Harry Potter and the Time of Shadows

- Chapter Twenty-One-

The O.W.Ls

"We did it!" Harry yelled the second they got into the Gryffindor common room.

"Yeah!" the Gryffindors cried in unison.

"Three cheers for the captain!" Ron shouted over everyone. He looked much better now, and beamed at Harry as everyone cheered.

Harry looked around the room. There were enormous banners hung from every wall, which Harry recognised as Dean Thomas's artwork. Harry saw himself, riding his Firebolt with the Snitch in his hand, and all of the other players flying around as well. There were no pictures of Ginny, but some of Ron, and Harry realised that Dean must have drawn them before the game.

There was food, and Butterbeer (Harry suspected that Fred and George had stolen them from both the kitchens, and Hogsmeade). Music suddenly started blasting from the Wizarding Wireless that Neville had got for Christmas.

Harry was shunted into the centre of the party, and joined in with Fred and George with the firework display from their wands. He was somehow coaxed into giving a speech, even though he had used all of his stuff on his pre-match talk.

"Er -- I just want to say that it's an honour working with the rest of the team, this is your win as much as mine. It feels really great to win the Cup on my first year as captain, it's just a shame that Ron here couldn't be up there with us."

Everyone looked at Ron, who went slightly red. His face was now completely healed.

"But," Harry went on. "I think Ginny filled in very well! You'll have to watch out Ron, I might give her the place instead!

"Also, I wish that Wood could be here to see us win," Harry said seriously, lifting his bottle of Butterbeer. "Everyone, here's to Oliver Wood."

They all lifted their drinks, and said his name.

"Aren't you forgetting something Harry?" said Ron, smiling.

"Er -- no. What?" Harry said blankly.

"Everyone," Ron called. "There's something else I think you all need to know. Because of a little bet that Harry had with Draco Malfoy, he has to take a hundred points from Slytherin because Gryffindor won!"

The whole common room laughed, Harry had completely forgotten about the bet.

"I'm just glad I didn't have to fire you as Keeper," Harry whispered to Ron when nobody else was listening anymore.

"You mean you really would've done it?" Ron asked. "If it was me, I'd just tell Malfoy to sod off. You were really gonna fire me if you lost?"

Harry thought for a moment, but then walked away, leaving the question unanswered.

"Great job!" said Fred when he went up to them. "I knew you were gonna win mate!"

"Thanks," Harry said, noticing that a few of the snacks on the plates were definitely made by Weasley Wizard Wheezes. He was afraid that the pair of them had invented a few things that no one knew about, and didn't touch any food after that.

Harry looked around at all the other members of the team, happily celebrating their second Cup win. He thought of all the ones for whom this was their last year on the team. Fred, George, Angelina and Alicia would all be leaving Hogwarts soon, and would need to be replaced. He thought of how hard it had been to find a good replacement for Wood, until he found Ginny, and then Ron. It would be a nightmare finding four new members of the team.

Within minutes, Fred and George had their first victim. Angelina had eaten a Ton-Tongue Toffee, and her tongue had grown to over two feet long before she would let anyone close enough to shrink it. Harry laughed, feeling it was much funnier when it happened to Dudley.

Angelina, it seemed, did not think it as funny as everyone else. Her face had gone red, either from panic or embarrassment. She walked up to Fred and George, who were laughing hardest of all, and slapped them both hard, before storming up the stairs to her dormitory.

The cheerful atmosphere instantly became silent and tense. All heads turned to Fred, who had just been slapped by his girlfriend. He did not say a word, he just lifted a hand to his reddening cheek, with his mouth half-open.

He went up the stairs to talk to her, and soon everyone started laughing and joking again. People were still turning into canaries and having flames shooting from their mouths in hours to come.

After what seemed like a very long time, Fred came down from the girl's dormitories, announcing that Angelina had broken up with him. He said nothing else about it, but then seemed to be coping with his loss by being louder than ever.

"She broke up with him just because of that toffee?" said Harry to Ron and Hermione.

"Maybe she wanted to break up with him before?" Hermione commented. "Perhaps because they'll be finishing school soon, and she wants to keep her options open."

"Yeah, I guess," said Ron. "Hey! They will be finishing school soon! And d'you know what that means?"

"Er -- no," said Harry.

"I'll be the oldest Weasley in Hogwarts!" he finished excitedly.

"Oh yeah!" said Harry. "Good for you!"

The party went on all night. Professor McGonagall turned up just after midnight, as everyone knew she would, but instead of telling them all to go to bed, she joined in the celebration herself. It was only when she was somehow slipped a Rainbow Ribbon, and her face started to flash different colours, that she called an end to the party.

*

It was Monday. In one week from today, the entire fifth year would be taking the O.W.Ls. Studying was harder than ever, they were all doing some last minute cramming.

Hermione seemed almost hysterical, and Harry was reminded of the time when she was using the Time-Turner to get to several lessons at once, and became very sleep-deprived.

Their first lesson of the week, Potions, was almost miserable enough to cancel out all of the joy Harry felt at getting the Quidditch Cup. Harry was sure that Snape was somehow sabotaging his potion, and he was very afraid he would to the same in the test.

"Hi Malfoy," Ron said, halfway through the class. "How are you?"

"No, how are you?" Malfoy replied coolly. "I thought Madam Pomfrey was going to fix your face, but it looks like she hasn't got around to it yet. Oh wait, that's just how your face looks all the time."

Ron forced his mouth into a smile. "Have you taken those points off from Slytherin yet?"

"No, and I'm not going to!" Malfoy said. "Did you really think I would?"

"We had a bet!" Ron said indignantly.

"Oh, cry me a river," said Malfoy coldly. "Next time, get it in writing."

"Just leave it Ron," Harry said. In truth, he did not care about the bet at all. Gryffindor was far ahead on points anyway, thanks to them winning the Cup.

"Yeah, chicken out Potter," Malfoy taunted. "Just like you."

"At least I won the Quidditch Cup," Harry retorted. "I knew you were a slimy little thing, I thought you wouldn't go through with our bet."

"Would you have?" Malfoy asked. "Would you fire Weasley if your team lost?"

Harry thought, he had not answered Ron when he asked that same question. Honestly, he did not know.

"I'm a man of my word," he said simply, before turning back to his cauldron.

On Tuesday, Harry received many congratulations from Hufflepuffs about The Quidditch Cup in Herbology. Even Justin Finch-Fletchley seemed to be pleased with him, despite being reminded of how he was dumped from his Quidditch team in favour of Gavin Diggory.

Professor Binns droned on and on about a Dark Wizard named Sarumon, who had apparently killed all of the other wizards in his Order, even though it sounded like he had just gone down to the shop to buy milk, as exciting as Binns made it.

In their Charms lesson on Wednesday, Professor Flitwick was in his usual cheery mood, even though his house had lost to Gryffindor. He gave them all not-so-subtle hints about what they would need to know for the exam.

The Transfiguration lesson was much less helpful. By this time, a lot of the class had achieved turning another person into an ape, but it was very difficult. Professor McGonagall had tried to help them become other animals, but it was hopeless.

Thursday saw their last Divination lesson before the test. Professor Trelawney came to sit down at Harry and Ron's table, but then got back up and walked away, sobbing.

"What's got into her all of a sudden?" Ron said.

"All of a sudden? She's been like this for three years!" Harry said. "She's just trying to make us nervous for the O.W.Ls."

"Hmm, I just hope you're right."

The studied Astronomy that night. At least Harry and Hermione did, Ron spent almost the entire lesson asleep.

Then, alas, came Friday, their last day of school before they took the O.W.Ls. They had arguably the most fun ever in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Fudge let them revise on Curses by doing some free-duelling. He also told them in no uncertain terms that they would also have to revise on some of the Dark creatures that they studied in third-year. Harry was undefeated in a duel, so Professor Fudge volunteered to take him on himself.

They bowed to each other, and started to duel.

"Expelliarmus!" Fudge tried.

Harry quickly dodged it and pointed his wand at Fudge. "Stupefy!" he yelled.

"Durus," Professor Fudge said calmly. The Shield Charm blocked the Stunning Spell, and Harry had to jump out of the way of a Body-Bind sent by Fudge.

"Turnace!" Harry said. The golden fog surrounded Professor Fudge, but he simply moved his leg, and the fog faded.

"Wobblem Crus!" Fudge said firmly. Harry was hit by Jelly-Legs, and he managed to steady himself long enough to perform the counter curse.

They sent curses at each other for at least ten minutes. They had each been Disarmed once, and been able to block a curse without a wand, then attract their wand back.

Suddenly, Professor Fudge lifted his free hand, and pointed it at some point behind Harry. He heard the teacher's desk moving, and quickly spun around in case it was about to hit him.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Professor Fudge said when his back was turned.

Harry's arms and legs pinned to his side, and he fell to the floor.

"Never turn your back on your opponent Harry," Fudge said, before performing the counter-curse.

Harry smiled, and got back to his feet.

After lunch, their last lesson of the week was Care of Magical Creatures. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the first ones there, but were shortly joined by the rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins. Charlie was the last to arrive, and he brought with him the magical creature they would by studying in the lesson.

A few people gasped when they saw the centaur. It had the head and body of a man, and legs of a horse. It was quite a young centaur, it looked like a man in his mid-twenties. He had blonde hair covering his head, and body. His blue eyes shone past the pale face, and it seemed to be looking straight at Harry.

"Young Potter," he said.

As soon as he spoke, Harry recognised him. He had met him in the Forbidden Forest in his first year. The centaur had helped him when he saw Voldemort in the Forest, drinking the blood of a unicorn. He could not remember the name though.

"Harry?" said Charlie. "Do you know Firenze here?"

Firenze. That was the name. "We've met," Harry said shortly.

"The Potter boy came into the Forest once, with many companions," Firenze said. "Hagrid was there, as was this boy." Firenze walked up to Neville, who started to back away. "Yes, this boy was in the Forest with Hagrid and Mr Potter. So was she," he said, approaching Hermione, who did not recoil.

"Er -- hi," she said awkwardly.

"And you!" Firenze continued, seeing Malfoy. "You deserted Potter when he was in mortal danger."

"Yeah," said Malfoy. "So?"

Firenze was about to speak again, but Charlie stopped him.

"OK, well, today we will be studying this centaur. The first thing that you need to know about centaurs, is that they're fortune tellers. They can read the stars, much better than Professor Trelawney, I'm sure."

The Gryffindors laughed. The Slytherins, it seemed, did not take Divination.

"Normally, centaurs don't get on with humans that well, but Firenze here's an exception," Charlie said.

Firenze smiled, and bowed to them.

"Well, to start with," Charlie went on. "Why don't the people who've met him before come and take a look at him first. Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Malfoy," he finished sternly.

The four of them separated from the others, and walked to the front of the class. Ron had come with them, by reflex it seemed.

"Oh go on then Ron," Charlie said kindly, letting his brother come forward too.

They all followed Firenze to the edge of the Forest. When they stopped Harry saw that Charlie was talking to rest of the class, but he could not hear what he was telling them.

"So," Malfoy drawled. "What're you going to tell us?"

"You have a secret, and you fear it will be revealed, am I correct?" the centaur said wisely.

Malfoy did not say anything, but Harry could tell that it was true.

"I am afraid to say that the secret will indeed be revealed, and perhaps, sooner than you think."

Malfoy bowed his head, and took a step back.

"And you dear boy," he proceeded, addressing Neville. "You also had a secret, and it was exposed." Neville nodded. "But the reaction was far better than you had hoped, and you feel your confidence has been lifted as a result. I am pleased to tell you that your extra confidence will pay off, and you will be in for a most pleasant surprise before long."

Neville smiled, and stepped back too. Malfoy shot him a look of contempt.

"Me next!" said Ron enthusiastically. "Tell my future now."

Firenze sighed. "I fear that I cannot give your fortune alone," he said.

"Why not?"

"Because I must inform the remaining three of you together." Harry, Hermione and Ron all stepped closer to hear what he had to say.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Your future is the plainest of all to see, it is portrayed in the brightest stars. Before the next new moon, your fates will merge, and become one. New bonds will be formed between you, and old ones will be broken. You will question each other's loyalty, and must set each other free from the prisons you will be placed into.

"Most importantly, you will all suffer a communal loss, but it will hurt some more than others."

They waited, hoping he could tell them more.

"That which was once lost, shall return, but it has darkened in its absence. And that which has always been with you, shall be lost forever.

"Remember, this is a time of great joy, and terrible sadness. The Dark will weigh out the Light, which is stronger is up to the three of you."

There was a tense pause, Harry thought about what had been said.

"Ooo," Malfoy said sarcastically. "Very impressive. I'm sure that all of the heavens are just one big storybook about Potter and his fan club."

Firenze, took a deep breath, then trotted back to Malfoy.

"I sense more from you child," he said. "I recognise you in another way. You have been in the Forest recently, half a year ago."

"What? No I haven't!" Malfoy protested.

"No, not you. But your blood has been in my home, I feel it. It was there to perform a dark deed, to steal."

"I've got no idea what you're talking about!" Malfoy complained.

"Yes, you do not know. It was done without your knowledge, but it used you as a cover."

Malfoy opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped himself, and walked back to the rest of the class.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about our future?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Firenze replied. "There will be a battle inside the three of you, your good will fight your evil, but on its own, the good will be defeated. For it to win you must seek a greater help, the most powerful magic of all, it will show you the way. After the battle is over, nothing will be the same again, both for the better, and for the worse."

Firenze bowed his head, and walked back to the class.

The trio stared at each other for a while, wondering what to make of the prediction. None of them spoke, not knowing what to say, they just followed the centaur back towards where Charlie was.

They spent the rest of the lesson making observations, but Harry could not think of anything but the centaur's prophecy.

*

It seemed like Harry had no weekend at all. Saturday and Sunday just passed in a blur of O.W.L revision, and thoughts of centaurs. All too soon, they were lining up outside Snape's dungeon, waiting to take their first test.

They came in and sat down, but then Snape cried, "No!" They all looked up, and Snape walked over to them.

"You think I'm going to let the three of you sit together?" he said. "Miss Granger, you sit over there, also where you can't help Longbottom cheat! Weasley, sit with Malfoy, and Potter, sit at the back. Move!"

Harry sat in the back row of seats, where no one else was. He felt a little afraid that Ron would do something to Malfoy, but thankfully, Snape announced that the exam would be in complete silence.

For the next few hours, Harry sat alone, making the potions that Snape had written the names of on the blackboard. He finished his basic Sleeping Potion, and started on his Shrinking Solution.

As he carefully separated the unicorn tail hairs, he looked over at Ron. He and Malfoy were not talking, But Harry did notice them occasionally kick each other under the desk.

Looking at the back of Malfoy's pale head, and handling the silver unicorn hairs, something clicked inside Harry's brain. It was so obvious, why did he not see it before?

Firenze had said that Malfoy blood was stealing things in the Forest for Dark purposes. Lucius Malfoy had stolen things in the Forest! He had stolen ingredients for a potion, the potion that made Wormtail's hand magical! He had used his son for cover...he had come to watch the Quidditch match, six months ago! It all made perfect sense!

"Potter!" he heard Snape yell. "Watch what you're doing!"

Harry looked down, and saw that while he was thinking about Lucius Malfoy his cauldron had boiled over. The unfinished potion was spilling over the floor, and Harry had to clean it up with his wand, and set about undoing the damage he had done.

Somehow, he thought that he shouldn't count on getting even one O.W.L in Potions.

*

Harry and Ron had a free time in the afternoon while Hermione was taking her Ancient Runes test. They took advantage of it, not by revising for the exams the next day, but by getting some extra food from the kitchens.

"Harry Potter!" said Dobby after they had tickled the pear and come in. He broke away from his wife Winky, and came over to them.

"Hey Dobby," Harry said. "How are you?"

"Dobby is very, very good Harry Potter," he replied. "Is Harry Potter taking his big tests now?"

"Er, yes, I'm taking my O.W.Ls," he said. "Listen Dobby, did you know that Lucius Malfoy was here in November?"

Dobby suddenly stopped smiling.

"Old Master was here?" he said. "Did Old Master do anything bad?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "He went into the Forbidden Forest and took things from different animals."

Harry had already explained all of this to Ron and Hermione, and they had checked the book that they still had with the potion ingredients in.

"Did Old Master kill any animals?" Dobby asked.

"Yeah, we think so," Harry told him. "Unicorns, Boomslangs, Flobberworms, Acromantula, and he had to go to the lake to get Mermen, and Grindylows. He got dragons from somewhere, and took my owl."

"He is taking Harry Potter's owl!" Dobby squeaked. "He is a very bad wizard!"

"Yes," Harry agreed. He had not been completely honest with Ron when he suggested coming down to the kitchens. His intent was not to get extra food (although Ron already had a mouth full of sandwiches). He had come to see Dobby to try to expose Malfoy's secret.

"Dobby," he said. "We know that the Malfoys have a secret. We need to know what it is."

Ron turned to him. "What? I hope you know what you're doing Harry," he whispered.

"Firenze said the secret would be revealed soon," Harry whispered back.

"Dobby -- Dobby is not sure if he should tell Old Master's secrets, even to Harry Potter," the elf said.

"Come on Dobby," Harry urged. "He's done some really bad things, doesn't he deserve it?"

"Maybe, but Dobby is still not sure. Dobby will tell you just one word about Old Master's secret. That one word will help Harry Potter."

"What is it?" Harry asked.

Dobby took a long breath. "Drazen," he whispered.

Instantly, he ran up to the wall, and started banging his head against it repeatedly.

"Dobby!" Harry cried, and pulled him away by the back of his shirt.

"Thank you Harry Potter," Dobby said. "Thank you very much, sir."

"It's OK Dobby, we'll go," said Harry.

"Can we get some more food?" Ron asked.

Suddenly, five house-elves rushed to them with ice-cream and trifles. Ron took them, and they left the kitchen.

"Drazen," Harry repeated. "What d'you think that means?"

"No idea," said Ron. "How are you supposed to eat a trifle without a spoon?" He started to lick the cream on top of it, while Harry took out an ice-cream cone and started on it.

"We have to find out what this secret is," he said. "After all, it's written in the stars."

*

The next day, they went down to Greenhouse Four to take their Herbology O.W.Ls. It was just as hot as it was during the Quidditch final, and Harry was finding it tough to concentrate.

A Venomous Tentacula somehow managed to snake its way around Harry's waist, and he was forced to slap it as hard as he could before it recoiled.

While pruning a Flutterby Bush, Harry accidentally took too much off, and the plant started to vibrate very quickly.

On the positive side, he was able to pot a Bouncing Bulb very well, and planted a Shrivelfig. Harry felt that he may not have done as well as Neville, (who was currently tending to his eighth plant) he had not exactly failed Herbology.

After a hasty lunch, the Gryffindors went to History of Magic. They all had to sit in Binn's classroom for the rest of the day, writing essays on all of the topics they had covered in the last five years.

Harry wrote over a roll of parchment on medieval witch-burnings, but found it hard to think of anything useful about goblin rebellions. He jotted down all of the goblin names he could remember, and a few facts about them (half of which Harry was certain he had just made up).

Dark Wizards of the past went slightly better. Harry wrote half a roll about the Austrian wizard Grindelwald, remembering all the facts about him being known as Hitler to the Muggles, and causing a World War. He also put down a fair amount on Sarumon.

Altogether, he had almost three rolls of parchment, although how much of it was correct, he was not sure.

*

Their Charms test on Wednesday went a lot better. They performed all of the spells that Professor Flitwick had told them to revise.

"Incendio!" Harry said, setting a sheet of parchment on fire.

"Good Harry," said Professor Flitwick excitedly. "Very good!"

"Reducto!" a glass on the table shattered, spraying shards everywhere.

"Reparo," the glass was instantly repaired.

Harry then demonstrated the Summoning and Banishing Charms, using heavy objects quite far away, and Professor Flitwick was very pleased.

After ten minutes more of performing different spells, Flitwick dismissed Harry, announcing that he was very proud of his results.

He waited outside as Ron and Hermione did their individual tests, and they all left the classroom together.

When they got to Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall saw them in pairs. Ron called Harry quickly, while Hermione went with Neville. Harry was glad of this, he had been uneasy with Neville ever since he had swapped his feet with his hands a month ago.

Ron turned Harry into an ape, but his only stayed in his animal form for a few seconds, before he was forced back into his own body.

When he tried to turn Ron into an ape, it lasted for a full thirty seconds before Ron gradually became himself again.

Afterwards, the class Transfigured normal things. Harry made his desk into a dog, and his hat into a bird. Professor McGonagall gave a small smile, and wrote down his score.

*

Harry slept very badly, and when he woke up, Ron was standing over him, slapping him hard in the face.

"Come on Harry!" he said. "Divination exam in twenty minutes!"

Harry groaned loudly. He tried to say that he was too tired, but he was very groggy, and was not sure exactly what words came out of his mouth. But, he pulled himself out of bed and got dressed, and went with Ron up to the North Tower, while Hermione went to Arithmancy.

They went up through the trapdoor into Trelawney's classroom, and took their seats in the armchairs by a table. On each desk was an assortment of fortune telling tools, as well as a few sheets of parchment, and a quill.

"Good day, my dears," Professor Trelawney said. "As I am sure you know, today you will be taking your Divination exam. I have supplied you will all of the tools you will need, and you are to write down your findings, as well as the sources that have helped you."

"Damn," Ron whispered. "So we can't just make it up, we have to say how we know these things."

"You may begin," Trelawney whispered dramatically.

Harry looked at the things on his desk, none of which were actually any use to him whatsoever. There was no way that he was going to pass this test.

Finally, he decided to try and cheat anyway.

He looked at the crystal ball. What could he say he saw there? An elf? No, a bird! A Phoenix! He quickly wrote down what it was and where he saw it, and pushed the orb aside.

He picked up the Tarot cards. He dealt the first card on the table. Death. That can't be good, he thought. He dealt the next card: the Sun. He remembered that the Death card did not always mean death, it could just mean change, and he took the sun as a good thing, so he wrote about a happy change. Harry picked out a random card from the deck, not even sure how he was supposed to properly use the Tarot cards. The random card was a coin, so he added 'gaining wealth' to his parchment.

He put the cards down, and pulled the star chart closer to him. Yes! He thought, he could include some of Firenze's prediction here. He wrote about an inner battle, and changes for the better and worse, and moved on.

*

They had another free time on Thursday afternoon, which they used to sleep, as they would be taking their Astronomy exam at midnight.

At eleven o'clock, Harry woke up, and tried to perk himself up enough to take an exam. As with every Astronomy lesson for the past five years, Harry had to shake Ron violently for a long time before he awoke. He shook quite a lot harder than he usually did, partly as payback for Ron slapping him in the morning, partly because they really needed to be there on time today.

When they got to the Astronomy tower, they each got to a telescope, and watched the stars. Harry took his eye away from the night sky to look at Ron, who had fallen asleep again with his face to the eyepiece of his telescope.

Harry felt he had not done too badly, but Ron was definitely not getting an O.W.L in Astronomy.

*

All the boys overslept on Friday, but Harry was roused awake by Neville, who had turned on his Wizarding Wireless at full volume, and had probably woken everyone in Gryffindor Tower.

They fumbled their way to Defence Against the Dark Arts, having to miss breakfast, where Professor Fudge was waiting for them.

"There you are!" he said when they came in, shortly followed by the Ravenclaws. "I take it you had Astronomy last night."

The class mumbled agreements. Harry wished he could have had a meal in the morning, it would definitely wake him up. He slapped himself in the face, and a few people looked it him. It helped a little.

Professor Fudge pitted them against several Dark Creatures, facing the Boggart gave Harry a chance to show off his Patronus Charm.

The Boggart-Dementor towered above him, its dead, decaying hand stretched out to him. Harry summoned the happiest thought he could (which at the moment was that the O.W.Ls would be over in a few hours), and bellowed "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A silver stag erupted from the end of his wand and chased down the Dementor.

"Harry," said Professor Fudge. "You can conjure a Patronus?"

"Yeah," said Harry casually. "Professor Lupin taught me in third year."

Professor Fudge simply stared at Harry for a moment, then regained himself, and called the next person forward.

Next, they were tested on hex deflection.

"Durus!" Harry yelled, protecting himself with an invisible shield.

"Locomotor Mortis," said Professor Fudge, attempting to break the shield. But it had evidently failed, as Harry's legs were not bound together.

"Petrificus Totalus! Impedimenta! Wobblem Crus! Conjunctivitis! Stupefy!" Professor Fudge yelled, but the curses were stopped by the Shield Charm.

Harry smiled, and Professor Fudge smiled too.

"Imperio!" he said.

Harry felt the protection around him shatter, and he was pulled into a dream state.

"Throw your wand away," Fudge's voice echoed in his mind. "Just throw it away."

"No," said another voice in his head. "No, I need this wand."

"Throw the wand away!" it commanded.

"No!"

"Do it!"

"NO!" Harry yelled, and the dream state passed.

Everyone else's Shield Charms were tested (but no one else was subjected to the Imperius Curse), and then they all were tested on attracting things without a wand together.

Then, they practised breaking a Shield Charm. Harry managed it on his eleventh curse, a well place Stunning Spell. He and Hermione were the only ones to do it.

When they were done, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," said Professor Fudge brightly.

The door opened, and Dumbledore came in. He looked quickly around the class, before walking up to Professor Fudge.

"Jedediah," he said. "You've had an owl. It's labelled 'urgent'."

Professor Fudge did not say anything, but walked out of the door, Dumbledore behind him.

Ten minutes later, Professor Fudge came back in, looking slightly bitter. Harry wondered briefly what the letter was about, but Professor Fudge walked back to the front of the class, and smiled in his usual way.

"Sorry about that everyone," he said. "Now, it's time for the boring part of your exam, the written test."

He motioned for everyone to sit at their desks, and handed out parchment. They answered the questions that Professor Fudge wrote on the blackboard, and they worked in silence.

"Can I borrow your ink?" Harry heard Seamus whisper to Dean.

"No talking," Professor Fudge said to them. "Professor Dumbledore said to make sure that nobody talks. After this warning, I have to give anyone else who talks a detention."

They regained silence, and continued working.

Suddenly, Harry heard a loud rustling from outside the window. He turned his head to see if there was anything there, but saw nothing. He heard it again, and he craned his neck to try and get a better view. But all he could see was the tall trees of the Forbidden Forest. He moved his chair back to look further down the perimeter of the Forest, but accidentally knocked into the desk of the person behind him.

"Sorry," Harry said automatically, turning around to look at him.

"Harry!" said Professor Fudge.

It looked like Harry had turned around in his seat to look at the Ravenclaw boy's test.

"I didn't mean to -- I just --"

"I'm sorry Harry," Fudge said. "I have to give you a detention."

Harry bowed his head, and wrote more on his own parchment. How could he be so stupid to turn around during a test? He finished the questions and waited for everyone else to finish, then the bell went.

"Harry," Professor Fudge called when they all left the classroom. "Come to my office tonight at seven o'clock."

Harry nodded, and walked out with Ron and Hermione.

Care of Magical Creatures was probably their easiest exam. Charlie provided a group of creatures that they had already studied, and they answered oral questions.

The highlight of the lesson, was after they had finished and were helping Charlie put the creatures away, Harry was able to whisper in Malfoy's ear, "I know about Drazen."

Malfoy instantly went pale, his eyes grew wide with fear, and he stuttered "How? Who? When? Weasley!"

"No, Charlie didn't tell me," Harry said with some satisfaction. "I figured it out."

And he walked away, leaving Malfoy to panic alone.

"It's over!" Harry said to Ron and Hermione, as they walked back to the castle together.