(A/N) sorry, I'm republishing this chapter so you all actually get the notification this time. smh wattpad
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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 the last few days of May, the quartet of friends were sitting together studying when there was a rustle at the window and Hedwig 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," said Hermione, still looking everywhere for her Arithmancy book.
"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."
Iris and Hermione both looked up, startled.
"They're bringing the executioner to the appeal! But that sounds as though they've already decided!"
"Yeah, it does," said Harry slowly.
"They can't!" Ron howled. "I've spent ages reading up on stuff for him; they can't just ignore it all!"
But Iris 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 Iris overheard, Malfoy was certain Buckbeak was going to be killed, and seemed thoroughly pleased with himself for bringing it about. 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 Iris nor Harry didn't dare retrieve the 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..."
"Were the tortoises supposed to breathe steam?"
"It still had a willow-patterned shell, d'you think that'll count against me?"
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. While Iris got her charm near perfectly, Harry slightly overdid his out of nerves and Ron, who was partnering him, 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 Iris, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had plenty of opportunity to speak to Hagrid.
"Beaky's gettin' a bit depressed," Hagrid told them, bending low on the pretence of checking that Harry'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 Iris felt was one of her best exams yet. Her Confusing Concoction was thickening perfectly and turning the exact colour it was meant to be, and Snape, standing watch with an air of pleasure, seemed almost proud as he scribbled something that looked suspiciously like a one-hundred onto his notes before moving away.
Then came Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower; History of Magic on Wednesday morning, in which Iris neatly wrote down everything she could remember from her books. 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, Iris, well done" Lupin muttered as Iris climbed out of the trunk, grinning. "Full marks."
Flushed with her success, Iris hung around to watch Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry did really well with everything, and just like Iris, exited the trunk grinning. 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, Iris, Harry, 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 Iris and Harry.
"Hello there, Iris, Harry!" he said. "Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?"
"Yes," said Harry. 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 the twins.
"I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harry, Iris. 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 back mustache. Iris 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; Iris 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 Iris, 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 Iris couldn't even 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 Iris, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, lost in worry about Hagrid and Buckbeak, didn't join in.
Finally, the four were on their way to their last exam: Divination. When they got to the seventh floor they found many of the Divination class were sitting on the spiral staircase to Professor Trelawney's classroom, trying to cram in a bit of last-minute studying.
A few minutes later the class was sitting at their tables around the room, gazing into their crystal balls, half of them practically falling asleep.
"Broaden your mind!" Professor Trelawney told the students, "Relax... let your minds go."
She walked for a moment before continuing, "Crystal-gazing requires that you clear the Inner Eye. Only then, will you... See. Oh my, what do we have here...?"
The woman appeared in front of their table and the boys jumped or from their resting positions.
Hermione rolled her eyes looking over to the Professor, "Oh, so mind me trying?" She asked.
Trelawney made a pleased sound as she beckoned Hermione on.
Iris' best friend looked at the crystal ball for a second before turning back to Trelawney. "The Grim... possibly."
The Professor looked taken back for a moment before squinting at Hermione and telling her, "My dear, from the first moment you step—"
Iris lost focus on Trelawney's words as she caught movement in the corner of her eye. It was the crystal ball.
A scene was spilling into the crystal balls' surface. She could just make out three unknown figures in dark surroundings.
Iris stared at it, confused.
The three people were looking around, but Iris couldn't tell who they were or where they were. The whole scene was extremely blurry, as if she was looking at it through water. Suddenly all three figures snapped around staring at something, unknown to Iris.
She wasn't listening as Trelawney carried on about Hermione not belonging in the class.
Iris focused intently on the crystal ball as the scene continued to play out. Abrubtly, a sharp hissing voice cut through the silence in her head,
"Kill the spare!"
A bot of shocking green light ripped through Iris's eyes resonating through the back of her skull as she jumped from her seat in shock gasping for air.
The entire class stared at her in shock as she stood, hand covering her open mouth in horror as she stared at the now empty crystal ball.
"Dear—" Iris cut off Trelawney once more, as she had also interrupted her speaking to Hermione, by grabbing her book bag and running out of the classroom.
Iris travelled down the stairs jumping down multiple steps at a time, wondering...who was the unlucky person whos' horrible death she just had to witness. Was it a real prediction? Or had it just been a crazy idea her mind had come up with from a lack of sleep?
Five minutes later she was dashing through a corridor on the fifth floor, having a hard time breathing, the horrible green light still remaining imprinted in her head. People were striding past her in the opposite direction, laughing and joking, heading for the grounds and a bit of long-awaited freedom.
She stumbled to the wall in the deserted corridor, sliding her back down it until she was in a sitting position.
Iris would forever be scarred by the horrible images fixed in her mind at that moment.
Iris closed her eyes in misery, a single tear trickling down her cheek.
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Ha ha ha... yikes
my bad
oopsie
Anyway, if you aren't aware of what comes next here's a hint for the next chapter:
An angry puppy comes to play
(Wow can't wait for my crazy revenge seeking husband to come haha)