Resonance

Chapter 46 -- End of an Era

"Okay," Hermione whispered, when they stopped at an empty corner of the second floor corridor. "I have an idea. Ron, you said your brothers could make any color of the Goo?" At Ron's nod, she went on. "We need clear."

"Clear?" Ron confirmed.

"Invisible color." Hermione insisted.

"Oh," Ron said, still trying to cotton on.

"You think that will work?" Harry asked, sort of understanding but also doubtful. He was keeping an eye out. Some First Years were wandering in their direction, but slowly.

Hermione said, "The colors when they go on top of each other, completely hide the ones beneath. Well, owl George and ask him to try it and send us some if it works. A LOT of it."

Ron shrugged and said he would ask. Harry felt a little relieved that they had a plan, their fellow students were behaving surly toward them still and it would be good to move on from a prank that had long outlasted its novelty.

* * *

A few nights later, Harry crept down the staircases carrying a canister of invisible Goo and a homemade straw brush resembling a miniature broom. He had insisted on being allowed to do the Slytherin door. He had won with the argument that he was the only one for whom getting caught by the Slytherin Head of House wouldn't matter.

A little nervous, despite his assertions of confidence to his friends, Harry stopped before the Slytherin common room door and looked both ways. He imagined the conversation he would have with the headmistress should he get caught and had to take a slow breath to relax. Under his invisibility cloak he still had to pay attention, lest someone run into him. With care, and starting right at the edge of the hidden door, Harry dipped the brush and began painting. The bristles made a lot of noise, grating loudly in the stone corridor. This made Harry realize that it was Greer whom he actually had to worry about down here. Setting down the canister of Goo, Harry wiped his hands well on his pants and pulled out his wand to put a Silencing charm on the brush. He returned to painting the floor, leaving a space for himself to get around it to do the door as well.

Finished with the floor, he considered that he really needed to do the other side of the door since that side got handled more by students pushing it to go out. Frowning, Harry shuffled over against the wall and waited, hoping someone would go in or out on a late-night errand. He should have come sooner to overhear the password, it now occurred to him.

Long minutes ticked away. Harry sighed. He had a lot of time before his friends wondered what happened, since they had said an hour and it had only been half that, at most. Harry was pulling out his pocket watch to check the time when a disgusted voice said, "What now, Potter?"

Startled, Harry jerked his head down the corridor. Draco stood there, arms crossed, sneer firmly in place. Harry glanced down at himself, wondering if his feet were showing or he had left something on the floor.

Very snidely, Draco breathed, "Yes, I can see you, through the cloak."

Harry pulled the cloak off his head. "How?"

"Someone taught me," he breathed haughtily.

Harry considered that. "Not Dumbledore I assume."

Laughing mockingly, Draco said, "No. Not Dumbledore." He looked Harry over. "Not in enough trouble yet that you are out looking for more. Please, I can fetch Professor Greer, if that will help you."

"Reversing trouble, actually," Harry said, holding out the can, inside which sloshed an unseen liquid.

"Thank Merlin," Draco huffed. "What a hag it has been." With a distant expression, he made a hand print on the wall in a small space where there weren't quite as many.

"The floor and the door are done," Harry said, feeling gracious since this was Draco's territory. "Give it a try."

Haughtily, Draco asked,"Why is the floor still green with a thousand miserable footprints?"

"It doesn't work like that. Someone has to touch it and then something else." Harry gestured for him to walk over the floor then moved to remain facing Draco, hand not far from his wand pocket, although Draco seemed too self-absorbed to start anything.

Draco stepped briskly to the door and put his hands flat upon it before going back to the wall and obliterating his previous mark. "That's an improvement, I'll admit," he murmured.

"Open the door so I can do the inside of it," Harry suggested.

Draco sauntered back to the door. "Shooting star," he said and the door cracked open. He stepped back for Harry to open it. Harry, who didn't want to turn his back on Draco, gestured in return for him to open it. Draco scoffed condescendingly. "I don't even have my wand at the moment."

Harry's eyes narrowed in suspicion at that. "Why not?"

"I loaned it to someone--not that it is any of your business."

Harry gave him a doubtful look but reached to pull on the crack at the edge of the door. He glanced inside to make sure the room was empty before shuffling in to paint. As he worked, Draco stood aside, arms crossed, looking like an overseer. "So," Harry said conversationally. "I'm curious to know if you really changed places with your dad willingly." When no reply was forthcoming, he turned to the other boy.

"I don't think you'd understand, Potter," Draco said flatly. He shifted against the doorjamb to lean on it harder. "Or maybe you would. Father is certain you have Professor Snape under an Imperius curse, though he can't figure why you would bother. I, of course, know better. You missed a spot," he said, pointing at the lower corner.

Harry frowned at him, but then crouched to paint the lower part of the door with a crooked grin. "Sorry, forgot you Slytherins crawl out the door on occasion. You didn't answer the question."

In a less confident voice Draco said, "He insisted. Not that it is anything to you." His shoulder twitched then and with a huff he stalked inside. "He's my father . . . even though he did end up on the losing side." Draco spun back and in a more angry voice, said, "You won, Potter. You destroyed my father's Master. The Ministry took our fortune. You took my mentor. What else do you want?"

"Just to be left alone, I suppose," Harry said, dropping the brush into the canister and rolling up his invisibility cloak, careful to keep it clear of the Goo since he was unsure what would happen if it got some on it.

Draco laughed. "Well, that's something you'll never have, Mr. Hero." He gave Harry a sadistic smile. A door opened on the far side of the common room and Nott stepped out, holding out a wand. He stashed it away quickly upon seeing Harry there.

Harry glanced between the two of them, their faces both had gone flat. With a sigh, Harry stepped backward, pulling the door with him to close it.

"Watch your back, Potter," Draco said suggestively before it shut completely.

"Thanks," Harry replied sarcastically.

* * *

The next morning excited conversation filled the Entrance Hall as everyone marveled at their newfound powers to remove all of the colored paint everywhere. Some of the younger students where shuffling around the hall obliterating swathes of color, then leaping to get the last few stray spots.

"Well, that worked bloody well," Ron said in a tired voice. He patted Hermione's shoulder and led the way down the Grand Staircase.

At the end of the week, during Potions, Harry wondered what else his House had cooked up. Hermione, after scratching something madly in the margin of her notes that looked like arithmetic, pulled her wand into her sleeve and thoughtfully considered the bench to their right and one row ahead. Harry stirred his cauldron and watched her. Justin, Cory and the other Hufflepuffs at the table in question were busy brewing and paying little attention to anything else since the assigned potion, Ulgants salve, was the hardest they had ever been assigned.

Carefully watching his cauldron for the subtle fizzing indicated in the instructions, Harry spared little attention for his friend, until she whispered a spell. A moment later a very stressed Cory blurted, "Bloody hell," when his potion turned black.

"Mr. Corkrin," Greer snapped at him. "I'll not have that language in my classroom. Five points from Hufflepuff for that."

Hermione waved her wand slightly; Cory breathed a sigh of relief and returned to stirring his cauldron while dropping in toad toes, one at a time. Hermione rushed to add her own toad digits and stir, just in time, Harry believed, since the tiny bubbles had almost ceased breaking the surface.

Hermione next subtly twitched her wand at Mandy and Michael. Harry was beginning to worry a bit, but remained silent, since drawing any attention would only make things worse. Penelope and Frina were too absorbed in their brewing to notice a centaur galloping through, much less Hermione with her wand in her sleeve.

Michael spoke loudly, "Boy, I think my potion is the best, don't you?" he confidently asked Mandy. His tablemate glanced very doubtfully into his cauldron. Greer, attracted by his statements, veered that way.

"My boy, what are you on about?"

"Look, it's perfect," he said proudly to the teacher.

"You are surely addled by too much revising, Mr. Corner. That must be the most noxious Ulgants salve I have ever had the misfortune of smelling."

"No," Michael argued.

"Five points from Ravenclaw for your delusion, Mr. Corner."

Hermione bit her lip and added diced rat brain to her cauldron. Harry was tempted to point out that her potion was not stellar at this point either, due to her distracted brewing. What he did whisper was, "Ron has been a very bad influence on you." When Hermione just shrugged, Harry added, "You should have used the Bragging curse on one of the Slytherins."

"Next," she assured him. "Bet it gets the opposite reaction."

At the end of a very long Potions class, Harry wished he could return to bed. He was honestly worried about Hermione whose eyes looked a little wild with stress and determination. It would all be over soon, he reminded himself and tried to concentrate on his own revision tables.

At the end of lunch, they all trooped by the brass cauldron, which spat forth their N.E.W.T. schedule, folded neatly into a diamond shape. Harry caught his out of the air and moved aside.

"We have to get to Binns' class," Hermione pointed out urgently as he stopped to open it. He stashed it away instead and followed his friends.

As Binns started to lecture on Wizard Criminal Law in the nineteenth century, Harry opened his schedule in his lap. Defense first, followed by Care of Magical Creatures. Then after lunch, Potions and Divination; that was day one. He rubbed his eyes before looking at day two and again reminded himself that it would all be over soon.

"How's it look?" Hermione whispered.

Whispering back, Harry said, "Like a test schedule only a nutter could love."

Several students turned around and grinned at him. Binns droned on. Seeing Hermione jot something down, Harry picked up his quill and started listening seriously to the lecture.

As they arrived for Care of Magical Creatures in the afternoon, they turned in their long, long essay parchments on blue wombats. Harry's and Penelope's along with Hermione's and Frina's were definitely much thicker rolls than the other students'. Hagrid tossed them into a wooden bucket, which he then placed beside the door to his cabin, and said, "Well, we should do a little reviewing before your N.E.W.T.s" He pulled out a ratty parchment that had tea and whiskey stains on it. Malfoy huffed in annoyance and Harry shot him a warning look.

Malfoy held up two fingers and mouthed "Two a.m. Astronomy Tower," at Harry with a challenging expression. Harry hesitated just an instant before nodding.

"Now then, Brinkenpops. Who can tell me how to catch a Brinkenpop?" Hermione and many others raised their hand. "The rest of ya' fergot?" Hagrid asked loudly in disbelief. More people raised their hand. "Well, tha's better. Unicorns can perform what four magic functions?"

After dinner Harry did something he would have never have imagined he would do. He went to Snape's office and told him ahead of time that he was about to break the rules.

"I just wanted to warn you that I'm dueling Draco tonight," Harry said, standing just inside the door to Snape's office. Snape still looked like he needed a real night's sleep.

"You really feel the need to do that?" asked Snape after putting down his quill and rubbing his neck.

"Yes. I'm dying to do that."

Snape rested his chin on his hand and considered Harry. "Willing to tell me the time and place?"

"No."

"Overconfidence, Harry," Snape chastised.

Harry straightened his shoulders. "I'll let someone else know," he pointed out. "Since I need a second."

"Ms. Granger, please, or Ms. Weasley."

"Not Ron?" Harry asked, letting the door to the office close just in case anyone was walking by in the corridor.

"I must admit, I trust his judgment less than that of your other friends."

"Penelope?" Harry tossed out, curious what the response would be.

Snape tilted his head again. "Her magic is limited by low confidence or bad experience, or both. Her judgment seems fine."

"All of them, then?"

Snape hesitated, lips working in silence. "Do not allow the duel become an all out war, if you can help it."

Harry hadn't considered that. "Okay," he agreed, settling on Ginny in his mind and hoping immediately that Penelope didn't find out.

In the common room that evening it took a half hour for Harry to catch Ginny's eye to slip her a note without anyone else noticing. As soon as she surreptitiously read it, Harry wished he had made the reason clearer for why he was asking her to meet him at 1:30 that morning, because her eyes revealed a strange struggle. She slipped the note away without looking up at him.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Harry said first thing when he stepped down into the common room to meet Ginny. She wore a dressing gown over her nightgown and she waited with her arms wrapped around herself. He went on, "I should have been clearer. I need a second for a duel in a half hour."

She straightened and blinked. "Oh. Okay. Uh . . ." She looked down at herself. "Let me go change, just a minute." At the stairs she added, "Or a few, since I have to be silent."

Five minutes later, she reappeared in her regular school robes, wand in hand. "Thanks," Harry said with feeling. "I appreciate this. Snape insisted . . . "

"You told Professor Snape you were dueling?" she interrupted.

"It does make it harder to punish me if he hears about it later," Harry pointed out pleasantly as he held open the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"True," Ginny admitted. "Why me? Why not Ron?"

Voice quiet in the empty corridor, Harry replied, "Believe it or not, Severus preferred you over your brother. He also had faith in Hermione, but she needs sleep more than you right now because of revising."

"Huh. Maybe there is hope for my final grade after all."

"You aren't doing well in Defense?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Practical is fine--I hate taking examinations," she complained tiredly.

They were ten minutes early, but Draco and Nott were waiting when they arrived, standing casually beside the stairs leading into the tower.

"Thought you'd bring Longbottom," Draco said.

"He's too stressed from revising," Harry explained. "You don't accept my second?"

Draco shrugged. Harry looked to Nott who stood silent and unreactive, though as usual, he looked calculating. He moved only when Draco did, to walk up the stairs to the tower. Nott and Ginny moved off to opposite sides of the large room, the last room before roof level. The telescopes were packed in trunks along one wall, and they would have to be careful not to damage them. The room was a little too small for duelling, which made it harder to counter what was spelled, making it more dangerous.

Harry and Draco started back to back, and this time Harry remained silent and focused rather than taunting his old enemy. They parted, counted off, turned and spelled at exactly the same moment. Draco flew backward, struck with Harry's Blasting curse. The white arc of light, that had emerged from Draco's wand as he sailed backward, spun its way slowly toward Harry. Harry had not heard the incantation that produced it. He tried a series of counter-curses to no effect. Across the room Draco was standing up using the wall, licking his lips in apparent anticipation of his opponent's fate.

"Come, now Potter, just one little spell," Draco taunted. "It isn't in any textbook this school would use, even with Snape teaching the class."

Harry found himself backing up and trying a series of blocks, but even the most advanced ones he knew had little or no effect. The arc now felt like a scythe inextricably approaching him. He swallowed hard and thought frantically.

"A Doppelganger," Ginny said insistently.

"I don't know that one," Harry shouted, still backing up.

Draco complained, "No help from the second until you are down."

"Like you don't cheat every time," Harry snapped, ducking down rather than backing all the way to the wall. The arc dipped as well, not fooled. Harry began to wonder frantically what it was going to do to him.

Ginny shouted, "Stand still and tap your forehead with the incantation Doppelgangus. Quickly." Harry moved to the other side of the narrow oval on his side of the room and did as she said. Ginny added stridently, "Wait for it to form before you move."

Harry needed a lot of will to hold still while faced with the curved blade of light turning ever faster toward him. A shimmer formed before Harry's eyes, a shimmer like a mask with eyeholes. He dove aside just as the arc rotated in to strike, and looked back in time to see an explosion of light swallowed up by sparkles. As he got to his feet, Draco incanted something angrily, it sounded like a Fire charm. Harry reacted without thought, putting up a freezing counter. Another explosion erupted, though it swallowed itself rapidly.

Harry didn't hesitate generating a barrage of spells and counters, and half a minute later Draco was down just as the door to the tower swung open.

"Well," Professor McGonagall breathed. "I should have guessed, but I continue to expect better of you, Mr. Potter." Filch shuffled in behind her, carrying his wide-eyed cat and grinning fiercely.

Harry, for the very first time, didn't feel her disappointment. He slowly lowered his wand hand and held her gaze steadily as she approached. He felt outside of this place, and this room, as though it had lost its meaning. Her eyes darted over his face. "Hm," was all she said before stalking over to the small white ferret trapped in a power pentagram on the floor by Nott's feet. "Undo this, Mr. Potter," she said, gesturing at the floor.

Harry hesitated, only because he was trying to read her mood. She had not commanded him; her voice was unexpectedly flat, conversational even. He waved the spells away. Draco reappeared in a heap and floundered to stand up. Nott watched him struggle for a few seconds before reaching down to help him.

"No second, Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

Harry glanced around. A voice incanted a Disillusionment reversal before Ginny appeared and stepped forward.

"Nicely done, Ms. Weasley," said McGonagall. "Didn't see you there." She turned to the Slytherins "Fifty points from your house for each of you for duelling."

"What about them?" Draco demanded when she turned to leave.

"Unfortunately we don't have a system that accommodates negative points, Mr. Malfoy, otherwise I would."

Harry wondered if it had actually gotten that bad; he had noticed that their gems had seemed even more paltry than before, as though everyone in the House had gotten into the spirit of making the best of the situation. As he followed the headmistress down the staircase, he hoped a hundred points put Slytherin behind Ravenclaw, then thought of Snape and sort of hoped not, but then thought again of Malfoy and Parkinson and hoped so again.

At the seventh floor McGonagall turned on Harry and said stiffly, "I'll be informing your guardian, who can deal with you as he pleases." When Harry just shrugged casually, she stiffened. "Goodness, I hope Severus knows what he has gotten himself into."

Draco and Nott glanced back at them several times as they departed, glowering in defeat. Harry watched McGonagall stride away in the other direction, leaving Filch, who was muttering to his cat. As Harry watched the headmistress' robe billowing behind her, he mulled her comment over with a little concern.

"Best get along now," Filch said. "Never know what might happen to ya out late like this. Eh?"

Harry and Ginny walked away, reviewing the duel in low tones. "Thanks," Harry said, when they stepped through the portrait hole. "For the spell--it saved my skin."

She grinned, clearly enjoying that notion. "I had to learn that one a long time ago to make my brothers think I was in my room when I was out secretly practicing Quidditch."

"Good thing," Harry breathed. He gave her a wave as he headed for the boys' dormitory. She gave him a smile with just a hint of melancholy.

* * *

Hermione's strange new hobby of spelling her fellow students reduced over the next week, so Harry didn't bother Ron, the mad reviser, with it. Harry found himself ignoring most everything and holding dearly to the notion that it would all be over before he knew it, one way the other. They revised and quizzed each other constantly over the next week. Harry doubted anything could sink into his exhausted brain, but somehow it did, since he did better on Hermione's practice examinations at the end of the week than he had with the ones at the beginning.

Ron looked haunted and frantic during the day and he mumbled a lot in his sleep, which he didn't normally. The Durmstrang students were holding up much better, not seeming to dread the looming examinations the way the rest of them did, although Darsha was less civil than usual as though sensitive to getting distracted. Harry didn't take it personally since he didn't believe he was at his best either.

Draco ignored him now, although Harry found Nott's eyes on him more often when he looked over at the Slytherins during class, making Harry think Draco's last words to him in the Dungeon were like good advice.

* * *

The first day of N.E.W.T.s finally arrived. Nervous, even though this was his best subject, Harry took a seat at one of the old desks and focused his thoughts exclusively on Defense against the Dark Arts, valiantly calming the swirling in his mind of book pages and notes that tried to overwhelm him like a wave. Beside him, Neville, who had knocked the chair over while pulling it out, was apologizing with a stutter. Harry decided that he fortunately was not feeling that nervous. The old witch across from him gave him a nice smile, adjusted her tiny glasses as she studied him, then said, "Well, we'll go through the tests anyway, dear boy."

"Yes, ma'am," Harry agreed. Beside him he heard Neville saying, "Sir? Sir?" Harry turned and found that the middle-aged wizard across from Neville was staring at him. The man sat straight finally and tried to find his place in his parchments. "Well, uh, Longbottom, right? You probably aren't as dangerous as that one over there."

Harry scoffed loudly enough to carry, then cleared his throat when his testwitch looked up in confusion. She had pulled a silver pill box out of a large case beside her and set it on the table. "Curse neutralization first," she said in her plodding voice. "Remove the pin from inside the box." She backed up her chair as though expecting the worst to happen. Harry ran through the Curse Removal spells he had had copious opportunity to practice on Malfoy's wombat crate. The pillbox popped open and he held out the straight pin by its pearl end.

"Yes, very good," the testwitch said in relief as she scooted her chair closer in.

Harry turned to give a victorious grin to Neville and found his friend had already handed his pin over. Harry gave a low growl of happy challenge as the testwitch brought out three dolls and explained that one of them was charmed, one was cursed, and one was a transfigured stuffed bear. She informed him that he was required to determine which was which without undoing any of the spells.

Harry sat up and studied the three old cloth dolls with china faces. Other than being old and grimy in slightly different ways, they looked identical. He took out his wand and prodded one of them and nothing happened. Two tables down there was a shriek, the sound of a knocked over chair, then someone, maybe Justin, saying in great distress, "That's the cursed one. That one." Harry leaned back a as far as possible before prodding the middle one. Finally, he shook himself and incanted the curse detection spell Snape used, the one on the right, still unprodded, flared red. "That one's cursed," Harry said.

The testwitch smiled sweetly. Neville cleared his throat. Harry glanced that way and found Neville's testwizard was putting away the dolls. With a groan of annoyance Harry scratched his head. How does one detect charmed? he wondered. With a blush ahead of time, Harry leaned over the remaining two and whispered, "Good dolly." The one in the middle opened its eyes. Harry glanced around to make sure no one else had heard him.

Next came a series of curses he had to counter. Harry did as instructed and stood before the desk, wand out. The testwitch was very gentle with her curses, seeming very reluctant to risk hurting him. They got through that quickly enough and the old witch smiled broadly as she made notes on her parchment at the end.

Harry and Neville finished at the same time. As they stepped away together, Harry said, "You were doing well."

Neville replied, "I'm sure you got a better score."

"No, bet not," Harry returned with a smile. They returned to the corridor to wait for the next section to begin. "Is the Defense N.E.W.T required for growing plants?" Harry teased.

"They said they'd like to see it, because some things like Magisterum and Pickwicker can get dangerous, unexpected like. And there's and an entire greenhouse full of Pickwicker at Waxman's."

"What do they use it for?"

"Treasure chests--try to break in and they swallow you whole. People like them for traveling abroad, because they're light."

Harry grinned at that image and leaned heavily against the wall. He sighed and thought ahead to the written test for Care of Magical Creatures.

Lunch was quiet all around. Students were either studying or had caught the general mood of pained panic and kept their conversations low in deference to it. Ron was cramming for Divination. Harry offered to quiz him so lunch became a bit of a game, with Frina, Penelope, and Ron guessing answers in between Hermione’s scoffing and eye-rolling. After a bit of this they switched to Care of Magical Creatures.

Harry felt confident about Potions. He had even looked up the instructions for Farnsworth’s Faffery, just in case, although he thought it would come in useful at some point anyway. The written test was first. Harry, seated with his friends, waited for the signal to begin. The first question:What ten potions use mossbeak? was easy enough, although a few people groaned upon turning over their examination parchments. Two hours later, Harry turned his long sheet back over and stretched his shoulders. He shared a smile with Hermione and checked on Penelope, who looked less elated and more worried than expected.

The practical section was two potions, the Draught of Living Death and Moonstone Elixir. There were many ingredients to chose from, hundreds maybe. Several students stood before the supplies area with their hand on their head, looking distraught. Harry collected his ingredients and brewed with studious care. He finished with just five minutes to spare, and long after Hermione, but he was not going to rush this examination section.

Care of Magical Creatures was harder than expected and he was glad for the quizzing session at lunch since it gave him two answers he otherwise wouldn't have known.

At the end of the day, Harry, stumbled to the dormitory, fell onto his bed, and fell asleep. Penelope woke him two hours later. "Your friends wish to know if you are coming to eat," she said as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Harry eyed her there and considered that they were alone and that the common room sounded very quiet outside the dormitory door, so it was unlikely anyone would come in. He pulled her down onto the bed, feeling gratified just to put his arms around her.


Snape stopped by as Harry sat down to dinner. “And your testing went how?”

"Good," Harry assured him, feeling confident since he could list on one hand of fingers the questions he wasn't sure of from all three tests that day.

"Even Ms. Granger looks ready to be finished," Snape observed, looking over Harry's friends.

Hermione nodded tiredly, making them all grin, while Penelope kept her gaze down.

* * *

The next day, Harry had his Transfiguration examination right after lunch. Astronomy and Herbology that morning were a bit of a blur. Unusually, tea was provided at lunch in big kettles. Harry drank three cups and as he left with his friends, wished he had drunk a fourth.

The hardest part of the examination was the globe transformation. Harry managed to get a wisp of smoke inside the delicate glass on his third try, just inside the time limit. Breathing out deeply in an attempt to overcome his utter relief, Harry waited for the next items to be set before him, a pair of baby chicks to be turned into cotton balls. Beside him, Lavender's chicks were leaping for freedom as white puffballs with legs.

At the very end, as the testwizard was straightening his score sheet, Harry said, "I'd like to do an extra credit transfiguration."

The middle-aged wizard with a birthmark in the shape of Wales on his brow, said, "Which one would that be? Oh, no, let me guess, Animagus?" At Harry's nod the man went on in an amazed tone, "There have been so very many of those this year. Well, go ahead," he prompted as though it had become rote.

With a frown, because Harry had hoped to surprise the man at least a little bit, he stood up behind the desk. The room was crowded, but there was just enough space, he hoped. He breathed deeply and tried to manage the spells through the veil of fatigue clouding his thoughts. Imagining Malfoy mocking him for not getting into the Auror's program, Harry felt the rippling pass over his flesh. A moment later he was looking down at the now diminutive wizard in old grey robes. The testwizard looked up at him, unblinking and stunned. The rest of the room had quieted as well.

Harry flapped his wings once to get the testwizard to shake out of his spell. The man blinked, appeared to consider ducking under the table, and quickly made a note instead. Harry released the membrane around himself and his view shrunk down to normal.

"Well," the testwizard breathed. "Interesting. Can you, uh, fly?" he asked, sounding honestly curious. Harry leaned on the back of the chair and nodded. "Well, full points for that, I would say. You are all finished." Harry stood straight and started to leave, only turning back when the testwizard said quietly, "Honored to have met you, Mr. Potter."

In the common room before dinner, Harry was wishing for a butterbeer, or a real beer, or mead even, anything to calm the crazy circling of his thoughts and the accelerated beating of his heart. Repeating to himself that it was all over didn't seem to help at all. Around him, his friends sat or, in Ron's case, lay, on the floor, with expressions of shell shock and over-stress. Harry didn't want to move even though he wasn't relaxed because he feared tensing even one muscle more than it was already.

"I think it's dinner time," Ron mumbled from the floor, his gaze centered beyond the ceiling.

A minute later Ginny came down the staircase. "Shall I get you all trays?" she asked solicitously. They all twitched and shifted slightly but no one actually stood up. "How did it go today?" she then asked brightly.

"Pretty good," Ron answered in a muffled way. He seemed to have rolled over and now had his face against the rug.

Ginny laughed. "Shall I fetch Madame Pomfrey?" she asked kindly, though it was clearly a tease.

Ron raised a finger over his head. "Just you wait!" he proclaimed, then lost energy and fell silent.

"Dinner," Harry said and managed to sit up. He thought food would help, or knock him completely unconscious. Either way, it would be an improvement.

The Great Hall was even quieter than usual. Some students still had N.E.W.T.s the next morning, so stacks of books and parchments littered the tables. Harry barely tasted dinner, would have sworn he had not eaten, except that he remembered serving himself and later his plate was empty. For once, Ron only managed one serving of everything, with his head propped heavily on his palm and his fork hand a little uncertain and slow.

Snape came by at the end of the meal. "Feeling all right?" he asked, sounding surprised to find them all in such a state. General nodding and grunts went around. Harry looked up at his guardian with a doleful expression of exhaustion, bringing Snape's hand to his shoulder. "How did your Transfiguration examination go?"

Harry brightened at the memory. "Really good. I got full extra credit and I managed the hardest practical just in time. So I think it went okay. A few questions on the written I didn't know, but only a few." His eyes fell half closed as the elation wore off.

Snape patted his shoulder. "Go to bed, Harry. If you cannot sleep, send me a silver bird--I'll bring you something."

As Snape turned to leave, Ron asked, "What about the rest of us?" sounding hurt.

"What about you, Mr. Weasley?" Snape prompted before he was distracted by Harry's head nodded to his chest and jerking up again. "Do you need to be hovered to your dormitory?" Snape asked.

"No, no," Harry insisted, standing up as a blind man might, with judicious use of the table to guide him. "I'll make it. No hovering." As he walked to the doors, his friends akilter behind him, he stated, "I'm going to make it out of this school without ever being hovered again."

* * *

The next day, mostly recovered from his examinations but with mixed emotion, Harry followed his friends down to the Great Hall for the Leaving Feast. Some of the portraits waved at them as they passed. Students were talking excitedly about the upcoming summer holiday and going home, but Harry remembered clearly when this was his only home.

When they reached the second floor, Hermione walked quickly ahead of them, confusing Ron, which confused Harry, as he had believed Ron knew what she was up to. Hermione stopped at the top of the staircase, ran down the stairs to look into the Great Hall, then frantically around the Entrance Hall. When they reached her beside the doors, she waved them back and continued to watch the hall and the stairwell up from the dungeon. Ron and Harry shared a hopeless and worried look but did as she bade them. A minute later, she turned and said, "Draw Malfoy over there by the wall, will you?"

Harry considered suggesting something reasonable like: maybe she should take a Calming draught and go to bed early. Instead he wandered over to the blonde boy and said, "So, given up finally?" mostly because he had been fantasizing something akin to this conversation.

"I told you, you won," Draco snapped darkly. "Trying to make me change my mind?"

Harry drifted toward the wall Hermione had indicated, the one beside the tall main doors. "That was before the duel," said Harry in a challenging way to ensure Draco's continued attention. Draco followed and Harry glanced over at his friends and saw Hermione chatting with Greer. Harry opened his mouth to say something in response when Greer, red-faced charged their way.

"Six points, Mr. Malfoy . . . eight points, actually it should be, four for each of your insulting remarks. And it should be more considering how well I've treated you this term."

"What?" Draco asked, truly, completely confused. He glared at Harry who honestly shrugged back. Greer stalked off while Harry wondered why Hermione was giving points to Slytherin.

McGonagall stepped down the staircase and into the Great Hall, freezing the gems. The students began whispering fiercely and glancing at the score. A few giggled even. Harry blinked and accidentally bumped into Ron as he returned to his friends. The other three houses were in a straight tie with three hundred twenty six points each. Slowly, all of them turned to Hermione who looked much less frantic and very smug instead.

Ron shook his head and then put his head against the wall and laughed heartily. They all joined in as they walked in the Great Hall, until tears were staining their cheeks and Harry had to take off his glasses to dry his eyes on his sleeve. "I don't bloody believe it," Ron kept repeating while they all sat down.

"They all won," Frina said as she and Penelope joined them.

"They all lost," Harry pointed out, still very amused.

Snape stopped beside them on the way to the front, looking disgusted. "I should have known." With a pursed mouth he looked over each of them before returning a narrow gaze at Hermione. "I should have known the paint charm was merely . . . a distraction."

Harry turned to his friend in surprise. She sat straight and levelled her face. "Oh, yes, of course." They all chuckled again, despite trying not to. Snape groaned and stalked away.

At the head table McGonagall said to Snape, "Well, I think this is a first."

"It was quite well settled," Snape crossed his arms and said in a low voice, "until someone deducted a hundred points for a mere duel. From only one house, I might add."

"I might remind you of the story Albus used to tell of the time three hundred years ago when Hufflepuff went a hundred points to the negative and all the students in that House disappeared. Poof! And no one could find them for a week until one of them owled from Iceland." She took a long sip from her goblet as though alarmed at the very notion of that happening while she was headmistress. "I'll confess I was a little afraid of even tempting anything of that sort."

Snape's brow furrowed farther, though he looked more concerned now. "I had not heard that story," he admitted. He picked up his goblet as well, peered into it and looked disappointed by its contents. "Leaving Gryffindor's points alone did not change the outcome, anyway," he conceded.

McGonagall stood and brought the students to silence. "Well, we've arrived at the end of another year. I did not imagine it could be more memorable than the last . . . but somehow it feels so at this point." She managed a smile and glanced at the gems. "We seem to have no clear winner for the house cup. So . . ." She waved her wand and banners dropped down from the ceiling, swirled with the colors that had until recently marred the schools floors. The students frowned, except the Gryffindors who couldn't help grinning.

McGonagall went on, "I certainly do hope you all return to us safe for next year, those of you who are due to, of course. And to the rest of you, who are moving on, the best of luck to you all." Harry was certain her eyes came over to him at that moment. She adjusted her chair in preparation for sitting again and concluded, "But, we are all hungry I'm sure, so let's eat."

A few owls flitted in during the subdued dinner. Errol, slow and as clumsy as ever, stumbled through a landing on their table. Harry found he had more sympathy for the bird than he had before so he helped it right itself. It held its leg out to him, even though the letter clearly was addressed to Ron. Harry took the letter and gave the bird a boost to get airborne before handing the letter over to his friend, who looked surprised to see it.

Ron put down his fork and opened the envelope. When he fished inside, he gave out a strange squeal. "Look, look," he insisted to Harry. "My finishing present, look!" Harry looked over at the small stack of tickets Ron held. Little Quidditch players on broomstick circled the edges in orange ink. "Tickets to see the Cannons." He gazed heavenward. "Thank you dad," he said pathetically. "Hermione! Want to come, it is just four days away. Oh, what a perfect end of school present," he marveled.

"Sure Ron," Hermione agreed.

"And Harry," Ron said, gripping Harry's sleeve and almost making him spill his butterbeer. "And dad. And me. That's four. Uh, sorry Ginny," he said.

She shrugged. "That's all right--they're playing the Falcons."

"Don't like them, then?" Harry asked.

Ginny made a cutting motion across her throat after checking that Ron wasn't watching.

Dinner concluded quietly, which was fine with Harry's worn nerves.

"Do you wish to take the train with your friends?" Snape asked him as the Hall slowly emptied out. The Seventh Years were almost the only ones left.

"It is a little out of the way, but yeah, I think I would."

Snape nodded that he understood. "I will see you at home late in the evening, then."

"You can leave right away?" Harry asked.

Snape frowned. "I have much too much to finish. I'll bring it with me and come back when necessary. It is all paperwork this year rather than potions."

Harry's friends were standing up to go as well. "I'll see you at breakfast," he said as they moved to the doors, Harry with Penelope's hand in his. Snape nodded once and drifted ahead of them.

Suze angled passed them at the doors and said to Harry, "Too bad you are all finished."

"I was thinking the opposite," Harry said, making her grin. "Hey, do you go to the Falmouth home games?" When she nodded vigorously, he asked, "Are you going to be at the Chudley match? We'll be there, Ron got tickets from his dad."

"Yes," she replied eagerly. "Just in the bleachers though."

"That's where these are," Ron said, still clutching his tickets to his chest. "We can meet up then."

"By the banners," Suze suggested. "Do you need another ticket?" She fished in her small bag and pulled out a pair. "My parents don't particularly like to go and if I'm meeting people they'll let me go alone." She held the ticket out, wavering between giving it to Harry or Ron.

Harry reached out for it. "Thanks," he said. She smiled broadly in return.

As they walked through the corridors, Penelope said, "You are not intending that for me?"

"Can you make it?" When she shook her head sadly, he said, "I'll find someone to use it." At the very top of the stairs, Harry said, "I can't believe we're leaving for good."

"It is hard to imagine," Hermione agreed.

"I can't bloody wait to be out of here," Ron stated. "How many times have I wished to be like Fred and George I cannot tell you." He threw up his hands and announced loudly, "And we're alive!"

Harry and Hermione laughed while Penelope looked alarmed. McGonagall came beside them. "Having a nice evening?" she asked doubtfully.

"Yes, ma'am," Ron said with feeling. "A wonderful evening."

As she swept away, McGonagall said, "Good thing your N.E.W.T.s are completed, Mr. Weasley, I don't think you could have survived another."

* * *

The next morning Harry said goodbye to everyone, all the teachers, especially Hagrid, but not Filch who stood in the Entrance Hall glowering at them as they trouped by on the way out.

"Visit often, Harry," McGonagall said as he shook her hand yet again.

"I will, ma'am." She held his hand and tugged him back as he turned. "And go easy on my deputy headmaster over the summer holiday," she stated quietly, but apparently in complete seriousness.

"Yes, ma'am," Harry agreed.

The train ride required almost no time, it seemed, as though a time-turner sped it along the tracks back to London. On the platform, students were exchanging addresses and notes and saying goodbyes. Harry stacked his trunk and Hedwig's and Kali's cages onto a trolley. Hedwig fluffed herself, annoyed, as Kali sniffed her through the tiny bars.

Hermione restrained Harry as he started toward the gateway. "You can't take a Chimrian out in Muggle public Harry. An owl is bad enough."

He hurriedly dug out an old robe which he tossed over Kali's cage. Her needle-long claws immediately came through the fabric, moving it. Hermione waved an Impermeable charm at it and the motion stopped. She then gave Harry a firm hug.

"I'll be seeing you, Hermione," Harry insisted.

She nodded, making the hair on her lowered head bob as she dabbed at her eyes. Ron shrugged and looked vaguely embarrassed.

"I have to catch another train," Penelope said, glancing at the clock on the platform.

Harry gave her a hug and a kiss, while his friends found other things to occupy their attention. Then Penelope ran off, Opus pushing her and Frina's trunks with his own on a trolley. He shook Harry's hand as he went by, then waved to them all before disappearing through the archway.

Mrs. Weasley came and collected her children while Harry made plans to meet his friends as soon as possible, the next day if they could work it out. When they were gone, Harry took a seat on the sunny platform, waiting for the next train back north again.