Snakeskin (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 15: Once More Unto the Breach

Chapter 15: Once More Unto the Breach

We won the Cup. I caught the Snitch practically under Davies's nose. James was laughing about it the whole time, miming his dumbfounded expression. Even Remy managed to smile at his antics, despite how close we are to that time of the month. Never imagined I'd be part of the Marauders, it's a nice feeling.

**

Leo woke up late the following day, almost missing breakfast as he slowly crawled his way out of bed before showering and dressing. He hugged the wall as he slowly made his way down the stairs to the Great Hall, flopping down in a seat next to Harry and plopping his head on the table with a small groan, too tired to eat. Harry patted his arm sympathetically before informing him of what he had told Ron last night: Moaning Myrtle was the girl who died in the bathroom.

Leo squinted at him, raising an eyebrow as though to say 'well, obviously'. He'd put together that little puzzle not long after he figured out that the Chamber opened fifty years ago. When he told Harry this, his cousin merely grumbled for him to go back to sleep. He would've been more than happy to do so, but they had Transfiguration that morning as their first class. If it had been DADA or History of Magic, Leo would've bunked off in an instant.

Ten minutes into the class, McGonagall told them that their exams would start on the first of June, one week from today.

"Exams?" howled Seamus Finnigan. "We're still getting exams?"

There was a loud bang behind them as Neville Longbottom's wand slipped, vanishing one of the legs on his desk. McGonagall restored it with a wave of her own wand, and turned, frowning, to Seamus.

"The whole point of keeping the school open at this time is for you to receive your education," she said sternly. "The exams will, therefore, take place as usual, and I trust you are all studying hard."

She gave Leo, who was trying hard to keep his eyes open, a particularly stern look at this. He gave a wide grin in response, having never studied a day in his life and not planning on studying now. There was a great deal of mutinous muttering around the room, which made McGonagall scowl even more darkly.

"Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible," she said. "And that, I need hardly point out, means finding out how much you have learned this year."

Leo took that moment to turn his rabbits into a pair of fluffy slippers and go to sleep for the rest of the class. McGonagall assigned him detention for the next day.

Three days before their first exam, McGonagall made another announcement at breakfast.

"I have good news," she said, and the Great Hall, instead of falling silent, erupted.

"Dumbledore's coming back!" several people yelled joyfully.

"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" squealed a girl at the Ravenclaw table.

"Quidditch matches are back on!" roared Wood excitedly.

"You're firing Lockhart!" Leo called out.

When the laughter had subsided, McGonagall said, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

There was an explosion of cheering. Leo looked over at the Slytherin table and wasn't at all surprised to see that Zabini hadn't joined in. Git. Ron, however, was looking happier than he'd looked in days.