Chapter 18 - End of Term
When Barney had flown back to Thomas after retrieving the box from the cave he had told his friend exactly what had happened. Thomas had insisted he needed to tell Professor McGonagall straight away about the beast but Barney was hesitant. If he told McGonagall she would start to ask questions about why he was in the cave and he didn't want to tell her about Nevermore's journal or the box. In the end Barney agreed to tell her but only that he had spotted the beast in the entrance of the cave when he had been doing some flying practice over the lake. As Thomas wasn't prepared to lie to a teacher, Barney said he would make no mention to Professor McGonagall that he was with him at the time.
When Professor McGonagall heard what Barney had to say she was very concerned but she did her best to not show this worry to Barney and only replied calmly that she would look into it immediately. Though soon after Barney noticed that the teachers were more present around the school. And despite it being cold outside the teachers would often be seen walking around the grounds at break times, ushering back any students who strayed too far away from the castle. And students were strictly forbidden from entering the cave under the school in an attempt to see the beast and were threatened with suspension if they did so.
Barney had told Viola about finding the box and though she was disappointed she hadn't been with him when he found it, she was just an enthusiastic as he was to open it. But they had little luck. Along with Thomas the three of them had tried every spell and charm they could think of to open the box but nothing worked. Barney didn't even consider involving Tabitha with the box. He barely saw her these days except in the few lessons they shared together and he hadn't seen her outside of lessons for weeks.
With Christmas fast approaching Barney was looking forward to spending some time with his family. School work recently had been piling up and what with Silvanna's strict Quidditch practice regime and spending what little free time he had continuing to work on deciphering the rest of the journal and opening the box, Barney was knackered. A couple of weeks at home with no magic and no ciphers sounded like bliss to him.
As the last few days of the term started Barney headed down to breakfast but didn't get chance to enjoy it.
"We've got Quidditch practice this evening," Silvanna told him as he sat down at the Slytherin table.
"But we had practice last night and I've got Astronomy at midnight tonight," Barney retorted back.
"Well we're not going to be able to practice as a team over Christmas so we need to get as much practice in this week as we can."
Barney knew better than to argue with Silvanna. Since she'd become Slytherin captain she'd become a tyrant and was working the whole team to the point of exhaustion.
"And I want you practising as much as you can on your own over the break," Silvanna added.
Barney nodded even though he knew he wouldn't be able to. Unlike the rest of the Slytherin team, he lived in the muggle world so couldn't exactly jump on a broom in his back garden and go flying around. Though Barney didn't think it would matter too much if he didn't practice for a couple of weeks. It was not like he was going to get to play on the team anyway.
After a morning of History of Magic and then a free period where he caught up on his Ancient Runes assignment and finished an essay on Everlasting Elixirs for Potions (he didn't even bother to look at Nevermore's journal or the box which were both buried in the bottom of his trunk), Barney headed to Herbology.
The grounds outside the castle were covered in a thick layer of snow so getting down to the greenhouses was a struggle but Barney was glad when he got there to find they were warm inside and he quickly took off his thick cloak and got ready for the lesson.
Professor Sprout walked around the class and placed plants on the benches in front of the students. The plants varied in colours of violets and pinks with white markings. The flowers were large like the size of a sunflower with a thick stem about a foot long and leaves growing off of it.
"Today class we will be re-potting Mocking Clematis," the professor said.
"Mocking Clematis," one of the plants repeated much to everyone's surprise.
"As you can see they get their name because they like to copy sounds they hear," Sprout continued.
"Copy sounds," a plant uttered before another one echoed it too.
"Now it can get annoying so when you're re-potting them in larger pots it's probably best to try and say nothing at all."
"Nothing at all," the plant in front of Barney called out.
Professor Sprout went around the greenhouse and placed large pots on the benches which the students in pairs then filled with compost from sacks at the back of the greenhouse before attempt to re-pot the plants. Barney teamed up with Daisy for the task and soon the greenhouse was filled with a crescendo of noise as the plants busily repeated everything they were hearing. Some students thought it was hilarious and got their plants to repeat all kinds of things but Professor Sprout deducted ten points from Slytherin when Maximille got his plant to say a bunch of swear words.
"I see Tabs wasn't at Sign class again this week," Daisy said as she loosened the soil around the plant while Barney dug a hole in the new pot.
"Again this week," the plant repeated.
"Yeah she doesn't have time for much else besides Hamish at the minute," Barney replied.
"At the minute," the plant said as Daisy transferred it to its new larger pot.
"She's being so selfish," Barney continued angrily. "Watch how next year once Hamish graduates she comes crawling back to us all wanting to hang out."
"Wanting to hang out," the plant echoed.
Daisy started to laugh. "Oh Barney."
"What?" Barney asked looking annoyed and wondering why Daisy was laughing at him.
"Nothing," Daisy replied as she finished patting the fresh soil around the plant.
"No tell me what's so funny?"
"What's so funny?" the plant uttered.
"You. It's so obvious how you feel about Tabitha. You're jealous that she's with Hamish because you like her," Daisy said with a smile.
"You like her," the plant mimicked and Barney got really angry.
"No I don't. She's just being rude and inconsiderate to her friends. She's ditched us all because she's got a boyfriend. Why would you think I have feelings for Tabitha?" he said raising his voice in anger.
"I have feelings for Tabitha," the plant repeated loudly and soon there was a chorus of plants all saying the same thing around the greenhouse and everyone turned to look at Barney.
Barney went bright red and could have died on the spot right there and then from embarrassment.
The next time Barney saw Tabitha was in Potions class the following day and he was glad they weren't sat next to each other. He didn't know if she'd heard about what had happened in Herbology class but he'd certainly been teased about it by some of his fellow Slytherins. During the class a note had been thrown to him. When he opened it up it was a crude moving drawing of him and Tabitha with a big love heart round them. He quickly cast a Vanishing spell on it before Tabitha could see it.
The day after he faced Tabitha again in their Dark Arts class. Though he was sat on the same desk as her he luckily had Thomas in between them. And other than a brief 'hello' they barely spoke before the class begin.
There was a huge sigh of relief from the class when Professor Night walked in to take the lesson. Students never knew whether they'd get him or Professor Grim and no one wanted Grim. She would not have hesitated to hand out detentions the day before Christmas break.
"So all you all feeling up for a challenge today?" Night asked as he perched himself against his desk casually.
It was the last day of term and students were already in holiday mood, no one wanted a challenging lesson. But when Night told them what it was, they were all excited for it. "I'm going to teach you how to produce a Patronus charm."
Excitement filled the classroom. Most students had read about Patronus in their text books so they knew exactly what one was but they couldn't wait to see if they'd be able to produce one and see what form theirs would take.
"A Patronus is a kind of protection, a shield that can keep bad forces away such as the Dementors who guard Azkaban or a Wunsch," Night said as he looked out at the many eager faces of his class. "Each Patronus takes on a form unique to the witch or wizard who casts it."
"Artimus what form does yours take?" Velyan called out across the classroom to his teacher.
"You'll have to wait and see. Now to cast one you must think of a single happy memory and recite the incantation Expecto Patronum like this," Professor Night said as he turned to the side and raised his wand. "Expecto Patronum!"
A long wisp of silver emitted from Night's wand up into the air and quickly formed a shape that raced across the classroom above all the students' heads. Everyone looked on in amazement at the wolf who bounded round the classroom before slowly fading away.
"Now who wants to try it first?" Night asked and everyone's hands shot up in a flash.
Professor Night made the class move their desks to the side of the room so they had more space and then they got in a line and one by one they stepped into the middle of the classroom to try and produce their Patronus. However so far no one had managed it. Most had managed to produce a small wisp of silver from their wands, but none that formed into any sort of indistinguishable shape. Though Roblin McGregor insisted that he had managed it and that his Patronus was a snake.
"A snake? That looked more like a worm," Maximille joked.
Night continued to offer encouragement to each student as they came up and Thomas was next and was shaking as he stepped into the middle of the room.
"Now remember one single happy memory. It has to be a really powerful one if you want to produce a Patronus."
Thomas raised his wand and said the incantation but with not quite the same enthusiasm as the other students had been doing and only a tiny wisp of silver came out of his wand and Thomas looked very disappointed.
"Don't be too hard on yourself.," Night said. "I'd have been very surprised if anyone had managed it first time."
As Thomas walked back to the edge of the class Barney was up next. He'd watched as everyone else had failed to produce one but he had been thinking long and hard of a happy memory and he knew exactly what to think about.
"Ready?" Night asked and Barney nodded and raised his wand.
His mind immediately raced to his happy memory. He thought of the first time he managed to fly on a broom. The feeling of complete freedom as he flew through the sky. It was one of the happiest times of his life. "Expecto Patronum!" Barney said with conviction and the silvery wisp bled out from his wand and into the air.
Barney watched as it rose higher. It looked a lot larger than everyone else had been and it started to change. He watched with bated breath still thinking of his happy memory but to no avail. The wisp slowly faded and died away.
"Good effort," Night said and reassured him with a pat on the back as Barney took his place at the side of the room.
Though Barney couldn't help but feel disappointed. And he still felt that way once everyone had tried even though no one managed to conjure one.
"Now your homework for the holidays..." Night said and was met with a big groan from the class. "... is to practice your Patronus casting."
"But Artimus we're not allowed to practice magic outside of school until we're seventeen. Most of us are still sixteen," Gwen Monday noted.
"Well I won't tell if you don't," Night said with a wink.
As the class left the lesson everyone was chatting about what their memory had been and how they were going to practice loads over Christmas so they could come back next term and show Professor Night a fully formed Patronus.
"We'd better get to Runes class," Thomas said to Barney as they headed down the corridor. "I'll see you in Herbology later Tabs."
Tabitha said goodbye to the pair but avoided eye contact with him as she quickly made the way to her next lesson.
"Has she said anything to you about me?" Barney asked as they made their way up the stairs to the sixth floor.
"Like what?" Thomas asked.
"It doesn't matter."
Barney knew his and Tabitha's friendship had been strained ever since they'd argued in the Great Hall about a month ago where Barney vented his frustration at her for spending too much time with Hamish and not enough with her friends. They barely spoke any more but he really hoped she hadn't heard about what had happened in Herbology. It would only make things worse between them and probably prevent them from ever rebuilding their friendship if she thought he liked her as more than a friend when she was dating someone else. The Christmas holidays couldn't come soon enough as far as Barney was concerned. He needed to get away from this place quick.
The next morning Barney woke to a racket in his dormitory.
"Has anyone seen my green sweater?" Marek called out and Maximille slammed his trunk shut.
Barney sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "What time is it?" he asked followed by a big yarn.
"It's nearly ten. You'd better get a move on and pack or you'll miss the train back," Marek replied.
Barney had been so tired recently what with school work, Quidditch practice and Nevermore's journal that even though he'd had a long night's sleep he still felt super tired.
He forced himself out of bed and after a quick cold shower to wake himself up he hastily packed his bags before a quick breakfast and then went to find Thomas.
Thomas was just leaving the Hufflepuff common room carrying his bags to take them to the entrance hall, ready to be taken to the Hogwarts Express.
"Hey Thomas."
"Morning Barney, you OK?"
"Yeah all packed. Thought we'd better do presents before we leave."
Ever since their second year it had been a tradition between Barney, Thomas and Tabitha to meet up on the morning before they left for home for Christmas and exchange presents.
"Tabitha has already left, you just missed her. Her Gran sent a coach for her as usual," Thomas replied.
Tabitha usually spent Christmas at her grandmother's in Scotland so didn't get the train back to London with everyone else. Barney looked disappointed but also relieved. He wasn't too sure if he should get her a Christmas present after how things had been between them but he had hoped it would act as a peace offering. Though he was kind of glad he didn't have to face her. Hopefully when he saw her next term a little bit of space would have done them both some good.
"She left this for you though," Thomas said retrieving a present from his bag. "And this ones from me," he said as he handed Barney a second one.
Barney gave Thomas his present and put Tabitha's aside with the intention to give it to her next term. They both took a seat at a bench in the corridor and opened their presents from each other.
Even before Barney opened it he knew what it would be. Thomas always got him books and this year was no different. The big navy blue hardback booked had silver lettering with the title 'The Ultimate Guide to Magical Languages'.
"Thought it would come in handy with Nevermore's journal," Thomas remarked as he briefly stopped opening his own present to watch his friend.
"Thanks. It's great."
Thomas finished opening his present and looked slightly less thrilled with it. Though it was also a book he wasn't sure if he should be insulted by it as he looked at the title - 'How to Flirt With Girls & Make Them Like You'.
"Trust me you need all the help you can get," Barney teased his friend.
"No I don't," Thomas protested and Barney rolled his eyes and they both started laughing. "OK maybe I need a little help."
Barney decided to save the present from Tabitha until Christmas day but also wrapped up with his book from Thomas had been a chocolate frog. He opened it up and quickly grabbed the frog before it had chance to jump away and took a big bite out of it as he looked at the card inside.
"Harry Potter," Barney announced disappointedly. "I swear they put in more of him than anyone else. I've got loads of him. Do you want it?" Barney asked as he offered it to Thomas.
"Nah. I've got six of him already."
As Barney put the card in his pocket he thought to himself that if he found the Endeavour Stone and worked out how to use it maybe he would become a famous wizard and they'd put him on a chocolate frog card too.