Part 13. OWLs
In the Great Hall, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall stood at the Head Table speaking quietly together.
Harry and the others sat down at the Gryffindor table, as Tonks and Remus made their way to the Head Table. Harry watched as they spoke with Dumbledore for several moments, then sat down.
"All sixth years, pay attention please." Professor McGonagall called, raising her voice over the din.
As the student body quieted, Professor Dumbledore began to speak. "Now, there have been many delays in the OWL results, most of them due to the activities of the Death Eaters, and the need to use every available resource in an attempt to control their attacks, among other things. But I am very pleased to announce that the OWL results have arrived. Sixth years pleasesee your head of house for your results."
At once there was a clamor as all of the sixth years jumped up out of their seats. Dumbledore began speaking again, silencing the student body. "Sixth year students will move to these assigned classrooms. Gryffindor will go to the Transfiguration classroom with Professor McGonagall and Professor Said. Ravenclaws, to the Charms classroom with Professors Flitwick and Vector. Hufflepuffs to the History of Magic classroom with Professor Sprout and Madam Hooch, and Slytherins to the Dungeons with Professor Snape and Mr. Filch. That is all."
Harry, Hermione and the others darted out of the Great Hall and upstairs to the Transfiguration classroom, Hermione threw herself down at one of the desks. "I don't know if I want my results." She wailed.
"Thank you." Professor McGonagall began. "We have been informed by the Ministry that some exceptional results have been achieved. In a moment you will be given your results, as your Head of House I would like to take this opportunity to say how proud I am of all of you..."
"If you wish, you may take your results and open them in private, or with your friends, but if you wish to discuss you results, come to see Professor McGonagall or myself." Professor Said finished.
As the Professors finished handing out the off-white parchment envelopes Harry just stood there, holding his envelope, feeling his heart hammering against his chest.
Mr. H. J. Potter. The address on the envelope was simple, written in a flowing script, with blue ink.
"Harry?" A gentle voice asked. "Harry are you all right?"
He looked up at the speaker, finally seeing her come into focus. "Professor Said." His voice was distant. "Are you all right?" She asked again.
"Uh..." Harry finally realised that they were still standing in the Transfiguration classroom, though there was only the two of them left. "I guess I don't really want this." He waved the envelope slightly. "I always thought I'd open it with Sirius."
"I know Harry" She told him, resting her hand on his shoulder.
"I should be... Remus and Tonks will be..." Harry started, no longer able to string two coherent thoughts together. "It's all right Harry." Remus assured him, standing at the door. Both he and Tonks walked in and stood next to them. "Aren't you going to open your results?" Tonks asked.
Harry dropped the envelope onto a desk and sank down onto a chair. "It doesn't matter. I don't... My OWL results... I wanted to do so well, so that Sirius would be proud of me."
"He was proud of you, Harry." Remus told him. "More proud of you than you will ever know."
Harry bit back the reply on his lips and stared out the door, into the hallway for a moment, then with an air of feigned calmness he stood and walked out of the room, leaving the off-white envelope on the desk.
Harry barely noticed that no one followed him from the room.
As he walked Harry found himself without a destination, without a purpose, and with no one to talk to.
Finally his feet took him down to the lake, to the place where he, Hermione and Ron has once finished their homework, to the place where, using Snape's Pensieve last year, he had seen both of his parents during their school days.
"What would you think of me now?" He asked aloud, as though the spirits of his parents and Sirius could hear him. "What would you say if you were sitting here?"
Somewhere deep inside, Harry knew that he'd never have an answer to that question, it was just something else that Voldemort had taken away from him.
Harry just sat there for a long time, deep in though, unmoving. Finally, sighing he stood and walked away, this time, he knew where he was going.
Hagrid opened the door on the first knock. "Harry." The half giant moved to one side to let him in.
Harry sat down in one of the enormous chairs without saying a word.
"OWL results gettin' you down?" Hagrid asked, making some tea.
"Don't know." Harry told him. "I never opened them."
Hagrid raised his bushy eyebrows as he put a mug of tea down on the table in front of him.
"I knew that I'd never be able to open them without my parents, but I thought that Sirius would be here with me, you know." Harry finished.
'Ye worked pretty hard for them OWLs Harry." Hagrid said quietly. "We all saw that, even Sirius. An' we knew what a struggle it was fer yeh, what with You-Know-Who, an' that dratted Umbridge woman. No matter what yer results are, we're all proud of yeh."
Harry looked up from his tea. "Everyone's probably mad at me. I went off without my bodyguards. They probably think I acted like a child."
"Yer only sixteen. Still a kid Harry. But I don' think anyone'll think the worse of yeh."
"I just really..." Harry stopped speaking for a moment and looked up. "I just really wanted to open it with my family."
"I just wish..." Hagrid began.
"We have to go." Harry stood up, bumping the table. "Come up to the castle with me."
The pair arrived outside Dumbledore's office in record time.
From inside they could hear voices.
"For Merlin's sake Dumbledore, we can't just let him go off alone. What if there's another attack?" Harry was sure it was Professor McGonagall speaking.
Hagrid knocked heavily on the door.
"Enter." Dumbledore called.
Hagrid pushed the heavy oak door open allowing himself and Harry to enter.
"Harry!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, with Harry almost certain she was going to hug him. Thankfully she didn't.
"I'm sorry I disappeared." Harry apologized quietly, though everyone in the room heard him.
"I do understand why Harry. But I would ask that you not do it again." Dumbledore told him, the familiar twinkle still in his eyes.
"I needed some time to think." Harry confessed. "I didn't want to open my results because Sirius wasn't here to open them with me."
Professor Said and Remus both reached out to him, but he moved away.
"No offence to any of you because Sirius was my first choice, but if you'd like to stay I'd like to open my results with the people who have helped to keep me alive." Harry told them, beginning to speak again, then looking a little sheepish. "Does anyone know where my results are?"
Lupin and Tonks both fought back laughter, while Professor Dumbledore passed him the very familiar off-white parchment envelope, addressed in blue ink.
Harry just held it for a moment.
"Well, go on then." Moody growled. "It won't bite you. Checked it for booby traps myself."
Harry nodded, feeling a sudden wave of apprehension wash over him. Carefully he broke the wax seal, and drew out the slip of parchment.
Dear Mr. Potter,
We hope you are pleased with your OWL results, and endeavour to furthur you education in these trying times. Results were somewhat delayed this year, and for that we send out sincerest apologies.
Sincerely,
Griselda Marchbanks.
Then, on a second slip of parchement were his results.
Harry James Potter of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry achieved these marks in his fifth year Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations.
Transfiguration - Outstanding.
Charms - Outstanding.
Potions - Exceeds Expectations.
Defence Against the Dark Arts - Outstanding.
Divination - Poor.
Herbology - Exceeds Expectations.
History of Magic - Acceptable.
Astronomy - Acceptable.
Care of Magical Creatures - Outstanding.
For Harry, the room was silent for a moment.
"How did you go?" Remus asked gently.
Harry smiled. "Pretty well, I think." He answered, passing the sheet of parchment over to his former teacher. The others all gathered around him, reading over his shoulder.
Professor McGonagall lifted her gaze from the parchment and smiled at him. "It looks like you'll be an Auror yet, Potter."
"An Auror?" For a fleeting moment surprise registered on the retired Auror's face.
"You can't be shocked at that, Mad-Eye." Tonks told him, a smile on her face. "Harry's done more at sixteen than some of our senior Auror's have."
Remus passed the results to Professor McGonagall and bounded over to Harry, he and Tonks both hugging him, while Hagrid then picked all three of them up, all the time praising Harry for his Outstanding OWL in Care of Magical Creatures.
"Congratulations Harry." Dumbledore said. "Why don't you join your classmates in Gryffindor tower. They're probably making lots of mess and noise."
Harry smiled as Hagrid dumped him and the others onto the floor. "Thank you."
"Come on then." Tonks bounced on the balls of her feet like an excited child.
Anyone would think you were recieving your own results Nymphadora." Dumbledore told her, smiling.
"Come on." Harry gestured towards the door, now eager to go and see his classmates.
In the Great Hall, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall stood at the Head Table speaking quietly together.
Harry and the others sat down at the Gryffindor table, as Tonks and Remus made their way to the Head Table. Harry watched as they spoke with Dumbledore for several moments, then sat down.
"All sixth years, pay attention please." Professor McGonagall called, raising her voice over the din.
As the student body quieted, Professor Dumbledore began to speak. "Now, there have been many delays in the OWL results, most of them due to the activities of the Death Eaters, and the need to use every available resource in an attempt to control their attacks, among other things. But I am very pleased to announce that the OWL results have arrived. Sixth years pleasesee your head of house for your results."
At once there was a clamor as all of the sixth years jumped up out of their seats. Dumbledore began speaking again, silencing the student body. "Sixth year students will move to these assigned classrooms. Gryffindor will go to the Transfiguration classroom with Professor McGonagall and Professor Said. Ravenclaws, to the Charms classroom with Professors Flitwick and Vector. Hufflepuffs to the History of Magic classroom with Professor Sprout and Madam Hooch, and Slytherins to the Dungeons with Professor Snape and Mr. Filch. That is all."
Harry, Hermione and the others darted out of the Great Hall and upstairs to the Transfiguration classroom, Hermione threw herself down at one of the desks. "I don't know if I want my results." She wailed.
"Thank you." Professor McGonagall began. "We have been informed by the Ministry that some exceptional results have been achieved. In a moment you will be given your results, as your Head of House I would like to take this opportunity to say how proud I am of all of you..."
"If you wish, you may take your results and open them in private, or with your friends, but if you wish to discuss you results, come to see Professor McGonagall or myself." Professor Said finished.
As the Professors finished handing out the off-white parchment envelopes Harry just stood there, holding his envelope, feeling his heart hammering against his chest.
Mr. H. J. Potter. The address on the envelope was simple, written in a flowing script, with blue ink.
"Harry?" A gentle voice asked. "Harry are you all right?"
He looked up at the speaker, finally seeing her come into focus. "Professor Said." His voice was distant. "Are you all right?" She asked again.
"Uh..." Harry finally realised that they were still standing in the Transfiguration classroom, though there was only the two of them left. "I guess I don't really want this." He waved the envelope slightly. "I always thought I'd open it with Sirius."
"I know Harry" She told him, resting her hand on his shoulder.
"I should be... Remus and Tonks will be..." Harry started, no longer able to string two coherent thoughts together. "It's all right Harry." Remus assured him, standing at the door. Both he and Tonks walked in and stood next to them. "Aren't you going to open your results?" Tonks asked.
Harry dropped the envelope onto a desk and sank down onto a chair. "It doesn't matter. I don't... My OWL results... I wanted to do so well, so that Sirius would be proud of me."
"He was proud of you, Harry." Remus told him. "More proud of you than you will ever know."
Harry bit back the reply on his lips and stared out the door, into the hallway for a moment, then with an air of feigned calmness he stood and walked out of the room, leaving the off-white envelope on the desk.
Harry barely noticed that no one followed him from the room.
As he walked Harry found himself without a destination, without a purpose, and with no one to talk to.
Finally his feet took him down to the lake, to the place where he, Hermione and Ron has once finished their homework, to the place where, using Snape's Pensieve last year, he had seen both of his parents during their school days.
"What would you think of me now?" He asked aloud, as though the spirits of his parents and Sirius could hear him. "What would you say if you were sitting here?"
Somewhere deep inside, Harry knew that he'd never have an answer to that question, it was just something else that Voldemort had taken away from him.
Harry just sat there for a long time, deep in though, unmoving. Finally, sighing he stood and walked away, this time, he knew where he was going.
Hagrid opened the door on the first knock. "Harry." The half giant moved to one side to let him in.
Harry sat down in one of the enormous chairs without saying a word.
"OWL results gettin' you down?" Hagrid asked, making some tea.
"Don't know." Harry told him. "I never opened them."
Hagrid raised his bushy eyebrows as he put a mug of tea down on the table in front of him.
"I knew that I'd never be able to open them without my parents, but I thought that Sirius would be here with me, you know." Harry finished.
'Ye worked pretty hard for them OWLs Harry." Hagrid said quietly. "We all saw that, even Sirius. An' we knew what a struggle it was fer yeh, what with You-Know-Who, an' that dratted Umbridge woman. No matter what yer results are, we're all proud of yeh."
Harry looked up from his tea. "Everyone's probably mad at me. I went off without my bodyguards. They probably think I acted like a child."
"Yer only sixteen. Still a kid Harry. But I don' think anyone'll think the worse of yeh."
"I just really..." Harry stopped speaking for a moment and looked up. "I just really wanted to open it with my family."
"I just wish..." Hagrid began.
"We have to go." Harry stood up, bumping the table. "Come up to the castle with me."
The pair arrived outside Dumbledore's office in record time.
From inside they could hear voices.
"For Merlin's sake Dumbledore, we can't just let him go off alone. What if there's another attack?" Harry was sure it was Professor McGonagall speaking.
Hagrid knocked heavily on the door.
"Enter." Dumbledore called.
Hagrid pushed the heavy oak door open allowing himself and Harry to enter.
"Harry!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, with Harry almost certain she was going to hug him. Thankfully she didn't.
"I'm sorry I disappeared." Harry apologized quietly, though everyone in the room heard him.
"I do understand why Harry. But I would ask that you not do it again." Dumbledore told him, the familiar twinkle still in his eyes.
"I needed some time to think." Harry confessed. "I didn't want to open my results because Sirius wasn't here to open them with me."
Professor Said and Remus both reached out to him, but he moved away.
"No offence to any of you because Sirius was my first choice, but if you'd like to stay I'd like to open my results with the people who have helped to keep me alive." Harry told them, beginning to speak again, then looking a little sheepish. "Does anyone know where my results are?"
Lupin and Tonks both fought back laughter, while Professor Dumbledore passed him the very familiar off-white parchment envelope, addressed in blue ink.
Harry just held it for a moment.
"Well, go on then." Moody growled. "It won't bite you. Checked it for booby traps myself."
Harry nodded, feeling a sudden wave of apprehension wash over him. Carefully he broke the wax seal, and drew out the slip of parchment.
Dear Mr. Potter,
We hope you are pleased with your OWL results, and endeavour to furthur you education in these trying times. Results were somewhat delayed this year, and for that we send out sincerest apologies.
Sincerely,
Griselda Marchbanks.
Then, on a second slip of parchement were his results.
Harry James Potter of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry achieved these marks in his fifth year Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations.
Transfiguration - Outstanding.
Charms - Outstanding.
Potions - Exceeds Expectations.
Defence Against the Dark Arts - Outstanding.
Divination - Poor.
Herbology - Exceeds Expectations.
History of Magic - Acceptable.
Astronomy - Acceptable.
Care of Magical Creatures - Outstanding.
For Harry, the room was silent for a moment.
"How did you go?" Remus asked gently.
Harry smiled. "Pretty well, I think." He answered, passing the sheet of parchment over to his former teacher. The others all gathered around him, reading over his shoulder.
Professor McGonagall lifted her gaze from the parchment and smiled at him. "It looks like you'll be an Auror yet, Potter."
"An Auror?" For a fleeting moment surprise registered on the retired Auror's face.
"You can't be shocked at that, Mad-Eye." Tonks told him, a smile on her face. "Harry's done more at sixteen than some of our senior Auror's have."
Remus passed the results to Professor McGonagall and bounded over to Harry, he and Tonks both hugging him, while Hagrid then picked all three of them up, all the time praising Harry for his Outstanding OWL in Care of Magical Creatures.
"Congratulations Harry." Dumbledore said. "Why don't you join your classmates in Gryffindor tower. They're probably making lots of mess and noise."
Harry smiled as Hagrid dumped him and the others onto the floor. "Thank you."
"Come on then." Tonks bounced on the balls of her feet like an excited child.
Anyone would think you were recieving your own results Nymphadora." Dumbledore told her, smiling.
"Come on." Harry gestured towards the door, now eager to go and see his classmates.