Harry was feeling very pleased. Snape had taken back his word, Harry did not have to be in detention every day and he will be able to be with Hagrid before the execution. He really liked Buckbeak and was very sad that it had to be killed, but what was really more important for Harry was Hagrid. When they went to visit him on Saturday, the man was falling apart. Hagrid really cared about all the creatures he befriended, whatever Harry’s opinion of those creatures were. However, Buckbeak was not really that dangerous, the bird simply needed to be respected and Harry did have a delightful flight over its back. It was that filthy Malfoy who deserved to be shred into pieces and then used by Buckbeak as dessert! Harry remembered with satisfaction the punch that Hermione gave him on that day, the look on Draco’s face as he was fleeing from her was priceless.

Harry caught up with Divination where his death was predicted twice and the grim turned up in his cup. Both Harry and Ron could not hold their laughter when Trelawney embarked on describing the huge black dog that was predicted to become a part of Harry’s life. She patted Harry on the head sympathetically when he was looking at her with tears rolling on his cheeks, oblivious to the fact that they were tears of laughter. However, in between his laughter, Harry could not but think that the tea leaves were not so wrong after all. There actually was a huge black dog that was to become a part of Harry’s life. It was just a matter of interpretation. Let alone the fact that Trelawney had already proved to be a true seer by giving that prophecy about Peter, even if she herself did not know about it.

After Divination, and later charms, the trio walked to dinner. Harry hadn’t found the time to tell his friends about the alleviation of his punishment. When they sat down for dinner, Harry said, “I think I’ll go to Hagrid with you guys!”

Hermione looked at him sharply, “Harry, you cannot. You will be late for detention and you will get into more trouble.”

“Yeah, mate! I mean, the gre … er .. Professor Snape have already given you too many detentions, what will happen if your were late to one of them?”

Harry hid his grin by drinking some juice, and then looked at them innocently, “But we won’t be late, right? We said we will only stay with him until curfew. After all Hagrid made it very clear that we are not going to stay for the execution to be with him.”

“Harry!! Don’t tell me that you are planning on not showing up in detention today at all!”

Harry looked at his fiends and calmly said, “Yes Hermione, I am not planning to show up in detention today at all.”

Hermione was exasperated, “But Harry, really –“

“Hermione, I cannot show up in Snape’s office today for detention. It will look very stupid if I go asking the man for detention when I do not have any!”

“What do you mean Harry? Snape had given you detentions all the week!”

“Yes, Harry, I really do not understand!”

“Well it is simple. Professor Snape summoned me to his office when I was on my way to Divination. Yes, that was why I told you to go on without me Ron, and told me very clearly, more than once, than I only have one detention and that it will be tomorrow evening.”

Both Ron and Hermione’s jaws dropped. Hermione, as usual, retrieved her jaw quicker than Ron, “Harry, do you mean to say that Professor Snape changed his mind concerning one of his punishments? And with you specifically??”

When Harry nodded, Hermione said, “Are you sure it was Professor Snape? Our Professor Snape?”

“Yes Hermione, I am sure it was our Professor Snape.”

Ron cleared his throat and said, “I still think you should go Harry!”

“Go where?”

“To detention, you know, it might only be a trick or –“

Ron stopped dead mid sentence when he heard someone clearing his throat right behind him. Harry looked up to see Professor Dumbledore, twinkling eyes and all, standing behind Ron. Dumbledore simply said, “How are you children, everything is going on alright?”

Harry watched while Ron paled, and smiled at the Headmaster saying, “Yes, Headmaster. Everything is great.”

“Good, good, I will leave you to your dinner then!” Dumbledore looked pointedly at Ron before continuing on his way to the head table humming a happy tune.

Ron let the breath that he was holding out and immediately held a glass of juice and gulped it all down. Phewww ..That was close!!

Harry snickered in his plate while Hermione rolled her eyes. She said, “I still think it is strange!”

The trio ate quickly after that to be able to go to Hagrid early and stay with him until curfew. The Headmaster had insisted that the execution was to take place at the beginning of the week and after the curfew to make sure that all students would be in their dormitories and too busy with homework to be looking out of windows.

As they finished dinner, Professor McGonagall approached them, “Miss Granger, can I speak to you for a moment in my office please?”

“Certainly Professor.” Hermione looked to the boys and told them to go on and she would follow, then left with Professor McGonagall.

Harry and Ron reached Hagrid’s hut to find him in the worst condition possible. He was burying his eyes in his enormous handkerchief and bawling loudly. Harry had to yell at the top of his voice for Hagrid to hear him.

“Oh (sob) Harry, Ron, it is good of yeh to come ‘ere. Thank yeh.”

“Don’t mention it Hagrid. I wish we could do something, anything, but we could not. I am sorry.”

“Yeh lads are very good. There nothin’ that c’n be done for Buckbeak now.”

Hermione joined them by them and immediately went to Hagrid and patted his large hand comfortingly, which only made him howl louder.

They were all at a loss of what to do. They could not think of anything that could comfort Hagrid. Hermione kept patting Hagrid’s hands while Ron stood on the other side rubbing Hagrid’s huge shoulder. Harry could not believe that the Headmaster was not able to do anything to stop the execution; it was not Buckbeak’s fault. Harry went to the back window and watched Buckbeak for a few moments. Buckbeak was looking miserable, crouched on the ground with his head bowed. It seemed as if he knew what was going to happen. If only Harry can go out now and untie the rope, Buckbeak would be free, but then Hagrid would be the one to blame. No that will not do.

Then something clicked in Harry’s mind. Yes, he could free Buckbeak without anybody knowing, and Hagrid will not be to blame. He only hoped that he would have enough time to do what he wanted. Harry suddenly grinned earning himself a reproachful look from Hermione. Harry decided to wait and bid his time, but he could not stop the excited feeling that overcame him. He went to Hagrid and told him honestly, “Hagrid don’t worry, everything will be alright. I know it will.” Hagrid however, was now looking into space, tears rolling on his cheeks.

Time flew by and it was only fifteen minutes to curfew. Hagrid got out of his trance to tell then that they had to go. Before going, Harry leaned closer to Hagrid and whispered in his ear, “I promise” making Hagrid look at him curiously. Harry ran out after his friends. They walked silently back to the castle, Ron and Hermione feeling very miserable. As they reached the doors, Harry stopped.

“What, Harry?”

“I just remembered I forgot something in Hagrid’s hut. You go on, I will follow later.”

“But Harry, the curfew –“

“I know Hermione, I won’t be late, go on.” With that Harry took off running to the Whomping Willow. He prodded the tree as he had seen Crookshanks do and went down the tunnel. He ran to the shrieking shack and found it. Yessss! His invisibility cloak was lying on the floor where Snape had threw it. They had forgotten to come and get it in the last two days. Harry grabbed it and ran back up the tunnel and out on the ground.

He put it on immediately and ran to Hagrid’s hut just in time to see Fudge, Dumbledore, Snape, and another person and the executioner following. Harry slowly went around the hut to where Buckbeak was. He waited until all of them saw Buckbeak, then got into Hagrid’s hut and made sure they were out of view, before taking off his cloak. Thanking God that Buckbeak wasn’t looking or he would have been startled and might have shrieked and caused him to be caught, Harry crouched down and crept to Buckbeak slowly. He tugged at the rope and untied it from the column. He held his breath as Buckbeak raised his head and looked at him. Harry quickly bowed and waited for Buckbeak to bow back. Quickly Damnit, I am trying to say your life. As if on cue, Buckbeak bowed back. Voices were still drifting from Hagrid’s hut. Harry patted him on the head whispering to him not to screech, then Harry stood up, and looked up at Hagrid’s window to make sure nobody was looking and froze. Oh God, NO! Snape was looking directly at Harry.

Something moving had caught Severus’ eyes earlier and he went to the window to look out. It was dark and he could not see anything at the beginning and simply stood there to contemplate his task. Severus, Dumbledore, and McGonagall had come up with a plan. McGonagall borrowed Granger’s time turner and Severus was to use it later and free Buckbeak while the group, including himself, were still in Hagrid’s hut. Dumbledore said that he will stall them as much as he can to give him time to do it. If everything went right, they would come out of the hut and discover that Buckbeak had disappeared.

That’s it then. He must have caught a glimpse of himself out there saving Buckbeak. Goodness! He was definitely going to kill the boy. He could not believe his eyes. It was not himself that he had seen, it was Harry bloody Potter!! Out on the grounds, a few feet from the forest, after curfew, alone, after the rat escaped, trying to save a dangerous creature, with the Minister a few feet away!!!!!!!! Oh no, the boy has stepped all lines this time.

Snape, always a master of control, calmly turned around and engaged in a very deep conversation with Macnair, the Executioner. After all they were old acquaintances. He looked pointedly at Dumbledore, and thankfully Dumbledore understood what Snape was doing and engaged Fudge in a lively conversation.

Harry, seeing Snape turn around and hearing both his and Dumbledore’s voices through the windows, took a relieved breath and started tugging at the rope. Buckbeak reluctantly stood up and followed Harry slowly. Harry walked inside the forest until he was hidden from view all the time tugging and pulling at the rope for Buckbeak to follow. He looked at Buckbeak and whispered, “Take care, my friend. You are finally free. Go now!”

Harry gave Buckbeak an encouraging slap and watched as he stretched his wings and took off from the ground. Harry closed his eyes and grinned. Buckbeak is free! He got up and put his invisibility cloak securely on and crept back to where Buckbeak was. He would not miss the scene for anything.

When they came out of the hut, they all froze, Buckbeak had disappeared. Dumbledore’s eyes were twinkling more than ever, and he was smiling broadly. Snape however was glaring at the rope and Harry was very sure that those glares were far from faked. He cringed. Snape was going to kill him, he might as well go dig his own grave now.

Minister Fudge was spitting curses that Harry had never heard before while the executioner was simply jumping up and down exasperated that he would not be able to kill anything that day.

Hagrid was a totally different case. He was jumping, dancing, laughing, and screaming. No one could understand any word he was saying.

“Dumbledore, that is preposterous, I will not have it. Your groundskeeper freed the bloody bird.” yelled Fudge.

It was Snape who answered him saying, “Really Minister, that is ridiculous. How can he do that when we were all together inside the hut?”

Dumbledore added serenely, “I say this is a lovely opportunity for a cup of tea, what do you think Minister. Come let’s go to my office. See you later Hagrid.” With that Dumbledore walked back pulling a protesting Fudge’s arm and followed by the others except Snape. After a few steps, Dumbledore looked back and winked at Hagrid who had finally calmed down and was beaming.

Harry did not dare to move so he stood still waiting for Snape and Hagrid to go inside so that he could return to the castle. He did not want to imagine the trouble the he would be in next morning. He waited patiently, but to his horror, he heard Snape say, “Hagrid, why don’t you go inside and get some rest. You deserve it after all what happened. I wil stay out here for sometime”

“Yeah, I will, Yer right S’vrus, I need to sleep .. hahhahahah .. Buckbeak is free!”

Snape watched as the still laughing Hagrid went inside the hut then slowly starting looking, no glaring around. Harry stood still not daring to breathe.

Although Snape was speaking in a low voice, Harry heard every syllable he uttered. Snape’s tone sent a shiver down his spine.

“Potter, show yourself.”

Without thinking, Harry took off his cloak and looked at Snape fearfully. He swallowed hard as Snape walked towards him. Snape was walking slowly with determined steps looking directly in Harry’s eyes with a look of extreme rage on his face. Harry wanted to shrink down and disappear.

Snape leaned down and most silkily said, “Follow me”. Harry shivered. That was not good, not good at all.

Snape turned around and walked back to the castle his robes billowing around him. Harry, still shivering, started walking after him then broke into a run to be able to keep up with Snape’s quick paces.

Snape entered the office followed by Harry who was now breathing heavily after his run.

However, he did not have the time to catch his breath for immediately after the door was closed he found Snape’s face inches from his own, gritting his teeth and pronouncing every word, “You have crossed all lines, Potter!”

Harry took a couple of steps back saying, “I am sorry.”

“SORRY?? IS THAT ALL WHAT YOU CAN SAY? EXPLAIN YOURSELF BOY!”

Harry recoiled. He did not like to be called boy, and with the yelling, he could only remember Uncle Vernon. He shrank back and looked fearfully at Snape, “I .. I only wanted to free Buckbeak and –“

“SINCE WHEN IS THAT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY?”

“I .. I –“

“I what Potter? I what? You are not in your dormitory after hours? Out on the grounds? A few feet from the forest? And with a killer on the loose?? Whatever were you thinking? And now when I ask you, YOU GIVE ME THAT PATHETIC EXCUSE???”

Oh! Harry did not think about that. He was still shrinking from Snape but somehow it started to feel different. Vernon would never rage at him for endangering his life.

Severus took a deep breath and started pacing the office, trying to calm himself down. After a few minutes, he was calm enough to start speaking evenly again. He looked at Harry.

“Potter, whatever gave you the idea that you can free the bloody bird?”

Harry, grateful that Snape was calm again, cleared his throat, “I just could not bear to see Hagrid loosing Buckbeak. And Buckbeak was innocent on top of that. It was Malfoy’s fault.”

“An escape for Buckbeak was already planned, Potter.”

“And also .. what did you say Sir?”

Snape sighed. “Potter, the Headmaster would have never left Hagrid to go through this, and would have never let an innocent life be wasted if he could do something about it.”

“Oh! But Sir, I just didn’t think that –“

Snape couldn’t stay calm any more, he yelled, “Yes, Potter, you didn’t. You never do! Whatever can we do to make you start thinking before acting? Wasn’t what happened on Saturday enough? You go and risk your life again today?”

Snape started pacing again, “You know, it seems there is only one way that will get the idea through your skull. Come here!”

One very thorough spanking later, Severus was calmly sitting on the sofa with his arm draped around the shoulders of a curled up Harry beside him, gently stroking his hair every now and then. Harry was leaning on Severus’ shoulder, sniffling quietly, with an awfully stinging behind. Harry really wanted to die of embarrassment; Snape had taken him over his knees and spanked him for the second time in three days! God, that was embarrassing, and very painful! By the end of the spanking, Harry was sure that Snape’s hand was coated with iron! Yeah definitely committing suicide was the only option he had now. But committing suicide meant having to leave Snape’s side and loosing that comfortable shoulder he was leaning on, and the warmth of the arm gently embracing him. Suicide can always be caught on later. It wasn’t really urgent! He snuggled closer to Snape who only tightened his arm around him.

After some time, Harry started to feel ashamed of clinging to the older wizard like a wart. The man most probably wanted him to leave, now that he was punished and yelled at and everything. Snape had just spanked him, spanked him, why was it that he wanted to continue holding on to the man’s shoulder? Harry started to move, only to hear Snape’s, now very gentle voice, saying, “Harry, you do not have to get up if you don’t want to.”

That was nice. Snape can be really gentle when he wanted do. Harry felt himself smile involuntarily. He shifted again and lightly rested his cheek on his teacher’s chest. He immediately felt Snape cupping his other cheek with his hand. Harry closed his eyes and sighed. God that felt good! Was that how it felt to have a parent? Did all his friends’ parents hold them like that? Did Ron’s father embrace him this way? Did Hermione Dad stroke her hair gently like this? If it was up to Harry, he would have stayed in this position all night long, leaning on his teacher’s chest and cherishing his embrace. But he knew he had to get up sometime soon. So after a few minutes, Harry whispered a very heart felt “thank you”, then with an internal groan, he finally let go of those delightful emotions and stood up.

Harry would have liked to try and rub his stinging bottom but was too embarrassed to do it. He looked up at his teacher, who was looking at him … dare he say, mischievously?

“How is your bottom now Mr. Potter?”

Harry turned red and mumbled some words under his breath. Thankfully Snape did not press the matter. It seemed that the older wizard just wanted to remind him of it, ha ... as if he could forget!

Snape smirked at him and said, “Time to discuss the rest of your punishment!”

Harry’s eyes widened.

Snape raised an eyebrow and simply said, “Did you really think I will let you get away with what you have done so lightly?

“Lightly!” Harry cried indignantly

“Yes lightly Potter. You should be so grateful I too busy yelling to deal with you properly.”

Harry really did not want to imagine what would have happened if Snape dealt with him properly as he put it, not that Snape gave him any time to imagine for he immediately added in a very silky intimidating voice,

“Mister Potter, if you ever pull that kind of stunt again, you will loose the luxury of having a few items of clothing covering your behind when it gets over my knee!”

Harry stared at Snape, then paled, then turned bright red before squeaking, “no .. that .. that would not really b..be necess..aryy Sir”

“Oh yes, Potter, it will definitely be necessary, so mark my words, we do not want that to happen soon!”

Harry shook his head vigorously at that. He definitely did not want that to happen at all.

“Concerning your punishment, you will serve two more detentions with me and you will write 200 hundred lines saying: I will never risk my life foolishly again! I want them to be ready by Wednesday Potions class. Is that clear?”

Harry nodded briskly.

“Now, if you use a copying spell, or if someone helped you in doing the lines, or if you cheat in any way, believe me, I will know, and you will be one very sorry Potter when I am through with you. Is that clear?”

Harry only nodded again.

“What? Cat had finally done us all a favor and ate your tongue?”

Harry cleared his throat, “no, Sir. Yes that is clear.”

Snape nodded, then moved closer to Harry. He held Harry’s chin and looked straight into Harry’s eyes, saying softly, “Harry, you could have been killed today. No one knows what that rat wants to do right now, but you are definitely in danger. You are very careless about your life. Please be more careful.”

Damn! Why were his eyes burning again? “Yes, Sir.”

“Alright, go now. It is past midnight and it is time you get some sleep.”

Harry nodded and turned to leave. When he was at the door, he turned back to Snape and said honestly, “Sir, thank you for taking care of me!”

Harry went out leaving Snape staring at the door after him. After a few moments, Severus smiled and whispered, “You are much welcome, child”.