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he　might　have　got　full　marks　on　the　question　about　Polyjuice　Potion；　he　could　describe　its　effects　accurately；　having　taken　it　illegally　in　his　second　year。
　　　The　afternoon　practical　was　not　as　dreadful　as　he　had　expected　it　to　be。　With　Snape　absent　from　the　proceedings；　he　found　that　he　was　much　more　relaxed　than　he　usually　was　while　making　potions。　Neville；　who　was　sitting　very　near　Harry；　also　looked　happier　than　Harry　had　ever　seen　him　during　a　Potions　class。　When　Professor　Marchbanks　said；　'Step　away　from　your　cauldrons；　please；　the　examination　is　over；'　Harry　corked　his　sample　flask　feeling　that　he　might　not　have　achieved　a　good　grade　but　he　had；　with　luck；　avoided　a　fail。
　　　'Only　four　exams　left；'　said　Parvati　Patil　wearily　as　they　headed　back　to　Gryffindor　mon　room。
　　　'Only！'　said　Hermione　snappishly。　'I've　got　Arithmancy　and　it's　probably　the　toughest　subject　there　is！'
　　　
　　　Nobody　was　foolish　enough　to　snap　back；　so　she　was　unable　to　vent　her　spleen　on　any　of　them　and　was　reduced　to　telling　off　some　first…years　for　giggling　too　loudly　in　the　mon　room。
　　　Harry　was　determined　to　perform　well　in　Tuesdays　Care　of　Magical　Creatures　exam　so　as　not　to　let　Hagnd　down。　The　practical　examination　took　place　in　the　afternoon　on　the　lawn　on　the　edge　of　the　Forbidden　Forest；　where　students　were　required　to　correctly　identify　the　Knarl　hidden　among　a　dozen　hedgehogs　（the　trick　was　to　offer　them　all　milk　in　turn：　Knarls；　highly　suspicious　creatures　whose　quills　had　many　magical　properties；　generally　went　berserk　at　what　they　saw　as　an　attempt　to　poison　them）；　then　demonstrate　correct　handling　of　a　Bowtruckle；　feed　and　clean　out　a　Fire　Crab　without　sustaining　serious　burns；　and　choose；　from　a　wide　selection　of　food；　the　diet　they　would　give　a　sick　unicorn。
　　　Harry　could　see　Hagrid　watching　anxiously　out　of　his　cabin　window。　When　Harry's　examiner；　a　plump　little　witch　this　time；　smiled　at　him　and　told　him　he　could　leave；　Harry　gave　Hagrid　a　fleeting　thumbs…up　before　heading　back　to　the　castle。
　　　The　Astronomy　theory　paper　on　Wednesday　morning　went　well　enough。　Harry　was　not　convinced　he　had　got　the　names　of　all　Jupiter's　moons　right；　but　was　at　least　confident　that　none　of　them　was　inhabited　by　mice。　They　had　to　wait　until　evening　for　their　practical　Astronomy；　the　afternoon　was　devoted　instead　to　Divination。
　　　Even　by　Harry's　low　standards　in　Divination；　the　exam　went　very　badly。　He　might　as　well　have　tried　to　see　moving　pictures　on　the　desktop　as　in　the　stubbornly　blank　crystal　ball；　he　lost　his　head　pletely　during　tea…leaf　reading；　saying　it　looked　to　him　as　though　Professor　Marchbanks　would　shortly　be　meeting　a　round；　dark；　soggy　stranger；　and　rounded　off　the　whole　fiasco　by　mixing　up　the　life　and　head　lines　on　her　palm　and　informing　her　that　she　ought　to　have　died　the　previous　Tuesday。
　　　'Well；　we　were　always　going　to　fail　that　one；'　said　Ron　gloomily　as　they　ascended　the　marble　staircase。　He　had　just　made　Harry　feel　rather　better　by　telling　him　how　he　had　told　the　examiner　in　detail　about　the　ugly　man　with　a　wart　on　his　nose　in　his　crystal　ball；　only　to　look　up　and　realise　he　had　been　describing　his　examiner's　reflection。
　　　'We　shouldn't　have　taken　the　stupid　subject　in　the　first　place；'　said　Harry。
　　　'Still；　at　least　we　can　give　it　up　now。'
　　　
　　　'Yeah；'　said　Harry。　'No　more　pretending　we　care　what　happens　when　Jupiter　and　Uranus　get　too　friendly。'
　　　
　　　'And　from　now　on；　I　don't　care　if　my　tea…leaves　spell　die；　Ron；　die　…　I'm　just　chucking　them　in　the　bin　where　they　belong。'
　　　
　　　Harry　laughed　just　as　Hermione　came　running　up　behind　them。　He　stopped　laughing　at　once；　in　case　it　annoyed　her。
　　　'Well；　I　think　I've　done　all　right　in　Arithmancy'　she　said；　and　Harry　and　Ron　both　sighed　with　relief。　'Just　time　for　a　quick　look　over　our　star…charts　before　dinner；　then：〃
　　　
　　　When　they　reached　the　top　of　the　Astronomy　Tower　at　eleven　o'clock；　they　found　a　perfect　night　for　stargazing；　cloudless　and　still。　The　grounds　were　bathed　in　silvery　moonlight　and　there　was　a　slight　chill　in　the　air。　Each　of　them　set　up　his　or　her　telescope　and；　when　Professor　Marchbanks　gave　the　word；　proceeded　to　fill　in　the　blank　star…chart　they　had　been　given。
　　　Professors　Marchbanks　and　Tofty　strolled　among　them；　watching　as　they　entered　the　precise　positions　of　the　stars　and　planets　they　were　observing。　All　was　quiet　except　for　the　rustle　of　parchment；　the　occasional　creak　of　a　telescope　as　it　was　adjusted　on　its　stand；　and　the　scribbling　of　many　quills。　Half　an　hour　passed；　then　an　hour；　the　little　squares　of　reflected　gold　light　flickering　on　the　ground　below　started　to　vanish　as　lights　in　the　castle　windows　were　extinguished。
　　　As　Harry　pleted　the　constellation　Orion　on　his　chart；　however；　the　front　doors　of　the　castle　opened　directly　below　the　parapet　where　he　was　standing；　so　that　light　spilled　down　the　stone　steps　a　little　way　across　the　lawn。　Harry　glanced　down　as　he　made　a　slight　adjustment　to　the　position　of　his　telescope　and　saw　five　or　six　elongated　shadows　moving　over　the　brightly　lit　grass　before　the　doors　swung　shut　and　the　lawn　became　a　sea　of　darkness　once　more。
　　　Harry　put　his　eye　back　to　his　telescope　and　refocused　it；　now　examining　Venus。　He　looked　down　at　his　chart　to　enter　the　planet　there；　but　something　distracted　him；　pausing　with　his　quill　suspended　over　the　parchment；　he　squinted　down　into　the　shadowy　grounds　and　saw　half　a　dozen　figures　walking　over　the　lawn。　If　they　had　not　been　moving；　and　the　moonlight　had　not　been　gilding　the　tops　of　their　heads；　they　would　have　been　indistinguishable　from　the　dark　ground　on　which　they　walked。　Even　at　this　distance；　Harry　had　a　funny　feeling　he　recognised　the　walk　of　the　squattest　of　them；　who　seemed　to　be　leading　the　group。
　　　He　could　not　think　why　Umbridge　would　be　taking　a　stroll　outside　after　midnight；　much　less　acpanied　by　five　others。　Then　somebody　coughed　behind　him；　and　he　remembered　that　he　was　halfway　through　an　exam。　He　had　quite　forgotten　Venus's　position。　Jamming　his　eye　to　his　telescope；　he　found　it　again　and　was　once　more　about　to　enter　it　on　his　chart　when；　alert　for　any　odd　sound；　he　heard　a　distant　knock　which　echoed　through　the　deserted　grounds；　followed　immediately　by　the　muffled　barking　of　a　large　dog。
　　　He　looked　up；　his　heart　hammering。　There　were　lights　on　in　Hagrid's　windows　and　the　people　he　had　observed　crossing　the　lawn　were　now　silhouetted　against　them。　The　door　opened　and　he　distinctly　saw　six　sharply　defined　figures　walk　over　the　threshold。　The　door　closed　again　and　there　was　silence。
　　　Harry　felt　very　uneasy。　He　glanced　around　to　see　whether　Ron　or　Hermione　had　noticed　what　he　had；　but　Professor　Marchbanks　came　walking　behind　him　at　that　moment　and；　not　wanting　to　look　as　though　he　was　sneaking　looks　at　anyone　else's　work；　Harry　hastily　bent　over　his　star…chart　and　pretended　to　be　adding　notes　to　it　while　really　peering　over　the　top　of　the　parapet　towards　Hagrid's　cabin。　Figures　were　now　moving　across　the　cabin　windows；　temporarily　blocking　the　light。
　　　He　could　feel　Professor　Marchbanks's　eyes　on　the　back　of　his　neck　and　pressed　his　eye　again　to　his　telescope；　staring　up　at　the　moon　though　he　had　marked　its　position　an　hour　ago；　but　as　Professor　Marchbanks　moved　on　he　heard　a　roar　from　the　distant　cabin　that　echoed　through　the　darkness　right　to　the　top　of　the　Astronomy　Tower。　Several　of　the　people　around　Harry　ducked　out　from　behind　their　telescopes　and　peered　instead　in　the　direction　of　Hagrid's　cabin。
　　　Professor　Tofty　gave　another　dry　little　cough。
　　　Try　and　concentrate；　now；　boys　and　girls；'　he　said　softly。
　　　Most　people　returned　to　their　telescopes。　Harry　looked　to　his　left。　Hermione　was　gazing　transfixed　at　Hagrid's　cabin。
　　　'Ahem　…　twenty　minutes　to　go；'　said　Professor　Tofty。
　　　Hermione　jumped　and　returned　at　once　to　her　star…chart；　Harry　looked　down　at　his　own　and　noticed　that　he　had　mis…labelled　Venus　as　Mars。　He　bent　to　correct　it。
　　　There　was　a　loud　BANG　from　the　grounds。　Several　people　cried　'Ouch！'　when　they　poked　themselves　in　the　face　with　the　ends　of　their　telescopes　as　they　hastened　to　see　what　was　going　on　below。
　　　Hagrid's　door　had　burst　open　and　by　the　light　flooding　out　of　the　cabi