Chapter 57:
"Well it wasn't too bad, was it?" asked Hermione anxiously in the entrance hall two hours later, still clutching the exam paper. "I'm not sure I did myself justice on Cheering Charms, I just ran out of time — did you put in the countercharm for hiccups? I wasn't sure whether I ought to, it felt like too much — and on question twenty-three —"
"Hermione," said Ron sternly, "we've been through this before… We're not going through every exam afterward, it's bad enough doing them once."
"Yeah give them a break," Alicia said grinning slightly. She felt rather good about her exam and was now waiting for the practical, in which she'd always enjoyed.
The fifth years ate lunch with the rest of the school (the four House tables reappeared over the lunch hour) and then trooped off into the small chamber beside the Great Hall, where they were to wait until called for their practical examination. As small groups of students were called forward in alphabetical order, those left behind muttered incantations and practiced wand movements, occasionally poking one another in the back or eye by mistake.
Hermione's name was called. Trembling, she left the chamber with Anthony Goldstein, Gregory Goyle, and Daphne Greengrass. Students who had already been tested did not return afterward, so Harry, Alicia and Ron had no idea how Hermione had done.
"She'll be fine — remember she got a hundred and twelve percent on one of our Charms tests?" said Ron.
"I'm surprised you remember that." Alicia admitted.
Ten minutes later, Professor Flitwick called, "Parkinson, Pansy — Patil, Padma — Patil, Parvati — Potter, Alicia — Potter, Harry."
"I totally forgot we'd do it together." Alicia mumbled as she looked at Harry.
"Even though your name wasn't called at 'E'?" Harry asked
"Yes." she nodded and Harry grinned.
"Good luck," said Ron quietly. Alicia gave him a wink and she and Harry walked into the Great Hall. Alicia's heart began to race again and she flexed her fingers around her wand.
Flitwick directed them to examiners and Alicia moved to stand before the one he pointed to for her.
"Potter huh?" the women smiled and looked her over with interest "Yes I read that article, bit of a surprise but it does make sense that if one survived you both would, even if no one knows how." Alicia smiled at her, choosing not to respond with words.
"Nervous?"
"I've always liked charms, but maybe a little bit." Alicia confessed and she nodded.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine… now, if I could ask you to take this eggcup and make it do some cartwheels for me…"
Alicia did as she was asked and followed it up with the Levitation Charm, Colour-changing and growth charms successfully, receiving a praise from the examiner before she was released from the practical exam.
"Okay, one subject done." she said when Harry joined her in the entrance hall and she shook her hands and jumped up and down for a second. "Feeling good, but move on." she directed before she lead the way, Harry following her as he chuckled at her antics, to the Gryffindor common room.
There was no time to relax that night — they went straight to the common room after dinner and submerged themselves in studying for Transfiguration next day. Alicia dreamt about the exam in her sleep.
She remembered definitions of spells to answer the theory exam the next morning and transfigured her ferret perfectly. Hannah Abbott however, who was on the table beside Harry, who was working on an iguana, lost her head completely and somehow managed to multiply her ferret into a flock of flamingos, causing the examination to be halted for ten minutes while the birds were captured and carried out of the Hall.
They had their Herbology exam on Wednesday and then, on Thursday, Defence Against the Dark Arts. Alicia took much pleasure in her written exam and her practical was even more successful as she performed all the counterjinxes and defensive spells right in front of Umbridge, who was watching coolly from near the doors into the entrance hall.
"Of Excellent very excellent." the examiner said to her when she'd finished and she smiled. "Right— oh!" Alicia turned to see a silver stag patronus running the length of the Great Hall. "Well I'll say."
"Such a show off." Alicia shook her head
"Oh?" the examiner asked her curiously
"It's my brother's patronus,"
"Harry Potter's?" and Alicia nodded "I didn't know he could produce a patronus?"
"Well we had a bit of trouble with dementors in our third year, when they were placed around Hogwarts looking for Sirius Black. Professor Lupin taught Harry and I the Patronus charm to help us." she explained
"Both of you?" Alicia nodded again. "Well I'd love to see." Alicia looked surprised but she flicked her wand and the silver substance turned into an owl that flew over the two's head and then settled on the desk, glowing brilliantly.
"Oh how wonderful!" Alicia shrugged as her owl vanished. "You may go now dear." Alicia nodded, thanked the women and turned for the Entrance Hall.
"You're such a show off." Alicia said to Harry when she joined him.
"I'm sorry? Me?"
"I only did it cause I explained how you could do one." Alicia rolled her eyes.
"Well he offered me a bonus point." he shrugged grinning and Alicia grinned as she gasped.
"That's so cheating!" Harry just grinned.
"Well, I think I may have gotten an 'Outstanding' in that one." he whispered very quietly
"No reason you couldn't have." Alicia nodded.
Harry and Ron had Friday off from exams while Alicia and Hermione sat their Ancient Runes exam, in which Alicia was rather happy with. Hermione however was not as happy as Alicia and continued to complain about how she mistranslated 'ehmaz'.
"Hermione, one mark, out of how many!?" Alicia demanded after Hermione had repeated her frustration for the tenth time.
As the two walked down the corridor they heard a shriek and stopped in absolute shock. The girls shared a look before they ran forwards to arrive at Umbridge's office. Alicia smirked as she heard the cries and shrieks while Hermione looked concerned.
"Another niffler?" she questioned
"Someone really thinks they're getting the job done." Alicia snickered.
"It's not good Alicia, she'll suspect Hagrid."
"Come on Hermione if it's anything like the other years she wont even make it through this term. Even if she does Dumbledore will be back." Alicia assured.
Hermione didn't say anything but continued walking as Alicia grinned back at Umbridge's office as she followed.
Ron spoke first when the two reached the common room, he clearly decided to ignore Hermione's obviously bad temper and asked her how the exam went. He wasn't paying much attention though as the two boys were playing chess.
"How were the runes?" said Ron, yawning and stretching.
"I mistranslated 'ehwaz,' " said Hermione furiously. "It means 'partnership,' not 'defence,' I mixed it up with 'eihwaz.' "
"Ah well," said Ron lazily, "that's only one mistake, isn't it, you'll still get —"
"Oh shut up," said Hermione angrily, "it could be the one mistake that makes the difference between a pass and a fail. And what's more, someone's put another niffler in Umbridge's office, I don't know how they got it through that new door, but I just walked past there and Umbridge is shrieking her head off — by the sound of it, it tried to take a chunk out of her leg —"
"Good," said Harry and Ron together.
"My thoughts." Alicia grinned
"It is not good!" said Hermione hotly. "She thinks it's Hagrid doing it, remember? And we do not want Hagrid chucked out!"
"He's teaching at the moment, she can't blame him," said Harry, gesturing out of the window. Alicia glanced to see Hagrid was, indeed, with a class.
"Oh, you're so naive sometimes, Harry, you really think Umbridge will wait for proof?" said Hermione, who seemed determined to be in a towering temper, and she swept off toward the girls' dormitories, banging the door behind her.
"Such a lovely, sweet-tempered girl," said Ron, very quietly, prodding his queen forward so that she could begin beating up one of Harry's knights.
"Yeah…" Alicia mumbled.
"Well how'd you go?" Harry wondered
"I'm quite pleased." Alicia grinned "And if it means getting under Umbridge's skin then god I'll get an 'Outstanding' in everything!"
"Hear, hear!" the boys chorused as she grinned.
Hermione's bad mood persisted for most of the weekend, though Harry, Alicia and Ron found it quite easy to ignore as they spent most of Saturday and Sunday studying for Potions on Monday,
The exam was rather difficult but Alicia moved through it like she did the others. She was very pleased with the question on polyjuice potion however as the four of them had taken the stuff illegally in their second year and knew it's effects first hand.
The practical in the afternoon was rather enjoyable to Alicia. Snape wasn't around criticising people or distract anyone and when she had a glance around she noticed that Harry and even Neville seemed to be enjoying themselves.
When Professor Marchbanks said, "Step away from your cauldrons, please, the examination is over," Alicia corked her sample proudly and left with everyone else.
"Only four exams left," said Parvati Patil wearily as they headed back to Gryffindor common room.
"Only!" said Hermione snappishly. "I've got Arithmancy and it's probably the toughest subject there is!"
Nobody was foolish enough to snap back, no one except, of course, Alicia, who felt the girl needed to vent out her worries and frustrations.
"Well you shouldn't have picked the subject then if you're that worried." Hermione went off about the importance of Arithmancy and rambled so much that people moved away and avoided her as to not cop her anger. Despite being able to let lose, she still told first years off for giggling too loudly in the common room as they studied to Care of Magical Creatures which was tomorrow's exam.
The practical examination took place in the afternoon on the lawn on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where students were required to correctly identify the knarl hidden among a dozen hedgehogs (the trick was to offer them all milk in turn: knarls, highly suspicious creatures whose quills had many magical properties, generally went berserk at what they saw as an attempt to poison them); then demonstrate correct handling of a bowtruckle, feed and clean a fire-crab without sustaining serious burns, and choose, from a wide selection of food, the diet they would give a sick unicorn.
Harry could see Hagrid watching anxiously out of his cabin window. Alicia made sure to give Hagrid a happy and positive look when she was allowed to leave the examination and she saw Harry give him the thumbs up as he did the same.
The Astronomy theory exam on Wednesday morning went well enough; Alicia wrote down Jupiter's many moons, and they then had to wait until evening for their practical Astronomy; the afternoon was devoted instead to Divination for the boys and Arithmancy for the girls.
Harry and Ron finished their Divination before Alicia and Hermione finished Arithmancy, as they caught them as they ran up the marble staircase, Harry was laughing so Alicia assumed the exam either went well or they didn't care for the subject as usual. When he saw Hermione however, he immediately stopped laughing, worried she'd snap at them.
"Well, I think I've done all right in Arithmancy," she said, and Harry and Ron both sighed with relief.
"See all that worrying for no reason." Alicia said grinning and Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled slightly.
"Just time for a quick look over our star charts before dinner, then…"
When they reached the top of the Astronomy Tower at eleven o'clock they found a perfect night for stargazing, cloudless and still. The grounds were bathed in silvery moonlight, and there was a slight chill in the air. Each of them set up his or her telescope and, when Professor Marchbanks gave the word, proceeded to fill in the blank star chart he or she had been given.
Professors Marchbanks and Tofty strolled among them, watching as they entered the precise positions of the stars and planets they were observing. All was quiet except for the rustle of parchment, the occasional creak of a telescope as it was adjusted on its stand, and the scribbling of many quills. Half an hour passed, then an hour; the little squares of reflected gold light flickering on the ground below, started to vanish as lights in the castle windows were extinguished.
Alicia was happily filling in the star chart when the castle doors opened and flooded the ground, she saw people walking down the stone steps and returned to her exam until a loud knock echoed across the grounds. All she had to do was look up at Hagrid's cabin to see the lights turn on and the people were let inside. Alicia continued, glancing every now and then towards Hagrid's cabin before a sudden roar sounded all over the grounds from it and Alicia and Harry were not the only ones to look up from their telescopes. Professor Tofty gave another dry little cough.
"Try and concentrate, now, boys and girls," he said softly.
Most people returned to their telescopes. Harry looked to his left. Hermione was gazing transfixed at Hagrid's.
"Ahem — twenty minutes to go," said Professor Tofty.
Hermione jumped and returned at once to her star chart; Harry and Alicia shared a look before returning only to be interrupted yet again when there was a loud BANG from the grounds. Several people said "Ouch!" as they poked themselves in the face with the ends of their telescopes, hastening to see what was going on below.
Hagrid's door had burst open and by the light flooding out of the cabin they saw him quite clearly, a massive figure roaring and brandishing his fists, surrounded by six people, all of whom, judging by the tiny threads of red light they were casting in his direction, seemed to be attempting to Stun him.
"No!" cried Hermione.
"My dear!" said Professor Tofty in a scandalised voice. "This is an examination!"
But nobody was paying the slightest attention to their star charts anymore: Jets of red light were still flying beside Hagrid's cabin, yet somehow they seemed to be bouncing off him. He was still upright and still fighting. Cries and yells echoed across the grounds; a man yelled, "Be reasonable, Hagrid!" and Hagrid roared, "Reasonable be damned, yeh won' take me like this, Dawlish!"
The tiny outline of Fang was attempting to defend Hagrid, leaping at the wizards surrounding him until a Stunning Spell caught him and he fell to the ground. Hagrid gave a howl of fury, lifted the culprit bodily from the ground, and threw him: The man flew what looked like ten feet and did not get up again. Hermione gasped, both hands over her mouth; Harry looked around at Ron and saw that he too was looking scared. Alicia just had her mouth dropped open at the scene shocked. None of them had ever seen Hagrid in a real temper before…
"Look!" squealed Parvati, who was leaning over the parapet and pointing to the foot of the castle where the front doors seemed to have opened again; more light had spilled out onto the dark lawn and a single long black shadow was now rippling across the lawn.
"Now, really!" said Professor Tofty anxiously. "Only sixteen minutes left, you know!"
But nobody paid him the slightest attention: They were watching the person now sprinting toward the battle beside Hagrid's cabin.
"How dare you!" the figure shouted as she ran. "How dare you!"
"It's McGonagall!" whispered Hermione.
"Leave him alone! Alone, I say!" said Professor McGonagall's voice through the darkness. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such —"
Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender all screamed. No fewer than four Stunners had shot from the figures around the cabin toward Professor McGonagall. Halfway between cabin and castle the red beams collided with her. For a moment she looked luminous, illuminated by an eerie red glow, then was lifted right off her feet, landed hard on her back, and moved no more.
"Galloping gargoyles!" shouted Professor Tofty, who seemed to have forgotten the exam completely. "Not so much as a warning! Outrageous behaviour!"
"COWARDS!" bellowed Hagrid, his voice carrying clearly to the top of the tower, and several lights flickered back on inside the castle. "RUDDY COWARDS! HAVE SOME O' THAT — AN' THAT —"
"Oh my —" gasped Hermione.
Alicia wanted nothing better than to do something herself but was just too stunned by the scene they were all observing to even think of what she could do.
Hagrid took two massive swipes at his closest attackers; judging by their immediate collapse, they had been knocked cold. He doubled over at one stage as though he had finally been overcome by a spell, but on the contrary, next moment Hagrid was standing again with what appeared to be a sack on his back, Fang's limp body was draped around his shoulders.
"Get him, get him!" screamed Umbridge, but her remaining helper seemed highly reluctant to go within reach of Hagrid's fists. Indeed, he was backing away so fast he tripped over one of his unconscious colleagues and fell over. Hagrid had turned and begun to run with Fang still hung around his neck; Umbridge sent one last Stunning Spell after him but it missed, and Hagrid, running full-pelt toward the distant gates, disappeared into the darkness.
There was a long minute's quivering silence, everybody gazing openmouthed into the grounds. Then Professor Tofty's voice said feebly, "Um… five minutes to go, everybody…"
Alicia bent to her chart and madly started to fill in what she had left, but all she wanted was to finish the exam now. When it came at last she, Harry, Ron, and Hermione forced their telescopes haphazardly back into their holders and dashed back down the spiral staircase. None of the students were going to bed — they were all talking loudly and excitedly at the foot of the stairs about what they had witnessed.
"That evil woman!" gasped Hermione, who seemed to be having difficulty talking due to rage. "Trying to sneak up on Hagrid in the dead of night!"
"She clearly wanted to avoid another scene like Trelawney's," said Ernie Macmillan sagely, squeezing over to join them.
"Hagrid did well, didn't he?" said Ron, who looked more alarmed than impressed. "How come all the spells bounced off him?"
"It'll be his giant blood," said Hermione shakily. "It's very hard to Stun a giant, they're like trolls, really tough… But poor Professor McGonagall.… Four Stunners straight in the chest, and she's not exactly young, is she?"
"She is an incredibly strong women though." Alicia said "I wouldn't be surprised if she was up again in no time."
"Dreadful, dreadful," said Ernie, shaking his head pompously. "Well, I'm off to bed'… 'Night, all…"
People around them were drifting away, still talking excitedly about what they had just seen.
"At least they didn't get to take Hagrid off to Azkaban," said Ron. "I 'spect he's gone to join Dumbledore, hasn't he?"
"I suppose so," said Hermione, who looked tearful. "Oh, this is awful, I really thought Dumbledore would be back before long, but now we've lost Hagrid too…"
They traipsed back to the Gryffindor common room to find it full. The commotion out in the grounds had woken several people, who had hastened to rouse their friends. Seamus and Dean, who had arrived ahead of Harry, Alicia, Ron, and Hermione, were now telling everyone what they had heard from the top of the Astronomy Tower.
"But why sack Hagrid now?" asked Angelina Johnson, shaking her head. "It's not like Trelawney, he's been teaching much better than usual this year!"
"Umbridge hates part-humans," said Hermione bitterly, flopping down into an armchair. "She was always going to try and get Hagrid out."
"And she thought Hagrid was putting nifflers in her office," piped up Katie Bell.
"Oh blimey," said Lee Jordan, covering his mouth. "It's me's been putting the nifflers in her office, Fred and George left me a couple, I've been levitating them in through her window…"
Alicia couldn't help but laugh and clapped him on the shoulder.
"She'd have sacked him anyway," said Dean. "He was too close to Dumbledore."
"That's true," said Harry, sinking into an armchair beside Hermione's.
"I just hope Professor McGonagall's all right," said Lavender tearfully.
"They carried her back up to the castle, we watched through the dormitory window," said Colin Creevey "She didn't look very well…"
"Madam Pomfrey will sort her out," said Katie Bell firmly. "She's never failed yet."
"And this is McGonagall we're talking about." Alicia added "When has anything ever taken her out?" many nodded.
It was nearly four in the morning before the common room cleared and Alicia did not feel she had had nearly enough sleep to be able to function in an exam. Their final exam, History of Magic, was not to take place until that afternoon. Alicia was sorely tempted to stay in bed and sleep off last nights events but Hermione by no means would let her.
The fifth years entered the Great Hall at two o'clock and took their places in front of their overturned examination papers. As soon as it was over, Alicia and Ron had agreed to take Harry down to the Quidditch pitch and let him have a fly around on their brooms as he had not done so since the first game against Slytherin. It was a celebration for having finished their O.W.L exams.
"Turn over your papers," said Professor Marchbanks from the front of the Hall, flicking over the giant hourglass. "You may begin…"
Alicia had to strain slightly to concentrate, her drowsiness from the night before catching up. The first question took a little bit more concentration to get her going. She found once she'd answered a few of the questions she began to concentrate better. And then she could feel that Harry behind her, was not. He continued to stare at several different things instead of concentrating on his paper. Alicia was more than half way through her's before she sighed.
You're not doing the exam? Harry looked up at her and she turned her head slightly to glance at him. I know you know most of these. he looked at her as though he'd hit a light bulb and she scowled. You want me to give you the answers?
Well if I know them…
You wouldn't need me. Harry turned away from her annoyed as she continued.
He didn't seem to preserver any further as Alicia continued moving through the paper.
And then her head began to pound. Before long she couldn't read the questions in front of her and she had to shake her head to try and get her to focus. Something was pushing against her skull.
She turned and saw Harry and fallen asleep and she knew exactly what it was that was pounding at her brain.
She pushed against it but her eyes were clouded through the expansion that seemed to be happening in her head.
She couldn't help it and she closed her eyes.
Harry had moved through the Department of Mysteries and down isle ninety-seven and before him was a shape on the floor at the very end, a black shape moving upon the floor like a wounded animal…
A voice issued from her own mouth, a high, cold voice empty of any human kindness, "Take it for me… Lift it down, now… I cannot touch it… but you can…"
Why? Why did this person have to take it for Voldemort, why could he not touch the spheres? That was all that was around them on the shelves.
The black shape upon the floor shifted a little. A long-fingered white hand clutching a wand rise… the high, cold voice said, "Crucio!"
The man on the floor let out a scream of pain, attempted to stand but fell back, writhing. Laughing sounded. The wand raised, the curse lifted, and the figure groaned and became motionless.
"Lord Voldemort is waiting…"
This wasn't right… how could Voldemort have gotten into the Ministry? Then again he slipped a snake in… but that was less obvious than a tall pale-white, red-eyed person. And it was the middle of the day, the Ministry would be full!
Very slowly, his arms trembling, the man on the ground raised his shoulders a few inches and lifted his head. His face was bloodstained and gaunt, twisted in pain yet rigid with defiance…
"You'll have to kill me," whispered Sirius.
No! Alicia thought. He couldn't have Sirius! It was impossible!
"Undoubtedly I shall in the end," said the cold voice. "But you will fetch it for me first, Black… You think you have felt pain thus far? Think again… We have hours ahead of us and nobody to hear you scream…"
But somebody screamed as Voldemort lowered his wand again; somebody yelled and fell sideways off a hot desk onto the cold stone floor. Harry hit the ground and awoke, still yelling, his scar on fire, as the Great Hall erupted all around him.
Alicia had her hands grabbed at her black hair, all of it falling around her face as tears fell down her face, she felt like she'd shouted, her throat slightly hoarse. She was ignoring the fire in her neck, it wasn't nearly as painful as the idea of what was happening, what could happen. The thought of what she'd seen and it's outcome…