Haunted by her second year and now with a murderer on the loose, Gwenevere Everill finds herself facing more battles that she does not think she can win.
Tormented by dementors and struggling under the impact of her new studies, will Gwen be able t...
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Gwen's euphoria at finally winning the Quidditch Cup lasted at least a week. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating; as June approached, the days became cloudless and warm and all anybody felt like doing was 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 they couldn't. The exams were nearly upon them, and instead of lazing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. Even Fred and George had been spotted working; they were about to take their OWLs - Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Percy was getting ready to sit his NEWTs - Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests - the highest qualification that Hogwarts offered. As Percy hoped to enter the Ministry of Magic, he needed top grades. He was becoming increasingly edgy, and gave very severe punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the common room.
In fact, the only person who seemed more anxious than Percy was Hermione.
Gwen, Harry and Ron had given up asking her how she was managing to attend several classes at once, but they couldn't restrain themselves when they saw the exam timetable she had drawn up for herself. The first column read:
'Hermione?' said Ron cautiously, because she was liable to explode when interrupted these days. 'Er-- are you sure you've copied down these times right?'
'What?' snapped Hermione, picking up the exam timetable and examining it. 'Yes, of course I have.'
'Is there any point asking how you're going to sit two exams at once?' said Harry.
'No,' said Hermione shortly. Gwen shared a helpless look with Harry and Ron. 'Has anyone seen my copy of Numerology and Grammatica?' Hermione went on, missing the exchange.
'Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading,' said Ron, but very quietly. Hermione started shifting heaps of parchment around on her table, looking for the book. Just then, there was a rustle at the window and Orion fluttered through it, a note clutched tightly in his beak.
'It's from Hagid,' Gwen said, ripping the note open. 'Buckbeak's appeal... it's set for the sixth.'
'That's the day we finish our exams,' Hermione said, still searching for her Arithmancy book.
'And they're coming up here to do it,' Gwen went on, reading from the letter. 'Someone from the Ministry of Magic... and an executioner.'
Hermione looked up, startled. 'They're bringing an executioner to the appeal! But that sounds as though they'd already decided!'
