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"So, you two actually came here to ask Professor Dracula for the answers to the test paper?"
Cedric's voice was sharp with disapproval as his gaze settled on the twins. A shadow of sternness crossed his face before he reached into his robe and pinned his Defense Against the Dark Arts Teaching Assistant badge to his chest with slow, deliberate movements.
"I think I need to use my authority as a teaching assistant to take care of you two," he declared, his voice steady but edged with discontent.
"Ahem, Cedric, we were just joking!" Fred interjected hastily, his arm draping around Cedric's shoulders in a feigned display of camaraderie. His grip was light, but there was an undeniable note of urgency in the gesture. "We just wanted to see if you, our noble and righteous teaching assistant, would stay true to your principles. That's all!. That's the only reason we said what we said."
"That's right! Don't you know who we are?" George chimed in, puffing up with exaggerated righteousness."We'd never do something so underhanded."
Dracula, watching this theatrical performance unfold before him, couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. The corner of his mouth twitched, his amusement barely veiled behind an expression of exasperation.
"Have you two forgotten that I'm still here?" he asked, his crimson eyes narrowing with a mixture of mirth and irritation. "Are you really so spineless that you can't even own up to what you did a few minutes ago?"
The twins' grins faltered for the briefest moment before they quickly turned their backs to Cedric and faced Dracula instead. They squinted at him, their eyes pleading, their expressions desperately hopeful.
Dracula, unimpressed, raised a brow. "If your eyes are feeling uncomfortable, I suggest you visit the school infirmary for treatment immediately—unless, of course, you'd rather risk being too unwell to take the exam." His voice was laced with amusement, though the smirk playing on his lips showed no signs of sympathy.
Fred and George visibly deflated, their silent pleas ignored.
Dracula then turned his gaze to Cedric, his voice shifting to something almost resembling interest. "Tell me, Diggory, what questions did you have while reviewing?"
Cedric hesitated only briefly before nodding. He took a moment to collect his thoughts, then spoke with quiet resolve. "I want to know—when we answer exam questions, do we follow the knowledge in the textbook, or the content you discussed in class? A lot of what you've taught contradicts the textbook, and I need to know which source to trust when preparing for the exam."
Dracula let out a short laugh, the sound both light and self-assured. "Do you really need to ask that?" he said, shaking his head in mild amusement. "What I say is correct. Anything that contradicts me means the textbook is wrong."
For a moment, Cedric simply stared at him, then nodded with grave seriousness. "Understood."
After a brief pause, Cedric glanced away, his fingers tightening slightly at his sides. There was a hesitation in his posture before he spoke again. "I have another question, Professor."
Dracula tilted his head, motioning for him to continue.
"Will the amulet you mentioned at the start of the school year truly be given to the students who achieve the highest exam scores in first through third year?"
Dracula blinked. The mention of the amulet sparked a distant memory—one he had carelessly tossed aside months ago. At the time, he had promised the reward as a means of motivating students to take Defense Against the Dark Arts seriously. But as with most fleeting whims, he had promptly forgotten about it.
Now, standing before Cedric's expectant gaze, he inwardly cursed his own negligence.
"Ah, that's right!" he said, feigning a nonchalant tone while subtly rummaging through his pocket—one he had enchanted with an Invisible Charm. "Don't worry. I always keep my promises."
After what felt like an eternity of searching, he finally pulled out three small pendants from his vast collection. He held one up—a cross pendant carved from gloomy wood, its center engraved with an ancient rune symbolizing the moon. Unlike the traditional church cross, its shorter horizontal bars tilted slightly upward, resembling a pair of unfolding devil wings.
"You came here to ask about the amulet before the exam," Dracula mused, twirling the pendant between his fingers. "You must be quite confident in your performance."
Cedric met his gaze with an easy, self-assured smile. "I intend to earn it."
Fred and George, standing nearby, exchanged glances. Their eyes were fixated on the pendant, practically gleaming with longing. The wordless desire written across their faces was so blatant that it made Dracula chuckle inwardly.
"Do you have any other questions?" he asked, though his tone had shifted—now laced with a subtle hint of dismissal.
Cedric, catching the underlying message, nodded in gratitude. "No, Professor. Thank you." With a respectful bow of his head, he turned and left the office.
Fred and George, however, remained rooted in place. Unlike Cedric, they seemed utterly oblivious to Dracula's dwindling patience. They were clearly scheming—desperately trying to figure out how to get their hands on an amulet without having to suffer through the ordeal of actually studying.
Dracula sighed.
The next thing they knew, they were airborne.
Two red-haired figures tumbled through the air, their startled screams echoing down the corridor. The office door slammed shut behind them with a resounding boom!
—
An hour later, Professor McGonagall, well-acquainted with Dracula's penchant for avoiding responsibilities, stormed up to the third floor. Knowing him far too well, she refused to let him pretend to be dead in his office and promptly dragged him to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom to invigilate the exam.
June's heat bore down on the castle. With no refrigeration magic in place, the stifling warmth seeped into the large classroom, leaving students shifting uncomfortably in their seats.
Dracula was the first to object to such conditions.
With a flick of his wrist, he sealed the doors and windows, then exhaled a long breath toward the ceiling. A wave of cool air descended, instantly refreshing the suffocating classroom. The students, caught off guard by the unexpected relief, let out sighs of contentment. Some even muttered their admiration under their breath.
Perhaps, for once, they wouldn't mind taking the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam.
The exam began as the bell from the clock tower rang, signaling the start. The classroom filled with the soft rustling of quills against parchment. Some students furrowed their brows in deep thought, others scribbled away with relentless determination. A few sat calmly, unbothered by the challenge before them… and, of course, there were those who had all but surrendered to fate, heads resting on desks in quiet resignation.
Dracula watched for a while, mildly entertained. But as time dragged on, his interest began to wane.
Boredom creeping in, he casually conjured an illusion of himself behind the desk, then slipped out of the examination room under the cover of the Disguise Charm. He leaned against the corridor railing, gazing into the distance.
Then, something caught his eye.
From his pocket, he withdrew a delicate crystal ball, its surface shimmering faintly. It was a pair, linked to the one he had given to Lorcan to take home to Romania.
The moon at its center, once dim and quiet, now glowed with an eerie brightness.
Something was happening…