Azlyn, Nyx, and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Exams

Our euphoria at finally winning the Quidditch Cup lasted at least a week. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating; as June approached, the days became cloudless and sultry, and all anybody felt like doing was strolling onto the grounds and flopping down on the grass with several pints of iced pumpkin juice, perhaps playing a casual game of Gobstones or watching the giant squid propel itself dreamily across the surface of the lake.

But we couldn’t. Exams were nearly upon us, and instead of lazing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. Even Fred and George had been spotted working; they were about to take their O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Percy was getting ready to take his N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), the highest qualification Hogwarts offered. As Percy hoped to enter the Ministry of Magic, he needed top grades. He was becoming increasingly edgy, and gave very severe punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the common room in the evenings.

In fact, the only person who seemed more anxious than Percy was Hermione. I already knew about the Time Turner but Harry and Ron didn’t know. They had given up asking her how she was managing to attend several classes at once, but they couldn’t restrain themselves when they saw the exam schedule she had drawn up for herself. The first column read:

Monday

9 o’clock, Arithmancy

9 o’clock, Transfiguration

Lunch

1 o’clock, Charms

1 o’clock, Ancient Runes

“Hermione?” Ron said cautiously, because she was liable to explode when interrupted these days. “Er — are you sure you’ve copied down these times right?” “What?” snapped Hermione, picking up the exam schedule and examining it. “Yes, of course I have.”

“Is there any point asking how you’re going to sit for two exams at once?” said Harry. “No,” said Hermione shortly. “Have either of you seen my copy of Numerology and Gramatica?”“Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading,” said Ron, but very quietly. Hermione started shifting heaps of parchment.

We had plenty of opportunity to speak to Hagrid lately.“Beaky’s gettin’ a bit depressed,” Hagrid told us, bending low on the pretense of checking that Harry’s flobberworm was still alive. “Bin cooped up too long. But still... we’ll know day after tomorrow — one way or the other —”

We had Potions that afternoon, which was an unqualified disaster. I couldn’t quite get my Confusing Concoction to thicken, and Snape, standing watch with an air of vindictive pleasure, scribbled something that looked suspiciously like a zero onto his notes before moving away.

Then came Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower. History of Magic on Wednesday morning; Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology, in the greenhouses under a baking-hot sun; then back to the common room once more, with sunburnt necks, thinking longingly of this time next day, when it would all be over.

Our last exam (for me anyway) was on Thursday morning. Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of us had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where we had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a Grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish our way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a Hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new Boggart. I found out what my boggart was; having no friends.

After Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Az were done, we all headed back up to the castle. The sight we met there was extremely unpleasant.

Cornelius Fudge, sweating slightly in his pinstriped cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds. He started at the sight of Harry. “Hello there, Harry!” he said. “Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?” “Yes,” said Harry. Hermione, Az, Ron, and I, not being on speaking terms with the Minister of Magic, hovered awkwardly in the background.