The next month was a marathon of studying as Melody concealed all of her emotional turmoil behind the huge stack of books that constantly hovered in the air behind her. Some nights she was joined in the library by Dobri, fully healed, but on the night before the exams, it wasn’t Dobri that sat down at the table.
Harry had hesitantly set his books down while Melody was in another section of the library searching for a book on Aphrotrans, the strength transfer spell they had learned earlier in the year. When she returned to the table, Harry looked up at her hoping she would take the seat next to him.
She did take the seat, but said nothing as she opened the reference. Harry kept trying to form the right words, but when nothing came he grew frustrated and rose from the table.
“This is bloody ridiculous!” he shouted much to Melody’s surprise.
“There just exams,” she replied calmly, “They won’t be that hard.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about, Melody. What’s ridiculous is the fact that we both keep trying to make this thing work, and it is never going to.”
By now a small group had gathered around them, including the rigid librarian, so Melody grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him out into the hall.
“What are you talking about?” she asked sharply.
Harry melted into the bench on the opposite side of the hall before replying.
“Melody, I came to the library tonight with the intention of telling you how I feel, but as I sat there waiting for you to come back, I realized something. Do you really think we were meant to be together if all we do is go back and forth?”
Melody said nothing as he gazed into her eyes searching for some sort of answer. She wanted to tell him that they didn’t need to go back and forth and that she was ready to go back for good, but nothing came. She was silent.
“I think we both need to just walk away at this point,” Harry said lightly before standing.
“So we’re both giving up again?” Melody said after a short pause, “Because I’m sicker of giving up than going back and forth, but you’re right. I love you, Harry, but if that isn’t enough reason to keep trying, than far be it from me to put you through any more misery.”
Melody quickly summoned her books and disappeared, leaving Harry shocked and tingling with regret.
The next morning arrived and Melody still hadn’t shaken the anger that had forced her to erupt the night before. However, walking to the exam sight, she couldn’t help but wonder what Harry had intended to tell her at that table.
Upon arriving at the first exam, Melody was disheartened to see both Harry and Dobri sitting at two of the tables.
“Aha! Miss Chancelle is here now. We may begin,” a British witch called out to her.
Melody slid into a seat but quickly grabbed the attention of the mystery witch for an explanation.
“Miss Chancelle, the gentlemen will be testing with you because you are all taking the same History of Magic test mandated by all three regions.”
Melody was silent from there on as she completed the test quickly. As she answered the last question she raised her hand for the examiner to take her test. The instant the test left her desk, Melody began to gather her things in hopes of escaping the tension of the room.
“Not so fast, Miss Chancelle. You are required to stay until the time is up,” the examiner said pointing to the hourglass to her right.
Noticing the immense amount of sand left, Melody asked, “Well, may I have another one of my exams to take while I wait. You don’t expect me to sit in this room for another hour waiting for that damn sand to pour out, do you?”
“Watch your mouth, Miss Chancelle, and keep it down, the others are still testing.”
Neither of the other two was even looking at their test as they watched the scene unfold.
“Madame,” Melody began at the examiner, “I don’t intend to sit here and wait, so either you excuse me or I pull out my wand and force you to.”
Seeing the rage in the young woman’s eyes, the examiner excused her. As Melody stormed down the center aisle, the numerous lights in the large room flickered and the shutters slapped the walls. She slammed the great door as she exited shaking the floor around her.
She stormed through the halls straight to Madam Maxime’s office. She didn’t wait for permission to enter, but instead the door magically flew open and she bounded towards the headmistress’ desk.
“Melody! What is this intrusion?!” Maxime snapped.
“Madame, I refuse to take my tests in the same room as…the other champions! Either I am given my own testing area or I drop from the tournament and shame the entire school!”
Madam Maxime stared dumbstruck at her for a moment, but only nodded.
“Of course you can test alone. You can take your next exam in here with me.”
Melody thanked her and exited the room. For the next week she met Madame Maxime and a new examiner in her office and eventually finished all her wizarding exams.
With the anxiety of the tests out of the way, Melody returned to brooding over her relationship with Harry. Another month passed and she refused to talk to Harry. If she passed him in the hall, he was given a cold shoulder. When he tried to come up to her suite, he was turned away by Celeste whom had returned to being Melody’s close confidante after her breakup with Marcel.
Harry had left many messages with Celeste in hopes of getting them to Melody, but Celeste was never given the chance to relay them. Melody didn’t want to hear anything he had to said, for he had told her all she needed to know.