A/N – Anyone that's read this story before – this chapter is the only
significant new part. I've finally decided to go back and do it properly.
A/N – It's been a long road – thanks for all the support.
Chapter 61
Cunning Conclusion
The next two weeks passed in a blur. He attended every review session except for History of Magic (which he figured he wouldn't learn anything anyway). Choosing instead to dedicate those class periods to a higher purpose, he used that time to catch up on his flying. He was never able to enjoy it as much as he had hoped though; he always heard Hermione's voice in his head urging him to revise instead.
He and Ron had absolutely no say in their schedule for either of the next two weekends. Hermione gave them no choice but to study with her. They spent the morning reading and doing individual study in the library (sitting at the same table though so Hermione could lecture them if they didn't appear to be revising hard enough.) In the afternoons they would go outside by the lake and quiz each other as well as work on the practical portions of their exams.
Typically, Ron and Hermione would blow up at each other only once a day – sometime during the practical portion of the study period they would inevitably start hexing each other. Harry smiled to himself when he remembered the outcome of one of their hexing sessions last Sunday. He could still picture Hermione with a closed zipper where her mouth used to be glaring daggers at Ron. Ron hadn't been any better off though. It had taken him, Harry, fifteen minutes to detach Ron's nose from the grindstone Hermione had conjured up.
Harry found that he didn't mind studying for the OWLs. It was the perfect excuse not to have to think about everything that he learned such a short time ago.
The shout of "I AM SO TRYING" snapped Harry's attention back to the present. Harry looked up at an exasperated Hermione and an extremely frustrated Ron. Both of whom were clenching their wands tightly and staring at the other. In the interest of time, Harry decided to stop the upcoming hexing war before it even started.
"I'm hungry. Let's go to the kitchens and get a snack."
Ron quickly fell into step beside him but Hermione started to protest. Harry cut her off before she could utter a single syllable. "We could ALL use a break." She glared at him but didn't say anything else as they made their way back to the school.
Finally it was time to try to go to sleep.
Harry had never had trouble sleeping before a big test before so he didn't think he'd have a problem tonight. After all, tomorrow was only the first day of what was going to be two weeks of wizarding nightmares. Glancing around the room though he noticed that he might be the only one getting any sleep tonight. Ron's bed was covered with open notebooks and text books. He was sitting amongst them shaking his head and muttering thinks like, "Mum will kill me."
Neville was trembling so much that his teeth were actually chattering. It reminded Harry of something he had once seen in a Muggle dentist's office.
Seamus and Dean were arguing about whose family would take the news worse if either of them failed to get any OWLs.
Seamus was arguing, "But your family are Muggles. They don't know about OWLs."
Dean countered, "That's right, they are Muggles. I don't even get to show them any magic because we aren't allowed to do it away from Hogwarts. The only thing they can base how I've been doing for the last five years is with these tests."
Seamus cut him off there but Harry was no longer listening. He closed the curtains around his four poster bed. He smiled as he drifted off to sleep thinking about how nice it was to be worrying about "normal" things for a change.
The din of four wizards trying to study and dress at the same time woke Harry. Neville reminded Harry of the Little Engine That Could because he was in the corner mumbling over and over to himself, "I think I can. I think I can."
Harry collected Ron from the room, and then Hermione from the Common Room, and led the trek to the Great Hall. More than once he had to physically drag Hermione out of the way of impending traffic because she refused to look up from her notes while they walked. Ron wasn't any help. He had the distinct look of someone heading for their last meal.
Harry was one of the few fifth years not trying to cram in last minute knowledge during this meal. There just wasn't anything about Defense Against the Dark Arts that he could learn this morning that he hadn't already learned. If he was ready for any test, it was this one. All in all, he reckoned, there were much worse ways that he could be starting his OWLs – such as Potions.
After the meal, just as they had way back at the beginning of the school year to be let in on the secret of their new classes, the fifth years stayed in the Great Hall as the rest of the students made their way to their classes. The fifth years all looked nervous and anxious, even more so than the seventh years who were making their way to start their NEWTs.
The fifth years were asked to take their stuff and gather in the Entrance Hall. When the last fifth year (Dean Thomas) left the Great Hall the doors loudly shut behind him. Professor McGonagall was waiting for them. She addressed them just like she had almost five years ago. Harry had little to no idea what she was talking about. (He did hear little snippets such as "anti-cheating charms" and "better not even think about it".) Instead he was looking at his classmates and reflecting about how much had changed since that first day when Hagrid had brought them across the lake. Now here he was, getting ready to take his OWLs and end his fifth year. This summer he thought he might have a chance to finally enjoy himself. He was going to get to live with Sirius. He could feel warmth and joy spreading throughout his body like someone had just thrown a cozy blanket over him. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face if he had tried, which proved to be a problem.
"POTTER"
He brought his attention back and noticed that everyone, including the Head of his House, was staring at him.
"Yes?" He asked. Unfortunately he didn't realize that his question could also be taken as a response to the question that Professor McGonagall had just asked of him.
"YES? YES? You do intend to try to cheat? Potter, I don't know --- "
He was horrified. "I mean no!"
Hermione was shaking her head. Crabbe and Goyle were snickering.
She gazed at him piercingly before finally letting him off the hook. "I hope you intend to pay more attention to your OWLs than you were obviously paying to me."
As Harry murmured his apology, the doors to the Great Hall opened. The students began walking back in there. Witches and wizards Harry had never seen were waiting inside the Hall for them. They were directing the students to the appropriate desks. (They were being seated alphabetically.) The initial administrative stuff such as handing out parchment and quills took only a few minutes and finally the fifth years were allowed to embark on their OWLs.
Harry looked down to the first few questions on the test and almost laughed in relief. He saw questions such as: Who is the only known survivor of the Killing Curse? What Potion is currently used to help nullify the effects of a full moon on a werewolf? Since it is impossible to Apparate or Disapparate into Hogwarts, what other methods could be used to forcibly remove someone from the grounds against their will?
Harry probably finished the test before anyone else but he didn't turn it in. He spent the remaining time adding to and reviewing his answers, determined to get an Outstanding in this subject. Finally they were told to put their quills down and the parchments were collected. The students were then given slips of parchment with a time on them. They were told to be on the Quiddich Pitch at those times for the practical portion.
It was the middle of the afternoon when Harry made his way to the Quiddich Pitch. He approached the wizard who was directing students to different areas of the field.
"Parchment Please"
He gave it over to the kindly wizard and was directed to the far section of the Pitch were Draco Malfoy seemed to be just finishing up. As Draco passed Harry en route he said quietly, "Good luck Potter." Yet one more think to reflect on. Who ever would have thought to see the day that Draco Malfoy wished Harry Potter good luck on anything?
The practical couldn't have gone better. The witch bade Harry to demonstrate some basic spells. After showing competency with the basics she told him to free spell, explaining that he could take the next several minutes and demonstrate whatever spells he thought were important to DADA after being told that his grade would reflect both upon the difficulty of the spells he chose as well as his ability to be able to cast them.
He wished he had prepared for something like this but quickly decided to use the spells he had learned for the Third Task last year. The witch was the perfect audience. She would ooh and ahh occasionally and the smile never left her face. Harry ended his DADA OWL with his Patronus. The witch clapped and told him he was released for the day.
The Gryffindor Common Room was packed with loud fifth years comparing notes about the test. Everyone was having fun reliving their afternoon practicals until Hermione reminded them that they should be studying to the next exam (History of Magic) instead of spending time on something that couldn't be changed.
"She can really take the fun out of anything," Ron said quietly. Although not quietly enough because Hermione elbowed him in the ribs on her way up to her room.
Tuesday morning was History of Magic. Harry wasn't as confident on this test but decided that all in all it could have been much worse. Since there was no practical, they had all afternoon to study for Wednesday's test. As if Harry needed a reminded, Neville's constant whimpering reminded everyone that Potions was next.
Potions didn't go as bad as he had expected. He thought he had done reasonable well on the written portion. And as for the practical, he discovered he did a lot better when Snape wasn't in the room. Crabbe and Goyle both had their potions explode in their faces so Harry knew he did better than them.
Thursday's Charms tests also went reasonably well. During the practical the wizard had told Harry that he had heard that he could summon objects from great distances and asked him to demonstrate. Apparently, the wizard had left a single bottle of butterbeer on a tree stump by the lake outside just in case he was the one who gave Harry his practical. As he'd known he could, he summoned it without a problem and was rewarded by having his lesson cut short and by being given the bottle.
The Divination test on Friday was all but a waste of time and Harry and Ron preferred to think of it more as a three day weekend than anything else. The way that the test was conducted led Harry to believe that he wasn't the only one who considered the whole thing bunk. He was given a crystal ball, tea leaves, and some dried bones when he entered the room. He was asked an extensive series of yes or no questions and was allowed to use any, all, or none of the tools to help him answer the questions correctly. He was asked enough gimme questions (like will the world end in the next five minutes? And is a charging hippogriff currently waiting outside the door?) that Harry suspected no one had ever failed the Divination test.
The weekend passed by so quickly that Harry found himself wondering if somehow they hadn't skipped a day and gone straight from Saturday to Monday. Before he knew it, he was back in the Great Hall being handed a quill and parchment getting ready to start on his next exam (Care of Magical Creatures.)
He and Ron had Tuesday off while Hermione took her Arithmancy OWL. But Wednesday found Harry back in the Great Hall for his Astronomy test. He was very surprised to learn that like all their other tests, that test would be conducted in the early afternoon. After lunch, the fifth years once again remained in the Great Hall as everyone else exited. Telescopes were brought out and they were told to begin. Apparently (hopefully) the ceiling had been charmed to reflect the actual night sky.
With only one more OWL between him and academic freedom, Harry had a hard time buckling down. He really wanted to take his broom for another spin but he knew Hermione wouldn't hear of it. Besides, taking into account they time they would likely spend arguing about it, Harry probably wouldn't be left with all that much time to fly when it all was said and done. Sighing deeply after realizing he had lost a fictitious argument in his head, Harry trudged slowly to the library to cram more stuff into his dangerously overfilled head.
When he heard the words, "Well done Mister Potter. That is all," the next day, Harry barely contained himself from leaping into the air. He was done. No more tests like these for another two years. (Part of his brain added, "if you live that long" but he quickly closed that part down.)
"Harry, Mate, we're done. We're done. Can you believe it? We're done with exams for two whole years!" Ron was grinning from ear to ear.
Hermione though wasn't nearly as happy as her two compatriots. Ron also picked up on this asking, "'Mione, what's wrong? This is the best day of the year."
She looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, you have to admit that we learned a lot this year. I mean, the tests were kind of, well you know, fun."
"FUN??? Are you mental? What is wrong with you? Only you would consider two weeks of academic hell as fun."
Hermione had the good grace to blush as they made their way up to Gryffindor Tower (with a quick side trip to the kitchen).
Harry didn't want to attend the leaving feast this year. Now that the distraction that the OWLs had provided was over, Harry's thoughts returned to the events with Voldemort. Every single time he looked at Ron or Hermione he debated whether or not to tell them about the prophecy --- every single time. Entering the Great Hall confirmed what the students' already knew, that Gryffindor had won the cup for the fifth straight year. (They didn't know they had won last year until the start of this year when Professor McGonagall challenged the fifth years to make it seven straight titles.) The Great Hall was beautifully decked out in red and gold colors.
The House Elves had outdone themselves. The feast was brilliant from start to finish. Not trusting himself or his godfather to have outstanding, or even tolerable, cooking abilities Harry was determined to eat his fill (although he noticed that he still wasn't keeping up with Ron). He noticed that Remus and Sirius, who were both sitting at the Head Table, both seemed to have reached a similar conclusion.
Harry was extremely thankful that, for once, they seemed to have a normal leaving feast. Dumbledore was giving the traditional leaving speech. So far, mercifully, he hadn't mention Harry or even Voldemort very much except that he was currently telling everyone that Argus Filch had been a Death Eater.
"I KNEW IT," George (or Fred) shouted, "He had to be. He was one sadistic son of a --- "
"Thank you, Mr Weasley," the Headmaster interrupted, "For your colorful insight into my teaching staff." The familiar twinkle in the eyes and his generous smile took any sting that there might have been out of that statement.
George, or Fred, called out a gracious, "You're welcome Headmaster," earning himself a slight chuckle from the crowd of students as well as many glares from the staff table.
Dumbledore concluded his speech fairly quickly after that. He reminded the students (and staff) to be ever vigilant and to continue to choose what was right over what was easy. He bid good-bye to the seventh years and told everyone that they would be welcome back at Hogwarts. He also suggested that if any of them were interested in teaching DADA that they should see him immediately after the feast.
They went back to Gryffindor Tower with the intention of packing and getting some sleep before catching the train tomorrow morning. Instead, the entire House had a massive party. The entire House had a part in the party.
The seventh-year boys dorm had been arranged into a miniature Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes shop. One of the beds had been transfigured into a counter complete with order forms and register. Most of the rest of the room had been set aside for demonstrations (beginning on the hour and every hour after that).
The fourth, fifth and sixth-year boys dorms had been cleared to make room for dancing (each with a different type of music playing).
The third-years dorms had been set up as a place to trade Chocolate Frog cards. Notices were posted all over the walls and the door.
The first-year dorm had been cleared and turned into a Nerf basketball court (for those with excess pent up energy).
The first and second-year dorms had been dedicated to more traditional indoor games. There were set-ups for Exploding Snap, Wizarding Chess and even Muggle games like Battleship and checkers.
The seventh-year girls dorm had been converted into a makeover studio. Not only were makeovers available in this dorm but also there was quite the selection of dress robes as well as accessories made available for all the witches to try on.
The fifth and sixth-year girls dorm had been for privacy. Couples that wanted a little time before being separated for the summer could go in search of a bed that didn't have the curtains drawn and draw them.
The fourth-year girls dorm had been set aside as a voting booth. The Gryffindor girls were voting on the "Hogwarts Hunk" of each year. (Each girl could vote up to seven times, one vote per year group.) The winner would be, and had always been, notified in the summer by an anonymous owl. (Harry and Ron had never even heard of this award. None of Ron's brothers had either except for Bill, who had received an anonymous owl after his last two years at Hogwarts.)
The third-year girls dorm had been dedicated as the traditional book swap site. This was where Gryffindor students could go to try to get the next years books (used of course) at a discounted price. There was some risk involved but since the textbooks hadn't been changed in decades, most students were willing to accept the risk.
The second-year girls dorm had been set up in a similar fashion except with respect to robes. Witches and wizards who had hopelessly outgrown their wizarding ensemble could come here to try to sell, at a discounted rate, robes to a younger student who could still garner a lot of use out of them. Harry had thought both of these two last rooms a great idea and when he finally managed to dodge Ron for a spell, he donated all of his old books and some of his robes to the rooms. After all, he had the money to buy new stuff over the summer and he thought that helping a fellow Gryffindor was a very worthwhile goal.
The first-year girls dorm had also (like their male counterparts) been cleared for games. They were currently engaged in a vicious game of truth or dare. Harry and Ron left this room after only hearing one question ("Amanda, you chose truth. What's the farthest you've ever gone with a guy?)
Finally, the Common Room was the place to go for snacks and drinks as well as just the common gathering place. Dobby had done an excellent job keeping the refreshments fully stocked throughout the night. Harry wouldn't have even noticed his presence if Dobby hadn't snuck in a hug around midnight.
The party was, hands down, the best Harry had ever seen. Very few witches or wizards hadn't visited all fifteen locations by sun up. He and Ron had visited all fifteen rooms (although they didn't stay long in the make over dorm) and had thoroughly enjoyed each one. Fred and George had even slipped Harry at least one of everything of their stock. Harry had tried to insist that it was too much but the twins convinced him that there was no better Beta-tester than a Marauder. They insisted that he try everything on Sirius. They called it "product testing" and an "integral responsibility for the silent partner". Harry really doubted if he'd be able to try half of the stuff on Sirius (it almost made him wish he was going to see Dudley this summer) but he took all of it anyway. He could always store it for when they came to visit.
For the first time since he came to Hogwarts almost five years ago Harry was excited to be leaving the school. And as much fun as he was having with the rest of his Gryffindors (some of whom he might never see again) staying up all night did nothing to make the time pass any quicker.
The party had finally broken up around eight in the morning so everyone could pack. (A few of the first and second years had to be woken up but not too many). He didn't know what it would be like living with Sirius, but he did know that he was anxious to give it a shot. When it was time to finally leave the castle, Harry made his way along with his friends to the Hogwarts Express.
As usual, he shared a compartment with Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Fred and George. Fred and George seemed ecstatic to be leaving Hogwarts once and for all.
Hermione asked, "Won't you two miss Hogwarts?"
"Nah," George answered. "It's time to move on to other things. We've been waiting for a while to open up our joke shop. We've experimented enough at Hogwarts. It's a shame though."
Ron looked bewildered. "A shame? What's a shame?"
Fred answered the question. "If we'd only known that Filch was a filthy Death Eater, we'd have been sure to make his life a nightmare. Think about the possibilities. Think about all that could have been."
George looked extremely guilty as he picked up the narrative. "We went out of our way to ensure that we didn't do any real damage to him. What a waste of effort."
The rest of the time on the Hogwarts Express was spent with them playing Exploding Snap and generally talking about what slime Filch was. Hermione kept trying to relive their OWLs but everyone else ignored her. For the first time ever, Harry wasn't dreading the end of the trip and it was wonderful.
When the train finally slowed to a stop, Harry quickly got his trunk and Hedwig's cage and made his way out to the main part of the train station. He didn't have to wait around long before noticing Sirius waiting for him. Sirius and Remus were both standing next to the Weasleys who were obviously waiting to take their group home for the holidays.
Harry wasn't embarrassed at all when Sirius, Remus, Mr and Mrs Weasley took turns wrapping him in a great big bear hug. Sirius assured Harry that he would see the Weasleys and Hermione too if her parents would allow this summer. Happily, Sirius grabbed Harry's trunk and led him to the place where they would spend most of the summer.
Despite everything he had recently learned, Harry couldn't remember ever being happier in his fifteen years.
A/N – The ideas about the Prophecy came from JKR's book 5 to help my story stay truer to the canon. Again, I hope you enjoyed my version of book 5 but remember that all of this is themed off the works of JK Rowling and that I will make no money off of this story.
A/N – It's been a long road – thanks for all the support.
Chapter 61
Cunning Conclusion
The next two weeks passed in a blur. He attended every review session except for History of Magic (which he figured he wouldn't learn anything anyway). Choosing instead to dedicate those class periods to a higher purpose, he used that time to catch up on his flying. He was never able to enjoy it as much as he had hoped though; he always heard Hermione's voice in his head urging him to revise instead.
He and Ron had absolutely no say in their schedule for either of the next two weekends. Hermione gave them no choice but to study with her. They spent the morning reading and doing individual study in the library (sitting at the same table though so Hermione could lecture them if they didn't appear to be revising hard enough.) In the afternoons they would go outside by the lake and quiz each other as well as work on the practical portions of their exams.
Typically, Ron and Hermione would blow up at each other only once a day – sometime during the practical portion of the study period they would inevitably start hexing each other. Harry smiled to himself when he remembered the outcome of one of their hexing sessions last Sunday. He could still picture Hermione with a closed zipper where her mouth used to be glaring daggers at Ron. Ron hadn't been any better off though. It had taken him, Harry, fifteen minutes to detach Ron's nose from the grindstone Hermione had conjured up.
Harry found that he didn't mind studying for the OWLs. It was the perfect excuse not to have to think about everything that he learned such a short time ago.
The shout of "I AM SO TRYING" snapped Harry's attention back to the present. Harry looked up at an exasperated Hermione and an extremely frustrated Ron. Both of whom were clenching their wands tightly and staring at the other. In the interest of time, Harry decided to stop the upcoming hexing war before it even started.
"I'm hungry. Let's go to the kitchens and get a snack."
Ron quickly fell into step beside him but Hermione started to protest. Harry cut her off before she could utter a single syllable. "We could ALL use a break." She glared at him but didn't say anything else as they made their way back to the school.
Finally it was time to try to go to sleep.
Harry had never had trouble sleeping before a big test before so he didn't think he'd have a problem tonight. After all, tomorrow was only the first day of what was going to be two weeks of wizarding nightmares. Glancing around the room though he noticed that he might be the only one getting any sleep tonight. Ron's bed was covered with open notebooks and text books. He was sitting amongst them shaking his head and muttering thinks like, "Mum will kill me."
Neville was trembling so much that his teeth were actually chattering. It reminded Harry of something he had once seen in a Muggle dentist's office.
Seamus and Dean were arguing about whose family would take the news worse if either of them failed to get any OWLs.
Seamus was arguing, "But your family are Muggles. They don't know about OWLs."
Dean countered, "That's right, they are Muggles. I don't even get to show them any magic because we aren't allowed to do it away from Hogwarts. The only thing they can base how I've been doing for the last five years is with these tests."
Seamus cut him off there but Harry was no longer listening. He closed the curtains around his four poster bed. He smiled as he drifted off to sleep thinking about how nice it was to be worrying about "normal" things for a change.
The din of four wizards trying to study and dress at the same time woke Harry. Neville reminded Harry of the Little Engine That Could because he was in the corner mumbling over and over to himself, "I think I can. I think I can."
Harry collected Ron from the room, and then Hermione from the Common Room, and led the trek to the Great Hall. More than once he had to physically drag Hermione out of the way of impending traffic because she refused to look up from her notes while they walked. Ron wasn't any help. He had the distinct look of someone heading for their last meal.
Harry was one of the few fifth years not trying to cram in last minute knowledge during this meal. There just wasn't anything about Defense Against the Dark Arts that he could learn this morning that he hadn't already learned. If he was ready for any test, it was this one. All in all, he reckoned, there were much worse ways that he could be starting his OWLs – such as Potions.
After the meal, just as they had way back at the beginning of the school year to be let in on the secret of their new classes, the fifth years stayed in the Great Hall as the rest of the students made their way to their classes. The fifth years all looked nervous and anxious, even more so than the seventh years who were making their way to start their NEWTs.
The fifth years were asked to take their stuff and gather in the Entrance Hall. When the last fifth year (Dean Thomas) left the Great Hall the doors loudly shut behind him. Professor McGonagall was waiting for them. She addressed them just like she had almost five years ago. Harry had little to no idea what she was talking about. (He did hear little snippets such as "anti-cheating charms" and "better not even think about it".) Instead he was looking at his classmates and reflecting about how much had changed since that first day when Hagrid had brought them across the lake. Now here he was, getting ready to take his OWLs and end his fifth year. This summer he thought he might have a chance to finally enjoy himself. He was going to get to live with Sirius. He could feel warmth and joy spreading throughout his body like someone had just thrown a cozy blanket over him. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face if he had tried, which proved to be a problem.
"POTTER"
He brought his attention back and noticed that everyone, including the Head of his House, was staring at him.
"Yes?" He asked. Unfortunately he didn't realize that his question could also be taken as a response to the question that Professor McGonagall had just asked of him.
"YES? YES? You do intend to try to cheat? Potter, I don't know --- "
He was horrified. "I mean no!"
Hermione was shaking her head. Crabbe and Goyle were snickering.
She gazed at him piercingly before finally letting him off the hook. "I hope you intend to pay more attention to your OWLs than you were obviously paying to me."
As Harry murmured his apology, the doors to the Great Hall opened. The students began walking back in there. Witches and wizards Harry had never seen were waiting inside the Hall for them. They were directing the students to the appropriate desks. (They were being seated alphabetically.) The initial administrative stuff such as handing out parchment and quills took only a few minutes and finally the fifth years were allowed to embark on their OWLs.
Harry looked down to the first few questions on the test and almost laughed in relief. He saw questions such as: Who is the only known survivor of the Killing Curse? What Potion is currently used to help nullify the effects of a full moon on a werewolf? Since it is impossible to Apparate or Disapparate into Hogwarts, what other methods could be used to forcibly remove someone from the grounds against their will?
Harry probably finished the test before anyone else but he didn't turn it in. He spent the remaining time adding to and reviewing his answers, determined to get an Outstanding in this subject. Finally they were told to put their quills down and the parchments were collected. The students were then given slips of parchment with a time on them. They were told to be on the Quiddich Pitch at those times for the practical portion.
It was the middle of the afternoon when Harry made his way to the Quiddich Pitch. He approached the wizard who was directing students to different areas of the field.
"Parchment Please"
He gave it over to the kindly wizard and was directed to the far section of the Pitch were Draco Malfoy seemed to be just finishing up. As Draco passed Harry en route he said quietly, "Good luck Potter." Yet one more think to reflect on. Who ever would have thought to see the day that Draco Malfoy wished Harry Potter good luck on anything?
The practical couldn't have gone better. The witch bade Harry to demonstrate some basic spells. After showing competency with the basics she told him to free spell, explaining that he could take the next several minutes and demonstrate whatever spells he thought were important to DADA after being told that his grade would reflect both upon the difficulty of the spells he chose as well as his ability to be able to cast them.
He wished he had prepared for something like this but quickly decided to use the spells he had learned for the Third Task last year. The witch was the perfect audience. She would ooh and ahh occasionally and the smile never left her face. Harry ended his DADA OWL with his Patronus. The witch clapped and told him he was released for the day.
The Gryffindor Common Room was packed with loud fifth years comparing notes about the test. Everyone was having fun reliving their afternoon practicals until Hermione reminded them that they should be studying to the next exam (History of Magic) instead of spending time on something that couldn't be changed.
"She can really take the fun out of anything," Ron said quietly. Although not quietly enough because Hermione elbowed him in the ribs on her way up to her room.
Tuesday morning was History of Magic. Harry wasn't as confident on this test but decided that all in all it could have been much worse. Since there was no practical, they had all afternoon to study for Wednesday's test. As if Harry needed a reminded, Neville's constant whimpering reminded everyone that Potions was next.
Potions didn't go as bad as he had expected. He thought he had done reasonable well on the written portion. And as for the practical, he discovered he did a lot better when Snape wasn't in the room. Crabbe and Goyle both had their potions explode in their faces so Harry knew he did better than them.
Thursday's Charms tests also went reasonably well. During the practical the wizard had told Harry that he had heard that he could summon objects from great distances and asked him to demonstrate. Apparently, the wizard had left a single bottle of butterbeer on a tree stump by the lake outside just in case he was the one who gave Harry his practical. As he'd known he could, he summoned it without a problem and was rewarded by having his lesson cut short and by being given the bottle.
The Divination test on Friday was all but a waste of time and Harry and Ron preferred to think of it more as a three day weekend than anything else. The way that the test was conducted led Harry to believe that he wasn't the only one who considered the whole thing bunk. He was given a crystal ball, tea leaves, and some dried bones when he entered the room. He was asked an extensive series of yes or no questions and was allowed to use any, all, or none of the tools to help him answer the questions correctly. He was asked enough gimme questions (like will the world end in the next five minutes? And is a charging hippogriff currently waiting outside the door?) that Harry suspected no one had ever failed the Divination test.
The weekend passed by so quickly that Harry found himself wondering if somehow they hadn't skipped a day and gone straight from Saturday to Monday. Before he knew it, he was back in the Great Hall being handed a quill and parchment getting ready to start on his next exam (Care of Magical Creatures.)
He and Ron had Tuesday off while Hermione took her Arithmancy OWL. But Wednesday found Harry back in the Great Hall for his Astronomy test. He was very surprised to learn that like all their other tests, that test would be conducted in the early afternoon. After lunch, the fifth years once again remained in the Great Hall as everyone else exited. Telescopes were brought out and they were told to begin. Apparently (hopefully) the ceiling had been charmed to reflect the actual night sky.
With only one more OWL between him and academic freedom, Harry had a hard time buckling down. He really wanted to take his broom for another spin but he knew Hermione wouldn't hear of it. Besides, taking into account they time they would likely spend arguing about it, Harry probably wouldn't be left with all that much time to fly when it all was said and done. Sighing deeply after realizing he had lost a fictitious argument in his head, Harry trudged slowly to the library to cram more stuff into his dangerously overfilled head.
When he heard the words, "Well done Mister Potter. That is all," the next day, Harry barely contained himself from leaping into the air. He was done. No more tests like these for another two years. (Part of his brain added, "if you live that long" but he quickly closed that part down.)
"Harry, Mate, we're done. We're done. Can you believe it? We're done with exams for two whole years!" Ron was grinning from ear to ear.
Hermione though wasn't nearly as happy as her two compatriots. Ron also picked up on this asking, "'Mione, what's wrong? This is the best day of the year."
She looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, you have to admit that we learned a lot this year. I mean, the tests were kind of, well you know, fun."
"FUN??? Are you mental? What is wrong with you? Only you would consider two weeks of academic hell as fun."
Hermione had the good grace to blush as they made their way up to Gryffindor Tower (with a quick side trip to the kitchen).
Harry didn't want to attend the leaving feast this year. Now that the distraction that the OWLs had provided was over, Harry's thoughts returned to the events with Voldemort. Every single time he looked at Ron or Hermione he debated whether or not to tell them about the prophecy --- every single time. Entering the Great Hall confirmed what the students' already knew, that Gryffindor had won the cup for the fifth straight year. (They didn't know they had won last year until the start of this year when Professor McGonagall challenged the fifth years to make it seven straight titles.) The Great Hall was beautifully decked out in red and gold colors.
The House Elves had outdone themselves. The feast was brilliant from start to finish. Not trusting himself or his godfather to have outstanding, or even tolerable, cooking abilities Harry was determined to eat his fill (although he noticed that he still wasn't keeping up with Ron). He noticed that Remus and Sirius, who were both sitting at the Head Table, both seemed to have reached a similar conclusion.
Harry was extremely thankful that, for once, they seemed to have a normal leaving feast. Dumbledore was giving the traditional leaving speech. So far, mercifully, he hadn't mention Harry or even Voldemort very much except that he was currently telling everyone that Argus Filch had been a Death Eater.
"I KNEW IT," George (or Fred) shouted, "He had to be. He was one sadistic son of a --- "
"Thank you, Mr Weasley," the Headmaster interrupted, "For your colorful insight into my teaching staff." The familiar twinkle in the eyes and his generous smile took any sting that there might have been out of that statement.
George, or Fred, called out a gracious, "You're welcome Headmaster," earning himself a slight chuckle from the crowd of students as well as many glares from the staff table.
Dumbledore concluded his speech fairly quickly after that. He reminded the students (and staff) to be ever vigilant and to continue to choose what was right over what was easy. He bid good-bye to the seventh years and told everyone that they would be welcome back at Hogwarts. He also suggested that if any of them were interested in teaching DADA that they should see him immediately after the feast.
They went back to Gryffindor Tower with the intention of packing and getting some sleep before catching the train tomorrow morning. Instead, the entire House had a massive party. The entire House had a part in the party.
The seventh-year boys dorm had been arranged into a miniature Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes shop. One of the beds had been transfigured into a counter complete with order forms and register. Most of the rest of the room had been set aside for demonstrations (beginning on the hour and every hour after that).
The fourth, fifth and sixth-year boys dorms had been cleared to make room for dancing (each with a different type of music playing).
The third-years dorms had been set up as a place to trade Chocolate Frog cards. Notices were posted all over the walls and the door.
The first-year dorm had been cleared and turned into a Nerf basketball court (for those with excess pent up energy).
The first and second-year dorms had been dedicated to more traditional indoor games. There were set-ups for Exploding Snap, Wizarding Chess and even Muggle games like Battleship and checkers.
The seventh-year girls dorm had been converted into a makeover studio. Not only were makeovers available in this dorm but also there was quite the selection of dress robes as well as accessories made available for all the witches to try on.
The fifth and sixth-year girls dorm had been for privacy. Couples that wanted a little time before being separated for the summer could go in search of a bed that didn't have the curtains drawn and draw them.
The fourth-year girls dorm had been set aside as a voting booth. The Gryffindor girls were voting on the "Hogwarts Hunk" of each year. (Each girl could vote up to seven times, one vote per year group.) The winner would be, and had always been, notified in the summer by an anonymous owl. (Harry and Ron had never even heard of this award. None of Ron's brothers had either except for Bill, who had received an anonymous owl after his last two years at Hogwarts.)
The third-year girls dorm had been dedicated as the traditional book swap site. This was where Gryffindor students could go to try to get the next years books (used of course) at a discounted price. There was some risk involved but since the textbooks hadn't been changed in decades, most students were willing to accept the risk.
The second-year girls dorm had been set up in a similar fashion except with respect to robes. Witches and wizards who had hopelessly outgrown their wizarding ensemble could come here to try to sell, at a discounted rate, robes to a younger student who could still garner a lot of use out of them. Harry had thought both of these two last rooms a great idea and when he finally managed to dodge Ron for a spell, he donated all of his old books and some of his robes to the rooms. After all, he had the money to buy new stuff over the summer and he thought that helping a fellow Gryffindor was a very worthwhile goal.
The first-year girls dorm had also (like their male counterparts) been cleared for games. They were currently engaged in a vicious game of truth or dare. Harry and Ron left this room after only hearing one question ("Amanda, you chose truth. What's the farthest you've ever gone with a guy?)
Finally, the Common Room was the place to go for snacks and drinks as well as just the common gathering place. Dobby had done an excellent job keeping the refreshments fully stocked throughout the night. Harry wouldn't have even noticed his presence if Dobby hadn't snuck in a hug around midnight.
The party was, hands down, the best Harry had ever seen. Very few witches or wizards hadn't visited all fifteen locations by sun up. He and Ron had visited all fifteen rooms (although they didn't stay long in the make over dorm) and had thoroughly enjoyed each one. Fred and George had even slipped Harry at least one of everything of their stock. Harry had tried to insist that it was too much but the twins convinced him that there was no better Beta-tester than a Marauder. They insisted that he try everything on Sirius. They called it "product testing" and an "integral responsibility for the silent partner". Harry really doubted if he'd be able to try half of the stuff on Sirius (it almost made him wish he was going to see Dudley this summer) but he took all of it anyway. He could always store it for when they came to visit.
For the first time since he came to Hogwarts almost five years ago Harry was excited to be leaving the school. And as much fun as he was having with the rest of his Gryffindors (some of whom he might never see again) staying up all night did nothing to make the time pass any quicker.
The party had finally broken up around eight in the morning so everyone could pack. (A few of the first and second years had to be woken up but not too many). He didn't know what it would be like living with Sirius, but he did know that he was anxious to give it a shot. When it was time to finally leave the castle, Harry made his way along with his friends to the Hogwarts Express.
As usual, he shared a compartment with Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Fred and George. Fred and George seemed ecstatic to be leaving Hogwarts once and for all.
Hermione asked, "Won't you two miss Hogwarts?"
"Nah," George answered. "It's time to move on to other things. We've been waiting for a while to open up our joke shop. We've experimented enough at Hogwarts. It's a shame though."
Ron looked bewildered. "A shame? What's a shame?"
Fred answered the question. "If we'd only known that Filch was a filthy Death Eater, we'd have been sure to make his life a nightmare. Think about the possibilities. Think about all that could have been."
George looked extremely guilty as he picked up the narrative. "We went out of our way to ensure that we didn't do any real damage to him. What a waste of effort."
The rest of the time on the Hogwarts Express was spent with them playing Exploding Snap and generally talking about what slime Filch was. Hermione kept trying to relive their OWLs but everyone else ignored her. For the first time ever, Harry wasn't dreading the end of the trip and it was wonderful.
When the train finally slowed to a stop, Harry quickly got his trunk and Hedwig's cage and made his way out to the main part of the train station. He didn't have to wait around long before noticing Sirius waiting for him. Sirius and Remus were both standing next to the Weasleys who were obviously waiting to take their group home for the holidays.
Harry wasn't embarrassed at all when Sirius, Remus, Mr and Mrs Weasley took turns wrapping him in a great big bear hug. Sirius assured Harry that he would see the Weasleys and Hermione too if her parents would allow this summer. Happily, Sirius grabbed Harry's trunk and led him to the place where they would spend most of the summer.
Despite everything he had recently learned, Harry couldn't remember ever being happier in his fifteen years.
A/N – The ideas about the Prophecy came from JKR's book 5 to help my story stay truer to the canon. Again, I hope you enjoyed my version of book 5 but remember that all of this is themed off the works of JK Rowling and that I will make no money off of this story.