Another shadow passed in front of his eyelids. This time, he felt his muscles tense. There was someone in the room with him. He swung around in the chair, half-expecting to see Fleur, or Slytherin, or another random minion. But not who he did see.
Standing in front of him, her flame-colored hair seeing to light a halo around her pale face, was Ginny.
It had started to rain. The grass around Sirius and Lupins feet was wet, and soaked through the cuffs of their trousers as they waited on the hillside. Their heads and shoulders were dry, however, thanks to the Parapluieus Charm Lupin had cast after they left the Potter house. Sirius had been too absorbed in thought to pay much attention to the weather — too absorbed in thought, and in staring at the scabbard that was, without any doubt, the Gryffindor Key. It was a beautiful thing, so well-made that the art that had gone into carving the flowers and leaves all up and down the sides of it almost had nothing to give it. The idea that it had belonged to generations of Potters, James included, made Sirius so nervous at the thought of dropping or damaging it that Lupin had suggested he cast a Reductus charm on it to shrink it to the size of his hand so he could conceal it carefully in the inner pocket of his cloak, which he did.
'What are we waiting for again, Sirius?' Lupin queried, shivering slightly in the bitter wind. All nature seemed to be caught up in Sirius? dark, preoccupied mood — silver-black clouds scudded across a sky the color of wet iron, and the wind made the tree branches sing mournfully.
Its be easier to catch our ride up here,' said Sirius, as they arrived at the top of the hill behind the Pottersold house, Sirius took a small silver whistle from a pocket of his cloak, and blew it; it made a sad, shrill noise. Without any further explanation, he repocketed it.
Far sooner than he had anticipated, they heard the flap of wings, and spun around to see -
An owl?
A small, apricot-colored horned eagle owl.
Lupin blinked. 'Little small to carry both of us, don?t you think?' he asked, as the bird settled on Siriusshoulder and pecked gently at his shoulder. He took the parchment that had been tied to its leg, and unrolled it as the owl took off again, pale wings beating hard against the dark sky.
'Its from Narcissa,' said Sirius, when he had finished, and handed the letter over to Lupin. 'She wrung some information out of that demon, apparently. Nothing too useful, though.'
Lupin, having scanned the letter, was about to reply when a large shadow blotted out what little light the weak sun had been casting on the parchment. He looked up, and saw the circling form of a huge animal circling down towards them — the body of a horse, ornamented by the wings and head of an eagles and a lions thrashing tail.
'Buckbeak?' he demanded, turning to Sirius. He recognized the hippogriff, of course, he had seen Sirius ride him before, and remembered him from the time he had lived tethered outside Hagrids hut at Hogwarts. He had never gotten too close to him, though, for very good reasons. 'Sirius…'
The hippogriff landed on the grass just ahead of them, and strode over to Sirius. Buckbeak was a beautiful animal, his dark gray coat blending into tawny plumage at the wings, his eyes gleaming and bright. He ducked his head against Siriusshoulder, and Sirius was about to reach up and stroke his feathered head when he saw that the hippogriff had stiffened and was staring past him, eyes narrowed.
A low rumble rattled in Buckbeacks throat, and he started to back away. 'Beaky, what..?' Sirius began, turning to follow the anxious hippogriffs gaze.
He saw Lupin, standing with his arms folded, his robes swirling about him in the stiff wind like black, folding wings. He shook his head a fraction. 'Sirius. Its me.'
'Ligatus,' said Sirius, holding out his wand. A silver rope sprang from the end of it. One end wound itself around Buckbeaks neck; the other hardened and reshaped itself, becoming a handle in Sirius? fist. Gripping the hippogriffs leash firmly, he turned back to look at Lupin. 'What do you mean its you?'
'He senses I?m a werewolf,' said Lupin, looking tensely at Buckbeack. 'Hes afraid of me.'
'Afraid of you? No offense, but if it came to hand-to-beak combat, I think he could take you.'
'That doesn?t matter. Hes part horse. Horses hate wolves. Its in their blood.'
Sirius stroked a hand down Buckbeaks neck. The hippogriff stood rigid, every inch of his body tensed as he glared at Lupin. 'Horses also hate lions, and hes part lion. You?d think he?d be a little more tolerant. I know animals don?t like you, but I thought — a magical creature like Buckbeak — I mean, you can handle grindylows — '
'Those are dark creatures. Buckbeaks a magical animal, created from other animals, his has an animals instincts. He doesn?t know what to make of me. I don?t look like I?m anything more than human- but I?m not, and he senses that.'
Sirius shook his head. 'You are human.'
'I?m not, you know,' Lupin said, patiently.
Sirius looked at him hard.
'Maybe I don?t want to be, either,' he added.
'Maybe you don?t.' Sirius rested his head briefly on Buckbeaks side, then raised his eyes. 'But you still have to get on this hippogriff with me. I don?t see another way for us to get where we?re going. You know the way, but we can?t Apparate. I?m sure there are wards up all around the castle, we?ll get splinched for sure.'
Lupin shook his head, and took a step towards Sirius.
Buckbeak reared back, nearly knocking Sirius over. Sirius ducked out of the way, narrowly avoiding behind smacked in the face with one of the hippogriffs wildly beating wings. 'Beaky!' he snapped, yanking hard on the rope that tied him to the hippogriff. 'Buckbeak!
Settle down!'
Buckbeak didn?t look like he wanted to settle down. He continued to plunge and rear, eyes rolling wildly. Lupin didn?t come any closer, but stood where he was, not moving.
'Buckbeak,' said Sirius again, his voice low and soothing, pulling the hippogriff towards him by the chain he
