Twice Chosen | Esmerelda Potter

26. Final Exams

After detention, all four of us sit on the couch in the common room. 

"We've got it all wrong! Snape doesn't even want the stone for himself, he just wants it for Voldemort!" I say, pacing back and forth. "I bet he's even collecting the immortal unicorn blood for Voldemort too, not just for himself!" Ron nods vigorously.

"Do you think Voldemort will try to kill you both again if he becomes strong?" Ron asks.

"He mighta done it tonight if he had the chance," Harry says solemnly, looking at the patterned rug.

"This isn't the time!" Hermione says. "Final exams are next week! We need all the time we can get to study!" Hermione reads over The Standard Book of Spells while the rest of us attempt to communicate quieter.

"So far, we know Fluffy is guarding the stone, and Snape's gonna try and steal it soon." Harry says. "Voldemort is gonna get the stone any day now!"

"And then he'll try to kill us!" I say. Once the words have left my mouth, I feel suddenly afraid. We have to protect that stone.

"You all are forgetting something!" Hermione says, closing the book. "Who's the one wizard that Voldemort has always feared?"

"Dumbledore," I mutter, relief slowly filling me up.

"Yes! As long as Dumbledore's around you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched," Hermione finishes. "Now if you excuse me, I need to get upstairs and studying. Esmerelda, come with me." Hermione grabs my arm and pulls me upstairs while I shout goodnight to the boys.

For the next hour, Hermione drills me on various subjects, mostly Astronomy. The way Hermione teaches me Astronomy is far less confusing than the way Professor Sinistra explains it. I wonder why I haven't asked for her help before.

After I name the stars in the Virgo constellation, I yawn loudly. I'm very tired.

"C'mon, I've gotta go to bed, Hermione! I won't be able to see the test questions if I don't go to sleep now!" I whine.

"Oh, alright!" Hermione says. She drops her books on the floor while I walk over to my bed and slip the covers over myself. 

I watch out the window, fearing the fact that Voldemort is out there somewhere, waiting to kill.

==========

"I was told by the older students that the final exams were frightful, but I found them rather enjoyable!" Hermione says in a excited tone. We just finished our last exam, which was Potions with Professor Snape. I feel rather good about mine, but based off of the looks of Harry and Ron, they don't quite feel the same way. It wasn't easy to remember the twelve uses of dragon's blood, after all.

Harry and Ron give Hermione a look. Hermione returns a glare.

"I didn't find them pleasant, exactly, but I didn't think they were too bad," I add. I even felt good about Astronomy, which is a first all year. 

Harry puts his hand on his forehead again. He did it twice in the Potions exam. I tried to ask what was wrong, but for some reason, we couldn't telepathically communicate in any classrooms during final exams.

"Oi, Harry! You good?" Ron asks. 

"My scar. It keeps burning," Harry replies.

"It's done it before?" Ron asks.

"Not like this," Harry says. "Ever since the forest, I've been in such pain."

Harry continues to rub his forehead while we wander the crowded hallways. Harry suddenly stops walking.