Chapter 26 - Final Examinations (1/2)
When Neal activated his Basilisk wand using Parseltongue as it's required to do so, the audience got confused for a second what strange language he spoke. Harry, on the other hand, surprised, and thought, ”awake my wand? Is this a drama or something? Wait a second. Did I just understand those words? But why does it sound like as if a snake is speaking? Weird indeed”.
As Ron hopelessly walked on to the Duelling Platform, everyone began to feel bad for Ron while Slytherins were enjoying and cheering Neal's name.
Neal looked into Ron's eyes which already lost courage. Even though he wants to take it easy on this guy, the events in the past year made him angrier as Ron kept on slandering him whether Neal was doing his job or interfering in someone's business. Even just a day ago, Neal was laughed and booed by Ron when he was playing his first Quidditch match and did a few mistakes.
Gryffindor is rooting for Ron and also at the same time pitying him as they already knew the result. Ron picked up his wand and gathered some courage after Harry and Hermoine cheered him up. The sixth-year Prefect counted, ”3,2,1”. But Neal stood there without firing any spell. He gestured, ”go on”.
Ron raised his wand his hand is shaking. He cursed himself, ”What spell should I use? There's a spell which can petrify him and there's this other spell which weakens them. Damn. Why can't I remember the spells? It's ricta..something...damn it”.
As a couple of minutes have been passed with Ron trying to remember the spell name and Neal waiting for him to start. Neal sighed and fired, ”Expelliarmus” and lightly disarmed him while his wand flew away. While he came back to earth and staring at his wand flying away, Neal said, ”you aren't even worth to duel against me. I really wasted my time. Now walk down and off my sight, now”.
As he discouragingly steps down while Hermoine picked up his wand and return it to him, Harry took out his wand while looking at Neal with anger and hate. But Hermoine stopped him, ”don't. It is unwise”.
As he takes her hands off him and walk a step forward, Neal spoke, ”sometimes, foolish bravery will cost you your life, Harry. Think wise and step back when it's necessary”. Then he looked at the Prefect and said, ”I'm stepping down and taking a break”.
As he has 26 wins, according to the rules, he can step down once and fight the final winner of the rest. While Slytherins feeling depressed as he steeped down since each winning gives 5 points, Theodore Nott from Slytherins stepped on the Platform to participate. An hour later, the matches all the participants' Duels are over. One three haven't finished. One is Neal with 26 wins, another is Cedric with 16 wins and the lastly Nettie Cross from Ravenclaw, the current final winner with 9 wins.
Cedric challenged her and defeated her and at last, Neal challenged him and took the winner spot winning 50 House points for winning and 135 personal points for 27 wins.
At the end of the Annual festival, Slytherin once again is leading in the House championship with 1255 points followed by Ravenclaw with 970, then Hufflepuff with 945 and Gryffindor sitting at last position with 890 not counting the personal points but still looking at the result, it's almost been confirmed that Slytherin will win for the seventh time unless a miracle happens. They cursed the Gryffindor trio for losing 300 points in the year which put them at last.
Everyone's attention is on Ravenclaw and Gryffindor who have finals in the third week of May which have 150 points as a prize for winning the Summer cup and hoping for a miracle to gain large personal points to defeat Slytherin.
In the finals, Harry Potter once again caught the snitch and Gryffindor won the Quidditch summer cup.
After that, since everyone thought it is impossible to defeat Slytherins now and decided to focus their studies as the exams are coming near.