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Arya tried once again to focus on her exam material, but she couldn't. Her mind was too overwhelmed. She felt like she had carried the weight of the world on her shoulders for the past three weeks. She still hadn't forgotten the sight of that scorched field and her father's wounded body. For a moment, she thought she had lost him forever—and in that moment, it felt like she had died too.
The bodies had been collected quickly, and nothing had been said about the incident at Hogwarts. The Ministry had merely issued a brief statement thanking them for their bravery. Arya hated the Ministry. When they could have helped, they had hesitated—and now they praised them.
Arya was snapped out of her thoughts by the voice of the exam proctor. She refocused on her test. It was their final exam—History of Magic—and Arya felt like she remembered none of it. After writing down the outcomes of the Hogwarts Wars—one of which she couldn't even recall—she glanced at the student next to her.
Albus sat beside her, healthy and focused, engrossed in his exam. How happy she was to see him well again. Scorpius, too, looked cheerful, and Arya had realized how close the two boys had become.
The proctors reminded them again: only fifteen minutes remained. Arya tried to concentrate, but she couldn't get her father's face out of her mind. He had been hospitalized at St. Mungo's since three weeks ago. He seemed better now, but the wound on his left hand still hadn't healed. No one knew if it ever would. Her mother visited him every day so he wouldn't feel alone, but that only made Arya more anxious—every visit felt like it might bring bad news.
The proctor now stood over Arya.
She quietly turned in her exam. Looking around, she noticed the hall was nearly empty. The students were leaving one by one, and everyone looked cheerful, excited for their summer. When Arya exited the hall, a spring breeze brushed her face. The weather was sunny and mild, and the sun shone brightly in the sky. She was near the entrance hall when a voice caught her attention:
"Arya…"
She recognized that voice—it was her father. A smile spread across her face as she saw him. He looked thinner than ever, his left hand still bandaged, a grey cloak draped around his shoulders. Arya threw her arms around him.
"Dad. Are you okay?"
He gave a warm smile.
"Yeah, I'm alright…" and looked at Arya staring at his left hand.
"Don't worry about this… If I limit how much I use magic, it should gradually get better. But… well, I can never directly connect with magical creatures again."
Arya sighed.
"Oh, Dad… Promise me you won't ever do that to me again, okay? Leaving me without any word, not even replying to my letters…"
He smiled:
"I was always watching over you. Didn't you ever wonder what those phoenix feathers in your bed were for? Every time I was in the castle, I checked in on you."
She looked surprised. So the phoenix feathers were from her father… That's why Filch hadn't been shocked to see a phoenix near the library that day. Suddenly Arya said:
"So he must've thought that was you…"
Elliot looked confused.
"What?"
"Nothing, Dad. I have to go find Albus and Scorp. I need to say goodbye." And she hugged her father one last time.
As she left the entrance hall, she felt much better. She glanced around. Students were sitting in groups on the grassy lawn, exchanging their final words. Arya headed toward their usual spot—by the Black Lake.
Scorpius stood a little ways off, gazing at the golden sunlight reflected on the calm waters. Albus was skipping stones across the lake and shouted excitedly:
"Hey Scorp—I broke your record!"
Scorpius smiled. Arya approached them. A year ago, she'd never imagined that leaving Hogwarts or its students would be this hard. But now she felt deeply that she'd miss every moment she had shared with them. The boys came toward her. Scorpius said with a smile:
"How was the exam?"
"Not as good as yours. I think I did better on the practical ones."
Albus stepped closer.
"You know, I really want to know who scored better in Defense Against the Dark Arts! You totally won that duel unfairly."
Arya grinned:
"I'm happy to rematch any time."
Albus started to reply, but Scorpius cut in:
"So… you're really going back to America?"
Arya nodded, a little sadly:
"Yeah. My parents' work is there—and most of our family, too. But if you ever come to the States, I'd love to see you."
Scorpius sighed:
"That's a shame… I was really starting to get used to our trio."
"Me too." She hugged him. "I'm going to miss you guys."
Albus stepped forward. He looked hesitant to speak.
"Arya… I wanted to say that the past few years were really hard for me. You know I used to hate school. I hated being different. But now… I feel much better. I'm really glad you were with us this year."
He extended his hand. Arya shook it and looked into his green eyes. Albus continued:
"There's something else I wanted to say…"
But Arya's playful nature didn't let him finish:
"What—were you going to say you like me?"
Albus burst into laughter, ran a hand through his hair, and said:
"I'm not trying to inflate your ego that much!"
Arya smiled:
"Fine, but one day you'll regret it—and by then, it'll be too late." And she walked down toward the lake.
Albus and Scorpius followed. Albus asked quietly:
"You told her, didn't you? About me liking her?"
"No way, mate! You outed yourself!"
Albus glared at him, and the two of them looked at the fifteen-year-old girl, quietly tossing stones into the water. Her long chestnut hair danced in the spring breeze—a girl they were probably seeing for the last time.
✦The End.