No one in Gryffindor sleeps for the rest of the night. We all know the castle is being searched again for Sirius Black and everyone stays awake in the Common Room, waiting for any news. As we wait, Hermione and I try to concentrate on doing more study, but to no avail due to our constant worry of Sirius Black bursting back in here after Harry and I. Professor McGonagall comes back at dawn to tell us that Black has escaped once again.

Throughout the next few days, everywhere we go we see signs of tighter security; Professor Flitwick was seen teaching the front doors to recognise a large picture of Sirius Black; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes. Sir Cadogan had been fired from guarding the Gryffindor Tower and his portrait has been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor. The Fat Lady has been brought back up replace him. She was extremely nervous about guarding the Tower, and only agreed to come back if she was given protection. So now, a bunch of surly security trolls have been hired to guard her during the day and night. The four of them pace the corridor, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs. Fred, George and I try to communicate with the trolls, grunting at them, before they swipe their clubs at us in the attempt to get us to go away. As soon as McGonagall picked up on it, she gave us each detention.

I know I'm used to receiving detentions, but I don't have time for them now. I get it, I shouldn't have angered the trolls, but  don't think detention is really necessary.

Ever since that night's events, Ron has become an instant celebrity. Everyone is now paying more attention to him more than Harry and I now, and Ron I thoroughly enjoying it. Though still shaken by what happened, he's happy to tell anyone that asks exactly what happened in vivid detail from start to finish.

"...I was asleep, and I heard this ripping noise, and I thought it was in my dream, you know? But then there was this draft...I woke up and one side of the hangings on my bed had been pulled down...I rolled over...and I saw him standing over me...like a skeleton, with loads of filthy hair...holding this great long knife, must've been twelve inches...and he looked at me, and I looked at him, and then I yelled, and he scampered."

After thinking about it, I wonder why Black went after Ron, when Harry's bed was only close by, if not right next to Ron's? Why would he just scamper if Ron saw him instead of killing him? It's not like I want Ron dead, no way in hell, but Black is known for killing many innocent people. He must have panicked when Ron yelled, because he knew it would be a trouble for him to get out of the castle without anyone seeing him. I guess, considering he's an animagus, he was able to transform and sneak out of the castle before anyone saw him.

Professor McGonagall was furious at Neville. She was so furious that she banned him from any future Hogsmeade visits, given him a detention, and forbidden any of us to give him the password into the tower. Poor Neville is now forced to wait outside the Common Room every night, with the menacing trolls, until someone lets him in. I make sure that every time I come back to the tower to let him in, because I'm s good friend. None of these punishments, however, come close to matching the one his grandmother had in store. Two days after Black's break in, she sent him the worst thing a Higwarts student could ever receive at breakfast - a Howler.

The school owls swoop into the Great Hall at breakfast as usual, and Neville chokes as a huge brown owl drops the scarlet letter I to his lap.

"Run for it, Neville," Ron says, advisably, as we all recognise that it's a Howler.

Without needing to be told twice, Neville sprints out of the Hall,ding the letter out in front of him as if it's a bomb. Everyone in the Hall watches as Neville hurries out. As everyone can hear the screeches of Neville's grandmother, her voice magically magnified, the Slytherin table explodes into laughter. I glance over at Draco who is laughing along with his friends. He's really doing my head in at the moment, he is.

Rolling my eyes at their amusement over Neville, I turn back to the table to see Hedwig waiting for Harry.

I nudge Harry, who is seated beside me. "Harry," I say, before he turns around and notices Hedwig.

"What - oh - thanks, Hedwig," he says, taking the small letter attached to her leg, before she flies off with the other owls.

Harry tears open the envelope. I wait for him to read through it, not wanting to be rude and read it over his shoulder.

"Hm," he says. "Hagrid wants Ron and me to come over this afternoon."

I look at him. "What about me?" I ask, feeling dejected.

"It's just addressed to me and Ron," Harry says, showing me the letter. "Sorry."

"Oh..." I say, turning back to my cornflakes. I hope Hagrid isn't angry at me or anything. I've tried hard to see him as much as possible over the past couple of weeks, helping him with his case for Buckbeak. Hermione's been helping too, but she has more time than me.

At six o'clock, when Harry and Ron leave the Common Room to go visit Hagrid, Hermione and I continue on with the never-ending pile of work on our little table.

At nine o'clock, when the weekly notices are put onto the bulletin board. Everyone crowds around it, some moving away looking excited. I bet it's another Hogsmeade trip. I'm not sure if I'll have time to go, because if I have the whole day on Saturday, I'll be able to finish reading the last three-hundred pages of the book Professor Vector set us for Arithmancy and complete the stupid palmistry homework from Professor Trelawney. That is, if it is this weekend and not the next.

"I'm guessing it's another Hogsmeade weekend," Hermione mutters to me, as more people crowd around the board.

"Yeah," I say. "But I don't think I'll go, I still have so much work to do, and if everyone's at Hogsmeade, then the Common Room will be nice and quiet."

"You're right," Hermione agrees. "But come on, we need a break. I'm going to go and check what the date is, I think it's this weekend, if not the next."

Hermione gets up from the table, almost knocking off a few books before joining the crowd around the notice board. I look over to the portrait hole to see Harry and Ron walk in, and also join the crowd.

As soon as Hermione comes back over, she confirms that the Hogsmeade trip is this coming weekend.

"Yeah, I need to use this weekend, Hermione," I say, looking at the pile of work on the table. "I still have three-hundred pages of that Arithmancy book to read, plus that Divination homework due on Monday."

"Come on, Sarah," Hermione pleads. "You have to come."

Sighing, I agree to come, but only for a short time so I can still get some of the work done. Harry and Ron come over shortly after and join Bonnie and Amy on the couch as they chat with each other.

"What d'you reckon?" I hear Ron say to Harry from the couch.

"Well, Filch hasn't done anything about the passageway into Honeydukes..." Harry says quietly.

Humphing, Hermione gets up from the table and goes over to them. Oh no, this isn't going to end well.

"Harry!" She says to him, making him jump in surprise. "If you go into Hogsmeade again...I'll tell Professor McGonagall about that map!"

Hermione, stop, I say to her in my mind, you're only going to make things worse between you three.

"Can you hear someone talking, Harry?" Ron growls, glaring at Hermione.

"Ron, how can you let him go with you? After what Sirius Black nearly did to you! I mean it, I'll tell-"

"So now you're trying to get Harry expelled!" Ron says furiously. "Haven't you done enough damage this year? And I bet you'll let Sarah go!"

"Only because she has a permission form!" She yells at him, before she hurries off toward the girls' dormitories.

I slap down the book I was reading and look to Harry and Ron. "I hope you two are happy with yourselves. Hermione is just wanting what's best for Harry, and you Ron are just jumping down her throat for no reason!" I say in Hermione's defence. "Just give her a break for once!"

Clearing up my area on the table, I hurry up the stairs to the dormitory, where I can hear Hermione sniffling behind the curtains of her bed.

"Hermione?" I call softly. When she doesn't answer, I go over to her bed. I slide open the curtain to see her curled up against her pillow, face in her hands, crying.

"Hey," I say sympathetically, sitting down on the bed. Hermione looks up, her eyes already puffy and red, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry," she chokes. "I'm just so sick of Ronald! I'm just trying to help Harry, not get him into trouble!"

"I know, Hermione," I say. "Ron is the biggest prat I've ever met. I promise you, he will eventually come to his senses and apologise."

"But when?" She says, looking into my eyes sadly. "When will he stop?"

"He's a teenage boy, he's going to be a prick until he decides to mature and, I don't know, propose to you or something!"

Hermione screws up her face. "If that ever happened, Sarah, I'd say no right before he even asks."

I chuckle. "See, there's the Hermione I know. Do you remember what I told you in first year, before that troll came in and scared the living day lights out of us?"

Hermione shakes her head, a smile waiting to just pop onto her face.

"I told you to forget what everyone said about you, especially Ron, and to get back out there and show him that you are an amazing witch. Ron is just a teenage boy, with not a care for anyone else's feelings. But you, Hermione, you have a huge heart. Ron will one day see that, and he will feel so goddamn awful about what he's done to you," I tell her. "That he will have no other choice but to be nice to you and make up for everything."

A small smile creeps into her face. "You really think so?"

"I know so," I say.

"Thank you, Sarah," Hermione says, jumping up to wrap her hands around my neck. I smile as I hug her back. We stay like this for a few moments, before Crookshanks hops onto the bed and tries to curl up on Hermione's lap.

We break apart, as Hermione picks Crookshanks up around the middle. Soon after, my own cat, Snow, who has recently become very fat, jumps onto the bed.

She purrs as I stroke her soft white fur, and Hermione just smiles at me, finally cheered up.

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

On Saturday morning, instead of changing into some comfortable clothes and going back down to the Common Room to study, I change into something a little more appropriate to go to Hogsmeade in; a thin grey and white polka dot sweatshirt, paired with light skinny jeans and my brown leather boots. Throwing my hair up into a loose bun, as grab my purse before heading downstairs, where I wait with Amy for Hermione and Bonnie. Amy is just going to walk with us to the Entrance Hall, before coming back here to finish her Potions essay.

It's going to be fun today, just us girls. Neither of the boys to bother us as they sneak around Hogsmeade with Harry under the cloak, probably. Harry will most likely go through the passageway to Hogsmeade and hang with Ron for the day.

The four of us head down to the Entrance Hall once Hermione and Bonnie come down, where the rest of the older students are waiting to go.

For half the day, Hermione, Bonnie and I wander around the shops, this time looking in the few clothing stores which are filled with lots of pretty dresses for formalwear, that look like they could fit in at a Muggle shop.

At one pm, Hermione and I hurry back to the castle, leaving Bonnie to keep wandering around. No doubt she'll find Harry and Ron and just stay with them.

When Hermione and I get up to the Common a Room, we see Amy playing a game of Exploding Snap with a couple of second years and Neville.

"Hey, Amy," I say, walking over to the group, while Hermione goes over to the table and immediately opens up a book.

"Hey, you guys are back!" She says happily, taking her eyes away from the game. "You're early. We're just playing a wicked game of Exploding Snap, want to join?"

I look at her as if she's stupid. "Are you kidding?" I ask her seriously. "Have you seen the pile of work I have to do?" I motion over to where Hermione is seated at the messy table.

"Right..." Amy says. "Have fun!"

Rolling my eyes, I go over to the table and open up the book for Arithmancy and begin to read.

I finally finish by dinner time, and dragging Hermione, we head down to the Great Hall. As soon as we sit down, Bonnie comes into the Hall, racing over to us looking almost frantic.

"Bonnie, what's wrong?" Hermione asks worriedly, seeing the look upon her face.

"Malfoy saw Harry in Hogsmeade," she gasps.

"How?" I ask, myself also worried. I know how much Draco hates Harry, and if he saw him in Hogsmeade, he would use that as a chance to get Harry expelled.

Bonnie pauses for a moment, catching her breath, before telling Hermione, Amy and I the story of what happened. The three of them were at the Shrieking Shack, with Harry under the cloak, before Draco came over and started insulting them (I'm going to have to talk to him about this, he's gotten worse over the past couple of weeks, and it can't be exam stress). Harry tried to help by, being under the cloak, throwing mud at Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. It all seemed like fun and games, until Crabbe accidentally stood on Harry's foot, causing the cloak to slide off his head, exposing it.

"-Malfoy then went running back up to the castle," Bonnie says. "Ron and I told Harry to leave, because if someone found him in Hogsmeade..." She bites her lip. "I don't know if Harry got back alright, but Ron went after him. I just got back, and I can't find either of them.

"Oh my!" I exclaim, clapping a hand to my mouth.

Bonnie nods, looking more worried than any of us. "I hope one of the teachers didn't catch him."

At that very moment, all the heads in the Hall turn to the roof, where one single owl comes flying in with a letter attached. As it gets closer, flying over the Gryffindor table, I realise that it's Swoops.

He lands down in front of me. The rest of the Gryffindor's stare at me, as the other houses go back to their food. I detach the letter from his leg, and tearing off a bit of bread, he flies off.

The Gryffindor's go back to their food and friends as I rip open the letter, which is addressed to Hermione and I, written in Hagrid's familiar scrawl.

It must be the results from the trial, which Hagrid went to today with Buckbeak. As I open the letter, I pray and pray that it contains good news.

Written inside, blotched with tear stains, is this:

Dear Sarah and Hermione,

We lost. I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts. Execution date to be fixed. Beaky has enjoyed London.

I won't forget all the help you gave us.

Hagrid

I stare at the letter as Hermione reads it over my shoulder. He can't have lost! Hermione and I had so much to prove that we were so sure that he was going to win. Unfortunately, Lucius Malfoy must have been more convincing. Or he could have threatened the committee - I wouldn't put it past him.

"He lost!" Hermione says, her lip trembling.

"I know!" I say. "Both we had so much to prove that Buckbeak was a good hippogriff."

"Stuff Lucius Malfoy," Amy says through gritted teeth.

"You have to tell Harry and Ron," Bonnie says, causing Hermione and I to stare at her. "What? They deserve to know. They were in this from the start too, even if they didn't help much with the trial."

That's true. So, the four of us get up from the table, not bothering to finish the food on our plates, before heading up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower.

Harry and Ron must be back by now, surely. As soon as we reach the seventh-floor corridor, where the security trolls are pacing in front of the Fat Lady's portrait, we see Harry and Ron heading toward the portrait.

"Harry! Ron!" Bonnie calls out, making them turn around. As soon as Ron see's Hermione, he frowns.

"Come to have a good gloat?" He says savagely, making me want to snap at him. "Or have you just been to tell on us?"

"No," Hermione says, her voice shaking slightly. "I just thought you ought to know... Hagrid lost his case. Buckbeak is going to be executed."

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

A/N:

Can I just...this chapter is so short! It's only 3,000 words! I'm almost dancing for joy, and that's kind of sad. I'm going to work on keeping my chapters short.

Anyway, this chapter was a filler, because I felt like k really needed to enhance Hermione and Sarah's friendship and just...yeah. Also, originally this was going to have most of this and the final Quidditch match, and I didn't do that for two reasons: one, the chapter would have been over 10,000 words, and two, I didn't particularly want two Quidditch chapters to  be posted convectively. So, I hope you guys are okay with this filler.

I've been really into the mood for writing at the moment, with finishing the last five chapters of the Sarah Potter(book 1) re-write, and a couple of chapters for this all within the week. Let's hope now that I've said that it doesn't backfire and I get writers block, which will most likely happen so I'm going to take advantage of it now.

Peace out guys, love you!

~Elise