The Epilogue : Part I - The Shadow Army

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

O.W.L.s

    It has been especially hard times for those directly concerned by the scandal of the allegedly affair Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were having. Lily Potter, usually joyful, had lost appetite and constantly looked sickish since the scandal shortly broke out in the press. Rose, usually very popular, was now constantly mocked, even by other Gryffindor students, but she was strong enough to pretend all this doesn't affect her. Albus hated his father even more, and had almost ceased to appear in public to avoid judgmental looks. It was particularly difficult for James too, who had to deal with the OWL's exams coming.

    In fact, all fifth year's students were slammed with so much homework that the library, usually filled by few students like Cassiopeia, James and Grace, along with some seventh year students, was now almost inhabited by livid students, anxiously revising for the exams.

    At many occasions, Georgiana bursted into tears because of Zabini nasty comments, and Grace was constantly found reading hundreds of small and messy handwritten notes, even while walking from one class to another.

    As the exams came closer, tension raised, and only Cassiopeia seemed to enjoy her time. Usually outdoors, she spent the last few weeks with Andrew and James, enjoying her freedom as she perfectly knew that, in a few weeks, she'll go back to her golden prison again.

    A warm weather had emerged since the beginning of May, and the students slowly came back to revise in the park, on the green lawn or by the lake's shores.

    "I can't wait all this to be finished," said Andrew grumpily on a Saturday evening, as he came back to the castle with James and Cassiopeia after a whole afternoon of revision.

    The three of them arrived in the Great Hall where tables were also filled with opened books.

    "We're doomed..." Andrew said, looking down at his Transfiguration notes. "James?"

    But James wasn't paying attention, as his attention was focused on the Slytherin table. Mordred, who have been acting most suspiciously for weeks now, had received an owl delivering him news that apparently deeply bothered him. Worried, he went to talk to Flint and both of them left the Great Hall.

    "Don't you think it's... strange?" asked James.

    "It is definitely," Cassiopeia answered, who also had followed the scene.

    The Mordred episode was widely spoken during the whole evening until late at night in the Common room.

    At the breakfast the day after, James noticed that the atmosphere was particularly tensed in the Great Hall, and everyone was looking shocked at the latest edition of the Daily Prophet.

    When James, Andrew and Cassiopeia sat at the Gryffindor table, they saw the front-page article.

Arrest at the Ministry
Corban Yaxley traitor?

On the 8th of May, Corban Yaxley, Head of the Unspeakable and former candidate for the Ministerial election, has been arrested within the Ministry of Magic itself. According to a source close to the investigation. Many things has been said about this event since the last two days, but many agree on saying that he could be linked to the Shadow Army's recent actions, such as the kidnapping attempt on Al Khosein and the attack on Gringott.

    James took few seconds the think and, once the shock passed, he turned to the Slytherin table where he noticed that Mordred's sit, along with several others others, was empty.