The next morning in Charms they were informed that they would be sitting exam's in three weeks' time. "But that's ridiculous!" Draco cried indignantly. "We can't possibly be expected to sit exams, Professor! We're all so deeply affected by the attacks!"
Flitwick shook his head. "The decision isn't up to me," he said. "But Hogwarts is a school first and foremost, and we all want you to receive the best education you can, in these circumstances! Of course, we will take the situation into account, but you needn't worry too much!"
"Then why make us do exams at all?" Pansy asked, whining. "Just give us a rest for the rest of term!"
"Oh, I'm sure you would all find that infinitely preferable," Flitwick said. "But McGonagall trusts this is the best decision, and it is what Dumbledore would have wanted."
"Who cares what Dumbledore wants?" Blaise said loudly. "He's not Headmaster anymore, is he?"
At that, Flitwick seemed a little irritated. "Perhaps not, but he has still done a great deal for this school and its students. If anyone has any concerns, you are free to speak to me, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, or any of your other teachers in your own time. But we had better crack on now! How about we revise the Engorgement Charm?"
For the next few weeks, most of Aurora's house went one of two extreme ways: they either wrapped themselves entirely in revision, or refused to look at a book at all in protest. Draco, Pansy, Blaise and Daphne all fell into the latter category, and it fell largely to Aurora and Theodore to try and coax them into revision, which didn't work very well at all. Gwen for her part was trying to revise, but was clearly distracted, something which Aurora couldn't blame her for at all. She and Robin accompanied her everywhere, even if it was crossing the Great Hall, as a precaution, though Gwen did express frustration. "It's obvious I'm a muggleborn if you two are hanging about like you're terrified I'll get attacked!" she told them, but still refused to be in their room alone without Aurora, just in case the Heir snuck in.
Gwen seemed to think, though, that it was safest for her to be surrounded by a crowd of people in the common room, no matter how jumpy she got when someone she didn't know sat down near them. Their study group expanded into Aurora, Theodore, Millicent, Robin, Gwen, and occasionally a reluctant Draco and Pansy. "We're trying to stage a protest here," Pansy said, eyes determinedly off of the Transfiguration textbook they had in front of them on the table. "If Snape was Headmaster, he would never have made us do exams."
"Yes he would," Theodore said, rolling his eyes. "If nothing else but to see everyone annoyed about it."
"And don't act like you're so upset about Hermione Granger," Millicent added to Pansy, who glared at her. "You're just lazy."
"I am not!" Pansy declared. "I just don't see the point in doing unnecessary work because it's what Albus Dumbledore would have wanted me to do! It's not like he's dead! He just got sacked!"
"I'm still waiting to hear back from father," Draco told them all importantly. "He'll speak to the governors."
"That's an awful lot of energy to put into trying to get out of exams," Aurora told him, rolling her eyes. "Energy that could, perhaps, be put into actually studying."
He scowled.
Though they couldn't meet students from other hours apart from in classes, meaning Neville and Aurora couldn't have a proper study session together, they still found a way to quietly revise. In Potions, they would alternate between Aurora adding an ingredient and explaining part of the process, and Neville copying her. Any lighter work, such as stirring or menial chopping, would allow him to talk Aurora over some of the ways to deal with various plants. The conversation actually seemed to set him at ease, Aurora noted. He performed much better when he was at ease and not stressed out so much. It also helped that a lot of their ingredients included plants, giving him an opportunity to show his own knowledge in relation to Potions, which she could tell made him more confident. She felt better about Herbology, too, even though she didn't have much proper practice with Neville. It seemed the trick was to try and understand the plants and be kind to them. Aurora felt rather foolish when she tried to be nice to a plant, but they did seem to do much better when she was gentle with them, even if many still seemed repulse by her touch.
Three days before the exams were due to start, they all got some very good news as McGonagall stood up at breakfast and announced that the Petrified victims would be revived that night. "I need hardly remind you all that one of them may be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that the culprit may well be caught by the end of term."
The Great Hall erupted into noisy cheers and chatters, and Aurora grinned. Only Draco looked displeased - she tossed a piece of toast at him. "Stop sulking," she said. "This is a good thing!"
"Do you really think they'll catch the culprit?" Gwen asked Aurora and Robin as they went quickly towards Defense Against the Dark Arts. "It could all be over?"
"I thought they said earlier that Hagrid was the culprit," Robin said dubiously. "And there haven't been any attacks since he went to Azkaban, have there?" Aurora still shuddered at the name of that place.
"Clearly McGonagall doesn't agree," Aurora whispered. "But this is all for the better isn't it?" She grinned at Gwen, who returned the gesture nervously. "It's all going to be fine."
Their Herbology class - which was for once, going rather well for Aurora - was almost finished when Filch came running out over the grounds towards the greenhouse. He burst in. "Students are to go to their common room!" he panted, and Sprout's eyes widened in alarm. "A girl has been taken into the chamber!"
The whole class gasped, even Draco, quite horrified. "What?" Gwen said. She had gone quite white.
"Right, everyone," Sprout said, her voice very serious as opposed to her usual determined cheerfulness. "Put all your equipment down, take your bags. I'll tidy up, we must go at once. And stick together, no wandering off."
Aurora didn't think any of them were at all considering of wandering off. Gwen gripped her hand tightly as they went up the slope towards the castle. "How have they taken someone into the chamber?" she asked nervously. "You don't think..."
"They've killed them," Robin said, voice rather hollow. "They must have."
"Oh, don't say that!" Aurora said in alarm, even though she agreed.
"Why else would they have?" Gwen asked, wringing her hands. "Oh, imagine, it's horrid! That could have been me!"
"Don't say that either!" Aurora cried, holding Gwen tightly. "We don't know what's happened yet, do we? Let's just get back to the common room and stick together."
"I want to write Mum and Dad," Gwen said. "I have to tell them."
"You'll only worry them," Aurora said rationally, but Robin said, "You can borrow my owl."
He shrugged at her glare. "They should know. And I suspect Hogwarts might close soon, too... If... If the student is, you know..."
He let the word hang in the air this time, which didn't make Aurora feel better, nor did it seem to calm Gwen at all. By the time they reached the Slytherin Common Room, counted in by Professor Sprout, she was shaking with anxiety, and they had to fetch Millicent's coziest pink blanket to wrap around her shoulders.
It seemed like hours before Snape came to speak to them. "A girl has indeed been taken into the Chamber of Secrets," he said slowly. "Some of you may know her. Miss Ginny Weasley." Aurora's stomach plummeted. Ginny. She didn't really know her, but it was still shocking. And she was so small. So young. She felt like she was going to be sick, and Gwen's face had taken on a rather green tinge. One of the first year girls looked like she was crying. "Apart from that, I am not at liberty to tell you details. Pack your belongings. The Hogwarts Express will be arriving tomorrow morning to return you to your families. No one except a Prefect is to leave the confines of the common room and dormitories, and all Prefects may only see me in exceptional or emergency circumstances, in groups of four. That is all." It was the first time she had ever seen Snape look worried about his students. "I trust the Prefects have counted the students?"
"All accounted for, sir," said Yaxley nervously.
"Good. See it remains that way."
He turned on his heel and left them. "The school's closing?" Robin said.
"Are you surprised?" Theodore asked. "It can't remain open after this."
"Poor Ginny," Aurora said quietly. "I feel awful for her parents, don't you?" The Weasleys we're technically family, and the girl had always looked so small. Molly Weasley would be devastated.
Even Draco appeared shaken, as evidenced by the fact that he had nothing nasty to say about the Weasleys. All year long he'd spoken about the possibility of someone dying, but now someone had, he seemed sick at the thought. "It is horrid," he said eventually, quietly, and only to Aurora. "Even if it is Weasley's sister. She's a pureblood, even if she is a blood traitor. What's the monster want with a pureblood?"
"I don't know," Aurora said numbly. "Oh, this is horrid."
"Where will you go?" he whispered. "Durmstrang or Beauxbatons?"
"I don't even know," she whispered. She supposed it wasn't even entirely her decision. Maybe Andromeda and Ted would be making the decision for her. What if they sent her somewhere else, like Ilvermorny? She couldn't stand for that. She frowned worriedly and leaned against Draco's shoulder. "But wherever we go, we'll go together, right?" The idea of not sharing her days with her best friend was terrifying.
She swore she could see Death's shadow moving over the stone walls, flickering by the fireplace. A small part of her wanted to follow, see where Ginny was, see if there was anything she could do. The Weasleys were technically family after all (even if she mentally disowned Ronald). But she was too scared to leave the common room. And if the monster had taken Ginny, who was to say it wouldn't take her too? She had to hide, and she had to stay with her friends. They'd all keep each other safe, she knew.
They were brought lunch and dinner by house elves who Apparated quickly in and out of the common room. No one felt much like eating, even Vincent and Greg. The girls all packed silently later on, and the others - Pansy, Daphne, Millicent and Lucille - all piled into the floor in Aurora and Gwen's room, all of them reluctant to separate. Aurora tried to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes all she could think of was Death. Ginny Weasley was dying and there was nothing she could do. But one of the professors ought to have done something. Dumbledore ought to have done something earlier, after the first attack. They shouldn't have waited for someone to die. They had been useless, the whole lot of them, and now a girl was dead or dying. Everyone said Dumbledore was a great man, but he had let this happen.
She felt awful for Molly Weasley. She knew that all of the other Prewetts had passed away, with Ignatius being the last of her family, and to lose a child, especially one so young, was unthinkable.
She couldn't recall getting to sleep, but at around one in the morning she was woken up by Millicent. "They're saying we're to go to the Great Hall!" she said, beaming in her fluffy pink dressing gown. "They've caught the Heir!"
"What?" Aurora asked groggily, standing up. "Who?"
"I don't know who, but Potter and Weasley did it!"
"What?" Gwen stared over. "They've caught them? You're sure?" She looked like she was going to cry of happiness as she ran over and hugged first Millicent and then Aurora.
"I'm sure McGonagall will explain more, but we should go! Come on!"
They didn't bother getting dressed properly, though Daphne and Pansy fussed over their hair. Everyone was going upstairs in dressing gowns and pyjamas and slippers, each of them excited and curious.
It was apparent, once they got to the Great Hall, that Dumbledore had returned to the school already. No one quite knew what was going on, but the story got around quickly - how Potter and Weasley had heard Ginny had been taken to the chamber and how they'd worked out it was a Basilisk down there and found the entrance, which Potter opened with Parseltongue, and how no one knew quite who the Heir turned out to be but they had been dealt with, and Potter had saved Ginny Weasley. It was quite a tale, and made better by the feast.
The Petrified victims came in at around two o'clock to a round of applause. Gwen was cheering loudest of anyone at the table, holding Robin's hand tightly. They all gorged themselves on cake and other Hogwarts delicacies, and everyone cheered to hear exams had been cancelled and to see Hagrid returned, and Aurora didn't even care (much) that Potter and Weasley had won four hundred points for Gryffindor to win them the House Cup again, because they had done what she had been too scared to and gone to save Ginny, and she was beyond relieved that they had. And she wouldn't have to leave Hogwarts - or be separated from her friends - after all.
Despite rumours saying Potter and Weasley has caught the Heir, no one seemed to know who the Heir was. Potter didn't even acknowledge the fact that he had been wrong about Aurora, but she was above confronting him about it. He'd been proven wrong anyway, and the satisfaction of being right was more than enough for Aurora. She was content to merely give him a few superior looks and watch his discomfort.
The Summer term ended in glorious sunshine. Hogwarts returned mostly to normal, except that their Defense Against the Dark Arts had been cancelled. Somehow, in the chamber, Potter had managed to remove Lockhart's memory and he was currently being treated in St. Mungo's. Aurora didn't understand what had happened there and frankly didn't care to ask. Potions was still rather wretched, only compensated for by Neville, who was more cheerful than Aurora had ever seen him, especially after Hermione Granger had thanked him for helping with the Mandrakes that revived her.
Aurora and Potter for the most part continued to ignore each other, which suited her just fine. She didn't need Potter's approval, but it was nice to know he - and the rest of the school - didn't think she was an aspiring murderer anymore. It helped that Draco had lost some of his usual arrogance towards Potter and friends after his father was sacked from the board of governors and lost his house elf all in the space of twenty-four hours. He didn't say, but Aurora got the sense that Lucius had had something to do with the Heir's appearance at Hogwarts, and she made a note to stay out of his way. She was glad she was going home to the Tonkses this Summer - Dora had written to say she'd be picking her up at Platform Nine and Three Quarters and was eager to hear good news from Hogwarts as opposed to the recent scandal reported in the Daily Prophet.
All too soon it seemed they were all on their way back home. Aurora made the journey with Daphne, Pansy, Lucille and Millicent, all of whom were considerably more cheerful than they had been a month ago. "We will definitely have you to stay at some point this Summer," Pansy promised. "These three are all coming for the gala, you must join us too. I'll force Mother to let you."
"Oh, please do," Aurora said. She'd always wanted to go to a Parkinson Manor gala.
"I've chosen my dress robes already," Daphne said with a smile. "They're simply gorgeous, from Twilfitt and Taffling's most exclusive range. Mother, Astoria and I are going to be fitted in a few days' time."
"You all have new robes?" Millicent asked worriedly. "I was just going to wear my old blue ones."
"Oh, no, Millicent," Lucille said, looking appalled. "Those are dreadfully out of date. You must come shopping with my sisters and I instead. And you too, Aurora."
She grinned at the invitation. "We'll see. I don't trust Dora's fashion sense, especially when it comes to dress robes."
As they sped on through the countryside, the girls filled the last hours together with chatter and gossip that was far more light-hearted than the rumours that had filled the year at school. They feasted merrily on the sweets from the trolley, and the others all cooed over Stella when she woke from a nap, looking for their attention. The sun was just starting to go down when they arrived at King's Cross, and Aurora hauled her trunk off of the train. The girls all hugged each other tightly in goodbye, promising to write to one another all the time, before going their separate ways to their families.
"Wotcher, munchkin," Dora greeted, ruffling Aurora's hair unexpectedly.
"Hey!" she protested, turning around with a pout. "Don't mess up my hair!"
Dora grinned. "Someone's sassy today." She brought out her wand for a quick lightening Charm and grabbed Aurora's trunk for her. "How was your skive term?"
"It wasn't a skive term," Aurora said defensively as they headed towards the barrier.
"You had no exams! I'm jealous as anything!"
"We had a monster in the school!" Aurora protested, and Dora squeezed her shoulder in a weird, almost protective way. She tried to avoid the thought of the motion's familiarity. "Moody still working you hard?"
"Oh, he never stops. Still, it'll all be worth it in a year when I graduate." She beamed. "You fancy being an Auror someday?"
"Aurora the Auror?" Aurora laughed. "Absolutely not, it would sound ridiculous."
Dora grinned and nudged Aurora's shoulder as together they went through the barrier and towards home.