Magic? || Years 5-7

Doodling: Year 5

"Well, that wasn't too bad, was it?" Hermione asked nervously, exam paper still clutched in her hands. "I'm not sure I did myself justice on Cheering Charms, I just ran out of time -- did you put in the countercharm for hiccups? I wasn't sure whether I ought to, it felt like too much -- and on question twenty-three -- "

Amisty's head was already starting to hurt.

"Hermione, we've been through this before..." Ron warned. "We're not going through every exam afterward, it's bad enough doing them once."

They ate lunch in the Great Hall with everyone else, the House Tables back for the time slot, and then trooped off to a side chamber to wait for their practical exams. Small groups were called forward in alphabetical order. Hermione was called first among the four of them, along with Anthony Goldstein, Gregory Goyle, and Daphne Greengrass.

"She'll be fine -- remember she got a hundred and twelve perfect on one of our Charms tests?" Ron nudged Amisty reassuringly as she watched Hermione leave the room with trembling fingers.

She had just nodded wordlessly in reply.

No one had yet to return once they had left the side chamber, so they had no idea what was happening for the examinations.

Amisty was mouthing incantations under her breath.

Eli and Hunter left together.

Then Harry, with Pansy Parkinson and the Patil twins.

"Good luck," Ron had whispered, suddenly looking more ashen at the prospect of the exam.

The ends of Amisty's hair had started to singe before Ron managed to wave her out of her trance.

Finally, Amisty's name was called with Dean and a Ravenclaw named Lisa Turpin.

"Professor Marchbanks, please, Amisty," Professor Flitwick beamed up at her with a reassuring smile.

Amisty nodded stiffly, her fingers wrapped so tightly around her wand she was half-way certain it was going to snap in two.

"Miss River?" Professor Marchbanks peered up at her through her spectacles. She was a very elderly woman, with wispy hair and a curved spine. Old, but kind, judging by her gentle smile.

Amisty smiled back as best she could manage, her foot tapping nervously.

"Nothing to be worried about," She set a golden eggcup in front of her, still smiling. "If you could please make this cup do cartwheels for me..."

Amisty, though very nervous, managed to get through the whole exam without messing up too extravagantly. Her Levitation Charm worked flawlessly, her rat turned from orange to a bright turquoise with only a few patches that took a bit to catch up, and she managed to cast her Growth Charm perfectly and made a tiny dessert plate into the proper size for a real dinner.

"Thank you very much, Miss River!" Professor Marchbanks smiled again, her eyes twinkling. "Very nice."

Amisty left the Great Hall smiling.

»»————- ♡ -————««

After that, they immediately drowned themselves in Transfiguration studying and Amisty fell asleep with half-way memorized theories and spell models.

She made it through the written exam easily, scribbling down answers and putting in as much detail as she could manage with all her questions, and got through the practical exam almost flawlessly except for the slight issue of her opera glasses still having a few feathers. One last flick of her wand, however, and the feathers morphed into a part of the design.