𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍 | 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘺

Chapter 47 - O.W.L.s.

"Now, I must warn you that the most stringent Anti-Cheating Charms have been applied to your examination papers. Auto-Answer Quills are banned from the examination hall, as Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, and Self-Correcting Ink are. Every year, I am afraid to say, seems to harbour at least one student who thinks that he or she can get around the Wizarding Examinations Authority's rules. I can only hope that it is nobody in Gryffindor."

"Please, Professor," a Hufflepuff student asked, "when will we find out our results?"

"An owl will be sent to you sometime in July," Professor McGonagall replied.

Their first exam, Theory of Charms, was scheduled for Monday morning. Betelgeuse had been sitting with Angelina after lunch on Sunday, taking turns testing each other. Meanwhile, Alicia was reading two years of Potions notes with her fingers in her ears, her lips moving soundlessly; Lee and George practised a few charm spells on a tiny cup while Fred stared at his star chart till his eyes blurred.

Dinner was a subdued affair that night. Fred and George did not talk but ate with gusto, having studied hard all day. Betelgeuse was even quieter than usual. Everyone was trying to do some last-minute studying, but nobody seemed to be getting very far. Betelgeuse went to bed early but then lay awake for what felt like hours. She would have loved to exchange a few words with her favourite person, but, alas, he was too far away to reach. She fell asleep with the awareness that the day after would have been a day to remember.

☆☆☆

None of the fifth years talked very much at breakfast the next day either. Betelgeuse was rereading Spellman's Syllabary for the last time, before the fifth and seventh years milled around in the entrance hall while the other students went off to lessons. Then, at half-past nine, they were called forward class by class to re-enter the Great Hall. The four House tables had been removed and replaced instead with many tables. They were all facing the staff-table end of the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall stood facing them. When they were all seated and quiet, she said, "You may begin," and turned over an enormous hourglass on the desk beside her, on which were also spare quills, ink bottles, and rolls of parchment. Betelgeuse turned over her paper.

She lowered her eyes to the first question: a) Give the incantation, and b) describe the wand movement required to make objects fly.

Betelgeuse had a fleeting memory of two young red-headed boys levitating a bucket of water and making it land on their younger brother's head. Smiling slightly, she bent over the paper and began to write.

"Well, it wasn't too bad, was it?" Alicia asked two hours later as she, Angelina and Betelgeuse stood in the Entrance Hall. They were soon joined by Fred, George, and Lee, and the six of them ate lunch with the rest of the school. Then they trooped off into the small chamber beside the Great Hall, where they were to wait until called for their practical examination.

Betelgeuse was one of the first called forward in alphabetical order. She smiled and embraced the twins tightly. Fred planted a sweet kiss on her forehead. "Go kick their ancient arses, Lady Black," George spoke, smiling brightly.

With her head held high, Betelgeuse marched towards the chamber. She had to be examined with three other students, John Atkinson, Miranda Babbs, Anthony Bochanan.

"Professor Tofty is free, Black," Professor Flitwick squeaked. He pointed Betelgeuse toward what looked like the very oldest and baldest examiner, who was sitting behind a small table in a far corner.

"Black, is it?" Professor Tofty asked, consulting his notes, and peering over his pince-nez at Betelgeuse as she approached. "As in Sirius Black?"