¹𝐒𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 ─ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲

EXAMS

"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 Harry.

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

"I believe I have an extra copy of the book in my room," said Tilly, feeling quite sorry for the frizzy-haired girl. "You can borrow it if you'd like."

Just then, there was a rustle at the window and Hedwig, Harry's owl, fluttered through it, a note clutched tight in her beak.

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

"That's the day we finish our exams," informed Tilly, as she glanced over at Hermione who was rustling through her many stacks of parchment.

"And they're coming up here to do it," said Harry, still reading from the letter. "Someone from the Ministry of Magic and—and an executioner."

Matilda looked up at Harry, startled.

"They're bringing the executioner to the appeal? But that sounds as though they've already decided!" said Hermione, who had stopped looking through her parchment.

"Yeah, it does," said Harry slowly.

"Of course, they've already made up their minds," said Tilly, as much as she hated this, she'd expected for something like this to happen. No matter how much research Hagrid had or how proficient he spoke, nothing was going to save Buckbeak. "Or rather I say, Lucius Malfoy had made their minds up for them!"

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

Matilda took a step toward Ron and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He was shaking with anger. She already knew that the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures had their minds made up by Mr. Malfoy. Draco, who had been noticeably subdued since Gryffindor's triumph in the Quidditch final, seemed to have regained some of his old swagger over the next few days. From sneering comments that Matilda, Harry, Ron, and Hermione overheard, Malfoy was certain Buckbeak was going to be killed and seemed thoroughly pleased with himself for bringing it all about. Harry had to keep an eye on Matilda because she would often, quietly raise her wand to a bragging Malfoy. And the worst thing of all was that they had no time to or opportunity to go and see Hagrid, because the strict new security measures had not been lifted, and Harry continued to ignore Matilda's orders in retrieving his Invisibility Cloak from the one-eyed witch.

"If you're scared I could go with you," Tilly would tease Harry. "There is no shame in being afraid."

"It's not that I'm afraid of going back, Matilda," Harry would respond quickly. "But Snape may still be lurking around those areas, hoping to catch me in the act of something."

Tilly rolled her eyes, Harry was right, knowing Snape he'd be hoping for Harry's return in that part of the castle.

Exam week began and an unnatural hush fell over the castle. The third years emerged from Transfigurations 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. Tilly, who had already finished, sat beside Harry and watched Hermione struggle towards the front of the class.

"Mine still had a spout for a tail, what a nightmare. . ."

"An absolute nightmare!"

"It still had a willow-patterned shell, d'you think that'll count against me?"