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End Of Exams
Author: Zabrynna
Date: 08-01-15 14:37
Zabrynna takes her tea and half sandwich to a small table near one of the faux windows in Orange. She's just finished with final exams. It's been such a stressful, tiring week that at times she's questioned why she's working on a Secondary Order. By this time next week, not only will she have gotten past the second guessing of her decision to continue on at university but she'll be eager for the next round of courses to begin. In the meantime, she'll work more hours at the museum and if AJ's needing help again with research, she'll probably pitch in there as well.
A tray drops on the table across from her and the other chair is pulled out as Pippa demands, "What's the story? You've keep me hanging."
And then there's the time she'll most likely spend with Rand Prinsloo, the boy unceremoniously dumped on Declan.
Zabrynna holds up a finger for Pippa to be patient while she finishes chewing a bite of sandwich. "I'm sort of a step-mother."
She takes a quick sip of tea. "This woman Melanie who was Declan's cousin by marriage for about two years wrote Declan wanting a face-to-face. He showed up. She showed up long enough to point Declan out to her son then left. As far as he knows, Declan never saw her. Rand had an envelope with all these legal documents signing over custody to Declan."
"In the two sentence version the other day you said something about a cult." Pippa pokes her fork around a bowl of pasta with pesto.
"Declan says it's not a cult but it soooooo is. From what little Declan already knew and from what Rand has said here and there we know that members pretty much cut off contact with family. They live communally, as in what belongs to one person belongs to everyone. You don't contribute in some way to support the group, you don't eat. There is a couple who run things who are referred to as Mother and Father. They have all these odd ideas."
"Such as?"
"Age of consent should be 13."
"Seriously?"
"Very. They think that the Cruciatus Curse is perfectly acceptable to use as punishment. Declan says they have other dark arts spells and potions they think should be legal for common, everyday use."
"So if this Melanie is into this group and has been for years, why did she give her son over to Declan?"
"We have no idea. The letter she included in the envelope didn't say. Rand doesn't know either. Poor boy feels abandoned."
"Can't say I blame him."
"We've tried contacting Melanie's parents. So far nothing from her mother. Her father has't heard from her in something like twelve years and didn't even know she'd had a child."
"Is he interested in taking custody?"
"He would be if not for a small obstacle. He's currently in a Canadian prison and will be for at least another two and a half years."
"No joke?"
"If only. Something about when his last marriage broke up he'd gone in to get some things he considered his. The soon to be ex-wife thought otherwise. Had him arrested for robbery. The court saw things her way."
"Wow. This story keeps getting better and better." Pippa pauses in the act of bringing her drink to her mouth to amend, "Maybe more interesting is better than saying better."
Zabrynna makes a funny face at her before saying, "Declan's uncle who was once married to Melanie's mother hasn't heard from either Melanie or her mother in ages. Melanie doesn't have any half brothers or sisters that we know of, only steps. There is no father listed on Rand's birth certificate and he says whenever he's asked his mother has always said all the men of their group are his father. So, for now, Rand stays with us and Declan's spoken to Professor McGonagall about him starting at Hogwarts in September."
Pippa asks a few more questions before their conversation shifts to how they each think they did on exams and Pippa wondering aloud why neither Zabrynna nor Anne talked her out of continuing with school once she'd completed her initial program. Zabrynna's response to that is, "Because you didn't talk me out of it either."
Ancient Runes
Author: Celeste Quigley
Date: 08-01-15 14:49
Celeste had a hard time falling asleep last night and as a consequence she was feeling tired in the morning. If today was any other day, she could have spent the morning in bed, resting. But today she had to proctor the Ancient Runes OWLs and NEWTs.
The coffee she had during breakfast was finally having some effect on her body, giving Celeste a most needed energy. Earlier she had been tempted to ask Severus for a potion or tonic to help her out, but she discarded that idea almost right after it came to her mind.
Her eyes passed from student to student making sure the examination was taking place without any problems. Sonya Silver from Gryffindor was writing in a frenzy, almost as if someone was pointing a wand at her and her life depended on the speed she wrote. A few rows ahead, Kay Dunlap from Hufflepuff was carefully drawing what Celeste believed to be a sequence of runes. She recognized some of them as she passed by. At the very last row, Slytherin Taran Tremaine was biting his nails, and writing things down only to scratch them violently a few seconds later, because he changed his mind about the answer. Meanwhile the Ravenclaw Penny Puckett kept looking at the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall, perhaps in search for some inspiration. If it was someone else Celeste would be worried, but she had been Penny's teacher this year and she had watched her behaving like this in the initial stage of some tests, only to then start writing everything and most of the times achieving good results.
She kept looking around the Great Hall. One of the female students, a girl with blonde hair whose name she couldn't remember now, made Celeste think about Maud. It had been good when her nephew Caleb had come to Hogwarts. But with Maud it was something else. Only a while ago Celeste had internalized that she was never going to have children. Eugene had stopped to pressure her on the matter, finally accepting his wife's decision. And so she would never have a child of her own attending Hogwarts. However, and unlike Caleb, Maud had her blood. She was her brother's daughter and Celeste was eager to meet with the child. She believed Maud must have a lot of herself inside of her. Qualities that Celeste would recognize right away. She had shared this line of thinking the other day with Eugene but her husband told her she was fantasizing and eluding herself. Maud was a witch because her mother was witch as well and not because she was their niece. And the odds were she wouldn't resemble Celeste that much. She had tried not to take Eugene's words badly way but she hasn't been able to feel a bit resentful about the way he had called her back to reality.
Trying not thinking too much about Maud, Celeste continued proctoring the Ancient Runes examination, giving assistance to Donald Li, when he broke his quill and announcing the students that one hour of the exam had already passed by.
At Work
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 08-02-15 11:12
Lysander knelt in the display window at Twice Told Tales and set up books about travel, picnic and backyard barbeque recipies, and various fiction considered to be beach reads. Although the summer holiday wasn't yet upon the Hogwarts students or those in primary school, it was fast approaching. Lysander had already decided on a week-long family excursion to Portugal.
The getaway was in part because Charlotte had started to grown morose over the fact Grace would be starting at Hogwarts in the fall and she still had two more years to go. Charlotte didn't want to spend two more years in primary school. She wanted to go to Hogwarts with Grace and had a strong belief that at nine years old, she could keep up with any eleven year old. Was there really that big a difference… truly?
There was no point in trying to convince her otherwise. Charlotte's mind was made up, but unfortunately, she could not attend Hogwarts yet. Rules were rules, and as Lysander tried to tell her, the Sorting Hat would probably refuse to place her anywhere if she turned up at the Sorting Ceremony on September 1st. What would she do then?
He hoped a week at a wizarding resort in sunny southern Algarve would placate her, at least for now. It would be just the three of them: Lysander, Charlotte, and Dylan.
Dylan was now in daycare at Blossom's. He had recently learned to crawl and while Lysander set spells to keep the baby from wandering out the front door of the bookshop, it got to the point where Lysander worried somebody would step on him. Dylan was fast and easy to overlook, being so low to the ground and quiet. It seemed strange, not having a sleeping baby on the counter while he worked, but it was something Lysander would have to get used to.
He glanced over to the doorway when the bell tinkled. In stepped a heavily pregnant Astrid on the arm of her husband, Axel. The latter waved to Lysander while Astrid gazed at him with an unreadable expression before they both stepped into the stacks.
For not the first time since learning of Astrid's pregnancy, Lysander did some mental math in his head. He still wasn't convinced that the baby could only be Axel's, but time would certainly reveal the truth, one way or the other.
Theory of Potions
Author: Saffron
Date: 08-03-15 19:30
With a Monday morning class of sixth years and an afternoon class of fourth years Saffron had to get a substitute if she was to proctor the Potions OWL and NEWT as scheduled. Aaron and she had discussed him covering her afternoon class as his usual Monday afternoon class, which has some overlap time with hers, is of fifth years and wouldn't be meeting today. As he does have a morning class at the same time as hers, she decided that since she would have to get a substitute to cover one class she might as well have the same person cover the other.
Plans changed abruptly this morning when Wilhelmina unexpectedly had to cancel. Hagrid, there at breakfast when the owl arrived, immediately stepped up, eager to help. Saffron saw no reason not to have him be the substitute, particularly as both the fourth years and the sixth years would be working in twos or threes, quizzing each other from their final examination study guides. Hagrid would mainly have the simple task of making sure the students actually studied and weren't running about the classroom partying.
With that small, but potentially huge, hiccup taken care of, Saffron was able to welcome the fifth and seventh years for their Theory of Potions examination, the written portion. without distraction or worry. Other than one fifth year hyperventilating early on, the exam so far has been the usual routine of the occasional broken quill nib, quill going dull, and needing more ink. Saffron was able to handle the hyperventilating incident quickly, the student able to return to normal breathing without needing to leave the exam.
Taking a slow stroll around the room, Saffron sees a few have finished and don't look to be inclined to go back through the test. Others appear to have completed the Potions exam but are flipping back and forth rereading certain items and their corresponding responses.
Returning to the desk where there is an hourglass and a chalk board, Saffron announces, "Thirty minutes left."
Her words are met with horrified looks accompanied by the increased scribbling of quills. Other students look relieved to be so close to having this portion of another exam nearly completed. Saffron, for her part, is glad lunch is rapidly nearing. Although she ate a breakfast of pancakes she is getting hungrier by the minute. She does have some digestive biscuits with her but thinks that this close to the end of the time allotted for this portion of the Potions OWL and NEWT, even if she tried to be sneaky and quiet, her actions would be distracting. Reaching instead for a cup with the dregs of tea, Saffron refills it from a thermos, carefully watching the time so she can announce when there are only fifteen minutes left.
Care of Magical Creatures (Baron)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 08-05-15 14:33
Barontaine is not the first Hogwarts student to wonder who exactly was it who thought that two highly stressful weeks of testing was a grand idea. He most likely will not be the last. To think, back when the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. examination system was being organized and first implemented, the N.E.W.T. scores in particular dictated one's career path. At least now one has the option of university rather than having to go straight into the work force.
Reading over his answer to a question on fanged gerbils, Baron uses the lull in writing to massage his hand. He'll be glad for the change of view this afternoon during the practical. That part of the Care of Magical Creatures exam is outside, down at the Barn.
Tomorrow it's back in the Great Hall for both the morning and the afternoon, first for the Theory of Astronomy and then for Theory of Arithmancy & Divination. Tomorrow night is the Astronomy practical, another change of pace, meeting out on the Astronomy Tower. Thursday morning Baron gets to sleep in a little but not overly much as he doesn't want to be groggy and muddle minded for the Arithmancy & Divination practical in the afternoon. After that he can sleep and all day Friday if he wishes.
At the same time, Baron sometimes thinks he should have taken Muggle Studies, the OWL for which is on Friday. There is always sixth year, of course, and he does belong to the Muggle Studies Club, but as a future Minister of Magic, perhaps he should have an even better grasp of all things Muggle. Of course, there are always university courses at St. Emrys.
Satisfied with what he's written for the fanged gerbil question Baron moves on to the next item, a question about nogtails. In fact, the next three questions are about them. This is followed by a question on the pustule on a clabbert's head. This particular item only needs a short answer to Baron quickly moves on to the following question. It's really not so much a question as a directive. Identify the classification of each of the given creatures.
Baron easily answers all but ghoul. He struggles to remember if it's an XX or an XXX. He pauses his writing to think about what he recalls of ghouls. Not overly bright. Ugly. Feed on pests and bugs. Noisy nuisances. Relatively harmless. An XX then.
Satisfied, Baron flips to the next page, mindful of the time left to complete this section of the Care of Magical Creatures O.W.L., working as steadily as he can in hopes of answering all questions then going back over any he wasn't as sure about or wasn't entirely pleased with the response he's given.
Another OWL Completed (Justin)
Author: Plum
Date: 08-06-15 18:56
After being quizzed by Professor Huntingdon for the second half of the Care of Magical Creatures Ordinary Wizarding Level, Justin left the area of the barn but has not yet returned to the castle. He's had little outside time since the OWLs began. Even before that really.
He'd spent some time outside over the weekend but found he was more easily distracted from studying and more likely to just lie back on the grass and do nothing. His parents aren't all that happy with him wanting to continue at Hogwarts so if he doesn't do well enough to suit them, they will not hesitate to force him to return to Sydney's School of Wizardry. Luther Wenk might be expelled for good from there but Justin still has no desire to return. He just hopes Luther doesn't come sniffing around Hogwarts if he's trying to get enrolled somewhere to finish out his education. Knowing Luther, he might well have no interest in starting at another school because he thinks he knows just about everything as it is.
Much as he'd like to continue sitting here in a just right patch of grass that's in partial shade and partial sun Justin needs to go in soon. He should either get in a nap or get in some studying for tomorrow morning's written Astronomy exam and tomorrow night's practical. Friday is Muggle Studies. Thankfully, Justin has Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday free. Or as free as a fifth year not yet finished with OWLs.
If he'd stayed at Sydney's the version of the OWLs there wouldn't be any better. Justin knows this because of Jordan, Betsy, and Martha as well as the rumors that all students hear about major exams.
With great reluctance Justin gets up, stretches, then starts for the castle, waging a mental debate along the way on whether to eat a snack and get in a little studying or taking a nap before supper.
(Azaelia) Visitor
Author: Isolde
Date: 08-07-15 10:42
Azaelia flicked her wand at a stack of books someone had left in one of the study carrels and watched as they landed neatly on the book truck by her side. She pushed it over to the next unoccupied carrel and repeated the spell. Lately, the library was especially busy, what with the OWLs and NEWTs underway. Students came and went at all open hours––the usual curfew had been temporarily extended to accommodate those involved in the very important end of year exams. Books wound up everywhere in the students' haste to get last minute studying in and sometimes dealt with some obscure topic suddenly believed to be on the exams. Azaelia collected a few more books and then pushed the truck over to the front desk, where she would sort the books for shelving.
No sooner had she wheeled the cart behind the desk, that a figure entered the library. He was no student, but rather her estranged husband. Azaelia stiffened. She had hardly seen him since he moved out of the castle. They corresponded by letter mainly, but even that sort of contact had been few and far between. She wasn't sure she wanted to see him now, and she for sure didn't want their first meeting in ages to be at her place of work.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered harshly.
Robert stepped up to the counter and whispered back, "I need to talk to you. It's important."
Azaelia figured the important conversation would be personal in nature, and to some extent it was, but she would soon find out that there was more to it. After an internal debate, she indicated for Robert to come around the desk and step into the office behind it.
She closed the door behind him and folded her arms over her chest. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked, no longer whispering.
Robert hesitated and then said, "I miss you, Azaelia. I hate that we've been apart this long. I'm really, incredibly sorry for keeping secrets from you. I know it's not a good enough excuse to tell you that I couldn't disclose anything because of work, but it's the truth. I never would have lied to you otherwise."
"I'm my father's daughter," Azaelia said after an excruciating moment of silence. "I'm good at keeping secrets too. You should have told me, Robert. I understand work loyalty and expectations, but I'm your wife. I should always come first."
Robert hung his head. "You're right, of course."
They fell silent again. Azaelia had never felt so awkward around Robert before in her life, not even when they'd been kids with crushes on each other.
She softened after a while and admitted, "I miss you too."
He looked up at that with a hopeful expression.
"But," Azaelia firmly went on, "I'm not ready to reconcile. My father's in prison, and my mum… I don't even know what's happening there."
Robert opened his mouth and then closed it again, a motion that was not lost on Azaelia. She started to narrow her eyes, but he eased her suspicions when he said, "I'm not involved in the investigation, and I know very little about what has transpired since it began, but I did find out something. I came to see you as soon as I heard."
"What?" Azaelia asked, feeling stressed all over again.
"There's a warrant out for your mother's arrest."
Azaelia dropped her hands to her sides and then turned around to sink into the nearest available chair. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes.
Robert said, "My understanding is, she was not involved in your father's business ventures, but she was aware of it, so she's being arrested as an accessory. If she gets sentenced to Azkaban, then it won't be for as long, but could be, she gets off with just a fine."
Azaelia finally looked at Robert and asked, "Are they looking at me now?"
"I wouldn't think so," Robert said. "You were underage when your father was breaking the law here. What you may have known as an adult in Santiago isn't of any concern to the Ministry of Magic."
"I knew nothing."
"I know."
Azaelia sighed and looked away from Robert. "Thanks, I guess."
"I'm sorry, Azaelia."
When she didn't immediately acknowledge his response, he murmured something about seeing himself out and left. Azaelia didn't move from her chair until forced to by the sounds of a panicked and stressed out student hitting himself in the forehead with a particularly heavy book. She took the book away from him and sent him to the Hospital Wing with a student escort.
Marlow, Heather, & Eden Take The Astronomy OWL
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 08-07-15 19:14
Rubbing watery, tired eyes then retrieving a tissue from a pocket to blow her nose, Marlow cannot believe her bad luck. Astronomy and Arithmancy & Divination are all she has left of the Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations and she gets up this morning stuffed up, tight in the chest, sore throat, raspy cough, and eyes that feel swollen and gunky. Colds are bad enough but summer colds always seem to be worse and now is not exactly the best time for her to come down with one.
Marlow visited Madam Pomfrey first thing after getting dressed this morning. The nurse tsked and fussed over Marlow, all too aware that she could give Marlow potions that would make her feel better but that would make her so sleepy she wouldn't be able to write two exams and last until the Astronomy practical tonight. Madam Pomfrey did give Marlow a couple of potions to drink, one to help with the pain from the stuffy head and chest, and one to help with the coughing but both were nowhere near as potent as what the nurse would have normally given. Marlow did have the option of taking the strong stuff but as Madam Pomfrey expected, the offer was turned down as Marlow could not even begin to conceive sleeping the day and night away while OWLs she should be writing were taking place.
As miserable as she feels Marlow sort of wishes Heather and Eden were sitting on either side of her. Having them right there as a sort of moral support when she's feeling so bloody awful might help. The alphabetized seating, however, has ensured they are all three sitting in different rows and a few desks apart.
Heather, as if knowing she's crossed Marlow's mind, looks up briefly from the Theory of Astronomy exam. From where she sits she can tell her cousin is miserable and that there's not a lot that can be done for her. Even the Wizarding World does not have a cure for a cold. What it does have are potions that can be helpful in making one feel less awful. Too bad Marlow can't take the so called good stuff right now. Heather also fervently hopes she hasn't caught Marlow's cold. She still has this rest of Astronomy to complete as well as both Arithmancy & Divination and Muggle Studies.
Frowning at the question on which she's become stuck, Heather tries not to sigh so loudly any of those around her can hear and potentially be distracted by the sound. The question is asking for a definition that should be rather simple and easy for her but she's drawing a big, fat, bloody blank. Another inaudible sigh and she puts a little mark by the question number as a visual reminder she needs to come back to this one.
The next question is easily dispatched, identify which constellations the given three diagrams represent. This is followed by a series of questions about Saturn and its moons. Heather looks up again at hearing Marlow coughing. With preapproval to suck on cough drops as needed, Marlow plucks one from a pocket. The sight of it makes Heather wish she had some sort of hard candy to suck on. Better yet, some chocolate covered nuts to munch on. Heather is surprised she's not gained a stone from all the chocolate covered nuts she's been eating while studying for the OWLs.
Sitting in a row that's ahead of both Marlow and Heather, Eden can hear the rustling of the cough drop wrapper and like Heather wishes she had a lemon drop or something, anything to help with a throat that's become slightly parched, mostly out of nervousness at getting through this portion of her last exam. Eden cannot wait until this evening for the Astronomy practical. With both her electives, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures, out of the way, Eden's participation in the OWLs ends tonight.
Antsy to be done with the written part of Astronomy, Eden knows she's been overly hasty in getting through the seemingly at times endless list of questions. Forcing herself yet again to slow down, Eden vows to go back through the entire exam as time allows, rereading every single answer. As she goes slower through the remaining questions then starts back over the exam, trying to do a thorough check of her work, Eden finds she can't help but wonder what's on the day's lunch menu. She's found herself to be hungrier overall since the OWLs began, making her wonder if all the mental energy expended along with the stress of taking the exams has greatly affected her appetite.
Thinking about lunch is only making her hungrier so Eden does her best to stay focused on going over all her answers. Before she knows it, Professor Morgan is telling those assembled there are only fifteen minutes left.