Wizarding Finals

"Alright, students! Let's get started this morning and break in our wands on chapter twelve!" Professor Flan ordered, writing a prompt out on the chalkboard.

The sudden announcement from Professor Flan was immediately returned with a rousing joint outburst of groans from his students, something that only angered the already irritable teacher. Spinning around quickly on his heels and harshly coming to a stop, the professor faced the class, face reddened in heightened frustration.

"SILENCE! CHAPTER TWELVE, AT ONCE!" The class did as they were told and the room filled with the sound of pages frantically turning. Turning back to the chalkboard, Professor Flan continued his rant.

"You all have some nerve after the results of Monday's practice test! Lowest scores I've seen all year! A complete EMBARASSMENT and I REFUSE to allow the board to see those scores come up during wizarding finals on Friday! Questions one through twenty-five at the end of the chapter, start them IMMEDIATELY! Fifteen minutes to finish!"

Wizarding finals. It was the week that everyone at Milkweed dreaded. The finals were the deciding factor on if a student would move up to the next level or get left behind to repeat the term all over again. It was a serious time at the academy and despite the holiday break they had all enjoyed, the exams they endured the week after made it seem as though they'd never taken a break at all. Not only did the scores decide their next term, the points students earned also went towards their overall academic rank. A wizard's rank could open new opportunities, shape their professional futures and most coveted, solidify their respect in all of academia.

For every wizarding final that took place annually, the top three spellcasters of every level had their portraits taken and sent off to the Board of Supernatural Academia to be recorded in the realm's joint yearbook. And it wasn't Milkweed Academy alone that took part. Every academy in the supernatural realm did the same. It bought the students great pride to be the top faces in their respective levels for their schools and the journey to be top three was a competitive one. Anyone who was anyone wanted to be top three. Everyone, but Kyle.

"Ugh..." Kyle groaned under his breath, quickly flipping his pencil over to erase his answer. Sigmund glanced over, raising a brow.

"Struggling?" He snickered, biting down on his lower lip to suppress a giggle. "Typical."

"Shut up..."

"Someone must've skipped studying over the break..."

"Shut. Up."

"Too busy sending letters to certain Halfmoon girls, huh? Too busy stealing crushes, huh?"

"SHUT UP!"

"KYLE BLOODWORTH-THOMASON!" Professor Flan gasped, slamming down the piece of chalk he'd been writing with. "One more outburst from you and you'll be receiving an automatic FAILURE!"

Kyle gritted his teeth to keep from talking back and faced away from a smirking Sigmund. He gripped his pencil till his knuckles had gone white and faced the textbook once more to answer the questions. They were all potion formulas, a subject Kyle had trouble in. Next to accuracy in spell casting, potions were something he definitely struggled with. It was hard to remember every ingredient for an encyclopedia worth of spells. And though they only learned a handful every level, there was always review and reflection of potions long past that threw him for a loop.

At the front of the classroom, the timer had gone off, signaling the practice test was over. Kyle had only gotten through three of the twenty-five formulas. Looking over at Sigmund's paper, he seemed to have finished them all.

"Switch papers with your table neighbor and take out your red ink for grading." Professor Flan instructed. Sigmund turned to Kyle, offering his paper and reluctantly, Kyle switched with him. Instantly, the sorcerer laughed.

"You didn't complete the test!" He chuckled, covering his mouth. Kyle blushed in embarrassment and didn't respond. Professor Flan read through the answers aloud and the students followed along, marking checks or crosses towards the answers. Kyle sank lower and lower in his seat with every check Sigmund got. With this one practice test alone, he'd only missed one formula.

"Ugh!" Sigmund groaned, shockingly when a cross had been placed on his final answer. "I knew it and still chose wrong. I have to do better..."

"You quite literally nearly scored perfectly!" Kyle gasped. "What are you upset over?!"

"Kahl, please. Some of us actually strive for perfection in our craft. Slacking is not part of my character. Anyone failing should feel like a disappointment and an embarrassment to their families."

Kyle frowned towards Sigmund's statement and handed his paper forward to the Professor when he came around to collect it. Once all the papers were in his hands, he dismissed the students early to walk to the gymnasium. Kyle gripped his bag as he walked down the hall, listening to Sigmund boast to his friends.

"Right? It was so easy!" The sorcerer laughed. "And I can't wait for the spell casting test either. I'm the best at that!"

"I'm pretty good too!" One of his friends added. "I just wish I could use my hands like you do instead of my wand. It looks so much cooler."

"Doesn't matter how you cast, just make sure it's accurate." Sigmund spoke. "And when you go to strike, strike with great force!"

Kyle hated the spell casting test. It was basically combative and tested how accurate you were able to defend yourself with magic in an urgent situation. Students quickly changed in the locker room and entered the gym, where targets and a timer had been set up to start practice. Sir Chiron smiled at the students as they entered and stomped his front hooves to get their attention.

"Alright kiddos! You know how this works. These targets will attack you. It's up to you to defend yourself and get through all the set targets before the timer goes off. Remember to think carefully about which spells counteract certain types of attacks. Who wants to go first?"

Sigmund instantly raised his hand and the class watched as he took his place at the starting line to stretch. Shockingly, he popped in a pair of headphones before the timer started the countdown. It was almost fluid the way the sorcerer got through the targets. Almost as if he was dancing to whatever was playing in his ears. Kyle was sure it was some sort of annoying, eurobeat tune. In his expression and magic surge, Sigmund was a fierce spell caster. His entire demeanor differed from his usually bright presence. It was actually a bit frightening. If you blinked, you would've missed a barrier quickly being set up or a hand motion for fire to blow back. The class of students practically leaned into the entire display and Sigmund had finished the course well before the timer had been pressed for time.

"Wonderful job, Sigmund!" Sir Chiron marveled as Sigmund pulled the headphones from his ears. The sorcerer finally smiled as his peers clapped for him, though he wasn't happy with his finishing time. Kyle folded his arms in annoyance. "Now students, I don't expect that from everyone. Just pace yourselves and remember the counter attack formula. Who wants to go next?"

No one raised their hands. After that display, they were nervous to underperform. Kyle looked around the room and shook his head in annoyance when no one came forward. Taking note of his attitude, Sir Chiron pointed out the wizard.

"Come on, Kyle! Give it a shot!"

"What?!" Kyle gasped, an outburst that made Sigmund and his friends laugh amongst one another. "Please, Sir Chiron, pick someone else. Anyone."

"I believe in you, Kyle! Come on, feet at the starting line!"

Kyle groaned and dragged his feet over to the start of the obstacle course. This was bound to be a humiliating experience. Not only was he uncoordinated, but he preferred to take his time when it came to spell casting. He found this entire portion of the wizard exams foolish. It wasn't like he was planning to join the magic realm protection squad. What was the point of this?

As the timer started, Kyle pulled his wand from his pocket and rushed to the first target. He had successfully blocked out an attack, which surprised him considering he'd guessed and not exactly thought out his defense. That strategy didn't bode well with the targets that followed. Kyle found himself drenched with water and promptly shocked with a buzzer, which sent him squealing. Sigmund and his friends had a great laugh with the rest of the class. The gym teacher frowned. As expected, Kyle didn't get through the remainder of the obstacle course before the time ran out.

"UGH!" Kyle nearly cried, tossing his wand across the room as his face burned in embarrassment. As the class laughed, the teacher instantly blew his whistle to quiet everyone down.

"Alright, alright!" Sir Chiron shouted. "Enough of that! Spell casting is a skill that takes time to develop. None of you should be laughing at your peers. Everyone line up at the starting line and one by one, you'll all have your turn at the course. Kyle, you can dry off and change in the locker room. Sigmund, you can sit out since you went through already."

Sigmund watched Kyle walk back towards the locker room, head lowered and arms wrapped around him to keep warm. The sorcerer pouted and went for the wand he'd tossed, walking it into the lockers as the rest of the class started the course for themselves.

"I'm gonna fail..." Sigmund heard Kyle's voice echo out in the empty room. "I don't think this is my year at all. I'll have to repeat the level to advance."

"Don't be so down on yourself!" Kyle's Necronomicon spoke. "Everyone can't be on Sigmund's level! I mean, you'll never be as good as him, but you can still try your best!" The comparison wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Just shut up! Get back in the locker!"

The wizard shoved the book into his bag and quickly zipped it up to keep it quiet. Appearing behind the door of his locker as he closed it, Kyle jumped seeing Sigmund's face. Quickly, he turned away and batted away the tears that had been in his eyes. The sorcerer had seen them anyways and his pout turned to a frown.

"Are you crying?"

"No!" Kyle spat, looking back at the blonde over his shoulder. Sigmund held out Kyle's wand to him.

"I was just returning this." Snatching the wand from him, Kyle pulled on his velvet cape and pushed the wand into his cape pocket. Sigmund watched him fold his gym clothes before he spoke up again. "Look...I know I laughed, but it wasn't to tease or anything. You just looked really clueless out there."

"You don't have to lie. I know why you laughed at me. I looked pathetic."

"Yeah, actually, you did." Sigmund admitted, much to Kyle's distaste. The sorcerer shrugged. "And I'm not lying to you. It's just obvious to me that you don't study effectively. You don't practice enough either."

"Is this what you came in here to do? Patronize me and tell me what a lousy wizard I am?"

"No."

"Okay, so you came in to call me a constipated spell caster?"

"No!"

"Then why are you speaking to me right now?!"

Sigmund frowned towards Kyle's shouting. It was clear the wizard was frustrated and upset about what had happened. And it was also clear from the practice test they had taken in Professor Flan's class that he needed help. Serious help. Sitting on the bench in the locker room, Sigmund motioned Kyle to sit with him, which he did after a moment.

"We're roommates.." Sigmund spoke. "If you see me studying, which you know I do often, you know you're always welcomed to ask me something."

"You've never said so before..." Kyle mumbled, folding his arms across his chest. Sigmund furrowed his brows.

"I absolutely have! We've been through this before, Kyle. You never take advantage of my offer!"

"And anyhow, who said I needed help?"

"Now Kyle, don't be prideful. I mean it, if you need the help, I'll help you! When you couldn't conjure fire, I helped you, didn't I? You need to come to terms with the fact that you need a little extra time behind a book."

"And you need to come to terms with the fact that you aren't a professor and you have no right to tell me what I need to do!"

Sigmund stood up after Kyle's outburst, which caught the wizard off guard. He walked off and went into his own locker to change back into his uniform. Kyle was surprised he hadn't said anything else and inside his backpack, his Necronomicon was fighting to get out again. Kyle sighed and opened the bag.

"Are you positively insane?!" The book of the dead gasped. "Sigmund just offered to help you pass your finals! You were just venting about potential failure and you turned him down?!"

"I-"

"You KNOW you'll be in tremendous trouble with your parents if you don't move up in your levels."

"I know..."

"March over there RIGHT NOW and apologize to Sigmund!"

Standing up from the bench, Kyle grabbed hold of his book and met the sorcerer at the door of the locker room as he was heading for the exit. Sigmund flashed a cold gaze at Kyle, reaching for the door before Kyle stopped him.

"Wait, Sigmund, please-!"

"I'm sick of your shouting already. I don't wanna hear anymore. Move!"

"I'm not gonna shout at you! I wanted to say sorry and yes, yes I need help before the finals again."

"This literally happened already before and when I helped you the first time, you singed my hair. My hair is still recovering! I need you to listen to me this time if I'm going to help you."

"I will! I swear!"

"Alright, let's go then."

The boys walked out of the locker room as the class bell chimed and headed for the dormitory hallway. Kyle watched as Sigmund pulled his cellphone from his letterman sweater and looked down at the screen. A smile sparkled across his face and his fingers quickly danced across the glass as he typed out a response to whatever he'd just read. Checking his own phone, Kyle pouted when there were no messages for him and flipped it closed as they turned into their room.

"What do you wanna study first?" Sigmund asked, pulling off his satchel and setting it down on his desk. "I'd recommend chapter twelve and those potion formulas you struggled with this morning. Ja?"

"Sure, whatever..." Kyle sighed, going for the textbook in his backpack. Once he found it, he sat at his own desk. Sigmund shook his head.

"Pull your chair over here! I don't bite...hard."

"Ugh, save it!" Kyle groaned as Sigmund laughed. Dragging his chair across the floor, the wizard set his wooden chair beside the sorcerer's tufted office chair.

"Let's do the revision practice test from this morning over again." Sigmund suggested, opening his textbook. "We can go over the chapter first and read through all the formulas, then when you're ready, we'll do the test again."

"The names of ingredients make it difficult for me to remember what potions they go into. Some of them have similar names..."

"Which ones?"

"Wolf's bane and leopard's bane. The toxic plants used in poison formulas."

"That's actually the same plant."

"Huh?!"

"Ja. It's two different names for the same plant. The official name for it is aconitum. The practice test used both of its nicknames as a way to trick you. Be careful!"

Checking the book's index, Kyle was surprised to find Sigmund was actually right. He was impressed.

"How do you know all this?"

"I study!" Sigmund chuckled. When his phone buzzed on the desk, the sorcerer quickly snatched it and read through the message. Kyle raised a brow. He'd never seen him so consumed by his phone. In fact, Sigmund usually kept away from it to avoid calls from his manager. The cheesy grin on his face was pretty annoying too.

"Who are you talking to? Your mother? Your stylist?" Kyle asked. Sigmund giggled to himself and turned his back on Kyle as he typed. "Hellooo?! You're supposed to be helping me study!"

"I am, hold on..." Sending his message, Sigmund turned back around, revealing a pink flush to his face and another spout of giggles. "Okay, anymore questions for me?"

"Yeah. What are you laughing about? It's annoying."

"PFFFF-!"

"Sigmund!"

"Hahaha! Kahl, PLEASE! Keep it study related!"

"How can I when you keep laughing that dreadful laugh of yours?! Who are earth are you talking to?"

"No one! Now come on, finish the chapter. I'll be silent, I swear." Again, the phone buzzed and Kyle flashed Sigmund a displeased look. With a sheepish smile in return, the sorcerer set his phone down on the desk. "See? Not answering!"

"Hm...alright then. Dragon's blood is used in the potion for reviving the dead, right?"

"No, it's used for protection potions and-" When the phone started to ring this time, Sigmund and Kyle's attention snapped to the screen, which the sorcerer effectively covered up before the wizard had a chance to see who was calling. "I really have to take this..."

"You've got to be kidding! WHO IS THAT?!"

"Let me take this call!"

"Answer it RIGHT HERE!"

Sigmund hesitated, but ultimately answered the phone, turning his back as he bought it up to his ear. Kyle chewed down on the end of his pencil, tuning into the conversation.

"Hallo?...I'm doing fine today, better now hearing from you~! How about you? How was your day?...Ah, I'm having trouble breaking my personal bests too...Awe, don't sound so down. You'll do wonderfully the way you always do..."

"Will you hurry up?!" Kyle grimaced. Whoever he was talking so softly and sweetly to, it was starting to make Kyle feel nauseous. It clearly wasn't his mother at this point. "Who the heck are you taking to?"

"Mhmm~..." Sigmund continued, waving Kyle off. He leaned back in his office chair, smiling faintly as he listened over the phone. When he got comfortable, Kyle effectively snatched the phone out of the sorcerer's hand, sending Sigmund and his chair tumbling backwards with a massive thud.

"Whoever this is, Sigmund has to go! He's busy right now!"

"Oh, that's too bad..."

Kyle froze when the voice of a girl hit his ear. Looking down at the phone, there wasn't a name on the caller ID, just a nickname and a heart emoji: 'Liebe'. As Sigmund regained his footing, a physical confrontation started instantly.

"Don't you dare hang up!" Sigmund shouted, wrestling for his phone back. Kyle, surprisingly, conjured a force field that pushed Sigmund back. "Hey!"

"Who is this?" Kyle asked over the phone. There was lighthearted laughter on the other end. Before he could tune in for an answer, Sigmund countered Kyle's force field with a gust of wind so strong, it sent the wizard into the air and forced his head to hit the ceiling. "ACK!"

"How dare you!" Sigmund shouted, snatching his phone back from Kyle when he hit the ground. Clearing his throat, he set the phone back to his ear where he was greeted with more laughter. "I'm so sorry! This absolute heathen decided to take my phone from me! I missed what you said..."

Kyle stayed on the floor for a moment, head spinning from hitting the ceiling and back aching from hitting the floor so hard.

"Ugh..." He groaned, regretting challenging him the way he had. Sigmund continued on his call.

"And to think I was actually helping him study for his wizard finals!...Ja, he's more concerned about my personal life than his personal test score!"

"Excuse me! I'm still here!"

"Grrr! I'll call you back, okay?...erm—I can't do that right now...are you really gonna make me?...it's funny, huh?...sheesh...mwah~! Okaygottagonowbye!"

"What the—?!" Kyle sat up as Sigmund ended his call. "Did you just—?!"

"Don't ask me anything!" Sigmund blushed furiously. "Do you want to study or not?! You clearly don't need my help for target practice with that stunt you pulled!"

"Don't try to change the subject!" Kyle laughed. "You just kissed someone over the phone!"

"Mind your business!"

"That was a girl on the phone, I heard her voice! Are you dating someone? Who's Liebe?"

Sigmund was the one laughing now towards Kyle's question. Liebe was the German word for love, not the name of someone he was speaking to. And the way he'd pronounced it was equally hilarious.

"Someone I grew up with..." Sigmund lied, picking up his chair from the ground. "Do you want to take the practice test now?"

"Hm...fine." Kyle was pretty sure he recognized the voice, but he didn't know anyone by that name. Sigmund started the timer and for the remainder of the week, the sorcerer studied with the wizard till the morning of the final exams.

Walking into Professor Flan's classroom Friday morning, the class was surprised to see separate desks and not their usual joint ones. Test mode was officially in full effect. Kyle looked to Sigmund, who gave him a thumbs up before walking to his desk. Kyle followed behind him and sat at his own table.

He felt confident as the professor set a test packet face down on the table top of his desk. He'd been doing better and better during his study sessions with Sigmund and slowly realized the formulas weren't as complicated as he originally made them out to be.

"Fifteen minutes on the clock! Turn over the papers and begin!" The Professor called out. Kyle found himself getting through the formulas so simply and the trick questions he'd been warned about were a lot more obvious since he studied. He couldn't help but smile a little. For the first time, he actually managed to get through the entire test before time ran out.

In the gymnasium, the students lined up after getting changed for their chance to run through an obstacle course. Sigmund knelt down to tighten up his laces and reached into his pocket afterwards for his headphones.

"I like using music to block out the noises around me." Sigmund told Kyle, popping the right side into his ear. "It helps me focus. Do whatever you need to so you can focus on the attack as it happens."

"Alright..." Kyle sighed. Bringing his arms above his head, Sigmund stretched and motioned Kyle to do the same, which he did.

"Loosen up! It helps with your accuracy and that's what you want right now."

"You're up, Mr. Nightbreed!" Sir Chiron called to Sigmund. Like earlier, Sigmund gave Kyle a thumbs up and popped his other headphone into his ear. Kyle returned it and watched as Sigmund got into the zone. With the squeak of his sneakers against the polished, gymnasium floor, Sigmund took off down the obstacle course when the timer started. He was clearly reaching for a new personal best and as expected, it was exactly what he got.

"Haha! All right! That's more like it!" He cheered at the finish. Pulling his phone out, Sigmund snapped a photo of his time on the clock and quickly sent it away with a proud smile. His friends cheered for him from behind Kyle on the line as Kyle stepped up to the start. "You've got this!"

Looking at the course ahead of him, he took in a deep breath and exhaled as the timer started. Fire at the first obstacle? Water to block it out. Water at the second obstacle? Stone to step over. Ice blocking the way? Fire to melt it. In no way was he as smooth or as fast as Sigmund, but for the first time, Kyle got through the obstacle course untouched and on time.

"Great job, Mr. Bloodworth!" The gym teacher marveled towards Kyle, who hunched over for air at the finish line. "Your first recorded time! Great, great effort!"

"Ja! You did it!" Sigmund cheered, pulling his roommate into a tight embrace. Kyle groaned.

"I can't breathe..."

"Come on, let's take a picture!"

"Can I catch my breath first?!"

"Say cheese!"

With the bulk of the wizarding finals over and done with, the students of the realm were finally able to rest over the next couple of days before results came out. On the morning of the test results though, Sigmund was up bright and early, anticipating the final say from the Board of Supernatural Academia on his standing in the ranking. He stood out in the main hallway with a couple other high achievers near the bulletin board and waited for the roster to be posted.

When Headmaster Merlin appeared from his office with a scroll, he gave the students a warm smile.

"Good morning, everyone." The headmaster greeted. The students quickly returned the greeting.

"Good morning, Headmaster."

"I'm going to post the official ranking here now. I'm also going to remind you all to take the rank with a grain of salt. You've all out-performed and achieved so much over this past term and you should all be very proud, regardless of rank."

"Yes, sir."

"Your rank doesn't determine your ability as a member of the occult. There's always room to grow, learn and improve."

Teleporting the scroll from his hands to the bulletin board, the students gasped and quickly crowded around it. Despite what the Headmaster had to say, the students very much believed the opposite when it came to the rank. Though he was actually shoved by a few upperclassman to see the board, Sigmund's height had become an advantage and he was still able to scan through the list.

A couple students turned their attention to the sorcerer when their eyes had fallen on the top three for Milkweed Academy. Sigmund gasped.

"I'm top three!" He breathed in disbelief. "I did it again!"

"Ugh! I was so close to matching you!" Sigmund's friend pointed out. "See? Ivan the Inquisitive. I was three points off!"

"You're still second in our level!"

"But I'm not Milkweed's top three. No portrait photo for me this term. Congratulations though, you killed that obstacle course!"

"Danke, Ivan!"

As he shook hands with his friend, his phone buzzed in his pocket and he reached for it afterwards.

"What's the verdict?" Erin had messaged him. Sigmund smiled brightly and quickly snapped a photo of the scroll on the board.

"Look for yourself!" He sent back. Erin immediately started typing on her end and after a moment, a photo was sent back with the scroll on Halfmoon's bulletin board. She'd made it to top three as well. Turning away from the crowd of students quickly, Sigmund instantly called her.

"Hello?"

"Congratulations~!" Sigmund sang out, receiving giggles on the other end of the line. "You did it!"

"So did you! Congratulations! You were worried for nothing!"

"So were you! You were so depressed before. I knew everything would work out. I told you it would!"

"I'm so proud of you, Sigmund."

"I'm proud of you too, Erin."

"Erin?! As in, the enchantress from Halfmoon Hallows?!" Looking over his shoulder, Sigmund jumped seeing Kyle and his friend Ivan standing behind him. Ivan's eyes widened. "Is that who you've been talking to?!"

"Wait, all this time, it's been Erin?" Kyle finally realized. "I thought I recognized her voice!"

"Quiet! Both of you!" Sigmund whined, doing his best to try and get away. Of course, he wasn't gonna be let go that easily. "Please! I'm on the phone!"

"Hi, Erin!" Ivan grinned, leaning close to Sigmund to speak into the phone. "You should call me, I made top five!"

"Why are you bothering her? Is that truly her on the phone?" Kyle asked again, trying his best to prey the phone away. When Ivan joined in, Sigmund was powerless against two people fighting for the phone.

"GIVE IT BACK! I swear I'll never help you study again and I mean it this time!"

"Erin?" Kyle spoke into the smartphone as Ivan kept Sigmund back. "Is that you?"

"Hi, Freckles~! How did you do on your finals?"

"Oh! It is you! I did well! I've passed!"

"That's wonderful! Congratulations!"

"Thanks! What are you doing talking to Sigmund?"

"What? He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what, exactly?"

"OUCH!" Ivan yelped. When Kyle looked up and saw Sigmund charging at him, he instantly surrendered.

"I bruise, just take it!" The wizard pleaded, holding out the phone. Sigmund snatched it with great force, zapped Kyle and headed back in the direction of his dorm with the phone to his ear. Erin was already having a great laugh listening to the entire scuffle over the phone.

"...sorry." Sigmund sighed.

"It's fine. Thanks for the laugh. I'll see you on picture day!"

"I totally forgot! You're right! See you then!"