In Perpetuum

Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Procident Omnes

Rumours, similar to Hermione’s own study story, were now becoming the norm as opposed to the exception.

Several fifth-year students had required the help of Madam Pomfrey, especially after the beastly Transfiguration exam.

The weeks leading up the exams were exceptionally daunting, especially for those like Hermione who were in a relationship. Hermione and Sirius found that their time together was even more limited than ever before. They were being stretched to almost breaking point.

Fianlly, the day came when they only had their Defence Against the Dark Arts exams left. The theory was in the morning followed by the practical that afternoon. After today they would be free.

Hermione and the others piled into the Great Hall where individual tables had been set up. Hermione decided to sit up towards the back so that she could keep an eye on the others. They had been very restless the past few days, and she had a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that something bad was going to happen today.

Despite this feeling, the exam passed uneventfully.

“Five more minutes!”

Hermione looked up to see Sirius give James a thumbs-up. Sirius was lounging on his chair with ease, tilting it back on two legs.

He was very good-looking, and to Hermione’s intense displeasure, a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn’t seem to have noticed.

Two seats along from this girl was Remus. He looked rather pale and peaky (was the full moon approaching?) and he was absorbed in the exam: as he reread his answers, he scratched his chin with the end of his quill, frowning slightly.

Wormtail looked anxious; he was chewing his fingernails, staring down at the paper, scuffing the ground with his toes. Every now and then he glanced up hopefully at his neighbour’s paper. Hermione stared at Wormtail for a moment, full of loathing, then back at James, who was now doodling on a bit of scrap parchment.

“Quills down, please!” squeaked Professor Flitwick. “That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchments! Accio!”

Over a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick’s outstretched arms, knocking him backwards off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students at the front desks got up, took hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows and lifted him back on to his feet.

“Thank you...thank you,” panted Professor Flitwick. “Very well everybody, you’re free to go!”

Hermione got up from her seat and watched James do the same as he waited for Sirius to join him. She briefly joined the conversation of her dorm mates, but once they were in the Entrance Hall, she moved towards the Marauders.

“Did you like question ten, Moony?” asked Sirius (they had recently created their Marauder nicknames).

“Loved it,” said Lupin briskly. “Give five signs that identify the werewolf. Excellent question.”

“D’you think you managed to get all the signs?” said James in tones of mock concern.

“Think I did,” said Lupin seriously, as they joined the crown around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. “One: he’s sitting on my chair. Two: he’s wearing my clothes. Three: his name’s Remus Lupin.”

Wormtail was the only one who didn’t laugh.

“I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail,” he said anxiously, “but I couldn’t think what else-“