The last month of school roled around as if it were the next day. Gryffindors had won the Quidditch cup with a death match against Slytherin, 210 to 200. There were many times when Harry was positive that he was going to leave Hogwarts with only a mere bit of parchment saying that he may take the necessary classes to become an auror or just say he is only good enough to be a janitor in Diagon Ally. The last few weeks had been hectic, and it wasn’t over he still had one more NEWT test to take that would decide his fate. In the evenings all the 7th years could be found at the Library staying there until Madam Pince threw them out. Then they would retreat to the common room and stay there until not even a crate of Butterbeer could keep them up. When this time would come then they retreat up to their beds. Some would be found sleeping on the couches or at the tables still with a quill in their hands. Some of these people were of course none other then Hermione herself.
“ Hermione….. Hermione…classes start in fifteen minutes.” Ron said shaking her. Harry was gathering as many of her papers that he was able to tell was hers.
“ Wha…. Oh geez. Where are we going?” she said rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
“ Care of Magical creatures, where are your Potions notes?” Harry said rummaging through he stacks of paper. His hair had obliviously felt his stress as it unnaturally stood on end many times. He even sometimes thought of using Slekeazy Hair Potion just to get it back to normal.
“I don’t know it was right here.” She said frantically looking through all the pieces of parchment.
“Here is some toast. You can eat it on the way down to first floor. Classes are inside it is raining to hard.” Ron said pulling out a rapped up napkin with toast crumbs spilling out of the corners.
“ Ah ha found then now lets go.” Harry said stuffing them into her bad with her wand and books.
They hurriedly ran down the stairs to the first floor corridor. A group of Slytherin’s and Gryffindor’s were huddled a round a class room that had served as the Divination room during the end of their fifth year. Many of the students had papers out and were hurrying through a last bit of studying. Just then the door opened and Hagrid let them in.
“Take a seat in one of the desks. Please don’t flip the papers over. If you do you receive detention and be sent to the head master. Now everyone settled, aye, ‘K. Now today the head master granted me permission to do the test in here considering all the rain and all. Okay now I would like everyone to take a piece of parchment out and a quill. In the first half we are going to take a pop qiz that will help you study for the this much of your NEWTs and then we will learn about a new animal.” He said trying to keep his head from bumping the sealing or breaking the chair he was sitting in. Okay does every one have your things out. No notes may be used and if there is any cheating you will uhh … be umm.. punished.. ‘K , umm.. ready … set.. go.” He said a little shakily
The class quickly went through the test in a matter of forty-five minutes. Hagrid gathered the papers, and put them on the desk. On the desk was a square object being covered by a sheet.. “Okay now class, this is a baby sphinx. Can any one tell me about them……. Any one… uh Hermione how about you?”
“What umm what was the question.” She said waking up off her desk. Harry and Ron looked at each other and gawked at how she wasn’t paying attention to a class. It wasn’t the first but it certainly was a shock.
“What is a Sphinx.?” He said sounding a little nervous. As confident as he was until then, he had secretly had always depended on Hermione to help him out in class. Now she wasn’t paying attention so he was beginning to lose confidence.
“oh I’m sure I just read some where,” she said hurriedly searching through her book trying to find the chapter that she read about Sphinx’s on.
“Umm Professor, they are a part human part lion that tell riddles in order to get the information out of them.” Said Pansy Parkinson. When she finished she glanced back at Hermione. Hermione couldn’t believe what she had just heard. She wasn’t the person who answered theteachers questions.
“ Right you are,” he too glanced at Hermione. Now as you can see she is only a baby, doesn’t even have all the hair on her tail yet. She has a bite but it is like being bit by a cat . They can draw blood but not really bad. As the older they get, the more they can cause a huge injury.” He continues on and the class took notes down. Hermione took notes but not as heartily as she normally would. The bell rang and classes were let out. They went on down to Potions.
“Hey Granger, good luck in Potions you don’t want to fail his class. You’ll be pushing a broom in the Leaky Cauldron!.’ Yelled Pansy then laughing with Draco and his cronies.
“leave her alone, besides stop telling other people your fate.” Said Ron. They walked a little farther down. Tears were starting to fall down the front of her robes “Hey, don’t worry about them. You will pass Potions and become a great witch in the world outside Hogwarts.” said room comfortingly.
“Yeah, and well you’ve been really busy with all your classes and stuff, no wonder you are so tired. Just promise us something, try anything to stay awake in Potions, no of us can afford to sleep in Snape’s class.” said Harry as they started waling down to the dungeons.