Chapter 156
Exam week began, and an unusual silence settled over the castle.
At lunchtime on Monday, the third-years filed out of the Transfiguration exam covered in dust, too exhausted to walk properly. Everyone was comparing results and complaining about the difficulty. Professor McGonagall had asked them to turn a teapot into a turtle.
Most of the results still showed traces of the original object—spouts sticking out like tails, handles attached to shells, or patterns from the teapot still visible.
Pansy went after Draco. She stood nervously before the desk, raised her wand, and cast the spell.
The teapot became a turtle.
Unfortunately, its shell was the teapot lid.
She looked anxiously at Professor McGonagall, waiting for her reaction. The professor's expression was completely neutral—never a good sign.
---
After lunch, the students hurried upstairs for the Charms exam. The test was the Cheering Charm.
To Draco, the room looked like a chaotic potion experiment. Students were casting the spell on their partners, many of whom ended up laughing uncontrollably.
When it was their turn, Pansy's charm had almost no effect. Draco had to rely entirely on acting, forcing himself to grin and look delighted so she could earn a decent mark. Professor Flitwick didn't suspect anything.
Their group did well overall. Harry, however, overdid it—Ron laughed hysterically and had to be taken to a quiet room for nearly an hour before he recovered enough to perform the charm himself.
---
The day's exams ended, but no one relaxed. Three subjects awaited the next morning:
Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and Astronomy.
Professor Grubbly-Plank, who had replaced Hagrid, met them early by the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The test was simple: observe a pile of dung left by giant dung beetles and write a report.
"If not for the smell, this would be the easiest exam I've ever taken," Pansy complained afterward, immediately casting Aguamenti to rinse her robes—just in case.
"Everything is fair in its own way," Draco said. "If the exam is easy, the price appears somewhere else."
---
The afternoon Potions exam was torture for most Gryffindors.
The paper was difficult, and Snape prowled behind them like a shadow. Under his gaze, Harry felt he could perform at barely thirty percent of his ability—and even that wasn't enough.
When Snape moved away, Harry noticed him whispering to a few Slytherins. He suspected favoritism.
Many cauldrons contained disasters—especially Neville's, which glowed an alarming green. Hermione's potion, by contrast, was perfect: clear purple, gently bubbling, surrounded by a fine mist.
Yet during grading, Snape still looked disgusted. Several poorly made Slytherin potions received high marks, while Hermione barely passed.
Harry tried to glance at the mark sheet, but Snape's cold eyes met his.
"If you're eager to know your result, Mr. Potter, I can tell you immediately," he said softly.
Harry fled.
Each time Snape saw Harry's green eyes, it stirred painful memories—bitterness, regret, and something far more complicated.
---
The Astronomy exam took place at midnight. Under the clear sky, Draco looked up at the stars and murmured:
"Two things inspire awe: the starry sky above us, and the moral law within."
"I think there's a third," said a dreamy voice behind him. "Outstanding intelligence."
Luna Lovegood stepped into the moonlight, her pale hair shining silver. Carrot earrings swung at her ears, and a Butterbeer cork necklace hung around her neck.
"This is the third-year exam area," Pansy said sharply, walking over.
"I've finished mine," Luna replied calmly. "I wandered here by accident."
"We're not as lucky as you," Pansy muttered, returning to her incomplete star chart.
"Students over there—no talking," the invigilator called.
---
Wednesday brought History of Magic. In the heat, students struggled to write their essays.
Pansy, however, turned hers into a fantasy adventure involving blue-skinned elves, a dark witch, forbidden magic, and a monstrous cat.
Later, when Draco asked how it went, she simply shook her head.
Ironically, Professor Binns awarded her a high mark.
---
Thursday's Defence Against the Dark Arts exam came as a surprise.
Instead of Snape—
"Professor Dumbledore!" the students exclaimed.
"Professor Lupin asked me to oversee this exam," Dumbledore said pleasantly.
The test was an outdoor obstacle course: crossing a pool with Grindylows, passing Red Caps, navigating a swamp, ignoring a Hinkypunk's false guidance, and finally confronting a Boggart inside a trunk.
Draco completed the course smoothly and left the Boggart intact for the next student.
Pansy entered the trunk soon after—and came running out in tears, throwing herself against him, trembling. She refused to say what she had seen.
Hermione also struggled. Inside the trunk, she had seen Professor McGonagall holding a failed paper with her name on it.
"I won't fail… I won't fail…" she kept whispering afterward.
---
The final exams were for electives.
Draco went to Ancient Runes.
Pansy climbed the Divination Tower.
The room was dim, heavy with incense. Professor Trelawney sat before a crystal ball.
"Relax, child," she said gently. "This is not truly an exam."
Pansy leaned forward. White mist swirled inside the ball.
"I see something," she said.
"What is it?"
"Two wine glasses."
"Anything else?"
"…A broken table."
Trelawney muttered, troubled.
"A strange sign… What does a minor see in wine glasses?"
Suddenly Pansy screamed and stumbled back, knocking over her chair.
"The glasses," she whispered. "They broke. Is that bad?"
"Breakage means obstruction," Trelawney said hoarsely. "But you will avoid bloodshed."
Relieved, Pansy left.
After she was gone, Trelawney glanced back into the crystal ball.
Her face paled.
"Poor child," she murmured. "It seems you won't avoid it after all."