We didn't get a chance to talk to Hagrid about Buckbeak's trial or anything until our Care of Magical Creatures lesson on Monday. He seemed numb with shock at the verdict.
"'S'all my fault," he told us. "Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up for me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em..."
"There's still the appeal!" said Ron fiercely. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it!"

We were walking back up to the castle with the rest of the class. Ahead of us were Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. They all kept looking back and laughing.
"'S'no good, Ron," said Hagrid sadly as we reached the castle steps. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that..."
Hagrid turned around and hurried back towards his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief.

"Look at him blubber!"
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle has been standing just inside the castle doors, listening.
"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"
Harry and Ron both made furious moves towards him, but Hermione got there first — WHACK!
She had punched him in the face with all the strength she could muster.

Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her fist again. If I'm honest, I was quite enjoying this. He'd had it coming.
"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul — you evil—"
"Hermione!" said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her arm as she swung it back again.
"Get off, Ron!"

Hermione pulled out her wand. Malfoy stepped backwards. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.
"C'mon," Malfoy muttered, and next moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.

"Hermione!" Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.
"Harry, you'd better beat him in the quidditch final!" Hermione said shrilly. "You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!"
"We're due in Charms," said Ron, still goggling at Hermione. "We'd better go."

We hurried up the marble staircase towards Professor Flitwick's classroom.
"You're late, you three!" said Professor Flitwick reprovingly, as Harry opened the classroom door. "Come along, wands out, we're experimenting with Cheering Charms today. We've already divided into pairs—"
Harry, Ron, and I hurried to a desk at the back and opened our bags. Ron looked behind him.
"Where's Hermione gone?"

Harry and I both looked around as well. Hermione hadn't entered the classroom, though she had definitely been with us when Harry had opened the door. I sighed quietly. Evidently she'd lost track of which lessons she'd been to and which she hadn't.
"That's weird," said Harry, staring at Ron. "Maybe — maybe she went to the bathroom or something?"

When Hermione (predictably) still hadn't showed up after a few more minutes, I pulled out a book and started to read. Harry and Ron were practicing the charm on each other, but I was keeping well away from the spell casting. Everyone knew by now not to even try to practice with me, because the first time that had happened, I might have a little bit tried to curse Hermione. It'd been a panic reaction, one which I still wasn't sure I could stop myself doing.

I sighed. The book I was reading had some interesting information on magical creature trials, but so far nothing had been particularly helpful. Finding enough evidence and stuff to stop Buckbeak getting executed was turning out to be much harder than I had first imagined.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You don't think Malfoy did something to her?" Ron said anxiously as he, Harry, and I hurried upstairs towards Gryffindor tower. He was talking about Hermione, who hadn't showed up for lunch either.
"I think it's more likely that she just lost track of things," I muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing," I said quickly, suddenly remembering that Harry and Ron knew nothing about the time turner.

We passed the security trolls, gave the Fat Lady the password, and scrambled through the portrait hole into the common room.
Hermione was sitting at a table, fast asleep, her head resting on an open Arithmancy book. We went to sit down — Harry and Ron on one side of her, and me on the other. Harry prodded her awake.
"Wh-what?" said Hermione, waking with a start and staring wildly around. "Is it time to go? W-which lesson have we got now?"
"Divination, but it's not for another twenty minutes," I said.

"Hermione, why didn't you come to Charms?" Harry asked her.
"What? Oh no!" Hermione squeaked. "I forgot to go to Charms!"
"But how could you forget?" said Harry. "You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!"
"I don't believe it!" Hermione wailed. "Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh, it was Malfoy, I was thinking about him and I lost track of things!"

"You know what, Hermione?" said Ron, looking down at the enormous Arithmancy book Hermione had been using as a pillow. "I recon you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much."
"No, I'm not!" said Hermione, brushing her hair out of her eyes and looking around for her bag. "I just made a mistake, that's all! I'd better go and see Professor Flitwick and say sorry... I'll see you in Divination!"

She grabbed her bag, then quickly climbed out through the portrait hole, letting it click shut behind her. I sighed.
"If you ask me, she's bitten off more than she can chew with all these classes."
Harry and Ron both nodded.

"She's looking almost as ill as Lupin these days," Ron said, sounding concerned. "She can't be getting much sleep at all."
"She's not," I said. "I think she's getting even less sleep than me, and that's saying something."
Harry and Ron looked at each other, then they both smiled and said, "She needs to sort out her priorities."