LUNAR (A Harry Potter Universe Fanfiction)

Forty Three. N.E.W.T.s

N.E.W.T.s week arrived before Caiti was ready for it. For the first time that year, she didn't think about her research at all, not even to go and care for there plants, which Professor Munslow had promised to be entirely responsible for so that she could focus on her exams.

She had taken her charms and muggle studies exams so far, and all in all felt they had gone okay despite how distracted she had been in lessons all year, but they had been difficult. She was quite nervous for defense against the dark arts, which she had the following afternoon, but today was potions, and unexpectedly, she found herself nervous to the point of tears. The practical exam was this morning, then they had a two hour break for lunch and the written exam that afternoon.

What if she bombed it? What if she did something horribly wrong? How completely humiliating would it be if she won this award and then barely passed with an Acceptable on her N.E.W.T.?

She brought her potions book down to breakfast with her, and when Amelia spotted her trying to cram last minute information into her brain, she shook her head slowly and said, "You've got to be kidding me."

Caiti didn't warrant this a glance.

"Seriously, when have you ever studied for a potions exam?" Amelia went on.

"This is N.E.W.T.s," was all Caiti said.

When they reentered the Great Hall at half past nine, it was a very different scene. The house tables had all been pushed to the side, and in their place were a number of individual desks and chairs, beside each of which sat identical cauldrons. They weren't allowed to use their own on the exam, which was another thing that made Caiti very nervous. She had several and she preferred certain ones for certain potions. Pewter cauldrons, like these and the ones required of Hogwarts students, were fine for most basic potions, but they made some of the more complex potions a little temperamental. Her silver cauldron was the most dependable and even then, she preferred the gold for any kind of antidote.

They were seated alphabetically, as they had been for each exam so far. Caiti's heart pounded as she sat down at her assigned desk. A brand new quill and a full pot of ink sat at the corner of the desk, but no supplies had been passed out yet.

One of the examiners stood at the front, waiting until everyone was seated before explaining the procedures for that morning.

"You will have two and a half hours to complete your potion. Recipes and ingredients will be supplied to you all at the official start time. There is to be no talking during the exam and you must use only the supplied quills, cauldrons, and ingredients and your wand. When your potion is complete, or when time is up, you will fill three vials and wait at your seat for them to be collected. Should you need to use the restroom during the exam, please raise your hand. Wands must be left behind while you are away from the room."

He continued talking after this, but the rest was the same spiel Caiti had already heard four times now so she stared down at the empty cauldron and tried not to panic, tried not to feel the weighty expectation of Professor Pym and her parents and even Marlowe. Tried not to feel the necessity that she live up to the expectations of the selection panel.

Far too soon, the test administrator waved his wand and ingredients appeared on each of their tables alongside a recipe for an Invigoration Draught. Caiti glanced over it and started to relax. She had made this before. It wasn't difficult. All around, her classmates were hurrying to uncap vials of various liquids and starting to dice and slice their ingredients, but Caiti read through the instructions twice first. She lifted the quill and dipped it in her ink pot, making a few notes on the recipe before she began.

When she started to prepare her ingredients, the last of her nerves slipped away and Caiti started to actually smile a little. She could do this. It would all be fine.