"𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝.
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫..."
The Lestrange line has been a loyal ally of the Dark Lord for years, enthusiastically being one of the caus...
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CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE CAUGHT
AS A DULL MARCH blurred into a squally April, her life seemed to have become one long series of worries and problems again.
The teachers and Hermione persisted in reminding them, the OWLs were drawing ever nearer. All the fifth-years were suffering from stress to some degree, but Hannah Abbott became the first to receive a Calming Draught from Madam Pomfrey after she burst into tears during Herbology and sobbed that she was too stupid to take exams and wanted to leave school now.
If it had not been for the DA lessons, Artemis thought she would have been extremely unhappy. She sometimes felt she was living for the hours she spent in the Room of Requirement, working hard but thoroughly enjoying herself at the same time, having fun with her friends. Indeed, sometimes she wondered how Umbridge was going to react when all the members of the DA received 'Outstanding' in their Defence Against the Dark Arts OWLs. But it would surely bring an angry expression on Umbridge's ugly face, and Artemis couldn't wait to see and enjoy it.
As Harry promised, they had finally started work on Patronuses, which everybody had been very keen to practise. Harry kept reminding them, producing a Patronus in the middle of a brightly lit classroom when they were not under threat was very different from producing it when confronted by something like a Dementor. This brought back some bad memories of her third year at Hogwarts, which she certainly didn't want to experience again.
"They're so pretty, " said Cho brightly, watching her silvery swan-shaped Patronus soar around the Room of Requirement during their last lesson before Easter.
"They're not supposed to be pretty, they're supposed to protect you," said Harry patiently. "What we really need is a boggart or something; that's how I learned, I had to conjure a Patronus while the boggart was pretending to be a Dementor- "
"NO!" Both of the Lestrange twins snapped, making Harry flinch.
"That would be really scary!" said Lavender, who was shooting puffs of silver vapour out of the end of her wand. "And I still- can't- do it!" she added angrily.
Artemis and Apollo patiently continue to conjure the spell, but unfortunately, all which came out of their wands was just a dim light. Stubborn, of course, as always, they continued to cast the spell legibly and loudly, even though their mouths were already dry from the twenty failed attempts.
Neville was having trouble, too. His face was screwed up in concentration, but only feeble wisps of silver smoke issued from his wand tip.
"You've got to think of something happy," Harry reminded him.
"I'm trying," said Neville miserably, who was trying so hard his round face was actually shining with sweat.
"For God's sake, why can't I cast the damn spell!" Mia shouted angrily and threw her wand on the ground. "Potter, this doesn't work!"
