On Teenagers & Love

a story by anamatics

Part Two

Chapter Seventeen - On Examinations and Dire Straits


When Hermione finds out that it was Harry had financed Fred and George's year of trouble making and subsequent departure from Hogwarts, she doesn't know whether to be impressed that he's got enough business sense to invest in such a promising start up, or scream because he's a bloody idiot for giving them money. Regardless, things are a lot more chaotic now that Fred and George have left the school. Lee Jordan seems rather lost and has taken to spending long hours by himself in the library, studying for his exams, but it's everyone else that Hermione has to worry about. Fred and George have left a void in their wake, and all number of students are trying to fill the role that they have left.

Harry is, naturally, avoiding any and all urging from Hermione to attempt to speak to Professor Snape regarding his occlumency lessons, and Ron has said that he's still thrashing about and talking in his sleep. Only he's apparently mastered a silencing charm, so Ron only happened to notice when he got up late two nights ago to get a drink.

It's really troubling to Hermione, because she's got this terrible theory that Harry doesn't want the dreams to stop after what happened to Mr. Weasley at Christmas and now with the snippets of information he is able to glean from his dreams. It's a terrible idea and Hermione hates that she can't seem to talk him out of doing it.

They're at the final quidditch match of the season, Hermione would rather be revising, but Harry's been so down about his ban all year that Hermione knows she has to go and provide moral support. Ginny's been a pretty good replacement for him at Seeker, and Ron's actually not that bad as a keeper. Still, it's a complete surprise when Hagrid, who's been avoiding them for what seems like months now, seeks them out. He has two black eyes and a very worried look on his face as he speaks in low tones to Harry. Hermione follows Harry out of the stands, all thoughts of the game forgotten as she hears Harry ask Hagrid what's going on.

Hagrid shoulders his crossbow and leads them deep into the forest, distractedly talking about how Umbridge wants to sack him. Hermione is very, very worried because all of her ventures into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid up to this point have been unarmed and fairly peaceful. She's never seen him look like this, and when Hagrid introduces Harry and her to a young giant who is apparently Hagrid's half-brother, Hermione's stomach tilts in a funny way that makes her want to vomit.

This is bad, this is so beyond bad it's worse than Norbert or the Skrewts, both of which are saying something. Harry's clutching Hermione's hand so tightly as they're introduced that Hermione thinks he's going to break her fingers. She's not doing much better and Hagrid really doesn't seem to be getting the fact that this is a horrible idea.

To further complicate things, apparently Hagrid has started some sort of feud with the centaurs who live in the forest over the safety of Firenze, who Hermione is still not at all attracted to, thank you very much. She and Harry cling to each other as they stand between Hagrid and a group of angry centaurs, with a young giant off to the side to make matters even worse.

This is, by far, one of the worst days at Hogwarts that she can ever remember.

Hagrid hurries them along a few minutes later, after making them promise that they'll help teach Grawp English if he gets sacked. Hermione waits until they're out of Hagrid's earshot and surrounded by a group of second year Hufflepuff girls before she starts.

"I don't believe him," she mutters, her voice shaking. "I don't believe him. I really, really don't believe him."

Harry pats her on the back and whispers. "Shhh, calm down."

"Calm down?" Hermione's hands are clenched into fists. "A giant. A great bloody giant in the forest. And we're supposed to just, what? Go down there whenever we please and give him English lessons? This, naturally, is assuming that we can get past the herd of murderous centaurs on our way in and out! I – do – not..." she finishes with a frustrated noise that causes one of the Hufflepuff girls to turn and look at her sharply.
Hermione gives her a dirty look for eavesdropping on a prefect.

"We haven't got to do anything now – just if he gets sacked and that might not even happen, Hermione," Harry hisses quietly so that the Hufflepuff girls won't overhear.

Hermione stops, eyes narrowed and angry. "Oh come off it," she says angrily. "Of course he's going to be chucked out and, really, to be totally honest, why can even blame Umbridge?"

The glare that Harry fixes on her is enough to make her want to scream and cry and rage against everything that's stacking up against them right now. She lets him lead her back to the Gryffindor common room, all the while asking him why Hagrid makes life so difficult on himself and for them.

And apparently Ron somehow managed to win them the Quidditch Cup.

Hermione straightens her jacket and glances at Harry, "Let him have his moment in the sun?"

"I'm in no hurry to tell 'im," Harry replies as they join the throng of jubilant Gryffindors.

As they set into revising more completely for O.W.L.s, Hermione writes Fleur to ask her to please write to her former headmistress to tell Hagrid that he's an idiot. Fleur's owl comes back the same day demanding far more of an explanation than Hermione had given, and Hermione writes out a longer reply explaining the situation. It is now nearing June and Hermione is starting to panic about exams and the added stress of Hagrid is doing very little for her ability to concentrate on memorizing all little details that she's let slip from her mind over the years.

Harry and Ron seem to have finally come around the idea that these exams are very real, are coming up very soon, and will almost certainly decide their entire futures. Hermione is grateful that the professors, at least, have come to the same conclusion that she has. Even Professor Umbridge, who is steadfastly determined to not teach them anything practical has gone back to third and fourth year defense and is reviewing all of the common subjects on their exams. Hermione wonders if this is because she knows that if the entirety of the fifth year students do poorly on their Defense O.W.L. parents (not to mention the school governors) are more likely to blame the teacher rather than the students.

Fleur sends her daily notes of encouragement and Hermione does her absolute best to not take her stress out on Fleur, Harry, Ron or anyone else who happens to attempt to talk to her during her precious study time.

Hermione feels confident about Charms and Transfiguration. They've always been her best subjects. She spends more time revising for Ancient Runes and Potions than she probably should and tries to not think about her last two exams. Arithmancy and History of Magic on the same day. What cruel fate that was. The Astronomy practical was that night. She groans as she looks at the exam schedule that she's copied down into her homework planner. It just all seems so hopeless and she's completely and utterly convinced that she's going to fail at least one exam.

Ginny reminds her to eat with a quiet smile and sits next to her on the couch as she does practice arithmancy problems out of the back of Angelina Johnson's seventh year text. It's not the best plan she's ever had, but at least she's feeling a lot more confident about the technical portion of that exam.

She misses studying with Fleur last year. Fleur always knew what questions to ask to draw the answers from where they'd all become muddled at the back of Hermione's mind.

Revising turns into examinations and Hermione feels as though her heart is about to beat its way out of her stomach as she writes out incantations and wand motions - demonstrates her skill with Transfiguration and brews one entirely-too-simple potion for that particular practical.

After her Ancient Runes exam, Hermione cannot help herself. She's agreed with Harry and Ron that they're not going to talk about the exams once they happen, but Hermione's gone and made a stupid first year mistake and she's worried that it might have doomed her entire translation to be one letter off.

"Hermione we agreed," Harry says, putting his hand on her shoulder. She takes a deep breath and prepares to reply before Harry cuts her off, "besides, we've only got the astronomy practical and History of Magic left."

"I still have Arithmancy," she laments, leaning against Ron as Harry pats her awkwardly on the shoulder. "And it's the hardest subject of all."

Ron sighs, "You were doing problems out of Angelina's text book, Hermione. That's the N.E.W.T. text; I think you'll be alright."

But Hermione doesn't feel alright. She's panicking in a way that she hasn't since she realized what was lurking inside the school walls second year. Not even a hundred dementors were as scary as the very idea of three exams in one day, one of which she still felt woefully underprepared for.

She retreats to the library and tries not look to wistfully as the rest of the school files out onto the grounds to enjoy the beautiful day.

She hasn't told Harry and Ron yet, because she's not quite sure how to. Her parents have written her to tell her that she's going to need to go to Ron's parents' house for the first six weeks of their nine week summer holiday because they're going to be out of the country. Hermione hates that they can just drop that sort of a bomb on her while she's trying to study for exams.

It's easy to understand, to an extent, anyway. She's been doing it to them for years, this is probably some sort of karmic retribution. All she can be is grateful that they didn't object to Hermione accepting Fleur's promise and they invited both of them to come to the house once they were pack in England sometime in August.
On the morning of her Arithmancy exam, Hermione gets a letter from Fleur. She pushes her cornflakes around in her bowl forlornly for a moment before she decides that putting off reading the letter is probably not the best plan.

Harry and Ron are reviewing Divination notes (not that there is anything actually academic that happens in that class) across from her while Ginny reads the newspaper. She supposes that this is the one quiet moment she'll get all day, and slides her finger under the wax seal.

Mon amour-

The situation that you've described sounds dire indeed. I understand your concern for M. Hagrid, but you must tread extremely carefully in such a situation. Giants and veela are from the same part of the world and there has always been bad blood between them. Even if this giant is young, there is sure to be some traces of me on you, which could send him into a rage. Please, Hermione, be careful and stay away from such a creature if you can. No friendship or obligation is worth risking yourself so foolishly.

I know that you have your arithmancy exam today, and I know you will do well. Please try and remember to breath, they are only exams, and you are sure to pass them with flying colors.

Fleur's written a few more lines in French and when Hermione sounds them out quietly to herself she feels her ears color. She knows exactly what Fleur's saying and her spirits lift for what feels like the first time in days.

"Red's lovely on you," Ginny comments with an evil twinkle in her eyes as she reaches around Hermione for the pumpkin juice.

"Oh shut up."

Hermione is sure that she's going to get a Dreadful on her Astronomy practical because they sacked Hagrid right in the middle of it. Everyone's a bit shell-shocked that it actually happened (and that Umbridge waited until the final two weeks of term to do it) and Hermione can't believe that they were allowed extra time because of the commotion. She was absolutely positive that she'd misidentified one of the stars on her chart.

Their last exam is History of Magic and somewhere in the middle of it, Harry has a sort of fit that leaves him shaking and terrified and desperate to speak to Professor McGongall since Dumbledore is gone. He tells Hermione and Ron in hushed tones just outside the Great Hall that he's absolutely positive that Voldemort has Sirius and is holding him in the Department of Mysteries.

Hermione tries not to object too loudly to the fact that this is so obviously a trap that even the usually obtuse Harry should see it. It's not good enough, and Harry yells his opinion loudly for anyone who wants to hear as they storm up to the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry wants to try and break into Umbridge's office to use her Floo to try and call Sirius to make sure that he's alright.

And now Harry's desperate to go and rescue Sirius from his nightmare, Voldemort and all the way back in London. Hermione bites her lip and nods curtly as Harry presents his arguments to her. She hates that she can't talk him out of this, because this is borderline suicidal, even for Harry.