Harry Potter and Claire Smith Adventures: Book Three

The Seer's Prediction

Chapter 16: The Seer's Prediction

Harry'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 all anybody felt like doing was strolling the grounds and flopping down on the grass with several pints of iced pumpkin juice, 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 through the windows. Even Fred and George 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. Because of this Percy was on edge and would give serve punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the common room in the evenings. The only other person who seemed more anxious than Percy was Hermione.

Harry and Ron had given up asking her how she was managing to attend several classes at once. They suspected Claire knew something about the subject because whenever they brought it up Claire went quiet. However, they couldn't restrain themselves when they saw the exam schedule Hermione 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 nowadays. "Er—are you sure you've copied down these times right?"

"What?" Hermione snapped, picking the exam schedule up and examining it. "Yes, of course I have."

"Is there any point asking how you're going to sit for two exams at once?" Harry said.

"No," Hermione said shortly. "Have you seen my copy of Numerology and Gramatica?"

"Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading," Ron said, but very quietly.

"You read a book?" Claire teased him earning a glare in return.

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," Harry said, ripping the note open. "Buckbeak's appeal— it's set for the sixth."

"That's the day we finish our exams," Hermione said, still looking for her Arithmancy book.

Claire spotted the book and handed it to Hermione who thanked her gratefully.

"And they're coming up here to do it," Harry said, 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!"

"They're not even going to consider the appeal." Claire said, frustrated.

"They can't!" Ron howled. "I've spent ages reading up on stuff for him; they can't just ignore it all!"

"You're not the only who had to look up stuff." Claire said. "And they can ignore it all when they don't even give a damn about Buckbeak."