Unity & Perseverance

Detention From Hell & The New Astronomy Teacher

A/N: Apologies if throughout this chapter the spacing looks really off?  I have this problem on AO3 where it looks clumped together in places but I don't know if it's the same here?

First period on Tuesday the next morning was double Charms. Professor Flitwick, like Professor Babbling, spent the first half of the period explaining what they were going to be covering for OWL Charms and explained the exam information. They would have both a theory paper and a practical exam to undertake, where they could literally be asked anything. Amelia wasn't feeling overly great - as her, Harry and Dorea had spent the rest of the evening doing Snape's homework, as they wouldn't get a chance to before Thursday, when it was due. It was almost one in the morning when they had finally finished it, and that was with Hermione's supervision. She cursed Umbridge in her head again - why were four detentions necessary? Their first one would be tonight, and they would last until Friday.

"What you must remember," Flitwick lectured them, "is that these exams will influence your future job prospects for years to come! Employers will judge you on your grades before even seeing you for an interview. But grades do mean a lot - for example, even though an A - that's an Acceptable - is considered a pass mark, it is not often desired, as it implies that you're only just a bit better than a P - Poor."

Before even starting on fifth year curriculum, Flitwick had the class spend an hour perfecting their Summoning Charms - which were almost guaranteed to come up in the OWL, - before then assigning them three lots of worksheets and an essay to complete for next Tuesday.

Professor McGonagall was only slightly easier on them. She drilled into their brains that OWL exams required serious practise and study, and that they would only pass their subjects if they put more than enough work in. Then, they started on learning the first of their fifth year Transfiguration spells: Vanishing Spells.

On the whole, Amelia found them quite difficult, as did the rest of the class. She remembered to take into account her stance, wand movement and pronunciation of the incantation, yet the spell still wasn't executing perfectly. On her fifth attempt, she managed to almost vanish her snail, but you could still partly see it - it was looking like a chameleon, blending with the desk. It took Dorea until the last ten minutes of the double period to vanish hers, and Hermione managed to do it too in the end. Harry looked a bit stressed, as his snail was still very much visible. However, he was taking his time, with deep breaths, and he succeeded right at the end of the period. Ron looked a bit disheartened, but there were plenty of other students who hadn't managed to vanish their snails. McGonagall proclaimed that the only homework was for those who hadn't managed to perform a Vanishing Spell to practise before tomorrow's class.

After lunch, they headed down the sloped lawn towards Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures. As they neared it, Harry had half a mind to knock on the door and see if he was in, but he already guessed that answer - he could see no lights on inside.

Professor Grubbly-Plank was waiting for them, and stood at the head of a long trestle table, which was occupied, weirdly, with twigs and sticks on it, and a few green leaves. Harry thought that a bit odd, but he was sure she would soon explain. Behind their group, they heard the arrival of Draco Malfoy and his gang, which today also included Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode. Weirdly, Daphne Greengrass arrived separately from them, and stood a bit away from them with Tracey Davis, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott.

"Everyone here?" Professor Grubbly-Plank asked briskly, and a quick head count showed that everyone was present. "Let's not waste time, then. Who can tell me what these things are called?"

Hermione's hand was straight in the air, but Harry had no clue why - for it didn't look like there were any creatures occupying the table. Malfoy did an impression of Hermione, jumping up and down with his hand in the air, whilst his goons barked laughter.