JILY - AN UNEXPECTED RETURN

58. OWLs - 1

PREVIOUSLY IN JILY RETURNS

Harry has his Career Advice Meeting with Anita Chowdhury.

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The rest of the month was spent with the fifth and seventh years frantically cramming everywhere they could find quiet. After several people went to their Heads, complaining about the loudness in the Towers, the Heads all reinstated the Morgue Hours, which stated that students could do whatever they wanted, but they had to be quiet from 8:00 pm until the next morning. Many of the younger years were furious with that, but finally agreed for the sake of the classmates. The twins, surprisingly, were among the quiet ones. They were taking three NEWTs each, and were cramming along with the rest of them. When they weren't studying, they could be seen pouring over stacks of parchment with Lee in a corner.

When Monday morning came, everyone was nervous to the point that Hermione was almost in need of another calming draught, convinced that she was going to fail all of her tests. Ron, as tactfully as he could, reminded her that there was no way she would fail, not with all of the work she had been doing to get ready for these tests. She had nearly glowed at that, and Harry yet again wondered when they were going to admit that they liked each other. Maybe he should join the betting pool that the twins had started the year before. It was actually Fred's idea, and he'd started it after watching the lovebirds after the Yule Ball.

Harry was nervous about the exams as well, but he was better at hiding it. He spent the morning reviewing every Charm that they had learned. He and Neville went back and forth, memorizing them alphabetically, chronologically, and then by color. Hermione was skimming all of her notes, and Ron was muttering incantations under his breath. Dean and Lavender were trying to outdo each other with by making their goblets dance. They had started dating during the party after the Quidditch final, much to everyone's relief. The two of them had been flirting constantly, so it was nice that Dean had finally overcome his nerves and asked her out.

Finally, breakfast was over, and everyone was sent out of the Great Hall so that it could be prepared for the exams. After an eternity, which was less than an hour, they were all called into the room for their written Charms test. They were seated alphabetically, with the examiner at the front of the room, and reminded them of the consequences if they decided to cheat. Then he turned the overly large hourglass, and they began.