Author's Note: My goodness I do apologize! It has definitively not been my intention to take this long! But these are busy days and I have also bee writing on my other story, Reunited Crushes in the Past. But I swear I haven't abandoned this piece of work! School, concerts, piano lessons, dance classes, karate practises, two ongoing fanfictions and writer's block just don't mix…
You know what I just realized? That every single time in this place I wrote suited, I meant situated. And I'm way too lazy to go and change every one… but just so you know.
Oh, by the way. I apologize if any details in how they do their OWLs or whatever are wrong, I don't have the fifth book right here right now so I can't check it up. I call it author liberty. This chapter is also kind of… boring, but it is important to bring the story forwards. So it's kind of necessary.
Last, but not the least, I would like to thank those of you who has reviewed. Phoenix0170, Kow it all, Mira, Silwen Aurdomiel, Megamie, ali and Pussin Boots, love you all!
Chapter 25 –OWLs
So by now, life had pretty much returned to normal. Not much happened during the following weeks – simply because there weren't time for anything to happen. Hermione was back in school after just a couple of weeks – right in time for the exams. Most students would have taken the opportunity to miss them, but not Hermione, oh no.
We were all very busy with the huge amount of work that we got, not only in Defence against the Dark Arts but in basically every class. I think it was good, though. It took people's minds off things, as they had to focus on their studies in order to get acceptable exam results.
And the amount of work wasn't exactly reduced as the OWLs were upcoming, no, it got more and more and I was usually up studying long past midnight. Thankfully, my concussion was long gone, but it was replaced of a long-lasting normal headache due to lack of sleep.
I had promised myself earlier that year that I would make sure I slept enough before the owls, but that promise seemed to vanish. The night before the OWLs would start, I slept around two hours – and that because I was too exhausted to stay up anymore.
There were several different kind of potions and such to buy from various students that was supposed to 'raise your intelligence level' or 'replace sleep' or whatever. Hermione confiscated them all, though, being the Gryffindor Prefect she was.
I was horribly nervous. I needed good grades. I had to get them! If I was ever going to become a healer, I needed to be accepted in Snape's Potions NEWT class, which would be one of the more challenging things. Thankfully though, I didn't have Potion exams that first Monday. Instead it was Ancient Runes, and that has to be one of my favourite subjects. I did well and was sure I'd get at least an E.
My lunch was very quick. No one of the fifth years bothered chatting to each other; actually very few ate at all. So after five minutes I headed off to do some last-minute studying for the upcoming exam; Herbology Practical. Obviously I had been kind of lucky to start the week off with my favourite subjects. I was good in Herbology too.
The task was mainly to replant and take care of different herbs, each and everyone to be treated in a different way. Colin Creevy, who was right before me, messed it up in a major way. I'm not sure exactly how, but it delayed my time fifteen minutes as the ministry worker said that 'it had to be cleaned up'. Personally, I have no idea how he managed to mess that up since I found it fairly easy.
I spent the evening studying, eating a proper dinner (food is important!) and also resting, for my Astronomy exam was to take place at midnight. That was… not quite as enjoyable as the previous tests. We got a map of the stars and were supposed to write names and draw constellations and holy shit, I messed it all up. I mixed the names together and when I was supposed to write about specific constellations… uh-oh.
My failure in Astrology made me rather depressed. I had plans on getting up early on Tuesday to do some extra last-minute studying, but instead I overslept and had to hurry off to my Care of Magical Creatures exam (which went quite okay) without any breakfast. At lunch I was starving, yet my lunch was just as short as yesterday.
After lunch I had History of Magic and Potions (both written). History of Magic went… okay, I guess it could have been worse. And I had spent more than half of my study time studying Potions, and now I got to learn – that pays off! I couldn't know for sure as I hadn't got the results already, but I believed I did better than I'd ever dreamed of.
After a fairly calm night, Wednesday (had even time for breakfast too, yay!) started off with a written Arithmancy exam. I thought I did quite fair. I barely ate lunch though, since I grew steadily more nervous for the upcoming one – the practical exams were the worst…
This time it was practical DADA. I didn't know why I worried so much – I was quite good at it and I had been in the DA in my fifth year. The group had also continued meeting this year but very sporadically – meaning a total of five times. However, I didn't do any big mistakes and was very relieved when I left the room. There was no time for relaxing, though, as I had to head off to a Charms exam, which I also passed moderately easily.
At this point, my nerves weren't as screwed up as in the beginning of the week. I wasn't extremely nervous but more exhausted. Yes, OWLs were exhausting. I wasn't to keen on my change of condition though, as I always do better when I'm nervous. Hence, I went to bed early and slept well until I woke up at Thursday just in time for breakfast.
Thursday was easy. Over all I found the written exams easier than the practical, and this day I had only written ones – Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology and DADA. I felt that all of them went well.
I was glad I had slept much last night, for by now I was all nervous again for Friday. The most dreaded one of them all – Potions Practical was coming up and therefore I sat up studying until three o'clock in the morning. Of course it was mostly theoretically but at least that was better than nothing, right?
If Snape would grade us after how devoted we were, then I'd get a strong O, I thought before I fell asleep.
To make my life even more perfect, the Potions exam was the last one. Meaning that I had to suffer through lunch and three other exams – written and practical Transfiguration and practical charms. I had grave problems concentrating so I probably didn't exactly do my best, but I hoped I passed anyway.
At three o'clock I shivered slightly as I stepped into the dungeon where the potion exam was to be hold. There were three other students as well, and our task was written on the blackboard.
The Draft of Peace
You have until six o'clock. Ingredients can be found in the cupboard. We have a non-tolerance against cheating and cooperation.
A strict ministry worker sat behind the teacher's desk. She looks scary, I thought and shivered. I would never dare cheating with her watching us…
However, I set to work and began scribbling down a list of all the ingredients I would need on a piece of parchment. I was glad Snape had actually taught us that a mere month ago and that I had listened carefully enough to remember most of it. It was considered being somewhat tricky but I still thought I could manage it somewhat. So as I had written the final ingredient down (Essence of Hellbore), I grabbed the list and headed off towards the cupboard.
Two and a half hour later I was totally worn out – but happy. I did it, I mused happily as I watched the result. It was perfect – just the right colour, the right amount of steam was coming out of the cauldron and it smelled – well, it smelled horrible, but I recalled distinctly that it was supposed to, so that would have to do.
I poured the potion over into a bottle, corked it and handed it over to the ministry worker. Then I gathered my parchments and cauldrons before heading out of the classroom.
Yippie yay yippie yay, I thought as I literally bounced down the corridor. OWLs are over, yippie yay…
Author's Note: Sorry, it was kind of short but it was mostly there for bringing the story forward, you know… It's going to get better in the next chapter. Today is also my birthday (yippie yay) so I ask you all very kindly to send me a birthday present in the shape of a review…
Take Care!
