Hogwarts Descendants

Chapter 25: Finally, Normality

That night was restless, the Slytherins partied until dawn broke. And for the first time in what seemed like forever, the houses were united. They cheered together, partied together, ate together, Hogwarts was no longer divided into four, but united as one. Nothing brings the students together like Quidditch, Professor McGonagall once said, for it was true, students from varied houses merged together at tables, sitting and chatting endlessly. And as far as anyone in that great school was concerned, the sun never set on Hogwarts, there were no more fights, no more hate. This warmth was infectious, for even the teachers were in better moods, Professor Snape hadn't deducted more than twenty house points from a student for months -and that might as well be a record, students have been saying.

The group-or cult, Mortem Cultus, had been shut down. Matthew had been expelled, and the participants had received varied punishments, depending on the extremes of their participation. The 'Order', at least the next generation one, had been shut down, with the only punishment being a few extra hours worth of essays. And as everything was being tidied up, the hall where the Battle of the Four Houses had taken place still needed some fixing-up, but it was now useable, much to the satisfaction of the students who had to take off-routes to get to some of their classes.

The only thing left in the school year were finals, and when the time of their conclusion came, a celebratory Sabbatical Ball.

But with every good there always lies an evil-and in this case it was not that bad, depending on who you asked of course. The finals. The exams. The most dreaded time of year, but a traditional week nonetheless. And for the first years it was particularly rough, it being their first extreme testing and whatnot. They hadn't much to base a prediction on, save for the generally deceitful words of the second-year students.

And they would begin two weeks from this monday, giving them a fortnight to study, which usually consisted of rigorous reading, spellcasting, tutoring, and frequent visits to the library. Cheating was strictly prohibited, including remembralls, enhanced quills, enhancement potions of any sort, and the use of any other intelligence or grade boosting empowerments.

Until then classes continued as normal, save for the extra homework and harder classwork the professors were fond of calling, 'extra preparation'.

Reilley was nervous, and prepared endlessly. She was the first in the library, and the last out. And the day before testing she was up until 1 in the morning, despite her professors constant advisory on going to bed in an early fashion.

Mr. Malfoy was much against the tradition of studying, he believed he was rather smart, and therefore told himself there was no need to study. He did however study the night before the tests, well hidden in the darkness of the Slytherin Common Room. And if anyone were to ask him he would have denied it wholeheartedly, exclamating the declaration with a boast of how a wizard as talented as he need not study.

And when dawn broke the next evening, Reilley slowly awoke, eyes heavy, and when she walked down to the great hall she ate, only half awake. Nick, however, strutted down to his table, and bragged how he would ace the exams to anyone who would listen. And as Headmaster Longbottom spoke it that morning, "Let today not be a grievous undertaking but a feat of accomplishment! And good luck to you all, not that you shall need it!" That afternoon, testing began. Most of the day was a rush, and by that afternoon most students brains might as well have been mush. There wasn't a student in the castle who managed to stay up past ten that night. Many were too tired to think, much less stay awake. And now with the weekends ahead of them, the students had only the end of the year dance to look onto!