The Time-Meddlers [Harmione]

17. The End of First Year

"That was far easier than I thought it would be," said Hermione as she walked outside with Harry and Neville. They had just completed their last exam - History of Magic - and Hermione was trying to act the way she'd done the first time around. Both Harry and Hermione were wearing backpacks.

"Yeah, they weren't so bad," agreed Harry. In actuality, he'd done a lot better this time around than the first time he took those tests.

"I suppose not," said Neville, who'd studied with them a lot, "but both my head and my right hand hurt."

Harry grinned. "I'll agree that my hand hurts, too. There were far too many essay questions on that test." He shook his hand to emphasize his point. After exchanging a quick glance with his girlfriend, Harry suggested, "Why don't we go visit Hagrid?"

As the three of them walked to the half-giant's hut, both the time-meddlers glanced at the roosters that Hagrid was keeping in the pen outside his home. They found Hagrid sitting in an armchair outside his house. His trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.

"Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"

"Yes, please," said Harry, and the three of them walked into his hut and he prepared some tea.

They stayed inside for about an hour chatting. Yet again, Hermione managed a discreet inquiry into the status of the unicorns, confirming once more that nothing had been attacking them. Harry and Hermione glanced once more at the roosters on their way back. Once they got back to the castle, Harry and Hermione allowed Neville to get ahead of them and quickly ducked into a classroom as they were passing it and used their Time-Turner.

They quickly pulled their Invisibility cloaks out of their backpacks and made their way toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. As they walked in, Harry heard other steps behind him, but couldn't see anybody. Unfortunately for them, the unpleasant ghost was in there.

"Who's there?" she demanded. "Someone opened the door and I can hear your footsteps."

"We're just passing through, Myrtle," said Hermione as she pulled off her cloak.

"Passing through to where? This is a bathroom, not a hallway."

Harry took off his cloak and replied, "We're following the passage used by the yellow-eyed monster that killed you."

"Boys aren't allowed in here, Myrtle said before a shocked look appeared on her face. "How did you know...Why are you going there?"

"To kill the beast, of course," replied Hermione.

Harry then pulled a glass orb out of his backpack, held it next to the sink, and activated it. The image of a miniature twelve-year-old Harry Potter projected above it and hissed. Although Harry knew he had said, 'Open up,' neither he nor his companions could understand the Parseltongue. It simply sounded like normal, rather creepy hissing to them. He used his wand to pause the recording. There were two more Parsel-sentences stored on it.

Both sighed in relief when the sink responded to the memory of Parseltongue and started moving. Myrtle watched in morbid fascination. "See you later, Myrtle," Harry said before jumping down the hole that was now open. Hermione quickly followed.

Harry landed on the familiar pile of rat skeletons, followed moments later by Hermione, who slid right into him, knocking him face first into the floor.

"Sorry," she said, before looking at herself. "This is disgusting! You didn't mention how slimy that slide was!"

Before Harry could reply, an invisible man landed beside them and re-illusioned himself, revealing that it was Sirius Black holding a cage with a rooster in it. The bird appeared to be squawking, but had been silenced.