𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 173

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED
AND SEVENTY THREE
✧
-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH THEIR FIRST EXAMS
TAKE PLACE

. . .

The Entrance Hall had never been so tense. Breakfast the next morning had been a wholly silent affair within the group of fifth years, nobody dare spoke for fear of disrupting their own revision, or even worse, face the wrath if disruption another.

Parvati was practicing incantations under her breath while the salt cellar in front of her twitched.  Aviana hadn't spoken a single word since she retired to the Slytherin common room the night before and had greeted them all that morning by dumping a mass of books and parchment on the breakfast table and shushing Ron. Hermione was re-reading Achievement in Charming so fast that her eyes appeared blurred, and Neville kept dropping his knife and fork and knocking over the marmalade.

After breakfast was no better. Of course, with such important examinations, they were not expected to go to lesson and for the half hour following the end of breakfast and the start of their written Charms text they were ushered out into the Entrance Hall and had no choice but to mill about the empty space as other students went to lesson.

Aviana still hadn't spoken a word and had found herself a quiet corner with a good enough view to glare at anyone making too much noise. Ernie Macmillan had done the same thing across from her and was glancing furtively over to where Harry, Ron and Hermione were circled around her and Draco Malfoy was still gabbing on about how apparently he was friendly with all the examiners.

After what seemed like the most excruciating half an hour of their lives they were called forward class by class to re-enter the Great Hall. The long tables and benches were gone, instead replaced by rows upon rows of desks and chairs all placed equal distances from one another, all facing the staff table on the small platform at the end of the hall where McGonagall stood facing them.

Each desk had a small card with their name and house upon them, each house seated where their table was positioned during meal times, and it took several minutes for every student to find their name and desk, albeit them being arranged alphabetically - which Aviana had realised quite quickly and was left despairing as she watched her peers struggling to find their seats.

But eventually, everyone was sat, and they each waited with bated breath, staring down at the plain page at the back of the theory booklet, itching to turn it over and begin.

After what seemed like hours but was merely a few seconds, McGonagall cleared her throat. "You may begin." She told them and turned over the enormous hourglass on the desk beside her, on which were also spare quills, ink bottles, and rolls of parchment in case anyone ran out during the examination.

Aviana turned over the paper, quickly filling out the necessary details on the front cover before opening the booklet, scanning the questions over the page and a small smile grew on her face. The very first question: a) Give the incantation, and  b) describe the wand movement required to make objects fly. The very first thing they were taught in Charms - and surely one of the easiest spells they had ever been taught.

She reached to dip the nib of her quill in the ink well and began writing out her answer, which was certainly more detailed than it truly needed to be before moving on. Cheering charms, hiccupping charms, summoning charms, the list went on. But eventually, after writing thorough answers for every question and reading the entire paper over several times over, the sand in the hourglass ran out.