"Woah, so… your dad is a Death Eater?"
Honestly, this exchange was going far better than Romulus could have ever anticipated. He was back at St David's after a quick Easter break; though it would be his last term at the school officially. He had decided - he was going to Hogwarts after the summer.
He had just told his friends who his father was, and although he'd been bracing himself for them to go off on him; fall out with him, never want to be near him again, all that jazz, they were actually understanding. His mum had been right - they were truly his friends, and didn't judge him for things outwith his control.
"Erm, yes." He replied. They were meant to be doing a quick revision session during their morning interval - as next period they had a short test to do for Transfiguration (which Rom was quite frankly dreading), but that was long out of the window.
"That guy that's been in the paper tonnes? The one that is related to the Lestrange woman?" Phoebe said.
Stefan nodded. "I'll be honest, mate, I can see the resemblance now."
"I hope you don't mean in a bad way," Romulus shot a mock-glare at his male friend. "I'll tan your hide if you do."
Stefan laughed, which showed off some of his vampire fangs, which weren't that prominent just now. "Wouldn't dream of it mate. You do look like your mum, it's just that you also look like your dad."
Emmilene nodded in agreement. The bell rang then, signalling the end of morning break. Romulus picked his bag back up and slung it over his shoulder as they prepared to navigate the corridors towards Transfiguration class, where a test awaited them. As they joined the throng of students milling the corridors, he told them of other news. "There's something else, guys. When Dumbledore was telling me about my dad, he also said another thing."
"Which was?" Emmilene probed. Stefan and Phoebe looked equally expectant.
"He asked me if, after the summer holidays, I would like to transfer to Hogwarts."
He let his pals take in the news, and they knew straight away. "I have a feeling you're going to accept the offer."
He gave them a guilty look. "It's what I've always wanted."
They had approached the classroom now, and their Transfiguration teacher, - Professor Bell, came out onto the corridor at that moment. "If you guys could just go in and sit down, that would be great. There's been some students conjuring Aguamenti on the school grounds and having a water fight. I need to go sort them out." The man said to them, before preparing to burst into a light jog.
They nodded, and went inside and sat down at their table. Since they were slightly early to class, they continued their conversation. "I'm really sorry, guys-"
"-What are you sorry for, Rom?" Phoebe cut him off. He looked up in surprise.
"Do you think we're going to hate you for pursuing your deepest want, something you've thought of doing for years? Do you think that lowly of us, Rom?" Emmilene added, looking slightly offended.
Stefan also added his support. "We'll miss you tonnes, mate, but it doesn't mean it's the end of the world. You'll still live local, so we'll see you in holiday times."
"B-but it won't be the same," Romulus argued, "You'll only see me, like, ten weeks a year tops until I - we, graduate. But then we'll all be off pursuing our own dreams and careers."
"What, do you think we can't speak to each other during term time?" Stefan said. "Owls exist for a reason."
"But it's not the same…" He said weakly.
"We'll make it work." Emmilene said. "No matter what. We've been friends for over five years - that's not going to change just because you're moving school, Romulus."
He really did love his friends. His guilt about finally getting his chance to go to Hogwarts and having to leave them behind had faded. They supported him, and that was what mattered.
He showed his appreciation as he properly smiled at all three of them just before the lesson got started.
The test that was administered to them wasn't actually that bad as he thought it was going to be - which was good, as Transfiguration was his worst subject by far. Just before the bell rang for next period did Professor Bell speak for the first time in fifty minutes. "That's your time up for the test. Make sure your name is clearly at the top of all the paper you've used and place it on my desk for marking."
He regrouped with his friends, as all the desks had been spread out for the duration of the test to prevent cheating. Phoebe looked slightly green. "I think I messed up question seven."
"Don't know about you lot, but I've either got a P, D, or an A at most." Stefan grumbled quietly.
"I can't be the only one that thought that test went well?" Emmilene commented, almost in disbelief. "Did any of you revise over the holidays?"
"I did!" Romulus defended himself. "It's just… you know Bell, likes to word things weirdly."
"I did too, and I must say that was quite a hard test." Stefan said.
Phoebe agreed avidly. "Not everyone has your brain, Emm."
Emmilene was clearly about to say something else when the bell rang for the fourth period. Just as they were about to leave, Professor Bell beckoned him over for a word. He told his friends to tell their Charms teacher, Professor Hera, that he would be slightly late to class. They nodded, and left.
When the room was cleared (which didn't take long considering there were only ten students in his actual year group; which was what their classes consisted of rather than the House system Hogwarts had), Professor Bell gestured him over to the opposite side of the desk. "I hear from our Headmistress that you are transferring to Hogwarts after the summer recess?" The teacher asked, in his usual friendly, grandfatherly tone.
Romulus nodded. "It was a hard decision, as I do love it here, truly, I just had to think about other opportunities."
"Yes, my boy, it is a once in a lifetime chance - and when they come along you have to jump the gun and just do it." Bell said. "You will find yourself excelling within Professor McGonagall's classes. She's my Transfiguration counterpart. She's been teaching for forty years, and I couldn't wish for better hands to pass you on to."
He nodded, taking that in. He hoped that was true about McGonagall - though the woman sounded like she was a senior citizen, he knew that years and years of experience teaching could only be a good thing. "I just hope she's forgiving - that is, if I do manage to pass OWL and actually get to be in her class."
Professor Bell laughed. "Oh, my boy, you doubt yourself a lot. You have great ability at Transfiguration; it's just small things making you doubt yourself. Once you let it grasp you, then you will truly know its art."
He nodded, trying to believe it. "Well, it certainly didn't grasp me just now." He nodded in the direction of the stack of test papers, half in jest. The two of them laughed.
"So long as you let it grasp you on the day of the exams, I'm not bothered, dear Romulus." Bell said, still chuckling.
The Transfiguration teacher let him go then, and Romulus thanked him - kind of for everything. Though his last official day at St David's wasn't until June, he wanted to let the man know his appreciation in advance.
The rest of that week passed without any other major issues. Harry was pleased that Dorea and Fred were mending cracks in their relationship now - there was a visible difference in the two people's body language and health as a result.
That weekend provided the usual time slot for the Senior DA group on the Saturday evening. Harry couldn't have left that session more chuffed if he tried - for a lot was accomplished. Blaise and Neville had a friendly duel, and Neville had won it within sixty seconds, which was majorly impressive. Some of the newer members (such as Pucey and Niles Hanley), finally found themselves up to scratch in terms of catching up - Adrian Pucey managed to achieve his Patronus twice, and everyone managed to get a chance to duel at least one other person. It had been that good a session that Harry had almost forgotten about dedicating half of the time to a Defence study group session - but they all agreed to postpone it until next session, as they were having that much fun. A few people had questions for him, but he was able to answer them.
The rest of April soon faded, and with it May arrived. Arguably the busiest month, as it was when revision was done the most in preparation for tests and exams. It wasn't just Senior pupils that had to be revising - even first years had some tests to undergo. It was fair to say that the library was a number one place for revision spots. It was also a time of stress - Padma and Anthony told them one lunchtime that they had to aid Madam Pince in breaking up a scuffle in the library. A seventh year Ravenclaw had demanded a group of third year Slytherin's to move to another table so he could have it to himself - which the third years said no to. Big mistake - a bickering had started, concerning who deserved the table more (the seventh year had argued that he needed it more due to the seriousness of his exams, and stated that the third years 'measly' quizzes were nothing in comparison to his NEWTs). In the end, the third years had lost the battle, though Madam Pince had urged the seventh year not to hog the four-seater table and to let others sit there if they needed to due to the sheer busyness of the library. It had been quite a fanfare, according to Padma and Anthony.
Rita Skeeter's own newspaper had been spotted in the Great Hall a few times - the newspaper officially commencing printing in the first week of May, but Amelia was quite surprised to see that people were discouraged by their peers to purchase a subscription. Obviously, this fell on death ears in terms of the Slytherin students that weren't a part of the DA - often they were sighted reading it and looking over in Harry's direction pointing and laughing, but they were clearly in a minority.
Amelia and Theo were as happy as ever, and she swore that the flutters she got everytime she even laid eyes on her boy would never fade. They were just enjoying life so much together, even in stressful times. Though they did have to juggle time between studying and seeing their masses of friends, they always worked it out in the end and didn't seem overly bothered about their tight schedules restricting their relationship a bit. Theo honestly didn't seem to care about that aspect, he just adored her and nothing would change that. For that, Amelia was grateful.
In almost no time at all, the weeks were rattling on by and it was now the morning of the Quidditch Cup Final. The Gryffindor team would face Slytherin for the final time that academic year. They needed to win - they were determined to win. Angelina's practises had been proof of that.
Harry was gathered with the rest of the team in the changing rooms. It was quite a sombre mood, for this was the last time they would be playing with Angelina, Fred, George and Alicia. Half of the Dream Team (as they dubbed themselves) would be graduating in June. They were all feeling a bit sad.
"Alright, team, we all know what's at stake here. We have one job to do - we have to win. No matter the cost." Angelina started the pre-game pep talk. "We have been through more than anyone knows in order to even arrive at this moment. We have practised twice as hard as anyone else this year, and we have the score sheet to prove it. But on a personal note - you guys are among the best people I have had the pleasure of playing with. If there is one thing I know, it's that today - whether we win or lose, - we're going to give it our absolute all. You know why I know this? It's because we all have huge hearts. So, on that note, let's get out there and show everyone just what a Gryffindor team is made of!"
The team and the reserve's burst into whoops and cheers. They were all grinning, and ready to win this. For Angelina. For their whole house and team.
Harry followed the main team out onto the pitch. The weather was pleasant, which was a good thing, although they would have to be mindful of the glaring sun. He nodded at Amelia, Dorea and Ginny as they meandered off away to the stands with the other reserve's, to be ready on standby if somebody had to come off. His heart fluttered when Ginny gave him a pat on the shoulder and told him good luck.
The Slytherin team met them in the middle. Madam Hooch urged the captain's to shake hands. Glancing up into the stands, he noticed Sirius and Remus sitting among the Gryffindor's instead of the teacher's stand, which Harry smiled at. He could spot Luna's massive lion hat from a league away - it had been quite the spectacle at breakfast.
Before long, his heart lurched as he realised they were to mount their brooms. Come on now, pull yourself together, he thought, it's just any other game. We've got this.
He realised he wasn't nervous - he was just excited, and urgently wanted to let some steam off. He had a good feeling about this game.
The game began.
Lee was soon commentating with his usual vigor. "Slytherin has won the toss, and immediately Montague is surging forward. Montague passes to Warrington, who dodges a bludger, passes to Pucey, who throws…!"
The crowd held a breath, as Pucey launched the quaffle at Gryffindor's goalhoops immediately. Harry felt a surge of pride when Ron caught it, though.
"Weasley saves it! Incredible start, let's hope it's a sign of things to come!" Lee said, although Harry was sure McGonagall was shirting him for that last comment.
Harry soon started his hunt, keeping an eagle eye on Malfoy. Angelina had spoken to him the previous evening - he didn't have to wait until they were a certain number of goals up to catch the snitch, as they were ahead in the leaderboard anyway by fifty points, but she wanted their last game to be brilliant and a challenge, so left the call to him. It felt like a lot of pressure, but Harry was confident in himself. If they were quite far ahead on goals, i.e running rings around Slytherin, he would put the serpents out of their misery and end the game there. This was a Final though - he had a feeling it wasn't going to be as easy.
Gryffindor were soon in possession of the quaffle, though Warrington was eager to play dirty. It came to bite him in the backside, though, as within six minutes, Gryffindor were awarded a penalty after Goyle tried to whack Katie Bell in a spiral. Angelina took the shot, and drew first blood as a result. Ten points to Gryffindor.
There was a steady income of goals for both sides over the next twenty minutes. Though Slytherin had edged the lead, nobody panicked - panicking at this stage could lose them the match. One good thing that seemed to come from this, though, was that Malfoy hadn't learned his mistakes from last time; he elected to stop and watch whenever his teammates surged towards Gryffindor's goals. If the quaffle went in he'd burst into a rendition of Weasley is our King, which was more than a tad annoying. Harry smirked when Ron didn't take notice of the blond twat.
Slytherin's replacement Keeper, Harry noted, was slightly more competent than Bletchley ever had been, but he was still not up to standard. He found himself muttering, "Oh come on, even I could have saved that." A good few times.
At the fifty minute mark, Gryffindor had finally cinched the lead. They were ahead by thiry points now, which had the crowd on their toes and excited. Harry had been keeping tabs on the Snitch the past twenty minutes now, and it was firmly in his sights. Malfoy was marking him, and had moved to take a few tackles, but the crowd let out laughs whenever Harry effortlessly dodged them. This irked Malfoy to no end.
They had now been playing for an hour. Though everyone was still flying swiftly, you could tell that fatigue was starting to settle in now. It had been frantic from the off, so it was natural that they were running out of steam. The score was currently a tie; Gryffindor 110-110 Slytherin.
Another penalty awarded to Gryffindor. Crabbe and Goyle had attempted a botched Dopplebeater defence, which made the bludger almost collide with Alicia's head. Katie was lining up to take the shot. Nobody said anything at the fact that all the players on both teams had stopped to watch - this was critical.
His Captain appeared beside him. "You have my blessing to end the match anytime after this. We're all tired, but Slytherin are really running out of steam quicker than us."
He let out a tired sigh of relief. "Good thing those stamina training exercises you had us doing are paying off then, eh?"
Angelina grinned. "Yeah, we have the upper hand there. It will be Montague's downfall."
Everyone held their breath as Katie surged forward. She launched the quaffle.
It went in.
The crowd went wild. They only had time to give Katie a well done pat before Hooch resumed normal play. Harry quickly resumed his hunt.
He located the snitch rather quickly. He decided to hold off just a little bit longer. Just one or two more goals, he thought, just to really cement our win. He couldn't help but grin - there was no way Malfoy was getting the snitch now.
Just as Alicia sent another goal in did Harry suddenly feel himself spinning. "No!" He had cried out. He automatically took up an iron grip on his Firebolt, refusing to let go. If he let go - he'd fall, but worse, it gave Malfoy a window of distraction to catch the snitch.
Regaining balance, he frantically located the flicker of gold just slightly up the field from him. Oh no, where's Malfoy?
Well, Malfoy had done the opposite of what he expected him to do - the boy was flying next to Goyle, who in turn was arguing with Madam Hooch. He heard the Flying instructor tell Goyle off for foul play, and if he struck somebody a third time, he would be sent off. Malfoy was opposing that view, saying that Beater tactics like that were standard play.
What a twat, Harry thought smugly, he'll regret stopping to defend his goon.
Surging forward, Harry decided to finish off the final game with the original Dream Team this year with a bit of a flourish. He moved into a Sloth Grip Roll position, and balanced so he was still in perfect control of his broom even hanging upside down.
"POTTER'S GOING FOR IT!" Lee was saying excitedly. Harry quickly realised that this was likewise going to be Lee's last game commentating. He was going to miss his antics. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH!"
Harry regained normal position on his Firebolt, and as soon as he thrust his clasped hand in the air to prove it, he swore he could see the stands shaking. He was doing the same likewise.
He was immediately swarmed by his teammates - Fred and George the first to barrel into him.
"We've done it!" George was shouting. "We've won the Quidditch Cup!"
A chant of "Potter's still got it!" Was taken up by the growing crowd. God knows how many DA members came pushing through the crowd, wanting the chance to congratulate him. Hermione, Ginny, Amelia and Dorea weren't far away - soon by his side.
After what felt like hours, the crowd started to disperse so that the team could get back to the changing rooms. There was guaranteed to be a big party tonight - Fred and George promised tonnes of snacks and drinks for the occasion since it was their last post-match party.
He felt himself being picked up and spun around - he quickly realised it was Sirius, Remus by his side. His ears were ringing that much he almost couldn't hear him. "You were brilliant, Harry! Looked just like your dad out there!"
Of course, McGonagall offered her congratulations to all the team - handkerchief in hand and crying tears of joy. Some of the last to come forward (through no fault of their own) were his Slytherin friends. Pucey looked graceful in defeat. "You lot gave us a hard time out there. Very well done."
Blaise and Theo appeared as well, grinning. "Well done at kicking Malfoy's ass." Blaise remarked. They laughed together. "Couldn't have lost to a better team." Theo said, fist-bumping Harry.
He was left alone then, as he moved towards the changing rooms. It wasn't for long, though, as he soon heard his name being called out.
Turning quickly, he got quite a shock for what came next. All of a sudden he felt a pair of lips against his. Opening his eyes, his head almost short-circuited when he realised just who was in front of him.
"Ginny!" He exclaimed, pulling back. She did the same, equally if not more flustered than him.
"I was aiming for your cheek, idiot!" She scolded playfully, trying to play it off. "You turned too quickly!"
"Sorry." He mumbled, although not sure if he really meant it. There were a few moments then where they were just looking at each other.
He couldn't believe it when she stuttered. "C-congratulations on winning the match for us." She had said.
He decided to have fun, seeing as he was in such a good mood. "Oh, thanks, but it wasn't all me. I just kept my eye on that small but crucial little ball."
Ginny eyed him. "You always downplay yourself, Harry. You are brilliant, even if you don't see it yourself."
He inclined his head in acknowledgement. Then, a spurt of courage came over him. "About that kiss…"
Ginny flushed crimson again. "I really was aiming for your cheek, Harry, don't get any ideas-"
"-I'd like another one."
Ginny faltered at his sudden boldness. She blushed even more, if that was even possible. His courage continued. "Ginny, I… I've liked you for a while now."
Her mouth fell open slightly. "Harry…"
There was a slight moment of awkwardness. "It's fine if you don't feel the same-"
He was cut off this time, as her lips were back on his.
What a way to make the day even better, Harry thought, as he indulged her.
The party in the Gryffindor common room that night was something else. Amelia, Dorea, and the girls had burst with squeals when Ginny gathered them in her dorm and told them how she and Harry had kissed.
Amelia was glad that her twin had finally acknowledged his feelings, and had taken the plunge in saying how he felt. Everyone could tell that he had a soft spot for Ginny, and a crush.
"So does this mean you're dating him now?" Parvati asked excitedly, Lavender gripping her arm in equal happiness.
"Well, we didn't really get round to asking that." Ginny said, looking down at her feet.
"How can you kiss someone twice in the space of a few minutes and then not ask the other out?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"I don't know!" Ginny replied. "We were just too in the moment, I guess. But maybe the second kiss was what confirmed we're now a couple?"
That puzzled the rest of them. But it didn't last long before they were back to being delighted for their friend.
The next day, the Gryffindor team were awarded the Quidditch Cup, and that morning interval was dedicated to special photographs of the team being taken. There was a brilliant photo now of Angelina holding the Cup above her head, glee in her eyes, and another one where both Angelina and Harry both held a handle on either side and held it up. When the Cup was engraved with all their names, it felt extra special. Amelia couldn't help but run her fingers over her carved name - it felt weird, as she was only a Reserve, but it was a great honour nonetheless. Now Hogwarts students in years to come would see all of their names when they were assigned to polish silver in detention. And with any luck they would also learn how hard the team had worked and never cracked despite pressure. She smiled, before handing it to Dorea to hold.
The highs of winning the Quidditch Cup lasted well into the next week, but everyone was brought rather harshly back down to earth - as the Healing exams were fast approaching. Since the exams were being held two weeks before the OWLs were due to start, it was even more pressure. Though Healing wasn't an official subject recognised by the Wizarding Examinations Authority; meaning there wasn't as much pressure to do as well in it, it was important for them to pass it nonetheless if you wanted to actually go into Healing as a career. As soon as they had finished going over some magical diseases and illnesses, Madam Pomfrey went straight into quickfire revision. They went over broken bones again - to the chagrin of just about everyone. It's just a simulation, it's just a simulation, Amelia had chanted in her head over and over when it was her turn to come up and fix the fake-human. She did it, though she did have to swallow her queasiness.
Before anybody could really comprehend, it was the morning of their Healing tests.
Harry was up at six, kind of nervous. Dean, Seamus, Ron and Neville didn't do Healing, so neither of them were awake to vent to. Quietly getting up (as he didn't want to risk falling back asleep and sleeping in), he got up and got dressed. He took his bag and tiptoed down to the common room, where he realised he wasn't alone.
"Harry!" Alicia whispered, and he saw her over in a corner with Angelina.
He wandered over. "Healing tests today. I don't know why, but I feel nervous."
The girls nodded in understanding. "Alicia's been trying to quiz me the last five minutes, but all of a sudden it's like I've forgotten everything!" Angelina said, looking a bit distressed.
"I'm sure you'll do well," Harry said, trying to calm her down in case she lost it completely. "I've seen you studying for it. Do you want to pursue Healing as a career?"
"Well, my priority is to be a quidditch player, but I do want something as a backup." Angelina stated.
"Office work is my kind of jam," Alicia said, which surprised him a bit, "who knows, maybe an office job at St Mungo's. If I went for something like that, I'd need some medical terminology up my sleeve."
He nodded, understanding. Harry elected to skim over his notes whilst Angelina and Alicia continued quizzing each other. As time trickled closer to seven, more people came down. Hermione found them and sat with them, not saying a word. She was taking these tests as seriously as her OWLs, clearly.
Their theory test started at nine, which meant they had to be in the Entrance Hall at 8.45am at the earliest, 8.55 at the latest. Their practical was at 10.30am, where they needed to be in the Hospital Wing. It was on a basis where they would be called in, in alphabetical order, to perform various Healing activities.
Amelia and Dorea came down with Ron. The five of them decided to go down to breakfast. They needed to get something in them before the Hall had to undergo preparation for their theory.
When they got down to the Hall, some of their DA friends who did Healing were already there. Mandy and Hannah were pouring over colourful mind maps, whilst Daphne was trying to read up on the spells. Hannah unfortunately looked rather green - Harry knew he had a Calming Draught on hand in the potions satchel, which was shrunk but in his bag. He was ready to hand her it at a moment's notice.
At half past eight, breakfast had ended, and everyone needed to be out of the Hall so that singular desks could be put in place. Most people moved outside, where the morning air was cool but not too nippy. They decided to just make camp in the Entrance Hall early, as it couldn't hurt to just stay and do some last minute revision.
At eight forty-five, Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls that weren't in the DA came along. They all grimaced silently and gave each other knowing looks - Parkinson would likely be boasting about how she knew everything (despite the fact that their last Healing session Madam Pomfrey told her to get her act together) in under two seconds.
They were right. Millicent Bulstrode joined in on the boasting too. The girl even turned towards them and stated loudly, "Hear that, Abbott, Brocklehurst, Greengrass?" she especially sneered Daphne's surname, "we're not revising because we already know everything."
"Want a medal?" Daphne said cooly. They held in chuckles.
Millicent glared. "We'll see who's laughing when we're all at a St Mungo's job interview and I get offered a job over you lot."
"Don't you have to have compassion to be a Healer?" Mandy Brocklehurst piped up, and didn't even wait for Millicent to respond before saying, "that's something you and your posay lack in multiple forms."
Bulstrode gasped, as did the other girls in her group. Harry wondered if they were about to storm over when the door to the Entrance Hall opened, and two adults appeared, escorted by none other than Dumbledore. "Ah, here's some of the students about to sit their Healing tests." The Headmaster spoke, casting his eye over all of them, naive to what was literally about to go down just seconds before. "Students, these will be your exam invigilators for both today's Healing tests as well as your OWLs and NEWTs. This is Professor Tofty," the man gestured to an elderly wizard, who looked kind and wise, before then gesturing towards an equally aged witch, "and Professor Marchbanks."
The gathered students murmured a hello to the two visitors. "I can sense some of your nerves. Do not feel pressured, that's all I'll say." Professor Marchbanks said to them. Dumbledore smiled, and disappeared into the Great Hall, likely going to make sure everything was ready and set up. More and more Healing students came along by the minute.
Just before 8.55, did the doors open again. It was Madam Pomfrey. "You may all enter. Each desk has your name at the top, to signal where you will be sitting for the test duration."
They slowly trickled in, desperately getting some last second revision into their heads. Hannah was taking deep breaths, with most of the girls giving her reassurance that it was all going to be fine. Padma turned to him. "Pass us a Calming Draught, will you?"
He obliged, getting it out and sizing it up to normal size just as Madam Pomfrey reminded them to leave their bags at the top of the hall. Harry found his desk - he was behind Amelia, but unfortunately Pansy Parkinson was directly behind him.
Professor Tofty stood at the front of the Hall. Surprisingly his voice easily carried. "You may fill in the front page with your full name and today's date. Do not open the paper until I say so."
Quills were soon scratching the papers as everyone rushed to do just that. At 8.58, did Tofty speak again. "In front of you sits your theory paper for your Healing short-course. Please make sure you read all questions carefully and answer every question to the best of your ability. If you require more paper or ink, please put your hand up and we will come to you. The exam duration is one hour long. Good luck."
As soon as the large clock hands signalled it was 9am exactly, did Tofty speak again. "Your time starts now."
Harry glanced over his shoulder at his friends, and silently told them all good luck as everyone quickly opened the paper to the first page. Okay, let's do this. He thought.
Harry couldn't believe his luck, as all of the questions came naturally to him.
"Give the incantation and wand movement for magically healing small cuts."
Harry remembered back to the first ever Healing session, and wrote confidently, "The incantation would be Vulnera Sanentur, and the wand movement would simply be a circular motion either clockwise or anti-clockwise."
"There are spells to magically heal up bruises, but there is another method to heal them. Name the method."
Harry smirked, and wrote down his answer. "The potion Bruisewort Balm can be applied to the skin where the bruise is located, for so long as it is a good brew, it will vanish the bruise in seconds."
He found he was able to give quite a lot of detail in his answers - probably more than what was required, he realised. But that would be good nonetheless - if he got extra marks, he could afford a few mistakes in the practical and still pass with flying colours. When Tofty signalled their time was up, everyone let out sighs of relief. Harry grinned at the seventh year boy sitting directly opposite him horizontally, glad that part was over.
He regrouped with all his friends as they decided to just mill about in the corridor where the Hospital Wing was. The general consensus was that most had found the paper to be slightly easier than what they were expecting.
"I don't know why I was worrying," Hannah Abbott said, "that was pretty easy."
They didn't totally get their hopes up for the practical - they knew it was going to be slightly more challenging, especially since they knew it was practically inevitable they would be asked to deal with broken bones. "Madam Pomfrey wouldn't have focused so much on it last session if it wasn't going to come up today," Lavender sussed, "it was her way of hinting without directly telling us."
At ten fifteen exactly did the first students get called forward. Among them was Millicent Bulstrode, as well as Lavender and Hannah. They all told Lavender and Hannah good luck, as Hannah had done a little bit of fretting when Marchbanks called her name, but the Calming Draught was clearly working.
They didn't see either come out, but they soon learned that they were to go in one way and out the other. When Hermione was called in with Daphne and a sixth year Hufflepuff boy, he told her good luck, which she smiled nervously at.
It was twenty minutes before Amelia was called in by herself, which meant that Harry was next. Marchbanks was soon back out, and looked at him. "You must be the other Potter. Come along, Professor Tofty just finished up with your sister."
He smiled when the remainder of people still waiting to go in told him good luck, and thanked them before he stepped into the Hospital Wing. Marchbanks directed him to Tofty's station. He walked over, and noticed that Pansy Parkinson was being quizzed at the desk opposite.
"Ah, Mr Potter, nice to finally meet you." Professor Tofty offered his hand to shake. Harry politely shook it and said likewise. "Now, as you know, this is the practical test for your Healing course. On this simulation I will place a variety of injuries on the body, and it will be your job to heal up said injuries. On the desk there are also various equipment for you to use if the injury can't be healed via magic. If you take your wand out, we can get started."
He did so, and Tofty did likewise. He ran his eyes over the various stuff on the desk to familiarise himself. There was a Bruisewort Balm, bandages, Shrinking Solution and multiple potions that could be ingested to help with diseases, poisons and illnesses, including charcoal.
The first simulation was run, and the fake-human started bleeding from the juncture between the index finger and the thumb on the left hand. Harry took a breath and prepared his wand and stance. "Vulnera Sanentur!" He said as clearly as possible, moving his wand in a circular motion.
The cut almost disappeared completely. Tofty was impressed, but didn't say anything as he swished his wand and ran the next simulation. Harry flinched a bit when the simulation-human's hand swelled almost triple in size, it was quite frightening. It reminded him of Aunt Marge.
He moved swiftly to the desk and grabbed the Shrinking Solution. Even though the potions weren't labelled (because that would be just too easy), Harry knew them all enough by now to be able to identify them by colour alone. Tofty was very impressed.
He uncapped the bottle and gently took the swollen hand into his own to keep it in place. He then moved his own hand out of the way as he rather unceremoniously poured the solution on to the hand - which immediately began shrinking back to normal size. Though there was now a puddle on the floor, Tofty didn't mind, and vanished it away.
"Brilliant! You clearly know how to identify your potions!" The invigilator said. Over at the other desk, Pansy Parkinson was clearly jealous.
He smiled. "I'm rather good at them."
The teacher waved his wand again, and what greeted Harry was indeed a broken leg. His stomach dropped a bit, but he kept his composure. He steadied himself, and aimed his wand at the knee cap, where the break clearly was. He took a deep breath, and said as measuredly as possible, "Brackium Emendo!"
There was the horrible cinching sound that came whenever the leg fixed itself back together, but it only lasted a second. Tofty moved forward to examine it more, and looked amazed at the fact it was completely fixed. "Amazing!" The man exclaimed quietly, though Pansy had heard him. "That's the best of the bunch today by far! You have a talent for this, Mr Potter."
He thanked the man, and waited for the next simulation. He startled a bit when the fake-human made retching sounds. Tofty explained more. "The person has ingested a high class poison, and unless it is neutralised quickly, the patient will not make it. Find something to aid it."
Harry knew what to do immediately, feeling like a Healer on a ward already. He moved to the desk and picked up the charcoal, which he realised was in solution form. That's going to make it easier, he thought. He uncapped the bottle and moved to stand in between the simulations legs. He gently took hold of the person's chin and tipped it back ever so slightly. Then, in one quick motion, he tipped the solution into the mouth of the simulation. Thankfully, the fake human didn't vomit it all up on him, but he knew something like that would happen if they left the simulation running long enough to see the charcoal taking effect.
Tofty praised his quick thinking. "Only one more left to go, Mr Potter."
With one final wave, the final simulation was running. There was a big bruise that appeared up the forearm of the fake-human.
"You will first show me one way to remove a bruise, and then I'll add another bruise and you will show me how to remove it with magic." Tofty explained.
Harry nodded, and moved to the desk yet again. He grabbed the Bruisewort Balm and got to work, applying enough so that it wouldn't just run off and puddle on the floor. Within moments the bruise was gone. Tofty grinned. "And now we will run it again."
Harry got his wand out, and spent a few seconds thinking of the incantation and wand movement. When he did, it all went naturally. "Sana Livore!" He said, moving his wand semi-circular from left to right. He let out a sigh of relief when it disappeared.
"Excellent work, Mr Potter! That concludes the end of your Healing practical. Your results of this short-course will be owled out to you in the same envelope as your OWL results in the summer." Professor Tofty explained, looking delighted. He noticed that Pansy Parkinson must've finished up when he was doing the last simulation, as Parvati Patil was now at the station she was previously at.
He thanked the Professor, and Tofty directed him to the door to exit. When he stepped through, everyone who had finished were all in one room. His DA friends came over.
"You were right about the broken bone, Lavender," he said, grinning when she went white.
"I knew it! Oh, Parvati isn't going to be pleased. I hope it doesn't cause her to screw up." Lavender fretted.
They all melted into discussion about both tests as they waited for everybody to finish up, which took an additional half an hour. When everybody was done, Madam Pomfrey appeared. "Well done everyone for getting through both tests!" There was a collective cheer from them all. "You are now free to go. Morning interval is just about to start."
Harry remained with Hermione, Amelia and Dorea, and they went to their usual spot in the courtyard and awaited Ron. He soon found them. "So, how was it?"
"Good," was Hermione's answer, and the other three concurred. "I think I've passed."
Ron smiled. "Good, really good." The smile faded a bit. "Did you have to deal with broken bones then?"
They nodded, and smirked when Ron blanched a bit. "I would've fainted."
Harry felt himself breathe properly for the first time that morning. That was one subject ticked off - only tonnes more to go. He just knew the next two weeks until the OWLs were going to fly by and be on them before they knew it, but Harry knew that so long as they approached them as calmly as they did the Healing tests, they were going to get through them all just fine.