Free as a Bird

Aced

"You may begin your final exams" Eulalie said, holding up a scroll containing the names of first years, "The written portion of the test commences now".

Modesty started to write her answers down. Like Hogwarts, Illvermorny commenced it's end-of-term examinations. The eleven year old girl had been preparing for it all year. Unlike Hogwarts, Illvermorny was strict about evaluation and only the best of the best could pass.

Question 1: What is the incantation of the Levitating Charm?

"Psst Lonnie! Lonnie!" Modesty heard a boy whisper the name of a student. She turned to see Timothy Lee, the popular kid, begging for answers from Lonnie Gellers.

"It's bad to cheat, Timothy!" Modesty warned him.

"Why don't you take your nerd powers elsewhere, Barebone?" Timothy snarled.

"Quiet, children" Eulalie heard distant murmurs,  "No cheating allowed. If you're caught, you shall be punished".

"Lonnie!" However Timothy paid no heed and tried to catch Lonnie's attention, "Hey!"

Lonnie finally noticed Timothy and made some weird gestures indicating the options to the answers for the questions. 

Modesty got up, determined to knock some sense into Tim, "Madam Hicks! Timothy Lee is cheating!"

After all of her exams, Modesty sat beneath a tree, reading a book of spells and revisiting some old ones. She waved her wand to create sparkles of light. In the past year, she had given a lot of thought about Credence. She had even asked Eulalie Hicks about it. However with no response, she had quite given up.

Credence ought to be alive. There's got to be a way she could reach her brother. She cared about him so much.

"Barebone" she heard a stern voice call her name.

"What?" Modesty got up, to see Tim.

"It's real brave of you there, callin' out on me. Most people tend to avoid me in getting me into trouble, y'know? Coz I'm popular" Tim gloated, "You've got some nerve".

"You didn't get into an awful lot of trouble" Modesty said, "You were marked on. That's all. Because you're a Lee and Illvermorny wouldn't dare mess with the Lee's"

"That's right" Tim boasted, "But you shall be punished anyway. You're a bad little punk, Barebone. Just like your family of freaks. Freak!"

"Leave her alone, Tim" 

A brown haired boy, about Tim's age came by. He seemed to be close with Tim.

"Walters. Well, well, well. If it isn't Stephen Walters" Tim folded his hands, "Never liked your liking towards freaks, Stevie. Thought you could do better than defend poor orphans".

"Modesty called out on treachery. In fact, I've personally told Madam Hicks that just because your father is the Undersecretary to the President, that doesn't exempt you from school rules" Walters said, "Now leave. Don't bully her. Or I shall call the teachers. Wouldn't want your father to show up".

"My father will be rid of my problems. Starting with you, Stevie"

"It's Stephen. And please call me Steph, for short".

"Yeah, more like psycho" Tim looked at Modesty and walked off, hunching his shoulders.

"Timothy is like that, y'know"  Stephen said, "He's pretty rude because he's a Lee. Don't worry about it. Just tell a teacher or knock him with spells".

"Thanks" Modesty said, "But I think I would've handled the situation better. I am a freak and I can make him run using my freakish powers".

Stephen laughed, "I'm Stephen Walters".