"Today's the day, is it, Ron?" Harry asked as the ginger strutted into the Ministry of Magic. He had dressed up for the occasion in slacks and a button-up, white shirt. Even that couldn't disguise the real Ron, made evident by his askew tie and unruly hair.

"It sure is." Ron puffed out his chest as he continued, "I'm going to pass the exam with flying colors and finally become an auror."

"Don't get too cocky. It's a pretty tough exam."

"You passed it, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"I'll be fine. Besides, we took on Voldemort. After that, how hard can this be?"

"Well, good luck, then." Harry patted Ron on the shoulder and flashed him an encouraging smile, but he walked away shaking his head. With an ego like that, Ron would be in for quite the surprise. That was a lesson Harry had already learned first-hand.

~o0o~

Later that day, Harry happened to wander past a dejected-looking man who was hunched over on a bench, head down, clothes disheveled. After a few moments and a triple-take, he realized it was Ron.

"Dare I ask?" Harry approached the bench cautiously. No sudden movements. Without looking up, Ron shook his head. "C'mon, it can't have been that bad."

Ron finally lifted his head slowly, with the look of a zombie trying to come to grips with what it had become. The locks of red hair that fell in his face popped in stark contrast against his pale, ashen skin. Painstakingly, in jerky movements, he slide his hollow, glassy eyes to look at Harry.

"No," Ron said in a wobbly voice, like he was just remembering that he had the ability to talk. "It's worse."

"Well, what happened?"

Ron slid has gaze back to the wall. He looked like a shell-shocked survivor of some great battle. Even the Battle of Hogwarts hadn't left him this bad off.

"It was just a simple transfiguration. Turn a rat into a matchbox. How hard is that? Did it all the time at Hogwarts."

"Didn't go as well as you thought?"

"I was so nervous. I couldn't help it. I stuttered as I said the spell and...and..."

"Half transfiguration?" Harry asked, nodding his head. It happened plenty of times in school. Sometimes the results were comical, but most times it just wasn't all that pretty to look at.

"No...it...exploded. It was everywhere. Well, the testers weren't very impressed about that. Had to take a small session between the transfiguration and dueling tests so they could change."

"OK, so you exploded one rat. It happens. Look at all the things Seamus exploded while we were at Hogwarts."

"Yeah, but it wasn't just that." Ron let his head collapse into his hands with a moan.

"Well, what else is there?" Harry was almost afraid to ask.

"Well, during the dueling section...I kinda froze."

"What do you mean froze? Like...literally?"

"Well...no. I mean, I couldn't remember what spells to use. They were all watching me. Do you know what that's like?" Ron's voice rose to an impressively-high octave as he said the last part.

What Harry really wanted to say was, "Yes. Yes, I do," but he didn't think it was an appropriate time to compare hardships. Instead, he said, "So what'd you do?"

"I used Rodens Versavertremum."

"But that..."

"I KNOW! I turned the tester into a bloody ferret. I couldn't think of anything else, and it worked so well for Moody."

"Crouch."

"What?"

"It wasn't really Moody, it was Crouch..." Harry paused as he noticed Ron's eyes completely glaze over. They matched perfectly the vague, distant look that suddenly eclipsed his face. "You know what? It doesn't matter. Go on."

"And that's not even the worst part."

"Oh my God, Ron, please tell me you did not blow up a tester."

"What? No!" Ron's faced scrunched up in disdain, like it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. "Though, I should've. The bloody thing bit me. Took a right chunk out of my leg." He lifted his pants to reveal a blood-encrusted wound that had leaked down his leg and onto his sock.

"OK, so what's the worst part?"

"I failed." Ron moaned and let his head fall against the wall behind them. It hit with a loud thud that sounded like it hurt. If it did, he hid it well.

"Really? After all that you still thought you would pass?"

"You just don't get it, Harry. I failed."

"So what? I failed my first auror exam, too."

"What?" Ron's eyes snapped open and he shot upright in his seat. "What d'you mean you failed?"

"Just what I said. I failed my first exam. I didn't tell anyone but Ginny, and the next time I took the exam I passed."

"Hey...uh...we're best friends, right?"

"Of course."

"Then you'd do me a favor, right?"

"Anything. You name it. I'll help you study for the next exam, if you want."

"Will you tell Hermione that I failed?"

"No, absolutely not. Not gonna happen. She's going to destroy you."

Ron groaned and collapsed back into a messy pile of hopelessness.

"Then at least write me bloody brilliant eulogy, will you?"

"Done. Good luck." Harry patted Ron on the shoulder before going back to work. He'd be fine. Probably.

Author's Note: Written for the "Game of LIFE". Prompt: exam. As always, reviews are appreciated if you enjoy this. :)

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything associated belongs to J.K. Rowling.