Soul Mate - Chapter 12:

Finally, the day of the N.E.W.T.s had arrived. From breakfast onward,

a heavy tension hung over the seventh-year students at Hogwarts.

Even Hermione, usually so confident in her exams, wore a solemn expression.

Nobody dared to provoke the group heading into the battlefield or rather,

the examination halls. The younger students of the other six years quietly upheld their traditional

etiquette, keeping their heads down and mouths shut.

Breakfast was nearly over when the candidates exchanged a brief look of encouragement

and then strode off without a backward glance.

Their footsteps were so heavy it almost sounded like they were marching to the execution chamber.

Someone unaware might have imagined Voldemort had returned for one final battle.

After months of grueling preparation, Harry felt a small sense of confidence.

He gave Ron an encouraging pat on the back and headed straight for his first exam.

Defense Against the Dark Arts. He hoped to start strong.

Under the examiners’ unnervingly intense gaze,

Harry performed flawlessly and earned his first Outstanding.

History of Magic was less kind, yielding only an Exceeds Expectations.

Harry suspected the examiner had been lenient because of his fame as the Boy Who Lived.

There wasn’t much else he could do, memorization was all it came down to.

Potions had him recalling Professor Snape’s low, smooth voice and

his signature Slytherin-style biting sarcasm while he completed the exam. T

he effort paid off, granting him another Exceeds Expectations. Thanks, Professor Snape.

Herbology was a different story. Months of intense study culminated in a well-earned Outstanding.

Transfiguration was practically in Harry’s bl00d, so another Outstanding was expected.

Divination, however, was a mystery. Somehow, a shaky prophecy about

his own death seemed to terrify the examiners enough to give him yet another Outstanding.

By the end of all ten exams, Harry felt a wave of relief. Seven Outstandings and

three Exceeds Expectations far exceeded his own expectations,

he had thought five Outstandings would be a success. He was ecstatic.

The months of intense preparation had paid off.

He watched his classmates relax, stretching and leaning against walls,

basking in the sun that filtered gently into the hallways.

Taking exams truly brought a sense of ease.

Except, of course, there was no summer break for him anymore.

He had graduated from Hogwarts.

He couldn’t help but glance around the familiar corridors, catching sight of the iconic Astronomy

Tower in the distance. Seven years at Hogwarts had shaped him, filled his life with memories he

would never forget. Even as he left, he swore he would carry every moment with him forever.

Blaise approached, his arm around Pansy’s waist, teasingly asking how she had done.

Pansy frowned slightly, though it was more contemplative than annoyed.

Her results were about what she had expected. She wasn’t disappointed,

her hopes had been measured.

Blaise remarked that she would still need strong scores for St. Mungo’s,

one of the most competitive professions, and offered to ask his mother for a favor.

Pansy thanked him, and they laughed easily together,

unaware of Harry standing just a few steps away.

Harry felt slightly awkward overhearing them, though he had only been standing there by

coincidence. Blaise he barely knew, but Pansy…

she was the Slytherin who had once tried to hand him over to Voldemort

during the Battle of Hogwarts. He wasn’t sure how to respond to her presence.

Blaise broke the silence first, asking Harry how his exams went, smiling as usual.

Harry gave a vague response and excused himself, only to be stopped by Pansy.

She apologized, surprising him with her sincerity, and thanked him for saving her family.

She stepped back and gave him a formal bow, a gesture of pure Slytherin nobility.

Harry, overwhelmed, blinked and stammered that it was nothing, and there was no need to worry.

Blaise and Pansy couldn’t help laughing at the sight of the usually

composed Boy Who Lived so flustered. Blaise teased that the

Death Eaters would be shocked to see him like this.

Pansy then mentioned something that completely astonished Harry.

After his parents’ death, several pure-bl00d families had tried to gain custody of him,

including the Malfoys. Harry’s mouth went dry at the revelation.

Lucius Malfoy had even wanted to adopt him, yet later treated him

with cold disdain and even indirectly caused the death of his godfather.

The thought left Harry utterly dismayed.