Lesson 20: The Final Exam

"The Yamal peninsula is on the Arctic coast, so the guidebook says to pack warm clothing. It suggests bringing a down jacket, hat, gloves, rain poncho and galoshes."

Kyle Slater rolled his eyes. "It's summer, Zeph, remember? What does it say to pack in the summer?"

"That was the section on packing for a summer in Siberia. The galoshes are for all the mud. In the winter it says to either transfigure yourself into a Yeti or pack a parka, fur hat, several layers of thermal everything and the warmest boots you can find and then stay home, because you'd have to be an idiot to go there in the middle of winter if you're reading this book for advice on what to bring." Zephyrus replied matter-of-factly.

"And what is it again that makes you so sure Professor Vance is going to let us go with him to Siberia?" Amy asked.

"We have a plan," Kyle said.

"We're going to reason with him," Zephyrus replied confidently.

"Gummy's a reasonable man."

. . .

"Absolutely not," Gummy answered firmly. "It's far too dangerous." Professor Montgomery Vance looked at his three best students. Graduate students, he reminded himself. But nonetheless, how could he take them with him? "This isn't a holiday. We have no idea what was locked away in those Siberian holes, but they have to be found and dealt with one way or another."

"All the more reason we should go with you, Professor," Kyle replied in the most persuasive tone he could manage. "We can help."

"Kyle is really good at charms and working with magical creatures, Zephryus added quickly. "Amy excels at transfiguration and knows astronomy like the back of her hand. I'm pretty good with potions and herbology. And all of us are good at research."

Admittedly, the Sheta Sesh had lost some very talented members the previous Fall. They had managed to protect the world from the evil locked inside Bastet's Fortress, but at a great cost. The young wizards and witch standing in front of him, earnestly pleading their case, could be of great help. "No. No. You have no idea how dangerous this could be." Gummy shook his head. It was time for class. Where were the rest of the students?

"We're worried about what came out of those holes, too, Professor. We want to help. And--

Gummy paused, the tone of sincerity in Amy's voice sounded like an echo of his own, long ago. Had he sounded so different decades ago when he made his plea to be let into the ancient society of the Seta Sesh?

--and," Amy continued, "I want to know. I want to know what's really out there, what really happened in the past. You know secrets of antiquity and have held ancient objects of power that most people think are just myths. I want that, too. All three of us do." Kyle and Zephyrus held their breath, sensing their professor was on the edge of conscenting.

"There's no time," Gummy hedged. How could he say no to them when they were asking nothing more than what he, himself, had once asked and been granted. "I need to leave right after the exam."

"We're all packed for a summer in Siberia. Our backpacks are in the hallway," Amy replied quietly.

"Galoshes?"

"Got 'em."

"Well, you three had best finish up your final exams quickly," Gummy said with a smile, his mind made up just as the rest of the students began filing into the room, glancing over notes in a last-minute attempt to prepare for the exam. "The four of us have a very old mystery to solve. Whatever it is has waited over ten thousand years in that permafrost, but I have a feeling things are about to get very interesting indeed."

Kyle, Amy and Zephyrus quickly took their seats with excited grins on their faces. Professor Vance turned his attention to the class as a whole. "I'd like to thank you all for a fantastic year. I've enjoyed teaching you more than you can imagine. I hope you've enjoyed it as well and have learned a little something along the way." Gummy held up the final exam papers in his left hand. "I guess we'll find out in a few minutes exactly how much you've learned." He pulled his wand from his inner robe pocket and with a series of quick swishes, the exam papers folded themselves into paper airplanes and, much like memos in the Ministry of Magic, each delivered itself to one of the students.

"Witches and wizards of Hogwarts, I present to you your final exam."