For the entirety of 5th year, there had been a heavy weight constantly on everyone’s shoulders. That weight, of course, is the O.W.Ls, the extremely difficult tests that will occur at the end of 5th year. Since September, Dream had done his best not to worry too much about it. Now, though, it’s May, and with less than a month until the O.W.Ls, he’s begun to worry a lot.
Preparations and studying for the O.W.Ls had been going on all year, but now that it’s May, the studying has really begun to ramp up. For the past week, Dream has spent every night staying up till 1 am to pore over textbooks and practice spells. Most of those nights had also been with the rest of the Feral Boys so they could help each other out.
Along with studying, they also had to figure out their future professions so they could know what classes they need to pass and what to focus on. Sapnap wants to be a professional Quidditch player, so he doesn’t need to worry much about the O.W.Ls. Karl, with his clairvoyance, wants to be a Divination teacher. Both George and Quackity want to work for the Ministry of Magic. And Dream has the most ambitious goal of all- he wants to be an Auror.
To be an Auror, Dream knows that he needs to graduate from Hogwarts with a N.E.W.T in at least 5 classes. After doing a bit of research, he decides that those 5 classes will be DADA, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, and Herbology. In order to pass, he’ll need at least an E in each one, which is doable but still tough. And then, of course, he’ll still have to pass them again during the N.E.W.Ts in 7th year. For now, though, he just has to focus on making sure he can get an E, which brings him to where he is now, walking to the library.
As he walks, Dream goes through a mental checklist in his head. Herbology should be fine, since so far, he’s done well in every single class. Potions and Charms will both need a little bit of studying and touching up, particularly in the written parts, but after that they should be good as well. Transfiguration and DADA will require the most attention, since they’re his iffiest subjects on the list. He’s not bad at them- in fact, he does quite decently in both, but he doubts it’ll be enough to get him to an E.
In the library, Dream finds Techno sitting at one of the tables, hunched over a book. Perking up, he goes to join the pinkette. Maybe he and Techno can study together, since the Ravenclaw also wants to be an Auror.
“Hi, Techno,” Dream greets as he sits down.
“Hallo,” Techno says offhandedly, glancing up from his book.
“What’re you studying?”
“DADA.”
“Cool. I need to study that as well. And Transfiguration.” With a long sigh, Dream takes out his books and flips one open.
“I can help you with Transfiguration,” Techno says. “What are you studyin’?”
“The Vanishing spell,” Dream replies. “That’s the one spell I can never seem to get. And I also need to go over some theory stuff.” He frowns down at the open book, scanning the page before jotting down a few notes.
“I know that one. If you want, I’ll teach you it later.”
“Yes, please,” Dream says gratefully.
Techno gives him a small smile. “Alright, then.” The pinkette returns to his book, tapping the end of his quill against his lip. For a moment, Dream watches the way Techno’s pink hair spills across his shoulders and onto the table, like strands of rosy silk. With an irritated huff, the Ravenclaw flicks a lock of hair away from his face, and Dream suddenly comes up with an idea.
“Can I braid your hair?” he asks.
Techno looks up, a startled expression on his face. “What?”
“Your hair,” Dream says. “I can braid it, and then it won’t get in your way any more. Plus, it’ll look really good.”
“Sure, I guess,” Techno says as his cheeks turn pink.
Dream refrains from cheering and moves to stand behind Techno. He quickly sets to work, briefly running his fingers through the rosy locks before beginning to braid. Techno’s hair proves to be remarkably easy to work with, and it only takes Dream a couple of minutes to finish the braid. He ties it off by wrapping some hair around the end and steps back to admire his work.
“Done,” Dream announces quietly.
Techno reaches back to pat the braid. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Dream glances over Techno’s shoulder at the book the Ravenclaw is reading. The title of the page reads, “The Patronus Charm”.
“You’re learning about Patronuses?” Dream exclaims, shocked.
“Yeah,” Techno replies, his cheeks flushing even more (seriously, is the library that warm?). “I thought it’d be a good way to earn some bonus points on the DADA practical examination.”
“So you cast it?” Dream asks.
Techno shakes his head. “No, I’m just readin’ about it. I was goin’ to go to Captain Puffy and ask her to teach me.”
“Can I come with you?” Now that he thinks about it, learning how to cast a Patronus would be an excellent way to boost his score on the DADA examination. Plus, it could be useful, should he ever run into a dementor.
“Sure,” Techno says. “I was actually goin’ to go now.”
“Then let’s go!” Dream quickly shoves his books back into his bag and swings it over his shoulder. “And after, we could work on the Vanishing spell?”
Techno nods. “Yep.”
The two leave the library and walk to the DADA classroom. As usual, Captain Puffy is there, sitting at her desk. She looks up and smiles as they enter. “Hello, boys! Come for some tutoring?”
“Kinda,” Dream says. “We were wondering if you could teach us the Patronus Charm?”
The smile disappears and is replaced by a thoughtful frown. Captain Puffy beckons them forward with one finger. They obey, stepping up to her desk.
“The thing about the Patronus Charm,” Puffy begins, “is that it’s best learned in the situation it’s meant for. And unfortunately- or perhaps fortunately, depending on who you ask- we don’t have any dementors here.”
“Is there not any way to learn without, uh, dementors?” Techno asks. “Because I’d rather not get my soul sucked out.”
Captain Puffy chuckles. “I agree with you on that. And yes, you can definitely learn without facing a dementor, it just might be a little harder.”
“We can handle hard,” Dream says after glancing at Techno. “So will you teach us?”
“Of course!” Puffy beams. “In fact, I’m glad you two want to learn. It’ll help you on the O.W.Ls.” She stands and walks out from behind her desk, pulling out her wand in the process. “Let’s begin, shall we?”
“Right now?” Techno asks, looking startled.
“Yep! Unless you’d rather wait?”
“No, no, now is good.”
“Excellent. Now, watch carefully.” Puffy flicks her wand, an expression of concentration on her face. “Expecto Patronum!”
A burst of blueish-white light shoots from her wand and forms a sheep with curved horns. It charges around the room, passing through the desks and chairs, before vanishing, leaving only a few wisps of light behind.
“That right there was a Patronus,” Puffy says. “The animal varies for every person, and usually reflects their personality. Having your Patronus take a form is very difficult, so don’t expect to get it on your first try. Now, Dream, why don’t you try first?”
Dream nervously takes out his wand and looks to Puffy. “Do I just say it?”
She shakes her head. “No. First, you must think of a happy memory. That’s what a Patronus really is- happiness and joy, which is why they’re so effective against dementors, who are creatures of hopelessness and depression.”
Dream frowns as he tries to think of a happy memory. Nothing from his childhood will work, since his parents didn’t make it particularly joyful. He racks his brain for a moment before settling on the day he met Sapnap, George, Karl, and Quackity. The memory always sends a burst of happiness and fondness though him, so it’ll probably do just fine.
“Do you have your memory?” Captain Puffy asks. When Dream nods, she smiles. “Good. Now, cast your spell, and make sure to focus extra hard on that memory.”
After taking a deep breath, Dream flicks his wand like Puffy had done. He focuses on his memory, recalling Sapnap’s smile and George’s laugh, and cries, “Expecto Patronum!”
A small puff of the blueish light emerges from the end of his wand and swirls through the air before disappearing. Dream lowers his wand, feeling disappointed. Then again, the Patronus Charm is widely considered one of the hardest spells in the books, so he hadn’t really expected to do something amazing on his first try.
Captain Puffy claps. “That was very good! I know it didn’t look like much, but getting anything at all on your first time is excellent. What was your memory?”
“Meeting my best friends,” Dream replies, smiling a bit.
“That’ll do,” Puffy says approvingly. “Alright, Techno, you’re up.”
The Ravenclaw pulls out his wand and pauses, presumably thinking up a memory. After a moment, the pinkette waves his wand. “Expecto Patronum!”
Just like Dream, Techno’s wand produces a few wisps of light that quickly disappear. Puffy claps again, giving the pinkette a few praises. When asked what his memory was, Techno replies, “Winnin’ the Quidditch Cup in my 3rd year.”
“So you’ve won before, huh?” Dream says, grinning. Next week is the last Quidditch match of the year, Slytherin vs. Gryffindor, and he’s determined to win. “Got any tips?”
“Just do what you always do,” Techno says offhandedly. “You’re a really good player, and you’ll definitely win against Tommy.”
“Awww, Techno!” Dream coos, flushing a bit at the praise.
“Nevermind, I take it back,” Techno grumbles. “You’re the worst.”
“Sure, Techie, sure,” Dream giggles.
Captain Puffy laughs. “You two are hilarious. Well, I think both of you should give the spell a few more tries, and then you can come back another day and practice some more. Sound good?”
Dream and Techno nod. For the next half an hour, they take turns casting the Patronus Charm. By the end, Dream has improved slightly to a large puff of light, as opposed to a small one, while Techno manages to pull off a funnel-like shield.
“That was hard,” Dream sighs as he leaves the classroom. “I don’t know how you did that.”
“I don’t know either,” Techno says. “But, uh, I’m sure you’ll get it… eventually? Sorry, I don’t really do motivational speeches.”
Dream laughs. “That’s okay. Thank you, Techie.”
“You wanna do that Vanishing spell now?” Techno asks.
“Sure!”
“Alright. Let’s go in here. I’m sure Professor Eret won’t mind us Vanishing a few of her books….”
---
The next few weeks pass by in a blur. Dream quickly falls into a routine: on weekdays, he goes to all his classes, sneaking in a few meals in between, and studies during every spare moment he has. On weekends, he studies some more, practices spells in empty classrooms, and attends Patronus lessons with Puffy and Techno. It only takes Techno a week to get his Patronus to take a form, which turns out to be a boar, and Dream follows a few days later with his cat Patronus.
The Quidditch match takes place as well, and Slytherin manages to score a narrow win against Gryffindor and win the cup. That night, Dream takes a break from studying to celebrate with his teammates, cheering and screaming until his voice goes hoarse.
And then, as June begins and temperatures outside grow unbearably hot, the time comes. Examinators from the Ministry of Magic come pouring into the castle, announcing the start of the dreaded O.W.Ls.
On the morning of the first examination day, which is also a Monday, Dream wakes up nervous and jittery, his mind going a hundred miles per hour as he frantically tries to go over of all the test material one final time. Somehow, and probably only because Punz and Purpled are there to help him, he gets dressed and goes down to breakfast. His friends are unusually quiet, too busy cramming in some last-minute studying to talk or argue.
After breakfast is the first examination: the written portion of Charms. It’s actually not as bad as Dream had expected, and he manages to finish almost all the questions within the time limit. Sure, he forgets the counter-charm for hiccoughs, and he doesn’t have time to be as detailed as he would’ve liked on Cheering Charms, but overall, he thinks he did quite well.
Following the written portion of Charms is a short break for lunch. Then comes the practical examination, where students will actually have to perform spells. Dream has to wait outside as the students whose last names are higher up in the alphabet take the exam, which does nothing to help his nerves. Finally, his name is called, and he enters the examination hall on shaking legs.
The practical exam is harder than the written portion, but he still manages to do well. He screws up his Growth Charm a bit, as the frog he’s performing on doesn’t get quite big enough, but he nails all the other spells. At the end of the examination, when his kind and plump examinator dismisses him, he leaves the hall with a relieved smile on his face.
The next day is Transfiguration. Again, Dream misses a few questions on the written examination and messes up some spells during the practical one, but on the whole, he thinks the exams went rather well. Wednesday brings Herbology, and other than a small accident involving a Mandrake, it’s easily his easiest examination yet. On Thursday is DADA, both written and practical, and during the latter Dream successfully performs the Patronus Charm, getting an impressed look from his examinator. Friday is Ancient Runes, a subject that Dream doesn’t take, so he uses the day to study for next week.
The O.W.Ls resume after the weekend break. Monday of the second week is the Potions examination, both writing and brewing. Dream thinks he does pretty well on both parts, apart from forgetting what Polyjuice Potions do. Tuesday is Care of Magical Creatures, which is pretty simple, involving things like identifying a Knarl and feeding a fire crab. Astronomy on Wednesday goes fine, as does Divination. And Thursday, the final examination day, brings History of Magic, which is certainly difficult, but Dream still thinks he did good. He managed to remember most of the important dates, at least.
And with that, the O.W.Ls are over. To celebrate, Dream and the rest of the Feral Boys take a trip to Hogsmeade, where they drink Butterbeer and buy all the sweets their hearts desire. With the stress of the examinations lifted off his shoulders, Dream spends the final 2 weeks of 5th year laughing and messing around with his friends. He also spends some time with Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo, taking them to Hogsmeade and buying them stuff from the shops, as well as occasional walks around the lake with Illumina, or mock Quiddicth games in the field with Techno.
All too soon, the last day of the school year arrives. As the Hogwarts Express pulls into the station, Dream bids a tearful goodbye to Punz and Purpled before going to sit with his friends. They spend the ride trading Chocolate Frog cards and discussing the year. The distance from Hogwarts to London is far, but not far enough, and as the train arrives at Platform 9 and ¾ in Kings Cross Station, Dream looks to his friends.
“Gods, this year did not feel long enough,” he says. “I’ll miss you guys.”
“Aww, Dreamie,” Sapnap coos, throwing an arm around Dream’s shoulders. “I’ll miss you too!”
“Same,” Karl agrees, sniffling exaggeratedly and wiping a fake tear away. “Nothing will be the same without you. Especially you two, my dear boyfriends.”
“I love you too, Karl,” Quackity says flirtatiously, and he, Karl, and Sapnap crowd in to exchange kisses.
“Gross,” George says, making a face. Dream laughs and leans forward to embrace the brunette.
“I’ll miss you, Georgie,” Dream mumbles into George’s shoulder.
“Miss you too, Dream. Don’t worry, though, I’ll send you letters via owl mail, and I’ll make sure the others do the same.”
“Thank you,” Dream says, smiling. He pulls back and turns to embrace the other 3, who, thankfully, have stopped making out. “Bye, you guys.”
“Bye, Dream! See you next year!”
“You too.” And with that, Dream grabs his suitcase, makes sure Patches is held tight in his arms, and runs through the brick wall to return to the Muggle world. He spots his parents, who look extremely uncomfortable, standing nearby, and goes over to join them. He follows them to the car and jumps in, getting comfortable for the ride back to his home.
No, not his home. His house, which will never be his home, because Hogwarts is. Hogwarts is his true home, with its towering turrets and constantly changing staircases and aura of magic. He’ll have to stay at his house with his awful Muggle parents for the summer, and he already knows that it’s going to be a long summer.
But summer is only 2 months longer. And after those 2 months, Dream will be able to return to his actual home, where his friends and brothers will be waiting for him.
Only 2 months, and he’ll be back at Hogwarts.
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Notes:
And that's the end of 5th year! Get ready, because in 6th year, things will start getting interesting...
also, techno's chat has changed the meaning of the letter E for me, so I was giggling every single time i wrote E in this chapter, even though it stands for Exceeds Expectations
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-2486 words
٩(ര̀ᴗര́)ᵇʸᵉ nuggets~