survivor | HARRY POTTER

-Chapter 10-

Quirrell, however, seemed not to have figured out a way past that dog, and although he seemed to be getting paler and thinner, Fluffy was still growling and grumbling behind the door whenever Alyssa, Millie, and Jess pressed their ear to it when they passed. Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, but he seemed more worried, anxious, something that made Alyssa panic even more. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were still hellbent on thinking that the potions master was after the Stone instead, and started yelling at people who laughed at Quirrell's stutter and sending him an encouraging smile whenever they saw him. Jess wished they wouldn't, it was so annoying.

Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Philosophers Stone. The final exams were ten weeks away, and she had started drawing up revision timetables and colour coding all her notes. They wouldn't have minded, of course, but she kept nagging them to do the same. She had only stopped with Alyssa, Millie, and Jess when Alyssa had told her to bugger off and quiz Harry and Ron because they already knew it all. When Hermione had decided to put this theory to the test, she had left with a huff when Alyssa and Jess had scored full marks in their quiz. Millie, however, got distracted before they even started and Hermione had decided that the Hufflepuff was a lost cause.

"Hermione, exams are ages away!"
"Ten weeks. That's not ages! That's like a second to Nicolas Flamel!" Hermione shrieked, lowering her voice with the last part so the others couldn't hear it. Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew that Alyssa, Millie, and Jess knew about the dog, and about how it was guarding something, and they knew about Flamel, but as far as they were concerned, they didn't know who Flamel actually was, what the dog was guarding, or who was after it. "Yeah, But we're not six hundred years old!" Ron reminded her in a quiet voice. Jess rolled her eyes, the boy really had to work on his whispering skills. "Anyway, what are you revising for? You already know it all."

"What am I revising for? Are you mad?! You realise we need to pass these exams to get into second year?! They're very important! I should have taken a leaf out Alyssa, Millie, and Jess's book and started studying months ago! I don't know what's gotten into me..." unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione, as the amount of homework they were receiving was taking over their regular lives. Because of this, the Easter holidays weren't nearly as fun as the Christmas ones. It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragons blood or practising wand movements. Alyssa had decided that in her free time she would reread the entire library for the fourth time that year, just in case she had missed anything that could possibly help with her exams. She wasn't normally one to revise, but considering Hermione  was and she loved reading, she saw no reason why she shouldn't. In fact, the Ravenclaw could often be found sat under the willow tree by the black lake, her feet dunked in the water and a jacket placed across her knee, her hair down in waves and a book clutched in her fingers.

"I'll never remember this." Jess groaned one afternoon, throwing down her quill and looking longingly out the window. It was the first really fine day they'd had since the start of the school year, the sky a clear, forget-me-not blue, and there was a feeling summer in the air. They were sat in the library with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Alyssa curled up in the corner with a book and Millie poking the table, wanting to see if it would move. Strange child. "Hagrid! What are you doing in here?" Hermione asked, the Silver trio looking up to see the half giant shuffling down a row of books, something clutched tightly behind his back. "Jus' lookin'" He said in a shifty voice, something which made Jess glance at Alyssa with raised eyebrows.

"An' what're you lot up ter? Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?" Hagrid sounded suddenly suspicious, Harry glancing at Alyssa in a way to say 'can you guys please leave?' Alyssa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, glaring at the boy. "Please, Ali?" He begged, poking her cheek. Alyssa snapped at him, smirking when he pulled back. "Fine. C'mon, let's go outside." Ron groaned in longing at the window, so Alyssa threw him a smirk as they left the library. Right as they were outside the door they stopped, pressing their ears to the wood. "I thought we were going outside." Millie frowned, Alyssa sighing and shaking her head. "Of course not. We're eavesdropping. Now c'mere, my little evil-ette in training, your missing it."