Chapter 68 "End of Terms"

The emergence of the Shadow Dragons organization filled Skyler with a sense of foreboding. He had an inkling that the world of Harry Potter was gradually veering off its original course.

The Shadow Dragons might be just the beginning, and in the near future, more concealed and underground forces could come to light.

However, he decided to set these concerns aside. After all, he was still a student, and if any significant issues arose, he trusted that Dumbledore would take charge.

With the information he needed now in his possession, Skyler made certain arrangements for Peter Pettigrew.

He then waved his wand to awaken the dwarf.

When Peter Pettigrew awoke, he couldn't recall how he had been hypnotized. His attitude towards the young boy before him had transformed from disdain to deep respect. He addressed Skyler with reverence, "Lord Malfoy, I have proven my loyalty. Is there anything you require of me?"

Skyler nodded and stated, "I don't need you by my side. Instead, I want you to journey to the Albanian forest to help me locate the remaining soul of your former Lord and re-pledge your allegiance to him."

At the mention of the enigmatic figure, Peter Pettigrew trembled, his voice betraying his fear. He implored, "My Lord, do you not want me to stay close to that person as your undercover agent? He can see into people's hearts, and I can't endure it..."

Skyler scrutinized Peter Pettigrew carefully, giving him the sense that his secrets were laid bare.

He was aware that Peter Pettigrew was evading the truth. His Occlumency skills were not weak, allowing him to conceal his true loyalties from Dumbledore and even inform Voldemort.

Although the actions of James and others were the primary reason, Peter Pettigrew must have played a role himself.

While Dumbledore couldn't confirm him as a traitor, he harbored suspicions regarding his behavior.

Nevertheless, Skyler chose not to delve into this matter any further. He replied, "Do not worry. You only need to return to him and serve his interests. I don't require you to be my spy or transmit information. Trust me, the return of this mysterious individual is only a matter of time. The first person to find him and lend support will reap unexpected benefits. I have my own plans in motion, and you need not concern yourself with them."

Peter Pettigrew's blinking eyes conveyed his contemplation of various schemes, and he finally responded, "Very well, I promise you, My Lord. If an opportunity arises in the future, I will repay you for the favor you've shown me today."

The dwarf consumed a blood-replenishing potion and a magical recovery elixir provided by Skyler.

When he felt his strength was restored, he Apparated away from the Forbidden Forest.

Skyler was confident that Peter Pettigrew could locate Voldemort. Peter had managed to use rodents to find Voldemort's remnants in the vast forest.

In the original book, this was how he stumbled upon Voldemort and subsequently advanced the plot of the fourth year.

Furthermore, Skyler had cast a unique House-elf tracking spell on Peter Pettigrew, and if needed, he could summon Dobby to Apparate him to his location at any time.

He had also added specific ingredients to the potion that Peter had ingested.

If Voldemort followed the canonical plotline and used Peter Pettigrew's flesh and blood for his resurrection, it was certain to yield a significant surprise.

Following this incident, the exam week began. In the Transfiguration exam, the task was to transform a teapot into a turtle.

While Skyler's performance wasn't explicitly mentioned, Professor McGonagall's smile hinted at a perfect score.

Meredith made a minor mistake with her turtle Transfiguration, and Daphne forgot to add nails to the turtle's feet.

The Curse class exam featured a jinx that was indeed a joyful one. Shelin, who had known the question in advance, had prepared all the Slytherin students, ensuring they all achieved full marks.

The next morning, Hagrid conducted the Care of Magical Creatures exam, where students had to care for Flobber caterpillars, an unexpectedly easy task.

Their success hinged on keeping the caterpillars alive for an hour. Despite the exam's simplicity, the students couldn't help but reflect on the fact that they had learned very little throughout the semester, except for the first lesson on Hippogriffs and the subsequent one on Salamanders.

Skyler was puzzled about the value of such knowledge when it came to exams.

In the afternoon, the Potions exam took place, and Slytherin students excelled.

The topic was the Confusion Potion, and nearly all the Slytherins submitted perfect potions.

Goyle was the only one who added too much water, resulting in a slightly runny potion. Other than that, the class earned full marks.

Astronomy was the next midnight exam, held on the tallest tower. On Wednesday, the students faced exams in History of Magic and Herbology.

Thursday morning brought the penultimate exam, Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Professor Lupin had devised an unconventional outdoor test that resembled an obstacle course.

It required students to navigate a deep pond with Grindylows, pass through a series of holes inhabited by Red Caps, traverse a swamp while ignoring misleading information from a Kneazle, and finally, climb into an old trunk to wrestle a Boggart.

Sherin, Daphne, Meredith, and Draco all achieved full marks. The rest of the students excelled in the initial obstacles, but there were issues with the Boggart.

Pansy screamed and fled when she saw her own reflection, Blaise reacted aggressively, and the Hippogriff startled the students.

The final exam was in the field of Alchemy.

Skyler skillfully repaired a damaged Golden Snitch and received the only perfect score in the class.

Professor Borgin informed Skyler that he should visit his office to learn about the restoration of the Vanishing Cabinet.

After the exams, there were still three weeks left before the end of the semester.

Students celebrated their impending summer vacation with joy and shared their plans.

However, Harry was feeling down after the exams. His favorite teacher, Professor Lupin, had decided to resign and leave Hogwarts.

This decision was prompted by Snape revealing Lupin's Werewolf, causing significant pressure on Dumbledore from the school board and angry letters from parents.

The Daily Prophet covered the incident extensively, although the newspaper editor, Barnabas Cuffe, artfully avoided implicating Fudge and left out the Ministry of Magic's approval of Lupin's appointment.

(Note: In the original book, Fudge's original words were, "Not many people would have allowed Dumbledore as much power as he's had at Hogwarts. Ministry's got to step in now while he's vulnerable. He can't be trusted to make the right decisions." It's implied that he was aware of Dumbledore hiring werewolves but chose to remain silent.)

In addition to Dumbledore's appointment of Quirrell and Lockhart's dubious history, there were growing concerns about the process of hiring professors at Hogwarts.

The public began to voice their opinions, calling for the Ministry of Magic to intervene and make the appointment of professors more transparent and fair.

The idea was that the Headmaster should no longer have sole authority over professor appointments and that the process should be subject to third-party review.

At this critical juncture, Mr. Gareth Greengrass, a member of the school board, stepped up. He voluntarily took on the responsibility of establishing a "Faculty Appointment Committee."

This committee would be in charge of conducting thorough evaluations of the Headmaster's choices for professors. (The Headmaster would still be responsible for identifying candidates, but formal hiring would require the committee's approval.)

For the sake of fairness, the committee would consist of two department heads, two school board members, two parents of students, and two student representatives, ensuring that the perspectives of all stakeholders were considered.

After extensive discussions, the committee's composition was finalized. The two department heads were Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.

The school board members were Gareth himself and Mrs. Selwyn from the Selwyn family. Representing the parents of the students were Lucius Malfoy and Amelia Bones.

As for the student representatives, the protagonist, Skyler Malfoy, was chosen.

Despite his young age, his reputation and abilities had earned recognition from many young witches and wizards.

Among the committee's members, aside from Mrs. Selwyn, most were somewhat acquainted with Skyler, and they welcomed his inclusion.

Another student representative on the committee was Ron Weasley. While his appointment surprised many, it was not entirely unexpected, considering the political factors involved.

According to Skyler's estimation, the Dumbledore faction had initially favored Hermione for this role, given her impressive academic performance and skills.

However, Hermione lacked a magical heritage from a pure-blood family.

Ron served as an apt alternative. He had a strong friendship with Hermione and could consult with her on various matters. Ron also hailed from a longstanding pure-blood lineage, and with Harry, who carried the mantle of the Chosen One, as his close friend, Ron was a suitable choice for this position.

The Malfoy family appeared to be the primary beneficiaries of the ongoing changes.

If Lucius returned to the ranks of those in power at Hogwarts, the Malfoy family would hold two seats on the committee.

This situation might have raised eyebrows at other times, but in Skyler's case, it seemed entirely natural, given his lofty standing in the wizarding world.

During this period, Harry learned from Professor Lupin the truth about the incident involving Sirius twelve years ago, including the fact that Sirius was Harry's godfather.

This revelation brought more frustration to Harry.

He had finally discovered a living relative but was unable to leave the Dursleys, his detested guardians since Sirius still carried the burden of being a fugitive.

As a side note, Ron had a tougher time accepting the truth than Harry when Lupin confessed Scabbers's true identity as Peter Pettigrew. "What are you talking about? Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew?" he exclaimed. "No, this can't be!"

Despite Sirius's promise to give him a new pet as compensation, Ron couldn't help but feel attached to Scabbers, which showed just how deep his feelings for the old pet ran.

Another matter weighing on Harry's mind was the unsettling divination exam.

Professor Trelawney, typically unreliable in her predictions, had uttered an eerily accurate prophecy: "The Dark Lord lies alone, without allies, abandoned by his followers. Now, his servant, imprisoned for twelve years, shall break free from his chains before midnight tonight... With the aid of his servant, the Dark Lord shall return, more powerful and fearsome than ever..."

Despite Harry's concern over this ominous prediction, Ron and Hermione scoffed at Professor Trelawney's divination abilities, not considering the prophecy as something to be taken seriously.

For Harry, things couldn't seem to get any worse. However, the harsh reality taught him how to endure adversity.

When he went to retrieve his invisibility cloak from the secret passage beneath the one-eyed witch statue on the fourth floor, he discovered that the cloak had vanished!

This cloak held immense significance for Harry.

It was his only magical protection from being seen, and more importantly, it was a precious heirloom passed down from his father. Its loss weighed heavily on his spirits.

Yet there were moments of joy as well. Harry and Ron managed to pass all their classes, even if it meant just scraping by in some subjects.

Furthermore, Harry was able to recover the Marauder's Map from Lupin. The map held a special place in Harry's heart as it served as a testament to his father's and his friends' adventures at school.

In terms of academic performance, Hermione's grades had noticeably dipped. She ended up in fourth place, trailing behind Meredith and Morag.

Most attributed her decline to the overwhelming workload of taking twelve courses, but the true reason remained locked within her heart.

She yearned for a word of encouragement from a particular teenager before the exams, a comforting look, something to reassure her, but it never came to pass.

Hermione had her moments of tears in the dead of night, but she was Hermione, and instead of succumbing to despair, her fighting spirit was ignited by the examination results.

She resolved to let go of the past, regroup, and take control of her life. She scrutinized her mistakes in the final exams and made the tough decision to drop the Divination class and Muggle Studies in the upcoming semester.

However, she knew she would have to return the Time-Turner to Professor McGonagall.