Erin didn't really feel like discussing her future with someone like Snape. She had a couple of things in mind she wanted to do and all of them were Muggle jobs; painter, writer, or work in a bookstore.

"Painter, writer, or work in a bookstore?" Snape repeated with a hint of amusement in his voice. "That's what you wanna do?"

Erin simply nodded.

"I can't say I'm surprised," said Snape. "Muggleborns don't usually achieve a lot in the wizarding world anyway. It's best to work in the world they were born in."

"Muggles and Muggleborns achieve a lot in the Muggle world," replied Erin with a shrug. "They were first on the Moon, Ada Lovelace came up with the first computer program before the first computer was even built. . . I could go on and on."

"I can see you haven't got any special magical talents, you're not at the top of any class—"

"Actually," Erin held up her pointing finger. "I'm on the top of History of Magic. Professor Binns often says I'm the best student he ever had."

It was true. While everyone was falling asleep because of the ghost's voice — and Erin was sometimes too — Erin was very interested in the History of Magic and the wizarding world, all the wars, battles, conventions. . . Everything.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Professor Binns is a ghost," he said. "He doesn't even know what he's saying anymore. Besides, what is so special about knowledge about History?"

"I could be like a historian," Erin shrugged. "Or I could teach here after Professor Binns. The options are endless."

"You would be doing better work in the Muggle world."

"At least I'll be doing a job I like," Erin innocently smiled, referring to the fact that Snape was still a Potions teacher, and stood up. "Goodbye."

***

None of the fifth years talked very much at breakfast in the morning of their Charms exam.

Parvati Patil was practicing incantations under her breath while the salt cellar in front of her twitched, Hermione was rereading Achievement in Charming so fast that her eyes appeared blurred, and Neville kept dropping his knife and fork and knocking over the marmalade.

Once breakfast was over, the fifth and seventh years milled around in the entrance hall while the other students went off to lessons. Then, at half-past nine, they were called forward class by class to reenter the Great Hall.

The four House tables had been removed and replaced instead with many tables for one, all facing the staff-table end of the Hall where Professor McGonagall stood facing them. When they were all seated and quiet she said, “You may begin,” and turned over an enormous hourglass on the desk beside her.

Erin looked around. Hermione was already fastly scribbling answers, Daphne's eyes travelled over the parchment to find a question she will be able to answer.

Erin took a deep breath and looked at the first question.

a) Give the incantation

b) describe the wand movement required to make objects fly. . . .

***

“Well, it wasn’t too bad, was it?” asked Hermione anxiously in the entrance hall two hours later. “I’m not sure I did myself justice on Cheering Charms, I just ran out of time — did you put in the counter charm for hiccups? I wasn’t sure whether I ought to, it felt like too much — and on question twenty-three —”

“Hermione,” said Ron sternly, “we’ve been through this before. . . .

We’re not going through every exam afterward, it’s bad enough doing them once.”

"I agree with Ron," said Erin.

The fifth years ate lunch with the rest of the school (the four House tables reappeared over the lunch hour) and then trooped off into the small chamber beside the Great Hall, where they were to wait until called for their practical examination. As small groups of students were called forward in alphabetical order, those left behind muttered incantations and practiced wand movements, occasionally poking one another in the back or eye by mistake.

Hermione’s name was called. Trembling, she left the chamber with Anthony Goldstein, Gregory Goyle, and Daphne.

Students who had already been tested did not return afterward, so Erin, Harry, and Ron a had no idea how Hermione had done.

And then, a few minutes later, Professor Flitwick called; "Macmillan, Ernie — Malfoy, Draco — Mckinnon, Erin — Midgen, Eloise — Montague, Catherine!"

Ron and Harry wished Erin good luck and with that, she left the chamber.

***

Two days later, on Wednesday, Hermione found Erin vomiting at the girls' toilets in the morning of the day when they had their Herbology exams.

The Gryffindor immediately sat down behind Erin and held her hair as the Slytherin continued emptying her stomach.

Hermione wiped Erin's mouth with a tissue she carried in the pocket of her robes and asked, "What's going on? Have you eaten something bad?"

The blonde shook her head. "No, I haven't eaten since yesterday's lunch. I can't eat anything, I'm too stressed for that."

"Because of the Herbology exam?"

Erin's eyes swelled with tears. "What if I screw up everything, Hermione? What if I get expelled because I'm too stupid for this damn school? When I'm stressed, I tend to forget everything! And I suck at Herbology, I suck at it so so much!"

Erin started to feel nauseous again, her mouth and throat getting dry as she cried. Blood pounded in her ears, her heart beating loudly and quickly in her chest, where she started feeling pain.

Hermione noticed the symptoms of a panic attack immediately. "Erin look at me and take a deep breath for five seconds, hold it for also five seconds and breathe out, okay? Do you think you can do that?"

Erin nodded and did exactly as she was told.

Breathe in.

Hold.

Breathe out.

She repeated a couple of times before she felt herself calming down.

"You did so good," smiled Hermione. "Okay, now, tell me five things you can see."

Erin was surprised by what the Gryffindor asked her to do but she sniffed and said, "Uhm, you — I know you're not a thing but I see you so—"

"Erin."

"Oh, right. . . So, I can see you, my legs, the floor, a window, and a mirror."

"Tell me four things you can touch."

"My wand, bubblegum wrapper, my robes, toilet seat. . ."

"Three things that you can hear."

"The rain hitting windows, my voice, and voices outside the bathroom."

"Two things that you can smell."

Erin scrunched her nose. "Ew, the vomit." She slightly chuckled. "And your perfume."

"Great, and now one thing you can taste."

"Uh, a mix of everything I have eaten for the past few days. . ."

Hermione smiled. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better, much better," Erin nodded and hugged Hermione. "Thank you so much."

"No problem. Now, let's get you something to eat!"

***

Hermione had a bad mood on the weekend. Erin noticed because of the tone in her voice, she was snappy and moody. When Erin asked Harry and Ron about it, they said it was because she messed up her Ancient Runes exam and she's stressed. They didn't seem much bothered or worried.

Hermione apologized to Erin for how she was behaving over the past few days. Erin just waved it off, saying that she knows what it's like so she understands her.

Now, it was eleven o'clock in the evening and Erin with other fifth years could be found on the Astronomy tower for their exam.

The sky was cloudless that night so it was perfect for stargazing.

Each of the students set up their 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 was Erin completing the constellation Orion on her chart, she heard a roar from the distance. Several other students ducked out from 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. Erin looked to her left. Hermione was gazing at Hagrid’s hut.

“Ahem — twenty minutes to go,” said Professor Tofty.

There was a loud BANG from the grounds. Several people said “Ouch!” as they poked themselves in the face with the ends of their telescopes, hastening to see what was going on below.

Hagrid’s door had burst open and by the light flooding out of the cabin they saw him quite clearly, a massive figure roaring and brandishing his fists, surrounded by six people, all of whom, judging by the tiny threads of red light they were casting in his direction, seemed to be attempting to Stun him.

Erin gasped as Hermione let out a “No!”

“My dear!” said Professor Tofty in a scandalized voice. “This is an examination!”

But nobody was paying the slightest attention to their star charts anymore: Jets of red light were still flying beside Hagrid’s cabin, yet somehow they seemed to be bouncing off him. He was still upright and still, as far as Harry could see, fighting. Cries and yells echoed across the grounds; a man yelled, “Be reasonable, Hagrid!” and Hagrid roared, “Reasonable be damned, yeh won’ take me like this, Dawlish!”

Erin could see the tiny outline of Fang, attempting to defend Hagrid, leaping at the wizards surrounding him until a Stunning Spell caught him and he fell to the ground. Hagrid gave a howl of fury, lifted the culprit bodily from the ground, and threw him: The man flew what looked like ten feet and did not get up again. Hermione gasped, both hands over her mouth; Erin looked around at Ron and saw that he too was looking scared. None of them had ever seen Hagrid in a real temper before. . . .

“Look!” squealed Parvati, who was leaning over the parapet and pointing to the foot of the castle where the front doors seemed to have opened again; more light had spilled out onto the dark lawn and a single long black shadow was now rippling across the lawn.

“Now, really!” said Professor Tofty anxiously. “Only sixteen minutes left, you know!”

But nobody paid him the slightest attention: They were watching the person now sprinting toward the battle beside Hagrid’s cabin.

“How dare you!” the figure shouted as she ran. “How dare you!”

“It’s McGonagall!” whispered Hermione.

“Leave him alone! Alone, I say!” said Professor McGonagall’s voice through the darkness. “On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such —”

Erin, Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender all screamed. No fewer than four Stunners had shot from the figures around the cabin toward Professor McGonagall. Halfway between cabin and castle the red beams collided with her.

For a moment she looked luminous, illuminated by an eerie red glow, then was lifted right off her feet, landed hard on her back, and moved no more.

“Galloping gargoyles!” shouted Professor Tofty, who seemed to have forgotten the exam completely. “Not so much as a warning! Outrageous behavior!”

“COWARDS!” bellowed Hagrid, his voice carrying clearly to the top of the tower, and several lights flickered back on inside the castle. “RUDDY COWARDS! HAVE SOME O’ THAT — AN’ THAT —”

“Oh, my —” gasped Hermione.

Hagrid took two massive swipes at his closest attackers; judging by their immediate collapse, they had been knocked cold. Erin saw him double over and thought for a moment that he had finally been overcome by a spell, but on the contrary, the next moment Hagrid was standing again with what appeared to be a sack on his back — then Erin realized that Fang’s limp body was draped around his shoulders.

“Get him, get him!” screamed Umbridge, but her remaining helper seemed highly reluctant to go within reach of Hagrid’s fists. Indeed, he was backing away so fast that he tripped over one of his unconscious colleagues and fell over. Hagrid had turned and begun to run with Fang still hung around his neck; Umbridge sent one last Stunning Spell after him but it missed, and Hagrid, running full-pelt toward the distant gates, disappeared into the darkness.