of steaming tea to Hermione, who still looked sad. He hesitated for a moment, and said worriedly, "But I don't think this can solve the problem, Hermione, you have to talk to Ron, people often make mistakes and can't manage their pets, but it's not right to blame their friends for that." 

Hagrid's tea was strong and bitter, and it had a few weird leaves floating in it. 

"Thank you, Hagrid, I'll find a chance to talk to him." Hermione wiped the tears on her eyelashes and tried to squeeze a smile, but both Hermione and Hagrid knew that this was just an excuse. 

There was still some time before class, and Hagrid warmly prepared rock cakes and Bath buns for Hermione, who hadn't eaten breakfast, but Hermione didn't touch them, she just hugged Crookshanks reluctantly and sipped the hot tea. 

"I've been studying some cases of magical creatures injuring people, Hagrid, and I'll sort out the arguments for the cases where they were released. When you and Buckbeak go to trial at the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, you can follow the words on it–" 

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do, Hermione!" 

Hagrid's nose was red and runny, and he used a handkerchief to wipe it. He blew his nose heavily and said gratefully, 

"These days, I often dream of the verdict coming down, and Buckbeak being... Oh, anyway, thanks to you, I still have a glimmer of hope!" 

Hermione smiled, and this time, her smile was more sincere. 

"By the way, Hagrid, I've always been a bit confused–" 

After clumsily patting Hagrid's arm, which was as thick as her waist, Hermione pouted, looking a bit puzzled. 

"Why don't you go to Professor Dumbledore for help? if you go to him for help, he won't mind giving you a word with the Ministry." 

"I don't want to bother him," Hagrid sighed and sat down. 

"Professor Dumbledore has so many things to deal with every day, I don't want to cause him any trouble." 

Hermione looked like she wanted to argue, but Hagrid said again, 

"And he can't really interfere with this matter. Of course, of course, as long as Dumbledore is willing to send a formal message, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures won't ignore his words, but the problem is here, Hermione, Dumbledore has been trying to avoid interfering with the normal operation of the Ministry of Magic, because he knows very well that Cornelius Fudge is always wary of him. 

Although it's ridiculous, Fudge is worried that if Dumbledore changes his mind one day and wants to be Minister for a while, he can easily use his prestige to drive Fudge out of office. So, to prevent Fudge from making the wrong judgment, Professor Dumbledore is restraining himself, even when he doesn't agree with many of the decisions made by the Ministry. I know Professor Dumbledore can help Buckbeak out of trouble, Hermione, but I don't want to see Dumbledore embarrassed." 

Looking at Hagrid, who suddenly became eloquent, Hermione asked incredulously, 

"Did you come up with this yourself, Hagrid?" 

Hermione asked in astonishment.

"Oh, you're not the smartest little witch in Hogwarts for nothing, Hermione - not wanting to trouble Dumbledore is indeed my idea, but the rest of it…"

Hagrid scratched his hairy beard and smiled sheepishly. 

"Do you remember the morning when Remus sent me back? Actually, the night before, it was Professor Watson who picked me up and took me to his temporary residence in Hogsmeade. He's a good man, isn't he? Otherwise I would have to sleep with the trash can that night. Later, I picked a time to go and thank him, and while we were chatting, he talked to me about Buckbeak's problem. I was a bit hesitant about whether to go to Professor Dumbledore or not, and Professor Watson told me these things."

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