"You really took his shampoo?" Ginny rolled in the grass, cackling. "Wow, Harry, I didn't pin you as one to steal toiletries."
Harry blushed as Ginny rolled around, besides herself, Blaise shook with silent chuckles and Draco grinned triumphantly.
"It made my hair soft." Harry murmured.
Ginny wheezed, she was trying to say something however it was drowned out by her laughs. After a minute she finally sat up, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry," she giggled, "it's just hilarious, Harry Potter stealing Draco Malfoy's shampoo." She burst into another fit of laughter.
The four teens sat surrounded by abandoned textbooks, laughing like there was no worries in the world.
"I'm ready for summer," Ginny breathed propping her body up on her elbows.
"Me too," Draco sighed, "I just want exams to be over."
"Maybe Harry will save us from a life threatening crisis again and they'll be cancelled," Blaise laughed.
"It's been a quiet year," Harry admitted.
"Mate, you have a mass murder out to get you, if a teacher saw that you were unoccupied out here we would be bloody screwed," Draco looked at Harry.
"Yeah," Harry waved him off, "it's not like I haven't had worse, I'm used to people trying to kill me, Voldemort's tried three times and I survived that." Harry had a defiant look plastered on his face. "And if you think I'm going to let the man who betrayed my parents finish me off, you are mistaken."
The group fell quiet, not sure how to respond.
"Harry, we've gotta head in, its nearly time for tea." Draco said, checking his watch.
"You're right," Harry grumbled packing his books. The two boys said their goodbyes to the group and set off towards the dungeon.
"Hi," Harry yawned as they entered Snape's office.
"Good Afternoon boys, you seem tired, Harry?" Snape's eyebrows raised as he watched Harry rub his eyes.
"Been Studying," Harry sighed plopping down in a chair.
"Very Good, your grades have sure improved since last year, you are currently excelling in Potions," Snape nodded.
Harry offered him a weak smile.
"Early to bed tonight," Snape ordered, "you look miserable." He then turned to the blond, "How was your day Draco?"
"I studied with Harry." Draco said taking his seat besides the Gryffindor, unlike Harry who flung his bag across the room, Draco placed his softly on the ground.
Snape flicked his wand and three tea cups whizzed over to the table.
"I don't want you two roaming the castle alone, especially you, Mr. Potter," Snape started taking a sip of his tea, "we are going to every measure to keep you safe, you must do your part as well."
"Yes, Sir." Harry mumbled.
"Don't mumble, you're not a child." Snape corrected.
"Yeah, honestly, Harry, you have a horrible habit of that." Draco commented.
"Well you have a horrible habit of correcting people." Harry shot back at the blond.
"Enough, you two," Snape looked tired, "drink your tea."
"Can we go home for an hour today?" Draco tried, "My show is on today and I haven't seen it in ages."
"Now, Mr. Malfoy, just because you are my charge does not mean you can visit home whenever you please. You are still a student and the rules do apply to you both" Severus warned with a side glance at Harry, "however, I'm heading home today to retrieve supplies for my exam. I will allow you two to come with me this time."
Draco smiled eagerly. Harry was pleased as well, he was just looking forward to taking a nap without Hermione pressuring him to study or Ron asking him to play Quidditch or chess. Most importantly Harry could sleep in his own bed.
>•<
Exam week rolled through and after a particularly hard Transfiguration task Harry's confidence had diminished greatly.
The hardest challenge was turning a teapot into a tortoise. The third years were all annoyed at Hermione for she was worrying that her tortoise looked more like a turtle, Harry's was still breathing steam.
However, the Charms exam put the 3rd years in a brighter mood, they were tested on cheering charms.
Harry slightly overdid his but he was too cheery to care much.
>•<
Draco's first day of exams went much smoother than Harry's. He had his Arithmancy exam first which he completed in a little over a quarter of an hour.
Next he had his History of Magic exam which he had studied ages for. All he had to do was write an essay on mid evil witches and answer a 100 question multiple choice test.
At midnight he took his Astronomy exam, as a young boy Draco studied the constellations and star charts so Astronomy came easy to him.
Tuesday morning brought Care of Magical Creatures for both Harry and Draco. Hagrid was very discouraged as the execution of Buckbeak approached fast, for his exam he made the class watch a Flobberworm each for the testing period. This proved very easy as Flobberworms were self-sustainable.
It was the easiest exam Draco had ever taken.
He considered going over to cheer Hagrid up but the golden trio had beat him to it, not wanting to impose on Harry's friend group, Draco just settled for joking around with Blaise.
Tuesday afternoon was Potions for both 3rd year Slytherins and Gryffindors. They were tasked with brewing a Confusing Concoction. Having brewed the potion with Snape over Holidays, Draco and Harry both excelled at brewing the potion.
"Very Good, Mr. Malfoy," Snape said to Draco as he examined his potion. Draco grinned, happy that he did well.
He almost missed Snape grading Harry who was a few chairs behind him. Draco turned to watch as Harry finished.
"Full marks Mr. Potter, good job." Snape scribbled on his paper as he complimented the Gryffindor. The whole class turned to stare at the pair. Granger's eyes wide and Weasley's jaw slacked. However Harry didn't notice any of this, he had the biggest, brightest beam plastered on his face.
He spotted Malfoy and his smile grew wider.
'Good job.' Draco mouthed, trying not to laugh at how stupidly happy Harry was.
After Potions, Draco was finished for the day however Harry still had his Astronomy exam.
As the boys were dismissed from Snape's exam, Draco couldn't help but snort at Ron Weasley's ramble of how Severus Snape was positive towards Harry Potter.
>•<
Wednesday was an easy day for Harry. He had History of Magic and Herbology, two subjects that he found fairly easy.
Draco however had Transfiguration and after many attempts and frustrated words Draco's teapot turned into a tortoise, however it's tail curled in like a handle.
He then had his Charms exam and preformed a flawless cheering charm on Blaise Zabini.
>•<
While Draco was at his Herbology exam first thing Thursday morning, Harry went to his Defense against the Dark Arts exam.
Lupin had set up an obstacle course for the class out on the school grounds. They all enjoyed the exam very much for they got to get fresh air and sun.
The obstacle course was most peculiar. They first had to wade through a deep pool that contained a Grindylow. They then had to cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps. Squish their way through a marsh, ignoring misleading directions given by a Hinkypunk. Finally they had to climb into a trunk and face a Boggart.
Harry came out grinning after successfully using the Patronus charm to ward off the fake dementor.
"Excellent Harry," Lupin praised, "Full marks."
Hermione however was not so lucky facing the Boggart. She came out of the trunk screaming with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Hermione!" Lupin called, concerned. "What's the matter?"
"Professor McGonagall!" Hermione sobbed, "she said I failed everything." She collapsed into Harry, throwing her arms around his neck, shaking with sobs. Harry awkwardly pat her back as she cried.
Draco's second exam of the day was Defense against the Dark arts. He successfully made it through the obstacle course and was climbing into the trunk to face the final obstacle, the Boggart.
Draco had yet to face a Boggart so he was unsure the form it would take for him.
He held his wand steady as the Boggart shifted form.
Draco's confident stance wavered as Lucius Malfoy stepped out infront of him.
Draco let out a cry and stepped away until his back was pressed up against the exit.
"What's the matter my son?" The Boggart spoke, "you're not happy to see me?"
Draco's words failed him as his body trembled.
"I will escape Azkaban, and when I do I will come for you. I will take you away from your new family, your new home and you will join the Dark Lord." Boggart Lucius raised his wand, "Cru–".
"No!" Draco's voice was firm and his wand was raised. "Riddikulus!" He cried and Lucius Malfoy turned into a dirty looking beggar. Draco wiped the sweat off his face and stepped out of the trunk to Professor Lupin's congratulations.
Harry and Ron walked to their final exam, Divination, alone as Hermione had Muggle Studies. They arrived to see a nervous Neville combing through Unfogging the Future, carefully reading every page that included crystal gazing.
"She's doing it one at a time," Neville said as he saw the two boys arrive, "Have either of you ever seen anything in a crystal ball?" He asked miserably.
Both Harry and Ron shook their heads.
As people returned down the ladder from their exams the rest of the group asked how it was but each student refused to say.
"She says the crystal ball told her that if I tell you I'll have a horrible accident." Neville squeaked as he returned from his exam.
"What a load of rubbish." Ron complained, "you know, I think Hermione was right about her."
It was a long time before Ron's name was finally called.
"Good luck," Harry called as the ginger climbed through the trapdoor.
At least 20 minutes passed before Rons returned.
"How'd it go?" Harry asked.
"Rubbish." Ron grumbled with a foul look upon his face, "couldn't see anything, made stuff up, pretty sure she wasn't convinced."
"Meet you in the common room," Harry mumbled as Professor Trelawney called his name.
"Good luck, Mate," Ron called as he stalked off.
The tower was dark and humid and the usual sickly scent gave Harry a headache. Professor Trelawney sat infront of her crystal ball in the center of the room.
"Come, sit." She said softly, "if you would so kindly gaze into the orb... take your time now... and tell me what you see inside."
Harry bent over the crystal ball and willed something to appear in the white misty fog, however nothing did.
"Well?" Trelawney prompted, "what do you see?"
The heat was overpowering and Harry's headache got worse with the scent of the Professor's perfume so he decided to do as Ron did and make something up.
"Errrrr–" he frantically tried to come up with something convincing to say. "A dark shape...uhm."
"What does it resemble?" Trelawney whispered "think now."
Harry's mind landed on Buckbeak, "A Hippogriff." He stated firmly.
"Indeed!" Trelawney scribbled something on her piece of parchment, "you may be seeing the fate of poor Hagrid's Hippogriff. Look closer, does the figure appear to be missing...its head?"
"No." Said Harry firmly.
"Are you sure?" Professor Trelawney urged him, "are you quite sure dear? You don't see it withering on the ground, perhaps, or a shadowy figure with an axe behind it?"
"No!" Said Harry starting to feel sick.
"No blood? No weeping Hagrid?"
"No," Harry wished more than anything to leave the room and escape from the heat. "It looks fine, it's flying away."
Trelawney sighed, "Well, Dear, I think we'll leave it there, a little disappointing, I must admit, but I'm sure you did your best."
Relived, Harry scrambled to pick up his bag and turned to leave—
"It will happen tonight"
Harry wheeled around, Professor Trelawney had gone rigid, her eyes glazed over and unfocused, her mouth sagging.
"S–sorry?" Said Harry.
Professor Trelawney didn't answer, instead her eyes began to roll.
Harry stood there in a panic, she looked like she was going to have a sort of seizure, he was debating on running down to the Hospital Wing when she spoke again in a voice unlike her own, it was harsh with a foreboding edge.
"The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than before. Tonight...before midnight...the servant...will set out...to rejoin...his master."