A/NI am feeling so kind that I give you another chapter - even though I am meant to be memorising my French. Ah well. Quite short I'm afraid!:( Thank you sooooooo much to Trinity who reviewed a lovely review! It made me really happy actually - not being cheesy or anything haha, and thank you fandomluva2theend as well for reviewing! That one made me happy as well!:D
Disclaimer: I do not own nothing except the OCs like Grace
Chapter 21
End-of-year-exams
Remus left the Hospital Wing the next day, accompanied with James, Sirius and Peter. It seemed that the four friends had become even closer just by finding out Remus' secret. And Remus was very thankful.
"Do you want to go to the lake?" asked James as they walked down the corridor.
Sirius and Peter said yes. Remus told them to go on while he got some parchment and quill so he could write a letter. He brought Athene down too, so he could send it straight away.
James and the rest had found a shaded spot by their favourite beach tree. They were stretched out, happily knowing it was Saturday, and no school.
Remus quickly joined them and set about writing his letter.
Dear Aunt Wendy
Thanks again for Athene, she really is amazing! I just wanted you to know that James, Sirius and Peter figured out my 'secret'. But all is not lost! We have become even closer! James said we mustn't lie to each other again but that's fait don't you think?
Hope to see you in the summer and wish me luck for my end-of-year exams (which James and Sirius refuse to study for!)
Love Remus
When he had finished and had sent it off, James turned to him.
"Why was your excuse that your mother was ill?" he asked
Remus frowned "I dunno… I umm.."
"Does that mean she's okay?" asked Peter
Remus smiled humourlessly. He shook his head. "No… no, she died. When I was six."
James, Sirius and Peter looked scandalized.
"She died? Oh Merlin, sorry Remus."
"Do you know why?" asked Sirius, before James nudged him in the ribs "Ouch!"
"She was upset you see, because she blamed my father for my bite. Once I got bitten, she died a year later because she just failed. Her body did." said Remus, remembering
"You were five when you were bitten?"
"Why was your Dad blamed?"
"He disagreed and refused the werewolf that bit me…" Remus sighed, looking across the lake.
James, sensing his discomfort, dropped the subject.
Peter pulled out some chocolate frogs from his bag and dished them out. They munched happily for a while, looking at their cards [Peter got Merlin, Remus got Helga Hufflepuff, James got Morgana and Sirius got Circe.]
"What's everyone doing this summer?" Sirius asked after a while, he had got a reply back from his mother and James' mum, saying it was alright [Walburga only saying yes as he would be out of the house]
"I'm going to France the first few weeks," said Remus "With my dad to see my Aunt's family."
"I'm going to Wales to visit my batty old Grandmother…" Peter groaned while the others laughed.
"Well whatever day we get our letters, should we meet up the day after in Diagon Alley? Me and Sirius will be away for two weeks in the middle." said James, picking up some grass and letting it go, making it fly across the lawn.
Grace headed over with Marlene and Alice, flopping down next to James.
"What's up guys?" she asked, closing her eyes in the sunlight
"Talking about the summer." said Sirius
"Ahh, I'm going to Italy for two weeks in the middle of the summer- should be great."
James frowned slightly, but dismissed the thought as he didn't want to think about anything.
"It's the World Cup this summer – shame none of the Britain teams went through – I would've gone to see it." He said
"Who's playing?" asked Marlene lazily, levitating a daisy with her wand.
"Luxembourg and Portugal."
They chatted until dinner, soaking up the sun, thinking of nothing.
Finally, Exams were upon them. James and Sirius had successfully done about two hours of revision before getting bored.
"You do know you haven't revised don't you?" said Remus the breakfast before their Transfiguration exams on the Monday.
James and Sirius, who were having a mock sword-fight with their forks, looked up.
"Of course we know Remykins!" exclaimed Sirius
"We are very proud of it!" they chorused
Remus stared. "We better get to Transfiguration." He muttered
Professor McGonagall made them line up outside while she called them in alphabetically.
Sirius sauntered out a few minutes after she called him in.
"What do you have to do?" asked Peter nervously as Sirius waited for them
"Turn a snail into a teapot." said Sirius, smirking "I got full marks."
Remus didn't know how he did it.
They then had their Transfiguration practical afterwards – one hour in their classroom with Professor McGonagall looking beadily at them.
James and Sirius finished their exams fifteen minutes before the end, so they got to lounge around and wait.
After lunch they had their Defence Against the Dark Arts written exam, as Professor Birchwood decided they couldn't exactly fight a creature for their practical.
On Tuesday afternoon they had a History of Magic written exam – one hour of being bored out of their minds in a horrible stuffy classroom, trying to think up names of Goblins.
On Wednesday morning they had a Herbology exam, writing in their cramped classroom with Professor Sprout. At midnight they had their Astronomy practical and written exam with Professor Dorado, their funny old professor who looked like he was half-merman.
Thursday afternoon was their Potions exam. They had to remember to brew the Wiggenweld Potion (the 'bloody hard one' as Sirius said) successfully and without making any major mistakes.
Friday morning was their Charms written exam which they had in their classroom, in the afternoon they trooped back up to the classroom to be called one by one by Professor Flitwick to charm a teddy bear to drink a cup of tea [he had to keep getting new ones for the bears had had enough of drinking the tea after three people].
Finally it was over, to mark the end of their exams it seemed everyone [except really boring people] had trooped outside to relax, or swim in the lake. The four boys had taken refuge under what seemed to be their beech tree. James and Sirius were in the lake, showing off to girls, some of which were sixth years. Remus was dozing on the grass and Peter, who hated swimming, was eating some chocolate frogs.
"Nothing to worry about until Wednesday!" said James excitedly, splashing Sirius.
"And then we have a week and a bit before summer." said Sirius, splashing him back.
"Next year I can try out for Quidditch!" exclaimed James eagerly "That will be amazing!"
Sirius laughed.
The next Wednesday, Professor McGonagall came round and gave the Gryffindor's their results for their tests. It was during dinner, so people exchanged their marks with one another and then go and check which place they came on their notice board in their common rooms.
James read his through quite eagerly.
Exam Report Card
Must achieve 400+ to pass
Name: James. H. Potter
House: Gryffindor Year: First
Results:
Astronomy: - 87/100 Professor E. Dorado
(Written and Practical)
Charms: - 95 /100 Professor F. Flitwick
(Written and Practical)
Defence against the Dark Arts: - 100/100 Professor L. Birchwood
(Written only)
Herbology: - 88/100 Professor P. Sprout
(Written only)
History of Magic: - 70/100 Professor C. Binns
(Written only)
Potions: - 90/100 Professor H. Slughorn
(Practical only)
Transfiguration: - 100/100 Professor M. McGonagall
(Written and Practical)
Total: 630/700 Signed: Minerva McGonagall
James grinned when he read it. He had done really well! Eventhough he hadn't revised – which he had never done before anyway – he had worked really hard in the exams to make his parents proud.
"Come on," said James, jumping up "Let's go find out where we came."
"How many marks in total did you get?" asked Sirius as they walked out of the Great Hall "I got 627."
"630," replied James "I got full marks in Transfiguration and Defence!"
"I got full marks in Defence too!"
Remus was staring at them.
"How the hell did you two beat me? I revised and you didn't! Merlin, you two are too clever for your own good."
"Yup!"
"How many did you get Remy?" asked Sirius
"625!" replied Remus
"That's only two down from Sirius." said James "What about you Pete? You did pass right?"
"501." said Peter gloomily "At least I passed."
The rest of the Gryffindor first-years were already crowded around the piece of parchment.
When they had read it they had found that James was first, Sirius second, Remus third, Edgar seventh, Grace eleventh, Lily thirteenth, Mary eighteenth, Marlene twenty-second, Alice twenty-sixth, Frank thirtieth, Emmeline thirty-eighth and Peter forty-first.
"We all did really great!" exclaimed Grace after they had sat down.
"Well, I was really hoping to be tenth, but I guess I did okay." sniffed Lily.
"We can't have everything now Evans," said James, smirking
"Shut up Potter, just because you came first," snapped Lily "Which I have no idea how you did, considering you didn't revise. You cheated didn't you?"
James looked extremely offended. "Excuse me Evans? I cheated? I never cheat!"
"How do we know?" asked Lily
James opened his mouth to retort, but Grace got there first.
"James, sit down! Evans, James did not cheat – I know he didn't." she snapped
"Ha! I knew you'd take his side, Williams. You always do, how do you know that he didn't? How could he have come first?" said Lily angrily, attracting the attention of the whole common room.
"Now, hold on Evans! I know for a fact that James doesn't cheat and that he is clever. I also know that you my dear are a sore loser! You can't accept that James beat you!" said Sirius.
Lily just stared at him "I AM NOT! AND DO NOT CALL ME DEAR!" She suddenly shrieked before stomping out of the common room.
"That's right Evans, run off to your evil little friend Snivelly. Watch out for his hair!" yelled Sirius before she went out.
Lily came stomping back, her face as red as her hair.
"DON'T JUDGE MY BEST FRIEND!" she screamed
"Well don't judge mine!" exclaimed Sirius, rather calmly
Lily couldn't think of anything to say so she turned to James.
"YOU Potter! I'M GOING TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CHEATED IN THAT EXAM!" she yelled. "AND YOU BLACK!"
"If that's what you want to spend your time doing- be my guest!" said James, his voice loud.
Lily uttered a shriek before running up the staircase.
"Dude, she hates you." Said a fifth year when everyone was quiet. Everybody laughed and it went back to normal.
James shook his head. "What a sore loser!" he said "Anyone want to play exploding snap?"