Chapter 41
Hermione," Weasley demanded loudly from in front of Seamus, Dean, Neville, Luna, Harry and the other fourth-year Slytherins, "who are you going to the ball with?"
"I'm not telling you," the girl replied haughtily, "you'll just make fun of me."
"Most likely someone who can stand her 'I'm-better-than-you-because-I-think-I'm-smarter-than-you' attitude," Harry drawled, making his friends laugh.
"Shut up, Potter!" Weasley snarled. "Hermione is smarter than everyone except the teachers and McGonagall!"
"Professor McGonagall," Granger corrected stiffly.
"Oh really?" Harry said sweetly. "Well then, she won't disagree to a little... competition."
"What?" Granger frowned.
"A test," said Harry, smirking. "You and I will take the same test, with the hardest questions possible. If you win... let's see... I'll let you borrow twelve of the books from the Potter vaults, of your choice, although I'm allowed to veto. If you lose, you will... hmm... Am, what do you think?"
"Tell Lavender Brown and Pansy her most hated secret," Tom replied at once, eyes glittering. Granger blanched.
Harry hid a grin. Apparently, Tom was vindictive in his hatred of those who had wronged his boyfriend....
"Deal," Granger said, her voice shaking slightly.
"Not just yet, Granger," Harry said coldly. "I want to make sure you don't cheat on the test."
"Cheat!" Weasley roared.
"We will both swear right now, by our magic, that we will not use any means to cheat -- that means that neither of us will stop the other's progress or do anything to have the correct answer by any means other than our knowledge," Harry ordered. "Agreed?"
"Agreed," Granger said.
"You'll lose, Potter!" Weasley growled.
Harry smiled. "Will I?" The look on his face caused Weasley to hesitate and Granger to scoff.
"Who will write the test?" Granger asked.
"The headmistress," Harry responded. Granger may not like the woman, because of her sexuality, but she trusted her.
The two reluctantly agreed, showing their disgust.
The vow was spoken and they parted.
"She's an idiot," Draco declared. "You've gotten higher marks on everything, including extra credit."
"Yet she still thinks she's more intelligent than I am, because she assumes I've been cheating," Harry sneered. Tom put a calming hand on his shoulder, and Harry relaxed. "This way, it will show the idiot that she is not the smartest person -- and that irritating red-head."
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The theme of "it's a complete secret, therefore, the whole school knows" continued, as Hogwarts was suddenly buzzing with Harry's challenge instead of the Yule Ball. The date of the test had been set by a reluctant but amused headmistress on the day of December 20th, right after lunch. They would have four hours to complete the test, which was written on enchanted paper -- it would grade itself the minute the finished answering the final question. The two tests would then be reviewed by McGonagall and her mysterious wife. (Harry had a hunch who it was, given the two women's closeness, but he wasn't 100% sure.)
Before the test began, Harry and Tom had their first study date -- well, it was supposed to be a study date, but it ended up being mostly snogging.
Finally, at noon, they went down to the Great Hall, followed by Slytherin House and Harry's friends from the other Houses. There, they found the students staying for the holidays, which, given the Yule Ball and the contest between Harry and Granger, was a lot more than usual. There was another table, much smaller, where Granger was already sitting, talking in low voices with Weasley. The staff were already present, a range of different expressions on their faces. Only Severus seemed disinterested in the proceedings.
McGonagall straightened when Harry and the Slytherins entered. "Ah, Mr. Potter," she said briskly. "We will begin the test when you have eaten."
Harry nodded and joined his House at the table.
Fifteen minutes later, he was seated across from Granger. McGonagall stood, causing the excited whispering to stop abruptly, and marched over to the two. She then placed two long scrolls of parchment in front of them.
"You may begin," she said once they had their tests. "Mr. Weasley, sit down."
Weasley scowled but marched over to the table, sitting between Brown and McLaggen.
Granger instantly dipped her quill into the parchment and started writing. Harry, however, read over the questions before beginning.
(I am REALLY bad at tests, so I'm leaving it to your imaginations.)
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Three hours later, Harry was boredly eyeing the clock. He had finished half an hour earlier, and Granger hadn't gotten halfway through the test. She had an incredibly frustrated look on her face.
Harry glanced around the Hall. A majority of the Gryffindors had gotten bored ten minutes in and had vanished; only Weasley, Lee Jordan, Dean, and Seamus remained. The same happened with the Hufflepuffs, minus Cedric Diggory and Neville, half an hour later, and all the Ravenclaws except Luna two hours in. Harry had allowed the Slytherins to leave as soon as he'd finished, but his boyfriend, adopted brothers, and the fourth-year Slytherins had stubbornly remained. All of the staff remained as well, except for the Muggle Studies teacher, Sprout, Sinistra, and Hooch, who had probably gone to keep an eye on the rest of the student body.
An hour passed in the most brutally boring manner Harry had ever experienced. Finally, McGonagall said, "Quill down, Miss Granger."
Granger jumped, then looked horrified. Harry assumed it was because she hadn't finished a test. It took a great effort not to burst into laughter.
"Poppy, if you will," McGonagall said, her expression as stern as always but her eyes warm. Madam Pomfrey -- McGonagall, Harry corrected himself -- stood up and walked over to her wife.
Ten minutes passed as the two women whispered over the test. McGonagall began to look astonished as she looked over Harry's test. The mediwitch just looked faintly amused.
Granger began pacing and wringing her hands together. Her expression was pale. Harry merely sighed, causing muffled snickers from the remaining Slytherins.
McGonagall and her wife looked up at the two of them after a moment. "Mr. Potter has gotten every question correct," she said faintly.
Granger blanched. "That's impossible," she breathed.
"It's true, Miss Granger," the mediwitch said briskly. "You, I'm afraid, only answered a fourth of the ones you answered correctly. Which means Mr. Potter has the higher grade."
"What!" Granger shrieked, causing Harry to wince. "Only a fourth-! That's impossible!"
"Miss Granger," McGonagall sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"Potter must have cheated!"
"I would be a Squib if I had," Harry said coldly, causing Remus to whimper and half the people in the Hall to cower. He pulled out his wand a cast a Lumos. "We took a vow, Granger. I still have my magic, as you can see."
Granger gaped at him, pale. Then her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed to the floor. Which caused roars of laughter from the Slytherins and Sirius. Remus swatted him.
The Black Knights:
King: Anguis (Harry)
Queen: Amber (Tom)
Rooks: Alpha (Remus) & Shere Khan (Regulus)
Knights: General Shen (Draco) & Prince (Severus)
Bishops: Samwise (Neville) & Redbeard (Seamus)
Higher Pawns: Morgan (Luna; seer); Grim (Sirius; Guard); Oberon (Fred; Creator); Puck (George; Creator); Shadow (Kingsley, Recruiter); Blackbeard (Dean, Creator); Venom (Blaise, Stealth); Khepri (Skeeter, Spy); Hathi (Winston, Wandmaker); Howl (Cedric, Sleeper Agent, Ministry); Kaa (Viktor, Sleeper Agent, Bulgarian Ministry of Magic); Siren (Fleur, Sleeper, Veela) Scarlet (Charlie, Dragon Trainer)
Lower Pawns: Storm (Minerva McGonagall-Pomfrey); Thunder (Poppy McGonagall-Pomfrey)
Junior Marauders:
Leader: Harry (Scales)
Members: Tom (Red); Remus (Moony); Sirius (Padfoot); Regulus (Stripes); Severus (Snarl); Draco (Albino); Neville (Fuzzy); Seamus (Bandit); Luna (Radish); Fred (Flame); George (Sparky); Kingsley (Don); Dean (Tarzan); Blaise (Strike); Winston (Gray); Cedric (Loyal); Viktor (Regal); Fleur (Blaze); Charlie (Nuts)
Minerva's Animagus form is a tabby cat, and Poppy's is a Thunderbird. I was going to name Minerva's Lightning, but her cat looks more like a stormcloud.