In the kitchen, she found Sadie sitting eating eggs and avocado toast as Ginny sat talking to her quietly about something that sounded suspiciously like her boyfriend Dean. Hermione, however, was sitting at the table as Mrs Weasley tried to remove the bruise on her eye.
"It won't budge," Mrs Weasley said as Harry and Ron came down to join them. "This has always worked before. I just can't understand it."
"It'll be Fred and George's idea of a funny joke, making sure it can't come off," Ginny said, looking up from her conversation with Sadie, which she had been keeping very quiet so her mother wouldn't hear.
"But it's got to come off!" Hermione cried. "I can't go around looking like this forever!"
"You won't, dear," Mrs Weasley assured. "We'll find an antidote, don't worry."
"Bill told me 'ow Fred and George are very amusing!" Fleur said, smiling.
"Yes, I can hardly breathe for laughing!" Hermione snapped, getting up and beginning to pace nervously.
"What's she so nervous about?" Sadie whispered to Ginny.
"No idea," Ginny whispered back.
"O.W.L. results," Althea explained, sitting down beside Ginny. "Apparently they're coming out this morning."
"Ah, yes, O.W.L. results," Sadie said with a small smile. "I was so nervous about those. I had to get an O to keep taking potions."
"You had Snape, right?" Althea asked.
Sadie had no opportunity to respond as Hermione let out a shriek, pointing out the window toward a large blob approaching them.
"They're definitely owls," Ron said, jumping up to join her at the window.
"And there are four of them," Harry added, joining them.
"One for each of us," Hermione said in a terrified whisper, hardly more than a breath.
Squeezing past them, Mrs Weasley opened the kitchen window just in time for the owls to slip through and find their person. With trembling hands, Althea opened her own.
Ordinary Wizarding Level Results
Pass Grades:
OUTSTANDING (O)
EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS (E)
ACCEPTABLE (A)
Fail Grades:
POOR (P)
DREADFUL (D)
TROLL (T)
Althea Black has achieved:
Astronomy (O)
Study of Ancient Runes (O)
Charms (O)
Defence Against the Dark Arts (O)
Divination (O)
Herbology (O)
History of Magic (E)
Potions (O)
Transfiguration (O)
"Only failed History of Magic and Divination, and who cares about them," Ron said with a grin. "Here, swap."
As he and Harry traded papers, Althea looked over at Hermione and saw she was standing with her back to them.
"Knew you'd be top at Defence Against the Dark Arts," Ron said. "We've done all right, haven't we? How about you, Thea?"
"I did fine," she said with a small smile as Harry took her paper from her and looked it over.
"Nice one," he said with a smile, handing it back as Ron turned to Hermione.
"Hermione," Ginny said tentatively. "How did you do?"
"I - not bad," she said in a small voice.
"Oh, come off it," Ron said, looking over her shoulder. "Yup - nine Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations at Defence Against the Dark Arts." Looking half amused and half exasperated, he said, "You're actually disappointed, aren't you?"
Hermione shook her head as Harry laughed.
"Let me see yours," Ron said, taking Althea's paper. "How'd you get an O in Divination?"
Althea shrugged.
"Magic," she replied with a small grin.
"We're N.E.W.T. students now!" Ron exclaimed. "Mum, are there any more sausages?"
Harry was trying to smile, but as he looked back down at his paper, he felt one twinge of regret. He hadn't gotten the O he needed in Potions to continue. It was the end of his ambitions of becoming an auror.
"Thea, did you get what you need to be a Healer?" Ginny asked.
"Yup!" she said. "I need to go write to Mum and Dad. Harry, can I use Hedwig?"
"Sure," he replied.
.
Althea only stayed at the Burrow for another few days before returning home to help take care of Minnie. One afternoon, she was gently rocking the sleeping baby when Eliana came in and asked, "Althea, why aren't you ready to go?"
"Go where?" she asked in confusion.
"Harry's birthday party?" Eliana said.
"Oh no," Althea sighed. "But what about Minnie?"
"She's coming too," Eliana said. "But I'll watch her. Please, spend time with your friends."
Althea sighed but did not protest as Eliana took the baby from her so she could go get ready. As Eliana gently rocked her, Remus appeared in the doorway. He had only been growing more and more ragged in appearance over the summer as his time spent among the werewolves Voldemort was trying to recruit only grew. He wished Dumbledore hadn't ordered him to try and liaison with them, but it wasn't as though anyone else could.
"Hey," he said softly, gently kissing Eliana's cheek as he brushed Minnie's dark hair out of her eyes.
"Hi," she said. "Althea just went to get ready. We can leave as soon as she's done."
"Okay," Remus said quietly.
YOU ARE READING
The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part Two
FanfictionContinuation of my previous work, Disgraced of the House of Black because apparently, you can only have two-hundred parts in a Wattpad story. Every family has its black sheep...even the Black family. Althea Black. When she was young, she never und...
