Chapter 28: Spring Awakening

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"An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a 
wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil 
friend will wound your mind."
-Buddha

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The cold, bitter days of February melted into the wind and later rain of March. All that Harry could think about was that
March was the month directly before April, when he would have his first real chance of killing Voldemort. As most students
at Hogwart's had realized, the April showers were going to be bringing N.E.W.T. tests as well as May flowers, and the library
had become the most visited place on the school grounds. This had no effect for most of the students, who had earlier in the
year spent a majority of their time in their dormitories, but it made Hermione exceedingly grumpy.

"I cannot stand it in here anymore," she growled one evening, glaring over at a group of giggling girls. Lavendar Brown and
Parvati Patil were whispering loudly to two Hufflepuff seventh years. Harry recognized them as Hannah Abbot and Megan Jones;
he also noticed that the girls' textbooks lay unopened at their feet while they talked - clearly, no studying was being
accomplished.

"I'm leaving!" Hermione announced, shoving her belongings into her bag. Ron reached up to touch her arm.

"Please stay for a little while longer?" he asked. "I don't understand this potion very well, could you explain it to me again?"

"I am sick and tired of doing your homework for you, Ron!" Hermione hissed. "I'm going back to my room." With that, she spun
on her heel and strode angrily out of the library, passing a surprised-looking Ginny. Ron leaned back in his chair and groaned.

"Don't worry mate, she's just in a bad mood because there's so many people in here," Harry said consolingly. Ron grumbled to
himself, closing his eyes.

"I know she is. But does she have to always take it out on me?" he asked. 

"Maybe you should go apologize," Ginny said, taking a seat at the table. "Wow, it's packed in here! I guess it's all you seventh
years, huh?" She cracked a smile.

"I am not apologizing because I didn't do anything wrong!" Ron said angrily. "All I did was ask her a question and she goes
and-"

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Harry turned to see Madam Pince shaking her fist at Ron. "There are people studying, you know!" she chastised
in a loud whisper. "All of you, leave at once!" Harry, Ron, and Ginny hurriedly picked up their things and left, all the while
under the watchful glare of the angry librarian.

"Well, where are we going now?" Ginny asked, shooting a pointed look at Ron, who merely shrugged.

"I guess we'll go back up to the dormitories," Harry answered.

"Oh, that's just lovely," Ron mumbled.

"Well it is your fault we got thrown out of the library, Ron-" Ginny started. Much to the annoyance of Harry, the siblings
argued all the way back to Gryffindor tower. When they got there, Harry was surprised to see that Hermione had not gone up
to her room; instead, she was in the main Common Room reading something on the bulletin board.

"Whatcha looking at?" he asked her quietly. She pointed to a bright yellow sign in the center of the board. "ATTENTION SEVENTH
YEARS", it read. "All students in their seventh year of instruction at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are required
to have a meeting with their head of house concerning their plans for after graduation. Please sign up for a time slot below. Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall." Hermione pulled a quill out of her bag and scratched her name onto one of the lines. 

"Can I borrow that?" Harry asked. Hermione handed it to him, and he signed up as well. 

"So what do you want to do after school, Hermione?" Harry asked. She sighed.

"Actually... well, I haven't really decided," she confessed. "There's just so many things I could do... I don't want to just
choose one, you know? It's so difficult." Harry nodded thoughtfully. "What about you?" she asked him suddenly. "Do you still
want to be an Auror?"

"Yes," Harry replied, surprised that he felt so strongly about it. "If I don't get the N.E.W.T.s that I need, I don't know what
I'm going to do..."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Hermine replied with a wave of her hand. "You managed to get all of the O.W.L.s you needed; just
study harder and you should make it." Study harder, Harry thought with an amused smile on his face. The most original advice
from Hermione ever...

*********************

Spring vacation had arrived, and though the students had a week off, Harry, Ron, and Hermione chose to stay at Hogwart's as they
usually did. Harry noticed that most of the seventh years had stayed, as it was easier to study for N.E.W.T.s. Rachel, on the
other hand, had gone home - hopefully to tell her father exactly what Harry planned to do. Please don't let anything go wrong,
he thought silently to himself one evening as he stared out the window in the Heads' Common Room. And please don't let her hate
me when this is all over... As he looked out the window, Harry noticed two figures making their way back from the greenhouses;
the male had flaming red hair and the female was a bushy-haired brunette. He watched as Ron, struggling to get through the
muddy path, stumbled and fell into the fresh March mud. Hermione stood a few feet away from him, as if refusing to help him
stand up again. Harry grinned as Ron threw a fistful of the gooey substance at his girlfriend; he laughed out loud as Hermione
retaliated with some mud-slinging of her own. Harry smiled; the scene had lifted his spirits. Seeing the Head Girl cover your
best mate with mud will make you laugh any day, he thought.

*******************

The school's vacation ended and Harry found himself once again absorbed by his studies. One of his first obstacles after the
break was his meeting with Professor McGonagall. He was nearly certain that it would go better than it had during his fifth
year, when Professor Umbridge had been present. Clearing his mind of the thought, he knocked at McGonagall's office door and
was told to enter.

"Oh, Mr. Potter, come in," she said, sweeping some stray papers off her desk. He took a seat and faced his professor. She pulled
a stack of parchment out of a folder in front of her. "Hmmm... this looks fantastic. You've been doing O-level work in Defense
Against the Dark Arts, that's certainly impressive..." She flipped through the pages. "Same for Herbology and Charms... as well
as Transfiguration, of course... Your Potions grade has gone up as well," she commented, placing the parchment back inside the
folder. "However, it could be a bit higher, so continue to work on that." Professor McGonagall paused. "I assume that you are
still planning on becoming an Auror?" she asked. 

"Yes," Harry said simply.

"Well then, you have a few options. You may go the traditional path and take the program at the Ministry of Magic," she explained,
laying out a brochure. "You also would be able to go to the Universal Institute for Magic if you so desire. They have an Auror
program there, though you would still need to qualify for the Ministry's standards to be able to take a job with them. Do you
have a preference?"

"Well... I'm not quite sure..." Harry began. "Actually, I think I would rather just have my training at the Ministry." Professor
McGonagall nodded.

"Then you'll need to fill this out. It's the application for the Auror program." She pulled out a thick stack of papers.
"It needs to be in by the time you get your N.E.W.T. results, which should be about mid-May. Be sure that it is completed
BEFORE then." Harry nodded. "Do you have any other questions?"

"Nothing right now," he replied. Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and nodded.

"Very well then. You may go. I know that the application will be a long and tedious process, so if you need any help, don't
hesitate to ask me," she added. Harry nodded.

"Thank you," he said, standing.

***************

"I'm so sick of seeing pictures of this man!" Hermione cried the next morning at breakfast, flinging down her copy of the Daily
Prophet. Harry and Ron peered across the table at it and saw a grinning Gilderoy Lockhart on the front page.

"Ugh," Ron mumbled, covering his eyes. "Get that thing out of here."

"It's just disgusting. He hasn't done a thing yet, and he's been in office for nearly a month!" Hermione said, frowning at the
picture. "It seems like all he's done so far is had photo after photo taken of himself!" Harry nodded glumly. "Don't you think
we should do something about this?" she asked Ron and Harry insistently. Ron shrugged.

"What can we do?" he asked. "He's already won the election."

"He can be taken out of office, according to Chapter 4 of the Wizarding Code of Law. He just has to be voted out by 2/3 of the
Wizengamot, and then-"

"Okay, so he can get kicked out. But still, how are we going to do that?" Ron asked, sounding frustrated. Hermione glared at
him. 

"Well, you and Harry were the ones he confessed to! He told you he was a fraud, remember? And nothing about him trying to hex
you and Ron was ever printed in the Prophet, they were too busy bashing Barnett because of his age! I think it's time we exposed
him for the phony that he is."

"Well, how are we supposed to do that? Tell Rita Skeeter?" Harry asked sarcastically. Hermione smiled smugly.

"Exactly."

**************

"Can you believe that it's April already?" Rachel asked, flipping through her pocket-sized calendar. "It seems like there was
just snow on the ground yesterday!" Harry nodded in agreement. He had decided to take a few hours off from studying and had
gone outside with Rachel to enjoy a beautiful spring day. Rachel stood up and stretched.

"Let's go for a walk around the lake," she suggested. Harry stood as well, and heard Rachel's sudden gasp. She swayed on her
feet, nearly collapsing onto the ground.

"Rach, are you okay?" Harry asked, the concern evident in his emerald eyes. He wrapped his arm around her waist to support her.

"Oh... yes... I'm all right, really. I've just felt a little bit dizzy for the last few days..." Probably since it's just
after spring break and she's still feeling the effects of the Veritaserum, Harry thought. 

"We don't need to take a walk, really. Why don't we just sit here for a while," he suggested, motioning to a shady spot beneath
a tree. Rachel nodded.

"That might be a good idea," she agreed. "I just don't know what's wrong with me," she murmured, placing her hand on her forehead.
Harry felt the all-too-familiar guilt rising in his chest.

"I'm sure it's nothing bad," he assured her. "Maybe you just haven't gotten enough sleep this week." Rachel nodded.

"Yes, that must be it. I was up late studying last night," she suggested. "Maybe that's why."

****************

Hermione had owled Rita Skeeter a few days earlier, and she had replied immediately. The trio had snuck out into Hogsmeade wearing
Harry's invisibility cloak in order to meet her. 

"So I hear you have something interesting to tell me about our current Minister of Magic?" Rita Skeeter asked, pulling out her
Quick Quotes Quill and a piece of parchment. She tapped her long red fingernails on the table inside the Three Broomsticks.

"Oh, yes," Hermione said, grinning. "Go on, Harry... Ron..."

**************

Before Harry knew it, it was the week before N.E.W.T.s. The once-giggling girls in the library were now dead serious, focused
completely on their studies. The absolute silence in the library unnerved Harry, and he had taken to studying in the main Common
Room or while listening to others talk. 

The professors were trying to cram in every last bit of information possible. Professor Flitwick had made each student perform
eight different complex charms in his final class and Professor Sprout had her students working with Bohun Upas - mythical trees
that would cause anyone who fell asleep under them to die - in greenhouse 5. For Defense Against the Dark Arts, the students
were still practicing defensive spells, as well as learning about vampires. Professor McGonagall spent an entire afternoon in
Transfiguration trying to explain the difference between turning a teacup into a frog and a toad. After his final class, Harry
was exhasted; however, he knew that he had no time to take a break now. 

Harry studied for a few hours in the library before giving up for the evening. He glanced at his watch; it was nearly 10 p.m.
He still had a few days before the N.E.W.T. tests. I'll study more tomorrow, he thought as he gathered up his books and
trudged upstairs to the dormitories.

***************

"Harry, mate, you coming to breakfast?" Ron yelled as he rummaged through the cabinet on his side of the room. Harry rolled 
over in bed.

"Uh, sure," he mumbled, grabbing his glasses off his nightstand. He dressed quickly and followed Ron out into the Heads' Common
Room, where they met Hermione and Ginny.

"Are you two going to breakfast?" Ginny asked, opening the door to go downstairs. "I am, I'm starved."

"Yeah, we were just going to go too," Ron answered. They walked together to the Great Hall, with Harry and Ginny being very
quiet and Ron and Hermione arguing over what would be on the Charms N.E.W.T. exam. The group sat together at the Gryffindor
table and began to eat. Hermione was glancing nervously at the ceiling. 

"What're you going to study today, Ron?" Harry asked, trying to wake himself up. He took a sip of his pumpkin juice.

"I dunno... Potions, I guess," Ron answered, poking his food. Harry heard a flutter of wings overhead, and a barn owl flapped
its way over to Hermione's seat. She pulled the Daily Prophet out of its grasp and glanced at the front page. A smile spread
slowly over her face.

"Look at this!" she announced, holding up the newspaper. Lockhart a fake? the headline read. Minister of Magic
Gilderoy Lockhart, who was inaugurated only a few weeks ago, has been accused by two of his former students at Hogwart's School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry of lying about his accomplishments and attempting to Obliviate students. 

"Yes! Finally," Hermione sighed happily.

"Oh, this is going to cause a mess..." Ron said shaking his head.

Two hours later, Ron and Harry, whose names had been given in the Daily Prophet article, both received letters from identical
black owls.

"They're Ministry owls," Ron muttered, pulling his letter off the owl's leg. "Oh, this is bloody wonderful... we've been 
summoned to the Wizengamot... to testify against Lockhart!" Harry felt his stomach drop.

"I don't really like the Wizengamot," he said quietly. "When I had to go there during fifth year, well... it was pretty creepy."
Ron nodded.

"I'm sure it was. Well, at least Dumbledore is on it again, right? How bad could it be?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head.

"We've got N.E.W.T.s in less than a week and this is only two days away. How're we going to get through all of this?"

******************** 

Two days later, Harry and Ron dressed nicely for their appearance at the Wizengamot. Harry had talked to Professor McGonagall
about leaving the school grounds, and was surprised at how well she took the news.

"It's to be expected," McGonagall had said with a sigh. "I know it may interfere with your studying, but it's for a good cause...
that man had to face reality sooner or later."

The two friends walked out the front doors of the school and continued about halfway to Hogsmeade before apparating. They had
tried to convince Hermione to come, but since she wouldn't be allowed inside and she had "too much to study", she had declined.
They apparated inside the atrium of the Ministry. Harry noticed that Ron looked extremely nervous; he was pulling at the collar
of his robes and glancing all around him. They checked their wands with the guard, who didn't seem to even notice who they were.
Silently, they walked together towards the lift.

"Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement..." the woman's voice said cooly. A few memos flew in overhead and Amelia
Bones and a woman that Harry recognized as an Elder from the Wizengamot entered. She smiled benignly at the two young men.

"You must be Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley," she said kindly, holding out her hand. "I'm Griselda Marchbanks, glad to meet
you." 

"Nice to meet you too," Harry mumbled, shaking her hand.

"Level four, Department of Magical Transportation and the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures-"

A few more wizards that Harry didn't recognize got on the lift at this stop. By the time it arrived at Level Ten, the small
space had become quite crowded. Harry, Ron, Amelia Bones, Griselda Marchbanks, and two wizards towards the back of the lift
all got off on Level Ten. Harry and Ron followed the two Wizengamot members into the cold and forbidding courtroom.

Ron gulped as they entered the room. Harry actually let out a sigh of relief as he saw that Lockhart was in the main chair - 
he remembered two summers ago when it had been him trapped in that exact place. He and Ron took seats off to the side of the
chamber. As Harry looked around, he saw many familiar faces in the room; most of the Wizengamot was the same as it had been
when he had been summoned for his own trial. He saw Professor Dumbledore in the seat that Cornelius Fudge had been in two
years ago. Harry shook his head, attempting to rid himself of the bad memories. Ron nudged his arm suddenly. 

"Percy's here," he mumbled, nodding his head towards the front of the room where Percy Weasley sat ready with a quill and 
parchment. "He may have declared his loyalty to the family again, but he's just as big of a git as he always was..." Harry
snickered. 

"What'd he do this time?" Harry asked.

"Told mum all about us being witnesses for the trial. She sent me an owl today, worried about what we were going to say...
Apparently, when she saw that article in the Daily Prophet she was going spare-"

"Can I have your attention please," Dumbledore announced, quieting the room immediately. "We will now begin the trial of 
Minister Gilderoy Lockhart."

"Look, what a prat! He's grinning like a maniac," Ron hissed, staring at Lockhart as he sat in the chair. "Doesn't he realize
that he's going to be thrown out of office?" Indeed, Gilderoy Lockhart was smiling as though nothing was wrong and waving at
various members of the Wizengamot. To Harry, he looked utterly ridiculous in his lilac robes.

"Minister Lockhart, you have been accused of lying during your campaign for Minister as well as administering restricted curses - 
specifically, memory-altering charms - on minors." He paused. "I see that you have chosen to represent yourself in this trial,
is that correct?"

"Yes, Albus, that is correct!" Lockhart replied, smiling again. "I couldn't trust anyone else to defend ME."

"Of course, Minister," Dumbledore replied, looking slightly amused. "We will deal with your charges of lying in connection
with your campaign later; first, we will begin with the accusations of attempted memory charms on minors. Can you explain the
events of June 12, 1993?"

"Oh... er... well, at that time I was teaching at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Defense Against the Dark Arts,
you know. It's my specialty." He paused to shoot the members of the Wizengamot another shining smile. "But as you know, I had
an accident that night in which I had a slight memory problem myself... I can't seem to remember what happened then, or for
quite some time afterward." 

"So you don't have any idea what happened on June 12?" Amelia Bones asked. 

"No, none at all," Lockhart replied, for the first time looking slightly unsure of himself.

"Well then, Minister, if that is all the information you can give us, I would like to call Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Ronald
Weasley to the witnesses' stand." People began whispering loudly at the mention of Harry's name. Nervously, the two friends 
stood and walked to the front of the room, where two squashy armchairs had appeared. "Mr. Potter, would you tell me what 
happened on the evening of June 12?"

"Well, Ron and I had found out that Ron's sister had been kidnapped and taken into the Chamber of Secrets. We tried to take
Professor Lockhart with us, but he was packing up his belongings... I'm not exactly sure where he was going. Er, anyway, so
after we had entered the chamber, Professor Lockhart immediately stole Ron's wand-"

"Mr. Weasley, is this true?" a heavy-jawed witch boomed from the third row.

"Yes ma'am," Ron said politely. "The only problem was that my wand had been damaged earlier that year, so it was no longer
functioning properly."

"Go on, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, giving Harry a small wink.

"So Professor - er, Minister Lockhart stole Ron's wand. He pointed it at us and said that he was going to go back up from the
chamber without saving Ginny, and that he was going to erase our memories and say that he had killed the basilisk." Dumbledore
nodded deeply.

"What happened next?" he asked.

"Well," Ron began. "When he pointed my old wand at us, he tried to use the 'obliviate' spell, but because my wand was broken
it backfired. He was hit with the spell, and had to spend over a year in St. Mungo's."

"That isn't true!" Lockhart insisted. "I was only in St. Mungo's for a few weeks. Not long at all, I tell you!"

"We saw him in the long-term ward three years after it happened!" Harry cried, turning towards his former professor. 

"Calm down, please," Dumbledore said to the now-chatting Wizengamot. "Percy Weasley, I believe you have records of Minister 
Lockhart's medical history, do you not?"

"Oh yes, Mr. Dumbledore," Percy said hurriedly, shuffling through several papers that littered the desk in front of him. 
"I have his records from St. Mungo's right here." He stood up and rushed toward Dumbledore's seat.

"Let's see..." Dumbledore pondered, poring over the paperwork. "Ah, yes... Gilderoy Lockhart, admitted to St. Mungo's Hospital
for Magical Maladies and Injuries on June 13, 1993 for severe memory loss... Discharged on December 18, 1997." The crowd let
out a gasp.

"Five years?" asked an older man that Harry recognized as an Elder on the council. "You were in St. Mungo's for the last five
years?"

"Oh, of course not! At least, I don't think so..." Lockhart replied, scratching his head.

"Forget about that! What about his attempted attacks on these innocent children?" cried a motherly-looking woman. "Honestly!
Are these accusations true, Minister Lockhart?"

"Absolutely not. I would do no such thing. I don't remember that night, but I'm sure I was a wonderful professor and all of
the students loved me!" he said haughtily, his golden curls bouncing in anger.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. Do you certify that the facts that you have presented to the Wizengamot are true?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," they both replied immediately.

"Does anyone doubt the vadility of this story or wish for further information about it?" No one responded; most of the Wizengamot
appeared to be in a deep state of shock. "Very well; Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter - you are both dismissed. I know you have a lot
of studying left to do this afternoon; good luck on your N.E.W.T.s." Harry and Ron rose from their chairs at the front of the
room and practically ran out the door.

"Can you believe that?" Ron cried as soon as they were out of the room. "They actually listened to us! He doesn't have a chance
anymore!"

"I sure hope not," Harry said, shaking his head. "I wish we could have gotten more time in there though." Ron cringed.

"It was weird enough being up there in front of that many people for that long... I wouldn't have wanted to do it much longer."
They entered the lift and moved slowly towards the atrium, stepping out to see the space busy and full of light.

"Well, it's over with now," Harry said, more to himself than to Ron. "Now we've just got N.E.W.T.s to take care of." Ron gave
the Ministry one last glance.

"Isn't it an odd feeling, knowing we'll be back here on April 27?" Ron asked quietly. Harry shivered.

"Let's not talk about that right now."

****************



We're getting close to the end... Not quite sure how close, because every time I try to estimate I end up fitting less and
less events in each chapter than I planned, lol. Oh well - it will all get written eventually! Hope everyone is still 
enjoying and reading my story! Remember to review please.

Thanks to my reviewers:

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Sydney, who has made sure to review each and every chapter ;) Thanks so much!
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