35 Chapter 17 - Day of Execution

If there was one good thing that came out of that day, it was that Hermione and Ron managed to make up. But that happiness was brought along other changes.

Namely Hermione herself.

Because of her excessive use of the time turner, she's been losing a lot of sleep. Vincent's supply has been emptied and would take a while before he's able to make some more. Hermione has started to miss some lessons and even lost her temper in Divination, something that surprised Vincent when he heard, especially when she quit a class.

Being on a short fuse also prompted her to do things she normally wouldn't do...

...Namely slapping Malfoy.

"...seriously can't believe she did that," Vincent exclaimed to Ron as they walked around Hogsmeade with Arnya trailing behind carrying a few bottles of butterbear

"She really needs to cut back on her studies," said Ron, looking at some newspaper with the front page being about Sirius Black. "Think they'll catch him soon?"

Vincent didn't seem to hear, looking extremely out of it.

"Hello? Vince?" Vincent snapped out of his daze as Ron patted him on the back. "You ok bud?"

"Yeah, just fine," Vincent tried to calm all the thoughts raging in his head. "If I don't get Peter, how can I help Sirius. No, what can I say to Sister An? And Hagrid, is there anything I can do? Peter, Sirius, Hagrid, Sister An, am I really doing everything I can to help?"

"No, no, calm down," Vincent shook his head of all negative thoughts. He took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh. "Maybe I should create a stress relief potion or something?"

He didn't notice Arnya's gaze throughout that sigh.

As they passed the post office, Vincent had his attention on a certain red envelope.

"This is a howler right?" he asked Ron who shivered.

"I still have bad memories of that thing," he muttered, only to raise an eyebrow as Vincent purchased it. "What are you getting that for?"

"Just out of interest," Vincent said in an offhand manner.

The next week was hell for all of the third years with exams coming up. Hermione had it the worse with her juggling all her subjects to the point where she was on the verge of tears a majority of the time.

Harry on the other hand had his own Quidditch game to prepare for. The final match in fact was coming up and he, along with his team, were going through absolute hellish training to the point where Harry instantly blacked out the moment he hit the bed. There were times when the Slytherins had tried to trip him up, only to have it stomped on by Vincent.

The night before the match, the whole tower were all feeling the pressure of the last Quidditch match, the team especially was noisy with the main attraction in the room being Fred and George cracking jokes. Even Hermione couldn't concentrate.

Vincent just finished writing before he sat down, letting his tired face show. With every day that went by, his doubt just grew. He had just poured himself a glass of water from the silver jug beneath the window when a voice called him from behind.

"Vince?"

He turned around to see Harry without his glasses. Pouring another glass, he offered it to Harry who gratefully accepted it. "Trouble sleeping?"

"Yeah, you?" Harry sat down on another seat.

Vincent just nodded as Harry couldn't see his tired expression properly without the glasses. "You'll do fine, seriously."

"Yeah, everyone keeps saying that, can't help feeling nervous," Harry said sheepishly.

"Fair enough," Vincent noticed Harry, as he looked out the window, frown. Following his gaze Vincent froze, seeing Crookshanks trotting to into the forest.

"Please don't be there Sirius, please don't be there Sirius, please don't be there—Really?!" Vincent cursed in his head as Harry retrieved his glasses, seeing Crookshanks meet a large black shaggy dog that appeared across the lawn.

"Th-that's the dog I saw on that night," Harry muttered before turning to Vincent who had his eyes on his glass as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Vince, do you see it?!"

"See what?" Vincent coughed.

"Out there—" Harry pointed only for Sirius and Crookshanks to have vanished from view.

"Harry, your tired, get some rest," Vincent advised, faking a yawn of some sort. "I'm heading to bed as well."

Harry just furrowed his brows as he looked around the grounds, giving up moments later. He turned around and frowned, seeing Vincent's face that looked exhausted and stressed beyond belief.

"V-Vince, you ok?" he asked with some worry.

Vincent got up and made his way to his bed. "Yeah, just fine. Go to bed Harry."

He entered his sheets, only falling asleep once he heard Harry's snores.

...

"Captains, shake hands!" said Madam Hooch.

Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other's hand very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other's fingers.

"Mount your brooms!" said Madam Hooch. "Three... two... one..."

Vincent flipped over a steak before looking up at the players zipping around the air. "Dobby, make sure you do it like that. Then do the sandwich like how I taught you."

"Yes, sir!" Dobby saluted as he snapped his fingers, making several steaks flip over. He noticed Nyx and Blimp snacking nearby and greeted the two. "Oh, hello Mistress Nyx and little Blimp. Hope you enjoy your meal."

The whole stadium deafening with their cheers as Gryffindor waved their red and golden banners while Slytherin did the same with their emerald green banners. Vincent could see Professor Snape wearing a grim smile, obviously hoping for the demise of Gryffindor.

Honestly, Vincent couldn't comment on the game. If it wasn't for the commentary from Lee Jordan, he wouldn't even know what was going on.

"Come on, Alicia! YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"

"Course, Wood's a superb Keeper! Superb! Very difficult to pass — very difficult indeed — YES! I DON'TBELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!"

"Ha haaa! Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt! And it'sGryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle — Flint alongside her — poke himin the eye, Angelina! — it was a joke, Professor, it was a joke — oh no — Flint in possession,Flint flying toward the Gryffindor goal posts, come on now, Wood, save —!"

"YOU CHEATING SCUM! YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B—"

"..." Vincent could only silently stare at the commentary box. "Yeah, still don't get what's going on."

Vincent was actually glad for the noise, it distracted him from all the recent events that had happened and the worries he accumulated.

"How's the sandwich Arnya?" he asked.

Arnya took a bite out of her food and just nodded to Vincent.

"That's good to know."

Suddenly, the crowd went quiet, as if everyone had stopped breathing. Vincent too focused on the field as he noticed Malfoy diving, with a look of triumph on his face, towards a small golden glimmer.

"Come'on Harry," Vincent muttered as even Dobby stopped cooking to watch his idol zip towards the snitch.

Harry was miles behind Malfoy, going full throttle to catch up, speeding as fast as a bullet. He was gaining on him, bit by bit. Everyone was tense, would Malfoy get it first, or will Harry manage to pull it off.

The two of them were neck and neck with Malfoy's hand about to grasp the snitch, just milliseconds away from winning the game, only for Harry to take both hands off his broom, knocking Malfoy's hands out of the way.

"Did he get it?" whispered a nervous Neville who was on the edge of his seat as Harry pulled out of the dive.

Harry rose above the quiet stadium before holding his hand in the air.

With that, the stadium exploded into cheers as Harry zoomed across the crowd, showing off the snitch, still beating it's wings in his hands.

"Harry Potter won! Harry Potter won! Dobby must tell other house elves the wondrous news!" Dobby cheered.

"Yeah, he did indeed," Vincent smiled as Harry was swarmed by his teammates. He turned around to start packing up when he noticed, in the very corner of the stadium, a small flash of black fur. Something so small and almost impossible to spot, Vincent almost missed it.

...

During the next few weeks, students were forcing themselves to study, hoping to cram everything into their heads for the exams. Vincent was easily the least worried about it with Hermione being the most. One could say it was due to him having other things to think about, not to mention that he was pretty confident on his exams. Potions, Care of Magical Classes, Muggle Studies, Ancient Studies, Herbology, and Defence Against the Dark Arts. Although as he was a Muggle, he was told to do the Defence Against the Dark Arts by means of a written test.

"Well done Vincent!" Lupin told Vincent after his solo written test. "Looking at these answers, you wouldn't be able to tell that it was written by a Muggle."

"Thank you sir," Vincent, while happy with his success, couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that he wouldn't face the challenges that the other students were taking.

It was an obstacle course that consisted of multiple monsters that Lupin had taught them about during the year. Vincent really wanted to have a go at it, but was held back due to being a Muggle.

"Why don't Muggles and Wizards co-exist?" the thought past his mind for a brief moment, only for it to be tossed to the back of his brain for later thinking.

As he waited for his friends, Vincent went over his notes, noting what he did right and how he could have improved. He noticed Arnya watching the test and questioned her. "Want to have a go?"

"Can I shoot them?" she asked pulling out her guns, scaring the living daylights out of all the nearby muggle-borns.

"...No."

The only thing that caught Vincent's attention during the tests was Hermione's outburst after her encounter with the Boggart. She burst out crying, making Professor Lupin and others startled.

"Hermione, what's the matter?" he asked.

"P-P-Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped between her sobs. "Sh-she said I failed everything!"

Hermione took a while before she calmed down. Getting ahold of herself, the group all made their way back to the castle, only to bump into a familier man in his usual pinstriped cloak.

"Hello there, Harry, ah, and Vince!" he said, catching sight of the group. "Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?"

"Yes," the two boys greeted them as the rest stayed silent, having never talked with the Minister of Magic.

"Lovely day, pity...pity," Fudge muttered as he glanced over the scenery of the Black Lake.

"I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad Hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in."

"Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Ron interrupted, stepping forward.

"No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon," said Fudge, looking curiously at Ron.

Two wizards came through the castle doors behind him. One was soancient he appeared to be withering before their very eyes; the other was tall and strapping, with a thin back mustache. The group gathered that they were representatives of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, because the very old wizard squinted toward Hagrid's cabin and said in a feeble voice, "Dear, dear, I'm getting too old for this... Two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?"

As Hermoine nudged them towards the Great Hall the group Vincent looked back with his heart sinking at the sight of Fudge's group approaching Hagrid's hut.

...

...AUTHORS NOTE...

Been a bit...odd during the past week with the virus going around.

I don't have a job for the time being so I might just spend some time on this and my other book. (My RWBY fanfic, if you'd like to check out)

Well, as always, thank you guys for reading, I hope that you all keep safe.

See you guys next time!