Revelations and Romance

Revelations and Romance chapter 22/25

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22: Revision

May 21st

After breakfast on Saturday, Ginny went up to her dorm and returned with not only her bag with her books and homework, but also a paper bag. She put it on the table in front of her and just sat there looking at it.

'What's in the bag?' Ron asked.

'The sweets I got Raine. Harry's right, it's not stealing if she didn't know I was going to give them to her.'

'Does that mean you're actually going to eat them?'

'I think I'll do some homework first,' she said, starting on a Charms essay. Ron looked hungrily at the bag. Ginny noticed. 'All right, you can have one pyramid.'

'Thanks! You're my favourite sister.' Ron took one of the Flavour Pyramids from the packet. It was in seven layers, each a colour of the rainbow. He started nibbling his way through it, a layer at a time.

Ginny watched him and said, 'Go on, Hermione, have one. And you, Harry.'

Each of them took one. 'Thanks, Ginny,' said Harry. He knew he liked them, as he'd bought some before the others visited him.

'Yes, thanks,' said Hermione, nibbling carefully at the violet peak.

'I can't face this book,' said Ron. 'I'll do this revision later. I'm going to talk to the twins instead.'

'When is "later"?' Hermione asked. 'Do you realise how soon the O.W.Ls are?'

'They're weeks away.'

'Look at it this way -- Transfiguration and the other subjects we started in the first year have eight more lessons each before we take the exams.'

Ron's jaw dropped. 'Is that all?'

'The ones we started in the third year only have six more lessons each. Does it still seem like a long time?'

Ron fell back in his chair. 'We're doomed.'

Harry finished his Pyramid. 'It might be time to panic. Ginny, you're the only one who hasn't had any of the sweets.'

'I know,' she said. 'I'll finish the essay first.'

'I'm doomed, anyway,' said Ron.

'Ron, you can either spend two weeks saying you're doomed, or you can do some revision,' said Hermione in an exasperated tone.

'OK, I'll do the easy one. I'm doomed.'

'I shouldn't have made it sound like a choice,' she muttered.

'Didn't you want to get more O.W.Ls than the twins did?' Harry asked Ron.

'Oh, yes.' He sat forward and picked up the Transfiguration book. 'I'm doomed ... but revising.'

'Mum will make sure you're doomed if you get less than they did,' said Ginny.

'All right, I'm revising! You know, with reminding me to revise like that, you might not be my favourite sister after all.'

Ginny took the paper bag and put it into the bag with her books, then stuck out her tongue at Ron.

Inspired by Hermione's reminder of how few lessons were left before the exams, Harry and Ron got on with their revision, stopping occasionally for Hermione to ask them questions to test them.

Ginny got on with doing her homework, pausing to watch the boys trying to remember all the answers to the questions.

'You're going to be doing O.W.Ls next year, so don't look too happy now,' warned Ron.

'Is it true that some of the fifth-years are so worried that Madam Pomfrey's having to give them Calming Draughts?' Ginny asked.

'Yes,' said Hermione. 'Apparently she's used to it -- every year there are fifth- and seventh-years who get too anxious about their O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts.'

'I hope I don't need any, it's a bit like giving up,' said Ginny.

'That's a bit harsh,' said Harry. 'I'd laugh if Malfoy needed one, though.'

The three of them continued revising and testing each other, pausing for lunch and dinner. After dinner, Ginny had finished all her homework, and started playing with Crookshanks, then led the cat over to Olwen and the other fourth-years, to avoid disturbing the trio's revision.

'It's after nine o'clock!' said Ron a while later. 'I didn't realise it was that late. No wonder I'm feeling so tired now.'

'You've done quite a lot, too,' said Hermione happily. 'You're finally taking revision seriously.'

'Yes, Professor. I feel like going to bed,' said Ron, grinning at Hermione.

Hermione was looking through a textbook, and didn't notice his grin. 'Sleep's a good idea. It'll refresh you for tomorrow's revision.'

'I didn't say "sleep"!'

Hermione looked up from her book. 'Oh, Ron!'

'Don't you think we both deserve a reward, after all this revision?'

'Not again,' sighed Harry.

'You keep out of it. If you want a reward, ask Ginny if she's got any sweets left.'

'Right, I'll go and see Ginny for my reward.'

Ron glared at him. Hermione was just sitting watching them both. Ron looked back at her. 'Do you like the idea of a reward?'

'Well, it's been a while ...'

'Almost a whole week,' said Harry.

'You'll understand one day,' said Ron patronisingly. 'What am I saying?'

Harry shook his head as the two left to go to the disused classroom they were using as a love-nest.

A few minutes later, Ginny came back, with Crookshanks chasing the piece of string she was trailing behind her. 'Have those two gone where I think they have?'

'If the place you're thinking of includes the words "den" and "iniquity", yes.'

She giggled. 'I thought they'd stopped that for revision.'

Harry explained about the reward, 'and he said I should see you about my reward.'

'What?'

'Apparently he means Flavour Pyramids or something. Did you eat any of them?'

'I still haven't. I wish Raine was still here, or that she'd never been my friend and recruited by that Death Eater. She'd still be alive then.'

'Ginny, you should have some of them. It's not your fault.'

'I'll believe that when you stop blaming yourself for Cedric's death! Sorry. I shouldn't have said that.'

Harry sighed. 'No, I know what you mean. You knew Cedric before, didn't you?'

'Yes, he lived in the village. He was about the same age as Fred and George.' She looked over at them. 'Now they're getting ready to take their N.E.W.Ts, and he isn't.'

'No, he isn't.' Harry looked over at the portrait hole. 'I don't think I'll bother waiting for Ron and Hermione to come back, I'm too tired from all this revision. I'm going to bed now. See you tomorrow.'

'Yes. I'll wait a bit longer, I think. Goodnight, Harry.'

*

Harry and Ginny were up before breakfast on Sunday. 'I tried waking Ron,' said Harry, 'but he probably went back to sleep again.'

'Maybe I should check on Hermione then. Those other two will probably leave her sleeping.' Ginny got up and started towards the stairs to the girls' dorms, but Hermione appeared before she got there, followed by Crookshanks. 'Crookshanks must have woken her up,' said Ginny, sitting down again.

Hermione sat down and looked at Ron's empty chair. 'Maybe we overdid it.'

'Maybe you did,' said Harry. 'I was asleep before Ron came up to our dorm. How late were you?'

'Good boy. You wouldn't really call quarter past one "late", would you?'

'I think "late" ends a bit before then!' Harry said, standing up. 'I'll go and make sure he's awake.'

Ron had gone back to sleep. Harry managed to get him moving, and they joined the girls, with Ron still yawning.

'Can you manage to stay awake for breakfast?' Ginny asked him.

'If it tastes nice.'

After breakfast, with Ron revived by nice-tasting food, the four of them returned to the common room so that Harry, Ron and Hermione could continue revising for their O.W.Ls. Ginny sat revising for her end-of-year exams, which were the week after the other three would be sitting for their O.W.Ls.

'You're going to behave today, are you?' she asked her brother.

Ron tried to stifle a yawn. 'Probably. Still a bit tired from yesterday.'

'I suppose so,' said Hermione reluctantly. 'It won't be much fun without Ron awake.'

Ginny shook her head. 'I just don't want to imagine it even with Ron awake.'

'Good,' said Harry. 'Imagine me, instead.'

Ginny blushed and picked up Crookshanks' piece of string, so as to have something to do. She held the string while she read one of her books.

'I don't have time for this,' said Ron, glaring at Harry and Ginny. 'I've got to revise. Hermione, why didn't you remind us how close the exams were?'

Hermione started to protest, but Harry said instead, 'She did, loads of times. So did the teachers. It's not Hermione's fault.'

'I suppose not,' Ron admitted. 'Sorry, Hermione.' He grabbed his Dark Arts book and started to read a chapter.

Crookshanks found the hardly-moving string too boring to play with, though he sat watching it in case he caught it moving when it thought he wasn't looking.

Lee Jordan came over to them after a while. 'Can I sit here? I won't disturb your revision, that's what I'm doing too.' They nodded their agreement. ''Scuse me, cat,' he said, sitting beside Ron.

They stopped to go down to lunch. 'Were the twins being too loud for revising?' Ginny asked Lee on the way down the stairs.

'You'll never believe this, but no. Alicia's been nagging the twins to revise, and I can't concentrate.'

'You're going out with her, aren't you?'

'That's history,' he said.

'Oh. I thought she dumped George and started going out with you.'

'She did. Then she dumped me and started seeing that Hufflepuff, Sean Cooper.'

'Oh, sorry.'

'Don't mention Orla!'

Ginny frowned. 'I wasn't going to! Can I ask why Alicia dumped George, though?'

'Yes. You know they were going out, and Fred and Angelina were, too?'

'Yes.'

'The boys kept swapping round to fool the girls.'

'They're not still doing that?' Ron asked. 'They can't do that at home -- Ginny was only two when she learnt to tell them apart, so it's not worth them trying any more.'

'I suppose it's a vital survival skill at the Burrow,' said Lee. 'Anyway, Angelina just went along with it -- it seems she can tell them apart too, and liked watching them making fools of themselves.'

'Did she ever tell them?' Ginny asked.

'Yes, she did, finally. Anyway, they drove Alicia crazy, because she can't tell which is which. So she couldn't stand it, and dropped George.'

'I don't blame her,' said Harry, as they reached the stairs down to the Entrance Hall.

'Then she decided I spend too much time with them, and dumped me too. Oh, well.'

They sat together at the Gryffindor table. Ginny commented, 'Someone whose name you won't let me mention is looking at you.'

'Not again,' Lee sighed. 'She's five years younger than I am, this is ridiculous.'

'Thought you said six?' Ron commented.

'I got mixed up. I couldn't manage to subtract second year from seventh year and get the right answer. So she's thirteen by now.'

'Not that you've been talking to her, of course. You're going to be commenting on the final, aren't you?'

'Yes. Orla will be in the commentary box for the experience, but I'll do all the talking. She can remind me of the Ravenclaws' names if I get stuck -- not that I will.'

'You'll be fighting for the megaphone, since it's a choice between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for the Cup,' predicted Ginny.

Following lunch, they continued revising, with a break for dinner. Lee stayed sitting with them, as they were quieter than the twins. By ten o'clock, Ron was yawning again. 'I'm not going to learn any more today,' he said. 'I'm going to have nightmares about revolting goblins as it is.'

'There's no point pushing yourself when you're too tired, anyway,' agreed Hermione. 'Maybe we shouldn't have rewarded ourselves yesterday.'

'My reward didn't give me any problems,' said Harry innocently.

'I didn't give you any reward, you just went to sleep instead,' said Ginny, just as innocently.

'Oh, yes, so I did. No wonder I don't have the same problem. Maybe I should claim it today then.'

'They're talking about sweets,' Ron said sharply to Lee, who was staring at Harry and Ginny.

'Oh. OK, no problem.' Lee went back to reading his book.

'Spoilsport,' said Ginny, sticking her tongue out at her brother.

'Have you actually had any of those Pyramids yet?' Harry asked Ginny.

'No. I still don't really want to. Do you want a Flavour Pyramid, Lee?'

Lee hadn't seen them before, and tried one, which he liked. He and the others finished off the sweets, although Ginny still didn't have any.

*

Monday's lessons all consisted of revision, as the teachers guided them through the aspects of their subjects that were most likely to come up in the exams.

'Why can't we just learn the stuff and then leave and go and use it?' Ron asked at lunch. 'Why do we have to prove we learnt it?'

'The twins had all these lessons, and they couldn't prove it,' Hermione reminded him.

'Well, that's what I mean. They know it all, don't they? Those Canary Creams had a potion in that Transfigured you, but only for a little while. If they could do that, they knew enough.'

'That's all right if you can manage to get enough money to work for yourself,' said Ginny. 'But we're not going to manage that, are we? We've got to do what Percy did, and get O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts so that the Ministry or whatever believes we learnt it.'

'I'm not doing anything that Percy did!'

'I suppose we could ask the twins if they need anyone for their joke shop. They've got a few years to make it a success before we leave here.'

'I can't really take O.W.Ls seriously,' said Harry.

'You have to!' Hermione insisted.

'You have to,' he said quietly. 'Nobody's definitely trying to kill you before you leave school, it's only a possibility.' The others were quiet after that, just picking at their meals. After a few minutes, he said, 'I wasn't trying to depress you. You can keep talking.'

'How do you stand it?' Hermione asked him. 'I've been worried enough about just the possibility.'

'I don't exactly dwell on it. I try not to think about it much, but sometimes I have to. Like now, when we're talking about the future.'

'Always knowing that, even if he's leaving you alone now, he'll be back soon planning something nasty against you ... it's horrible,' Ginny said, shivering.

'I need more cheerful people around when I'm worrying about O.W.Ls,' said Ron. 'I'll go and talk to Moaning Myrtle.' Harry and Ginny both glared at him.

*

After the last class of the day, Harry paused as the trio reached the first floor, on the way up to the common room. 'You go on. I want to see if Dumbledore will tell me what's happening about trying to find or fight Voldemort.' He headed for Dumbledore's office. 'Fudge Flies,' he said to the gargoyle, hoping that the password hadn't changed. It hadn't, and he rode the moving stairs up to the office, where he knocked on the door.

'Enter.'

Harry entered. 'Sorry, Professor, I wondered ... oh, hello, Mr Weasley.'

'Oh. Er ... hello, Harry,' said Mr Weasley, who looked embarrassed. 'Please don't tell anyone I was here.'

'All right. Is this one of the secret meetings, then?'

'It is an extra one,' Dumbledore told him. He then said to Mr Weasley, 'Harry found out about the meetings some months ago, by accident.' He looked back at Harry. 'What did you wish to see me about?'

'Well, I wondered if you knew if Voldemort was planning anything, yet. I'm having a bit of trouble concentrating on revision; I keep worrying about what he's doing.'

Dumbledore sighed. 'We have, as yet, still little evidence for what he may be doing. I understand your concern, but all I can advise is that you try to concentrate on your O.W.Ls -- they are your future and, I hope, that future will not include the threat of Voldemort, for anyone.'

'Yes, Professor; thank you for seeing me. It was nice seeing you, Mr Weasley, even though you weren't here.'

Harry went back to the common room, and told Ron, Hermione and Ginny the gist of the conversation, leaving out any mention of Mr Weasley.

'Maybe you need one of those Calming Draughts,' suggested Ginny.

'Didn't you say that was giving up?'

'Not when you've got You-Know-Who to worry about, as well as exams. Nobody else has to put up with both.'

'Just the O.W.Ls are bad enough,' agreed Ron.

'I wish Dumbledore had been able to say something more definite,' said Harry sadly. 'I still don't feel happy about this. Our third year was the only one You-Know-Who left me alone in -- every other year, he's done something in June.'

'But this year, he started attacking you in January,' said Ginny softly. 'Now he's got to think of a new plan, and he probably thinks too slowly to be ready by June.'

Harry smiled at her. 'That's true. Maybe I can relax for the O.W.Ls, after all.'

'"Relax" and "O.W.Ls" don't go together,' said Ron.

'Well, at least I can just worry about the exams, and forget about You-Know-Who for a while,' replied Harry. He knew that Ginny's idea wasn't definite, but he needed some straw of hope to cling to, to allow him to concentrate on his school work.

*

The lessons on Tuesday also consisted of revision. No actual potions were being brewed in their Potions class. Instead, Snape wrote the names of three potions on the board, then chose pupils to answer questions on them, and repeated that throughout the double period. Snape managed to reach a surprising level of sarcasm with the Gryffindor pupils. Ron was fuming at lunch. 'How does he expect anyone to pass, if he's going to act like that?'

'He's just trying to make sure Malfoy and the other Slytherins get better marks than us,' said Harry. Snape, predictably, had had only praise for the way the Slytherins were revising. This was easy, as Malfoy had been asked, 'What do you use to crush beetle shells to a powder?' while one of Harry's questions had been, 'Which of Hogwarts' former headmasters declared the Strengthening Solution his favourite potion?', the answer to which had never been mentioned in class.

'I hope they all fail their Potions O.W.L.'

'Oh, Ron. How likely is that?' asked Hermione. She was irritated, as Snape hadn't asked her any questions. She'd hoped he might try to catch her out with the question about the former headmaster when Harry couldn't answer it, as it had been mentioned in Hogwarts, a History.

'Well, Snape's not marking us, there are outside examiners who do that. You're the one who's been doing those test papers -- didn't you know about the examiners?'

'Seriously?' asked Harry. 'That's great -- I thought he'd be marking our Potions exam again, as usual. It's actually worth revising, if it's going to be someone who doesn't hate me.'

'Whoever it is, won't even know you except because you're famous,' said Ginny. 'I suppose that will be a lot better than Snape.'

Lunch was followed by History of Magic. Binns' idea of revising was to tell them which chapters of the textbook they ought to be reading and then sit there as if he'd forgotten the class was there. Most of the class read too slowly to get through all the chapters listed, and Ron was getting more and more flustered, so much so that, at the end of the double period, he didn't even realise it was time to leave until Harry and Hermione made him stand up.

'Are you all right?' Harry asked him.

'I'm never going to get this O.W.L. I can forget Potions, too. I'm going to do worse than the twins did. I've got no chance in Divination. Transfiguration's going to be a dead loss. Mum'll never forgive me ...' he continued rambling, as his two friends guided him to the hospital wing. 'Percy'll laugh like anything, Bill will just be quietly disappointed, and Dad won't actually say anything, he'll just give me one of his looks and think I don't know how he feels ...'

'Yes, typical symptoms of pre-exam overstress,' said Madam Pomfrey, pouring a Calming Draught into a goblet. 'Drink it all up, now.'

Ron kept talking until Hermione kissed him. 'That's a good way to keep him quiet,' said Harry, grinning at her. Hermione gently made Ron drink the Draught a little bit at a time, until he had finished it.

'Good,' said Madam Pomfrey briskly. 'Now, he may fall asleep in your next lesson -- which you're late for, by the way ...'

'We've got a free period now,' said Harry. 'OK, we'll get him back to the common room. It won't matter if he falls asleep there.'

They had to support Ron for the last two flights of stairs, and he fell asleep almost as soon as he'd sat down.

'We've got another week and a half of this,' said Harry, watching Ron sleep. 'I hope I don't go like that.'

'If you do, I'll wait for you to fall asleep and levitate you up here,' said Hermione.

'You can't levitate me -- can you? I'm too heavy for you.'

'I can. When you collapsed because of the headband, Madam Pomfrey said you were only still alive because Professor Grubbly-Plank levitated you up to her so quickly. If it had been up to Ron and me ...' She shuddered. 'So, after that I practised levitating Ron, and he's taller than you, and not as skinny as he was. He practised on me, too.'

'You should have levitated him up here.'

'I didn't want to. He's going to feel bad enough about this, without needing that much help to get up here. At least he got here almost with his own efforts.'

Harry nodded. 'I suppose that's true. I really don't feel like revising at the moment.'

'Nor do I. Don't collapse with shock.'

Harry grinned at her. 'I nearly did! Oh, well. Feel like playing chess? The old-fashioned version where clothes stay on, I mean! I'm still not convinced you meant levitation when you and Ron were "practising" on each other.'

'You're too suspicious!' she said, grinning. 'Chess is a good idea, though,' she said, pulling her chess set from her bag.

Ginny came in at the end of classes, and saw them playing instead of revising. 'Why's he asleep?' she asked, sitting down beside Harry. 'And why have you stopped revising?' They explained about Ron needing a Calming Draught. 'Oh, no. Poor Ron; I'll have to tell him I didn't mean it, about giving up. How long's he going to sleep?'

'I don't know,' said Harry. 'He'd better wake up before dinner, or he'll be annoyed.'

Ginny sat writing an essay, occasionally looking at the chess game or checking if Ron was awake yet. 'We'd better wake him now,' she said when it was time for dinner. 'Wake up, Ron.'

Ron was surprisingly easy to wake. 'Why did you let me fall asleep?' he asked, then remembered. 'Oh, no. I needed one of those Calming Draughts, didn't I?'

'I didn't mean that about giving up,' said Ginny. 'I'll find out what you're going through, next year.'

'I slept that long?' he asked, checking his watch. 'Why aren't you two revising?'

'We didn't feel like it after watching you need that Draught,' said Harry. 'Come on, you'll feel better after some food.'

*

On Wednesday, Harry and Ron met up with Hermione after their Divination lesson, and went down to the Entrance Hall on their way to lunch. They saw Ginny talking to Grocyn and Matteo again. Grocyn was saying, 'I don't care, I'm not going to join the team again. It's just not important.'

'You know I'm not saying you should go back because I think Crabbe's a better Beater than you, so it would help us,' Ginny told him.

'You'd be stupid if you did,' said Matteo. 'As a Beater, he's a good plough, though. He's got a great future ahead of him as an excavator.'

Ginny grinned and shook her head. She hadn't noticed the others yet. 'Harry said Crabbe's dad is a Death Eater. Don't you think he'll join You-Know-Who too?'

'Probably. He's stupid enough.' He glanced up the stairs at the others. 'You lot just don't know what Death Eaters are like, though. One of my cousins is one, and he killed his own parents. Think about that.'

Ginny frowned at him. 'He really did that?'

'It's what they're like. It's not even as though the Dark Lord ordered him to, he just did it. It isn't only about posing and causing trouble at the World Cup, it's a whole life of cruelty and murder. I didn't mean you don't know what they're like, Potter. I know you faced them last year, and gave them a shock when you got away. Grocyn would just give up,' he looked scornfully at Grocyn. 'I'm going to ask Snape if he can get him moved to Hufflepuff.'

'Yeah, I'm not here,' said Grocyn grumpily.

'Don't you have any sympathy, Matteo?' Ginny asked.

'The Dark Lord is back,' Matteo said, as though explaining to a small child. 'I know you believe that, Ginny, even if the Minister's too stupid to. This isn't a time for sympathy or softness. That's the way to get killed. Look what feeling guilty did to Raine. If she hadn't confessed, nobody would have believed Draco, and she'd still be alive now.'

'As I told Hannah,' said Harry, 'if we don't keep the good things, You-Know-Who has won anyway. You can't beat him by becoming more like him.'

Matteo executed an exaggerated bow. 'Yes, milord.'

Harry shook his head, and the four Gryffindors went into the Great Hall. They could hear Matteo continuing to argue with Grocyn, but ignored him.

'Matteo won't leave Grocyn alone,' said Ginny. 'I wish he would. Maybe you'll persuade him people should be nice to defeat You-Know-Who.'

'Me? I don't think so,' said Harry.

'You're more likely to convince him than I am, or Grocyn.'

'Even for a Slytherin, he's strange. So he likes me, but is trying to get Grocyn out of Slytherin?'

'Matteo thought Grocyn was doing a good job as their team captain. I think he feels let down by Grocyn.'

'That makes sense, but why doesn't he stay his friend? You did, didn't you?'

'Of course I did. Can I tell Matteo you suggested that?'

'I suppose so.'

*

Harry and Hermione's duelling lesson that afternoon was with McGonagall and Flitwick. The lesson went well, as the two Gryffindors were able to use any of the curses they'd learnt against such experienced teachers. At the end of the lesson, Dumbledore told them, 'As your examinations are so close, this will be the last duelling lesson for this school year. I feel certain that you will each pass your N.E.W.T.'

'Thank you,' said Hermione, smiling.

'Yes, thanks,' said Harry. 'I hope we do pass it.'

The lesson had run late, as they'd been working through their list of spells trying all the more powerful ones. They went down to the Great Hall, talking enthusiastically about the lesson.

'I wonder if Snape knows how good those two are?' Harry wondered. 'McGonagall's as hard to block as Flitwick.'

'Yes -- and that was good, when they fired Lapiform at me two attacks in a row, and I blocked them both,' said Hermione happily.

'Do you think they'd discussed what they'd do in advance? That was the best one of these lessons I've had.'

'They probably did. They seemed very co-ordinated, didn't they? I hope we have them again, next year.' She paused. 'Though ... I know we both chose Duelling for next year, but if we're sitting the N.E.W.T. in it this year, what would we learn?'

'I don't know. We'll have to tell them that we liked their lesson, anyway. We should have told them in the lesson, really,' said Harry, as they reached the Great Hall and sat down with Ron and Ginny, who'd both already started their dinner.

'Ron's been getting on with homework really well,' said Ginny, as soon as Hermione sat down.

'Did he pay you to say that?' Harry asked Ginny with a grin.

'Yes, five Sickles if it works,' she admitted, grinning back.

'You weren't supposed to say that part!' Ron objected.

'Why did you want her to say it?' Hermione asked him.

Ron muttered, 'I like the idea of another reward.' His ears had turned red.

'And it has to be today, not tomorrow. You're good at remembering the calendar, if not goblin rebellions.'

'Goblin rebellions aren't as much fun! You don't think they are, do you?'

'Of course I don't. OK, yes, we had a really good duelling lesson.'

'Wow. Now I've lost five Sickles.'

'Isn't it worth it?' Harry asked.

'Yes. As long as Hermione doesn't get the wrong impression.'

'I'm not going to answer that,' she said.

After dinner, Harry and Ginny went into the common room, while the two lovers went further along the corridor to their lovenest.

'I suppose I don't really blame him,' said Harry. 'I'm sure that making love will help him as much as the Calming Draught did.'

'I can't imagine Madam Pomfrey providing that, though!' said Ginny impishly.

Harry laughed. 'I don't want to imagine it.' He got his homework out. 'How does Hermione manage to get her homework done for all those classes, and still have time for this?'

'You need to be as well-organised as she is.'

'I'd like to have the incentive to keep some time free, like they have,' he commented. Ginny blushed.

*

Angelina was not happy with Thursday's Quidditch practice. Harry, Dean and Alicia all played badly, as did Hermione and Ron. 'Look,' she said wearily, 'I know you've all got your N.E.W.Ts and O.W.Ls coming up. I've got N.E.W.Ts too, remember, and I managed to concentrate.'

'At least the game is after the exams, so the pressure will be off them,' said Katie. Being in the sixth year, she only had end-of-year exams to worry about, wasn't feeling as stressed, and had played well.

'No, then you'll all be worrying about the results. If you want something real to worry about, think about how McGonagall will react if Ravenclaw get the Cup away from us.'

'She likes Flitwick more than Snape, though,' said Ginny. She'd got five goals past the Chasers and Dean, so she didn't have to worry about Angelina's reaction.

'True. She'd rather keep the Cup in her office, though.' She looked around at the team. 'You've got to play better next week. We don't have a practice session during the exam week, and you'll have to prove to me, in that last practice, that you're concentrating on the game. Otherwise -- and I don't want you three to get your hopes up -- I'll be putting Ginny, Paloma and Dennis in the final. They played well today.'

Ginny smiled, but looked sheepishly at Alicia.

'So, seriously -- if any of you three aren't playing better next week, I will replace you in the final. It's not just a threat, I want that Cup for Gryffindor. It's my last chance.'

'It's not that easy!' said Dean. 'Not many of us are going to be able to earn a living at Quidditch, and we need good exam results.'

Angelina shook her head. 'Fred and George played OK. They can both concentrate, and they've got N.E.W.Ts soon.' The twins grinned smugly.

'Of course they can,' said Ginny. 'They don't care what their results are, they're going to open their shop whatever they get.'

'That reminds me -- I don't want to see any of your tricks in the game,' Angelina warned the twins. 'You can set off as many fireworks as you want at the end, if we win. That's your incentive.'

'Is that the only incentive our dear captain can think of?' Fred asked mournfully.

'Oh, shut up,' she said, embarrassed.

*

Hermione rejoined Harry and Ron after her Ancient Runes lesson, for two free periods before Friday's lunch. They were doing their homework and talking about Angelina's threat to replace Harry, when the portrait hole opened and Dumbledore entered. He came over to the trio, while the other fifth-year Gryffindors stared at him. 'You seemed to enjoy this week's duelling lesson so much that I did not want to ask you this then. Miss Granger, do you still wish to experience the Cruciatus Curse?'

'You can't!' exclaimed Ron. Harry realised Hermione hadn't told him about wanting to know what it was like.

'Yes, I do,' said Hermione, ignoring Ron's protests.

'I do not wish to use the curse in here, as it may alarm the others,' Dumbledore said, 'but there is a room nearby which we can use.'

'Hermione, you're crazy!' Ron objected. 'Don't do this!'

'I know why she wants to do it, and it does make some sense to,' Harry told Ron.

'Do you wish your friends to be with you, to help you afterwards?'

Hermione nodded quietly. The three of them followed Dumbledore along the corridor. He paused by a door, and Hermione and Ron looked guiltily at each other.

'I don't know if this is a good room to use,' said Hermione nervously.

'I believe that it is. It is furnished with extremely comfortable furniture, which I believe you will find convenient to recover on, if the pain is more than you expect.' His eyes twinkled. 'Familiar surroundings will help, too.'

Hermione and Ron both went red. Harry suddenly realised which room this was, and put his hand over his mouth, pretending he was scratching his cheek, to hide his smile. Dumbledore tapped the door with his wand, and entered, holding the door open for the three pupils.

Harry looked around. How long had it taken the two of them to Transfigure the room to be this comfortable? There was a wide and comfortable-looking bed, though not a four-poster, and two comfortable chairs facing each other (Harry realised with a shock that they must sometimes just sit and talk in private). There was a yard-wide stone ring on the ceiling, with another on the floor below it. He couldn't see what they might be for, and wondered if they were left over from the days when this had been a classroom. There were clothes hangers on a rail fixed to the wall beside the corridor, too. He realised Ron was frowning at him, and apologised, 'Sorry. I haven't ever been in here before.'

'I believe, Hermione, that you will be most comfortable sitting in one of these chairs. Excellent work, incidentally.' Hermione smiled sheepishly, and sat down facing Dumbledore. He drew his wand and said, 'I will not ask you if you are ready, as I do not believe this is anything you can prepare yourself for. Crucio!'

Hermione cried out, and her body shuddered, twitching madly in the chair. Harry saw Dumbledore's expression. It was one of real regret, and he soon put his wand down. 'Are you all right?'

'Yes. Thanks,' she gasped, half-collapsed in the chair. Harry and Ron both went over to her, helping her to sit up again. 'I'm all right,' she told them.

'No, you're not,' said Harry. 'I know, remember?'

'This is stupid,' said Ron. 'At least it's over now.'

'Was that as bad as it would be if Voldemort cast it?' she asked Dumbledore, ignoring Ron wincing at the name.

'It was not. Despite Harry's experience of the curse at Voldemort's full power last year, I do not think it advisable to use that much power the first time someone experiences the curse.'

'Please?' she whispered, closing her eyes.

'No!' moaned Ron. 'Don't do it!'

'Are you certain of this?'

'Yes,' she snapped. 'I think we all need to know what this is like. Harry already knows, and I think Ron should know, but I can only choose for myself.' Ron looked horrified at the mere thought.

Dumbledore raised his wand and hesitated, indicating that the two boys should move away from her. Both did, although not very far. 'Crucio!' he said, his expression grimmer than before. Again, Hermione screamed, and almost fell out of the chair. The curse seemed to last longer this time, but eventually Dumbledore put his wand into his pocket and knelt beside her, looking concerned. 'Can you speak?'

'Yes,' she said faintly. 'Thank you.'

'Don't do it again, Hermione,' begged Harry. 'It's almost as bad watching you suffer as feeling Snape cast it.'

'Snape? What?' Ron asked. 'Are you really all right, Hermione?'

'If you still feel weak in half an hour, see Madam Pomfrey and ask her for a restorative potion. She knows that you may be needing one.' Hermione nodded. 'I hope you do not wish to feel it again. Some people enjoy casting such curses. I do not, particularly in the case of so excellent a student as yourself. I would hesitate even before casting it on a Death Eater.'

'I understand. Sorry. Thank you for casting it as I asked, anyway.'

'You are welcome, if that is truly the right phrase in the circumstances. Now, I have other tasks to do. Clearly, you will recover from the pain. I leave her in your good hands; make sure that she is all right.' The headmaster left the room.

Harry looked at his watch. 'OK, Madam Pomfrey in half an hour, whether you agree or not.'

'I might be better by then!' she protested weakly.

'If you can stop us dragging you up there, I'll believe you.'

'Are you OK in the chair?' asked Ron worriedly. 'Shouldn't you lie down?'

Hermione nodded, and the two of them helped her over to the bed. 'This is silly,' she said. 'Harry, you didn't have a bed handy when Voldemort cursed you.'

'I wouldn't have minded one. I did have to spend a day in the hospital wing when I got back, remember? Oh, and I think you're right about wanting to experience this in safe surroundings.'

'Oh, is that what it was about?' Ron asked. 'You think You-Know-Who might use it on you, and you want to know what it's like first?'

'Did you see his expression? He really hated having to do that, even though you asked.'

'Yes, I saw,' she said. Her voice wasn't as weak now.

'I think he liked it better when he was praising you for your Transfiguration,' Harry said, looking around the room. 'This is an amazing room, you know.' Hermione blushed.

'You have seen it before,' Ron complained.

'No, I haven't. Why did you think I had?'

Ron looked nonplussed. 'No, you haven't. I must have dreamt it. Oh, no. I remember that dream.'

Harry decided not to ask about that. 'Hermione, you're probably the first person ever to thank someone for the Cruciatus Curse -- at least, without being forced to -- and to apologise to the person who cast it!' She grinned at him, and he added. 'You do look better.'

She sat up, shook her head to clear it, and sat on the edge of the bed. 'I don't think I'll need to go to see Madam Pomfrey, anyway.'

'Do you really think you're likely to be attacked by You-Know-Who?' Ron asked her.

'I'm sure Harry will be attacked again. I hope he won't be, but ... And the three of us spend so much time together, and we really can't assume we'll be safe.'

'So much for worrying about O.W.Ls,' said Ron glumly. 'They drove me crazy enough, without You-Know-Who's help.'

'Did you know that when Tom Riddle was here, Dumbledore was the Transfiguration teacher?' Harry asked. 'So when he says this is excellent work, he knows what he's talking about.'

'I didn't do much of it,' admitted Ron. 'You guessed that, didn't you?'

'I wasn't sure. Well, apart from those hangers on the wall; after sharing a dorm with you for five years, I know they weren't your idea!' He smiled at Hermione. 'You must be a good influence on him.'

'I hope so,' she said, smiling back.

'Now, to give you something else to think about, Ron, what was that dream you mentioned?'

'You don't want to hear that.'

'I'd like to hear it, anyway. How bad is it?' Hermione asked.

'Well, it's just embarrassing. It started after we told everyone, and then started using this room.'

'Did you dream about what you were doing in here?' Harry asked.

'Something like that. Oh, all right -- I dreamt we were making love, and the door opened, and you came in with Ginny and sat down to watch, and then the others all came in, including the twins.'

Harry grinned. 'That's why you thought I'd been in here before?'

'I knew you hadn't really, but I keep having the dream, and it's just there at the back of my mind.'

'You're feeling guilty that everyone knows,' suggested Hermione.

'Well,' said Harry, 'you're feeling better if you can start psycho-analysing Ron.'

'Not more Muggle words,' muttered Ron.

'I feel well enough to go back to doing homework,' she said, standing.

'Anyone who can say that definitely needs to see Madam Pomfrey,' said Ron.

Hermione cast an Analysis Charm on the door after it closed behind them. 'Dumbledore must have repaired the charms after unlocking it. It was only supposed to open for Ron and me.'

*

Harry and Ron kept a close eye on Hermione during lunch, and gave Ginny a whispered explanation. None of them thought that it was a good idea for anyone else to know that Dumbledore had used the Cruciatus Curse on a pupil. By now, Ron also knew about Snape using it on Harry in a lesson. After a short lunch, they went outside, as Hermione said she wanted some fresh air before Potions.

'Please, I'm OK, you don't need to keep fussing over me.'

'I like fussing over you,' said Ron.

'Oh, not again,' said Ginny.

'You can be quiet. You didn't see her in pain.'

'I don't mean you,' she said, pointing at two people sitting out there already. Harry saw that they were Blaise and Matteo, and they seemed to be in the middle of an argument.

'Just let him grieve!' snapped Blaise.

'You didn't have fifty Galleons on the team to win the Cup this year!' retorted Matteo. 'We might have stood a chance in the Hufflepuff game if he'd just played.'

'No, you wouldn't,' said Ginny. 'You were already last, that game just made sure you stayed last.'

Blaise jumped. 'Oh, I didn't see you there, Potter, or any of you.'

'Hello,' said Harry. 'You're not arguing about Grocyn still, are you?'

'You'd lost those fifty Galleons anyway,' said Ginny. 'So don't take it out on Grocyn.'

'He's the only captain I've ever heard of who walked out on his team before the end of the year,' complained Matteo. 'Should I just forget that?'

'It didn't make any difference!' Blaise insisted.

'You used to be friends,' said Ginny. 'Why do you keep arguing with Grocyn just when he's lost Raine?'

'I'd like to hear that answer,' said Blaise.

Harry noticed that Ron and Hermione had gone off in a different direction and were sitting near the lake, talking quietly.

'Now is when he needs friends,' said Ginny.

Matteo muttered something.

'Speak up,' said Blaise irritably.

Matteo sighed. 'I know he wants friends. How's he going to keep them if he just throws away the captaincy?'

'Are you saying you don't want to be his friend because people will blame you for his dropping out of the team?' asked Ginny incredulously. 'Are you really that selfish?'

'Yes, he is,' confirmed Blaise. 'Always has been.'

'You shouldn't be! Everyone knows you won't leave him alone over this!' Ginny snapped at Matteo. 'Get over it, and be his friend again! Harry says you should be friends!'

Harry grinned. Matteo frowned at him. 'Why did you say that?'

'For a start, you both think You-Know-Who is a bad thing, unlike some Slytherins, so you're on the same side. If you used to be friends, why are you letting Grocyn's reaction to a murder by You-Know-Who change that?'

'You're simplifying it.'

'Good. Give me a simple answer then.'

Matteo shook his head, stood and walked away. Blaise smiled at Matteo's back, then told Harry, 'I think you gave him something to think about there.'

*

Even Ron was raring to do revision on Saturday. 'Just one more week, and then it's the exams, and then we can just collapse,' he said nervously.

'Just one more week, and we can go to Hogsmeade again,' Ginny said happily. 'I suppose that's to force you to relax just before the exams.'

'Good, I could do with being forced to relax,' said Harry. 'Snape's really been getting on my nerves.'

'Maybe we should give him a Calming Draught,' said Ron. 'It's just a shame we don't know how to make them.'

'It certainly is,' said Hermione, 'since we studied them last year.' She hadn't even looked up from the book she was reading.

'We did? Oh, no, I don't remember that at all. Are you sure -- never mind, of course you are.'

'As punishment for doubting her, you have to make a Calming Draught and get Snape to drink it,' said Ginny, grinning at Ron.

'Oh, yes, that should be easy. "Here, Professor, I made this -- drink it and see if I got it right." I can just see Snape doing that!'

'As an incentive to revise ...' Hermione began, still not looking up.

'You're my incentive,' said Ron, putting his arm around her. She leant into his arm, but kept her eyes on the book.

'... you could study how to make a Calming Draught, mix it with pumpkin juice, and use a Switching Spell to swap it for his drink at a meal.' After a short silence, she looked up to find the other three all staring at her.

'Sometimes you're not as innocent as you seem,' said Harry.

'I like those times,' said Ron, hugging her closer to him.

'Have you been talking to Fred and George?' Ginny asked her. 'It sounds like one of their plans.'

'Oh, don't insult her,' said Ron.

'I haven't forgotten what he said when my teeth were cursed,' said Hermione. 'I don't think we should actually do this, but it would mean you'd remember both subjects.'

'I know we did Switching Spells last year,' mused Ron, 'because I remember Neville's ears winding up on a cactus. But that's all I can remember about them.'

'Well, if you did happen to use this as a revision exercise, you'd be all ready to use the idea if he got any worse,' suggested Ginny. 'But tell Fred and George before you do, they'd really enjoy it.'

'Got any worse? He could be a hundred per cent better than he is now, and I'd still want to do this.'

'This might not have been a good idea,' said Hermione, returning to her book.

Ron grabbed his Potions book and started looking for the Calming Draught.

When they'd finished their lunch, they brought a jug of water and some goblets back up to the common room, and practised Switching the contents of the goblets, exchanging the water in a full goblet with that in one only half-full, until both Harry and Ron were happy that they'd not only mastered that use of a Switching Spell, but would be able to use it as part of a similar plan.

'That was just too good an incentive,' said Ginny, watching the water levels in the goblets jump up and down. 'You could actually do it now.'

'I wish you'd thought of this last week,' Harry told Hermione. 'It's a lot more fun revising this way.'

'Watch out, Snape,' said Ron happily. 'For the rest of my Potions revision, I'm going to work out first what I could do with each of the Potions.'

'Don't have too much fun,' warned Ginny. 'Fred and George probably thought of this way of revising too, and it didn't help them much, did it?'