Chimaera Of Judgement

46: Unseasonably Chill

The temperature was far below normal for June on a dark Wednesday morning during Albus Potter's second week of O.W.L.s. For all their fretting and cramming, the mental strain that bled into physical, he was sure he'd fared more or less well in all his subjects (save Divination, which no amount of optimism could convince him he'd managed anything higher than an A). Only Potions remained, which he and Rose would be sitting that afternoon. The thought seemed to put Rose on edge, but Albus was going into this with his head held high.

"Lucky Albiekins," she shot at him nastily as she poured over her Potions textbook over breakfast. "Dryden's pet. All you need do is smile and you'll net yourself an O."

"Don't be thick," Lily admonished from nearby. "Even if Dryden favours him, it'll have little impact on his mark; Ministry wizards will be judging his performance."

"Too true," Jezabel agreed, and James nodded along with her. This didn't seem to make Rose feel any better. Albus was about to laugh at her expression when he noticed the post owls making their way through the Great Hall - and as he'd hoped, a medium-sized package was nearing them.

"Thanks," he said flatly when it knocked his pumpkin juice to the floor, narrowly missing his lap.

"Shouldn't Hagrid be doing something about their aim?" Rose snapped. "Every single time, our breakfast gets trodden in, or else flattened. It's a disgrace!"

"Whatcha got there?" Ryan asked keenly. "Tell me it's powdered dragon claw - cor, I'd trade my left-"

"It's not," Albus scoffed. "And never you mind."

They all looked at him expectantly, but he simply tucked it away in his bag and turned a deaf ear to their pleadings.

Professor Abbott mostly let her students chatter or else study in class, as their examinations in her subject was now behind them. Albus exploited this opportunity to badger Rose into confirming a few plans.

"We're going to look tapped."

He shrugged, sitting back and setting down his textbook. "I know, but... well, how else would you go about it?"

"You're making a molehill into a mountain range," she insisted. "Just hand it over and say, 'Enjoy in good health'."

"No, no, no! After everything? I really don't think so - and I don't think the meaning will translate if we don't do it this way."

"See?" she laughed, watching Professor Abbott apparently press Ryan for an indication of how well he'd done in his Transfiguration O.W.L. "An explanation is needed - which means the whole idea was needlessly complicated from the beginning. Told you as much."

His patience was wearing thin. "Fine. It's needlessly complicated, and you think I'm a git. Are you going to do it anyway?"

"Of course I am," she said airily. "Just making my protests known."

He scowled at her, only resisting the urge to hex her because she hadn't refused to participate. "Duly noted. Now, do you remember what a bezoar does?"

o o o

"Lily said you wanted to meet me here?"

Not for the first time did Rose glance at Albus as if she'd much prefer he binned the entire plan and claimed their intentions were to hold a makeshift Gobstones tournament instead. However, the mild and pleasant smile on her face did not betray her true emotions. Albus silently thanked her for being so understanding.

"Hey, Jezabel," he said. "Got something for you."

Her dark eyes flicked back to the corridor for a moment, as if calculating an escape route, before she let the tapestry fall closed behind her. "Oh? What is it?"