Buckbeak Had A Happy Ending The Harry Potter Films Never Showed
"Harry Potter" and its "Wizarding World" have become one of the biggest franchises in the world over the last two decades. With legions of fans of the seven books where these tales began as well as the eight film adaptations that brought them to the silver screen, the franchise has since grown with tales like "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" as well as theme parks that are based around the fictional locales of the series (via Universal Studios).
Naturally, one of the main reasons why fans have fallen so heavily in love with J.K. Rowling's fantasy series is because of its many compelling and likable characters. From the teachers to the students to the multitude of magical and mystical creatures that populate Hogwarts, there is no shortage of wonderful protagonists and sinister antagonists in the "Harry Potter" franchise.
However, in the film adaptations of these stories, some of the characters and storylines in "Harry Potter" seem to disappear without explanation. Such is the case with Buckbeak, the Hippogriff whom Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his classmates meet in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
Buckbeak eventually returns to Hagrid's side in the books
In "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," Harry bonds with Buckbeak while under the tutelage of the lovable giant Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane). Unfortunately, the always bratty and entitled Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) goads Buckbeak into attacking him, causing the creature to receive a death sentence by the powers that be as a result.
Later, we see Buckbeak fly away with Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), as Harry and Hermione (Emma Watson) use the time turner to save the two fugitives from their undeserving fates. While that might be the end of Buckbeak's story as far as the movies are concerned, fans who have read the books will recall that the hippogriff returns multiple times in the source material.
For instance, Buckbeak is seen with Sirius Black in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and though Sirius inevitably meets his end in the following book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the hippogriff is ultimately reunited with Hagrid, giving the creature a happy ending as a result.
Of course, his name is changed to Witherwings to disguise his identity and keep him safe from the Malfoy family. Still, all the same, the creature who merely disappears after the third film has a much richer history in the fantasy series as penned by J.K. Rowling.