The Year of the Revolution VIII. The Return to Innocence

1. Charms

Monday, ten in the morning, start of the Charms OWL practical exam. Perhaps the most relevant subject taught at Hogwarts, required for almost all NEWTs, which is why almost all of the fifth-year students were waiting their turn, in alphabetical order, in a room adjacent to the Great Hall.

There are more than thirty of us, Sev was thinking. If we have ten to one, three hours, it's turn for more than ten people every hour, less than six minutes for each one. Despite the time change they are going to go in a hurry. I don't even want to imagine what it would have been like if it was less than two hours.

It's Lily's turn during the first hour. Lauren's, Anthony's and mine around twelve. Two hours of waiting, and standing because there are not seats for everyone. They could very well have appointed us in turns of ten people and we would have had a little more time to study.

Lily is chatting with the Gryffs. We talked at breakfast, just for a little while, because she had to read because she screwed up repeatedly yesterday. At least all is still in order regarding me and the Army, but not anymore regarding her history with Sirius. I suspect that she is going to come to light sooner with him than with me, and all the Gryffs can smell it, yesterday they spent the entire afternoon and night giving away themselves. I can't leave her alone even during a meal, she does things her own way.

Well, it's a good way so that his companions and the rat don't suspect that we are together, but James is getting angry, now it seems to him that it is Sirius who is betraying me. Poor guy, he must be in a terrible mess. Maybe in a while I'll read him to get the information first-hand, although I already feel bad for doing so. Maybe what I'll do is chat with him for a moment, when the girls and the rat have passed and he hasn't yet.

Boof... but it's going to be right before he passes, I'm going to distract him. No, I better not chat with him, I'll read him and that's it, emergency situation. I have to tell Lily how to behave, the only thing left is for her to now try to help Sirius in all his exams so she can spend more time with him and James gets more and more annoyed, he withdraws the invitation to stay at his house in the summer and we run the risk of him meeting his cousin again. In that case we should find an alternative home, perhaps at Deborah's house. She already told me that her parents would be delighted to meet the Black's black sheep, even more so to welcome him into his house, the second child they could not have.

But it's better to avoid that solution, it's in our best interest for him to spend the summer with James so that he can continue to influence him, but if he doubts his loyalty to me it's going to be very contradictory. Definitely, Lily should also stay away from Sirius for the moment, at least until we return in September, or hide a little better. She had already appointed him again after the exam in the Library, because the two of them finish first, and I told her that it's okay, but that they should only chat while there is no one else with them.

I'm going to see how Lauren is doing. Perfectly, she has taken a seat, how could she not? She seems relaxed and calm, it's her vibe, it will be good for me to chat with her for a while, I'm going to bond.

He did it. "How are you, gorgeous?"

"Wonderful, my love."

"I already see it. Aren't you nervous?"

"Not at all. You already know that I'm very good at Charms," she answered.

"How I would like to see you take the exam."

"And also me to see you do it, and Lily, who is an ace."

"Of course she is," he agreed. "If I'm so good at Charms it's thanks to her. Do you know about her wand?"