A/N So sorry! I was meant to get this up on Tuesday but the website was down! So I hope you enjoy this chapter :) xxx
Chapter Thirty-One
O.
Ron couldn't do very much the next day; he was on such a high about winning the Quidditch Cup that he kept standing up and shuffling about. He constantly talked over the match and Amara started to believe that she had actually been there to watch him. Ethan was also very excited about winning the Cup and he had a little group of admirers surrounding him in the common room, much to his and Eddie's delight.
Ron's happiness made it very hard for the other three to explain about Hagrid's big secret in the Forbidden Forest.
Because a lot of people kept congratulating Ron they persuaded him to sit outside with them so they could "revise" and tell him about the secret.
They settled underneath a beech tree by the lake and spread their books out. Ron was still talking about his many goals.
"Well, I mean, I'd already let in that one of Davies's, so I wasn't feeling that confident, but I dunno, when Bradley came toward me, just out of nowhere, I thought — you can do this! And I had about a second to decide which way to fly, you know, because he looked like he was aiming for the right goal hoop — my right, obviously, his left — but I had a funny feeling that he was feinting, and so I took the chance and flew left — his right, I mean — and — well — you saw what happened," he concluded modestly, sweeping his hair back quite unnecessarily so that it looked interestingly windswept and glancing around to see whether the people nearest to them — a bunch of gossiping third-year Hufflepuffs — had heard him. Amara rolled her eyes at his way of trying to impress. "And then, when Chambers came at me about five minutes later — what?" Ron said, stopping mid-sentence at the look on Harry's face. "Why are you grinning?"
Amara turned towards Harry and did see him grinning.
Wondering why, Amara flicked through her Transfiguration notes at the parts she was less confident in.
"I'm not," said Harry. "I'm just glad we won, that's all."
"Yeah," said Ron slowly, savouring the words, "we won. Did you see the look on Chang's face when Ginny got the Snitch right out from under her nose?"
"I suppose she cried, did she?" said Harry bitterly.
"Well, yeah — more out of temper than anything, though . . ." Ron frowned slightly. "But you saw her chuck her broom away when she got back to the ground, didn't you?"
"Er —" said Harry. Amara and Hermione exchanged glanced.
"Er," Amara cleared her throat. "We actually didn't. We only saw Davies' first goal."
Ron's carefully ruffled hair seemed to wilt with disappointment.
"You didn't watch?" he said faintly, looking between all of them. "You didn't see me make any of those saves?"
"Well — no," said Hermione, stretching out a placatory hand toward him. "But Ron, we didn't want to leave — we had to!"
"Yeah?" said Ron, whose face was growing rather red. "How come?"
"It was Hagrid," said Harry. "He decided to tell us why he's been covered in injuries ever since he got back from the giants. He wanted us to go into the forest with him, we had no choice, you know how he gets. . . . Anyway . . ."
Harry told the story in five minutes and Amara and Hermione helped slightly. Ron's annoyance over them not being there vanished into incredulity once they'd finished.
"He brought one back and hid it in the forest?"
"Yep," said Harry grimly.
"No," said Ron, as though by saying this he could make it untrue. "No, he can't have. . . ."
"Well, he has," said Hermione firmly. "Grawp's about sixteen feet tall, enjoys ripping up twenty-foot pine trees, and knows me," she snorted, "as Hermy."
Ron gave a nervous laugh.
"And Hagrid wants us to . . . ?"
"Teach him English, yeah," said Harry.
"Which he doesn't seem to know much of," said Amara in irritation.
"He's lost his mind," said Ron in an almost awed voice.
"Yes," said Hermione irritably, turning a page of Intermediate Transfiguration and glaring at a series of diagrams showing an owl turning into a pair of opera glasses. "Yes, I'm starting to think he has. But unfortunately, he made Amara, Harry and me promise."
"Well, you're just going to have to break your promise, that's all," said Ron firmly. "I mean, come on . . . We've got exams and we're about that far," he held up his hand to show thumb and forefinger a millimetre apart, "from being chucked out as it is. And anyway . . . remember Norbert? Remember Aragog? Have we ever come off better for mixing with any of Hagrid's monster mates?"
"I know, it's just that — we promised," said Hermione in a small voice.
Ron smoothed his hair flat again, looking preoccupied.
"Well," he sighed, "Hagrid hasn't been sacked yet, has he? He's hung on this long, maybe he'll hang on till the end of term and we won't have to go near Grawp at all."
"Because if we do," said Amara, flicking through her notes to find her diagram of a Switching Spell, "There's no way in hell Umbridge isn't going to expel us."
-OOOOO-
The weather turned into a magnificent show: the sky became blue and clear, the sun beamed down on them and warmed the entire place up. There was a gentle breeze that ruffled the grass and flowers but no fifth year could experience the wonder is it. June had swept in, and O. were upon them.
No homework was being issued anymore - each lesson was devoted in revising each topic that usually came up in each paper. Luckily the constant revising drove everything but the exams out if Amara mind, which made it slightly clearer. Everyone was panicking and revising feverishly at every moment - Hermione muttered to herself constantly and she saw Hannah Abbott shaking in the library one day.
Ernie Macmillan, on the other hand, had developed an irritating habit of interrogating people about their study habits.
"How many hours d'you think you're doing a day?" he demanded of Amara, Harry and Ron as they queued outside Herbology, a manic gleam in his eyes.
"I dunno," said Ron. "A few . . ."
"More or less than eight?"
"Less, I s'pose," said Ron, looking slightly alarmed.
"I'm doing eight," said Ernie, puffing out his chest. "Eight or nine. I'm getting an hour in before breakfast every day. Eight's my average. I can do ten on a good weekend day. I did nine and a half on Monday. Not so good on Tuesday — only seven and a quarter. Then on Wednesday —"
Thankfully Professor Sprout ushered them into the greenhouse at this point so he had to abandon his speech.
Amara was very pleased when Neville told them that whatever Draco Malfoy seemed to think (which was that it wasn't what you knew but who you knew) wasn't true because he knew one of the examiners who had never spoken of the Malfoy family before.
A black market had erupted behind the backs of the teachers for the fifth and seventh years. It sold aids to concentration, mental agility and other rubbish that probably didn't work.
Amara, Harry and Ron were persuaded by a sixth year Ravenclaw, Eddie Carmichael, that they should buy Baruffio's Brain Elixir would help them through all the exams. Harry and Ron seemed tempted but Amara was unconvinced, especially when he said he'd knock off five Galleons if Amara went in a date with him.
Before Harry and Ron agreed (they were more than happy for Amara to go on a date with him) Hermione poured the bottle down the toilet.
"Hermione, we wanted to buy that!" shouted Ron.
"Don't be stupid," she snarled. "You might as well take Harold Dingle's powdered dragon claw and have done with it."
"Dingle's got powdered dragon claw?" said Ron eagerly.
"Not anymore," said Hermione. "I confiscated that too. None of these things actually works you know —"
"Dragon claw does work!" said Ron. "It's supposed to be incredible, really gives your brain a boost, you come over all cunning for a few hours — Hermione, let me have a pinch, go on, it can't hurt —"
"This stuff can," said Hermione grimly. "I've had a look at it, and it's actually dried doxy droppings."
This information took the edge off Harry and Ron's desire for brain stimulants and it made Amara laugh at them for an entire afternoon.
They received their examination timetables and details of the procedure for O.W.L.s during their next Transfiguration lesson.
"As you can see," Professor McGonagall told the class while they copied down the dates and times of their exams from the blackboard, "your O.W.L.s are spread over two successive weeks. You will sit the theory exams in the mornings and the practice in the afternoons. Your practical Astronomy examination will, of course, take place at night.
"Now, I must warn you that the most stringent Anti-Cheating Charms have been applied to your examination papers. Auto-Answer Quills are banned from the examination hall, as are Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, and Self-Correcting Ink. Every year, I am afraid to say, seems to harbor at least one student who thinks that he or she can get around the Wizarding Examinations Authority's rules. I can only hope that it is nobody in Gryffindor. Our new — headmistress" — Professor McGonagall said this in disgust — "has asked the Heads of House to tell their students that cheating will be punished most severely — because, of course, your examination results will reflect upon the headmistress's new regime at the school. . . ."
Professor McGonagall gave a tiny sigh.
"However, that is no reason not to do your very best. You have your own futures to think about."
"Please, Professor," said Hermione, her hand in the air, "when will we find out our results?"
"An owl will be sent to you sometime in July," said Professor McGonagall.
"Excellent," said Dean Thomas in an audible whisper, "so we don't have to worry about it till the holidays. . . ."
Amara would have to tell her parents how things were with exams, she could image their confusion when an 'A' wasn't the second best mark ...
Theory of Charms was there first exam, on Monday morning. The common room was tense that afternoon as people tried to revise: Harry tried to test Hermione, but she kept snatching the book back to check her answers; Ron was reading two years' worth of Charms notes, mouthing the words with his fingers in his ears; Seamus was reciting something for Dean; Parvati and Lavender were racing their pencil cases by practising the locomotor charm; Neville was flicking rapidly through a text book and Amara was highlighting facts she didn't know and practising the charms on a unknowing Ron.
Amara, Harry and Ron did not talk much at dinner. Instead, they focused on eating their food in silence and going over Charms notes in their minds. Hermione kept diving in her bag for answers but once she came back up again she gasped and her fork slipped out of her hand.
"Oh, my goodness," she said faintly, staring into the entrance hall. "Is that them? Is that the examiners?"
Amara, Harry and Ron whipped around on their bench. Through the doors to the Great Hall they could see Umbridge standing with a small group of ancient-looking witches and wizards. Umbridge was with them and seemed to be greeting the rather nervously.
"Shall we go and have a closer look?" said Ron.
The other three nodded eagerly and headed into the entrance hall. They began their slow journey across the entrance hall so they could waste as much time to see what was going on.
One of the examiners seemed rather deaf and was shouting rather loudly.
"Journey was fine, journey was fine, we've made it plenty of times before!" she said impatiently. "Now, I haven't heard from Dumbledore lately!" she added, peering around the hall as though hopeful he might suddenly emerge from a broom cupboard. "No idea where he is, I suppose?"
"None at all," said Umbridge, shooting a malevolent look at Amara, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were now dawdling around the foot of the marble staircase, pretending that Ron needed to tie his shoelace. "But I daresay the Ministry of Magic will track him down soon enough. . . ."
"I doubt it," shouted the tiny Professor, "not if Dumbledore doesn't want to be found! I should know. . . . Examined him personally in Transfiguration and Charms when he did N.E.W.T.s . . . Did things with a wand I'd never seen before . . ."
"Yes . . . well . . ." said Professor Umbridge as Amara, Harry, Ron, and Hermione now dragged their feet up the marble staircase as slowly as they dared, straining to listen, "let me show you to the staffroom . . . I daresay you'd like a cup of tea after your journey. . . ."
Everyone was strained and looked slightly sick that evening as they tried to cram in extra revision. Amara actually found herself wishing Fred and George were there so they could take her mind off the looming exams. But they were probably in London, in Diagon Alley, sorting out their shop.
They all went to bed early and lay in the darkness thinking about all the things they had to remember. It was a long time before Amara dropped off.
It was a quiet breakfast as well. Amara nervously tapped her fork against the table as she tried to remember all the facts she'd learnt, Parvati practised incantations under her breath and Hermione kept rereading Achievement in Charms.
After waiting in the Entrance Hall for half an hour, they were called in to the Great Hall by class and were shown to their seats. The tables had vanished and instead had been replaced by small desks facing the front.
Professor McGonagall stood facing them as they became quiet.
"You may begin," she said and turned over an enormous hourglass on the desk beside her, on which were also spare quills, ink bottles, and rolls of parchment.
Amara peered at the question paper.
a) Give the incantation, and b) describe the wand movement required to make objects fly.
Amara nearly smiled at the easy question and immediately began scribbling on the parchment.
The Charms Theory paper went extremely well for Amara and she came out of the exam hall feeling slightly relieved.
They ate in the Great Hall, Ron explaining to Hermione that they didn't want to go over the questions they'd just read about. After lunch they entered a small chamber off of the Great Hall and waited to be called for their practical examination.
They were called alphabetically, and Hermione was soon called along with Anthony Goldstein, Gregory Goyle and Daphne Greengrass. She left the room trembling and didn't return.
"MacDougal Morag - Macmillan Ernest - Malfoy, Draco - Malone, Roger - Matthews, Amara." Professor Flitwick called five minutes later.
Amara grimaced at Harry and Ron and left the chamber with Ernie.
"Professor Villin is free, Matthews, and Professor Harrison, Macmillan," Professor Flitwick told them.
"Good luck," said Ernie, looking pale.
"You too," said Amara and they walked off towards their designated Examiners.
Professor Villin turned out to be a very tall, very thin witch with a wrinkled face and skin that looked so leathery it could be made into shoes. Her hair was grey and shoulder length and she wore a bright purple hat on her head. She smiled at Amara when she came over, though it looked rather strained and tight. Amara thought she must've been over one hundred years old.
"Good afternoon," she said, her voice cracking as she shuffled her parchment. "Now, please make this eggcup make cartwheels for me, yes just there ..."
Amara nodded and swirled her wand and successfully made her eggcup do some rather spectacular cartwheels - much better than Malfoy's, who did floppy ones, and Morag MacDougal's, whose eggcup exploded in her examiners face.
Amara thought, without boasting, that she could have got full marks in the Charms Practical. Her colour change charm was so strong even the rat's teeth went blue, and her growth charm on her dining plate grew into what looked like a flying saucer. Professor Villin was very encouraging, and seemed to like Amara's skill very much.
"Excellent, excellent!" she cawed. "Yes, yes, you may go ..."
Amara winked at Harry on her way out and left the room with Ernie, who she had started to really like once he got over his pompous attitude.
"Well that went better than I thought it would be," said Ernie enthusiastically when they left. "I mean, anyone could have done a better levitation charm than Malfoy ... His made his wine glass smash ..."
Amara snorted at the thought.
"Well, I better get some Transfiguration done before dinner," said Ernie. "Good luck tomorrow - not that you'll need it, I heard you're amazing at Transfiguration ..."
Amara met up with Hermione in the common room so that they could practise Transfiguration before dinner. Hermione as stressing out about her Charms Practical, so Amara and Harry, who arrived shortly after, had to take her mind off it.
It was rather good for Amara that two of her best subjects were first - she felt so proud of herself when she came out of her Transfiguration paper but didn't dare say it because Harry and Ron were moaning about what questions they'd forgotten.
Amara was most displeased that for the Transfiguration Practical they called them in alphabetically depending on their first name: this meant Amara and Anthony Goldstein, who seemed rather scared and Amara had to reassure him, had to go first. On a brighter note, she got to have Professor Villin again, who was even more impressed with her Transfiguration skills than her Charm ones.
Herbology was on Wednesday, and Amara didn't feel as confident with that exam as she had been for the previous two. But she still thought she definitely passed it.
Thursday was Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Amara was immensely pleased to see Professor Umbridge watching all the DA members excelling in the exam, whilst others (notably Slytherins) wilted under the pressure.
Amara heard from Parvati Patil that Professor Tofty, one of the examiners, had asked if Harry could do a Patronus, and Amara was pleased to hear he'd done one in Professor Umbridge's face.
"It was excellent," Parvati assured her. "All the examiners commented on how amazing it was. Wouldn't it have been funny if we'd all done them? Wiped the smile of Umbridge's face for sure ..."
Harry and Ron had no exam on Friday, but it was Ancient Runes for Amara and Hermione in the morning. It was a long exam, and Amara felt she'd done herself justice, but had not done perfectly.
Hermione, however, came out in a very bad mood because she'd mistranslated 'ehwaz', mixing it up with 'eihwaz'. Amara had gotten it right herself, though she nearly got it wrong, but didn't dare ell Hermione.
On the way back to Gryffindor tower, screaming came from inside Professor Umbridge's office. Filch was apparently helping her.
"Get it OFF Filch!"
There was a lot of movement inside, and a few students had stopped to listen. Amara and Hermione figured that another niffler had been put inside her office and had bitten her leg. Amara didn't know why anyone would ever want to bite Umbridge's leg, but if probably tasted disgusting.
They hurried back to Gryffindor tower to tell Ron and Harry.
"How were the runes?" said Ron, yawning and stretching from his relaxed form on the sofa.
"Good thanks," said Amara quickly. "But -"
"I mistranslated 'ehwaz,' " butted in Hermione furiously. "It means 'partnership,' not 'defense,' 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 we 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 and Amara nodded.
"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. Hagrid was indeed outside with a group of students. It seemed that they were looking at unicorns because the boys weren't as close as the girls.
"Oh, you're so naïve sometimes, Harry, you really think Umbridge will wait for proof?" said Hermione angrily and she swept off toward the girls' dormitories, banging the door behind her and probably going to write a letter to Jesse to complain.
"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. "I don't know how Jesse can cope."
Amara shrugged.
-OOOOO-
Hermione remained in a bad mood for the rest of the weekend, but Amara, Harry and Ron ignored it at revised for Potions on the Saturday and Sunday, all of them not looking forwards to the written paper on Monday morning.
Amara had nearly laughed when it had asked them to describe the effects of Polyjuice Potion, but she'd let herself down on the part on Strengthening Solution, because she missed a vital step.
Professor Marchbanks, a tiny examiner who was Neville's grandmother's friend took the afternoon practical. Amara was pleased Snape was not present - Neville looked almost joyous and actually managed to make a good looking potion for once.
"Only four exams left," said Parvati 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 at her, but Amara rolled her eyes at Parvati as an apology. They trooped wearily back to the common room to revise Care of Magical Creatures, which was the next day. It was because of their loyalty to Hagrid that they tried extremely hard in this exam.
The practical exam was next to the Forbidden Forest where they had to identify a knarl hidden in between hedgehogs. Then they had to demonstrate correct handling of a bowtruckle, feed and clean a firecrab without sustaining serious burns, and choose, from a wide selection of food, the diet they would give a sick unicorn.
They had Astronomy Theory on Wednesday morning which was slightly hard for Amara, who's stargazing skills weren't all that amazing. After lunch Harry and Ron had Divination and Hermione had Arithmancy, so Amara joined up with Ernie, Susan, Terry Boot and Padma and they went over their star charts in the school grounds.
Amara saw Ethan and Eddie surrounded by a few girls (none of them that 'Romilda Vane') all of whom seemed rather dazzled by them. Piper and Flick were nowhere to be seen.
Terry, who was very good at Astronomy, helped Amara with her charts, and Amara felt rather relieved and confident that she could do the majority of her star chart.
"Hey Amara, how're your exams going?" Eddie said whilst walking to dinner. The group of girls had vanished once he and Ethan had joined her.
"Alright thanks," said Amara. "Only a few left now."
"Hermione's kinda scary at the moment," said Ethan. "She told Tessie and a few of her friends off the other day for giggling. I thought she was the nice one?"
"What d'you mean 'I thought she was the nice one'?" demanded Amara. "But she's just stressed, that's all."
"Well -" said Ethan. "Harry's the famous one ... Ron's the funny one ... You're my sister ... Hermione's the nice one ..."
Amara raised her eyebrow.
"I think Hermione should be the clever one," said Eddie.
Amara rolled her eyes.
"I have a bone to pick with you two anyway," said Amara. "What's all this time spent with a crowd of girls?"
Eddie and Ethan looked sheepish.
"They're um ..."
"Friends?"
Amara scoffed.
"Yeah right," she said. "Look you've got to be careful - I see how you act around them ..."
"What about you and Fred?" Ethan said hotly.
"What?" Amara said quickly.
"Oh wow you're so funny Fred - that's amazing -"
"Shut up!" Amara said. "At least that's only one boy! You can string a load of girls along! You to Eddie!"
Eddie blushed.
"What about Piper and Flick? You don't seem to hang around them anymore," said Amara.
"They're angry at us," said Eddie. "Because of the others."
"Of course they would be, they're your friends who aren't getting a look in!"
They'd reached the Great Hall and Amara spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Make it up to them okay? Friends are better than floozies."
At eleven o'clock they went to the Astronomy Tower to do their Astronomy exam. There were no clouds in the sky and it was a great night to do stargazing.
Professor Marchbanks gave them blank star charts and she and Professor Tofty walked between them.
Amara was glad Terry had helped her beforehand as she managed to fill in the majority of her paper in just one hour. She was just checking of her label of Jupiter was correct when she noticed people walking across the grounds.
Ignoring them, she scribbled down the correct label, determined not to be distracted.
There was a distant knock and a dog's bark. Peering out Amara saw several figures, one short and fat, by Hagrid's door.
Confused, Amara exchanged bemused glances with Harry, but hastily looked back into her telescope as Professor Marchbanks walked past.
Her heart was hammering as she looked through her telescope and plotted yet another star. Her chart was very nearly complete, but she was now straining to hear what was going on.
When a roar sounded, several people including Amara looked hot towards Hagrid's cabin.
Professor Tofty gave another dry little cough.
"Try and concentrate, now, boys and girls," he said softly.
Most people returned to their telescopes, and Amara tried, but she saw Hermione gazing at Hagrid's.
"Ahem — twenty minutes to go," said Professor Tofty.
Amara hastily finished the rest of her star chart. She'd just plotted the last one when there was a loud BANG and she jumped back, startled.
Hagrid's door had burst open and by the light flooding out of the cabin. He was standing in the doorway waving his fists at several jets of red light that was bouncing off him.
"No!" cried Hermione.
"My dear!" said Professor Tofty in a scandalized 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 still seemed to be bouncing off him with ease. There were shouts and yells as the fight ensued.
"Be reasonable, Hagrid!" One man said.
Hagrid roared at him, "Reasonable be damned, yeh won' take me like this, Dawlish!"
The tiny outline of Fang was bouncing to defend Hagrid. But a stunner caught him and be fell to the ground. Amara whimpered as Hagrid roared and threw the man ten feet. He lay very still as Hermione and Amara gasped out loud.
"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 —"
Amara, Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender all screamed. Four stunners had flown out and hit Professor McGonagall in the chest. She was illuminated for a minute before flying off her feet and lying still.
"Galloping gargoyles!" shouted Professor Tofty, who seemed to have forgotten the exam completely. "Not so much as a warning! Outrageous behavior!"
"No!" Amara said as her favourite Professor didn't move. She was close to tears, and Hermione was too.
"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.
Hagrid took two massive swipes at his closest attackers; judging by their immediate collapse, they had been knocked cold. Hagrid leant down and picked up Fang from the ground.
"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. Hagrid was gone.
There was a long minute's quivering silence, everybody gazing open-mouthed into the grounds. Then Professor Tofty's voice said feebly, "Um . . . five minutes to go, everybody . . ."
Amara sat there in a tearful silence as everyone waited for the exam to end.
When it did the packed their telescopes into their bags and ran back down the staircase. Everyone was chattering madly about what had just happened.
"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 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?"
"Oh no," said Amara sadly. She had always thought Professor McGonagall would go through anything.
"Dreadful, dreadful," said Ernie, shaking his head. "Well, I'm off to bed. . . . 'Night, all . . .".
"At least they didn't get to take Hagrid off to Azkaban," said Ron, all of them shaking slightly whilst remembering what had happened. "I 'spect he's gone to join Dumbledore, hasn't he?"
"I suppose so," said Hermione, who looked tearful too. "Oh, this is awful, I really thought Dumbledore would be back before long, but now we've lost Hagrid too. . . ."
"There's no one left," said Amara miserably. "Dumbledore, Hagrid … and McGonagall's not going to be up for a while, is she?"
They traipsed back to the Gryffindor common room to find it full. The commotion out in the grounds had woken several people, who had all roused their friends to see it too. Seamus and Dean, who had arrived ahead of Amara, Harry, 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, 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.
"Oh blimey," said Lee, 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. . . ."
"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. Ron and Amara followed suit.
"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 Alicia firmly. "She's never failed yet."
Everyone stayed up very late that evening – it was four in the morning before the common room cleared. They'd been talking about hideous revenges' for Umbridge, because Amara and the others were past just angry with her. She'd drawn off Dumbledore and made Hagrid sprint away from Hogwarts. She didn't say it, but Amara could have done something very bad to Umbridge if she was in front of her then.