Hermione's Secret

Calendar and Dates

The entire action of this chapter takes place later on the same evening (6th June) as that of the previous chapter.

• Time Line: The End of PA - essay by Hollydaze
• Chart showing the events of the evening of 6th June (NB the chart shows this date as 9th June in error):

Interesting facts and notes

This chapter brings threads of the story together - and it will again be Harry and Hermione to the rescue!

"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven’t forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"

Snape really does hate Sirius Black. The two of them are never going to let go of their childhood antipathy to each other.

"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the Forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little – and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends –"

Well, it is true that no one is going to believe a werewolf and a murderer. This fits right into the theme of prejudice that runs through the books.

"It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the Hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed on the sixth of June at sundown –"

Hagrid has to wait for the official notice of execution to be read by Cornelius Fudge. It is excruciating for him, but the delay does give Harry and Hermione some of the extra time they need to effect a rescue.

And then it hit him – he understood. He hadn’t seen his father – he had seen himself –
Harry flung himself out from behind the bush and pulled out his wand.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he yelled.

Harry's stag Patronus is in the same form as his father's Animagus. Prongs runs inside the Hogwarts grounds once more.

He squeezed Buckbeak’s sides with his heels. Harry and Hermione jumped back as the enormous wings rose once more … the Hippogriff took off into the air … he and his rider became smaller and smaller as Harry gazed after them … then a cloud drifted across the moon … they were gone.

And, unlike when they watched Charlie Weasley's friends flying away with Norbert, Hagrid's baby Norwegian Ridgeback dragon (PS14), they won't be caught and punished this time. Sirius has escaped certain death from a Dementor's Kiss and Buckbeak has also avoided his scheduled execution.

Exceptional character moments

Harry's disappointment that Dumbledore can't just solve the problem of no one believing Sirius' story.

Hagrid, who refuses to leave Buckbeak to die alone no matter how hard it is on him.

Harry desperate to see whether it is his father who has conjured the Patronus that saves him, Hermione and Sirius.

Memorable lines

"Harry Potter, you know … we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he’s concerned."

"....it’s all right. They’ve got Black. He’s locked away upstairs. The Dementors will be performing the Kiss any moment now –"

"I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister for Magic …"

Harry frowned; he felt as though he was screwing up his whole brain in concentration.

"Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody!"

"Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he's gone! Musta pulled himself free! Beaky, yeh clever boy!"

"I think –" Harry swallowed, knowing how strange this was going to sound. "I think it was my dad."
Harry glanced up at Hermione and saw that her mouth was fully open now. She was gazing at him with a mixture of alarm and pity.
"Harry, your dad's – well – dead," she said quietly.

It stopped on the bank. Its hooves made no mark on the soft ground as it stared at Harry with its large, silver eyes. Slowly, it bowed its antlered head. And Harry realised …
"Prongs," he whispered.

Words and phrases

• Cupboard
• Mad