A Deal with the Fey

"A perfect Invigoration Draught. At least, I can't find a single fault with it."

In a dungeon classroom at Hogwarts, Professor Marchbanks's words meant that the seventh-years had finished all of their N.E.W.T. exams.

With a clear ring of the bell, Kyle left the classroom with the others and followed the stairs back to the Entrance Hall.

The exams were over. Everyone had performed differently; some were delighted, looking forward to the life that awaited them after graduation.

But even more were reluctant to leave. For the first time, those who had always looked forward to the holidays wished that the break would come a little slower—slower still.

The castle they had spent seven years looking at, one they had long since grown tired of, suddenly felt fresh again. Every corridor, every painting, even the faded banisters beside the stairs seemed especially captivating.

It was as though they had returned to the way they had been when they first arrived at Hogwarts seven years ago, filled with curiosity and interest in everything around them.

It was a feeling students in other years would find hard to understand.

Several ghosts gathered together, watching the students who were laughing and crying, their faces wearing the expression of people who had known this would happen all along.

It was like this every year. They were used to it by now.

"Here we go again, all that blubbering. I really don't understand what there is about this crumbling castle worth missing." Nearly Headless Nick glanced at the Fat Friar beside him. "By the way, when is he coming? It should be soon, right?"

"By my reckoning, about now," said the Fat Friar. "Oh... here he comes."

The moment he finished speaking, a water-filled balloon flew down from upstairs and landed precisely among a group