"So," Cedric began, his voice dangerously low, "you two came here to ask Professor Dracula for the exam answers?" He looked at the Weasley twins with a decidedly unfriendly glint in his eyes, then deliberately took out his own D.A.D.A. teaching assistant badge and pinned it to his chest. "I believe that gives me the authority to deal with this situation appropriately."
"Ahem! Cedric, mate, it was just a joke!" Fred exclaimed, quickly slinging an arm around Cedric's shoulders in a show of camaraderie. "A test, you see! To determine if our new teaching assistant was fair and incorruptible."
"That's right!" George added, his expression one of profound righteousness. "You know us! We would never stoop to such dishonorable tactics!"
Dracula watched their performance, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. "Did you two forget that I am still here?" he drawled, his voice dripping with disdain. "It has been mere minutes. Surely you have not forgotten your own actions so soon?"
The twins' faces fell. They spun around to face Dracula, their backs to Cedric, and began a series of frantic, desperate winks and signals.
"If your eyes are giving you trouble, I suggest a visit to the hospital wing," Dracula said with a light chuckle, completely ignoring their silent pleas. "You wouldn't want it to affect your performance on the exam." He then turned his attention back to Cedric. "Tell me, Diggory. You had a question?"
Cedric nodded. "Yes, Professor. While reviewing, I was wondering if we should be using the textbook as the standard for our answers, or the material you taught in class. Many of the things you've said contradict the textbook, and I wanted to be sure."
"Must you even ask such a question?" Dracula smiled, a lazy, confident sound. "What I have taught you is correct. Any conflicts with the textbook simply mean the textbook is wrong."
Cedric paused for a moment, absorbing this, then nodded with a new sense of clarity. "I have one other question, Professor," he said, hesitating slightly. "The amulet you mentioned at the beginning of the term... the one for the student with the highest marks in each of the first three years. Is that still happening?"
Dracula blinked. He had, in fact, made such a promise in a fleeting effort to motivate his students, and had then promptly forgotten all about it. "Ah, yes! Of course!" he said, a hint of guilt in his tone as he began rummaging through a pocket that had clearly been charmed with an Undetectable Extension Charm. "I always keep my promises."
After a moment of searching through what was likely a vast and ancient collection of treasures, he produced three small pendants. He held one out for Cedric to see. It was a cross, carved from a dark, gnarled wood, but its horizontal bar was tilted slightly upwards, like a pair of spreading demonic wings. In its center, an ancient rune representing the moon was intricately carved.
"To ask about the prize before the exam has even begun... you seem quite confident, Mr. Diggory," Dracula chuckled.
"I am determined to earn it," Cedric replied with a confident smile of his own.
The Weasley twins stared at the amulet with undisguised envy, their faces practically screaming, 'Give me one, too!'
"Any other questions?" Dracula asked, his lazy gaze sweeping over the three students, his tone making it clear that their time was up.
Cedric, ever perceptive, wisely thanked the professor and promptly left. The twins, however, remained rooted to the spot, their minds racing as they tried to concoct a scheme to acquire an amulet without the tedious prerequisite of academic excellence.
The next moment, with a yelp of surprise, two red-haired figures were unceremoniously ejected from the office. The heavy door slammed shut behind them with a resounding bang.
An hour later, Professor McGonagall, who knew Dracula's habits all too well, marched from her office on the second floor to his on the third. She found him feigning sleep and, after a brief but firm argument, successfully dragged the unwilling professor to the classroom to proctor his own exam.
The June heat had made the large classroom unbearable. Dracula, refusing to suffer in such an environment, closed the doors and windows and blew a single, soft breath toward the ceiling. A cool, refreshing breeze instantly descended, washing over the sweltering students. A collective sigh of relief filled the room.
After each student had been given a quill enchanted with an anti-cheating spell, the Hogwarts clock tower chimed, and the exam officially began. The room fell silent, filled only with the soft scratching of quills on parchment as the students tackled the exam papers personally set by Dumbledore. Some frowned in concentration, others scribbled furiously, and a few, having already given up, were sleeping soundly on their desks.
For a time, Dracula was amused by the students' various expressions of agony and effort. But before even half the exam time had passed, he had grown bored. With a subtle flick of his wrist, he created a perfect, silent illusion of himself in his chair, then, under the cover of a Disillusionment Charm, slipped out of the room.
He leaned against the cool stone of the corridor railing, his eyes gazing into the distance. Suddenly, his expression shifted.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a delicate crystal ball that pulsed with a soft, internal glow. It was one of a pair, a communication device linked to its twin, which had been sent to Romania. In its center, a faint, dark moon usually rotated slowly.
But now, that dark moon was blazing with an intense, brilliant light. Something was happening.
(End of Chapter)
***
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