The next few weeks passed by as normal as you could get in a school of magic, held in a castle, with hundreds of underage witches and wizards. By the time the end of year exams came around, the first years were feeling almost confident. On the Monday the 8th of June, they were all crowded together in the little chamber off of the Entrance Hall, ready to be called in one by one to do their Charms exam.
"Crabbe, Vincent," the examiner called out from the doorway. Crabbe looked pale. He had been trying to catch upon even the basic of spells, but even Professor Flitwick was unsure if it would pay off. If he didn't pull this off, he would be made to repeat the first year again. The same went for Goyle. He was sat, nervously biting his nails, looking a little pale too. Once they had taken the exam, they were to leave through the back entrance, so as to not let the waiting students know what to do.
"Malfoy, Draco." Draco walked into the hall, confidently. He was in the top of his class, he knew he could do this. As more students were called in, Orla started to get nervous. What if she couldn't do this, whatever it was she was meant to do.
"Rowle, Orla." This was it. Orla stood up, shakily, and followed the examiner in to the Hall. She stepped up to the table where Professor Flitwick was stood at (he was stood on a chair, to be able to see the students).
"Don't worry Miss Rowle," squeaked the Professor, "I promise you everything will be fine. Now I want you to make this pineapple tap dance across the table, just like we did in class."
"Is that all I need to do?" Orla looked, and sounded relieved.
"Yes," smiled Fliwick. Orla took a deep breath and stood back, drawing her wand. She looked at the pineapple, which Flitwick had already charmed to grow legs.
"Tarantallegra," she cried, her voice quivering a little, but with a hint of confidence and determination. The pineapple took a shaky step, then lifted its leg and started to tap dance across the table.
"Well done, Miss Rowle, that's excellent," grinned Flitwick. "Finite Incantatem," he squeaked, pointing his wand at the pineapple, which stopped dancing at sat back down on the table.
After the exam, Orla headed to the common room, where she found Daphne.
"How did it go?" Daphne asked, running up to her. Orla grinned.
"Really well, Flitwick looked pleased. I think I've passed. What about you?" Daphne burst out laughing.
"Hopefully I've done ok, but I did make it jump off the table!" Orla cracked up laughing too.
"I'm sure you'll be fine," she grinned.
*****
A week later, while they sat down to breakfast, there were rumours being whispered around the Hall about Potter and his friends. Oh god, what have they gone and done now, thought Orla.
"Oh, happy birthday, Draco," she smiled, as he sat down next to her.
"Thanks," he grinned. "So what's this about Potter? Everyone I've passed has been talking about him."
"I dunno," shrugged Blaise, "but it can't be good."
"Is it ever when it comes to him?" laughed Theodore.
It was the End-Of-Term-Feast that night.
"I can't believe we've won the House Cup," grinned Daphne, as they made their way up to the Great Hall.
"Gryffindor are last!" Draco had to try and stop himself from laughing, as Professor McGonagall swept past him.
They took their places at the Slytherin table, and Orla smiled at the gold plates that she hadn't seen since the Christmas Day feast. The Hall was decked out in green and silver, in honour of their win. A few minutes later, the Hall went silent. Orla looked towards the door to see what was happening and saw Potter attempt to sneak in, late. She rolled her eyes. Before anyone could start talking again, Dumbledore stood up.
"Another year gone," he said cheerfully. "and I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are a little fuller than they were at the start of the year... you have the whole summer ahead of you to empty them," he chuckled. "Now, as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding and the points stand as thus: in fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points. In third place, Hufflepuff, with 352 points. In second place, Ravenclaw, with 426 points. Which means Slytherin are first with 472 points." The Slytherin table erupted in to cheers, while Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff clapped, mostly out of politeness. Gryffindor had never looked so beaten, which made Orla smile. Draco was banging his goblet on the table and laughing.
"Yes, yes, well done Slytherin, well done," said Dumbledore, as things calmed down. "However, recent events must be taken into account."
"Do you think this is to do with Potter?" whispered Pansy. Orla shrugged her shoulders.
"I dunno, but it must be, you know he's Dumbledore's golden boy."
"Ahem," coughed Dumbledore, "I have a few last minutes points to hand out. Let me see.... Ah yes, first to Mr Ronald Weasley - for the best-played game of chess, Hogwarts has been in many years." Orla looked over to the Gryffindor table to see Weasley blush redder than his hair. "I award Gryffindor house fifty points." The Slytherins' mouths dropped.
"Next, to Miss Hermione Granger."
"What's that mudblood gone and done now," whispered Orla to Daphne. Draco choked a little on the water he was drinking, instead of laughing.
"For the use of cool logic in the face of fire," continued Dumbledore, "I award fifty points." It looked like Granger had started crying, as she buried her head in her arms. "Third, to Mr Harry Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award sixty points." The noise was deafening. The three houses (all apart from Slytherin) were cheering like they'd never cheered before.
"They're tied with us," snarled Blaise. Sure enough, Gryffindor was on 472. They couldn't BOTH have won the house cup? Dumbledore held up his hand, and gradually, the room quietened.
"And finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but it takes just as much, if not more, to stand up to our friends. I award Mr Neville Longbottom ten points." Hogwarts had never heard such a noise. Almost everyone was stood up shouting, cheering, stomping their feet. Even Crabbe and Goyle tried to stand up and cheer, until Draco glared at them. Gryffindor had won. Dumbledore clapped his hands twice, and the wall hangings changed from green and silver, to red and gold.
Their exam marks came back the next morning. Orla and Draco had done amazingly well, while Crabbe and Goyle had somehow managed to just scrape through. As they left Platform 9 3/4 later that afternoon, Draco turned back to Orla.
"I'll see you in a couple of weeks, if your mum says it's still ok," he grinned.
"Sounds good, I'll see you there," she grinned back.
