Exam Pressures

"What you all were thinking? Running in the Hogwarts grounds at midnight? Especially when there were Aurors, who were stunning right and left without looking?" Snape hissed.

Chris, Ginny and Colin were standing in Snape's Office. The shadowy walls of the office were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of things. The fireplace was dark and empty. Chris stared hard at the dark place, ignoring Snape. Her anger was still burning inside her.

When Snape realized no one was going to answer him he sneered.

"Detention," he said softly. "And I will give you something very good as punishment, so you don't go around in the dark —"

Chris lost her patience.

"She chased Hagrid out of Hogwarts," shrieked Chris looking back at Snape. "They stunned Professor McGonagall! For heaven's sake Professor, do you really think some kind of Detention will scare us anymore?"

"Professor McGonagall," said Snape coldly. "Is sent St. Mungo's and she will recover —"

"Why didn't you help her? Why didn't you help them? You are an order member too," hissed Chris.

"Because unfortunately I am burdened with the responsibility of keeping you arrogant, mediocre, attention-seeking, stupid children alive. I couldn't have saved you if I had gone to help Hagrid as McGonagall did."

Snape's voice rung through the silent office. Chris stared at Snape, eyes wide.

After a moment Snape looked as though he was struggling to say the next words in anger and frustration.

"You will have detention for next five days," he said finally. "You will help Filch with cleaning and help Madam Pomfrey. Now OUT."

Ginny and Colin quickly reached the door but Chris still gazed at Snape for a few moments before following her friends out.

The common room was buzzing excitedly. Everyone was talking about the incident happened. Apparently, the fifth years had seen the entire commotion from the Astronomy tower and were telling the others about it.

"Ginny! Chris! Colin!"

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville came towards them. Several fifth years noticed Chris, Ginny and Colin too and started praising them. Hermione grabbed Chris and steered her in a corner.

"What were you doing?" She asked in a hushed voice.

"Are you alright?" Harry looked concerned.

"I am fine," Chris said dismissively. "I'm feeling sleepy, good night."

And she went to the girls' dormitory before anyone could say anything.

That night, Chris barely slept but in the morning when she heard Ginny waking up, she closed her eyes and pretend to be asleep. Chris wasn't felt like talking, she wanted to be left alone. Reasons unknown to her.

It was almost four o'clock when Ginny shook Chris hard, even though she was still pretending to be asleep.

"Chris, we have our detentions," sighed Ginny. "Get up."

"Alright," Chris said opening her eyes.

"You skipped the meals," Ginny said looking a little annoyed.

"Yeah, I wasn't feeling like leaving the bed," said Chris and started to get ready. "By the way, where is our first detention?"

"Hospital wing," Ginny replied.

Chris, Ginny and Colin arrived at the hospital wing and started working as Madam Pomfrey asked them to. Chris had her almost every detention with Madam Pomfrey so she was very habituated of the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey talked with them a little while working and mostly Ginny and Colin replied to her. Chris was doing her work silently when the door opened and an O.W.L.s examiner entered with an unconscious student.

"This student collapsed during the exams," said the O.W.L.s examiner.

Madam Pomfrey nodded knowingly and hurried to help the student.

As the examiner left Madam Pomfrey called Chris to bring the cooling potion. Chris found it and reached the student's bed to give it to Madam Pomfrey.

"Theodore?" Chris said, shocked.

Surely the unconscious student lying in the bed was Theodore Nott. But that didn't shock Chris, his appearance did. Theodore looked like a skeleton. His face was filled with lined and dark circles under his eyes.

"What happened to him, Madam Pomfrey?" Chris turned to Madam Pomfrey.

"I would say, exam pressure," sighed Madam Pomfrey. "Students do this all the time. They stop eating, sleeping and getting out for fresh air."

But Chris didn't think it was just exam pressure. She continued to help Madam Pomfrey as she fed Theodore a few potions. At last, she left but Chris made an excuse and stayed near Theodore.

Chris knew Theodore had returned from home just before the exams but she never met him after that till now.

Almost twenty minutes later, Theodore finally woke up.

"Hey! How are you feeling?" Chris asked.

"What? Where am I? What happened — oh!" Theodore wildly looked around and noticed the hospital wing. But he still looked surprised and skeptical. "What are you doing here?"

"Detention," said Chris. "But you didn't tell me how are you feeling? Should I call Madam Pomfrey?"

"No, I'm fine," Theodore mumbled. "I mean yes, call her."

Chris raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything else, and called Madam Pomfrey.

"You should rest now, exam stress is never good," Madam Pomfrey said checking Theodore. "I will bring your dinner here."

As she left Chris sat on the chair near Theodore's bed.

"Don't you have work to do?" Theodore staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah, I am doing it, right now," Chris replied casually. "So what happened? You are looking awful."

"As Madam Pomfrey said, exam stress," Theodore said.

"Exam stress?" Chris smiled. "Then why haven't you asked anything about your exam or the examiner or if you have finished the paper not?"

Theodore finally looked at Chris.

"I was — I knew — I have finished my exams."

"Sure," Chris nodded. "I think you forgot I hang out with Hermione, I know what exam stress looks like. Especially when you stop eating and sleeping for the sake of exam."

"What's your point, Chris?" Theodore said looking back at the ceiling.

"Theodore, I know something is going on with you from the beginning of this year and I want to help," sighed Chris. "I know your father works for — Him but I don't think you're bad. You are a friend, Theodore."

"I don't need a Mudblood as a friend," Theodore said coldly still without looking at Chris.

There were a few moments of silence then Colin called Chris. Chris stood up.

"If I haven't known you better I would have thought you said this just so I leave you alone," Chris gave Theodore a small smile, turn on her heels and left.

That evening the fifth and seventh year celebrated their freedom but Harry sat in the corner rubbing his face frequently.

"What's wrong, Harry? Are you okay?" Hermione asked looking concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Harry.

"People who are not fine keep saying that," said Chris absently watching the burning fireplace.

"And you know that because you are one of them," said Ginny.

"Ginny!" Colin nudged her.

"What? How long are we gonna ignore this, that clearly, these two are not alright, for heaven's sake," Ginny angrily pointed at Harry and Chris.

Chris finally snapped out of her daze.

"Wh-what?"

"What are you saying Ginny, I am perfectly — Arghh," Harry slapped his hands on his scar.

"Harry! Harry!"

"Hey, you okay?"

"Mate, you alright?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply but then suddenly fainted.

Several people came and surrounded them.

"What happened to Harry?" asked Neville.

"It's the same when he fainted in Professor Trelawney's office last year, clutching his scar," Ron said fearfully.

"We should get him out of here," said Chris urgently.

"Yeah, let's take him to Madam Pomfrey," said Hermione.

Ron and Colin heaved Harry from the floor and they all hurried out.

It was almost seven o'clock when Harry woke up with a start. Chris, Ginny, Colin, Ron and Hermione looked at him but before they could say something —

"They are about to kill her! They are about to kill all her family!"

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To be Continued. . .