Dark Defense

OWLS

After completely thrashing the Ravenclaw team in a game of Quidditch, where Ron, in a surprisingly good showing, didn't let a single Quaffle get past, even after suffering a broken arm from a well aimed bludger, the entire Gryffindor house was in decidedly high spirits, though Harry's, admittedly, were rather muted due to the sight of Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker, crying at the end of the match, though he was surprised that rather than concern, he felt almost nothing on the matter.

Sadly, however, such things had to come to an end, for the OWL exams were bearing down on them all like the shadow of death, many a student lining up outside the library to check out additional research notes at the last minute, much to the distaste of Madam Pince, who had very strange ideas as to how to run a library, such as making it nigh impossible to check books out.

One benefit was that the teachers had stopped assigning the fifth years homework, and that the majority of their lessons were composed of revising those topics the teachers felt were certain to come up in the exam.

As a response to this, a roaring black-market trade of 'study enhancers' was spreading around the grounds, sixth and seventh year students with more time on their hands bartering with the fifth years, trying to peddle wares that, according to them, could bolster attentiveness, wakefulness, and memory retention, never mind the fact that such materials were, if not outright illegal to possess, then sure to be registered by the message screen over the Owlery, though this apparently didn't stop the fifth years from buying them, including Harry and Ron, who would've wasted good money, Harry's that is, had Hermione not intervened.

Dinner that day was a subdued affair, hardly anyone spoke, and the few who did were trying to memorize their notes for their first exam, Theory of Charms, while the rest tucked into their meal ravenously.

Ron was just about to scold Hermione, who had been neglecting her food to fuss over her notes for the exam, when she'd dropped her spoon, having caught sight of Dumbledore speaking amiably with a veritably ANCIENT group of wizards and witches.

It wasn't that they were old, though a fair few actually looked older than the headmaster, if that was physically possible whilst retaining a pulse, but there was an air of…general age around them, as if they'd been around for a long time and weren't about to shuffle off the mortal coil anytime soon.

Something, Harry noted with vindictive approval, which seemed to unsettle Delores Umbridge, who didn't look too happy at the sight of them. Clearly the Board of Examiners were not amongst those in the Ministry's pocket, which meant the toad wouldn't be able to influence their judgment on the student's progress to discredit Dumbledore.

One last hectic day of studying, followed by a fitful night's sleep, and the fifth years found themselves milling outside the great hall after breakfast, waiting to be called in for examination while the rest of the school buggered off to lessons

'Lucky little bastards…' Ron had muttered, a sentiment that almost everyone, even a disapproving Hermione, had concurred with, even as they were led into the Main hall, the House Tables moves aside, replaced with individual desks and chairs, a stern faced McGonagal standing at the fore, next to an hour glass, turning it over and ordering them to begin the moment the last entrant had taken their seat.

Two hours later...

Harry was feeling rather confident in himself as he marched out of the hall, only half listening to Ron and Hermione as the latter tried to go over the exam again and the former pointedly refused to. To think the very first charm they ever learned, which had helped render a Troll unconscious all those years ago, would be the very first question? Apparently karma had a sense of humor.

Lunch resumed in the main hall on the hour, the House tables magically restored with the conclusion of the exam, the fifth years stuffing themselves gratefully, only to trudge off towards a small chamber beside the hall that had been allotted for the practical segment of the exam, disappearing into the chamber in groups of alphabetical order, though the fact none ever left the same way made gathering intel on the exam impossible.