Chapter 20: End of Fifth Year
As the end of the year approached, Harry become more worried about the upcoming exams. Unlike the years before he made his own study schedule and attempted to help make Ron one but the red haired boy flatly refused. The last Quidditch game of the season was also coming up and so his every evening was spent doing either Quidditch or exam revision. Angelina had increased practises to four times a week as the game approached.
He, Neville and the Hufflepuffs now had Herbology revision twice a week and DA had turned into purely exam prep for the older students. Some of them practised the practical side by still teaching the younger students some spells. Ginny and Luna had been a great help to Harry by picking up a lot of the slack in teaching the younger students. Astoria Greengrass had also taken to teaching quite easily.
Once a week, Harry found Daphne in the Library and they studied Potions together. He found that spending time with her was refreshing. Their conversations rarely consisted of more than the odd question about the work in front of them but it was nice. Through the rare conversations not about work, Harry learnt quite a bit about her once he learnt to read between the lines. She never let information slip freely but he soon got used to seeing what she really meant. This alone taught him a lot about how to deal with people when he went into politics after leaving school. The first few times, when he didn't grasp her meaning she gave him the same mocking smile but as he picked it up he occasionally saw a nod of appreciation that grew into a slight smile.
Soon the Quidditch final was the next day and Harry knew Sirius was going to be there watching him alongside Remus. Neville kept telling him he would be fine and that Sirius had seen him fly before but that didn't quite quell the nerves inside his stomach. Harry knew that once he got into the air he would be fine but until then his stomach felt like he had eaten something wriggly for lunch.
Fred and George were doing their usual of blowing off extra steam due to their nerves so the Gryffindor Common room was full of loud bangs from small fireworks they kept letting off. People also kept fainting or vomiting as they were selling some of their skiving snackboxes. Harry caught Hermione telling them off for it but they clearly paid her very little attention so she stormed off to her dormitory. He was very glad when Angelina called for the whole team to go to bed. Ron was a pale green colour by this point and Harry felt sleep was the best thing for him or he wouldn't be needing the Puking Pastilles.
Next morning, Harry woke before Ron but decided to wait for his friend before heading down to breakfast. By the time they got to the Great Hall the rest of the team was waiting for them. Angelina was encouraging everyone to eat something while her own plate remained empty and untouched. As the room began filling, Angelina chivied them all to the changing rooms. It was a bright but breezy day, almost perfect Quidditch conditions even if the sun may pose a little bit of a problem. Harry spent most of Angelina's pep talk muttering encouragement to Ron. They got into their robes and shouldered their brooms before heading out. The Ravenclaw team were already waiting by Madam Hooch. She gave them the customary warning about playing a clean game before the game began. Harry kicked off from the ground and soared up towards the clear blue sky.
Wind whistled past his ears and he felt his nerves dropping away. Once at a decent height, he turned and began looking for the snitch. He started doing laps of the pitch and noticed Cho was doing her usual tactic of trying to mark him rather than searching herself. He had a brief thought that Cedric had been the only seeker he had played against to actually try searching for the snitch himself since his very first game. Then his attention was dragged back to the game by Lee Jordan announcing Gryffindor were 10-0 up courtesy of Alicia.
He continued circling the pitch, watching as Roger Davis sped towards Ron with the Quaffle, dodging around Katie before taking a shot. Ron dived and made his first save. A cheer rung around the ground and Harry shot his friend a grin before speeding towards the Ravenclaw end. Angelina and Alicia then made it 30-0 to Gryffindor and Harry spotted the snitch. It was hovering a foot off the ground next to the Ravenclaw goalpost. He dived and Cho immediately followed suit. His firebolt easily gave him the advantage and he was gaining on it until a bludger was sent whizzing straight in front of him, missing him by inches. He rolled out of the way as a second one followed the first and in those seconds the snitch vanished. The Ravenclaws cheered their beater as the Gryffindor section of the crowd groaned. Spurred on by this, the Ravenclaw chasers scored their first goal and almost a second but for a spectacular save from Ron. The Gryffindor's began their own version of 'Weasley is Our King'.
There was so sign of the snitch for the next half an hour. Gryffindor were leading 140-50. Harry flew up even higher than before and continued circling the pitch. Cho was on his tail until suddenly she dived. He scanned the ground and saw a speck of gold flying around Ron's left boot. He immediately began his own dive but she had the lead.
"Come on. Faster." He urged his broom and he finally drew level with her. Ron saw them both coming and his eyes widened. Cho made a grab at the snitch but fumbled as she also tried to dodge out the way of Ron. Harry rolled over, plucked the snitch from the air and then looped around his friend. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and a roar bellowed from the red part of the stands. Ron flew straight into Harry. Pulling him into a mid air bear hug. Fred and George then thumped into them right before the three chasers joined the group hug.
"We did it! We did it!" Ron cheered right in Harry's ear. As they sunk to the floor they were greeted by all the Gryffindor fans who had run onto the pitch. They were all lifted onto the crowd's shoulders. To Harry's left, Angelina was sobbing. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Cho across the pitch, throwing her broom against the floor and running off. Then he was distracted by a voice in his ear.
"Nice catch. Congratulations." Looking around, he spotter that we was now on Sirius' shoulders and his godfather was beaming at him. He felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest in joy. Then he spotted Remus a few paces away and he was also grinning like a fool. The crowd were belting out 'Weasley is our King' as the players were all carried towards the castle.
With the game over, the OWLs seemed even closer. The days were melting away and Harry was so tired he forgot to close his mind before going to bed. His scar began prickling in a way he hadn't felt since he was at the Dursley's. Still, he kept himself so busy he barely even thought about it. The night before his first exam, Transfiguration, he forced himself to bed early despite Ron's pleas to play a game of Exploding Snap to take their minds off the next day. He had a quick mirror call to Sirius who wished him luck. He mentioned the twinges in his scar and Sirius looked concerned. He told him to remember his Occlumency.
"Why did the connection come back so quickly? I thought having Occlumency barriers in place would help even if I couldn't empty my mind every night?" Harry asked. Sirius bit his lip.
"I'm not sure Harry. The connection between you two is stronger than anything I've ever seen." He admitted. "That scar is unique so the connection between you is unique. It's good that clearing your mind has helped at all really."
"You didn't know if it would?" Harry asked, frowning.
"No. I didn't. However, it is a useful skill and I would have wanted you to learn it, scar or not." Sirius told him.
"Does Voldemort know about this connection?" Harry asked.
"We don't think so, not yet. Otherwise he would probably have tried to attack your shields and you would definitely know about that. However, he could find out at any time, especially if your scar is prickling again. Be careful." Sirius warned him.
"I will." Harry promised.
"Keep the mirror on you at all times. Contact me immediately if anything happens." He stressed.
"I promise, Siri." Sirius relaxed slightly and smiled at him through the mirror. Sirius then bade him goodnight as he had a big day the next day. Harry put the mirror away and sank back on the pillows. He was pleased Sirius was honest with him but scared about what the connection with Voldemort could mean. Finally he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning was tense. The fifth years ate breakfast together but conversation was definitely lacking. Hermione was muttering to herself, reciting her notes. Ron was simply stabbing his bacon as if it had personally offended him and saying nothing. Harry and Neville ate little but reviewed some notes together about the theory. The mornings would be for theory and the afternoons would be practical exams. At quarter to nine the fifth years all gathered in the antechamber off the Great hall and waited. They would be called in alphabetical order to take their seats. Soon they were filing in and Harry found himself behind Parvati Patil. Ron was two rows across and a few seats in front of him. Neville was level with him a few rows to his left. The examiner was a wizened old man. He introduced himself as Professor Tofty. They began and Harry looked down at the paper in front of him. Question 1: Give the correct spell and wand movement required to turn an animal into a water goblet. He grinned, fondly recalling Scabbers being turned into a water goblet and then began writing.
The examiner called an end to the exam and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. That hadn't been even half as bad as he thought it would be. He had at least managed some answer for every question although a couple he was positive he hadn't written enough. Trying not to think about it he left the hall with everyone else to prepare for their practical that afternoon. Neville came over and grinned.
"That wasn't so bad. I think I've passed at least." He sighed.
"I'm sure you did great Nev." Harry assured him. "Shall we go to the Room of Requirement and practise for this afternoon?" Neville nodded. Harry snagged Ron, Dean, Ernie and Susan on the way. They each brought their friends and the group gathered together, taking it in turns to practise while the others pointed out any flaws in their style and wording. An hour and a half later they made their way down for lunch. Soon after they were once again in the antechamber waiting to be called in for the Transfiguration practical. They would be going in four at a time so Harry figured he had quite a while to wait. He tried to take his mind off it by reading his Defence textbook. Eventually it was his turn and he walked over to the indicated examiner nervously.
One hour later he emerged feeling pleased with himself. It had gone well. His snuffbox had had a tail the first time he tried but he had quickly remedied that. That was his worst mistake of the exam so he felt he had at least passed.
The rest of the week passed in a haze for Harry. He got through his Herbology, Defence, Astronomy and Charms exams relatively well. Defence Against the Dark Arts had gone especially well. He had performed all the spells flawlessly and even produced a corporeal patronus at the request of his examiner. It had helped that Remus was watching the whole time and gave him a tiny nod of encouragement on his way out of the hall. Now they had to weekend to revise for Potions first thing Monday morning. Care of Magical Creatures was on Tuesday and then he had theory only exams left. The DA fifth and seventh years spent the weekend practising together. Most of them barely left the Room of Requirement except to eat and sleep. Occasionally not even then as Dobby had taken to bringing Harry food to make sure he was eating. Then he had agreed to bring some food for the others too.
The Potions theory passed easily enough, Harry thought and the practical was much easier without Snape hovering over him dangerously. He noticed that Neville also looked much more relaxed than he usually did while brewing. Other than a bite from a Bowtruckle, his Care of Magical Creatures exam went well. Hagrid had been watching him anxiously from his cabin window. Harry was most pleased with his Ancient Runes exam. It was the exam he felt most confident in except Defence. Arithmancy was also ok but he felt less confident in that result. He knew he has missed one question and not explained himself well enough on a couple of others.
Finally he only has History of Magic left. Harry settled down in his chair already annoyed by a headache that had been building all day. He put it down to the stress of the past two weeks and tried to focus on the paper. The pain grew and the words seemed to float around on the page. Harry pressed his palms to his eyes and rubbed trying to refocus. He glanced at the clock and saw they still had another half an hour to go. Trying to push the pain away as he was used to doing he managed another two questions before there was a sudden stabbing pain and his vision swam before briefly going black.
He found himself looking into a room he had never seen before. However he recognised it from Sirius' description, it was the room of Prophecy in the Ministry. Before he could even begin to question why he was seeing this a very familiar yell sounded from at his feet. Looking down he saw his arm outstretched, pale fingers wrapped around a wand that was pointing at a figure on the floor.
"You will fetch it for me Black." His voice was high and cold.
"Never." The reply came as expected. He felt cool amusement.
"Of course you will. It's only a matter of time and we have all the time in the world. Crucio." Harry jolted awake again. His brain was frozen and he couldn't breathe properly. Sirius. Suddenly he was aware of someone leaning over him.
"Are you alright dear boy?" Someone was asking him. He glanced up and saw the examiner.
"Sick." Harry muttered. "Headache. Hospital Wing."
"You only have ten minutes left, are you sure you don't want to…"
"No. I'm done." Harry told him as firmly as he could. The examiner nodded and rolled up his parchment. Then he guided Harry out of the hall. Harry walked away until he was sure he was out of sight and then fumbled around in his pocket for the mirror.
"Sirius Black!" He called urgently. The seconds passed, each more deafening than the last. Just when Harry was about to give up and run to McGonagall, Sirius' face appeared in the mirror.
"Hey pup. All done with your exams then?" He asked.
"Sirius." Harry breathed in relief.
"What's wrong?" Sirius asked immediately.
"Had a vision. You were being tortured." Harry explained.
"I'm right here, I'm at Potter Manor and everything's ok." Sirius soothed. Harry nodded and sagged against the wall as the terror dissipated from him. "Tell me what happened."
"I didn't sleep well last night and had a headache all day. I thought it was just stress and lack of sleep. Then in the exam it got worse I could barely see properly. Finally about ten minutes ago I sort of blacked out and saw Voldemort torturing you." Harry choked slightly. "I was Voldemort torturing you. Then I came to and the examiner asked if I was ok. I told him I needed to get to the Hospital Wing. We only had ten minutes left anyway. Then I called you."
"You did well pup. Voldemort must have figured out the connection. I'm impressed you managed to hold him off all morning, that must be what your headache was. I'm fine, I promise and I'm very pleased you remembered your mirror." Harry nodded. "When you get home for summer we will have a discussion about what we do next. I'll speak to Dumbledore. Occlumency clearly isn't the answer even if it's helping." Harry nodded again. "So how did your exams go?" Sirius changed the subject.
"Pretty well I think. Not too sure about Arithmancy and I guess History didn't go very well."
"Well you have a pretty good reason for that so I'm sure we can ignore your History grade. It's not as if you wanted to continue it is it?"
"Definitely not." Harry chuckled. slightly. Sirius grinned, pleased to see the haunted look fading from his godson's eyes.
"Well, it's Friday so I'll see you later for dinner with Remus. I'm sure your friends will be wondering what happened." Sirius smiled at him. Harry nodded. He could hear lots of footsteps on the marble staircase behind him. They said goodbye and he returned to mirror to his pocket. He quickly made his way to Gryffindor tower to wait for Ron and Neville. They didn't disappoint and found him quickly Hermione was behind them.
"What happened Harry?" Neville asked anxiously. He briefly explained what had happened and they all looked appropriately horrified.
"At least he's ok." Ron clapped him on the shoulder. Harry nodded.
"I'm glad he's safe." Hermione said in a small voice.
"Thanks." He offered her a small smile which she returned. Then Ron decided to break the solemn mood and cheered that exams were finished. The others seemed to regain their good mood and Harry tried to join in. Fred and George organised an end of exams party that lasted until two in the morning when McGonagall came in to tell them all to go to bed.
The rest of the year passed very quickly. Thanks to their showing in Quidditch, Gryffindor won the House cup yet again. Harry sat between Fred and George at the leaving feast as they would not be returning next year. They discussed the shop and told Harry he was welcome at any time for a personal tour before they officially opened on the 1st of August. Harry was sure Remus and Sirius would be more than willing to accompany him. For the first time ever he was looking forward to the summer holidays. It would be his first full summer with Sirius as a free man and no Dursleys at all.
The twins stayed in the same carriage as Ron, Harry and Neville. Hannah joined them part way through so she could spend some time with Neville before the holidays. They had an exploding snap tournament which Fred won and then spent the last hours of the journey eating all the sweets Harry had bought from the trolley. Finally the train drew into King's Cross and there was the usual flurry of fetching trunks and making their way through the crowd. Harry finally spotted Sirius waiting for him with a huge grin on his face. He sped up and dropped his trunk to embrace his godfather.
"Hey Padfoot." Harry beamed.
"Hey there pup. You ready to go home?" Harry's grin grew even wider at those words.
"Yeah." He agreed having said his goodbyes on the train. Sirius gripped his arm and they apparated back to Potter Manor and the best summer Harry was sure he had ever had.