A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

"Don't come any closer. If you had changed into something cleaner, it would be fine, but this outfit is too sloppy," Aaron said with some disdain, then looked at Hagrid, "How many times have you cried?"

“I don’t know.” Hagrid opened the window and looked at the hippogriff tied to the pumpkin patch outside. “Buckbeak was sentenced to death, and even Dumbledore couldn’t save it.”

Malfoy arranged for McNeil to carry out the execution; Fudge and representatives from the Committee on the Handling of Dangerous Organisms would also be present.

"Is it really necessary?" Aaron's lips twitched slightly. "It's just a magical creature, yet even the Minister of Magic was invited to witness its execution."

“He was just coming to Hogwarts to check on Black’s situation, and he was dragged here to be a witness,” Hagrid said bitterly. “You shouldn’t have stayed here; this match would be a nightmare for a little wizard like you.”

Upon hearing this, Aaron scoffed.

Beheading a magical creature might be disgusting to others, but it's a small matter to him.

To be honest, even that executioner probably killed more people than he did.

"No, you have to leave." Hagrid was about to say something when he heard a knock on the door.

Aaron was worried that Hagrid would cry if he saw Fudge and the others, so he opened the door for him, but there was no one outside.

Aaron frowned slightly, then sighed, "Harry, Sirius hasn't been caught yet. Do you know how dangerous it would be for you to come out of the castle at this time?"

“I know, but I have to come now,” Harry said cautiously. “Let us in first.”

"Me, us?" Aaron suddenly felt a headache coming on. "Hermione, you promised me you'd watch over Harry, is that your promise?"

“I only promised not to let him go to Hogsmeade,” Hermione said somewhat guiltily. “I’m sorry, Hagrid really needs comforting right now.”

Aaron rolled his eyes in exasperation, took a step back, let them in, and then closed the door.

"Why are you all here too?" Hagrid said, trembling.

“We’ve come to keep you company, Hagrid,” Hermione said, somewhat reluctantly.

“No, you have to go back.” Hagrid’s attitude became much firmer. “Especially you, Harry. Dumbledore will be coming to keep me company during that moment.”

Besides him, Fudge will also be coming.

If they find out you're here, you'll be in big trouble.

“We have invisibility cloaks,” Ron said. “They won’t be able to detect us.”

"Come on, give me a break!"

Don't forget what happened last year. The invisibility cloak might have fooled Fudge, but could it have fooled Dumbledore?

"You're right, you should leave now!"

But before you go, Ron, you have to take this with you.

Hagrid opened a box and took a mouse out of it.

"Banban, you're still alive." Ron happily took his pet, but it looked much thinner and had lost a lot of fur.

"Keep an eye on the pets, Ron."

"Looks like you'll have to apologize to me," Hermione scoffed.

“We’ll talk about the apology later.” Aaron looked out the window. “They’re here.”

Dumbledore's beard gleamed in the setting sun, followed by the Minister of Magic, members of the Committee on the Handling of Dangerous Creatures, and Executioner McNeil, who carried a gleaming axe blade.

"You guys get out of here quickly," Hagrid said anxiously. "We can't let them find out you're here. Get out of here!"

"Actually, I stayed because..."

Before Aaron could speak, Hagrid pushed him toward the back door. "Things are already complicated enough. I can't drag you all into this. Let's go."

Aaron: ......

The four of them went out through the back door and walked along the sloping lawn toward the castle.

They went up to a high place and looked into the distance.

Hagrid and the others came out of the hut. Dumbledore and Fudge were talking about something, while the executioner took his axe and headed towards the pumpkin patch.

Their view was blocked by a wall, but they could still clearly hear a muffled thud and see flocks of crows flying in all directions.

Harry and Ron turned pale. Although they hadn't seen Buckbeak's head fall to the ground, they could imagine the scene. Fear instantly overwhelmed them, and their stomachs churned.

Hermione leaned her head on Aaron's shoulder and sobbed, "I can't believe they really did it."

She pounded Aaron's chest repeatedly, saying, "You could have saved it."

If you just ask, Malfoy will definitely give you that favor.

“I’m also helpless, but some things can’t be started,” Aaron said in a deep voice. “There are countless wrongful convictions like Buckbeak’s. I can’t ask someone to turn a blind eye to a magical creature I’ve only met once. That would be making a mountain out of a molehill.”

Also, don't jump to conclusions too quickly. Who says I couldn't save it?

Hermione paused for a moment, about to ask something, when Ron next to her let out a cry of pain.

"Ouch!" Ron released his mouse, a small tooth mark on his right index finger from which bright red blood dripped.

"Banban, it bit me."

Banban seemed to be frightened by something and ran away quickly into the distance. Ron, its owner, immediately chased after it.

Harry and Hermione didn't think much of it and chased after them. Since they couldn't run fast while wearing the Invisibility Cloak, they tore it off and gave chase at full speed.

Aaron glanced at the setting sun, sighed, and followed it.

He didn't want to get involved in this mess, but Professor Trelawney's prophecy forced him to.

He will return tonight. Tonight, the one who betrayed his friend, the one who became a murderer, will break free of his chains, and the blood of the innocent will flow...

This was a prediction she made unconsciously, with an accuracy rate of 99%.

This means that Sirius Black will target Harry Potter tonight. He will most likely fail, but he will suffer no losses and may even be able to escape unscathed.

It was almost dark, and waiting for Harry Potter was like waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump, which was much better than him searching for people with his compass.

Moreover, there are many people and eyes in the castle, and someone might discover the secret of the compass. If that happens, things will get complicated, and Dumbledore might even have to talk to him.

Chapter 318 A Spoiled Pet Devours Its Master? The Ominous True Identity

After chasing Scabbers for a while, Ron pounced and caught it in his hand.

The three people chasing after him stopped in their tracks, staring at a large tree behind Ron.

"The Man-Beating Willow." Aaron forced a smile. "If I remember correctly, that rat was his pet, right?"

Taking him to the willow tree where people are beaten is a recipe for disaster!

"Ron, run!" Harry shouted urgently.

The willow tree seemed to sense that someone had invaded the edge of its territory, and a few branches swayed slowly, poised to strike.

Upon hearing the sound, Ron instinctively looked up, but before he could realize his predicament, he pointed at the three of them in a panic, his fingers twitching uncontrollably.

"Run! It's bad luck!"

The three immediately turned around and saw a large black dog growling and staring at them with sharp eyes.

“Harry,” Aaron said with a hint of disdain, “this is the ominous sign you saw?”

“It’s terrifying, isn’t it!” Harry said nervously. “I’ve seen it several times.”

Aaron curled his lip, drew his wand, and stood in front of the two. "Leave the ominous one to me, and that unlucky Ron to you guys."

Before he finished speaking, the big black dog roared and charged over.

Aaron waved his wand, and several earthen walls rose from the ground, blocking the black dog's path.

To his surprise, the black dog showed no intention of attacking them. It swiftly bypassed the first three walls, stepped onto the fourth earthen wall, and leaped towards Ron.

It bit Ron's right leg and dragged him backward.

“Harry!” Ron cried out pitifully, but the big black dog was too strong, and his struggles were of no use.

Harry chased after them at top speed, but Aaron was faster and managed to grab Ron's arm in time, preventing him from being dragged away.

“I saved you once,” Aaron said, then pointed his wand at the big black dog that was biting him relentlessly. “Petrify them all.”

boom!

Harry bumped into Aaron, causing the petrification spell to miss.

"Watfa..."

Aaron's eyes widened in disbelief, never expecting that Ron's best friend would stop him.

Just as he was about to ask why, he heard the whistling wind, and a long willow branch struck the spot where he had been standing, leaving a shallow furrow in the ground.

Upon seeing this, Aaron couldn't help but gasp.

If these willow branches were to hit someone, they would surely tear the skin and cause bleeding; even he would probably be clutching his wounds and crying out in pain.

The willow tree seemed to be angered; several thick branches tightened like fists, and countless willow twigs creaked in the gale, lashing back and forth like whips.

Aaron immediately released Ron, narrowly avoiding several thick branches that were swung down at him.

The big black dog suddenly exerted its strength and dragged Ron into the tree hole, only managing to let out a scream.

"Sorry, this really wasn't intentional," Aaron said awkwardly to Harry and Hermione, who had entered the Whomping Willow's attack range. He admitted that he really had no choice in the situation.

He held a wand in one hand and was pulling Ron and the big black dog in a tug-of-war with the other. To the lively Whomping Willow, he was a sitting duck, and his mobility was almost negligible.

In fact, he could have kept his hand on the branch, but that would have made Ron a sitting duck with no defenses. If a few branches hit him, he would be left with a permanent disability.

"Never mind that, we need to get in there and save him." Harry said, panting, as he dodged the attacking branches by leaping up, down, left, and right.

“We need to get help,” Hermione said anxiously, looking even more disheveled than Harry, her arm bleeding from the blows.

"No, there's no time. By the time we get back, Ominous will have already eaten him."

“But we can’t squeeze in by ourselves.” Hermione was on the verge of tears when a branch swept across her legs, knocking her to the ground. Then, the massive canopy of the tree came crashing down like a fist.

"Help, help..." Hermione cried out as she lay on the ground, her heart filled with despair.

If that tree canopy, which is even larger than her, had hit her, she would have been crippled, if not killed, and might have spent the rest of her life in bed.

boom!

Several gray stone pillars rose from the ground, encircling Hermione and blocking the Whomping Willow's 'fist'.

Hermione nervously opened her eyes, then stared blankly at the gray stone pillars around her.