Malfoy

The Chamber Of Secrets

        "All those times we were in that bathroom, and she was just three toilets away," Ron groaned. Harry had an idea that whatever had killed Myrtle had been the monster from the Chamber of Secrets. "And we could've asked her, and now..."

Going to the bathroom had become quite difficult, you need to bring someone with you (unless it was the one in the dormitory) and I wasn't sure how I could explain to someone that I wanted to go to the worst bathroom in the school to ask the ghost how she'd died.

But in Transfiguration McGonagall said something that momentarily made me forget all about bathrooms. Exams were starting on June first, one week from today.

I'd completely forgotten about revising for exams, if Hermione was here she would've made me but with her gone, it had completely slipped my mind.

"Exams!" Seamus howled. "We're still getting exams?"

There was a loud bang as Neville accidentally vanished one of the table legs with his wand, McGonagall quickly restored it.

"The whole point of keeping the school open at this time is for you to receive your education," she said sternly. "The exams will therefore take place as usual, and I trust you are all revising hard."

I chewed at my lip worriedly, I hadn't studied yet and I couldn't fail these exams.

"Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible," McGonagall reminded us. "And that, I need hardly point out, means finding out how much you have learned this year."

I stared at the white rabbits I was meant to turn into slippers, alright I could study one subject per night revising. Then on the weekend, I can do whatever I hadn't covered as well as a quick flip-through of everything. I might not do amazingly but this way there was a better chance I wouldn't fail.

"Can you imagine me taking exams with this?" Ron held up his broken wand, which had now begun to whistle loudly.

~~

Three days after the exam announcement and three days into my revising plan McGonagall made another announcement.

"I have good news!" She called out and the Great Hall called out with what they thought the good news may be.

"Dumbledore's coming back," several people guessed.

"You've caught the heir of Slytherin!" someone else squealed.

"Quidditch matches are back on!" Wood roared excitedly and I laughed at his excitement.

When the yelling and guessing had slowed at the Hall returned to silence McGonagall continued, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

The room exploded into cheering. I smiled, we would get Hermione back! Everyone would be back!

"It won't matter that we never asked Myrtle, then!" Ron said to the two of us. "Hermione'll probably have all the answers when they wake her up! Mind you, she'll go mad when she finds out we've got exams in three days' time. She hasn't revised. It might be kinder to leave her where she is till they're over."

Just then, Ginny walked over and sat down between Ron and I. She looked tense and worried and I gave her a concerned look.

"Ginny, you alright?" I asked her and she didn't answer.