Wish Upon A Star

Through the trapdoor

They were having their exams. Ashlyn was so nervous that she had forgotten about the stone and wouldn't talk much, except for a few words otherwise she would just nod or shake her head.

It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell.

They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap-dance across a desk. 

Ashlyn thought she did well, she had made the pineapple dance to Disney's 'No one's like Gaston' song from Beauty and the Beast. 

Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox — points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was but taken away if it had whiskers.

 Ashlyn had made a golden box with scarlet jewels, earning an approving smile from McGonagall.

Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion. 

Ashlyn was shivering with excitement and nervousness as she finished the last step of the potion.

The History of the magic exam was quite easy, as it was mostly remembering names and dates. The dates were the problem. The names were quite unique (and funny) so she was less likely to forget.

Only after the exams were finished did she breathe freely.

"How did your transfiguration go?" Hermione asked her as they made their way down to the grounds.

"Oh, it was simply wonderful," Ashlyn said brightly. "I think I did well. It was fairly easy, don't you think?"

"Ah, look who it is!" Draco Malfoy's voice floated across to them. They looked up. Ron didn't look like he was going to take any of Malfoy shit at the moment. 

Ashlyn sighed.

"What do you want now, Malfoy?" she said.

"I'll watch it if I were you," Malfoy sneered as he walked past. "Mudblood," he mouthed.

Ashlyn shook her head and led the others away. It was a beautiful day, and she was not stupid enough to ignore it because Malfoy was being a prat.

Harry was rubbing his forehead as they sat under a tree, relaxing as they watched the Gaint Squid sunbathing its tentacles.

"I wish I knew what this means!" Harry burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting — it's happened before, but never as often as this."

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.

"I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning . . . it means danger's coming. . . ."

Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.

"Harry, relax," he said lying down and stretching his arms out in the shade. "Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."

Ashlyn sighed.

Harry stared at an owl fly across the sky to the school, when it hit him. He jumped up to his feet and ran towards Hagrid's hut yelling.