Mischievous-A Marauders Fanfic

26-By The Lake

O.W.Ls, much to everyone's enjoyment, began to slowly tick by. Both of Halley's Arithmancy papers went well, to her immediate relief, and both Charms, both Potions and the Transfiguration Practical also went by without much bother, save an exploding cauldron or two in the Potions practical and a very stubborn winged teapot in the Transfiguration exam which had flown up into the rafters after previously being a pigeon.

Indeed, on the morning of the Defense Against the Dark Arts exams, written paper in the morning and practical in the afternoon, everyone in the little gang was feeling more than cheerful. Even Sephy.

"Merlin knickers, are these exams boring now" Sirius grumbled, as the seven left breakfast and began to hover around outside the Great Hall, to wait for the desks to be put out and their exam to begin.

"They're useful, though" Samantha reasoned. "They'll help you do your N.E.W.T.s..."

"N.E.W.T.s schmE.W.T.s" Sirius scoffed. "Total waste of my time. They're boring. Ennuyeux. Aburrido..."

"Useful" Halley cut in, sighing.

"Boring" Sirius mocked her.

"They're nearly done, to be fair" James pointed out diplomatically, as they sat on the side of the steps with the moving staircases behind them.

"And aren't I glad!" Sephy sighed happily. "And DADA should be relatively straightforward..."

"It'll be fine" Halley smiled at her tiny friend, who grinned back.

"Hey Halley, Sephy, Sammie, boys."

"Feeling good, Lily?" Halley then asked Lily Evans, who, along with Marlene McKinnon, had come to sit on the steps with them.

"Nervous" Lily admitted. "For the practical, more than the written. Are you gonna try the Patronus, Halley?"

"Nah" Halley shook her head. "I just can't get the bloody thing corporeal. Merrythought advised that there's no real point to it in an exam unless it's corporeal."

"Bummer" Lily sympathised.

"A bit" Halley agreed, her mind unconsciously flicking back to all the times when her un-corporeal Patronus had saved lives, and not just her own.

"Come on" Marlene encouraged, as the doors to the Great Hall opened to reveal the exam desks all laid out. "Sephy, Halley, Samantha, Lils. Girly group hug before we go in!"

The girls in question complied, with a couple of sneaky eye rolls, and the boys sidled off to the hall.

The whole of the year passed through the doors and settled themselves at their desks, in alphabetical order. Sephy wrote her name on the top of the parchment with the Anti-Cheating Quill and sighed. She reckoned she was ready for this.

By the time Professor Flitwick screeched 'Five more minutes!' near the end of the exam, Sephy was content with herself. There was a long writing question on the Unforgivable Curses right at the end which was foxing her rather, as she wasn't sure what exactly she was supposed to write other than 'the clue is in the name' and 'don't do it'.

In the end, she fudged it with a little bit of description about what each curse did individually, and why that was bad, and as the gong went for time up she left it at that.

"Quills down please!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, from the front. "That means you too, Stebbins!" he snapped at a Hufflepuff boy who had been trying to get a few extra lines in. "Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"

The papers flew off the desks, and Sephy turned around in time to see James flash Sirius a big thumbs up, the latter rocking peacefully on his chair.