Night Whispers

After eleven o'clock at night, Albert quietly passed through the Portrait Passage and returned to Gryffindor Tower. The students had already gone back to their dormitories to rest. The Common Room was left in deathly darkness, with only a few embers in the fireplace giving off a faint glow.

Albert had just been about to return to his dormitory when he noticed a dark shadow beside the armchair nearest the passage. When he moved the light from his wand over, he found Hermione sitting at the table, fast asleep with her head resting on a book.

"Hermione, wake up. Hurry, wake up. Don't sleep here, or you'll catch a cold." Albert gently shook the girl's shoulder and woke her.

"Ah... I accidentally fell asleep."

After Hermione opened her eyes, she looked around in confusion. Her gaze returned to Albert, and she forced herself awake enough to ask, "Where did you go? I was looking for you all afternoon."

"Why were you looking for me?"

Albert took off his cloak and draped it around Hermione's shoulders, gesturing for her to sit with him by the fireplace. He rekindled the fire, and the blazing flames illuminated their faces.

Hermione stared at the roaring fire and pulled the cloak tighter around herself. As though remembering something, she took a letter from her pocket and handed it to Albert. "Hagrid lost the case. Buckbeak is going to be executed. He sent me this letter."

Albert accepted the letter but did not open it. He could guess what it said.

"Though he can still appeal, I can hardly see any hope. Malfoy's father threatened the committee." Hermione bit her lip. "You were right. Trying to save Buckbeak through a lawsuit was wishful thinking from the beginning."

"It was only to be expected, wasn't it?" Albert