Fortunately, the immense workload kept the cardinal off of Harry's mind. Everyone from tiny Professor Flitwick to Professor Trelawney seemed to be obsessed with the O.W.L's. Snape was even worse.

"Longbottom, really, you are the worst most pathetic student I've yet seen. You might as well snap your wand in half and live with the Muggles."

"You can't say that!" Hermione exploded. "It isn't his fault that he isn't taught Potions properly" Her hair was mussed and her face was bright red.

"Ten points from Gryffindor," Snape said silkily.

"Ten points back to Gryffindor," Hermione muttered under her breath.

She sat back down and misreading Ron's look of surprise, said, "Well I am a prefect, I can give myself points."

"No-you just exploded at Snape like that. Last time I saw you that mad you quit
Divination and slapped Malfoy. Think you could slap him again?"

"I'm just having a hard day," Hermione said in a high voice. "I've got loads of work."

Ron leaned in to talk to Hermione. He looked very serious. "Really Hermione, I think the best thing you could do would be to slap Malfoy again--take out the stress you know. Come on just try."

Hermione couldn't help but smile.



The next morning Harry got a letter from Sirius. Hary read it quietly to Ron and Hermione.

Harry-
There's not much I can tell you but be careful. We still don't know why Voldemort is lying low but we've got an idea, and it may not be what it seems to you. Don't worry, security around the castle has increased, and you're with Dumbledore. Me and Buckbeak are fine.
-Sirius

"Well what's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked. "It may not be what it seems to you?"

Hermione was reading the letter over, "I don't know," she said. "I guess he's just telling you to be careful."

Harry shrugged, "As long as the dementors don't have him then I'm happy."



The next trip to Hogsmeade was scheduled for the following Saturday. A blistering cold had settled around the castle, and many of the students were wearing their cloaks to classes. Fred and George could be seen selling, ""Dragon Snorts" which were fist sized balls of fire that were portable, "Great for playing tricks in class, nonburnable and nice and warm to get you through this cold weather!" Fred shouted out to the Gryffindor common room one night.

That Saturday Harry and Ron wore their warmest cloaks, and bundled up in scarves that Mrs. Weasley had knit for both of them, and met Hermione in the common room.

"Ooh, it's freezing out!" Hermione said when she met them. "I really fancy a butterbeer."

They went to the Three Broomsticks, which was already very crowded, half the Hogwarts students being there. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, sat down at a table in the corner, where Ron immediately left to get drinks. Most of the Hogwarts teachers were there, Harry could see Professor McGonagoll and Professor Flitwick talking avidly, and Professor Gingle was (really, very normally) buying a gillywater.

"Harry," Hermione said. "I just wanted to ask you-you're all right aren't you? I mean you've had a really hard year. First that stuff at Christmas and then the whole cardinal thing. You are all right, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "I'm fine-really Hermione.

"All right then," Hermione said, but she didn't look convinced.

"Couldn't give me a hand with these, could you?" Ron said from behind a mound of butterbeers.

"Oh Ron, here I'll get that," Hermione took two frothing mugs of butterbeer and handed one to Harry.

"Would you move?" came a bored voice. "Your blocking my way."

Both Ron and Harry whipped around. It was Malfoy.

"I mean really, your feet, they're enormous, they're taking up the entire aisle."

"Oh you-" Ron said gritting his teeth.

"Malfoy how are you?" Hermione said cheerily. "And Professor Fidel, you were awfully sorry to see her leave. Have you been keeping in touch?"

Malfoy glared. He turned back to Ron, "Oh I'm so terribly sorry, you were flirting with the Mudblood over here, well I'll just let you get on with your business-"

"You shut your mouth," hissed Ron. Harry was holding him back.

"All right don't fight me, I mean what could I expect from you, Weasley? Well I'll be on my way now, don't want to be spotted talking to a bunch of Mudbloods and
Muggle lovers." Malfoy smirked and walked away where he met his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, who began to whisper darkly.

"Oh I'm gonna kill him some day," Ron said as he watched Malfoy leave. "Flirting with Hermione, hmmph! As if!"

"Don't let him bother you," Hermione said. "He isn't worth your time."

Harry looked around his shoulder. Cho had obviously forgotten about him, as she was back with Roger Davies, laughing, with one arm around his waist.
He could see Ginny and her friends at a table-and at the table next to them was Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom. Suddenly Ginny looked up, and caught Harry's eye. Blushing furiously Harry turned his head the other way, and looked out the window where….there was a cardinal.

"Hermione, Ron!' he said in a low voice. "Look there-" he pointed to the cardinal.
Hermione and Ron whipped around. "Oh!" said Hermione quietly.

"But, you know, it could just be a cardinal," Ron said awkwardly.

"I think it's my mum," Harry said in a very, very quiet voice.

"But Harry-it can't be. I mean-"

"I know, I know she's dead. But everyone thought Wormtail was dead and-never mind."

The cardinal had flown away.



The Easter holidays were not exactly fun. The teachers had piled work on them in preparation for the O.W.L's.

"They're months away!" complained Ron, but Harry didn't mind the work. It kept his mind off other things, like the cardinal.

Even Fred and George who were about to take their N.E.W.T's the highest qualification Hogwarts offered, were found working once or twice in the common room, though cynics thought they were just thinking up new inventions.

So slowly the winter eased into spring, and Harry began seeing more and more of the cardinal although, as Hermione logically said, "Well now the birds are coming back up north."


One Saturday when Ron proclaimed the workload, "Just too much," Harry suggested going down to Hagrid's.

"Wanna come Hermione?"

"Ooh I don't know," Hermione said. "I've got loads to do."

"Come on Hermione," Ron wheedled. "We haven't been to Hagrid's in ages."

"Oh all right," Hermione sighed. "But I really hope he won't ask us to help him with the giants."

Night was falling rapidly as they approached Hagrid's hut. Someone was obviously home this time-the chimney was billowing smoke, and candles were flickering in the windows. As they came nearer they heard something else-music.

"What is that?" Harry asked. It sounded like classical music played on a musical saw.

Hermione covered her ears.

"Oh god!" Ron said, "I think it's Odealian. He's this awful dead wizard composer. Percy listens to it all time so that people think he's twenty years older than he is. Even my dad can't stand it."

"But why is Hagrid listening to that?" Hermione asked as she approached the window.

"Oh," she said quietly. "Oh it's so sweet, come here and look."

Tentatively Ron and Harry came up. Inside the hut was Hagrid, wearing his hideous hairy brown suit was sitting at his table sharing a candlelit dinner with…what looked like, Madam Maxime.

"Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful if they got married?" Hermione said. Hagrid was pouring Madam Maxime a glass of nettle wine.

Ron and Harry exchanged looks, "Come on Hermione, let's leave them alone." Ron said.

"All right, I really ought to get to work on our Magical History essay anyway."

"But that's not due till next week!" Ron called out indignantly. "Nutters," Harry heard him say under his breath. "Positively nutters."