Harry Potter: Shadow Eminence

Chapter 32

Brian listened attentively to Malfoy's story, mentally dissecting the circumstances.

"After we put out the fire in the Forbidden Forest, the big oaf took us to see the unicorn's body," Malfoy recounted. "It was truly heartbreaking; there was blood everywhere."

"I had really wanted to see a unicorn," Malfoy admitted, licking his lips. "I never thought my first encounter would be with a dead one."

"What happened next?" Brian's gaze was fixed on Malfoy's gray eyes.

"Then, the big oaf brought us back to the castle and just left us," Malfoy said in a slow drawl.

"Potter was still shaking on the way back; he must have been terrified."

"I had no idea Hogwarts could be this perilous!" Malfoy complained. "What if that monster made it into the castle?"

"Maybe he's someone already inside," Brian replied nonchalantly as he picked up his breakfast. "He has a wand and spells; he must be a wizard from the castle. After all, Hogwarts isn't just a place anyone can stroll into. He wears a black robe and a hood; likely, he doesn't always dwell in the Forbidden Forest."

"Are you suggesting that we've been sharing this place with that vicious guy?" Malfoy gasped incredulously.

"No, Brian, we need to get out of here," he said, clutching Brian's sleeve. "Let's transfer; anywhere is better, even Durmstrang. I don't want to live in fear of the Killing Curse!"

"Durmstrang isn't much safer," Brian remarked, glancing at him. "It's even more dangerous because Dumbledore isn't there, and they don't ban dark magic; those dark spells aren't far removed from the Killing Curse."

"I understand your fears, Draco," Brian said, looking earnestly at him. "Death is a dreadful concept, so we should appreciate the fragile peace we currently enjoy."

"I'm not scared," Malfoy insisted, raising his chin defiantly. "I just believe we shouldn't take unnecessary risks."

"No, you ought to confront it," Brian countered, shaking his head. "Taking lives without a thought is one of the gravest offenses."

"Exactly why the time of the Dark Lord was so bleak; no one knew if death was looming around the corner," Brian's voice turned serious. "Everyone was on edge because the Dark Lord held power over life and death; it was certainly not a time of beauty."

"Only by confronting brutality can we foster a deeper appreciation for life."

Malfoy nodded contemplatively, then suddenly exclaimed, "I didn't mention the Dark Lord, it was the Killing Curse, Brian! I almost died! I never imagined Hogwarts..."

Malfoy began to rant in Brian's ear, causing him to irritably scratch his head.

"I think you should focus on the exams, Draco," Brian said, rubbing his temples as he handed him the History of Magic textbook.

Malfoy clutched the textbook and sulked.

...

Following the events in the Forbidden Forest, everything settled down.

No inquiries from Dumbledore, no tense atmosphere.

Students were still buried in intensive revision.

Although Malfoy informed his father about the incident and the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic investigated for a few days, Brian remained largely unaffected.

Quirrell approached Brian once before class, but after that, there was no further contact.

Brian did share one detail with him: Dumbledore had hidden the Mirror of Erised somewhere in the castle during the Christmas break. Quirrell considered this and then let him leave, not seeking him out again afterward.

Brian also stopped dwelling on those chaotic matters; after all, Dumbledore would handle everything.

And thus, exam week began.

Brian filled out one exam paper after another with a quill under the anti-cheating spell in a classroom that felt like a sauna.

There was also a practical exam.

Professor Flitwick for Charms had them line up, entering the classroom individually, where they had to cast spells to make a pineapple perform a tap dance on a desk.

This task was quite straightforward, at least for Brian.

Malfoy also found these exams to be a breeze. However, Goyle lamented that his pineapple always split in the middle and worried he would lose points.

In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall instructed them to transform a mouse into a snuff box. Brian took care to make his snuffbox elaborate, adorned with beautiful striped patterns.

Professor McGonagall seemed to approve, as her typically stern demeanor softened slightly.

But after Daphne finished her exam, she grasped her hair in a frenzy, her eyes wide and shadowed. She lamented in a broken voice that her snuffbox still bore a few mouse whiskers.

The Potions exam proved even less challenging, with them concocting a Forgetfulness Potion. Professor Snape loomed behind Harry, glaring intently as if awaiting any mistake.

Brian noticed that Harry's forehead was damp with cold sweat.

During the exam, Crabbe's cauldron erupted in bubbles, resembling a shaken soda, which drew Snape's ire.

He berated Crabbe harshly for botching every step, suspecting him of trying to defy his authority.

At the same time, Malfoy had to rush to celebrate his birthday during the tense exam week.

Brian ventured to the kitchen, where he found enthusiastic and diligent house-elves, asking them to prepare a grand birthday cake.

After the day's exams, several friends gathered around Malfoy to sing happy birthday. Included were Brian, Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, Pansy, and even the recently irritable Daphne, who was dragged over by Pansy.

Pansy blushed vigorously as she handed Malfoy a pink, retro hat, resulting in a mixed expression on his face as he thanked her stiffly.

Zabini inexplicably brought a troupe of goblins in white ballet skirts, who bounced around the common room, singing loudly in off-key voices: "Oh, Draco, my dearest friend, your eyes shine brighter than the stars, your hair is as radiant as gold, your face more charming than flowers... Happy Birthday to you, may you always find happiness..."

Malfoy's pale cheeks flushed a deep crimson, akin to Weasley's hair, as he shouted, "Stop singing, cut it out!" while trying to grab the goblins bouncing around.

The other young wizards in the common room burst into hearty laughter, enveloped in a lively atmosphere.

Brian observed Malfoy's embarrassment and felt a slight dread himself.

His own birthday was in February, and during that time, Zabini had unleashed a massive bag of firecrackers on him. When Brian opened it, dozens of colorful little flower fairies flitted around his head for an hour, incessantly singing the birthday song.

Zabini was a true birthday nightmare!

After this birthday, Malfoy felt so humiliated that he avoided everyone for quite some time, reminiscing about the birthdays he once celebrated at home.

In previous years, his birthday was an all-day affair, complete with a grand celebration.

Similarly, Brian's past birthdays had been lavish. Madam Walker always hosted grand events, perhaps seizing every opportunity to invite friends for another ball.

Yet birthdays were merely a brief interlude amid exam week, as the pressure of assessments loomed.

While practical exams posed little trouble for Brian, he struggled a bit with the theoretical ones.

Basic magical theory was not an issue, but when it came to the history of magic exam, he had no motivation to memorize which wizards created the self-stirring cauldron.

In the final history of magic exam, Brian could only answer based on what he recalled, guessing for the rest.

At last, the exams concluded. They had a whole week free until the results were revealed.

Following the exams, Slytherin's head girl, Emma Farley, brought in a mountain of food from the kitchen, along with candies and butterbeer procured by older students from Hogsmeade, as well as various entertaining items. The Slytherin students threw a celebration in the common room.

Initially, they attempted to celebrate in a refined manner, like adults, but soon they let loose, laughter nearly raising the ceiling.

It was unclear who ignited a few firecrackers that spiraled around the ceiling, eliciting gasps of surprise.

A senior student leaned against the fireplace, displaying his violin skills as he elegantly confessed his feelings to head girl Emma, causing her to blush and flee.

Brian munched on sizzling honey candy, finding it overly sweet. He ducked just in time to avoid a piece of cream cake hurled from somewhere.

Malfoy was discreetly gulping down butterbeer, grimacing as he complained about its cheapness.

Brian dipped his finger in some cream and playfully smeared it on Malfoy's face, taking the drink from his hand and declaring, "Minors aren't allowed to drink." This prompted Malfoy to retaliate by throwing a sizable piece of cream cake at him.

Meanwhile, Crabbe and Goyle were wholly focused on consuming candies and cakes, oblivious to the surrounding commotion.

Daphne and her friends looked on with glee as older students conjured various flower formations, twisting their stems and opening and closing their petals, singing popular songs in different pitches, while little flower fairies danced joyfully.

In this moment, regardless of whether a boy or girl, everyone was laughing heartily, commemorating the end of exams.

Brian immersed himself in the joyous atmosphere, temporarily forgetting all lingering worries.

****

Tl/N: If you want to read more [upto 20+ chapters] while supporting me ☺️, you can join me on patreon.com/EmptyThoughts ;Thanks.

*****

Note : Guys, some power stones will be really helpful