Black Truth
Chapter Forty: School Year's End
Harry stared glumly at his breakfast, only half-listening to Hermione reminding him of last minute facts and tips.
"Hermione, I'm going to fail anyway with Snape grading me."
Ron shot his friend a sympathetic look. "Look, Hermione, Snape will grade him the same whether he's right or wrong."
Harry ignored the ensuing argument as Hermione couldn't fathom a teacher grading someone wrong when they answered the question correctly, and Ron interjecting that this was Snape so of course he would do something like that.
Harry stretched his fingers as he looked down at the final question. Ensnared in a protective no-cheating bubble, he was only vaguely aware of his classmates. Some were still scribbling furiously on the written portion of the exam. Only Draco and Hermione had started the practical. Considering that those two would most likely finish way before the time limit, he figured he would have enough time to finish.
Define both positive and negative concentration and state how each would alter the effects of an invisibility potion.
Harry bit his lip absently as he began to write. A negative concentration would cause an alteration on the potion's effects, most often the opposite. But there was something different about the effect of having a negative concentration in an invisibility potion. Obviously it didn't to the reverse because that would just make you visible again… it was something about disappearing and… not wearing off! That was it!
The effects of a negative concentration for any of the ingredients of an invisibility potion causes the user to lose whatever the potion is applied to instead of merely turning it invisible.
The afternoon exam for Monday had Harry and Ron heading for Divination while Draco and Hermione took their Arithmancy exam.
Draco nearly groaned when he saw the prediction he had to make. This was another 'locate the derivative of theta' problem. And that would dictate his life span. Of course it would come out to have conditions, so it wouldn't be a worthwhile calculation anyway. And as he scanned the parchment, yes, that was the second question: Is this an exact calculation? Why or why not?
Harry sat staring at Ron's palm in silence as Professor Trelawney watched them. Ron had already written his prediction for Harry, which sat on the table, face down, next to them. Harry frowned slightly and began to write.
Ron's life-line is very short. He will die exactly four weeks from now at my wedding. From the line over his thumb, I can see that he will get very drunk and endanger the life of one with a very strong Inner Eye (shown by the intersection of lines across the fingertips) and kill himself in grief, as shown by the perpendicular line running towards his palm from his life-line.
Harry sat back satisfied, having completely disregarded anything factual about palm reading he might have known. And if he was lucky, Professor Trelawney would read it and think the one with the very strong Inner Eye was hers. That way she wouldn't come to the wedding.
The Care of Magical Creatures exam took place in a classroom on the second floor. Harry took a seat behind Draco and turned over the parchment on the desk which activated the no-cheating bubble Hagrid's untidy scrawl covered the first few lines of the paper.
Describe any magical creature you wish in a completely developed essay.
Harry blinked and began thinking of which magical creature he should write about. His eyes fell on the outline of Draco in front of him and he smiled as he began to write.
Veriae, or Atra Veritas, are perhaps one of the most misunderstood magical creatures…
McGonagall's Transfiguration exam was set up much like Snape's Potions exam. The first half was a writing section and the second half was a practical. Draco finished writing the essay (What is the difference between transfiguring inanimate objects to animate ones and transfiguring animate objects to inanimate ones?) and turned the parchment over. It disappeared and a small box with a note on top appeared in its place. A small garden snake was in the box, stated the note, and the practical half of the exam was to turn the snake into a goblet. Draco flicked open the latch on the box and let the snake crawl out on his desk. Feeling for the magical currents in the room, he latched onto one hovering over the window, an earthen current. He gently guided it into the snake's aura, blending the two and then began to mold the earth current into that of something with gold and gems.
Harry was having a more difficult time of the practical than Draco.
"But I don't want to become a goblet!" his snake hissed pitifully. "They're no fun! If I have to become something, make me something that goes places and sees things!"
Harry frowned. The snake continued to break his concentration with its whining about how it did not want to become a goblet. And he was sure he couldn't ask McGonagall if he could transform it into something else simply because the snake liked it better!
Frowning he closed his eyes and tried to block out the snake's speech as he thought of all the aspects of a water goblet.
Harry napped most of Wednesday in preparation for his Astronomy exam. Draco had taken it the night before, so the two of them just stayed in bed until lunch when Draco dragged them out to get something to eat. Then Draco had to take his Ancient Runes exam as Harry attempted to get more sleep. But sleep was not forthcoming, and Harry found himself envisioning many disastrous meetings between the Dursleys and Draco. The Astronomy exam left Harry exhausted for his History of Magic exam as he tried to write down everything he remembered about the Wizard-Troll wars of 1000 B.C.E . Finishing the exam he was very happy to simply fall asleep on his desk. Ron woke him shortly after the exam was finished and they headed for Herbology.
Harry's Herbology exam took place in Greenhouse Four, which had been divided into sections by fogged glass walls, so that one couldn't see what was going on inside them. Professor Sprout told them that there was a different plant inside each section of the Greenhouse and that they each had to pick one. Once inside they had to identify the plant by writing its name on the glass and had to harvest whatever useful items they could from the plant.
Harry randomly picked a section and walked in to see a smallish, bushy plant with long leaves that looked like hair. He looked at it for a minute before tracing Gorgon Tree on the fog-covered glass walls. The name was deceptive, since the plant was actually a bush, and Harry was almost positive that's what the plant was. Now all he had to do was get to the small leaves under the hair-like ones, and he would be done.
Harry emerged with a handful of small leaves and dropped them in the small bin next to the glass wall. As he headed towards the exit, he paused by Draco's section. The blond was pouring a think golden liquid into the container outside the glass.
"What happened?" Harry asked, taking in Draco's appearance.
Draco shoved one strand of matted, bloody hair behind his ear and glared at the glass. "Bloodbush. I hope we don't get marked off for killing the plant because after I drained it of nectar I burned the thing."
Harry grinned as Draco stomped off towards their rooms and, most likely, their shower.
Harry left his Charms exam with a curl of dread beginning to work its way into his stomach. All that was left was Defense Against the Dark Arts, yet another Snape exam. And remembering the Potions exam he didn't dare think what Snape would come up with.
The exam was given in an empty circular room with no windows. As the last student filed in, Snape charmed the door to be transparent.
"Your exam will be a duel between all of you. It will be timed. For every minute you remain in the duel you will be granted a point. When all except for one person has fallen, that person's score, however many points it is, will be the perfect score and all others will be graded accordingly. You may begin as soon as the door closes." Snape stepped outside the room and slammed the door shut.
Harry didn't know who shot the first spell, but suddenly the air was thick with them and Harry felt a faint pulse of pain settle in his stomach.Shouts filled the room as he ducked under three curses and fired a jinx of his own. Someone yelled out as they fell to the floor and there was a bright light as the Gryffindor disappeared to reappear outside the room.
Two Slytherins fell next, then another Gryffindor. Harry swerved out of the way of Ron's Expelliarmus and fired back a jelly-legs curse, as Ron fought to regain control of his legs which were buckling underneath him, a Slytherin fired Petrificus Totalus on him and Ron dropped to the floor. Harry then jinxed the Slytherin, who was also removed from the room.
Harry became vaguely aware that Draco hadn't fired anything yet, nor had his wings sprouted. He turned to find where the blond was. He was on the other side of the room, and anyone who got near him seemed to be shot back with a stream of water.
Harry turned back to his own situation when he felt a curse hit his back and his upper body began to twitch. Ignoring the itching feeling that spread across his skin he turned around to hex the other person. His beam of purple light hit Hermione and she fell to the ground. Harry blinked in surprise as she smiled and disappeared to the other side of the door.
There were only three students left. Harry, Draco, and Blaise.
Draco launched himself at Blaise, and Harry could only watch as Blaise did nothing to stop him. They fell to the floor as Draco's wings ripped out of his cloak. Ignoring spells altogether, Draco began to hit Blaise, and Blaise let him. Harry blinked as he recognized the look on Blaise's face and he backed away from the two. Blaise was treating this like penance, letting Draco finally take out any anger from what had happened at Malfoy Manner on him.
Blaise's whole face was bloody when Draco stopped and the spell inside the room triggered so that Blaise appeared on the other side of the door. Draco looked up towards Harry but was stopped by the curse Harry had waiting. As Draco's form fell to the floor, the door opened, and the exam was over.
After dinner Draco headed for the Infirmary. Blaise was still there, and would spend the night; he'd broken Blaise's jaw and nose, and given him a concussion.
The room was silent as he entered. Blaise looked up from his bed and gave him a sad smile as he sat down on the chair next to him.
"I'm… sorry. I shouldn't have-"
"Gotten carried away like that?" Blaise finished. "Don't be. You have nothing to apologize for."
"I didn't get carried away. I wanted to hurt you."
"Of course you did. You have ever since then." Blaise didn't have to clarify when "then" was, they were both thinking about the incident at the Manner. "And I can't blame you for it. If I hadn't gotten in your way, your father might still be alive."
"But you didn't kill my father. And it's not your fault that he's dead."
"Maybe. We'll never know will we?"
Draco shrugged, his eyes staring at the floor.
"I know it's too late to say this. But I'm really sorry, Draco. If I could fix it-"
"Don't say it Blaise. I don't want to hear it. I know you're sorry. I know you only did that because you had to appear loyal. You did warn me not to let myself be seen. But I was. Under the circumstances… not knowing what would happen… you did the right thing."
"I'm not on his side Draco." Blaise whispered. "But I was too weak to stand by that at the initiation." He leaned back against the pillows. "I don't think I've ever seen my parents more proud… or hated myself more at any other moment in my life."
Draco nodded. The two were silent for a moment.
"Do you – I mean… I, er, got your invitation." Blaise stumbled through his words. "Do you really want me at your wedding?"
Draco nodded slowly.
"And Potter's okay with this?"
"Do you want him dead?"
"No."
"Then he won't have a problem with it. You're not a good enough Death Eater."
Blaise smile wryly. "I'm a horrible Death Eater."
"I'm glad you are."
The Great Hall was covered in red and gold in honor of Gryffindor House as Harry, Ron and Hermione entered for the Leaving Feast. As they passed the Slytherin table, Harry heard Draco drawling to Pansy and Blaise that if he'd been on the Quidditch team, then Slytherin wouldn't have lost the Cup that year, and couldn't help grinning.
As all of the students found their seats, Dumbledore stood and the hall quieted.
"Yet another year has passed. And we're older and hopefully a little wiser for it. Now for the House Cup. Hufflepuff finishes the year with three hundred twenty points, Ravenclaw with three hundred forty points, Slytherin with four hundred ten points, and Gryffindor with four hundred and fifty points!" Cheers and applause filled the hall. "Yes, Congratulations Gryffindor! And I'll not bother you with an old man's mumbling there's a feast to be had!"
As food filled the tables, Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and grinned. Draco raised his goblet in a mock salute and smirked in reply.
"Oh stop staring at him and go sit with him!" Ron muttered in-between mouthfuls.
"Yeah Harry, it's obvious you want to!" Dean added from across the table.
"What?" Harry gaped. "Sit over there?"
"You are his fiancé," Hermione added. "There's no reason not to."
"Well if you don't want me here anymore…" Harry trailed off with a grin as he stood and amidst loud denials and laughter made his way over to the Slytherin table.
"Just come back for dessert!" Ron called after him.
"Got room for one more?" Harry murmured in Draco's ear.
"I don't know, Harry." Draco looked up and down the table. "There don't seem to be any empty spots left."
"Then I'll just have to sit on your lap." And Harry did so.
"Uncouth Gryffindor," Draco drawled as Harry grabbed a drumstick and added it to Draco's plate.
"Yup, and you'll get to spend the rest of your life with me," Harry reminded him.
"Oh joy," Draco drawled, but his eyes were glittering in laughter.