bacchusnovels Chapter 386 An Appeal with a Decisive Outcome
Chapter 386 An Appeal with a Decisive Outcome
Chapter 386 An Appeal with a Decisive Outcome
A few hours earlier, at Buckbek's appeals court.
The warm sunlight shone on Hagrid's cabin, yet a heavy atmosphere permeated the air.
The appeal bench was set up high, and for some reason, apart from Fudge and that man, several members of the Committee on the Handling of Dangerous Living Organisms suddenly arrived at the scene where they were supposed to be in the afternoon.
Buckbeak was confined in a makeshift enclosure, its head bowed, occasionally flapping its enormous wings, completely unaware of its impending fate.
Sean and Hermione stood side by side in the hearing area—at this crucial moment, if Hagrid could not clearly and unambiguously convey his views, then the two of them would stand in for Hagrid and defend Buckbeak's life.
Hermione's right hand was tightly gripping a stack of documents, her fingertips turning slightly white from the force. Her right hand kept rubbing the hem of her robe back and forth, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the Ministry of Magic officials sitting in the courtroom.
The appeal process was proceeding unusually slowly.
Every question and every statement seemed deliberate and formulaic, and Hermione's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
Hagrid stood in the witness stand, awkwardly answering questions, his voice filled with barely concealed tension and anger.
"I'll say it again, Piccolo didn't hurt Malfoy at all! He deliberately provoked Piccolo!"
"Thank you for your addition, Rupert Hagrid," a white-bearded wizard said casually, then turned to his colleague beside him. "Any other questions?"
After a moment of silence, the chairman of the committee for handling dangerous organisms finally spoke.
His voice wasn't loud, but there was a hint of seriousness in it: "Indeed, there is no new evidence to suggest that this hippogriff poses a long-term danger. But since the committee has decided to hold a trial—."
Hermione looked up at the old man nervously, but before she could speak, she was interrupted by a cold voice.
"There's no need to waste any more time," a dignified voice rang out; it was Fudge.
He tapped the table and announced, "We have obtained sufficient testimony. Based on the existing laws and evidence, the committee unanimously decides that Buckbeek's actions were potentially dangerous and that he must be executed."
"What?!" Hermione jumped to her feet, her voice trembling with anger. "You didn't really conduct a trial! This is unfair!"
Her shouts shattered the silence of the appeals courtroom, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Several committee members frowned, displeased with her loss of control, but none of them spoke up immediately.
"I think so too." A deep voice came from the side... Sean stepped forward.
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
The committee members began to whisper among themselves, and the atmosphere at the hearing grew increasingly tense.
As a highly respected professor at Hogwarts and a former senior advisor to the Ministry of Magic, coupled with his enormous influence in the wizarding world, Sean's words undoubtedly attracted great attention.
"Phillips?" Fudge looked up at him, a hint of surprise in his voice. "What do you mean by that?"
Sean didn't answer, but looked at Hermione and encouraged her, "Hermione, relax, now's our time. Remember, our mission is to leave them speechless."
Hermione nodded, took a deep breath, looked up at the committee members on the stage, and began to speak in a clear voice: "Honorable members of the Committee on the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, I stand here today not only to defend an innocent hippogriff, but also to ensure that fairness and justice in our magical world are not trampled upon."
The chairman of the Dangerous Creatures Committee tapped the table with his withered fingers and said impatiently, "Please keep it brief, miss."
We don't have time to listen to long-winded speeches all day long.
Hermione's gaze sharpened, but she controlled her emotions and continued, "Based on my investigation and the evidence I've gathered, Buckbeak has never attacked anyone first. Its retaliation against Draco Malfoy was solely because he provoked and humiliated it—a instinctive reaction of a hippogriff, not an act of malice."
"Provocation?" another committee member interrupted her coldly. "How can you prove this is provocation?"
Hermione immediately pulled a piece of parchment from her bosom, on which were detailed eyewitness testimonies.
She handed over the parchment and solemnly stated, "These are the statements of eyewitnesses, including several students and professors. They unanimously testify that Mr. Malfoy openly attacked Buckbeak with insulting language without permission, which led to the incident."
After saying that, Hermione pulled out a copy of a file she had recently retrieved from the Ministry of Magic's archives and showed it to everyone—"These cases further corroborate my statement."
"The verdict against Buckbek was unfair and completely procedurally flawed!"
The room fell silent for a few seconds as the committee members looked down at the documents, their expressions gradually becoming complicated.
Sean then stepped forward again to supplement Hermione's testimony, "If the Committee on the Handling of Dangerous Creatures cannot distinguish between self-defense and dangerous behavior, it will be a huge failure for the entire wizarding world. An innocent life will pay the price for an unjust accusation, while the real problem remains unresolved."
The old committee member narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Sean and Hermione, before saying in a sarcastic tone, "Professor, student, well done—unfortunately, no matter how brilliant your arguments are, they cannot change the diagnosis in our hands—Buckbeak's attack caused Mr. Malfoy serious trauma. We cannot ignore such serious consequences."
Hermione jerked her head up, her face contorted with anger. "But that's not true at all! Mr. Malfoy's injuries have been exaggerated; he's just 'Hermione'." Sean interrupted her agitation, gesturing for her to calm down. He turned to the committee and said more gently, "Before you make your final decision, I want to remind you that Buckbeak's behavior is entirely in line with biological principles. If you execute a rare magical creature for a single act of provocation, who will fight for the rights of these creatures in the future?"
The committee members whispered amongst themselves, heads bowed, their expressions hesitant.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
A slender wizard walked in, wearing a gray wool coat with the cuffs slightly rolled up to reveal delicate buttons.
His fluffy brown hair was slightly messy, but it made his expression look gentle.
He kept scanning the people on the field with his light brown eyes, seemingly analyzing the current situation.
"Mr. Newt Scamander?" the old committee member asked, squinting and somewhat surprised.
"Yes," Newt nodded slightly, responding humbly.
He walked to the hearing area and stood still, his gaze lingering briefly on Hermione and Sean before turning to the committee with a gentle smile on his face.
"I thank Professor Phillips for inviting me to participate in this appeal," he said. "I understand the time pressure, but I believe this matter deserves our time to examine carefully."
Hermione's eyes widened, almost unable to believe them. "Newt Scamander!" she whispered to Sean, her voice filled with shock and excitement. "Professor, you actually—you actually managed to get him?"
Sean smiled slightly and looked at Newt: "If it's for Buckbeak, no one is more suitable than him."
Newt pulled a stack of parchment from his pocket and gently placed it on the table in front of him. "Buckbeak is a hippogriff, and I believe some members of the committee should be familiar with its habits. This creature is known for its keen insight and extremely high self-esteem. Its behavior was not a random attack, but a legitimate act of self-defense."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the committee members on the stage: "In fact, I've dealt with countless similar creatures. Buckbeak's behavior is a classic example of reactive defense—"
It was facing a provocateur who showed no respect whatsoever.
"The instigator?" a younger committee member asked, raising an eyebrow. "You mean, this is entirely Mr. Malfoy's responsibility?"
“Not entirely,” Newt replied calmly, speaking more cautiously, “but Mr. Malfoy certainly didn’t approach the creature correctly. His words and actions undermined the hippogriff’s trust, directly leading to Buckbeak’s reaction.”
"If we place all the blame on this creature, I fear it would be a huge setback for the research and protection of magical creatures."
The committee members fell into a brief silence as they exchanged their opinions in hushed tones.
It was easy to tell from their expressions that they were somewhat wary of Newt's remarks and his professionalism.
Newt continued, "I urge the committee to reconsider. Hippogriffs are extremely rare creatures, and they play a vital role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. Buckbeak is not a dangerous predator, but an innocent person accused due to a misunderstanding."
Hermione listened intently, her eyes sparkling again. She gripped the documents tightly, feeling that every word Newt said resonated with her.
"Finally," Newt took a deep breath and looked at each committee member, "I believe the committee's duty is to uphold fairness and justice, not to pander to the prejudices of certain privileged groups. If we choose to execute Buckbeak, then the message we send to the outside world will be that the lives of rare creatures are worthless in the face of prejudice. This is not the message the Ministry of Magic should be sending."
Newt's words plunged the entire appeals court into a brief silence once again.
The committee members lowered their heads and whispered among themselves, seemingly digesting his words.
The old committee member cleared his throat, his tone still somewhat sharp: "Mr. Newt, you have indeed offered a strong defense of Buckbeak, but the committee must make its decisions based on facts, not emotions."
"I understand," Newt nodded, "but I also believe that the facts are on Buckbeak's side."
After a brief silence, the committee members looked at Fudge.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Fudge slowly stood up, his serious gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally settling on Newt.
"Mr. Newt, your defense is certainly admirable," he said, his tone revealing a hint of forced admiration, but more of a stiffness. "However, the Ministry of Magic's duty is to protect the safety of the magical community and prevent any potential dangers."
He paused, as if emphasizing each word that followed, "Considering the special nature of the case and the impact of the incident on the victim and his family—I hereby finally rule: the original verdict is upheld."
When Hermione heard those words, she felt as if she had been struck in the chest with a heavy hammer, and the color in her face vanished instantly.
Her fingers loosened, and the documents in her arms scattered on the ground, but she didn't notice at all.
"What?" she exclaimed, her voice trembling, her face filled with disbelief. "But...but we've already proven it—"
Fudge interrupted her, replying coldly, "The evidence shows that the hippogriff did indeed injure Mr. Malfoy, and the committee cannot ignore this fact. The verdict has been reached, and the execution will be carried out before sunset today."
Hermione's eyes quickly filled with tears. Just as she was about to argue again, Newt gently raised his hand, signaling her to calm down.
"I understand." Newt's tone was low, but he remained as composed as ever. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity to defend Buckbeak."
He turned and picked up the documents from the ground, handing them to Hermione and saying reassuringly, "Miss Granger, there are some battles we may not be able to win."
But that doesn't mean we did anything wrong.
Hermione's tears welled up, and she lowered her head, clutching the documents tightly, trying hard not to lose control.
After the appeal concluded, Newt, Hermione, and Sean left the appeals courtroom, long shadows cast by the sunlight on their faces.
Hermione's steps were unusually heavy, just like they had been for the past two weeks.
"How could this happen?" She finally couldn't hold back anymore and sobbed softly, "We've already presented the strongest evidence, why are they still..."
"Because of prejudice." Sean's tone was calm, but tinged with a hint of helplessness. "Some people will never admit they're wrong, especially when their interests are threatened."
"But Buckbeak is innocent!" Hermione sobbed, her voice trembling with anguish. "How could they—how could they do this—..."
"Hermione," Sean patted Hermione's head, "Calm down. There's still time, we'll figure something out."
Hermione looked up at him, a hint of reluctance in her voice, and asked, "What else can we do?"
Newt stopped and turned to look at her: "Don't give up. This isn't just Buckbeak's fate, it's for all creatures like it in the future... If there's still a chance, I believe you will find a new way out."