Adventures of Harriet Potter

Professor Trelawney's Prediction

Harriet's euphoria at finally winning the Quidditch Cup lasted at least a week. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating; as June approached, the days became cloudless and sultry, and all anybody felt like doing was strolling onto the grounds and flopping down on the grass with several pints of iced pumpkin juice, perhaps playing a casual game of Gobstones or watching the giant squid propel itself dreamily across the surface of the lake. But they couldn't. Exams were nearly upon them, and instead of lazing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. Even Fred and George Weasley had been spotted working; they were about to take their O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Percy was getting ready to take his N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), the highest qualification Hogwarts offered. As Percy hoped to enter the Ministry of Magic, he needed top grades. He was becoming increasingly edgy, and gave very severe punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the common room in the evenings. In fact, the only person who seemed more anxious than Percy was Hermione. Harriet and Ron had given up asking her how she was managing to attend several classes at once, but they couldn't restrain themselves when they saw the exam schedule she had drawn up for herself. The first column read:

Monday
9 o'clock, Arithmancy
9 o'clock, Transfiguration

Lunch

1 o'clock, Charms
1 o'clock, Ancient Runes

"Hermione?" Ron said cautiously, because she was liable to explode when interrupted these days. "Er — are you sure you've copied down these times right?" Clearly as confused as Harriet was about it. Especially when Harriet's Monday exams schedule only had Transfiguration and Charms, she didn't have Ancient Runes until Tuesday. "What?" snapped Hermione, picking up the exam schedule and examining it. "Yes, of course I have."
"Is there any point asking how you're going to sit for two exams at once?" said Harriet. "No," said Hermione shortly. "Have either of you seen my copy of Numerology and Grammatica?" Harriet sighed as she got to helping Hermione look for it. "Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading," said Ron, but very quietly. Hermione started shifting heaps of parchment around on her table, looking for the book. Just then, there was a rustle at the window and Hedwig fluttered through it, a note clutched tight in her beak. "It's from Hagrid," said Harriet, ripping the note open. "Buckbeak's appeal — it's set for the sixth."
"That's the day we finish our exams," said Hermione, still looking everywhere for her Arithmancy book. "And they're coming up here to do it," said Harriet, still reading from the letter. "Someone from the Ministry of Magic and — and an executioner." Hermione looked up, startled. "They're bringing the executioner to the appeal! But that sounds as though they've already decided!"
"Yeah, it does," said Harriet slowly. "They can't!" Ron howled. "I've spent ages reading up on stuff for him; they can't just ignore it all!" But Harriet had a horrible feeling that the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures had had its mind made up for it by Mr. Malfoy. Draco, who had been noticeably subdued since Gryffindor's triumph in the Quidditch final, seemed to regain some of his old swagger over the next few days. From sneering comments Harriet overheard, Malfoy was certain Buckbeak was going to be killed, and seemed thoroughly pleased with himself for bringing it about. It was all Harriet could do to stop herself imitating Hermione and hitting Malfoy in the face on these occasions. And the worst thing of all was that they had no time or opportunity to go and see Hagrid, because the strict new security measures had not been lifted, and Harriet didn't dare retrieve her Invisibility Cloak from below the one-eyed witch.

Exam week began and an unnatural hush fell over the castle. The third years emerged from Transfiguration at lunchtime on Monday, limp and ashen-faced, comparing results and bemoaning the difficulty of the tasks they had been set, which had included turning a teapot into a tortoise. Hermione irritated the rest by fussing about how her tortoise had looked more like a turtle, which was the least of everyone else's worries. "Mine still had a spout for a tail, what a nightmare. . . ." Parvati said. "Were the tortoises supposed to breathe steam?" Neville said. "It still had a willow-patterned shell, d'you think that'll count against me?" Lydia asked Harriet, who just shrugged.
Then, after a hasty lunch, it was straight back upstairs for the Charms exam. Hermione had been right; Professor Flitwick did indeed test them on Cheering Charms. Harriet slightly overdid hers out of nerves and Ron, who was partnering her, ended up in fits of hysterical laughter and had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour before he was ready to perform the charm himself. After dinner, the students hurried back to their common rooms, not to relax, but to start studying for Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and Astronomy.
Hagrid presided over the Care of Magical Creatures exam the following morning with a very preoccupied air indeed; his heart didn't seem to be in it at all. He had provided a large tub of fresh flobberworms for the class, and told them that to pass the test, their flobberworm had to still be alive at the end of one hour. As flobberworms flourished best if left to their own devices, it was the easiest exam any of them had ever taken, and also gave Harriet, Ron, and Hermione plenty of opportunity to speak to Hagrid. "Beaky's gettin' a bit depressed," Hagrid told them, bending low on the pretense of checking that Harriet's flobberworm was still alive. "Bin cooped up too long. But still . . . we'll know day after tomorrow — one way or the other —"
They had Potions that afternoon, which was an unqualified disaster. Try as Harriet might, she couldn't get Ron's Confusing Concoction to thicken like her's when Snape ordered her to do so, and Snape, standing watch with an air of vindictive pleasure, scribbled something that looked suspiciously like a zero onto his notes before moving away. Then came Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower; History of Magic on Wednesday morning, in which Harriet scribbled everything Florean Fortescue had ever told her about medieval witch-hunts, while wishing she could have had one of Fortescue's choco-nut sundaes with her in the stifling classroom. Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology, in the greenhouses under a baking-hot sun; then back to the common room once more, with sunburnt necks, thinking longingly of this time next day, when it would all be over.
Their second to last exam, on Thursday morning, was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken: a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new boggart. "Excellent, Harriet," Lupin muttered as Harriet climbed out of the trunk, grinning. "Full marks." Flushed with his success, Harriet hung around to watch Ron and Hermione. Ron did very well until he reached the hinkypunk, which successfully confused him into sinking waist-high into the quagmire. Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the boggart in it. After about a minute inside it, she burst out again, screaming. "Hermione!" said Lupin, startled. "What's the matter?"
"P-P-Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. "Sh-she said I'd failed everything!" It took a little while to calm Hermione down. When at last she had regained a grip on herself, she, Harriet, and Ron went back to the castle. Ron was still slightly inclined to laugh at Hermione's boggart, but an argument was averted by the sight that met them on the top of the steps. Cornelius Fudge, sweating slightly in his pinstriped cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds. He started at the sight of Harriet.
"Hello there, Harriet!" he said. "Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?" His tone of false fatherly kindness bristled her a little. "Yes," said Harriet. Hermione and Ron, not being on speaking terms with the Minister of Magic, hovered awkwardly in the background. "Lovely day," said Fudge, casting an eye over the lake. "Pity . . . pity . . ." He sighed deeply and looked down at Harriet. "I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harriet. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in."
"Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Ron interrupted, stepping forward. "No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon," said Fudge, looking curiously at Ron. "Then you might not have to witness an execution at all!" said Ron stoutly. "The hippogriff might get off!" Before Fudge could answer, two wizards came through the castle doors behind him. One was so ancient he appeared to be withering before their very eyes; the other was tall and strapping, with a thin black mustache. Harriet gathered that they were representatives of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, because the very old wizard squinted toward Hagrid's cabin and said in a feeble voice, "Dear, dear, I'm getting too old for this. . . . Two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?"
The black-mustached man was fingering something in his belt; Harriet looked and saw that he was running one broad thumb along the blade of a shining axe. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione nudged him hard in the ribs and jerked her head toward the entrance hall. "Why'd you stop me?" said Ron angrily as they entered the Great Hall for lunch. "Did you see them? They've even got the axe ready! This isn't justice!"
"Ron, your dad works for the Ministry, you can't go saying things like that to his boss!" said Hermione, but she too looked very upset. "As long as Hagrid keeps his head this time, and argues his case properly, they can't possibly execute Buckbeak. . . ." But Harriet could tell Hermione didn't really believe what she was saying. All around them, people were talking excitedly as they ate their lunch, happily anticipating the end of the exams that afternoon, but Harriet, Ron, and Hermione, lost in worry about Hagrid and Buckbeak, didn't join in.
Harry's last exam was Ancient Runes and Ron's last exam was Divination; Hermione's, Muggle Studies. They walked up the marble staircase together; Hermione left them on the first floor, Harriet went to the Ancient Runes class, and Ron proceeded all the way up to the seventh, where many of their class were sitting on the spiral staircase to Professor Trelawney's classroom, trying to cram in a bit of last-minute studying.
"She's seeing us all separately," Neville informed him as he went to sit down next to him. He had his copy of Unfogging the Future open on his lap at the pages devoted to crystal gazing. "Have of you ever seen anything in a crystal ball?" he asked Ron unhappily. "Nope," said Ron in an offhand voice. He kept checking his watch; he was counting down the time until Buckbeak's appeal started. The line of people outside the classroom shortened very slowly. As each person climbed back down the silver ladder, the rest of the class hissed, "What did she ask? Was it okay?"
But they all refused to say. "She says the crystal ball's told her that if I tell you, I'll have a horrible accident!" squeaked Neville as he clambered back down the ladder toward Ron, who had now reached the landing. "That's convenient," snorted Ron. "You know, I'm starting to think Hermione was right about her" — he jabbed his thumb toward the trapdoor overhead — "she's a right old fraud."
"Yeah," said Neville, looking at his own watch. It was now two o'clock. "I'm sure you wish she'd hurry up . . ." he said before leaving back to the common room. Parvati came back down the ladder glowing with pride. "She says I've got all the makings of a true Seer," she informed Ron. "I saw loads of stuff. . . . Well, good luck!" She hurried off down the spiral staircase toward Lavender. "Ronald Weasley," said the familiar, misty voice from over their heads. Ron grimaced and climbed the silver ladder out of sight of anyone who would have remained on the landing. The tower room was hotter than ever before; the curtains were closed, the fire was alight, and the usual sickly scent made Ron cough as he stumbled through the clutter of chairs and tables to where Professor Trelawney sat waiting for him before a large crystal ball.
"Good day, my dear," she said softly. "If you would kindly gaze into the Orb. . . . Take your time, now . . . then tell me what you see within it. . . ." Ron bent over the crystal ball and stared, stared as hard as he could, willing it to show him something other than swirling white fog, but nothing happened. "Well?" Professor Trelawney prompted delicately. "What do you see?" The heat was overpowering and his nostrils were stinging with the perfumed smoke wafting from the fire beside them. "Er —" said Ron, "a dark shape . . . um . . ." Trying to sound convincing. "What does it resemble?" whispered Professor Trelawney. "Think, now . . ." Ron cast his mind around and it landed on Buckbeak. "A hippogriff," he said firmly. "Indeed!" whispered Professor Trelawney, scribbling keenly on the parchment perched upon her knees. "My boy, you may well be seeing the outcome of poor Hagrid's trouble with the Ministry of Magic! Look closer. . . . Does the hippogriff appear to . . . have its head?"
"Yes," said Ron firmly. "Are you sure?" Professor Trelawney urged him. "Are you quite sure, dear? You don't see it writhing on the ground, perhaps, and a shadowy figure raising an axe behind it?" Ron wanted to glare. "No!" said Ron, starting to feel slightly sick. "No blood? No weeping Hagrid?" Professor Trelawney prodded. "No!" said Harriet again, wanting more than ever to leave the room and the heat. "It looks fine, it's — flying away. . . ." Professor Trelawney sighed. "Well, dear, I think we'll leave it there. . . . A little disappointing . . . but I'm sure you did your best." Professor Trelawney said with a sigh. Relieved, Ron got up, picked up his bag and turned to go, but then a loud, harsh voice spoke behind him. "IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT." Ron wheeled around. Professor Trelawney had gone rigid in her armchair; her eyes were unfocused and her mouth sagging. "S-sorry?" said Ron.
But Professor Trelawney didn't seem to hear him. Her eyes started to roll. Ron stood there in a panic. She looked as though she was about to have some sort of seizure. He hesitated, thinking of running to the hospital wing — and then Professor Trelawney spoke again, in the same harsh voice, quite unlike her own: "THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS, ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS. TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT . . . THE SERVANT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER. THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANT'S AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN EVER BEFORE. TONIGHT . . . BEFORE MIDNIGHT . . . THE SERVANT . . . WILL SET OUT . . . TO REJOIN . . . HIS MASTER. . . ."
Professor Trelawney's head fell forward onto her chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. Then, quite suddenly, Professor Trelawney's head snapped up again. "I'm so sorry, dear boy," she said dreamily, "the heat of the day, you know . . . I drifted off for a moment. . . ." Ron stood there, still staring. "Is there anything wrong, my dear?" said Professor Trelawney. "You — you just told me that the — the Dark Lord's going to rise again . . . that his servant's going to go back to him. . . ." He couldn't lie, he was afraid. Professor Trelawney looked thoroughly startled. "The Dark Lord? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? My dear boy, that's hardly something to joke about. . . . Rise again, indeed —"
"But you just said it! You said the Dark Lord —" Ron started, more confused than Goyle when asked a question in class. "I think you must have dozed off too, dear!" said Professor Trelawney. "I would certainly not presume to predict anything quite as far-fetched as that!" Ron climbed back down the ladder and the spiral staircase, wondering . . . had he just heard Professor Trelawney make a real prediction? Or had that been her idea of an impressive end to the test?
Five minutes later he was dashing past the security trolls outside the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, Professor Trelawney's words still resounding in his head. People were striding past him in the opposite direction, laughing and joking, heading for the grounds and a bit of long-awaited freedom; by the time he had reached the portrait hole and entered the common room, it was almost deserted. Over in the corner, however, sat Harriet and Hermione. "Professor Trelawney," Ron panted, "just told me —" But he stopped abruptly at the sight of their faces. "Buckbeak lost," said Harriet weakly. "Hagrid's just sent this." Hagrid's note was dry this time, no tears had splattered it, yet his hand seemed to have shaken so much as he wrote that it was hardly legible.