Chapter 268 - Curses, Exams Again. (1/2)
The following days were mostly cloudless and sultry as all anybody felt like doing was strolling onto the grounds and flopping down onto the grounds for several pints of iced pumpkin juice. But no one could as Exams were nearly upon them, and instead of lazing about outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle trying to force themselves to study despite the wafts of warm summer air.
On the day of the first exam with great relief, Rowan awoke quite cheerful with the knowledge THAT had ended some days before allowing her to feel less stressed during the exams. Sadly enough, Bethanie wasn't as lucky this time around. At breakfast, Bethanie had been stuffing her face with things. None of the girls wisely got in her way nor made a comment except for Terry, who was promptly smacked in the head by Silvia.
The classrooms were as warm as usual, but this year, Rowan put a cooling charm on herself. It was quite refreshing, to say the least, she happily worked on finishing her essays. Sadly, enough the others didn't do so. But that wasn't her problem.
With written exams over the Practical Exams finally began. The first exam was Potions this year. Professor Slughorn had them brew a Confusion Concoction. Professor Slughorn was quite pleased with Rowan's final results if not a little disturbed at her final and rather a high mark. Mostly because the Confusion Concoction was considered as a borderline poison of sorts. And Miss Prince had been shown a rather disturbing talent for brewing poisons.
Charms turned out to be quite enjoyable, to say the least. Professor Flitwick did indeed test them on Cheering Charms. Rowan, who had been partnered with Terry ended up with hysterical laughter to her vast chagrin. She had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour before finally being allowed to perform the charm on Terry. Oh, she was most sorely tempted to do the same, but she needed a nice grade. But giving Terry a rather dark eye, she vowed revenge as Terry tried not to gulp in fear perfectly aware of her sinister glare.
The next exam on Tuesday was Defense Against the Dark Arts and Goobledegook. Professor Pollen created an obstacle course for them outside. They were to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of the marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and bottle with a new boggart.
Rowan was not pleased at all, to say the least. With an unhappy expression, she wadded into the pool with the grindylows almost setting them all on fire, smashing the Red Caps clear across the air, shrinking the entire field of hinkypunks. Professor Pollen was both amazed and appalled as she repaired the course for the next student.
All the while, Rowan mutinously starred at the trunk before her. Muttering something about hygiene, lack of oxygen, and cluster phobia, she slammed the trunk shut after her. The boggart before her seemed to be uncertain for a moment, before transforming into a thin man with shallow skin, a large hooked nose, piercing black eyes, and dark silky robes. With blood pouring out of his wounds, he accusingly says, ”You failed. You failed us all.”
Closing her eyes, Rowan answers, ”Not yet.” The Boggart lets out a squeak as he transforms into Neville's version in a dress. ”Riddikulus!” Emerging from the trunk, there was a loud cheer from the girls and Terry as Severus merely sniffed at her.
Professor Pollen nodded in approval, before motioning the next person through, Quyen Crowley. As it would turn out, she did rather well until the boggart. The trunk slammed open as Quyen Crowley let out a loud scream as a giant snake followed her out of the trunk as Professor Pollen slammed the creature back inside.
”Bet you, a galleon, that was your entire doing, Rowan,” Terry smirked.