Chapter 46
Calypso was losing track of how many times she'd cursed another Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. Ever since the twins left, everyone wreaked havoc and the Inquisitorial Squad was the target.
Quite funny though annoying some of the instances were. Like how when one Gryffindor tried to hex her but ended up in the hospital wing with the same spell of making your skin look like corn flakes.
Nobody was going to forget anytime soon though.
The story of Fred and George's flight to freedom was retold so often over the next few days that Calypso could tell it would soon become the stuff of Hogwarts legend. Within a week, even those who had been eyewitnesses were half-convinced that they had seen the twin's dive-bomb Umbridge on their brooms, pelting her with Dungbombs before zooming out of the doors.
In the immediate aftermath of their departure, there was a great wave of talk about copying them, so that she frequently heard students saying things like, "Honestly, some days I just feel like jumping on my broom and leaving this place," or else, "One more lesson like that and I might just do a Weasley. . . ."
Fred and George had made sure that nobody was likely to forget them very soon. For one thing, they had not left instructions on how to remove the swamp that now filled the corridor on the fifth floor of the east wing. Umbridge and Filch had been observed trying different means of removing it but without success. Eventually, the area was roped off and Filch, gnashing his teeth furiously, was given the task of punting students across it to their classrooms.
It was certain that teachers like Professor Snape could have removed the swamp in an instant, but just as in the case of Fred and George's Wildfire Whiz-Bangs, they seemed to prefer to watch Umbridge struggle. Then there were the two large broom-shaped holes in Umbridge's office door, through which Fred and George's Cleansweeps had smashed to rejoin their masters. Filch fitted a new door and removed Potter's Firebolt to the dungeons where it was rumored, Umbridge had set an armed security troll to guard it.
However, her troubles were far from over. Inspired by Fred and George's example, a great number of students were now vying for the newly vacant positions of Troublemakers-in chief. Despite the new door, somebody managed to slip a hairy snouted niffler into Umbridge's office, which promptly tore the place apart in its search for shiny objects, leaped on Umbridge on her reentrance, and tried to gnaw the rings off her stubby fingers. Dungbombs and Stinkpellets were dropped so frequently in the corridors that it became the new fashion for students to perform Bubble-Head Charms on themselves before leaving lessons, which ensured them a supply of fresh clean air, even though it gave them all the peculiar appearance of wearing upside-down goldfish bowls on their heads.
It also gave Calypso better reflexes than everyone with the bubble-head charm, but nobody knew that yet since nobody had attempted to jinx her yet after the last incident.
Filch prowled the corridors with a horsewhip ready in his hands, desperate to catch miscreants, but the problem was that there were now so many of them that he did not know which way to turn.
I mean sure, we tried to help him but we hated him, just like everyone else. And whenever we helped him, we ended up getting jinxed so no thanks.
Meanwhile, it became clear just how many strange trinkets Fred and George had managed to sell before leaving Hogwarts. Umbridge only had to enter her classroom for the students assembled there to faint, vomit, develop dangerous fevers, or else spout blood from both nostrils. Shrieking with rage and frustration she attempted to trace the mysterious symptoms to their source, but the students told her stubbornly they were suffering "Umbridge-itis." After putting four successive classes in detention and failing to discover their secret she was forced to give up and allow the bleeding, swooning, sweating, and vomiting students to leave her classes in droves.
By now, the only classes not in detention were the Slytherins and that was because they never got access to those strange things.
Calypso wasn't sure WHY people wanted to get sick on purpose but hey, she wasn't going to judge them.
Peeves certainly didn't help mattress either and seemed to have taken Fred's parting words deeply to heart. Cackling madly, he soared through the school, upending tables, bursting out of blackboards, and toppling statues and vases.
Twice he shut Mrs. Norris inside suits of armor, from which she was rescued, yowling loudly, by the furious caretaker. He smashed lanterns and snuffed out candles, juggled burning torches over the heads of screaming students, caused neatly stacked piles of parchment to topple into fires or out of windows, flooded the second floor when he pulled off all the taps in the bathrooms, dropped a bag of tarantulas in the middle of the Great Hall during breakfast and, whenever he fancied a break, spent hours at a time floating along after Umbridge and blowing loud raspberries every time she spoke.
None of the staff but Filch seemed to be stirring themselves to help her. Indeed, a week after Fred and George's departure Calypso witnessed Professor Snape walking right past Peeves, who was coloring all the blackboards with permanent white chalk and could have sworn that when Snape walked away, two more boards had been colored.
To cap matters, Calypso finally found out why the heck that cabinet was rumbling. Turns out, someone tried to stuff Montague, a Slytherin 7th year, into it and he had still not recovered from his sojourn when he ended up in the toilet.
He remained confused and disorientated and his parents were to be observed one Tuesday morning striding up the front drive, looking extremely angry. And for good reason too. They wanted to make an important discussion and their opponent was half a foot shorter while wearing way too many bows and lots of pinks.
On Saturday, Slytherin played Hufflepuff. Nobody would admit it but they were all set to lose, (mostly due to their faith in Diggory's ability to crush Draco).
But if they didn't win, Hufflepuff would get the house cup for winning every match so and they couldn't have that.
After breakfast, everyone walked down to the Quidditch pitches as usual. "That's Urquhart...Vaisey...Lestrange...Crabbe...Goyle….Bletchley...and Malfoy" Lee said dejectedly. He's been like that ever since the Weasley twins left.
Madam Hooch walked onto the field and blew her whistle, signaling the start of the game.
"And they're off!" said Lee. "And Lestrange takes the Quaffle immediately, Slytherin Captain Lestrange with the Quaffle-"
Calypso thought absentmindedly, "Oh Draco will be furious-" while she ducked under Smith.
"she dodges Smith, she dodges Cadwallader, she dodges Macavoy. . . she's going straight for the goal! She's going to shoot — and — and —and she's scored."
There was a groan from a large portion of the stadium- thanks a lot guys- and Calypso flew after the Quaffle in Macavoy's possession now.
"Macavoy with the Quaffle, he passes to Smith, intercepted by Slytherin chaser Vasiey, Vasiey with the Quaffle, now Lestrange, back to Vasiey, and he scores!"
There goes another groan- fuck- she moved out of the way just in time as a heavy bludger streaked towards her from one of the Hufflepuff beaters, Rickett.
"And it's Vasiey with the Quaffle again- where are the Hufflepuff beaters?"
"Aiming to kill me," Calypso said through gritted teeth, ducking another bludger sent by O'Flaherty.
Calypso flew in front of Smith, effectively blocking him from catching the Quaffle and using him as a shield. The beaters wouldn't risk hitting the bludger at their chaser, would they? Wrong.
Wow, they hate her…
Another bludger rocketed towards her, smashing into Smith. Calypso streaked forward to the Hufflepuff keeper Fleet.
"And Lestrange scores, making it 30 to nil for Slytherin!"
Cadwallader caught the Quaffle from Fleet and flew towards the Slytherin side.
"And it's Cadwallader with the Quaffle- ducks Urqhart- and scores!"
"Now Urqhart with the Quaffle-"
Calypso caught the Quaffle from Urqhart, only for it to be knocked out of her hand by Rickett.
"-Macavoy with the Quaffle, and she scores! 30-20!"
Calypso caught the Quaffle from her keeper, and flew towards Fleet once more, scoring. Ten minutes later, she had scored again making the score 50-20.
Any moment, Draco could catch the snitch and they would win the cup.
Calypso glanced down at the ground where Smith was- still unconscious.
A second later, Cadwallader zoomed past her with the Quaffle and scored.
"And Cadwallader scores! Slytherin keeper Bletchley throws the Quaffle to Lestrange- intercepted by Macavoy- Smith still unconscious- and she scores! And that's Diggory calling for Madam Hooch!"
Calypso turned her head towards Hooch and sure enough, Diggory was talking to her about something. A new chaser obviously since Hooch nodded and a new Hufflepuff player with 'McManus' on his back zoomed onto the field while Smith was levitated off.
She took the opportunity to fly a bit closer to the Hufflepuff goalposts. the second Madam Hooch blew her whistle again, Calypso scored- just narrowly though since she almost missed due to the bludger that skyrocketed her way. 80-40 now.
"It's McManus with the Quaffle now- he ducks Urqhart- oh bludger from Crabbe- Vaisey with the Quaffle now- and he scores!"
Calypso cheered along with the rest of the group, then flew forward to intercept Cadwallader, not before he scored though. 90-50, hurry up Draco.
But Draco was still searching fruitlessly with Diggory around the stadium.
Calypso caught the Quaffle from Bletchley and put it through the left goal hoop, effectively feinting to the right first. 100-50
Macavoy scored, 100-60
Urqhart scores, 110, 60
"Now that's McManus with the Quaffle- and I don't' believe it! Bletchley's blocked it! Now that's Vaisey with the Quaffle, passes to Lestrange- and their all heading towards Fleet"
At the last second, they split apart, Calypso throwing the Quaffle through the center hoop.
Then Callwallder scored, 120-70.
Calypso flew forward again to get the Quaffle but was knocked almost off her broom by Cadwallader.
"FOUL!"
"And that's a penalty for Slytherin-" Lee announced, "Urqhart with the Quaffle- Fleet blocks it and they continue to play!. Macavoy with the Quaffle now, she's going to score- and she scores! 120-80, Slytherin still leading! Diggory- what's he doing?"
Diggory was waving to Madam Hooch trying to get her attention, not at all noticing that Draco was diving across the pitch and a second later, pulled up with the snitch.
"HWEEEEEEEW" Madam Hooch's whistle blew.
The whole school erupted in cheers and complaints. No doubt some would want a rematch.
The joy of securing their win for the Cup didn't last long, although the castle grounds were gleaming in the sunlight as though freshly painted; the cloudless sky smiled at itself in the smoothly sparkling lake, the satin-green lawns rippled occasionally in a gentle breeze: June had arrived, but to the fifth years this meant only one thing: Their O.W.L.s were upon them at last.
Their teachers were no longer setting them homework; lessons were devoted to reviewing those topics their teachers thought most likely to come up in the exams.
Potter had completely stopped showing up for Occulemency lessons- which was just as well since she had enough going on without teaching blithering idiots.
Students were selling quite a few strange things too, like droppings disguised as dragon claws, etc.
Meanwhile Draco had found a different way to induce panic. "Of course, it's not what you know," he was heard to tell Crabbe and Goyle loudly outside Potions a few days before the exams were to start, "it's who you know. Now, Father's been friendly with the head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority for years — old Griselda Marchbanks — we've had her round for dinner and everything. . . ."
"Shut up Draco" Calypso scowled. "You tried to have her over remember? And she rejected your father's invitation. And if you keep spreading lies, I'm putting your ass in detention"
That shut him up quickly.
Their first exam was Theory of Charms. Honestly, Calypso wasn't too fussed. She didn't even need to pass charms…
At dinner, the night before their exams, through the doors to the Great Hall they could see Umbridge standing with a small group of ancient-looking witches and wizards.
Everyone went to sleep nervously after dinner, Calypso didn't even know why she was nervous. No big deal if she didn't pass.
Once breakfast was over, the fifth and seventh years milled around in the entrance hall while the other students went off to lessons. Then, at half-past nine, they were called forward class by class to reenter the Great Hall.
The four House tables had been removed and replaced instead with many tables for one, all facing the staff-table end of the Hall where Professor McGonagall stood facing them.
When they were all seated and quiet she said, "You may begin," and turned over an enormous hourglass on the desk beside her, on which were also spare quills, ink bottles, and rolls of parchment.
Calypso flipped over the examination paper and read the first line,
a) Give the incantation, and b) describe the wand movement required to make objects fly. . . .
'Wingardium Leviosa', swish and flick with your wand, pointed at the object
"Wel, it wasn't too bad, was it?" asked Daphne anxiously, who unlike Calypso, needed to pass the exam with an E to be a healer, in the entrance hall two hours later, still clutching the exam paper.
The fifth years ate lunch with the rest of the school (the four House tables reappeared over the lunch hour) and then trooped off into the small chamber beside the Great Hall, where they were to wait until called for their practical examination. As small groups of students were called forward in alphabetical order, those left behind muttered incantations and practiced wand movements, occasionally poking one another in the back or eye by mistake.
"Good luck" Calypso whispered to Daphne as she entered the Great Hall with Anthony Goldstein, the mudblood, Goyle.
Students who had already been tested did not return afterward, so Calypso had no idea how Daphne and Goyle had done.
A few minutes later, she was called.
"Professor Marchbank is free, Calypso," squeaked Professor Flitwick, who was standing just inside the door.
"Calypso Lestrange, is it?" said Professor Marchbanks, consulting her notes and peering over her pince-nez at Calypso as she approached.
". . . Now, if I could ask you to take this eggcup and make it do some cartwheels for me. . . ."
The exam didn't go too badly. She remembered all the charms correctly- certainly better than Potter who had engorgio'd a frog instead of changing it orange.
The next morning was Transfiguration, Herbology on Wednesday, and then Defense Against the Dark Arts on Thursday. She'd probably failed the last one.
All she knew was the Dark spells, not the countercurses to them, and almost murdered someone by accidentally cracking their skull.
On Friday was her ancient runes exam, as she liked the subject and had bothered to study for it.
Soon Monday rolled around with their potions exam. "Only four exams left," said Daphne wearily as they headed back to the Slytherin common room.
"You only have four" corrected Theo, opening a book about Muggle Studies. "Why the fuck do I care if muggles use 'paint' instead of a color-changing charm?!"
On Tuesday they had their care of magical creatures exam- another one destined to fail in Calypso's opinion, then Astronomy theory exam on Wednesday morning, Arithmancy, they all walked back down to the school grounds for their Astronomy practical.
When they reached the top of the Astronomy Tower at eleven o'clock they found a perfect night for stargazing, cloudless and still. The grounds were bathed in silvery moonlight, and there was a slight chill in the air. Each of them set up his or her telescope and, when Professor Marchbanks gave the word, proceeded to fill in the blank star chart he or she had been given.
Professors Marchbanks and Tofty strolled among them, watching as they entered the precise positions of the stars and planets they were observing. All was quiet except for the rustle of parchment, the occasional creak of a telescope as it was adjusted on its stand, and the scribbling of many quills.
Half an hour passed, then an hour; the little squares of reflected gold light flickering on the ground below started to vanish as lights in the castle windows were extinguished.
Calypso had just finished marking where her mum's star was in the Orion constellation when she glanced down and saw five or six elongated shadows moving over the brightly lit grass before the doors swung shut and the lawn became a sea of darkness once more.
Suddenly there was a loud BANG from the grounds.
Calypso sighed and crossed out Venus' position and moved it a bit over.
Several people said "Ouch!" as they poked themselves in the face with the ends of their telescopes, hastening to see what was going on below. The door of the half-breed's hut had burst open and by the light flooding out of the cabin they saw him quite clearly, a massive figure roaring and brandishing his fists, surrounded by six people, all of whom, judging by the tiny threads of red light they were casting in his direction, seemed to be attempting to Stun him.
"No!" cried the mudblood.
"My dear!" said Professor Tofty in a scandalized voice. "This is an examination!"
"Yes, shut up" Calypso hissed, peering through her telescope once more to find Mars now.
But nobody else was paying the slightest attention to their star charts anymore: Jets of red light were still flying beside Hagrid's cabin, yet somehow they seemed to be bouncing off him.
He was still upright and still, as far as they could see, fighting.
Cries and yells echoed across the grounds; a man yelled, "Be reasonable, Hagrid!" and Hagrid roared, "Reasonable be damned, yeh won' take me like this, Dawlish!"
Calypso could see the tiny outline of a dog, attempting to defend Hagrid- how foolish-, leaping at the wizards surrounding him until a Stunning Spell caught him and he fell to the ground. Hagrid gave a howl of fury, lifted the culprit bodily from the ground, and threw him: The man flew what looked like ten feet and did not get up again.
"Is he dead?" Calypso whispered, her hand slowly drifting to her wand by her side.
"Look!" squealed Patil, who was leaning over the parapet and pointing to the foot of the castle where the front doors seemed to have opened again; more light had spilled out onto the dark lawn and a single long black shadow was now rippling across the lawn.
"Now, really!" said Professor Tofty anxiously. "Only sixteen minutes left, you know!"
But nobody paid him the slightest attention: They were watching the person now sprinting toward the battle beside Hagrid's cabin.
"How dare you!" the figure shouted as she ran. "How dare you!"
"McGonagall!" whispered Daphne, also pulling out her wand just in case of an unexpected battle.
"Leave him alone! Alone, I say!" said Professor McGonagall's voice through the darkness. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such —"
Calypso screamed. No fewer than four Stunners had shot from the figures around the cabin toward Professor McGonagall. Halfway between cabin and castle the red beams collided with her.
For a moment she looked luminous, illuminated by an eerie red glow, then was lifted right off her feet, landed hard on her back, and moved no more.
"Galloping gargoyles!" shouted Professor Tofty, who seemed to have forgotten the exam completely. "Not so much as a warning! Outrageous behavior!"
"COWARDS!" bellowed Hagrid, his voice carrying clearly to the top of the tower, and several lights flickered back on inside the castle. "RUDDY COWARDS! HAVE SOME O' THAT — AN' THAT —" The half-breed took two massive swipes at his closest attackers; judging by their immediate collapse, they had been knocked cold.
"My fucking god-" whispered Calypso, carefully aiming black fire at the dangerous creature.
He doubled over for a moment but a second later, got back up.
"Get him, get him!" screamed Umbridge, but her remaining helper seemed highly reluctant to go within reach of Hagrid's fists. Indeed, he was backing away so fast he tripped over one of his unconscious colleagues and fell over.
Hagrid had turned and begun to run with Fang still hung around his neck; Umbridge sent one last Stunning Spell after him but it missed, and Hagrid, running full-pelt toward the distant gates, disappeared into the darkness. There was a long minute's quivering silence, everybody gazing open-mouthed into the grounds.
Then Professor Tofty's voice said feebly, "Um . . . five minutes to go, everybody . . ."
Calypso slid her wand into her other hand and looked back into the telescope, filling out a few more questions on her star-chart.
When it came the end of the exam finally came, she forced her telescopes haphazardly back into their holders and dashed back down the spiral staircase. None of the students were going to bed — they were all talking loudly and excitedly at the foot of the stairs about what they had witnessed.
"He's dangerous and vile!" Daphne shrieked, "What are they thinking, letting him out and free like that!"
"I know" Calypso whispered back, glaring at the golden trio who were talking worriedly about Hagrid. "I feel bad for the forest"
Their final exam the next morning was History of Magic, and that wasn't until the afternoon. Calypso wanted to pass this exam though, well at least Snape did. So instead of enjoying herself in the sunlight, she was sitting in the Slytherin dungeon with her head in her hands, reading through a three-foot stack of notes and books that she may or may not have stolen from Theo.
The fifth years entered the Great Hall at two o'clock and took their places in front of their overturned examination papers. Harry
"Turn over your papers," said Professor Marchbanks from the front of the Hall, flicking over the giant hourglass. "You may begin. . . ."
Calypso gazed at the first question and slowly began to write. She was finding it extremely difficult remembering every single name or date of each foolish goblin who killed purebloods.
Especially question 4, In your opinion, did wand legislation contribute to or lead to better control of, goblin riots of the eighteenth century?
The wand legislation prevented all creatures such as goblins and house-elves, from carrying a wand with them. It leads to many more goblin riots, particularly a famous one lead by Urg the Unclean in 1612. As a consequence of this legislation, the goblins stages far more goblin riots. It did not lead to better control of the rebellions either since it only made the goblins more infuriated. The wand legislation does not include werewolves though, nor half-breeds. Under section 3, revised in 1735, vampires, veela, and giants all fall into the category of 'non-magical creatures'
Calypso felt as if she missed something and shrugged, continuing to Question 5.
How was the Statute of Secrecy breached in 1749 and what measures were introduced to prevent a recurrence?
In 1749, the Statute of Secrecy was broken when Minsitrys around the world refused to cooperate as many were still against the passing of the law.
Clause 73 was added in 1750 to prevent a recurrence and states, "Each wizarding governing body will be responsible for the concealment, care and control of all magical beasts, beings, and spirits dwelling within its territory's borders. Should any such creature cause harm to, or draw the notice of, the Muggle community, that nation's wizarding governing body will be subject to discipline by the International Confederation of Wizards."
Clause 73 was breached repeatedly though, with the worse offenders including Scotland and Tibet. Scotland is home to the world's largest kelpie, which was known to the Muggle world as the Loch Ness Monster, and was the subject of repeated sightings. In Tibet, the number of Yeti sightings prompted the International Confederation of Wizards to station an International Task Force in the mountains permanently.
Suddenly, Potter screamed and fell backward out of his chair.
Professor Tofty hurried forward, shaking him up. "Pressure of examinations" he whispered sympathetically, pulling Potter out of the Great Hall.
Calypso shrugged and looked back at her paper to continue writing her answer as to why the warlocks of Lichentstien refused to participate in the Confederation.
A few hours later, all the test papers had been collected and they all walked out of the castle to enjoy some fresh air finally. The exam was much easier than Calypso expected though, but knowing legilimency certainly helped.
