Amour

CATECHISM

Exam week began and an unnatural hush fell over the castle.The OWL examinees were under more pressure and snapped whenever juniors made noise or talked too much.They had alternative days of theory and practical exams.All the exams were held in the Great hall and all the teachers were present,as per instructions as this exam would determine the course which the students would take in future.First they had Charms and Hermione performed the cheering charm on Harry perfectly but when it was Harry's turn,something went wrong and she ended up in fits of hysterical laughter.Snape was a little concerned that it was  Voldemort laughing through her again but was assured that that wasn't the case.Next was Transfiguration and Hermione pestered McGonagall about whether she was going to lose grades because her teapot,which she had turned into a tortoise, still looked more like a turtle."Ms.Granger,yours was far better than Ms.Brown's that still breathed steam,and Weasley's whose still had a spout for a tail and also Mr.Finnigan's that had a willow-patterned shell."Snape said irritated.McGonagall chose to ignore Umbridge's small flutter of protest and said,"Rest assured Ms.Granger.This would not stop you from pursuing your dream of becoming an Auror."After Hermione left,Umbridge muttered,"There will be no place for her in the ministry.""Nonetheless.Hogwarts will always be there to welcome her.An asset like her would not go waste."McGonagall retorted and Snape nodded gratefully at her.................................................
Hagrid made a blunder.For the Care of magical creatures exam,defying the orders of Firenze the centaur,the then COMC teacher,he brought in four hippogriffs inside the castle and there was a mad scurry as people tried to get out of the way.Harry,Hermione and Ron jumped forward and bowed down to three of them,while Hagrid took care of the fourth one and together they brought them under control.But Hagrid was immediately ordered by Umbridge to leave the premises.Hermione tried to protest but one look from Snape silenced her.As tears came to her eyes,she watched the blurry image of Hagrid leaving through the castle gates.
Arithmency passed in a blur for Hermione.She waited up for Harry and Ron who returned from the divination exam saying they didn't see a thing in the orbs and mostly made stuff up to get passing grades.They wondered,who was in more danger, they or Professor Trelawney.
After that was Herbology where they just had to pot some mandrakes,keep some flobberworms from ruining the plants while keeping a lookout for the tentacles of a flesh-eating tree.
While the jar of flobberworms was being carried away,Collin Creevey tripped Filch up so that the jar crashed to the floor and worms ricocheted off the floor to land on Umbridge's dress.She danced on the spot shrieking and pulled out worms from her bra.All of them had a hearty laugh and clapped in joy but Collin got a detention.Later that evening when Hermione was strolling down the corridor she saw Collin sitting on a bench holding his hand wrapped in a napkin and hot tears were trickling down his cheeks.She sat next to him and put a comforting arm around him.Unbeknownst to them,Snape was travelling down the same corridor and stopped to look at them,leaning on a wall."It hurt more than I thought it would."Collin said through sobs."I'm sure Madam Pomfrey would be able to take care of it."Hermione said and unwounding the handkerchief she saw that Umbridge had made him write 'I must stop being Granger's beck-and-call guy'.She felt sorry for him and said,"You're a very brave boy Collin."He looked up at her as if he was embarrassed crying in front of her and wiped his tears to say,"Really?""Of course.You are the only second-year to join Dumbledore's army.You did spells that many of your seniors struggled with.And you pranked Umbridge on behalf of us."She smiled in encouragement and he stopped crying.She showed him her own hand."The pain goes away soon and the scars also fade pretty quickly.See,you can't even read the words on my hand now can you?"He was somewhat contented."Now,be a lamb and go down to the hospital wing."she said and he jumped off the bench and trotted down the stairs.Snape came towards Hermione and grabbed her by the waist,surprising her.He was envisaging over what a compassionate and wonderful human being she was.She turned around to face him and rested her hands on his shoulders.He pecked at her lips and she giggled.There was the sound of a throat being cleared and seeing that it was Umbridge,they darted away from each other.Hermione walked swiftly up to her dormitory while Snape swished his cloak as he went on his way to his chambers.......
The next morning they had potions.Slughorn took the exam as if he were merely taking a class.He assorted a number of potions already brewn in cauldrons and asked them to identify those."Felix Felicis, also called 'Liquid Luck', is a magical potion that makes the drinker lucky for a period of time, during which everything they attempt will be successful.It is meant to be used sparingly, however, as it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence if taken in excess. Felix is highly toxic in large quantities and is also a banned substance in all organised competitions, such as Quidditch, along with all other methods of cheating. It is very difficult to make, disastrous if made wrong, and requires six months to stew before it is ready to be consumed.Zygmunt Budge invented this potion in the 16th century and deemed it his greatest accomplishment ever, dubbing it "the crowning achievement of [his] career"."Hermione finished and there was a moment of stunned silence."Marvellous!Absolutely brilliant!"Slughorn gushed but stopped when Umbridge muttered,"Why don't you contain all your applause till after the performance?"
When Hermione came in front of the Amortentia potion she found it emitting one of the most seductive scents she had ever inhaled;it simultaneously reminded her of a number of her favourite smells,as it was supposed to.She found herself inhaling slowly and deeply,the fumes of the potion filling her up like a drink.Bur she cleared her head to say,"Amortentia is the most powerful love potion in existence. It causes a powerful infatuation or obsession from the drinker. It has a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen, and steam rises from it in characteristic spirals.Powerful infatuations can be induced by the skilful potioneer, but never yet has anyone managed to create the truly unbreakable, eternal, unconditional attachment that alone can be called Love.Amortentia smells different to each person, according to what attracts them the most.As for me,I smell books,chocolate,the smell of the grass while it's raining...and....a french cologne."She flushed and stole a glance at Snape because she knew exactly whom the cologne belonged to.He had a slight blush on his face too but they carried on without a word."The last one over here is a deadly potion.The Draught of Living Death brings upon its drinker a very powerful sleep that can last indefinitely. This draught is very dangerous if not used with caution.It can be made by adding powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood-"But Hermione was cut off as she was informed that they were to brew the potion for their next task.After everyone had identified the potions,they were brought in altogether and asked to brew the draught of the living death potion within an hour.Hermione got a place at the back of the hall so Snape could not see how she was doing, but could only see the top of her head,her hair sticking up in a clutcher and her face contorted in concentration,and he couldn't help but bite his nails.He knew that the instructions given in Advanced Potion Making were wrong in some places and she had the habit of following every step to the dot,so there was a chance that her potion might not be as perfect as she wanted it to be.The Sopophorous bean should be crushed with a silver dagger, not cut,it releases juices more efficiently.The juice from 13 Sopophorous beans should be used, rather than 12.And it needed to be stirred anticlockwise seven times and clockwise once instead of twice.As he had anticipated,several explosions occured in the Hall as the students struggled with this dangerous potion but he saw that even though Hermione's face had got ashened,she continued without much ado.When it was time for Slughorn to finally check everyone's potions,he gasped when he dropped a leaf in Hermione's and it turned to ashes with the slightest touch."Full marks Granger!I haven't seen The Draught of the Living Death be brewed this perfectly since you,Severus,had made it while you were my student here at Hogwarts.Ms.Granger can give you a run for your money.I dare say that one drop of her potion would kill us all!"Slughorn said,extremely impressed.Hermione beamed up at Snape who nodded smiling.Everyone looked back at her amazed,more so by the exchange of smiles between the menacing professor and the insufferable know-it-all,but Umbridge only grunted in response to Hermione's praise.
The last exam was Defence against the Dark arts and Snape had set a difficult obstacle course,for which students would enter the Great Hall one at a time and the teachers would sit behind one of those glass screens,which were magically made to be like a wall to the eyes of the students but the teachers could see through it properly as to how the student was performing.When Hermione entered the Great Hall,it was like a labyrinth,where she had to overcome each hurdle to reach the end of the road.First she had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a Grindylow,then cross a series of potholes full of Redcaps,squish her way across a patch of marsh,ignoring the misleading directions from a Hinkypunk.Then she faced an armoured medieval knight's statue armed with a wand,much like the one they practiced with in the Room of Requirement.She disaemed it easily with an "Expelliarmus" and then confidently yelled,"Reducto!" and it turned to dust.Then she saw a Sphinx who turned its almond eyes at her gracefully as she approached.It gave her a riddle to solve: "First think of the person who lives in disguise, Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies. Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend, The middle of middle and end of end? And finally give me the sound often heard, During the search for a hard-to-find word. Now string them together and answer me this, What creature would you be unwilling to kiss?" Hermione asked it to repeat it again and urged her brain to think and she wondered aloud;"The person who lives in disguise, who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies is-a spy."Snape was glad that she arrived at that conclusion so quickly.Hermione thought about the next part:"What's always the last thing to mend, the middle of middle and end of end?...Its the letter D.Now,the sound often heard, during the search for a hard-to-find word.Er..um..what could it be?Oh,its 'er'.When someone is thinking about something he/she says 'er'.Therefore,all together it makes-'spy-D-er'.Spider!"She told the answer and the Sphinx got out of her way to reveal a giant Acromantula scurrying towards her.She was caught off guard and before she could say the incantation,"Immorbulus",the spider threw itself at her and she was knocked off her feet,the wand falling from her hand.She stopped it from tearing at her face by holding onto the pincers that it was clicking wildly.Snape squirmed in his seat debating whether he should stop her test.But Hermione managed to hold it off with one hand and reached for her wand shouting,"Arania Exumai!"The Acromantula was blasted off her and she got on her feet.Before it could climb on all eight again she tied it's legs by saying,"Incarcerous" and Snape breathed a sigh of relief.At the end,there was a wardrobe which contained a boggart.Hermione flicked her wand so that the wardrobe unlocked but no one was ready for what happened next.Out of the interior depths of the wardrobe stepped out the hook-nosed and menacing Severus Snape,billowing his robes behind him like a cape and glaring down at Hermione with utmost malevolence.Everyone was surprised and the others looked at the real Snape with confusion.He furrowed his brow.How can Hermione's boggart be me?The boggart Snape opened his mouth to spit,"You foolish girl!Did you really think that I was in love with you?Naive little lassie.You are as green as the grass outside;you know nothing."Hermione was spellbound.Snape coaxed her to act,in his mind but he dare not enter hers.But the boggart Snape carried on with malignance,"You spiteful creature,you daft bimbo!You thought that me,Severus Snape could ever be even slightly interested in someone like you?No.Never.Get your shit together you mewling quim!I curse you..Mudblood!"With this Hermione sank to her knees,unable to bear the feeling of hurt.And the real Snape stood up.What is that boggart saying?I have to stop this.But before he could launch into action,Hermione surprised everyone by raising her wand.Her eyes were filled with tears amd her lips trembled but a spell flew out of her wand and hit the boggart and it dissappeared with a pop.Everyone realised in shock and amazement that she had just cast a non-verbal spell.