Sirius Black daughter - Athena Black (Book 2)

Twenty One

"All those times we were in that bathroom, and she was just three toilets away," said Ron bitterly at breakfast next day, "and wecould've asked her, and now . . ." 

It had been hard enough trying to look for spiders. Escaping their teachers long enough to sneak into a girls' bathroom, the girls' bathroom,more over, right next to the scene of the first attack, was going to be almost impossible.But something happened in their first lesson, Transfiguration, that drove the Chamber of Secrets out of their minds for the first time in weeks. Ten minutes into the class, Professor McGonagall told them that their exams would start on the first of June, one week from today. 

"Exams?" howled Seamus Finnigan and Athena. "We're still getting exams?" 

There was a loud bang behind Harry as Neville Longbottom's wand slipped, vanishing one of the legs on his desk. Professor McGonagall restored it with a wave of her own wand, and turned, frowning, to Seamus and Athena. 

"The whole point of keeping the school open at this time is for you to receive your education," she said sternly. "The exams will therefore take place as usual, and I trust you are all studying hard." 

Studying hard! It had never occurred to Athena that there would be exams with the castle in this state, not that she hasn't been studying. There was a great deal of mutinous muttering around the room, which made Professor McGonagall scowl even more darkly.

"Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible," she said. "And that, I need hardly point out,means finding out how much you have learned this year." 

Athena looked down at the pair of white rabbits she was supposed to be turning into slippers. She tried to remember what she had learned and with a great deal of effort remembered what she has learned this year, though only recalling a few. Ron looked as though he'd just been told he had to go and live in the Forbidden Forest. 

"Can you imagine me taking exams with this?" he asked Harry and Athena, holding up his wand, which had just started whistling loudly. 

Three days before their first exam, Professor McGonagall made another announcement at breakfast. 

"I have good news," she said, and the Great Hall, instead of falling silent, erupted. "Dumbledore's coming back!" several people yelled joyfully. 

"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" squealed a girl at the Ravenclaw table. 

"Quidditch matches are back on!" roared Wood excitedly. 

When the hubbub had subsided, Professor McGonagall said, "ProfessorSprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit." 

There was an explosion of cheering. Athena looked over at the Slytherin table and wasn't at all surprised to see that Draco hadn't joined in. Ron, however, was looking happier than he'd looked in days. 

"It won't matter that we never asked Myrtle, then!" he said to Harry and Athena."Hermione'll probably have all the answers when they wake her up! Mind you, she'll go crazy when she finds out we've got exams in three days' time. She hasn't studied. It might be kinder to leave her where she is till they're over." 

Just then, Ginny Weasley came over and sat down next to Ron. Shelooked tense and nervous, and Athena noticed that her hands were twistingin her lap. 

"What's up?" said Ron, helping himself to more porridge.Ginny didn't say anything, but glanced up and down the Gryffindortable with a scared look on her face.