Violet Summer: Prisoner of Azkaban

Chapter 38: Final Exams

 When exam week began, the castle fell into a great hush, and the students found themselves under immense pressure. Despite the challenges, Toni was pleasantly surprised to find her exams much easier than anticipated. She received exceptional feedback, even in Potions, where Theodore Nott's guidance had proved invaluable. She couldn't help but feel grateful for his assistance, and she knew Harry appreciated it as well, although Snape's harsh treatment of him remained unchanged.

However, as the Magical Beasts exam approached, Toni's heart grew heavy. The sight of Hagrid in such a sorry state weighed on her and her friends. The looming possibility of Buckbeak's execution had taken a toll on the kind-hearted gamekeeper, leaving him sleepless and visibly distressed. Toni, Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched him closely, their hearts going out to him.

It was infuriating to think that Buckbeak's fate was unjustly determined by the lies of the Malfoy family. They knew the whole situation had been manipulated to suit Lucius Malfoy's agenda, and it saddened them deeply. Despite Hagrid's assurances that everything would be fine, they couldn't shake the feeling of powerlessness in the face of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures and the impending trial.

Toni, Ron, and Harry's final exam of the day had arrived, and it was Divination, a subject they weren't particularly excited about. As they waited for Professor Trelawney to call them in one by one, Neville informed them that the exams would be conducted individually, rather than as a collective class.

"Ronald Weasley," Trelawney's dreary voice echoed behind them, prompting Ron to give a nod to Harry and Toni before he entered the classroom for his exam.

Toni sighed and looked around at the remaining students, her eyes landing on Draco and the other Slytherins talking at the far end of the top of the stairs. Pansy was clearly trying to get Draco's attention, and Toni couldn't help but feel a hint of jealousy towards her. She knew Draco had shared their secret relationship with Pansy, yet Pansy persisted in pursuing him. It was frustrating to witness, and despite trying to bury the feeling, Toni's eyes were drawn to the display.

"Toni," Harry's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Mind if I ask... what you saw in the crystal ball?"

Toni realized she hadn't shared much about her vision with Harry, or anyone else for that matter. Only Draco knew because he had relentlessly pestered her about it during his visits to the hospital wing. Feeling guilty, she sighed and turned to Harry.

"I saw Tom Riddle's name on a tombstone, the same one I dreamt of in our first year," Toni confessed. Harry's expression darkened, as he was familiar with the dream of Tom Riddle's name on the tombstone, which was the true name of Voldemort. "Then the orb changed, and there was a great purple, maybe violet light that covered it. I heard a scream, but no one else seemed to hear it."

Harry nodded, deep in thought. "Do you think it has something to do with Sirius Black, or maybe the Violet Summers are trying to tell you something your dreams haven't fully revealed?"

"Perhaps... I don't really know what it all means, to be honest. But it's strange that his name appeared with that violet light, and the scream... it was muffled, and I couldn't quite tell if it was a woman, a man, or maybe even a child. I couldn't see anything more," Toni shared, her mind still grappling with the puzzling images.

Harry said nothing more, sitting beside her on the floor as they waited for Ron's return. Soon enough, Ron's feet appeared descending down the ladder, and Toni and Harry approached him.

"How did it go?" Harry inquired.

"Rubbish," Ron replied, shaking his head. "I couldn't see a thing in that orb of hers. I just made something up based on the textbook and our previous classes. Though I don't think she was convinced."