Chapter 66, Panic! in the Classroom

After his encounter with the Gryffindor Gits, Severus knew that his depression had been banished. That day at the lake with his friends, he celebrated the fact that he'd finally gotten to use his beautiful new curse on them. Of course they were all happy for him, equally gleeful over his success.

"I knew they would do something sooner or later to warrant such retaliation," Heather said with a satisfied smile. "Now we shall see if they learned from it."

"Either they will finally bugger all the way off,or they will bide their time and plot. Only time will tell which," Raislen predicted. "Let us hope they are smart enough for the former, but, who are we kidding? None of us believe them to be very smart."

Severus nodded. "I am equally prepared for both outcomes as we all should be," he said. "At present,I am just riding the high of how amazing it felt to get them good for once. You should've seen the shock and unease on their faces as they slunk away there at the end! That unease was a bit better than direct fear. More insidious for the one feeling it, you know." Severus knew this from experience, as it was often how Grandfather Prince had made him feel as a child, and at times, even now.

Regulus nodded eagerly. "Yes! It is likely to turn into an even worse sort of fear once they've had time to ponder it." He clapped Severus on the shoulder. "Good on you, Mate. It's a pity you didn't have a chance to drop it into their ears that I know the same curse, you know, so that they will let me alone as well. I am ready to show them any time they are interested though." He raised his chin as he spoke, a look of determination in his blue gaze.

"Trust me, you will enjoy the rush," Severus told him happily.

"I brought snacks, because an after school picnic just felt like a good idea, but now it's feeling more like a celebration!" Raislen said, gesturing to a basket that sat beside him on the ground. Severus hadn't even noticed it so excited was he by his success.

"How do you get that Hufflepuff bloke to get you anything you want from the kitchens," he asked suddenly. He was ever baffled by Raislen's easy connection with people that Severus knew he never would manage to have himself.

Raislen shrugged. "I've played a few nasty pranks on some gits he doesn't like, and he feels grateful," he said with a grin.

"That'll do it," Regulus said with a nod of approval.

That was one of the best days of school that year for Severus. There were fat chicken sandwiches and pumpkin pasties in the picnic basket along with four bottles of Butterbeer. It felt like a grand feast because they were having a small celebration over some bullying Gryffindor Gits being justifiably terrified for once precisely as they deserved to be. Later, when they were all settled in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room, Severus's mind was finally at ease and able to study. He no longer had a small ball of dread in his stomach at the thought of another run in with the Gits, because no longer would he have to wonder how many he would have to fight.

Now it didn't matter how many, because they would all be afraid if they were wise. Hell even if they weren't wise, because of course they weren't, even they understood the danger of their own spilled blood. For some time, Regulus and Severus were left alone by the gits. Though Severus was pleased, deep down he knew that James and Sirius were plotting. He was always on the alert, knowing that one of them could spring out at him from around a corner at any second. The success of his shiny new curse did not truly afford him much relaxation for this reason. He was happier and no longer depressed, though, and he would take that.

He was more optimistic about his future in spite of being distracted by his concern over O.W.L.S or at least one O.W.L, that of course being Transfiguration. While he trusted that Raislen's cheating idea would work, it would be a relief when it was all over. The prospect of his final two years at Hogwarts being Transfiguration free did serve to put a spring in his step, so he contemplated this outcome any time he began growing nervous over the O.W.L again. The next few months dragged by. In some ways, Severus was grateful for that, because he did not want his final days as a student with his two best friends to fly by too fast. On the other hand, the sooner he got the Transfiguration exam over with, the better. Other than his constant studying in the evenings for O.W.L.S while Heather and Raislen studied for their N.E.W.T.S, things were as they always were. Half of the time, Severus could nearly forget that Heather and Raislen would soon be graduating and leaving him. Regulus busied himself helping Severus as well as Heather and Raislen by quizzing them all in turns.

"I may as well just graduate with Heather and Raislen," he boasted one evening as they all sat hunched over books in the Slytherin common room. "If the powers that be would only allow me to take my N.E.W.T.S now, I am certain I could pass."

"Dumbledore is a literal genius, and if he was not allowed to graduate early, you certainly shan't be," Severus commented skeptically.

"Killjoy," Regulus shot back with a scowl.

Severus grinned. "Why thank you."

"Not to mention it is also about practice," Raislen pointed out. "Knowing the proper answers and how a spell works does not mean one has mastered the spell, so you'll need the next few years that you have left here for that." Regulus made a doubtful sound but did not protest directly.

When the first day of exams arrived, it felt surprisingly unreal to Severus. The O.W.L.S were given by the Wizarding Examinations Authority. Severus didn't expect the grim faced witches and wizards to appear as, well eerie as they did. He was well aware that for him to be disturbed by a person, they were at the least unlikable, for he was not easily rattled. Then again, what disturbed most others was simply interesting for him, so perhaps others would not gather the same impression from the Wizarding Examinations Authority. Heather and Raislen had entirely left out how chilling they were, after all.

Then again, Heather and Raislen did not seem easily rattled, and they loved Dark Arts as much as he did, so he was baffled. He planned to ask them about it as soon as possible. His first O.W.L exam was Charms, and strangely Professor Sprout oversaw it rather than professor Flitwick. This was another oddity that Heather and Raislen had not mentioned. Why could the professors to whom the classes belonged not oversea their own exams? To his shock and horror, the students were not allowed to use their own quills! Surely this would be the same case for the Transfiguration O.W.L! That meant that Raislen's carefully constructed cheating scheme was not going to work! This had to be a new addition, beginning this year, else Raislen never would've come up with a plan for cheating involving a quill that Severus would not be allowed to bloody keep!

He was going to fail, he just knew it! Of course he had studied, and hard, but the questions were so tricky on exams, that it was nothing one could memorize. Instead one relied on their level of comprehension of the subject. He was so frustrated by the class as a whole and he knew his marks would be low without Raislen's help. With professors watching, no student would be allowed to switch out a quill. Though Severus's heart had sunk into his feet at the idea of failing his Transfiguration exam, he forced himself to focus on Charms for the present.

He refused to fail it too simply because he was upset about something else. Charms was one of his best subjects, so he would at least have a high O.W.L score for it. As expected, he had no problem with any aspect of the charms O.W.L. He was only a little on edge due to the mere presence of the Wizarding Examinations Authority during the practical bits. To his relief, the second exam was Transfiguration. By this point, he just wanted to get it over with. Granted, he was terrified, but he would certainly be no less terrified the longer he was forced to wait.

When he saw Professor Flitwick standing in the front of the room, his heart gave an odd surge of relief. Flitwick could not help him with the exam, but his mere presence made Severus feel more comfortable. The Charms Master was one of the few professors he actually liked and respected. In a way it was soothing to have his favorite professor there when he failed this bloody exam. It may have only been better with Dumbledore present, but perhaps not. Perhaps Dumbledore's presence would only make him feel even more stupid, considering the old headmaster's skill at Transfiguration.

He did not even bother trying to take out the quill Raislen had enchanted for him. He now knew that he would not be allowed to use it, so he wasn't about to go down for a foolish attempt to cheat. Sighing he picked up the quill that waited on the desk for him beside the exam paper. That was when (It) happened! It felt like the quill gave a little jump in his hand! He was nervous so likely his hand was shaking. At least that was what he believed until the quill began writing on its own when he set it to the parchment after reading the first question. The quill was not writing what Severus intended to write. Lips moving silently as he watched the words unfolding on the page, he found himself holding his breath. Somehow he had Raislen's quill! But how? Professor Flitwick moved around the room peering at each student as if checking them for cheating. Severus noted this out of the corner of one eye, and his heart began to race. Flitwick was no fool.

Raislen was good, but Flitwick may notice! Severus's heart was in his throat when Flitwick paused beside his desk. Severus wanted to look up at him, but the quill was still moving across the page, so he dared not. Flitwick would notice that he was not looking at what he was writing if he did, and this would cause justified suspicion. Flitwick gave a small sigh before moving on to the next student. Why had he done that? Did that mean he had noticed something? If so, why hadn't he said anything? Severus was panicking in his mind, but dared not look away from his Transfiguration exam paper. The rest of the exam passed in a strange haze. Later he would barely be able to recollect any of the questions on the exam paper or even anything about the practical part of the exam. He only recalled being blankly terrified, clutching his wand as he faced the man from the Wizarding Examinations Authority. When he left the class, his mind was in a literal haze.

"Severus!" The familiar voice calling out behind him literally caused him to start. Whirling, he stared blankly at Heather as his mind slowly processed her presence. "Are you alright?" She reached out, dropping a hand onto his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "How did it go?"

"How was yours?" Severus asked, because he really did care how whatever N.E.W.T she'd just taken had gone, but also because he was rather uncertain how to answer her question.

"It was charms, and I think it went great!" She replied. Then leaning closer she whispered, "But how did it go!"

Severus shook his head. "Let's go to lunch. It is time for lunch, isn't it?"

She blinked, finally appearing to register that Severus was not himself. "Yes. It's time for lunch, Kid." She dropped her hand from his shoulder. "Let's go find Raislen and Regulus." He nodded, because that sounded really good. Distantly he recalled that he had a few bloody questions for Heather and Raislen, but he had the presence of mind to know that it was not safe to pose these questions until he could be certain of not being overheard. Unfortunately the Slytherin table in the Great Hall was not one of those places, so when he and Heather joined the others, he remained silent.

"He's not well," Heather whispered to Raislen, loudly enough for Severus to hear.

Sighing he lifted his gaze from the plate before him in which he had no interest to glance over at them. There was at least one question that would be safe to ask. "Why did neither of you mention how terrifying the Wizarding Examinations Authority are," he demanded. He watched expectantly as Heather and Raislen exchanged a confused glance.

"Because they aren't really," Raislen said. "Didn't you know about them? I assumed your mum would've mentioned them ages back. I mean they're just wizards and witches from the Ministry is all." Heather nodded, raising her brows.

"Did they say something unpleasant to you, Kid?" The growing concern in her gaze told Severus that they truly had no idea why he was so shaken up. Though this was a surprise, he did believe them. It was disconcerting that he could be so bothered by something that Heather and Raislen weren't moved by in the least.

Severus shook his head, glancing down at his plate again just to see if the food there had become anymore appealing. His stomach was still hollow and disinterested though.

"No, they're just terrifying."" Heather and Raislen exchanged another glance.

"Interesting," Regulus said, speaking up at last. Severus shot him a glare, because it was not interesting. It was miserable and stressful and utterly horrid!

"After we've eaten, let's walk down near the lake," Raislen suggested, and Severus gave a sigh of relief as he nodded. Raislen understood that he needed to talk about what had happened. That was good.

"How were your exams?" Regulus asked the question Severus knew he should've asked, but he just wasn't thinking right now!

"Oh they were fine," Heather said airily. "I'm sure I did well on all of them."

"Same," Raislen agreed.

Heather glanced over at Severus. "It's far easier when you're only taking classes you chose to take. I think you'll have a far easier time with your N.E.W.T.S for that reason even though they are supposed to be harder."

Severus nodded."That makes sense," he said. "If I just survive these O.W.L.S, I shall be set!"

"Well I'm not worried about any of it, thanks to the three of you," Regulus said cheerfully.

Heather grinned over at him. "Indeed. It would've been grand had Raislen and I had older friends like us at your age. I think I envy you."

"I agree," Raislen said. "We are all awesome, and would've done our younger selves good."

"Severus? Aren't you going to eat," Heather asked a bit worriedly.

Severus glanced down at his plate and sighed, pushing the food about idly with his fork. His stomach was not interested in food. "I am not hungry," he muttered.

"You will be later," Raislen said firmly. "Like right around the middle of your next exam, and that will be distracting, so eat anyway, Kid."

Severus sighed. Though he could not imagine his stomach kindly knotting so that it might be hungry, he knew that if Raislen was right, it would indeed be a distraction. Sighing he lifted a fork of roast chicken to his mouth and forced himself to eat it. After three or so bites, his stomach relaxed and decided that it was quite hungry after all.

"Thanks," He told Raislen, then attacked his plate with gusto. Whatever the other three talked about during this time slid mostly past his awareness as he mainly focused on his food and the hazy thoughts going through his mind mainly consisting of concerns over the O.W.L exam he'd just taken. When his plate was empty, he glanced up to see that the other three had finished and were waiting for him.

This only stood to reason, as he'd started last due to that earlier lack of apatite. Hopefully there was enough time to get outside away from prying ears and have a chat before the next exam started. He should've eaten faster! "Shall we take that walk now?" He asked, rising from his chair so quickly that it nearly toppled backward onto the floor. He reached out and caught it just in time, righting it as Raislen, Heather and Regulus stood.

As they left the Great Hall, he was nearly bursting from the effort of holding back his questions to Raislen concerning that bloody quill! He waited until they were near the lake with no one in sight before turning to glare at Raislen, who was walking a few steps behind him. "You did not tell me they provide the quills!" Very well, that wasn't a question, but Raislen got the point, because he grinned, wide shoulders moving in a careless shrug. "You didn't ask, Kid. I felt it was safer if you had no idea of what to expect. Then nothing would show on your face. You've never cheated before, so I figured you could not get nervous and inadvertently tip your hand if you were literally unaware of your hand as it were."

"Have you cheated before," Regulus wondered and Raislen shook his head.

"No, but that is neither here nor there for sorting out how to do it properly."

"I suppose not," Regulus agreed with a chuckle.

Severus sighed. This was no laughing matter. "So what happened," He demanded, glaring at Raislen. "You made me a bloody cheat quill, knowing that they provided their own quills!"

Raislen nodded. "Just so. Providing their own quills, means they won't ever suspect one of their own quills either. I placed a charm on the quill to replace itself with any other quill you were holding. It's a one time use quill and the information stored in it is gone forever after that use because it is now on the page of your exam." He grinned happily. "Isn't that brilliant? I am so brilliant."

"You really are,"Heather murmured admiringly.

"That's why I felt the pen jolt in my hand," Severus murmured. "I rather assumed it was just me having a particularly unique panic attack until the answers began to form on the page. Then I understood that you had done something, just not what," he confessed dryly. Then a jolt of panic shot through him as another thought occurred. "Raislen! Where in the hell did the other quill go? The original one given out by the Wizarding Examinations Authority."

"It went to my house. I placed a reverse location charm on the quill I made for you so that when it took the place of the original the original would return to the origin of where mine was when I enchanted it, that being my manor."

"So complicated, yet so bloody simple!" Regulus spoke quietly. "I am thoroughly and utterly impressed!"

"I would be more impressed with myself had it not taken me a few years of thought to come up with," Raislen admitted, clearly chagrined. "I am proud of myself regardless, though."

"As you should be," Severus said. "Thank you, Raislen." He did a thing then based on pure impulse. He threw his arms around Raislen and hugged him tight. "I shall pass the stupid class!" He suddenly realized, laughing with giddy relief.

Raislen hugged him back, patting him on the shoulder a bit awkwardly. "I told you I'd not let you down, Kid."

"How did you do on the practical bit," Heather asked a little worriedly.

"Well enough," Severus said. "Not even close to perfect, but well enough." He grinned. "For once, that is perfectly fine." Often he was too much of a perfectionist, and he knew it, but when it came to blasted Transfiguration, just literally passing worked for him. He could not be rid of that class fast enough.