To change the future

PS-18

In years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams when he half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the door at any moment. Yet the days crept by, and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.

"By the way what happened to Fluffy?" Jason asks "Had to give him back to the Government of Greece. Heard they're trying to find a caretaker for him still." Hagrid says, and Jason's eyes lit up "No Jason, we are not taking in Fluffy the three headed dog." Remus says, already knowing what Jason was thinking "Oh come on, I'll play fetch with him, give him baths and give him cuddles." Jason pleads but Remus was firm on his decision.

It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an AntiCheating spell.
　　They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tapdance across a desk. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox -- points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous, walking around the room and staring them down while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.

"Batman." Jason coughs and Snape shoots him a dirty look, while several others had to cover their chuckles as they remember the time Snape had walked around the castle in the costume.

　Harry did the best he could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in his forehead, which had been bothering him ever since his trip into the forest. Neville thought Harry had a bad case of exam nerves because Harry couldn't sleep, but the truth was that Harry kept being woken by his old nightmare, except that it was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it.

Several people shudder at the mental image of that.

　Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Harry had seen in the forest, or because they didn't have scars burning on their foreheads, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Harry. The idea of Voldemort certainly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting them in dreams, and they were so busy with their studying they didn't have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to. And now that Jason and the others were back on speaking terms with them studying was now faster since there was seven of them now instead of three. Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Harry couldn't help cheering with the rest.
　　"That was far easier than I thought it would be," said Hermione as they joined 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."

"Yes werewolves exist." Jason says, noticing Sam opening his mouth to ask.

Hermione and Daphne always liked to go through their exam papers afterward, but Ron said this made him feel ill, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows. "No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet." "That's sound wonderful." Jason says by the tree, head resting on Theo's stomach.

Blaise shook his head, Theo's crush on Jason had started that week.

　　"I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting -- it's happened before, but never as often as this."
　　"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.
　　"I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning... it means danger's coming...."
　　Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.