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Written Portion Of The Astronomy OWL & NEWT
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 08-20-11 20:07
"Fifteen minutes left," I announce. A few students who've managed to finish the written portion of the Astronomy exam display a mix of relief that the time is nearly up and consternation that time is nearly up. I take it that those showing relief are wanting to hurry up to the next exam or have this afternoon off and want to study or nap before tonight's Astronomy practical. Those showing consternation I'm guessing aren't wanting this alotted exam period to end because it's time they can be sitting doing nothing after days - weeks really - of stress, study, and less sleep than usual.
Of those more or less done, they finish reading over answers or complete what remaining question or two they have to go. Others are now fully adrenaline charged, the sounds of their quills scratching across parchment at lightening speed fill the Great Hall as they race to try to finish or as near to it as possible.
I don't have any Wednesday morning classes so hadn't needed to get a substitute. I do have an afternoon class, the sixth years, but the Astronomy practical is tonight so I'll meet the class myself. I'm glad about that as it's the last class meeting with them before their final examinations.
Something else to do either today or tomorrow is to contact the chaperones going on this term's seventh years' Muggle Studies trip, which is actually open to all interested seventh years. I just need to make sure that each got the information packs I sent and are clear on where and when to meet, the itinerary, and so on. I'd looked at scheduling the trip, which is to Costa Rica this year, during the term but as has happened before, because of how certain school events fell it was easier to schedule for just after the end of term.
It was still tough figuring out the timing for it because of Saffron being due not all that long after end of term. We ended up going with a leave date set for one week after her due date. I felt really guilty about that but Saffron kept insisting it was fine, pointing out that she would be able to cope quite well with the two children and would have plenty of help to call on if she needed.
Brandon's early arrival at least means I won't be running off on her only seven days after his birth but I do still feel guilty about leaving her with Nic and a newborn. After learning Saffron was expecting and when I hated to cancel the trip already under discussion among the students. I offered to get someone to go in my place but Saffron wouldn't hear of it. I reluctently agreed to going, mainly because if I was needed I could get back relatively quickly using magical means.
Checking the time I call out, "Five minutes. You need to be wrapping up if you haven't already." As I am now somewhat hungry for lunch I'm glad the written portion of the Astronomy OWL and NEWT is nearly at a close.
Theory of Arithmancy & Divination
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 08-21-11 06:58
As lunchtime neared its end, Ethan got up from the High Table and helped shoo dawdling students from the Great Hall. Some of the dawdlers were O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. students dreading their next exam, but most were from the other years and didn't have the same worries as the fifth and seventh year students did.
Even before the last student exited the Great Hall, Ethan aided the other professors in transforming the room from a dining chamber to a classroom, with desks spaced evenly apart instead of the long house tables. The Theory of Arithmancy & Divination exam was scheduled for this afternoon, and Ethan had been assigned as proctor.
The other professors left the same time the fifth and seventh years reentered the Great Hall and took their seats. It was quite a small group, Arithmancy & Divination not being one of the core classes at Hogwarts.
Shortly before 2 PM, Ethan sent everybody a test booklet and answer sheet and made sure everyone had an anti-cheating quill as well. He read out the instructions, which all the test-takers had heard several times already, some even this morning during the Theory of Astronomy exam.
"You may begin," Ethan said, after he'd finished with the instructions. He flipped over the giant hourglass on the edge of the High Table, allowing the first grains of sand to fall to the bottom.
Then he sat back down and laced his fingers together on the table. As he hadn't brought any work with him to keep himself occupied while simultaneously keeping an eye on the test-takers, Ethan inevitably found himself slipping into la-la-land.
He had a lot on his mind, after all. There was Lilly, who everyday reminded Ethan more and more of her mother, but not in a bad way. Although it still upset him from time to time, Ethan had accepted that Rosamond was gone.
Thinking of Lilly and Rosamond invariably brought to mind Hattie Harsnip, who to this day remained behind bars at the Ministry of Magic. In a few short weeks that would change, however, when her trial was scheduled to begin. Ethan, of course, would be called to testify. He both longed for and dreaded the moment.
A hand shot into the air. Ethan saw it but didn't see it at the same time, but when it started to wave, he blinked and came back to the present.
Arista Lampwick had broken her quill already. Ethan got up with a new one and delivered it to her, taking the snapped one back in exchange.
Ouch
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 08-21-11 14:08
Although Hermione was well-aware of the sorts of dangers her husband faced on a day-to-day basis as an auror for the Ministry of Magic, she'd still be less than pleased to learn of his battle wound and narrow escape from potential death. At least the bad guy, or in this case bad girl, had been caught.
Now, a few days after the incident, Hermione found herself at St. Mungo's, not for a rotation, but to fill out some parchmentwork regarding her continued coursework in healing. Only two terms of clinical rotations remained. If Hermione completed them successfully, and most certainly she would, then she'd no longer be a student healer. She'd finally have her healing degree from St. Emrys University. It had been a long-time coming!
She took the lift to the fifth floor, where she entered the Education division and made her way to the office of the St. Emrys University liaison. Denisia Massey had just stepped out of the office for a few minutes, so Hermione waited outside in a chair and flipped through a magazine.
It was oddly quiet. Even the receptionist had vacated her desk, making Hermione the only person in the room in that moment. She didn't give her isolation much thought at first and continued thumbing through the magazine. Hermione immersed herself in an article about spell research until a creak at the door drew her utmost attention. She turned her head in the direction of the door, but didn't see anybody. It was slightly ajar, though, and Hermione had been sure she'd closed it behind her upon entering.
She got up slowly, abandoning the magazine in her chair. She cautiously approached the door, put her hand on the handle, and pulled it open a bit wider. Hermione stuck her head out into the hall and looked this way and that, but didn't see anybody there.
She shrugged and started to turn, when she heard a growl and then felt something pounce on her from behind. Hermione bumped into the door, causing it to shut with a slam. She hastily reached for her wand, but before she could wrestle it from the pocket of her jeans, a mouth clamped on the side of her neck and teeth dug into her skin. They weren't particularly sharp, but they did manage to pierce her skin slightly.
Hermione cried out and fumbled for her wand. She managed to pry it free and pointed it backwards at her assailant. He flew backwards and crashed into a potted plant positioned against the wall opposite the door.
Hermione spun around, leveling the wand at the now crumpled individual and pressed her other hand to her neck. The wound was bleeding, but only a tiny bit. Mostly it just hurt.
The individual, whom Hermione could now identify as a wizard, tried to climb to his feet. He was a little bit disoriented. As soon as he brushed a bit of plant from his face, Hermione recognized him as a patient from the Neurology ward.
A second later, the door opened and Denisia and the receptionist hastened into the room. Both had their wands drawn.
"We heard a commotion!" Denisia said. "What on earth..." She took in the wizard wearing a hospital gown and then Hermione with a hand pressed to her neck. "What happened?"
Hermione shook her head. "I heard a noise while I was waiting. He came up to me from behind and bit me."
The wizard was still struggling to climb to his feet. When he caught sight of the newcomers, he began growling again.
"Is he mad?" the receptionist asked.
"I know this patient," Hermione said. "He thinks he's a werewolf. We need to get him back to Neurology."
"And you need to get your neck checked out," Denisia said. She sent her receptionist off to get help.
Hermione looked down at the wizard, who was drooling saliva and a little bit of blood––her own, probably.
"There's a full moon tonight," Denisia murmured.
"Is there?" Hermione asked. She hadn't even realized. Not that it mattered, of course. He wasn't a real werewolf and his bite would do little more than hurt her.
It didn't take long for healers to arrive with a sedative and a gurney to take the patient away. She went off to have her neck looked at, with a promise to Denisia that she would be back as soon as she was finished.
Long Summer Days
Author: Griet
Date: 08-21-11 15:52
The good thing about summer was the fact that the days were long. If the N.E.W.T.s had happened in winter, then Griet would not have been able to take her afternoon exam on the night of a full moon because it would have gotten dark prior to the exam's end. In the summer, it didn't get dark until late.
She was glad that she wasn't taking the Astronomy N.E.W.T. exam this evening. The full moon was tonight, and after supper Griet planned on locking herself up until sunrise tomorrow morning. For her, that meant a night she couldn't pull an all-nighter––not that she'd done too many of those since the start of the exams last week.
Nevertheless, Griet probably wouldn't get a good night's rest. She never did when she was in werewolf form, even under the influence of Wolfsbane Potion.
She did have another exam tomorrow, but not until the afternoon. It was the counterpart to the one she was writing now. Griet hoped that she could get some rest in the morning prior to the exam, but she knew very well how ill she'd feel all day tomorrow. She felt sick even now, but she was trying her best to ignore the feeling. She'd slept in this morning, since Astronomy wasn't one of her courses. The rest had helped a little bit, but not enough to cure her of the awfulness she always felt around a full moon.
Griet hoped that how she felt wouldn't affect her exam scores, but she had a feeling she wasn't doing as well on her Arithmancy & Divination test as she'd done on some of the others. She figured if she got a Troll on the exam, then she at least had a good excuse as to why it happened.
She glanced at the hourglass. It was more than halfway full, which meant that Griet was running out of time. She put all her concentration in the exam and attempted to ignore how sick she felt.
Losing To Good Diction
Author: Coco Nutt
Date: 08-21-11 22:15
"Jes go hon wif yer own bizzness, Coco. Oi haint goin' terday."
"You're going. Put your shoes on."
"Nope, not gorna."
"Papa Wal, you are going to physio."
"Oi'm done wif it, Poppet. Haint doin' me no good."
"But it is, Papa. I can tell a big difference. You need to keep going as long as they will have you."
"Meebe tamorrow then. Match comes on in an hour."
"What match?"
"Rugby."
"Which teams?"
"Don' matter."
"You're right that it doesn't matter. Physio doesn't take long. You won't miss but the beginning of the match."
"But, Coco "
"Papa Wal, shoes on now. You are going."
"Yeah, yeah, 'eard ya tha first toime. Knew Oi were gorna lose tha argument but 'ad ter try." This is said as Papa Wal is slipping his shoes on and getting up from his favorite chair.
"How did you know you would lose?"
"Cause yer halways calm, pract'cal, an' no nornsense when yer use yer good diction wif me. Haint niver won uh argument since yer started usin' hit orn me."
Coco grins, shakes her head, and helps Papa Wal get into their old, somewhat battered Citroen that he's so attached to he refuses to let Coco replace it and drives him to his physiotherapy appointment.
After Hours
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 08-22-11 18:18
"Visiting hours have long passed, you know."
The nurse was awfully cute, with a short, honey-blonde haircut Ronan normally didn't find attractive on women, but which somehow seemed to work on her. She was a bit on the short side, and small but not too thin.
"You keep telling me that but you've yet to throw me out," Ronan remarked with a small grin. He dumped his empty coffee cup into the nearest rubbish bin and plunked down into a nearby chair. He leaned back against the wall and shut his eyes.
"I see a lot of family members log in countless hours of bedside visits with their loved ones, but you've got to be the most devoted son I've ever met. I guess I have a soft spot for you. Of course it helps that you're easy on the eyes."
Ronan sensed the smile in the nurse's voice and couldn't help but grin himself.
"But I know you have a girlfriend. So I won't pester you. Much."
Ronan opened his eyes to see the nurse sashay away from her station to check on a patient. He had spent a lot of time at his mother's bedside. Her condition hadn't worsened, but it hadn't gotten better either. Sometimes when he watched her sleep, he could see movement behind her eyelids, but whatever she was dreaming or thinking never seemed to cause her to wake.
In the beginning, Ronan had spent all day with his mum. Later, he went to work and/or class and then went to see his mum. It had helped that St. Emrys had been out of session since Friday, so now he went straight to the hospital after work.
Sometimes Solange went with him. Mostly she cooked him dinner or brought him take-out, since fixing his own meals or scrounging up something to eat seemed to be the last thing on his mind. Ronan was glad he'd worked up the courage to ask her out. Solange was incredibly supportive.
This morning, a headline in The Daily Prophet had stood out above all the rest, and not just because it had made the front page. Members of the dark group Caden had joined and briefly led had gotten arrested yesterday. Ronan had read the article aloud to his mum, hoping it would reach her subconscious, but she'd not reacted to it at all.
The mystery of who had been the one behind Caden's murder had never been solved, but maybe now it would. It would be the closure both Ronan and his mother needed after four years of speculation but not definitive answer.
It was late, and Ronan knew he should head home. He had another day of work ahead of him tomorrow and would see his mother in the evening anyway. He got up and peeked in on his mum one last time before leaving St. Mungo's for home.
(Azaelia) Empty Library
Author: Isolde
Date: 08-24-11 18:06
For the first time in two weeks, the library seemed empty. It wasn't completely devoid of students; next week was final exams for students in all years except for fifth and seventh. But the rush that the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s had brought to the library had definitely ended.
And with good reason. Today was the absolute last day of exams. Anybody eligible for the Muggle Studies O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. was currently sitting in the Great Hall.
Azaelia knew there was a possibility that students might swing by during lunch, but even so, it would be a small amount. Muggle Studies was only an elective course, after all.
She hadn't minded the recent busyness of the library one bit, though it had hampered her social life somewhat. Because of the exams, the library had stayed open later each evening and opened up earlier each morning. And although Azaelia had a few house-elves who knew their way around the library quite well, she'd wanted to be there as much as possible.
Robert, thankfully, had understood. Since resuming their childhood relationship, he'd come to learn how devoted Azaelia was to the students at Hogwarts. She loved her job, which not everybody could say.
Tonight they did have plans. Since Azaelia presumed her presence wouldn't be needed in the library, and since the hours would return to normal anyway, she'd agreed to go out to dinner with him. They'd decided on Chinese food at The Bamboo Forest in wizarding Soho.
For now, she busied herself with tidying up the library. Discarded books littered the tables and study carrels. She pushed a cart around to collect them all and then sat at the counter and put the books in order so that they would be easier to shelve when she or one of the house-elves did that later.
Last OWL & NEWT, The Muggle Studies Practical
Author: Kissy Isuki
Date: 08-25-11 19:43
Kissy motions to the last of the fifth years for the Muggle Studies practical. "Christopher, you are with Professor Brecknock."
No sooner has she sent Christopher Tweed into the Great Hall then she sees that two more of the examiners are free. Rather than making them wait until the last two fifth years are done she says, "Anthea to Professor Huntingdon. Duncan, you'll be with Professor Marchbanks."
Keeping her eye on Professor Tofty and Angus McLeach to be done, Kissy's mind wanders to the very topic that she's forbidden her parents to bring up within her hearing. Since the day she put her foot down, Kissy hasn't been able to stop thinking about being thirty, unmarried and no children. She's not in a relationship, not even seeing anyone that could turn into a relationship. Kissy is fine that she's not married or even that she's not seeing anyone but she's giving serious thought to children.
Kissy can't stop thinking about having a baby. Perhaps this is because of Marzipan literally inheriting one infant and having one of her own, Ethan's Rosamund having a baby, and now Saffron and Aaron. Will the desire to have her own sooner rather than later affect her opinions of anyone she were to date? Would she convince herself she cares far more for someone simply because she's wanting to start a family?
"You're up, Philippa. You'll be with Professor Tofty. Professor Brecknock shouldn't be with Christopher much longer, Tiffany so be ready to go in."
Kissy wonders if she should consider artificial insemination. That would mean not having to wait until she's in a relationship that she thinks is actually going somewhere. Then again, it means going into a pregnancy with the assumption that she'd be raising the child without a father. Kissy isn't sure she wants to purposely get pregnant knowing her child would be without one parent from the start.
Suppressing a sigh, Kissy forces a smile and sends Tiffany into the Great Hall to Professor Brecknock's table.