𝐎, 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃 ⎥ "He wants a fight with
a God? I'll give him one."
﹙ from stardust we came, to stardust we return ﹚
Prisoner of Azkaban - Deathly Hollows
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ELARA'S EXAMS FOR THE WEEK HAD GONE TREMENDOUSLY WELL. she was in high spirits as may began to blend into june. the second to last exam, on thursday morning, was defense against the dark arts. professor lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of red caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with anew boggart.
"excellent, elara," lupin muttered as she climbed out of the trunk, grinning. "full marks."
harry and elara hung around to watch ron and hermione. ron did very well until he reached the hinkypunk, which successfully confused him into sinking waist-high into the quagmire. hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the boggart init. after about a minute inside it, she burst out again, screaming.
"hermione!" said lupin, startled. "what's the matter?"
"p-p-professor mcgonagall!" hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. "sh-she said i'd failed everything!"
it took a little while to calm hermione down. when at last she had regained a grip on herself,the four went back to the castle. ron was still slightly inclined to laugh at hermione's boggart, but an argument was averted by the sight that met them on the top of the steps.
cornelius fudge, sweating slightly in his pinstriped cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds. he started at the sight of harry.
"hello there, harry!" he said. "just had an exam, i expect? nearly finished?"
"yes," said harry. elara, hermione and ron, not being on speaking terms with the minister of magic,hovered awkwardly in the background.
"lovely day," said fudge, casting an eye over the lake. "pity... pity..."
he sighed deeply and looked down at harry.
"i'm here on an unpleasant mission, harry. the committee for the disposal of dangerous creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad hippogriff. as i needed to visit hogwarts to check on the black situation, i was asked to step in."
"does that mean the appeal's already happened?" elara interrupted, stepping forward.
"elara lestrange! it's been twelve years! you know, i was part of the wizengamot that ruled your aunt andromeda as your primary guardian. but no, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon." fudge said, looking curiously at elara.
