The Golden Quartet: Year 3

CHAPTER 10

The euphoria from Gryffindor winning the Quidditch cup had finally began to wear off as June rolled around. Though the weather was beautiful with a warm sun, cool breeze, and inviting, no one could be found outside. Instead, everyone was in the castle cramming every ounce of knowledge they knew about magic into their heads because of the dreaded end-of-the-year exams was upon them.

Even Fred, George, and Lee – much to Athena’s surprise – had started studying.

Also since the Quidditch game, much to Ron and Hermione’s pleasure, Astrid and Harry began to act civilized with each other, occasionally speaking directly to one another. But their conversation was always short and purposeful, like ‘Oh, Astrid, have you got any red ink?’, ‘Harry, my quill broke, have you got a spare?’, and ‘Has anyone got a spare bit of parchment?’ ‘Yeah, I do’.

No one dared to bring up Sirius, whether or not Harry spoke to it about Ron in private was his business.

“I don’t understand,” Ron began, looking at Hermione’s test schedule as she vigorously read her Arithmancy book, and then at Astrid who was leaning casually back in her chair, charming paper airplanes to fly around and interrupt other’s studying. “How is it, you, Hermione have several tests scheduled to be taken at the same time and you, Astrid, that I have yet to see you study anything yet I know you’ll manage to pass all your tests!”

Hermione huffed, “Ron, you don’t need to worry about my schedule! I’ve already said this about a dozen time, I’ve got it all sorted with McGonagall! Now, as for Astrid,” Hermione looked at Astrid as she sent an airplane straight at Athena’s eye who slammed her book shut and then stomped up stairs, tired of Astrid’s annoyance. “You really should be studying! Even you don’t know everything!”

Astrid shrugged, “I know enough.”

“Don’t you want to get good grades? Not just adequate ones?” Hermione asked sincerely.

“I am going to get good grades.” Astrid said, rolling her eyes.

“Not if you don’t study!” Hermione scolded, shoving a book into Astrid’s hand.

Astrid let out a low growl and slammed the book on the table, “Look, Hermione, I don’t need to study-“

“Yes you do!”

“No, I don’t!”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“I’m not being ridiculous! But you’re being a-!”

Just then, a loud tapping noise came from the window they were sitting by; it was Hedwig. Harry leaned over and opened the window for him. Hedwig fluttered through it and dropped the note.

Harry picked it up, opened it and read it. “It’s from Hagrid. Buckbeak’s appeal is set on the sixth.”

“That’s the last day of exams.” Hermione said.

“And they’re coming up here to do it. Someone from the Ministry and – no.”

“What? What is it?” Astrid asked.

“They’re bringing an executioner.” Harry put down the letter, looking over his friends’ faces.

“They can’t bring an executioner to the appeal! That sounds like they’ve already decided!” Hermione said, looking startled.

“It’s because they already have. You know what Luscious Malfoy is like. There’s isn’t a thing we could do or say that’ll make the Ministry change their minds, those spineless trolls!” Astrid fumed.

“They can’t!” Ron whined. “I’ve spent ages reading up on stuff for him! They can’t just ignore it all!”

“Well, I’m sure they’ll at least pretend to listen to what you’ve got to say, Ron.” Astrid patted him on the back as he looked defeated.

~~~

Due to the hectic exams and the new strict curfew, the four were unable to see Hagrid, and when Astrid suggested just using the Invisibility Cloak, Harry had to tell her that he dropped it in one of the secret passage ways into Hogsmeade.

Exams started, first with Transfiguration in which McGonagall ordered the students to turn their teapots into tortoises. Hermione kept worrying that her tortoise looked more like a turtle, Ron was hoping McGonagall didn’t noticed the steam that was escaping his tortoise, but Astrid managed the spell quite easily, which annoyed Hermione a bit, seeing as she had yet to see Astrid do any work or studying.

After lunch came their Charms exam where they Professor Flitwick tested them on Cheering Charms, then at midnight they all went up to the Astronomy tower to chart some stars and decipher their meanings. The next day of exams, the four were able to finally talk to Hagrid for a bit in Care of Magical Creatures. Their exam final was the easiest so far, all they had to do was keep a flobberworm alive for an hour, and seeing as flobberworms flourished best when left alone – it was a breeze.

“Beaky’s getting’ a bit depressed,” Hagrid told them. “Bin cooped up too long. But still… we’ll know the day afrer tomorrow- one way or the other…”

In the afternoon, they had their Potions exams. They all had to produce a Confusing Concoction, with Snape constantly walking around, glaring down at them from over their shoulders, putting them all on edge as he scribbled away.

Then they had their History of Magic exam on medieval witch-hunts.

Then the next morning, on Thursday, they started the day off with Herbology and then moved on to a more interesting challenge for Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin.

He had managed to set up a sort of arena outside which all the students would have to try and successfully make it out. They went through a pool filled with grindylows, cross a series of potholes, all filled with Red Caps, trench through a marsh where hinkypunks would try and mislead them and then they’d have to face a final boggart.

Astrid knew that boggarts would be part of the exam, it was quite obvious, so she had actually been thinking of ways to make her particular fear into something funny.

The trunk opened, and out stammered a hallow looking man with shaggy black hair, a sunken face and eyes as dark as coals. A wicked smile stretched his face when his eyes landed on Astrid, “You know, I did do it.” He spoke, taking a slow step towards her with malice in his eyes. “I did turn the Potters over to my master, Lord Voldemort.” He gave a low chuckle. “It was quite the easiest decision I have ever made.”

Astrid took in a deep breath, raised her wand, and exhaled.

“I’d do it again too. If I hadn’t been caught, precious Remus would’ve been my next victim. Then your mother, your sister… you-“

“Reddikulus!” the boggarts shaggy hair began to cover the entire body as he fell on all fours and shape-shifted into a scraggly dog. Astrid beamed and giggled, “Aw, so cute!” she squealed and laughed.

Successfully defeating the boggart, Astrid went on and earned a pat on the back from Remus, “Good work, Astrid.”

For their final exam, Harry, Ron, and Astrid would be in Divinations while Hermione was scheduled to take her Muggle Studies exam.

As they climbed the stairs to head back into the castle, Astrid stopped momentarily and pointed up at the top. Cornelius Fudge was there standing, looking over the ground wearing a pinstriped cloak. He looked down at them and smiled, “Hello there, Harry!” he said. “Have you just done an exam? Nearly finished I suppose?”

“Yes,” Harry said shortly.

Astrid made it a point not to make eye-contact with the Minister and instead hid a bit behind Ron. Harry and her were just starting to get along again, she didn’t want to talk to the Minister about her father.

“Lovely day,” Fudge said, once again looking over the grounds. “Such a pity…” He gave a heavy sigh. “I’m here on unpleasant business, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad hippogriff-“

Astrid stepped forward, “Buckbeak isn’t mad! He had every right to defend himself from Draco Malfoy – if anyone’s mad it’s him!”

Fudge looked shocked and flustered, probably because of Astrid’s words or maybe because it was Astrid who was saying them.

“It is unwise of you to say such things. Mr. Malfoy is a respectable man-“

“Then I think we have two very different definitions of what respectable means, sir.” Astrid stated.

Before Fudge could speak again two wizards came out from the castle doors behind him. One of them looked to be very old, with withering skin and uninterested eyes; the other was tall and lean with a thin black mustache.

“Dear, dear, I am getting too old for this… Two o’clock, isn’t it, Fudge?” the older man said in a feeble voice.

The younger wizard with the black mustache was running his thumb along the blade of a shining axe that was connected to his belt.

Astrid glared at him and whispered, “You’ll find that you won’t be needing that.”

The four of them passed the three wizards and entered the school, “Can you believe that? It’s as if they’ve already decided to execute Buckbeak even though the appeal hasn’t already happened!” Ron said.

Astrid said nothing, fully aware that the appeal would mean nothing; the Ministry already decided a long time ago to put Buckbeak down.

“We should get to Divinations.” Harry said and Astrid gave a nod in agreement.

“Yeah, I’ve got to get to Muggle Studies. I’ll see you all in the common room after exams.” Hermione waved and walked down a hall opposite of them as they headed up the staircases to get to Professor Trelawney’s classroom.

“She’s seeing us all separately,” Neville told them once they reached the outside of her class. He was reading through his copy of 8Unfogging the Future8 and looked worried, “Have any of you ever seen anything in a crystal ball?”

“Nope.” Ron answered and Harry shook his head.

“Just tell her something dark and absurd and I’m sure you’ll pass.” Astrid advised and rolled her eyes.

Slowly the line outside her class dwindled down and Neville came out after his turn. Before they could ask, Neville said, “She says the crystal ball told her that if I tell you, I’ll have a horrible accident!”

“Neville, when don’t you have a horrible accident?” Astrid grumbled and Neville left down the stairs.

“Ronald Weasley,” called a misty voice.

Ron grimaced and climbed up the ladder to her class.

A few minutes later, Ron came back down.

“How’d it go?” Harry asked.

“Rubbish,” answered Ron. “Couldn’t see a thing, so I made some stuff up. Not sure if she was convinced though… I’m heading back to the common room. See you there.”

“Astrid Black,” Trelawney called next.

“I think I’ll just tell her I see you dying a painful death. I think she’ll like that.” Astrid smirked at Harry who just smiled back and shook his head.

Astrid climbed up the ladder and entered the classroom. Incense were burning, candles were lit, and Trelawney was sitting a circular table with a crystal ball in the center. She gestured to the seat opposite of her, “Sit, my dear,” She said gently.

Astrid walked over and plopped down in the seat.

“Now, if you would kindly gaze into the orb and tell me what you see… take your time…”

Astrid let out a heavy sigh and leaned forward to gaze into the crystal ball.

“See any terrible news about your father, dear?” She asked eagerly.

Astrid glared at the ball. “No ma’am. Not yet.”

“Take your time…”

Smoke and fog was all Astrid could see… but then it all started swirling, and Astrid felt as if she herself were spinning. She gripped the table and stared into the ball.

“What do you see, dear?” Trelawney asked, excitedly.

“I… I see…” Astrid saw a very unfamiliar place. It was dark, and cold, and the walls and floor were all made of marble. There was a girl running, it was Astrid herself. “I see me!” Astrid said with wide eyes and Trelawney wrote it quickly down on her notes. “I’m running… but I can’t really see where… I look…. Upset… and angry.” Astrid clenched the tabled harder. “I feel angry… I’ve got my wand out! I’ve yelled something – I’ve cursed someone! I can’t see who… I think… it’s a woman! With long curly, dark hair… I don’t know who she is…” Trelawney looked positively gleeful as she wrote everything down. “I’m not running anymore…” A chill shot up Astrid’s back. “There’s someone else there… someone… dark… and evil…”

“Your father?”

“No… his evil feels familiar-“

“He? Are you sure it isn’t your father, dear?”

“No! It’s-“ Astrid held her tongue and watched the vision unfold. Some, clouded, dark figure stood in front of Astrid, he raised his wand. Astrid felt as if she was going to die, but then she was shoved out of the way. The spell he casted hit Astrid’s savior instead and they fell…. Dead.

“Dear? What do you see-?”

“I don’t feel well. I don’t care if you fail me!” Astrid shouted angrily as she shot up from her seat. She grabbed her things and quickly left the classroom.

“Astrid? What’s wrong-?”

“I’m fine!” Astrid yelled at Harry and quickly ran down the stairs to get to the common room.

~~~

“Astrid, you look upset!” Hermione said as Astrid went to sit with her and Ron at a table in the corner of the common room.

“Trelawney didn’t buy your bogus story, either, then?” Ron asked.

She looked at their faces, Ron looked a bit indifferent while Hermione looked genuinely concerned, but Astrid chose not to worry them about that strange vision she had. “Yeah, she wasn’t happy at all. I told her I saw her getting fired in a couple of years by a pink colored toad. She wasn’t very pleased.” Astrid smirked and Ron laughed.

The look of worry on Hermione’s face was replaced by a scolding one, “I don’t like her very much either, but you shouldn’t have risked your grade for that.” Astrid shrugged.

Astrid looked down at a note in Hermione’s hand, “What’s that?”

“Oh,” Hermione’s scolding look disappeared and was replaced with a saddened one, “here.”

Astrid took the note and read it over,

Lost appeal. They’re going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don’t come down. I don’t want you to see.
Hagrid

“Right, well, when Harry gets back, we’re obviously going down.” Astrid stated and Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement.

~~~

A few minutes later and Harry rushed into the common room and over to them, “Professor Trelawney just told me-“

“Harry, look, read this.” Astrid cut him off and handed him the letter from Hagrid.

“We’ve got to go down! We’re not going to let him wait all by himself!” Harry exclaimed after he read the note.

“Our thoughts exactly.” Astrid said. “But we’re not allowed out after dark ‘cause of… you know…”

“And the Invisibility cloak is in that secret passageway and if Snape catches me anywhere near there again I’m in serious trouble.” Harry said.

“I’ll get it.” Hermione got up. “How do you get in?”

“You – you tap it and say ‘Dissendium’” Harry answered and Hermione rushed off.

“Well, I don’t know what’s gotten into her, but I like it! I think we’re finally rubbing off on her!” Astrid said happily.

A little while later Hermione rushed back in and pulled the cloak out from under her robe, looking quite proud of herself. “Alright, let’s go.”