Slytherin Weasley

Chapter 32

Summer was creeping over the grounds around the castle; sky and lake alike turnedperiwinkle blue and flowers large as cabbages burst into bloom in the greenhouses. Butwith no Hagrid visible from the castle windows, striding the grounds with Fang at his heels, the scene didn't look right ; no better, in fact, than the inside of the castle,where things were so horribly wrong. 

Addy and I had tried to visit Daph, but visitors were now barred from thehospital wing. 

"We're taking no more chances," Madam Pomfrey told us severely through a crack inthe infirmary door. "No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back tofinish these people off..." 

With Dumbledore gone, fear had spread as never before, so that the sun warming thecastle walls outside seemed to stop at the mullioned windows. There was barely a faceto be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rangthrough the corridors sounded shrill and unnatural and was quickly stifled. 

One person, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere of terror andsuspicion. Draco Malfoy was strutting around the school as though he had just beenappointed Head Boy. It took me a while to work out what he was so pleased about until about twoweeks after Dumbledore and Hagrid had left, when, sitting right behind Draco in the common room, I overheard him gloating to Crabbe and Goyle. 

"I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore," he said, nottroubling to keep his voice down. "I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worstheadmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's onlyfilling in..." Snape swept in, escorting some first years from detention.

"Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?" 

"Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he couldn't suppress a thin-lipped smile."Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll beback with us soon enough."

"Yeah, right," said Malfoy, smirking. "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wantedto apply for the job— I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir —" 

Snape smirked as he swept off around the dungeon. "I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now," Malfoy wenton. "Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity it wasn't Granger —." I got up and walked out. I could feel his stormy grey eyes, boring into my back as I walked up the stairs to my dormitory. 

And life went on. 

But something happened in our first lesson the next morning, Transfiguration. Ten minutes into the class,Professor McGonagall told us that our exams would start on the first of June, oneweek from today. 

"Exams?" howled Fred. "We're still getting exams?" There was a loud bang behind me as Addy's wand slipped, vanishingone of the legs on his desk. Professor McGonagall restored it with a wave of her ownwand, and turned, frowning. 

"The whole point of keeping the school open at this time is for you to receive youreducation," she said sternly. "The exams will therefore take place as usual, and I trust youare all studying hard." Studying hard! It had never occurred to me that there would be exams with the castlein this state. There was a great deal of mutinous muttering around the room, whichmade Professor McGonagall scowl even more darkly. 

"Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally aspossible, she said. "And that, I need hardly point out, means finding out how much youhave learned this year." 

Three days before our first exam, Professor McGonagall made another announcementat breakfast. 

 "I have good news," she said, and the Great Hall, instead of falling silent, erupted.