Chapter 41

"What? You can't just stop there," Harry said in shock as the memory ended. "What happened after that?"

"I'm afraid there isn't time for that now," Merlin replied quietly. "It's already morning," he pointed out.

"But…" Harry said, trying desperately to think of what else he could to say to convince Merlin to tell him what happened after Morgan turned on him.

"You don't have time for this either. Your test is today, is it not?" Merlin reminded him.

Harry cursed mentally, knowing that Merlin was right. "Alright," he relented. "But you have to tell me the rest of what happened tonight."

"…I'll need a few days, Harry," Merlin said with a tired sigh. "This has opened up a lot of old wounds for me. I'll need some time before I'm ready to tell you what happened next."

Harry's eyes softened as he considered Merlin's words. From his perspective, it felt more like a story than actual events, but for Merlin, it was likely one of the most painful moments of his life. "Ok," he nodded in understanding. "Take as much time you need," he relented.

Merlin nodded gratefully as Harry opened his eyes and went through his morning rituals, preparing for the day, then went downstairs to meet Hermione and Ron in the common room. He canceled the morning training session, giving everyone the extra time to prepare for the transfiguration test.

Hermione was already there, waiting for him. With a single glance, Harry could tell how nervous she was. He put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "It's ok, I know you're nervous Hermione, but all of this will be over soon," he said, referring to both the test, and the study group.

Hermione nodded, finding comfort in Harry's words, but still had a difficult time calming her nerves. 'What if something goes wrong?' She thought to herself. 'Or what if it isn't enough for the study group to kick us out?'

Ron appeared a few moments later, nodding solemnly to both Hermione and Harry. Even though he wasn't the one that would get caught for cheating he still felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. It was his plan, and if something went wrong, it would also be his fault.

"Ok," Harry said, looking at his friends. "Let's go. Draco is probably waiting for us."

Hermione and Ron nodded as they made their way out of the common room, going to the abandoned classroom they had been using for one last meeting before the test. Draco met them at the door, and they all stepped inside, locking the door behind them.

"You've both memorized the test, and the answers, right?" Ron asked, looking at Draco and Hermione for confirmation.

Hermione nodded, "we're ready," she said, doing her best to calm her nerves.

"Ok," Ron said, trying to sound more confident than he felt, now that it was time to see his plan through. "You both need to ace the test. Don't get a single question wrong," he warned.

"Then McGonagall will catch us after she grades the test?" Draco asked, confirming the plan.

"Not quite," Ron disagreed. "She'll suspect you, but it won't be enough to make an accusation, at least not one that would stick."

"What?" Draco interrupted, feeling irritated. "Then what was the point of all this, Weasley?"

"Let him finish," Harry said patiently. He knew Ron well enough to know there was more to his plan.

"Like I said," Ron continued, ignoring Draco's interruption. "It'll be enough for her to suspect you, but we're going to need another push to make sure she acts on it."

"What kind of push?" Hermione asked. She already felt bad about the position they put their head of house in and didn't like the idea of getting her into any more trouble than she already was.

"I wrote a letter, anonymously," Ron said, pulling out a piece of parchment from his robes. "To let the department of education know the test was stolen, and the results are compromised. I'll send it before breakfast, so they should receive it pretty soon after we finish writing the test."

"I don't see how that helps us," Draco said. "McGonagall already knows we stole the test. What good does it do to report it to the department of education?"

"Professor McGonagall won't have a choice now," Harry realized. "There's still a possibility she could ignore all this, so she doesn't get in trouble too. The Department of Education is going to take the decision out of her hands."

"And also give her the authority to search your trunks," Ron added. "That's where they're going to find the copies of the test," Ron explained.

"Won't they question why we kept a copy of the test, instead of just destroying them?" Draco asked, pointing out the reasonable flaw in the plan.

"For one, it's absolute proof you cheated, so they NEED to find it for the plan to work," Ron replied. "And second, the school doesn't normally have the authority to search your belongings, so from their perspective it's the safest place you can keep it until you go home for the Christmas holidays and destroy it."

Hermione and Draco nodded, understanding the need to be caught publicly to force the study group into dropping them.

"Above all, you can't make this too easy for McGonagall," Ron stressed. "She has to believe she's figured this all out on her own, otherwise she'll get suspicious and ask the questions we can't answer."

"This is a good plan," Harry said reassuringly. "We just have to stick with it. After getting caught, you'll draw a lot of attention to yourselves, that's the last thing the study group wants to be associated with. They'll drop you as soon as word gets out."

*** 

Minerva stood at the front of her classroom, watching as the first years wrote their tests. She knew it had to be one of them, but frustratingly, still couldn't tell who. Nothing looked out of place, and she couldn't think of why any of them would do this in the first place.

They were gambling away their very futures, and when they were caught, they would be locked out of any future internships they could apply for, and any jobs they hoped to land after they graduated. Their student rankings would be void. How could they possibly think this was worth the risk?

She knew she would have to tell the department of education what happened. When a student scored higher than average, they investigated it thoroughly, something that was all but guaranteed to happen now that one or more of her students had a copy of the test.

As bad as the black mark would be on her record, it was preferable to the thought of this hanging over her head for the rest of her career. She didn't think she could stand that kind of pressure day in, day out.

Minerva looked down at her wristwatch, counting the minutes until the test was over with a sigh. 'Still a half hour left,' she thought, wanting nothing more than to get this over with as quickly as possible.

She walked through the aisles, looking over the shoulders of the first years as she walked past them. Frustratingly, nothing looked out of place. A few of them were nervous, like Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom, but she could hardly blame them. They were both good students and her behavior of late hadn't helped either. Even her own house was nervous around her now, treating her much the same way they did Severus, walking on egg shells around her. She knew it was her fault they were all so nervous, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

For the rest of the class, she sat at her desk, listening to the scratching of her student's quills as she waited for them to finish their tests. She hoped that after all of this was over, she could put this behind her, provided, of course, that she still had a job by the end of it.

"…Alright," Professor McGonagall said as she checked her watch again. "Quills down. The test is over. I'll have your results posted tomorrow morning."

She watched as the students packed up their things and dropped their tests on her desk as they left the classroom. When the last student left, she locked the door and picked up the first test, grading it immediately, not wanting to prolong her fate any longer that she had to. After she identified the cheating students, she would contact the Department of Education and tell them everything.

As the minutes passed, she went through test after test, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Some did a little better, clearly a result of the extra effort they put in, others who didn't take the test as seriously did a little worse, but so far none of the tests jumped out as the one written by the thief.

She picked up Ron Weasley's test, going through his next, remembering when she first met him. She assumed he would be in the same mold as his trouble making older brothers Fred and George, instead of his older, and more studious brother Percy. But he had genuinely surprised her.

He was a little shaky, and unsure of himself at first, but clearly put in the effort. His confidence grew as he climbed the student rankings. It was no wonder. After he became fast friends with Harry Potter and adopted his more studious nature, there was no stopping the boy.

Ron Weasley would certainly be a student to watch. If he kept up the effort he was putting in now, there was no limit to where his talents would take him.

"Ninety-one percent," she murmured to herself as she wrote his final grade on the test. 'A very good score, but not something he would have to cheat to achieve,' she thought, dismissing him as the culprit.

She picked up Neville Longbottom's test next, going through his answers. 'Another student under Harry Potter's wing,' she thought fondly. Longbottom didn't have the same high grades as Ron Weasley, but anyone could see the effect Potter had on him. His practical work still wasn't the strongest, but his written work had shown some major improvements over the last few months. Even Severus had grudgingly agreed he was nowhere near as bad as he was at the start of the school year.

'If Longbottom can improve on his spell work, he could probably crack the top fifteen in the student ranking, possibly even the top ten if he puts in the effort,' she thought, grading his last question.

"Seventy-three percent," she said, dismissing him as the culprit outright. It was better that she expected from him, but nowhere near high enough to suspect him of cheating.

"Wayne Hopkins," she read out loud, picking up the next test. 'Yet another student with a connection to Harry Potter,' she thought. She didn't even have to grade his test to know he wasn't a suspect. She could say the same for Sally Perks, as well as Oliver Rivers, outright.

The three scholarship students were in some ways, an oddity. There were hardly ever any scholarship students in Hogwarts to begin with, let alone three at the same time. She knew how seriously all three of them took their studies. For them, being at Hogwarts had only been a dream, until they came to the attention of Harry Potter. None of them would ever consider jeopardizing their scholarships. Even so much as a hint of impropriety would cast a bad light on the scholarship program as well as their benefactor, making it much more difficult for any other children to follow in their footsteps. None of them would ever risk embarrassing Potter like that. "Ninety percent," she read out loud, marking his test.

Minerva took a moment to look at the tidy scrawl of the next student, Harry Potter. She didn't even know where to begin with him. He was fiercely intelligent, running roughshod over the entire student ranking system. If he was a second or even third year, she doubted it would be any different. The gap between him and his fellow classmates seemed to widen with each passing day.

He was another student she quickly dismissed as a suspect even before grading his test. Cheating would do him no favors. After solving Merlin's vault in the summer, he could effectively write his own ticket, regardless of his student ranking. That wasn't even considering the doors that were open to him due to his famous sister and his family name.

She had taught both James and Lily in her youth, but regretfully lost touch with them, and hadn't spoken to them in years. She was quite excited to meet Gloria Potter. 'If she's even half as intelligent as her older brother, I'll have the house cup for most of the next decade between them,' she thought with a smile.

She remembered listening to the wireless as Harry solved Merlin's Cypher with bated breath, along with everyone else in the pub. She doubted she would ever forget that day for as long as she lived, and the celebrations that followed afterward.

When she found out he would attend Hogwarts in the fall, she assumed he would have a swelled head. How could he not after his newfound wealth and fame? But he surprised her. He was humble, and quiet, the last thing she expected, and his intelligence that left her astounded. The way he picked things up, how he understood advanced concepts so easily. It was no wonder he solved the vault when everyone else had failed. She could only wonder what his next accomplishment would be.

Then there was his generosity. Most eleven-year-old boys would have spent the kind of money he won on candy and toys, wasting much of it, but he hadn't. The first thing he spent his money on was his scholarship program, and if the rumors were to be believed their school clothes, as well as their books, not a small sum by any means. He had even gone out of his way to find children that would benefit the most from the opportunity, and even help others in the same position they were in.

She remembered his next major purchase. The Nimbus broom company, or at least a percentage of one. When she first read about it in the Prophet, she remembered snorting with amusement as she read the article. 'Finally,' she remembered thinking. 'Something a typical eleven-year-old would do if they had too much money, and not enough sense.' But he had surprised her again.

In the same article, he secured a donation of much needed school brooms to replace the decrepit and dangerous ones that had been collecting dust over the last few decades. Even when he was doing something for himself, he found a way to help others.

"One hundred percent," she said in surprise, double checking the results a second time, but came up with the same result. 'It doesn't make any sense,' she thought. 'Potter would be the last person to cheat. He has nothing to gain, and everything to lose,' she thought, considering how something like this could affect his reputation, and hurt his philanthropic projects.

She stared at the test for a long moment as she considered what to do. Potter was intelligent. There was no question about that, but was he so intelligent he could earn a perfect score? '…Possibly,' she thought after a long moment, putting his test aside. She would have to look into it more before she came to any conclusions.

She picked up Hermione Granger's test next, another student she felt she could quickly dismiss as a suspect. Fiercely intelligent as well, perhaps not on the same level as Potter, but impressive none the less.

In many ways, Miss Granger reminded her of herself, always looking for answers, never satisfied until she fully understood a topic. If not for Potter, she would have easily been the top student for her year.

She had stumbled a bit as of late, her grades dipping slightly, but she was sure that had more to do with the Transfiguration test than anything else. 'Probably burning the candle at both ends,' she thought fondly, remembering her own time as a student at Hogwarts. She was sure that her grades would pick up again, now that she didn't have to worry about the test anymore.

She could imagine the stress she was under, not just to maintain her ranking, but improve her standing as well, especially considering how fiercely competitive the first year rankings turned out to be this year.

As she finished reading the last question, Minerva frowned, adding up the total. "One hundred percent." She checked the test over a second time, then a third, coming to the same conclusion. She put the test down, perplexed, staring at the neat handwriting of the first-year student.

Hermione was an excellent student, and she had expected her to place in the mid nineties, but certainly not one hundred percent. Each question on the test was written to be progressively more difficult than the last. The last few questions were even outside the first-year curriculum, dealing heavily with theory that was not covered in the first year classes or textbooks.

She set the test beside Harry's, staring at both of them for a long moment. If these were any other students, she would suspect them of stealing the test, but she couldn't bring herself to make the accusation against two of her own, not unless she was positive.

Minerva picked up the next test, "Draco Malfoy," another promising student. She had her reservations at first, expecting a carbon copy of his father, someone she had the 'pleasure' of teaching as well. While there were certain aspects of their personalities that were quiet similar, there were also differences as well.

Draco rarely, if ever, referenced his family name, or blood status, preferring to allow his own accomplishments to speak for themselves. He had even been known to study with Hermione Granger occasionally, 'most likely teaming up to wrestle away the top spot from Harry Potter,' she thought with a wry smile.

There had been outbursts certainly, and name calling, but it surprised her to learn that it never escalated beyond that to outright dueling in the hallways, and the typical scuffles most first years found themselves in.

He would also be a student to watch, and would likely go far. His intelligence, combined with his family connections and blood status, all but guaranteed it.

She looked down at his test, another frown appearing on her face as she marked another perfect score. Just like with Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. She expected him to do well, but not this well. He should have been in the mid nineties as well, perhaps even as high as ninety-six, but not one hundred percent.

She placed the test alongside Hermione Granger and Harry Potter's tests and continued marking the rest of the students. Everyone else landed more or less where she expected them to, and not so high that she could reasonably expect them to have cheated as well.

She looked at the three tests she set aside with a critical eye, knowing that she had her list of likely suspects, but the results still surprised her, leaving her wondering how to proceed.

She had fully expected the cheaters to be in the bottom half of the student rankings at the very least, making it obvious to anyone looking at the results that something wasn't right, but all three of them were top students, all within the top five. A good barrister could conceivably argue their results were because of hard work, not cheating.

She started to doubt herself, wondering what the best course of action was. Could she really make these accusations against her students, especially with no concrete evidence?

Minerva looked up from the tests when she heard a knock at the door. "Minerva? It's Filius, can I come in?"

"Yes," Minerva called out, "the door is unlocked."

"Minerva, did you finish grading the tests?" Filius asked, eager as she was to sort this all out.

"…I did," Minerva said, gesturing to the three tests she set aside.

"May I?" Filius asked, wanting to see the results for himself.

Minerva said nothing, pushing the three tests towards Filius.

Filius's eyes went wide as he read of the names of the students, then went through their results, confirming the score Minerva awarded them. "And there are no other students you suspect?"

"No," Minerva shook her head. "Everyone else scored where I expected them to, more or less."

Filius sat down heavily in one of the chairs, quickly coming to the same conclusion as Minerva. These three students were already at the top of the student rankings. Making accusations against them wasn't something to be taken lightly, especially if they were wrong. Even a hint of this on their records would be disastrous for their futures.

"I'm not sure what to do," Minerva admitted. "I don't know that I can, or even should, accuse these students. There's no proof one way or the other it was them, and if I'm wrong…" she trailed off, considering the ramifications.

"Whoever stole the test will never come forward and admit the truth," Filius pointed out. "What if we-"

"No," Minerva cut him off, shaking her head as she came to a decision. "We have three students that scored perfectly on the test. At the very least, the Department of Education is going to have some questions about the results. I won't have this hanging over me for the rest of my career. I have to confess my part in all this as well."

"I'm sorry Minerva," Filius said sadly. "I know how much the Headmistress-ship meant to you."

"To be honest, Filius, after my lapse in judgment I'm not sure I deserve it," Minerva admitted truthfully.

Filius was saved from responding when they heard an insistent tapping on the window. Minerva walked to the window, opening it to allow an owl to fly into the room.

Minerva untied the letter from the owl's leg. "it's from the department of education," she said, feeling faint. 'How do they already know?' she thought.

"What does it say?" Filius asked, worried for his friend.

With shaking fingers, Minerva tore open the envelope, reading through the letter. "It's from Lord Niven, he knows…" she trailed off.

"What does he know specifically?" Filius pressed.

Minerva scanned the rest of the letter. "He received a letter confirming the test was stolen, along with three of the questions that appeared on the test. He wants to know if any students scored higher than expected."

"Alright, maybe that's a good thing," Filius said, digesting the information. "He doesn't seem to blame you specifically. Maybe it won't be so bad."

"It get's worse," Minerva said, continuing to read. "He's authorizing the search of the school trunks for anyone whose score doesn't line up with their student ranking."

"Searching the student's belongings? Are you sure?" Filius asked. Doing something like this was not without precedent, but rarely ever done. Students were afforded a reasonable expectation of privacy, and searching through their belongings was in direct conflict with that. Added to that, many of the parents were highly placed in the government, or carried a great deal of influence. They wouldn't take something like this lying down.

"That's what it says," Minerva confirmed. "They've also scheduling an emergency meeting to decide the appropriate disciplinary actions once the situation with the tests is resolved."

Filius nodded his head, processing the information. "When?"

"He wants me to conduct the search tonight. The department of education will come to Hogwarts tomorrow morning to investigate, and dole out the appropriate punishments for them."

"I'll have to inform the Headmaster," Minerva said with a frown. It was another conversation she was not looking forward to having, knowing how disappointed he would be in her for allowing things to go this far without informing him.

Filius nodded. "I'm sure he'll do what he can to help," he said, hoping Albus would be able to pull some strings to keep Minerva out of trouble.

 ***

Hermione sat in the common room alongside Harry and Ron, staring nervously into the fire. She knew what was about to happen, but she couldn't stop her heart from pounding in her chest. 'What if I get expelled?' She thought. It didn't matter how many times Ron and Harry reassured her, she just couldn't stop herself from thinking about the worst possible outcomes.

Of everything she had done since they embarked on this plan, this was the worst part, the waiting. Knowing the Axe would fall, but not when, and what would happen to her after that.

"It's going to be ok, Hermione," Harry said comfortingly. "You're going to get through this. We're not going to just abandon you."

"I know. Thank you," Hermione said, not looking up from the fire, but comforted by their words none the less. Oddly, the thought of Harry and Ron abandoning her had never crossed her mind. After everything they'd been through together, she couldn't imagine them abandoning her, or her abandoning them. "I just… I want this to be over."

Ron nodded in understanding. "I know. Getting caught is always the worst part, but you'll get through this," he promised.

Hermione was about to reply when the portrait door swung open, and the Headmaster, along with Professor McGonagall, stepped inside. She didn't have to fake the look of dread on her face as her head of house locked eyes with her.

Minerva looked around the common room, immediately spotting Hermione and Harry sitting beside the fire with Ron. As soon as she saw the look on Hermione's face, she knew. She couldn't stop the swell of disappointment in her chest as she realized the truth. 'She really did it,' she thought in shock.

She looked over at Harry next, but didn't see the same look of guilt on his face. She could tell he wasn't surprised to see her, or the Headmaster, and probably knew the reason they were there. 'Could Granger have confessed to him what she did?' She thought, remembering how they seemed to set aside their animosity not too long ago.

"Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, there is a matter of utmost importance we must discus with you in my office," Albus said, leaving no room for discussion.

He had been less than pleased when Minerva came to him with this troubling news, especially after sitting on the information for as long as she had. It put him in a delicate position with the board of governors and the Ministry, leaving him very little room to maneuver.

Cheating on this scale was brazen, even for the son of Lucius Malfoy. He didn't know what these children were thinking, even contemplating such a foolish idea, but in crisis one often found opportunity, he reminded himself.

If he played his cards right, he could mend fences with Harry. Surely the boy would be grateful to him for getting him out of this mess, perhaps even enough to even thaw their frosty relationship.

The walk back to the Headmaster's office was a quiet one. No one felt the need to speak as they each gathered their thoughts.

Hermione stuck close to Harry, comforted by his presence, and relived that she wouldn't have to have this conversation on her own. She could tell Professor McGonagall knew she stole the test. The look of disappointment on her face made that abundantly clear, but she wasn't prepared for the emotional gut punch it delivered at the same time.

When they arrived in the office, they found Draco along with Professor Snape already there waiting for them. From the look in Snape's eyes, she knew he was already told what this was about.

"Have a seat," Albus said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk as he sat down in his own chair. "Something has been brought to my attention that involves all three of you. I think you know what this is about," he said, looking at each of the first years in turn. "Who would like to begin?" He asked.

"Actually, I don't, Professor," Harry said, projecting a look of confusion on his face, grateful for his occlumency lessons, and how they helped him to hide his emotions.

"I don't know what you're talking about either," Draco said, but with far less conviction than Harry managed. He knew he was guilty, and he needed to appear that way, but when he spoke, he realized he wasn't acting. He was genuinely nervous about this meeting, and couldn't stop the tremble in his voice as he spoke.

Hermione said nothing, gluing her eyes to the floor, not trusting herself to speak at all.

Severus looked back and forth between the three students in disgust, especially his own godson. He couldn't understand why any of them would do something so foolish, but he tapped down his anger, knowing that it would only hurt Draco's chances to get out of this if he said something now.

Albus let out a sigh, projecting his disappointment, "very well. There's been an accusation made, one that I, along with your heads of house, found credible. The department of education has ordered the search of your school trunks," he said. "What do you suppose we will find?" He asked, studying their faces carefully, as the house-elves delivered the student's trunks.

Hermione refused to look up from the ground, unable to stop the tears from falling as her shoulders shook. The guilt that had been eating at her for the last few days had finally caught up with her. She had never wanted it to go this far and had never meant for Professor McGonagall to be punished alongside her and Draco.

"Search our trunks?" Draco asked, feigning disbelief. "You're not allowed to do that! Wait till my father hears about this!"

"Mr. Malfoy," Severus said, clamping his hand down on his godson's shoulder. "Be silent."

Draco looked up at Professor Snape in surprise, falling silent. His godfather had never spoken to him this way before.

"Is there anyone that would like to go first?" Albus asked, seeing if they would give anything else away by their reactions. He could already tell Hermione and Draco were guilty, but Harry looked surprisingly calm.

A perfect score on the Ministry standardized test had never happened to his recollection. 'Could he have actually done it?' Albus thought curiously.

"I'll go first. I have nothing to hide," Harry said, standing up and opening his trunk first. "Then maybe you can tell us what this is all about, Professor."

Albus looked through Harry's trunk, finding his school books, clothes, and a little spending money, but nothing out of the ordinary for a first year. He frowned internally, his hopes of finding something he could hold over the boy dashed. "Alright, everything here seems in order," he said, hoping something would come to light after he searched Granger and Malfoy's trunks.

"Would anyone else like to volunteer?" Albus asked, not surprised when Hermione and Draco remained silent.

"Miss Granger, if you would," Albus said, gesturing to her trunk next.

Hermione got up on shaky feet, keeping her head down as she opened her trunk, then sat back down, returning her eyes to the ground.

Albus went through the trunk, finding the expected books, and other personal items, before he found what he was looking for at the bottom of her trunk. He pulled out the sheet of parchment, handing it to Minerva.

Minerva took the parchment, already knowing what she would find written on it. "The transfiguration test," she said, feeling another pang of disappointment now that she had the proof to back up her intuition.

"Miss Granger, do you care to explain what this test is doing in your school trunk?" Albus asked, keeping his tone even as he waited for a reaction from the girl.

Hermione shook her head as she continued to cry silently, unable to bring herself to say the words she needed to. She had never felt so small in all her life, or as embarrassed. 'If only I listed to Harry and Ron when they warned me about Andre,' she thought. 'Then I wouldn't be in this mess.'

"Hermione?" Harry asked, knowing his friend was in distress, but knowing she had to go through this to make the professors her. "What's going on?"

Hermione looked up at Harry, instantly realizing what he was doing, and why. "…I cheated," she confessed, grateful for his assistance. "…I stole the test," she added, feeling a weight lift off her chest now that all of it was out in the open.

"Why?" Harry asked, feigning confusion. "You would have passed the test on your own. You didn't need to do this."

"It wasn't about passing the test," Hermione denied sharply before softening her tone. "It was about the student ranking," she said, blurring the lines between the truth and the plan they had come up with. "Every day I fall further and further behind you. I knew that after this test I wouldn't have a chance of catching up to you, and you know what? I was right," she said, rubbing her eyes. "It didn't matter how much I studied, how far ahead I read, you were always three steps ahead of me! I just thought…" she said, her voice cracking. "I thought, if I could just beat you one time, it would be enough, that I would be enough. That people would see me too, and just… give me a fraction of the opportunities they give you."

"…Hermione," Harry said in surprise, his jaw dropping open. He had never expected Hermione to say something like that, but when he looked at her, he knew she believed it. "That's… I don't know what to say," he confessed.

Hermione looked at her friend, having unloaded all her pent-up emotions and insecurities on him in one fell swoop, feeling a fresh wave of guild for putting her friend in that position.

"I didn't know…" Harry said, his voice thick with emotion as well.

Minerva looked back and forth between her students, not expecting the outpouring of emotions either. She was still furious with Hermione for doing what she did, and putting her in the position she did, but she couldn't help but question the efficacy of the student ranking system and the pressure it put on the students. 'But the ranking system had been in place for as long as I can remember,' she thought. 'How could it be the problem?'

Draco remained silent as he thought about Hermione's outburst, wondering the same thing. It was no secret. He also felt the pressure to perform well in the rankings, and a trunk full of letters from his father telling him to get the top spot in the ranking by whatever means necessary.

"That leaves you Mr. Malfoy," Albus said after a moment's pause.

Draco looked at the Headmaster, before looking away again, knowing what he had to do. He stood up and unlocked his trunk, sitting back down without a word.

Albus looked through the trunk and unsurprisingly found another copy of the transfiguration test at the bottom of his trunk.

Albus placed the test on his desk. "Do you have anything to say to explain yourself?" he asked.

"I have nothing to say," Draco said, crossing his arms, remembering what Weasley said about confessing too quickly.

Albus looked at all three students for a moment, seeing if they had anything else to add before speaking. "I'll write a letter to Lord Niven about our findings. He'll be here in the morning to question you and determine what actions to take."

Hermione looked up at the Headmaster in surprise. She had hoped he would hand out the punishments tonight, and she could put all this behind her. "…What will he do?" Hermione asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"That is up to Lord Niven, Miss Granger," Minerva replied tersely. "Your punishment could range anywhere from a deduction of house points and detentions to expulsion. There is no precedent for what you've done."

"I'll write a letter to my father," Draco declared. "He'll be here in the morning and clear up this misunderstanding."

"I think you'll find, Mr. Malfoy, that your father has very little say in the actions of the Department of Education. When Lord Niven arrives, you'll be informed and we will reconvene in my office," Albus said, dismissing them.

Severus watched his godson leave, a look of worry on his face. The accusation was bad enough, but the test in Draco's trunk had truly surprised him, and complicated things. With the board of education involved, he doubted even Lucius could get his son out of this without a steep punishment.

 ***

When Harry and Hermione arrived in the common room, they could immediately tell something was different as the hush fell over the students when they walked through the door.

Hermione took one look at her classmate's faces before she made a beeline for the stairs, hiding her face as she went to her dorm room.

It didn't stop the other students from surrounding Harry and pestering him with questions about what happened, and why they had been gone for so long.

"I know you all want to know what that was about," Harry said for the benefit of his classmates, "but I have nothing to say about it, and neither does Hermione, so please respect our privacy."

It seemed to do the trick as the students returned to their previous conversations if somewhat reluctantly, but Harry knew it was only temporary. Tomorrow, everything would be out in the open, and there would be no hiding from any of it. He could only hope Hermione and Draco were prepared to face it.

Ron caught his eye and nodded to the stairs before going to the first years dorm room.

Harry followed his friend up the stairs and checked to make sure no one else was in the dorm before he turned to face Ron.

"Did it work?" Ron asked eagerly.

"I think so," Harry replied. "They searched our trunks, just like you said they would. They found the tests, and believe they stole them."

"That's great!" Ron smiled. "The study group will have to cut ties with them after everyone finds out."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, but without the same enthusiasm as his friend.

"What's the matter?" Ron asked, the smile dropping from his face. "This was the plan from the beginning. It went off without a hitch."

"I know," Harry agreed, "but you didn't have to see the look on Hermione's face after they searched her trunk. Lord Niven from the department of education is coming to Hogwarts tomorrow. He's going to decide what punishments to hand out to Hermione and Draco… They said that expulsion was a possibility."

"Expulsion? Are you sure?" Ron asked in alarm, never expecting it to go that far.

"That's what they said," Harry confirmed.

"Well, Draco's dad will get them out of it," Ron replied, trying to sound confident. "He's not going to let his son get expelled."

"I'm not so sure about that," Harry replied honestly. "The Headmaster didn't seem to think he would be able to do very much about it."

Ron sighed, feeling guilty despite the success of the plan. He had never expected things to go this far. At most he expected Hermione to get docked a bunch of house points, and sit through a month or two of detentions, not expulsion.