Fixing the past (Sirry)

Chapter 9

It was amazing how things changed. At one time, Harry didn't remember how he could take his exams with all Voldemort's tension behind him, but now it felt normal (which you shouldn't know, his aunt would have words about it), but he had to say that now he could take it more calmly.

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 AntiCheating 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. 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.

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

Harry made all with outstanding, even Snape's work despite the pangs he felt in his forehead, a pain that bothered him since the night he had been in the forbidden forest. Neville thought Harry was a bad case of nervousness, because he couldn't sleep at night.

He had approached him to ask what was wrong with him and he answered him with sincerity, one night he stayed awake by his side giving him a cloth with cold water to put it on his forehead to help him, that had united them more as friends, since Ron didn't wake up with anything. His parents' nightmares returned with the ghost of Voldemort dripping blood included, when he told Neville the boy seemed traumatized.

Another who looked the same was his cousin, who claimed him the next night. The blond boy looked horrified when Harry told him everything. He pressed until a letter was sent to his Aunt Walburga telling the latest news winning a very eloquent letter promising a scolding back home. And he asked them to keep one eye on the other at all times.

Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self stirring cauldron sand they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Harry couldn't help cheering with the rest.

"That was far easier than I thought it would be," said Hermione as they joined the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."

Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterward, but Ron said this made him feel ill, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. Some things didn't change. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.

"No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."

"As if we were to fail," Harry complained rubbing his forehead "I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily or as angry as he could having Neville with them. "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, 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."