Snitch
Sev went home and went up to his bedroom to wait for Anthony, who was going to take just five minutes, since it was his turn after him. Ugh… I should have stayed at the door to wait for him, with everything he has helped me.What a fool I am.Well, I'll go down to the Common Room. He went to the toilet and went down to the Common Room.
There were people, including his family of occlumants, sitting at the window table working. He sat with them, next to Valerie.
"Hey…!" she exclaimed. "How was your exam, my love?" She grabbed him by his neck and gave him a good snog.
He bonded with everyone. "Valerie, if you want me to answer you, let me go, don't distract me."
The others laughed.
"Come on, come on, you can talk while you kiss me.Tell us," she said.
"We'll wait for Anthony to arrive and I'll tell you all.If it hadn't been for him, maybe I wouldn't have passed it." He told them the previous situations.
"So you have experienced for the first time in your life what it is like to be nervous before an exam," Valerie told him.
"That is."
"You already have one more experience. This way you won't be caught by surprise if it happens to you in the future."
"One and no more," said Sev. "I'm not going to get nervous about the rest, I've already found a way not to."
Anthony had already arrived and bonded with them as well. "How was your exam, Prince?Did it go well for you?"
He told them, in detail.
"Wow... so you already had them in your pocket..." Valerie told him.
"It seems so."
"We are not finding out what is happening in the Wizarding World, only what our families think, who know the truth thanks to us. But the word must have spread thanks to the mail of all the Hogwarts students. You're already a hero, sweetheart, not a villain."
"Sure…" he realized.
"In less than a month. Your name, clean."
"What a relief. Anthony, tell us."
"It hasn't gone so well for me," his friend replied. "I have had to repeat two spells and one of them hasn't worked."
"But have you done the other one well?"
"Yes, verbal, the second time. I'm told I had three tries."
"Then you have nine good," Sev deduced.
"Yes I have them."
"You've passed."
"Yes, I've been through it," confirmó Anthony.
"Great, Anthony. Shall we go to the Library to see Heather and Fiona?"
"Let's go."
"Do you want us to go with you?" Valerie asked them.
"As you wish, there is still more than an hour until lunch," Sev answered.
"Let's go then."
"But you have to let us concentrate, huh? We have to help them for the afternoon theoric."
"Of course my love," Valerie agreed. "You know that when you are busy we don't bother you."
They all went to the Library. When they arrived they found that their two classmates were not missing them at all, they were delighted studying with John, the Rave, who sat in the center of the two.
Anthony unbonded himself from everyone and spoke only to Sev, "I want to talk privately with you."
Sev also unbonded himself from the others.
"Ugh, Prince... Now I'm afraid that John will steal Heather from me, maybe he likes her more than Fiona, she's prettier, and he's much smarter than me."
"Don't worry, Anthony, Heather has liked you for a long time and you've been friends for five years, she won't trade you for him or steal him from Fiona. And besides, John doesn't just look at the physical, otherwise he wouldn't have noticed Fiona. Sit down with Heather and listen to her, ask her about her exam, you will quickly see how she prefers you."
So they did, Anthony unbonded, sat next to Heather and started chatting with her, who immediately stopped paying attention to John.
Sev, instead of sitting next to Fiona, sat in front of the two of them and asked, "How was your exam?"
They told him, they had both done nine out of ten, Outstanding in practice.
"Great!"
"Prince. Don't go crazy, don't scream, Pince will throw you out," Fiona told him.
"Okay, okay. And how do you handle the theory?"
"Great, with John's notes it is a vice to study. I wish I had done it that way from the beginning."
"Then you don't need me anymore," Sev deduced.
"This way you get rid of me, at least in this one."
"That wasn't what I intended. If I had known, I would have stayed home."
"Then go back home," she said.
"No, I'm not going back now, we've all come for you."
"Yeah... thanks. And what are you going to do? You're going to get bored."
"I'll read with Valerie," he said.
"Well."
"Who are you going to study the Runes exam with?"
"With you. John doesn't have it," she replied.
"At your entire disposal, Fiona," ironic, and in a normal tone, "We'll get after the Charms theoric, I have to help you both, Anthony doesn't know."
"That is."
"Well, until the afternoon."
He bonded with Valerie, who had sat next to him, and pretended to read with her. "Are you reading Red Magic, Valerie?"
"Yes, with Deborah."
"And where are you reading?"
"We are with sexual games between girls," she replied.
"Wow... how interesting, I'm already getting like a motorcycle."
"Indeed…"
"I'm going to chat with Lily for a while if she's not busy and then I'll join you," Sev said.
"Will we wait for you? We have just started."
"Okay. And what do you do in the meantime?"
"We have also brought the 'Way of the Stars' book," Valerie replied.
"Okay, then hit that one, you haven't caught up with me yet."
"Okay. Also chat with Lauren and tell us how things went for both of them."
"I'll chat with Lauren at lunch, she needs to study," Sev objected.
"Sure."
Sev unbonded from Valerie and bonded with Lily. "Hello my love."
"Lauren, wait a moment, Sev is talking to me," Lily said.
"Okay, Lily, don't worry, with what you've put on I'll last until lunch, talk to him," Lauren responded to Lily, which Sev didn't hear because he wasn't bonded with her.
Lily unbonded from Lauren and said to Sev, "How are you, honey?I was giving Lauren homework."
"If you're busy, we'll chat when you're done."
"Don't worry, she has work until lunch."
"How was your exam?" he asked.
"Ten out of ten, non-verbal and perfect the first time. They have been amazed, since I told them that I was going to take two NEWTS."
"Brilliant! Because you were the first to do it."
"And you?"
He told her.
"Wow, Sev... What could have been an obstacle for you has become an advantage."
"Well yes. People are not so stupid, they do not allow themselves to be manipulated by the Prophet. We have the Wizarding World on our side."
"Wonderful."
"How about the rest of Gryffs?" he asked.
"Cecile, Remus and Sirius the same as me."
"Great. And James?"
"Ten out of ten too, but verbal," Lily replied.
"But that didn't matter. You are going to be serious competition with us."
"The Slys?"
"Heather, I don't know.Anthony and Fiona nine out of ten," Sev answered.
"Good! Outstanding for both of them."
"That is. Lauren, how about?"
"Nine out of ten, and not all of them have worked out the first time," she replied.
"Booff… by the hair.She got nervous just before leaving, for her and for me." He told her and concluded, "I'm going to dedicate lunch to her."
"Sure, Sev, do it. Shouldn't you help Fiona now?"
"Not this one, I've looked for a boyfriend for her." He told her.
"Wow… Sev. How many couples do you already have?"
"Counting mine, seventeen, I counted them with Lauren while we waited."
"How awesome…"
"We have also solved your mess." He told her.
"Oh, Sev, thank you… I'm really sorry. So can I pay attention Sirius in front of the others now?"
"Yes, but you must be prepared for the rat to open his big mouth at any moment, prepare cuts of your own. By the way, how do you clarify when you read him?"
They both laughed.
"Hide it, Lily…"
"Sev, don't tell me funny things."
"Okay... Chat now with Sirius and warn him about James and Pettigrew, tell him that you read them at breakfast, so that he is ready for any comments they make."
"Ugh... but now we are in front of everyone, they can hear us."
"Yes, it's true, and if you talk in whispers it's going to be very suspicious," he opined. "Write to him and pass it on."
"It's also going to be suspicious that I haven't told him during the time we spent alone here."
"True, too. Ugh… how many problems you give me, Lily…"
"Yes, Sev, I'm very sorry."
"That's it, you've read them now, this while."
"Sure…"
"Come on, I'll leave you, get to work, you have to do it before lunch," he said. "Summarize."
"Okay, Sev."
"Ah! Another thing. No more reading James unless strictly necessary. Today he has been more loyal to me than to Sirius himself."
"Of course, Sev."
"Tell Cecile and Remus and don't laugh at him again, we have to respect him too. It must have been bad enough already for him."
"Of course."
"Maybe we won't talk at lunch," he said. "In that case, we'll keep talking here if you can, before or after the exam."
"Great, honey."
"See you later."
. . . . . . . . .
Four in the afternoon in the Great Hall, beginning of the OWL theory exam on Charms. Two hours ahead to answer ten questions. Although they had permission not to wear their robes, everyone wore them, because that day it was not hot and there was not much sun coming in through the windows, there were clouds and clear sky like the day before.
The Hall was full of desks, well spaced apart, and they were also seated in alphabetical order, so Lily was in the first rows and Sev was in the last.
Both started with their identical system for answering theoretical exams. Read all the statements and decide in what order they would answer them, starting with the ones that would take the least time and effort.
This time they were also urged to finish it as soon as possible, in case they had to provide help to Anthony or Lauren, with whom they had already agreed to ask for it. Sev would take care of his friend and Lily would take care of her sister.
They had been given five blank parchments and they had to hand in the questions in order, so first, they wrote the name and date of the exam, their name and House to which they belonged on all of them and numbered them on both sides, one side per question.
They immediately began to answer the exam. Sev thought and wrote much faster than Lily, although this time he made an effort to make his handwriting perfectly legible, and now that he had overcome his main handicap, his bad memory, thanks to the cave ritual, he had finished the exam at quarter past five.
He went over it, improving the style of some sentences, erasing with magic and writing again in the gap. When he was satisfied it was still half past five.
He bonded with Lily and asked her, "Do you have much left?"
"I'm going for the last one."
"Review calmly, I'm done. I'm taking care of Lauren too."
"Have you already reviewed?" she asked.
"Of course, I finished at a quarter past five."
"What a machine, Sev!"
"You know I write faster than you."
"Have you done good writing?"
"Yes, Lily, perfectly legible. I'll let you finish, I'm going to ask Lauren how she's doing."
He unbonded from Lily and bonded with Lauren. "How about you doing?"
"I have two questions left," she answered.
"Ugh, Lauren... you won't have time to review."
"You know, my beautiful handwriting, too overloaded."
"True.Well, finish calmly, I'm going with Anthony," he said. "When you're done, bond with Lily, she'll be done, and you'll go over it together."
"It's okay, Severus."
He unbonded from Lauren and bonded with his dormmate. "How are you, Anthony?Have you finished?"
"I just started reviewing."
"Then read it to me from the beginning."
"Have you finished yet?" his friend asked,
"Yes, I have already reviewed, corrected, everything."
"What a machine, Prince."
"You know that I write very fast."
"Not everything is about writing fast, you also have to think fast, so as not to just write what is in the book."
"Of course. Come on, Anthony, to the point. Read."
Anthony read the exam to him, Sev corrected not errors, which he had none thanks to the cave ritual, but style flaws, and completed information that Anthony had not considered important. It took them twenty minutes, until ten to six.
"That's it, Anthony, ten out of ten. One that you take off."
"Thank you, Prince."
"I'm going to see how Lily is doing."
He bonded with Lily and Lauren. "How are you doing, girls?"
"We still have to go over the last two, Severus," Lauren replied.
"And how about?"
"Perfect, Sev," Lily responded. "Not a mistake, nothing incomplete and an impeccable style, much better than mine."
"Of course. Then finish quickly and let her correct your style."
"Of course, Lily.Let's start now," Lauren proposed.
"I'm going to ask Remus and Cecile," said Sev.
"They just need EE, Sev," Lily said.
"But since they have obtained Outstanding in practice, they should also obtain it in theory."
"They won't have any problem. They both have good style too, they read a lot of books."
"Well, I'm going to ask them anyway," he said.
"As you wish, Sev."
He unbonded himself from them and bonded with Remus. "Hey, wolf.How are you doing?"
"Boring, I finished a while ago."
"And Cecile?"
"Also," Remus replied.
"Have you reviewed it among yourselves?"
"Not everything, the doubts we had. Especially for me, the three topics that have come out of the third year, I haven't had time to read everything."
"Ugh, wolf... You've dedicated yourself to practicing Legilimency in the Library instead of studying."
"Of course, but because I had already agreed with Cecile that she was going to help me, she already controlled the entire theory and we knew that we were going to have to sit very close to each other. There's a reason we've been practicing bonding since the day of the mess. Also, I only need EE, that's why I haven't worked on it as much as others."
"Do you want me to correct something?"
"Okay, I'll read you those three questions."
Lupin did it.
"You have them perfect, you write great," the Sly valued.
"Because I read a lot."
"Yes, Lily already told me," said Sev. "I'm going to ask how Cecile is."
He unbonded himself from Remus and bonded with Cecile. "What's up, little witch?"
"Man, Sev! What a surprise!"
"I'm going to get to the point, we have little time left. Have you had any questions? Do you want me to correct something?"
"I think I have everything right, I'm going to get Outstanding. Ask Remus, who has it worse."
"I've already talked to him," he said.
"And have you checked everything?"
"No, just three questions."
"Yes, the three from third year," she said. "Let him also read the fourth year ones to you, you know, he dedicated the entire school year to making the Map."
"True. I'm going there."
He unbonded himself from Cecile and reconnected with Remus. "Remus, read me the fourth year ones too.Give it quick."
His friend did. Sev corrected two errors, the style was impeccable.
Six o'clock, end of the exam. The professor in charge of guarding picked up the wads of parchment, levitating them into his hands.
As they got up, Sev bonded with Lily and Lauren. "How are you, girls?"
"Great, Sev," Lily responded. "Outstanding both."
"Lily, let Remus stop reading in the Library and dedicate himself to studying. He had two errors in the fourth year ones."
"Well, Sev, look, you're a perfectionist. He would have gotten the Outstanding anyway."
"No, in the third year ones Cecile had to help him. Maybe he wouldn't have even reached the EE."
"Yeah... He hasn't said anything to me in all this time."
"He did tell me that he needed to study when we conjured his Fidelius, I should have warned you."
"Well, Sev, now don't blame yourself. He could have done it too. He will see what he does."
"If you don't have to help Lauren, help him with Runes this afternoon."
"He is great at Runes, even better than me, he loves languages. He learns French on his own in the summer, so he can read in the original language."
"Oh…"
"Tomorrow he will correct everything for us," Lily continued. "Since they are translations, it is verbatim."
"Of course."
. . . . . . . . .
Tuesday, ten in the morning, OWL exam on Ancient Runes. All for Acceptable except Lauren, Outstanding. In theory it would have taken an hour and a half, to prepare the Great Hall again for lunch at twelve thirty, but since it had been delayed, they had been granted two hours.
Ten translations. Five from English to Runic and five from Runic to English. To be graded out of ten, deducting two tenths of a point for each error, whether in vocabulary or syntax. A five for Acceptable, a six point six for Exceed Expectations, an eight point six for Outstanding. They had agreed to do them in the order in which they were delivered.
At eleven Remus bonded with Cecile, Lily and Sev. "People, I'm done, bond up."
They did it. (What speed. I'm missing three,) Sev thought.
"Has anyone finished yet?" Lupin asked.
Nobody answered.
"Speak in order, alphabetically," he continued. "Which one are you in?"
"Finishing the fifth," Lily replied.
(Ugh… Lily wouldn't have finished it.)
"Starting the seventh," Cecile answered.
"I just finished the seventh," said Sev.
"Okay, I'll start with the sixth," Remus said. "Whatever you don't have yet, you write down and what you do have, you correct.Lily, leave room to finish the fifth."
He dictated to them all the Runic translations into English. Sev had two flaws in what he had done. At eleven twenty they had finished.
"I'm going with the first to the fifth," said Lupin.
He dictated to them the translations from English to Runic, as they now only had to correct, it took them less than a quarter of an hour. Sev had three faults, Lily two.
(Ugh… Luckily in the end we had two hours, and because of the mistakes I have had, I would have achieved the Outstanding very fair or maybe not,) Sev thought.
"We got it, people," Remus concluded. "To be bored for almost half an hour more.Shall we chat?"
"I'm going to relax for a while, Remus," Sev lied. "We'll chat at lunch if you want."
"No, Sev, talk to them," said Lily. "We already spent the whole day together.I'm going to snooze for a while, I went to bed late last night."
"Great, Lily." (Good dissimulation, finally.)
Sev chatted with Cecile and Remus while Lily corrected Lauren's test, which she had already finished and had only three failures.
"Wow, Lauren… you've done better than Sev and me. You would have achieved the Outstanding alone."
"Good!"
"Also in yesterday's."
"Yes, I know," the Sly replied. "But I almost screwed it up in practice, I narrowly missed it."
"But it was because you got nervous."
"Yes, for Sev, and I made him nervous too."
"Anthony and Potter saved him," said Lily.
"Yes, he already told me."
. . . . . . . . .
Wednesday, ten in the morning, Herbology theory, everyone for Outstanding except Anthony, EE. Just like for Runes, they had been given two hours of exam time.
Five topics to be graded out of ten, two points each, three on procedures, which could be answered almost verbatim, and another two on characteristics and use of vegetables, which also required correction of style. They did like with Charms, but this time it was Lauren who corrected Lily and Sev's mistakes and style and they corrected Cecile and Remus only mistakes. They left Anthony last, since he was the one who needed the least grade.
The Herbology practice began at three, since the exam was carried out in a greenhouse, in two groups; half of the students, up to approximately M in the first, and the rest in the second. So it was Lily's turn with Cecile, Remus, Sirius, Heather and Fiona, from three to four thirty, and Sev with Lauren, Anthony and James, from four thirty to six.
Four operations lasting around twenty minutes each, different for each student so that they would not copy each other. Those who possessed the magic of the Forest did it perfectly. Among those who didn't Heather and Fiona also needed Outstanding, and they also did it very well, because the former had innate talent and sensitivity to care, which is why she had chosen the profession of Medimagic, and the latter had been working hard for the last few years.