𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀, harry potter

eighty three

83 || O.W.Ls

June had arrived. The month they were dreading, because it meant one thing, O.W.Ls.

"My head hurts," Astoria complained as they all sat around a table in the library. Surprisingly, work was actually being done, slowly but surely.

"Take a break then," Adelaide said, not looking up from her book, "Five minutes won't hurt."

"Yeah, unless you're Astoria and have decided to sleep through every lesson this year," Theo said, and Adelaide laughed with him. That was one development that had released tension in the group, Adelaide and Theo had made up after Quidditch and were back to their usual annoying selves.

"It's not my fault I hate school," Astoria whined, "Get the ministry to change the education system."

"Literally," Blaise muttered, lifting his head from the table.

"You good Blaise?"

"No."

"Okay."

They received their examination schedules and details of the procedure for O.W.L.s during their next Transfiguration lesson.

"As you can see," Professor McGonagall told the class while they copied down the dates and times of their exams from the blackboard, "your O.W.L.s are spread over two successive weeks. You will sit the theory exams in the mornings and the practice in the afternoons. Your practical Astronomy examination will, of course, take place at night.

"Now, I must warn you that the most stringent Anti-Cheating Charms have been applied to your examination papers. Auto-Answer Quills are banned from the examination hall, as are Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, and Self-Correcting Ink. Every year, I am afraid to say, seems to harbour at least one student who thinks that he or she can get around the Wizarding Examinations Authority's rules. I can only hope that it is nobody in Gryffindor. Our new — head- mistress" — Professor McGonagall pronounced the word with the same look on her face that Aunt Petunia had whenever she was con- templating a particularly stubborn bit of dirt — "has asked the Heads of House to tell their students that cheating will be punished most severely — because, of course, your examination results will reflect upon the headmistress's new regime at the school. . . ." Professor McGonagall gave a tiny sigh.

"However, that is no reason not to do your very best. You have your own futures to think about."

"Please, Professor," said Hermione, her hand in the air, "when will we find out our results?"

"An owl will be sent to you sometime in July," said Professor McGonagall.

"Excellent," said Dean Thomas in an audible whisper, "so we don't have to worry about it till the holidays. . . ."

Their first exam, Theory of Charms, was scheduled for Monday morning. Adelaide wasn't necessarily worried, she knew she could do these exams, it was just the tense period leading up to them that made her nerves shake a bit.

Dinner was a subdued affair that night. No one talked much as they recovered their brains from a day of intense revision.

"I can't wait for summer," Adelaide said, "Relaxing with nothing to worry about. It sounds so heavenly."

Alex smiled, "And then its onto N.E.W.Ts."

There was a collective groan as everyone glared at Alex, "Why'd you have to say that?"

"It's just a fact."

"Salazar," Theo said faintly, staring into the entrance hall. "Is that the examiners?"