Jane Fizzle and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter 17

    In years to come, Jane would never quite remember how she has managed to get through her exams when she half expected Shego to come bursting through the door at any moment. Yet the days crept by, and there can be no doubt that Dandelion is still alive and well behind the locked door.

    It is sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They have been given special, new quills for the exams, which have been bewitched with an Anticheating spell.

    They have practical exams as well. Professor Wilson calls them one by one into his class to see if they can make a pineapple tapdance across a desk. Professor Evans watch them turn a mouse into a snuffbox — points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Randolph makes them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they try to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.

    Jane does the best she can, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in her neck, which has been bothering her ever since her trip into the forest. Avery thinks Jane has a bad case of exam nerves, because Jane can't sleep. But the truth is that Jane keeps being woken by her old nightmare, except that it's now worse than ever because there's a hooded figure, dripping in blood.

    Maybe it's because they haven't seen what Jane has seen in the forest, or because they didn't have scars burning on their necks, but Scarlett and Gavin don't seem as worried about the Stone as Jane. The idea of Shego certainly scares them, but she doesn't keep visiting them in dreams, and they are so busy with their studying, they don't have much time to fret about what Randolph or anyone else might be up to.

    Their very last exam is History of Magic, much to their displeasure. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented selfstirring cauldrons and they'll be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Work tells them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Jane can't help cheering with the rest.

    "That was far easier than I thought it would be," Gavin says as they join the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."

    Gavin always liked to go through their exam papers afterward, but Scarlett says this makes her feel ill, so they wander down to the lake and flop under a tree. The Marrow twins and James are tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which is basking in the warm shallows. "No more studying," Scarlett sighs happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Jane, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."

    Jane is rubbing her neck like she has a pesky mosquito bite. "I wish I knew what this means!" she bursts out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting — it's happened before, but never as often as this."

    "Go to Madam Pomfrey," Gavin suggests.

    "I'm not ill," Jane waves it off. "I think it's a warning... it means danger's coming..." Scarlett can't get worked up, it's too hot.

    "Jane, relax, Gavin's right, the Stone's safe as long as Harrington's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Randolph found out how to get past Dandelion. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And William will play Quidditch for England before Robin lets Harrington down."

    Jane nods, but she can't shake off a lurking feeling that there's something she's forgotten to do, something important. When she tries to explain this, Gavin says, "That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one."