Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [5]

⚡️ Chapter 68 ⚡️

Their first exam, Theory of Charms, was scheduled for Monday morning. Vega had offered to test Hermione after lunch on Sunday but she regretted it almost at once – Hermione was very agitated and kept snatching the book back from Vega to check that she had gotten the answer completely right, finally hitting Vega hard on the nose with the sharp edge of 'Achievements in Charming' and putting an end to their test.

"Just try doing it yourself, okay?" Vega asked, trying not to sound upset over it as she handed the book over to the brunette and then went to rubbing her nose, feeling her eyes water slightly. "Be careful with swinging that book around," She picked up her own textbook and leafed through it to where she needed to be with her study.

Meanwhile Ron was reading two years of Charms notes with his fingers in his ears, his lips moving soundlessly; Harry was trying to go through his own Charms textbooks; Seamus was lying flat on his back on the floor, reciting the definition of a 'Substantive Charm'.

Dean Thomas checked it against 'The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5'; and Parvati and Lavender, who were practicing basic locomotion charms, were making their pencil cases race each other around the edge of the table.

Dinner was a subdued affair that night.

Harry and Ron did not talk much, but ate with gusto, having studied hard all day. Hermione on the other hand kept putting down her knife and fork and diving under the table for her bag, from which she would seize a book to check some fact or figure.

It was only Vega who seemed to be focusing on eating well and slow, taking small bites of her steak-and-kidney pie while chewing for a long time as she browsed around the Great Hall, taking in the appearance of all the students.

Every Fifth-Year student seemed to have a white face and several of them had their hands shaking, spraying food down their laps as they brought the spoon up to their lips. Vega was worried that she wasn't as worried as any of them.

"Vega, what was the Severing Charm?" Hermione asked wildly. "It keeps escaping my mind –"

"It's Diffindo," Vega told her before the brunette started to go crazy and Harry and Ron started to complain. "Take it easy, it's alright, Hermione,"

When Vega looked back around, her eyes reached the Entrance Hall through the open oak doors and she caught sight of Umbridge standing with a small group of ancient-looking witches and wizards. Umbridge, Vega was quite pleased to see, looked rather nervous.

"Oh, Merlin's beard," Vega breathed. "I think our examiners from Wizarding Examination Authority are here," She nodded to the Entrance Hall.

At once, Harry, Ron and Hermione whipped around on their bench to have a look.

"Shall we go and have a closer look?" Ron asked.

Vega, Harry and Hermione nodded, putting away their plates, and they hastened toward the double doors into the Entrance Hall, slowing down as they stepped over the threshold to walk sedately past the examiners in order to have a look.

Professor Marchbanks appeared to be the tiny, stooped witch with a face so lined it looked as though it had been draped in cobwebs; Umbridge was speaking to her very deferentially. Professor Marchbanks seemed to be a little deaf; she was answering Umbridge very loudly considering that they were only a foot apart.

"Journey was fine, journey was fine, we've made it plenty of times before!" Professor Marchbanks said impatiently. "Now, I haven't heard from Dumbledore lately!" She added, peering around the hall as though hopeful he might suddenly emerge from a broom cupboard. "No idea where he is, I suppose?"