Dawn Rivera

Professor Trelawney's Prediction

Our euphoria at finally winning the Cup lasts at least a week. Even the weather seems to be celebrating; as June approaches, the days become cloudless and sultry, and all anybody feels like doing is strolling into 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 we can't. The exams are nearly upon us, and instead of lazing around outside, us students are forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully our brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drift in through the windows. Even Fred and George have been spotted working; they are about to sit their O.W.Ls. Percy is getting ready to sit his N.E.W.Ts, the highest qualification Hogwarts offers. As Percy hopes to enter the Ministry of Magic, he needs top grades. He is becoming increasingly edgy, and gives very severe punishments to anybody who disturbs the quiet of the common room in the evenings. In fact, the only people who are more anxious than Percy are Hermione and me.

Danny's broken up with Alicia, apologising for making her think he likes her. Alicia is upset, but accepts it straight away, saying that Danny's too young for her, anyway.

Harry, Danny and Ron have given up asking us how we are managing to attend several classes at once, but they can't seem to restrain themselves when they see the exam timetable we have drawn up for ourselves. The first column reads:

MONDAY
9 o'clock, Arithmancy
9 o'clock, Transfiguration
Lunch
1 o'clock, Charms
1 o'clock, Ancient Runes

"Hermione? Dawn?" Ron says cautiously, probably because we are liable to explode when interrupted these days. He takes my hand as a precaution. "Er - are you sure you've copied down these times right?"

"What?" I snap, me and Hermione picking up the exam timetables and examining them. "Yes, of we have!"

"Is there any point in asking how you're going to sit two exams at once?" says Harry.

"No," says Hermione shortly. "Have any of you seen our copies of Numerology and Grammatica?"

"Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading," says Ron, but very quietly. He laces his fingers with mine cautiously and hesitantly. I hardly notice. Hermione and I start shifting heaps of parchment around our table, looking for the books. Just then, there is a rustle at the window and Hedwig and Midnight flutter through it, a note clutched tightly in each of their breaks.

"They're from Hagrid," says Danny, he and Harry ripping the notes open. "Buckbeak's appeal - it's set for the sixth."

"That's the day we finish our exams," I say, me and Hermione still looking everywhere for the Arithmancy books.

"And they're coming here to do it," says Harry, he and Danny still reading from the letters. "Someone from the Ministry of Magic and - and an executioner."

Hermione and I look up, startled.

"They're bringing the executioner to the appeal! But that sounds as though they've already decided!" Hermione says.

"Yeah, it does," says Danny slowly.

"They can't!" Ron howls. Seeing as I haven't pulled away from his grip, he tries his luck by putting his arm around me. "I've spent ages reading up stuff for him, they can't just ignore it all!"

But I have a horrible feeling that the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures have had its mind made up for it by Mr Malfoy. Draco, who has been noticeably subdued since Gryffindor's triumph in the Quidditch final, seems to regain some of his old swagger over the next few days. From sneering comments I overhear, Malfoy is certain Buckbeak is going to be killed, and seems thoroughly pleased with himself for bringing it about. It is all I can do to stop beating him up again and hitting him in the face on these occasions. And the worst thing of all is that we have no time or opportunity to go and see Hagrid, because the strict new security measures have not been lifted, and we don't dare retrieve Harry's Invisibility Cloak from below the one-eyed witch.