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Chapter 35





Exam - Twigg-Jones Style



"This is the strangest exam," whispered Hermione, "that Anna's ever given us." Adjusting her sunglasses, she shifted her weight and then leaned back against the wall.



"Shush, someone's coming," cautioned Ron. He swiveled his head, peering down the dark stretch of hallway, straining his ears to hear the footsteps, trying to judge their location. Tapping Hermione's thigh, he jerked his head to the left, indicating that direction. Hermione leaned forward to look around Ron.



Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, "Sinistra's high heels."



Ron nodded and his hair brushed her face. Hermione clamped her hand over her mouth and nose to keep from sneezing.



Carrying a lantern, Professor Sinistra came around a corner of the hallway that leads to the library. Looking left and right, she stopped, turned full circle and then continued toward them. As she passed Ron, he carefully timed his movements and fell into step about two paces behind her.



After a few yards, she stopped again and he froze. She listened intently, but Ron had slowed his breathing to the shallow, noiseless method Professor Twigg-Jones had taught the class. Hermione watched with fingers crossed.



As soon as Professor Sinistra began to walk again, Ron reached out and tugged at the ribbon hanging off of her belt. It came free with a slight flutter. He quickly stuffed it inside his pocket, and it disappeared from view.



As he started to back up, Professor Sinistra reached the next corner and turning, gazed back down the hall, tilting her head. Ron stopped, holding his breath. After a moment, she turned and continued down the next hallway. Ron slowly exhaled and walked back to lean against the wall, next to Hermione.



"Got it!" he whispered. "That's my three, and I'm done."



"That was good. I have to get one more, from Professor Flitwick and I'm done, too."



"Should we go looking for him or just stay here and wait for him to wander by?"



"We'd better go looking for him. If the Professors check their ribbons every hallway or so, Sinistra will know generally where and when she lost that one and where we might be and tell the others. Better keep them guessing."



"Right. Let's move."



X # X # X



Going to the right, but passing the hallway taken by Professor Sinistra, they continued to the bottom of the tower stairway leading to Professor Trelawney's classroom. Hearing whispers, they slowed their pace. Then spotting the outlines of Harry and Neville, they walked over to join them.



"How are you doing, Harry? Neville?"



"I've got mine." Neville proudly declared, holding up three ribbons.



"I've got one more...Snape, wouldn't you know." Harry shook his head.



"Luck of the draw, mate." Ron grinned at his friend, holding up his three ribbons.



"Shut it, Ron."



"I need one from Flitwick, and then I'm done, too," Hermione whispered. "And keep your voices down. We can't get caught this close to the end!"



Ron started to say something, but Neville reached out and clamped his hand over Ron's mouth and pointed down the hall. A light was flickering around the corner at the far end. Hermione tugged Ron's sleeve. She waved to Harry and Neville and pulled Ron down the next hallway, away from the approaching light.



X # X # X



Harry and Neville watched as a lantern emerged from around the distant corner and started coming toward them. They couldn't quite make out who was behind the lantern, with the glare shining at them, until they heard the person cough. Snape.



Harry swallowed and looked at Neville, who gave him an encouraging nod. Harry moved toward Snape and started to match his footsteps, but then Severus stopped, whipped around and shone the lantern back down the hall. Harry stepped forward and when Snape turned around again, Harry grabbed the end of the ribbon, tugged and as Snape started walking again, pulled it free and pocketed the ribbon in one swift movement.



Severus stopped suddenly. Harry stood stock still, but then he heard voices coming toward them. Neville waved to Harry, pointing away from the approaching noise. Harry nodded and backed away from Snape as Neville side-stepped along the wall. They were about ten feet behind Snape when the Slytherin gang rounded the corner, Draco in the lead.



"What are all of you doing walking the halls at this late hour?"



"We've been recruited by the illustrious Professor Twigg-Jones to help with this 'exam' of hers. What fun," explained Draco, his voice dripping with sarcasm.



"Really. And your contribution would be?"



"Pansy, Millie, Theo and I have ribbons on our belts. We're to walk the halls and come back to the Great Hall at one o'clock in the morning," replied Draco, turning to show the ribbon hanging from his belt loop.



"I am similarly equipped, although I hardly see what..." Severus reached behind his back and realized his last ribbon was gone. "Damn." Spinning, he peered back down the dark corridor, where he had just been walking.



"What? Where's yours?" said Draco, checking Snape's back. "Don't tell me they got it."



"Apparently."



Harry saw Neville hesitate and then start to move back toward the Slytherins. He waved frantically, trying to get him to stop, but Neville shook his head no, grinning and slid down the wall, moving behind the group. He motioned to Harry, who quickly copied the move on the opposite wall.



Snape looked over his shoulder at the group of Slytherins. "I thought I heard some footsteps back down the far hall. Follow me. We may still be able to catch them."



"Yeah, let's get those junior Aurors," said Draco, laughing.



The four Slytherins laughed, poking and jostling each other, and then started off, following Snape's receding figure. Unnoticed, Harry and Neville reached out and relieved them of their ribbons, which they stuffed in their pockets. Neville and Harry turned and walked as quickly and quietly as possible in the opposite direction, and around the corner into the next hallway.



X # X # X



"We did it!" whispered Neville, grinning from ear to ear. "Wait until the others hear about this!"



"Let's go. We're done, and then some," Harry agreed.



Heading for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, they hadn't gone halfway down the corridor when they heard a shout from the far end of the other hall.



"Hey! It's gone!"



"What? Oh, no, mine is too!"



"Son of a ...let's get them..."



Harry spun around, looking for someplace to hide, but there was nothing in the hall...except...a very tall bookcase. Whipping out his wand, he whispered, " 'Wingardium Leviosa'."



Running footsteps sounded in the other hall, stopping just short of the corner.



"We were right here when we were talking to you, Professor, they must have been behind us."



Neville was rising steadily up the face of the glass fronted bookcase. He got his feet planted on the top and pulling out his wand, pointed it at Harry, but they both froze as the Slytherins appeared in the archway from the other hall. Draco and the others stood there, staring and shining their lanterns back and forth, trying to see into the gloom.



Harry looked up at Neville, knowing he didn't dare even whisper the incantation. Just then, Snape walked up behind the group.



"Spread out and sweep down this corridor. Slowly."



Harry felt himself start to lift off the floor. Neville had used Snape's voice to cover his saying the incantation.



"Use your arms and legs. If they're wearing invisibility capes they can't move very quickly, so be sure they don't squeeze past you."



Harry looked up at Neville, who was mouthing the incantation, pulling him higher and higher, as Draco, Pansy, Theo and Millie moved forward, swinging their arms and occasionally kicking their feet sideways. He was moving steadily upwards, but would he get high enough, quickly enough, to avoid being hit by the arms of the advancing group? Suddenly Harry felt himself shifting and nearly gasped.



/Brilliant, Neville/! he thought. His friend was tilting him, in order to swing his legs up out of the way, and looking around Harry realized the Pansy Parkinson was almost to him. Would he be high enough?

She walked right under him, just inches to spare.



Then he felt himself drifting sideways. Lifting his head he saw why; Snape. The Potions Master was a good foot taller than Pansy and he and Harry were nose to nose, about a yard apart. But in seconds, Neville had put him out of the way as Snape walked by. Harry's feet started to drop, until he was vertical and he touched down on the floor about ten feet behind the students and Snape.



Harry took out his slingshot, loaded it with a soft rubber ball and aiming very carefully, put the shot into the far hall. Thud.



"What was that?" Draco stopped.



Harry held his breath. If he'd banked it correctly...thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud. The ball had ricocheted off of the wall and landed at the top of the next staircase, then started bouncing down the stairs, like so many retreating footsteps.



"Let's get 'em!" Draco shouted and the Slytherins took off running, chasing the fading sound.



Harry whipped out his wand and was lifting Neville off of the top of the bookcase, straight out, away from it, when Snape turned around, gazing back. The Potions Master pulled out his wand.



"'Expelliarmous!'"



The spell streaked down the hall and went right though the air where Neville had been standing, only seconds before, exploding in a shower of green sparks as it hit the wall beyond. Snape's eyes narrowed and then he turned and stalked after the Slytherin students.



X # X # X



Harry grabbed Neville's arm and led him in the opposite direction than Snape and the Slytherins had gone. When they had walked far enough Harry stopped, and turning, threw his arms around Neville and gave him a big hug.



"Neville, you were /brilliant/, tipping me up like that to get me out of the way!"



"Only thing for it, mate, but how did you know Snape was going to fire off a spell at me."



"I saw him eyeing that bookcase and I just had a feeling he suspected, but couldn't be sure, so I figured I better move you, just in case. I had to get you down anyway, so." Harry shrugged.



"Well, we'd better get to the classroom. Wonder how the others made out?"



"Here comes Dean and Pavarti, let's see how they did." Harry waved at the two approaching figures, who waved back.



"Hey, you two, how'd you do?" Dean inquired in a whisper as they reached Harry and Neville.



"We're done, how about you?' Harry whispered back.



"Us, too. What was all that noise a little bit ago?"



"Slytherins and Snape."



"Slytherins? What were they doing out?"



"Anna sent them, as a sort of surprise bonus, I guess."



"We're heading back."



"So are we."



"Let's go, then."



X # X # X



The four walked off silently and were soon in the D.A.D.A. classroom.

'How'd you guys do?' was the greeting for each returning team. 'Got 'em all!' was the standard answer.



"Anna is going to be so pleased and Snape and those Slytherins hopping mad," giggled Hermione as the Re-illusionment charm worked its way down her body. "There," she sighed, looking down at her shoes, "that's much better."



"Did you see Draco and his faithful lap dog and Theo and his pet cow?" Marietta Edgecombe asked with a straight face, only to collapse into Lavender Browns' arms, both of them laughing hysterically.



"That's cold," admonished Ron, "true, but cold and yeah, we heard them. CLUMP! CLUMP! CLUMP! Didn't quite understand the concept of trying to find us, did they?"



"Well, they nearly found Neville and me," Harry related. "Neville did a great job of lifting me out of the way, with inches to spare. Bit of quick thinking, that."



"You did the tricky bit, getting me out of the way of Snape's spell, Harry."



"What are friends for?"



"It's five 'til one. We'd better get down to the Great Hall. Or should we be fashionably late?" Ron asked only to be shoved toward the door by Hermione. "Hey! Watch it, Granger."



"Get moving, Weasley. I want to see their faces when we show them their ribbons and tell them where we lightened their burdens," Hermione said over her shoulder as she marched out the door.