======Flight of the Hippogriff======
=====Summary of the Event=====
The Flight of the Hippogriff was a pivotal event that took place on the evening of 6 June 1994, in which [[Harry Potter]] and [[Hermione Granger]] used a [[Time-Turner]] to successfully rescue the [[Hippogriff]] [[Buckbeak]] from execution and save [[Sirius Black]] from receiving the [[Dementor's Kiss]]. The event involved flying [[Buckbeak]] to the [[West Tower]] of [[Hogwarts Castle]], where [[Sirius]] was being held, and facilitating his escape from the castle grounds. This act saved the lives of two innocent beings and allowed [[Sirius Black]] to go on the run as a fugitive.
=====Background and Prelude=====
The events leading to the flight were twofold, involving the separate plights of [[Buckbeak]] and [[Sirius Black]].
  * **[[Buckbeak]]'s Sentence:** During a [[Care of Magical Creatures]] lesson, [[Buckbeak]] the [[Hippogriff]] injured [[Draco Malfoy]] after being provoked and insulted. Incensed, [[Lucius Malfoy]] used his influence at the [[Ministry of Magic]] to have [[Buckbeak]] sentenced to death by the [[Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures]]. The execution was scheduled to be carried out at sunset by the executioner [[Walden Macnair]].
  * **[[Sirius Black]]'s Capture:** After being wrongly imprisoned in [[Azkaban]] for twelve years, [[Sirius Black]] escaped and was believed to be hunting [[Harry Potter]]. After a confrontation in the [[Shrieking Shack]] where his innocence was proven to [[Harry]], [[Hermione]], and [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Peter Pettigrew]] was revealed as the true traitor, circumstances changed rapidly. [[Remus Lupin]]'s transformation into a [[werewolf]] at the full moon allowed [[Pettigrew]] to escape. In the ensuing chaos, [[Sirius]] was injured by [[Lupin]] and then attacked by a horde of [[Dementors]] at the edge of the [[Great Lake]]. He was subsequently captured and taken to [[Hogwarts]], where [[Minister for Magic]] [[Cornelius Fudge]] ordered that he be administered the [[Dementor's Kiss]]. He was held under guard in [[Professor Flitwick]]'s office on the seventh floor of the [[West Tower]].
Realizing both [[Sirius]] and [[Buckbeak]] were innocent victims facing imminent death, [[Albus Dumbledore]] cryptically advised [[Hermione]] to use her [[Ministry of Magic]]-approved [[Time-Turner]] to go back three hours, hinting that she could save "more than one innocent life."
=====Chronology of the Event=====
Following [[Dumbledore]]'s advice, [[Harry]] and [[Hermione]] orchestrated the rescue with precise timing.
  - [[Harry]] and [[Hermione]] used the [[Time-Turner]] in the [[Hospital Wing]] to travel back three hours, hiding near the [[Forbidden Forest]] to observe their past selves.
  - They watched as [[Dumbledore]], [[Fudge]], [[Macnair]], and an elderly member of the [[Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures]] walked down to [[Hagrid's Hut]] to carry out the execution.
  - Just as the execution party was about to emerge from the hut, [[Harry]] lured [[Buckbeak]], who was tethered in [[Hagrid]]'s pumpkin patch, into the cover of the forest. [[Walden Macnair]], emerging from the hut, swung his axe in frustration at an empty patch of ground.
  - [[Harry]] and [[Hermione]] waited in the forest with [[Buckbeak]], witnessing the events at the [[Whomping Willow]] and the subsequent [[Dementor]] attack by the lake.
  - Realizing that the mysterious figure who saved his past self and [[Sirius]] with a powerful [[Patronus Charm]] was, in fact, himself, [[Harry]] stepped forward and cast his own corporeal [[Patronus]], a stag, driving away over a hundred [[Dementors]].
  - After watching [[Severus Snape]] levitate the unconscious [[Sirius]] back to the castle, [[Harry]] and [[Hermione]] mounted [[Buckbeak]].
  - They flew [[Buckbeak]] up to the window of [[Professor Flitwick]]'s office in the [[West Tower]].
  - [[Harry]] helped a stunned but grateful [[Sirius Black]] climb from the office onto [[Buckbeak]]'s back.
  - [[Sirius Black]] flew away from [[Hogwarts]] on [[Buckbeak]], escaping to freedom.
  - [[Harry]] and [[Hermione]] then raced back to the now-empty [[Hospital Wing]], arriving just moments before [[Dumbledore]] locked the door, thus closing the time loop without being detected.
=====Key Participants=====
  * **Rescuers:** [[Harry Potter]], [[Hermione Granger]].
  * **Rescued:** [[Sirius Black]], [[Buckbeak]] the [[Hippogriff]].
  * **Facilitator:** [[Albus Dumbledore]], who provided the crucial advice and ensured [[Harry]] and [[Hermione]] had the time and opportunity to act.
=====Significance and Aftermath=====
The Flight of the Hippogriff was a resounding success with profound consequences for the remainder of the series.
  * It directly saved [[Sirius Black]] from a fate "worse than death" and [[Buckbeak]] from an unjust execution.
  * It allowed [[Sirius]] to live as a fugitive, from which position he could provide [[Harry]] with emotional support and parental guidance, and later rejoin the reformed [[Order of the Phoenix]].
  * The event forced [[Harry]] to produce a full, corporeal [[Patronus]] for the first time, marking a significant milestone in his development as a powerful [[wizard]].
  * It was a powerful lesson for [[Harry]] and [[Hermione]] in the complexities and dangers of manipulating time, as well as the importance of courage and acting against injustice.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * The event is a major set piece in the film adaptation, //[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)]]//, featuring a memorable sequence of [[Harry]]'s first flight over [[Hogwarts]].
  * "Flight of the Hippogriff" is the name of a family-friendly roller coaster at the [[Wizarding World of Harry Potter]] theme parks located at Universal Studios resorts around the world. (theme park)