Cornelius Fudge and the Executioners Arrive for Buckbeak

PAGES: 319-321

After completing their Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, Harry, Ron, and Hermione encounter Cornelius Fudge along with two Ministry representatives, one of whom is an executioner with an axe. Fudge reveals that he is at Hogwarts for Buckbeak's execution, unsettling the trio as they realize the appeal might be a formality.