Notes: I have GOOD NEWS and BAD NEWS (I'm actually putting this in caps because a lot of people don't read the author notes). The good news is that we're actually almost reaching the story's climax. The bad news is that from now on the way chapter have been uploaded will change. That is to say, WE'RE NO LONGER FOLLOWING A SET UPDATE SCHEDULE. After a lot of consideration it seemed like the best course of action.

..

(ARC)

To Guest:

Well, I'm glad you look forward to the chapters since I guess that's why you wrote this message, however, I did write in the last chapter's author notes that this chapter would be late. Furthermore, chapter length is not proportional to how long it takes to get it uploaded. Usually that depends on how much free time I have. To be honest I do not appreciate it when readers mention this either explicitly or implicitly. I won't speak for other writers, but at least in my case I don't write to please other people (as mean as that may sound) so getting messages like these is a bit off-putting. Anyways, thanks for reviewing.

…..

Chapter 53: OWLs

A week had passed since the Quidditch game that won Gryffindor the cup and Ron's euphoria had yet to subside. The redhead continued to vividly describe each moment with what he knew was no little amount of embellishment. Unfortunately, he still had no idea that both his best friends were not there to see him. Neither one of the teens could bring themselves to drag Ron back to reality in such a brutal manner, and with so much talk about Quidditch, it was hard to find an opening so they could talk about what happened in the Forbidden Forest that day.

They had finally found out why Hagrid seemed to be constantly covered in fresh wounds whenever they saw him. When the half-Giant dragged them to the Forbidden Forest, he'd initially thought that Hagrid wanted to show them a new dangerous pet, perhaps a repeat of what happened during their first year with Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback. What they never, in their wildest dreams, expected to find was a Giant, and not just any Giant; Hagrid's half-brother, Grawp. With a small terrifying introduction and the added revelation that Hagrid may have to leave soon, Harry and Hermione were both taken back to the castle, the future seemingly becoming bleaker with every step. It was then that they were ambushed by centaurs. Luckily, the centaurs did not harm them, but only because it was against their ways to kill 'foals'.

Needless to say, after that experience, they were far too tired and sore to be able to celebrate Gryffindor's victory properly.

But now a week had passed and things had calmed down. They were now sitting down under a beech tree by the lake, revising all they could since exams were almost upon them. Both teens knew that it was the time to reveal the truth to Ron, and so, after a week, they did.

"No." Ron said, shaking his head in disbelief. "He couldn't have just brought home a Giant and hid it in the bloody forest!"

"Well he has." Hermione said firmly." Grawp's about sixteen feet tall, enjoys ripping up twenty-foot tall trees, and knows me (she snorted at this point) as 'Hermy'."

The redhead laughed nervously. "And Hagrid wants us to…?"

"Teach him English, yeah." Harry deadpanned.

"He's lost his mind." Ron said in an awed voice.

"Yes." Hermione said, turning over a page of the large book resting on her lap. "I'm starting to think he has. But unfortunately, he made Harry and I promise."

"Well, you're just going to have to break your promise." Ron said. "We have exams! Not to mention that we're already pretty bloody close to getting expelled as it is. I mean, do you guys remember Norbert? Do you remember Aragog, Harry? When has getting caught up with Hagrid's monster mates been anything but dangerous?"

"But, we promised." Hermione said in a smaller voice.

"He hasn't been sacked yet. Maybe we won't have to watch over Grawp at all." Harry said, trying to hold onto that small shred of optimism.

…..

As the days passed and the so called OWLs got closer, Zidane came to realize something pretty quickly. That is, exams did strange things to otherwise normal-acting people.

Ernie Mcmillian, for example, had taken to telling people exactly how many hours he spent studying every day. Whether it was to boast or because he was trying to reassure himself, Zidane did not know. All he knew was that it was slowly starting to get to his nerves and everybody else's nerves as well, especially when he insisted on being asked random questions just to prove that he knew each answer.

With the advent of the OWL exams, another lucrative sort of business had sprout in Hogwarts; the business of illegal brain stimulants and all sorts of thingamajigs that promised an enhanced performance during exams. Zidane was positive it was all bull, but still, he couldn't help but be amazed that people would actually pay twelve galleons just for a pint of 'Baruffio's Brain Elixir', or as he'd like to call it, snake oil.

Zidane walked into the Great Hall before taking a seat next to Neville, just across from the Golden Trio. As he did, almost every fifth year in the vicinity looked up from their plates, or even textbooks and notes in some cases, and sent dark, envious looks in his direction.

Another change that occurred the closer the exams got was the rising amount of animosity from the other students. Being the only fifth year in the whole school that didn't have to take the examinations meant that he had an excess of free time to just prance around the grounds or nap pleasantly under a tree by the lake, or at least, that's what everyone else thought. He'd been just as busy as everyone, following Harry to and fro just to make sure he didn't get into any more trouble. He wouldn't rely on Kuja anymore, seeing as the last time he left Harry in Kuja's hand, he, along with Hermione had been nearly killed by centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. Well, it wasn't like he was currently in Hogwarts, anyways. The man had left a few days ago and he still wasn't sure when he'd be back again. At least he had the decency to tell him this time.

"Hey guys." Zidane said as he grabbed a chicken drumstick and some mashed potatoes for himself. "Did you get your schedules yet?"

"McGonagall posted them some time ago. Charm's first thing in the morning, then in the afternoon we have the practical exam." Neville mentioned, looking a bit pale.

"Seems pretty intense for a test." The blonde commented.

"OWLs have always been like that. You heard McGonagall during class didn't you?" Hermione said, entering her lecturing mode.

"You mean about the exams being made so it's impossible to cheat on them?" Zidane asked after finishing his chicken drumstick. He stopped listening after a while, so it was the only part that stuck.

"Well, it's more than that. OWLs don't only decide what courses you'll take in your future, and therefore, your possible career, they can also serve as a quality control in the long run. For example, what would you think if this year's scores were abnormally low? Naturally, one would assumed that the teaching standard has changed for the worse, and all the blame would go to the current Headmaster, or Headmistress in this case." Hermione said sagely. "It's for the same reason that they have been using the same examiners for years. They know what should be expected of us students."

"So that's why Umbridge seems so nervous lately. Her reputation is on the line. The Daily Prophet makes it seem that she's doing Hogwarts a favor, but if the results don't live up to the expectations then people will start getting suspicious." The blonde surmised.

"Especially since she didn't teach us how to use spells during DADA." Harry finished.

"Exactly." Hermione said approvingly.

"Well, she's certainly going to be surprised when the practical part of the DADA exam comes." Ron said, grinning. "Any word on the examiners yet?"

Zidane nodded. "Saw them enter through the gates a bit ago. They should be walking by the Entrance Hall any second now actually."

Ron blanched. "Are you serious, mate?"

"What were they like?" Neville asked with curiosity.

The blonde paused, unsure of how he should describe the small group of examiners. Or rather, how to say they were the oldest things he'd seen since Memoria without it sounding offensive.

"They seemed a bit…old." Zidane said after finishing his meal. 'Or rather, ancient.'

"Well they have been at it for years." Ron said, looking a bit unsure.

"Why don't we go have a look?" Harry asked while everyone nodded in agreement. The blonde genome shrugged and followed as well, having already finished his meal.

The teens all sneaked into the Entrance Hall, looking around the corner as they heard Umbridge's fake-sounding, sugary tone of voice.

"Let's get closer." Ron said and they all followed.

Stepping into the entrance hall, the group of teens then changed their pace to make it seem as natural as possible. Umbridge was in view, along with a small group of witches and wizards so old that they looked like a light breeze could knock them over.

"Journey was fine, journey was fine, we've made it plenty of times before." A particularly short witch said, her face being so marked by age that she looked as though draped in cobwebs. In fact, the way she answered Umbridge loudly despite them being a foot apart made him think that she might have been a little deaf.

'Okay, maybe a lot.' Zidane thought to himself as he heard the conversation.

"Now, I haven't heard of Dumbledore lately!" Another witch said, looking about as though expecting the old wizard to pop up from a broom cupboard. Well, 'old' seemed a bit relative now. "No idea where he is, I suppose."

"Not at all." Umbridge said, shooting their group a malevolent look, Zidane and Neville pretending to chat amiably while the Golden Trio dawdled around, pretending to wait around for Ron who was tying his shoes. "But I daresay the Ministry of Magic will track him down soon enough."

"I doubt it." The tiny old woman said. "Not if Dumbledore doesn't want to be found! I should know…examined him personally in Transfiguration and Charms when he did his NEWTs…he did things with a wand I'd never seen before."

The blonde genome paused and did a double take. 'Examined Dumbledore personally? Holy crap, how old are these people?!'

"Yes… well.." Umbridge began unsurely as the small group made their way up the stairs as slowly as they could allow. "Let me show you the staff room. I daresay you'd like a cup of tea after your journey."

The group made it up the stairs and then made a dash for it through the halls until they were in the clear.

"That was Griselda Marchbanks. She's a friend of Gran's." Neville said after they recovered their breath.

"Wow Neville, you know one of the examiners!" Ron said in surprise. "Do you reckon she'll go easier on you?"

Hermione cast him a disbelieving look.

"I honestly doubt it." The shy teen replied. "She's a bit like Gran. She always says that I´m not as good as my dad… well…you saw what she's like at 's."

Neville glanced at the floor as a sudden uncomfortable silence descended upon them. It was the first time that what happened at St. Mungo's was mentioned.

"Don't worry so much about being someone you're not." Zidane finally said, patting the teen on the shoulder. "You'll be fine. Don't worry so much about it. Now, come on, we have to go meet up with Luna."

….

"Oh, bravo!" Professor Tofty, the oldest and baldest looking of the examiners said as Harry demonstrated how to get rid of a Boggart by using a banishing spell. "Very good indeed! Well, I think that's all, Potter…unless…"

Harry leaned forwards a bit. "Unless, sir?"

"I heard from my dear friend Tiberius Ogden that you can produce a Patronus? For a bonus point?"

Harry happily obliged.

Looking at Umbridge, he raised his wand and imagined the toad-like woman being sacked.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A silver stag erupted from the end of his wand, galloping majestically down the hall while simultaneously making every student, professor, and examiner turn their head and watch. When it dissolved into silvery mist, Professor Tofty clapped his veined and knotted hands enthusiastically.

"Excellent!" The old wizard said. "Very well, Mr. Potter, you may go!"

Harry happily crossed DADA from his mental list, knowing for sure that he passed. Heck, he even had the pleasure of casting every counter jinx and defensive spell right under Umbridge's nose. It was now Thursday and so far that made four OWLs; Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, and now Defense Against the Dark Arts.

He was nervous when they had the written exam for Charms, after all, it was their first examination. Yet to his pleasant surprise, the first question asked him to give the incantation and describe the wand movements to make objects fly; Weeks of having to levitate that crystal orb in Professor Kuja's office made sure that he would never forget how to perform that charm. Better yet, he was also asked to make an eggcup make cartwheels, which given the amount of practice he'd gotten over that spell, made it quite easy. He only wished he hadn't mixed up the Color Change and Growth Charm, so that he accidentally enlarged the rat he was supposed to turn orange. He did manage to correct his mistake, but the damage was already done.

Tuesday was the day they had Transfiguration. He forgot the definition of a switching spell, but at least he managed to completely vanish his iguana. Hannah Abbot somehow managed to multiply her ferret into a flock of flamingoes, making the exams stop until they could clear the hall of birds.

Herbology took place on Wednesday, which greeted him with the sight of Zidane wishing Neville luck before putting as much distance between him and the green houses as possible. Other than being bitten by a Fanged Geranium, Harry thought he did reasonably well.

"How was DADA?" Ron asked as they met during dinner afterwards.

"It was actually great." Harry said honestly.

"Did you see the look on Umbridge's face?" Ron asked and the messy-haired teen grinned.

"She probably didn't expect any of us to be able to perform those spells." Hermione said with a smile. "As far as I could tell, everyone from the DA did commendably on their practical exam. You should be proud."

Harry went to bed early Thursday night for the sole purpose of recovering lost sleep. He was too tired to think about staying up, anyways. Despite that, he was in high spirits from what happened today. Friday would be their first day off since the examinations started so he could afford to relax.

Sleep that night was pleasantly dream-less.

On Friday Harry woke up late and feeling refreshed. He and Ron took the day off while Hermione had to sit through her Ancient runes exam. They had the whole weekend off afterwards, so for once they felt like they could finally take a small respite.

These days felt both painfully short and yet they just didn't seem to pass by quickly enough.

"How did it go?" Ron asked as Hermione walked through the courtyard entrance.

"I mistranslated ehwaz!" Hermione said furiously. "It means partnership, not defense; I mixed it up with eihwaz!"

"Ah well, that's only one mistake." Ron said, but clearly it was the wrong thing to say in front of Hermione. The bushy-haired girl quickly went on a rant about how one mistake made the difference between pass and fail.

"And what's more, someone's put a Niffler in Umbridge's office again. I don't know how they got it through the new door, but I just walked past there and Umbridge was shrieking her head off. By the sound of it, it tried to take off a chunk of her leg."

"Good." Harry and Ron both said.

"It is not good!" Hermione said hotly. "She'll blame Hagrid for this, and we don't want him chucked out!"

"But he was teaching at the time. She can't blame him." Harry said, frowning.

"Don't be naïve! Do you honestly think Umbridge will wait for proof?" Hermione said before storming off.

Harry and Ron both looked at each other, identical winces adorning their faces.

"Bloody hell." Ron muttered. It was then that they heard the sound of heeled footsteps approaching.

Looking up, both teens saw Professor Kuja entering from where Hermione exited. He was clad in royal purple robes with embroidered stars that shined in the light. A small wooden crate was also held in his arms.

"My, what has gotten into Miss Granger?" The odd man said as he walked towards them.

"Runes OWL." Ron answered.

"I see." Professor Kuja said, rearranging the crate in his arms before seemingly deciding that it would be easier to just levitate it. "People tend to become most desperate during these examinations. I've already had students trying to sneak into Sylph's pen just to try to get one of her claws! Can you believe that? Even after I refused their requests."

Ron instantly perked up. The redhead had already told him how dragon claw could make a person temporarily cleverer, and this was real dragon claw, not the dried doxy dropping Hermione confiscated.

"Say, Professor…" The redhead began, but was quickly cut off by the eccentric man.

"I'm sorry, Ronald, but I'm afraid you'll all have to pass these examinations on your own." Professor Kuja said.

"Erm, Professor, if you don't mind me asking… what exactly is that box for?" Harry asked, noticing the slight scratch marks on the crate.

"Oh this silly thing?" The silver haired man said as he looked at the box. "Well between me and you, boys. I had to get that Niffler into the castle somehow without it going after my robes. They do like shiny things, you know."

Neither Harry nor Ron were sure what to say after that particular encounter.

The weekend passed quickly, and once Monday came around, it was once again time for them to continue with their examinations, this time starting with Potions.

This examination was the most dreaded one so far. The written part's questions were difficult, making Harry almost positive that it would be the end of his ambitions to become an Auror. At least he was sure he managed to get full marks on the question that asked them to describe the effects of the Polyjuice Potion. How could he not know when he took the potion himself during second year?

The afternoon practical was not nearly as dreadful as he imagined, seeing that Snape was absent. Even Neville looked happier than he'd ever seen him in front of a cauldron. He knew that he might not have gotten a very good mark, but with some luck, he had avoided failing.

On Tuesday, they had their Care of Magical Creatures Exam on the lawn at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry made sure to not let Hagrid down. They were supposed to identify a Knarl hidden amongst a dozen Hedgehogs, which was easy enough since Knarls threw fits when offered milk. They were also asked how to correctly handle a Bowtruckle, how to clean and feed a Fire Crab without sustaining serious burns, and to select a diet for a sick unicorn. Overall, Harry was quite happy with how things went.

The Astronomy theory exam took place on Wednesday morning. Harry thought he was not convinced that he got the names of all of Jupiter's moons right, but he was at least positive none were inhabited by mice.

Because the practical bit of the exam would take place at midnight, they had Divination that evening. Zidane and Hermione saw them off before heading in opposite directions, Hermione to take her Arithmancy exam and the blonde foreigner to do whatever it is he did when no one was around.

"Just come up with stuff if you get stuck. As long as it sort of makes sense, then there shouldn't be a problem." The blonde had advised them. Harry wished he had listened. Divination was by far the worst examination yet.

It would honestly be a miracle if he didn't fail that exam. He might as well have made things up instead of trying to see moving pictures in a crystal ball. He told Professor Marchbanks she'd be meeting a round soggy stranger after losing his head with tea-leaf reading, and then to top it off, he mixed up the life and head lines on her palm and told her she ought to have died the previous Tuesday.

It was at least better than Ron, who told the examiner in detail about the ugly man with the wart on his nose in his crystal ball, only to realize it was his reflection.

"We shouldn't have taken that subject in the first place." Harry said as they walked. "Honestly, I don't care if my tea leaves spell 'die', Ron, I'm just chucking them in the bin where they belong."

"At least we can give it up now." Ron said with a bit of optimism.

The night was cloudless and clear, the grounds were bathed in the silvery moonlight, and there was a slight chill in the air, in short; perfect for stargazing. Atop the Astronomy Tower, they each set up their telescopes, and when Professor Marchbanks gave the word, they were instructed to fill the blank star chart they were given.

An hour passed in relative silence, broken only by the slight creaking of telescopes as they were adjusted or the scratching of quills. Professors Marchbanks and Tofty strolled amongst them, making sure that no cheating took place. The lights of the castle began to flicker out, one by one little squares vanishing until, after half an hour later, almost all lights were extinguished.

He was halfway done drawing the constellation Orion when it happened. The castle front doors opened with a loud 'bang' below, spilling light into the otherwise dark grounds. Five or six figures then came out, before nearly disappearing in darkness once the doors were shut once more. Had it not been because of the moonlight being reflected off half a dozen heads, those silhouettes would have been indistinguishable from the rest of the dark grounds.

Harry looked through the telescope once more to look at Venus this time. However, he was far too distracted to properly focus on the examination. He was sure that he recognized the squat figure that led the wizards out into the grounds, but he still found it strange that Umbridge would go out into the grounds in the dead of night. What kind of business could she have at this hour? Perhaps more importantly, why go accompanied with five other wizards?

A small cough snapped him out of his thoughts, reminding him again that he was in the middle of an exam. Looking back through the telescope, he was able to locate Venus again. He was just about to enter its position into his chart when he heard a distant knock, its sound echoing through the silent grounds. Then to his surprise, he heard an all too familiar bark.

Harry felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest.

Ignoring the telescope, he witnessed Hagrid's door open, revealing all six figures as the light poured forth from his hut. The figures entered shortly, through once the door was shut, Harry was still luckily able to distinguish their sharp silhouettes from the inside.

Harry thought about looking towards Ron and Hermione to see if they had noticed too, but feeling Professor Marchbank's eyes on the back of his head made him rethink his decision and quickly add some notes to his chart in case she thought he was looking at other student's work. Harry let a sigh of relief as he saw the examiner walk away, relief that was quickly dashed when a loud roar came from the distant cabin and echoed through the ground. Many students stopped what they were doing and where now looking at the small cabin below.

"Try and concentrate now, boys and girls." Professor Tofty said softly after giving a small cough to get everyone's attention.

Most students went back to their telescopes, but Harry's gaze then landed on Hermione, who was staring transfixed at Hagrid's cabin.

"Ahem, twenty minutes to go." Professor Tofty said once more.

Hermione jumped before returning to her work. Harry did the same, only to notice he had mislabeled Venus as Mars.

It was then that a louder 'bang' resonated across the grounds, startling many into hitting themselves with the ends of their telescopes as they hastened to see what was going on.

Hagrid's door flew open to pour light into the grounds once more. In this light it was quite easy to see the man's large figure clearly, roaring and brandishing his fists at the six figures that now surrounded him, all of them shooting red jets of light in his direction. Harry quickly realized that they were attempting to stun him, like a pack of wolves hunting down a much bigger prey.

"NO!" Hermione cried but was quickly reprimanded by one of the examiners.

"My dear, this is an examination!" Professor Tofty said, scandalized.

Nobody seemed to think that anymore. At least, everyone focused was currently fixed on the all-out brawl that was occurring right below. Hagrid still stood tall at least, despite the stunners that seemed to hit. He could also see Fang's silhouette, the Boar Hound defending Hagrid by leaping at anybody that got too close.

"Be reasonable Hagrid!" A voice called out.

"Reasonable be damned, yeh won't take me like this Dawlish!" Hagrid roared back, looking more furious than Harry had ever seen him.

A stunner then hit Fang, making the dog yelp and slump to the ground. It was then that Hagrid gave a howl of fury, lifted the culprit's body and sent him flying at least fifteen feet before crashing into the ground. The man did not get up afterwards.

Harry heard Hermione gasp, and looking around, he noticed that both Hermione and Ron had terrified looks on their faces. None of them had ever seen him like this.

"Look!" Parvati squealed as she pointed at the castle's huge double doors that had quite suddenly opened. A tall figure was running out from within the castle.

"Now, really!" Professor Tofty said. "There only sixteen minutes left, you know!"

Everyone was too busy witnessing the small battle that was taking place on the otherwise quite grounds.

"How dare you!" The tall figure shouted as she ran. "How dare you?!"

"It's McGonagall!" Hermione whispered in surprise.

"Leave him alone! Alone, I say!" McGonagall's furious voice rang through the darkness. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He's done nothing to warrant such-"

Harry heard a few girls, including Hermione, scream. Surprise was evident on everyone's faces as they saw the figure shoot no less than four stunners towards Professor McGonagall. The woman seemed to glow momentarily as the four spells struck her before she was violently lifted off her feet and landed harshly on the ground. She did not stand afterwards.

"Galloping gargoyles!" Professor Tofty said in surprise. He too had seemingly forgotten that they were in an exam. "And not even a warning! Outrageous behavior!"

"COWARDS! YOU RUDDY COWARDS!" Hagrid bellowed. His voice heard perfectly despite the distance. "HAVE SOME O' THAT - AN' THAT!"

"Oh my-" Hermione gasped as Hagrid swung two large fists at his two closest attackers. They were out cold in seconds.

"Get him! Get him!" Umbridge's furious voice called out. Harry then saw Hagrid pick up Fang and drape him around his shoulders before making a run for it. Stunners flew at him, some of them hitting him in the back due to his large size. Seeing the half-Giant stagger made Harry reach the sad conclusion that he would not be able to escape at this rate.

"What's that?" Ron asked as he pointed towards the castle gates once more. Harry looked on in surprise as a figure dashed out of the doors and towards the figures trying to subdue Hagrid. A flicker of hope suddenly ignited inside him.

'Who is that?' The teen thought with a frown. The figure looked rather short compared to McGonagall, but far too tall for it to be Professor Flitwick. If he had to guess, he'd say it was a student, but judging by the cloak that completely concealed him, Harry couldn't be too sure.

Noticing the new arrival, the remaining figures, including Umbridge, turned around and shot several stunners in the figure's direction. Harry expected the figure to get hit or at the very least pull out his or her wand and cast a protective spell, but what really happened left him dumbfounded. The figure pulled out a long and slightly crooked something, which he then swung about and used to defect the attacks, the object giving off a loud metallic 'clack' with every impact.

'Is that a sword?' Harry thought in surprise. Perhaps it was too short to be a sword, though he was positive that it was made of some sort of metal.

Then, to make things worse, the shorter figure charged at his attackers.

Harry looked at both Ron and Hermione and noticed that their expressions of shock were identical. Wizards did not run headlong into their opponents. The whole point of having wands meant that they could fire spells at a safe distance. That was how wizard duels worked. And yet, this madman was charging at his enemy equipped with what appeared to be a completely Muggle weapon.

"My word! What could that person be thinking?!" Professor Tofty said in shock. Clearly the examiner was thinking the same thing as him.

Predictably, a jet of red light flew quickly and managed to collide against the short figure. Only, instead of knocking him or her out, the person merely stumbled.

"Impossible!" Professor Tofty said again, half in disbelief while the other half seemed to be in amazement. The other students seemed to react similarly. All eyes were on the fight below them.

Harry only stared on with wide eyes. Wizards didn't just shrug off stunners, unless the caster was truly inexperienced, but if he was correct, the men down there were Aurors. At least, he recognized the name 'Dawlish'. Who, or rather, what was this figure?

Umbridge seemed to notice the danger and backed away as the figure dashed towards its attackers, Hagrid seemingly the last thing on her mind now. Said half-Giant stood for a moment, looking at the incoming onslaught with what appeared to be hesitation, before deciding it would be safer to run away. Running at full speed towards the distant gates, Hagrid disappeared into the darkness.

"Stand down and identify yourself!" Umbridge's shrieks carried themselves up to the Astronomy Tower. "By order of the Ministry, stand down!"

It was then that Harry noticed that the short figure seemed to be holding something to one of his attacker's necks while standing behind him, not unlike a hostage or a meat shield. He also noticed something odd about the shorter figure then. There seemed to be a slight glow surrounding it, only noticeable because of the darkness in the grounds. Whatever the glow was, it was a strange vibrant pink and seemed to crackle slightly as if it were electrical. But of course, wizards and electricity mixed together like water and oil so the idea was quite baffling.

Whatever the case, with the glow there, Harry could make out a few more details by squinting. Whoever, or whatever it was, its face was completely concealed by the hood attached to the cloak. Furthermore, the figure was at least taller than Umbridge, while the weapon it currently held to the Auror's throat did in fact seem to be some kind of short sword or a long knife, though the blade had a strange shape. Asides from that, some of the glow also seemed to trail behind him inexplicably, though despite much squinting, Harry could not see where it came from.

Looking around, he saw many of the students look on with genuinely terrified expressions. Would they be witnessing a murder scene?

"By order of Cornelius Fudge and the Headmistress of this castle, you will stand down!" Umbridge shirked out. She was really furious now. For a moment, Harry truly believed that the man would kill the Auror. There already seemed to be a menacing aura surrounding the short figure.

Then, to his surprise, he saw the figure extend an arm before it was seemingly consumed in flames. Harry looked on in shock as the fire illuminated the scene further, thinking that perhaps it had been a surprise attack, but the Aurors and Umbridge seemed just as surprised. Harry then realized that the flames that licked at the figure's arm didn't seem to be doing any real damage. More shockingly still was the golden hue of the flames.

Seemingly using the surprise to its advantage, the figure seemed to drop its hostage and jump backwards with what seemed like inhuman agility. And then, to top it off, the figure launched the fire downwards, causing an explosion that shook the ground and lifted the earth. Harry and just about everyone had to close their eyes since the light had been almost painful to watch. Looking back down at the scene of the crime with ears still ringing, Harry realized that the mysterious figure was nowhere to be seen.

"Um…five minutes to go, everybody." Professor Tofty said, looking a bit disoriented after what had just taken place.

The emerald-eyed teen had completed only two thirds of his own chart, but at this point he truly didn't care anymore. The moment the exam was over, Harry, along with Ron and Hermione, haphazardly put their things away and left as quickly as they possibly could. Once away from the crowds, it was Hermione who spoke first.

"That evil woman." The bushy-haired girl said, looking rather perturbed. "Trying to sneak up on Hagrid in the dead of the night."

"You okay, 'Mione?" Ron asked, noticing how the girl had suddenly gone pale.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry!" The girl said, though the Boy-Who Lived frowned.

"What for?" Harry asked, though Hermione just shook her head.

"I didn't believe you when you said someone has been following you." The bookworm replied. "I think…I think you were right."

"What do you mean?" The raven-haired teen asked, still a bit confused.

"The figure that attacked Umbridge and the Aurors, I think I know who it is." Hermione said.

"Are you serious? Who?" Ron asked.

"The weapon the figure had; I´ve seen it before." The girl began. "During Christmas break when I decided to meet you both at Grimmauld Place instead of going on a trip with my parents. Marcus picked me up. He used some kind of blade too. I thought it was strange. Moody even said that no self-respecting wizard would carry a thing like that and that was how he could tell he was the real Marcus."

Harry suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. His thoughts suddenly going back to the eerie Order member that never spoke, and then that night he saw his Boggart.

"Harry." Hermione said, suddenly sounding even more serious. "I saw that stunner hit him… He barely stumbled."

"Well the same happened to Hagrid right?" Ron asked.

"Yes, but that was because of his Giant blood, Giants are notoriously hard to stun." Hermione said.

"Well, I bloody doubt that Crescent has any Giant blood." Ron replied, referring to the man's short stature.

Harry agreed, but then noticed the frustrated look on Hermione's face. "What is it?"

"It's just that I feel like I'm missing some vital piece of information. It at the tip of my tongue, but every time I search for the answer it just seems to slip away from me." The girl said, giving a tired sigh. "Maybe we should just go to bed and think this through in the morning."

"Maybe that would be the best." Harry said, noticing how tired the girl looked. It was unusual to see her like that, though it could have easily been because of the pressure the exams had brought. Hermione took a lot more subjects then him, and if he was tired, then she must have been exhausted. "Let's just stop by the Hospital Wing first."

The teen ran a hand through his hair, his hand moving subconsciously to his scar. With a sigh, he spoke.

"I hope McGonagall is alright."

….

Zidane ran quickly through the halls, his progress impeded by the dead weight on his back. He would have preferred to carry a lady in his arms like a proper gentleman, but unfortunately McGonagall was a lot taller than him, making it impossible to carry her 'properly'. Even when carried in piggy-back, the Head of House was very awkward to carry. He was just thankful that she was unconscious at the moment, otherwise she'd probably kill him. He was also grateful that they were both invisible, which spared him of the embarrassment of being seen like this.

He could have left her behind and run away, but it just wasn't his style. Zidane Tribal never left a man behind, or well, in this case a woman.

The genome was sure to administer a few quick cure spells as first aid before moving her, but it was clear that McGonagall needed some professional help and she needed it now. To make matters worse, their little battle earlier caused quite the racket. He wouldn't be surprised if they woke half the school alone with Hagrid's shouts. That explosion at the end might have been a little over the top, but he needed a distraction to slip away and he couldn't use his wand in fear that Umbridge might recognize it.

And well, it wasn't easy holding back when you were already so close to fully trancing. It took all of his willpower not to unleash that power on Umbridge and those Aurors right then and there, and the result was that strange 'incomplete-trance' form. He'd taken that form once before when he first saw that Boggart. That time fear and anger had been catalysts though, this time it was a just barely contained fury. Seeing Hagrid being hunted down like a beast, and then seeing McGonagall go down because of that awful woman had fueled his anger and catalyzed the reaction.

A large part of him wanted the toad-like woman gone, but he knew that even if Umbridge was rotten to the core, unleashing something so powerful on her and those Aurors now would only bring larger consequences later. Great power meant great responsibility and all that. Tonight he had already come too close to blowing his cover.

"Poppy!" Zidane called out once he entered the, thankfully, empty Hospital Wing. After being sent here so many times, it wasn't really all that surprisingly to be on a first name basis, even if the Healer still sent glares in his direction whenever he called her that.

"What is it now?" The woman said shortly afterwards as she appeared wearing what appeared to be a fleece robe over her night gown.

Zidane chose that moment to drop the invisibility spell, eliciting a cry of surprise from the healer. Had circumstances been a bit different, the teen would have found her expression hilarious.

"Merlin's beard!" The woman said, before motioning to one of the beds. "Quick, set her down. Careful now!"

The teen did as instructed and laid the unconscious Head of House on the pristine white bed.

"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey said, fussing over McGongall before turning to look at him and nearly jumping back. "What's wrong with your eyes, boy? They're pink-!"

"Magenta, and it will wear off soon enough." Zidane deadpanned, before shaking his head and focusing on the task at hand. "Umbridge and a group of Aurors just blasted McGonagall with stunners. I healed her a bit before coming, but she's not in the clear yet."

"I can see that." The strict Healer said as she waved a wand over McGonagall's body, its tip glowing faintly. "How many stunners hit her?"

"I dunno, maybe three or four. She fell pretty badly on her back after that." Zidane replied, thinking over what had happened. "The attacks came almost out of nowhere. Those bastards didn't even give her the chance to defend herself."

Poppy stopped, a look of shook and anger on her face. "Despicable cowardice! As if any of them could have stunned Minerva McGonagall head-on."

Zidane removed his hooded cape and ran a hand though his hair, which was still bristled in a few places. Taking a seat nearby, he watched the Healer work. "Will she be alright?"

"Four Stunners to the chest at her age is nothing to laugh at, Tribal. She's lucky she's not dead." Madam Pomfrey said, before turning to look at him. "You did well to administer that treatment, you might have very well saved her life."

The genome let out a sigh of relief, somewhat laughing at the irony. The supposed Angel of Death saving people. Garland would be rolling in his grave. "That's great to hear."

"We'll have to take her to St. Mungo's, though. She will be in better hands and as far away from that gargoyle of a woman as possible." Madam Pomfrey said before giving him a stern look. "Now, are you sure you wouldn't like those eyes checked at?"

Harry woke up exhausted on the day of his History of Magic examination. He spent all night tossing and turning in his sleep thinking about creative ways of revenge against the Toad. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Hagrid's imposing figure, McGonagall being blasted, and well, who they assumed to be Marcus Crescent, taking on Umbridge and those Aurors. Then afterwards he would wake up and check the Marauder's Map, just in case the elusive man was still somewhere in the castle.

Unsurprisingly, there was no trace of him.

Word had travelled fast around the school and the next day everyone was talking about it. Stranger still was the fact that Umbridge was absent from the staff table that morning. Harry however, was too worried with fitting as much information about the Giant Revolutions as possible before it was time for their last exam.

"I heard that someone brought McGonagall to the Hospital Wing after getting hit by those stunners. Do you think we should visit her after the exam?" Katie suggested as they ate. "I still can't believe Umbridge would go that far."

"Yeah, I mean, I still can't believe she brought Aurors to come after Hagrid. His classes were getting better too. No more Blast-Ended Skrewts, and well, a lot better than Trewlaney in any case. Why do you reckon she would even do that?"

"That awful woman doesn't care that he's improved, she's just out for him because he's a half-Giant." Hermione said in displeasure as she looked over the empty spot that would usually be occupied by the pink-clad woman.

"Where do you think she went?" Neville asked with a hint of nervousness. Whether it was because of the exam that waited for them or because of what Umbridge could be possibly plotting, he did not know.

"I heard she's going after Professor Kuja next, and that she's away so she can bring some dragon wranglers to take Sylph down." Lee said in a lower voice.

"What's that about Kuja?" A voice suddenly said. Harry turned to see Zidane approach. The blonde had some very noticeable bags under his eyes, making him wonder if he looked any better in comparison.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked in concern. "You look really tired."

"I couldn't sleep very well from all the commotion last night." The blonde explained with a yawn. "So, today's your last exam right? Give it your best."

"You're not worried about Professor Kuja getting sacked?" Katie asked with a frown. "He already left once. What if this time Umbridge is ready for him?"

"He can take care of himself just fine. Besides, Umbridge would think twice before risking an international incident." Zidane said, waving his hand in dismissal. "This whole thing might just be over by the time he comes back."

"Do you know when he's coming back?" Hermione suddenly asked, making him look at her in surprise. There was a rather intense expression on her face, the kind she only got when she was digging for information.

Zidane looked at her oddly. "Not really, he doesn't really tell me much of anything, actually."

"I see." Hermione said, brows furrowing slightly in thought.

To be continued…

A/N: Omake in the next chapter upload, whenever that may be.

See you guys next time!