Redamancy (d.m)

Chapter fifty three-successes and failures

The month of June breezed in, bringing with it the feverish anticipation of O.W.Ls exams. The morning of my first exam, I entered the great hall with Harry, Hermione, and Ron to find that the four dining tables had vanished, to be replaced with rows of individual desks and chairs, stocked with parchment, quills, and ink.

"Well, that wasn't too bad, was it?"Hermione said optimistically after the end of the third exam, "I don't think I did myself justice on the cheering charms, I just ran out of time, and did you put the counter charm for hiccups? I wasn't sure if it was too much but on the other hand-"
"Hermione, we've been through this before" Ron said irritably, "we're not going over every exam afterwards with you"
"Especially when it makes us realise just how much we've gotten wrong" I added bitterly

Afterwards, it was time for the practical exam portion. Professors called students in by small groups, and after thirty minutes, I entered the small chamber beside the great hall with Arabia Lee, Moriah Livisky, Jamie Lancaster, and Neville Longbottom

"Professor Tofty just finished with Thomas Keller, Miss Lestrange" Professor Flitwick instructed, and I nodded, making my way towards the ancient looking wizard with a shiny bald head, next to Griselda Marchbanks, who was beckoning Draco Malfoy over
"Lestrange, is it?" Professor Tofty said with a quivering voice, peering at me through his thick spectacles
"Oh (y/n) is that you?" A cordial voice called from beside him
"Hi Mrs. Marchbanks" I greeted with a polite smile, "how are you?"
"Every day I wake up and contemplate returning to bed after remember I've run out of those scones of yours" she said jovially, and Malfoy rolled his eyes impatiently out of the corner of my eyes
"Now now, Griselda, you'll have plenty of time to chat afterwards, but I have a student to examine" Professor Tofty said, stretching his wrinkled face into a smile
"Right you are, Kenneth, right you are" Griselda said nodding, and I took a deep breath as my exams began

I was instructed to make an egg cup levitate five feet into the air without the egg slipping out, which I thought I performed satisfactorily. It was certainly better than Malfoy's, who's wine glass shattered onto the floor after looking over his shoulder to try to sneak a glance at my work. I felt as though the rat I had been asked to turn baby blue was more of a tiffany blue, and I prayed Professor Tofty's glasses prevented him from looking too closely.

The next morning, my brain was buzzing with transfiguration incantations and notes. During the exam, I struggled to recall the exact definition of a bandaging charm, and breezed through the practical portion, successfully vanishing my tortoise. On Wednesday, no issues arose during my Herbology exam other than a minor cut on my lip from a fanged vernursent cactus. I took pleasure in performing my Defense Against the Dark Arts practical with expertise, to Umbridge's tempered shock as she observed the chamber from the entryway

"Oh wonderful!" Professor Tofty exclaimed as I successfully banished my boggart back into its cupboard, "well that's the end of it-unless...I've heard from a friend that you can perform a corporal patronus? For some bonus points?"

I raised my wand into the air and closed my eyes, imagining in great detail the vision of Umbridge's chubby head on a spike

"Expecto Patronum!"

A blinding light flashed out of my wand, forming into a floating badger that glided around the room, making the examiners pause their inspections to gaze fondly at the animal.

"Bravo!" Professor Tofty said, clapping as the last wisp of ethereal light faded away, "very well, Miss Lestrange, off you go!"

As I passed Umbridge on my way out, I gave her a grin of glorious satisfaction

During my runes exam with Hermione, I mistranslated "yordew", mixing it up with "yerdew", but was otherwise confident in my performance. During my potions exam, I described the side effects and origins of the Wolfsbane Potion in detail, having been tasked with brewing it for Professor Lupin over the summer. After that came Care of Magical Creatures, where I correctly identified the knarl amongst the gaggle of hedgehogs. Then Astronomy, which provided little difficulty. Divination was plain enough; predict horrible deaths and come up with the most unbelievable statements my mind could conjure up. Finally, came the last O.W.L-history of magic. A sudden thump echoed around the hall, and I, along with many other students, looked up mid sentence to peer around for the source of the noise, looking concernedly at Harry, who seemed to have fallen unconscious. Professor Tofty rushed him out as soon as he awoke, minutes later