N.E.W.T.s

[alt_justin]

To my fellow classmates,

I say, here we go.

This week shall test our mettle in a number of ways. The measure of our success lies not only in how well we bear up under the trials of our examinations, but how well we are able to set aside all the turmoil of the recent days to focus on the job at hand.

There's not a person among us who is not vastly affected by our losses, the betrayals we have suffered, the ways in which our thoughts about the world as we know it have been challenged.

Let us not dishonour the memory of all who have sacrificed, but rather do our level best, so that we may not disappoint them, or let their sacrifices be in vain.

We are all wizards, and in this, we are all equals. Prove that this week.

Courage, mes amis, et bonchance.

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

Thank you for those words of encouragement, F-F.

Good luck on the exams to you, as well.

Order Only: Private Message to Sally-Anne

[alt_justin]

How did you do?

-J

Re: Order Only: Private Message to Sally-Anne

[alt_sally_anne]

Outstandingly, I think. We'll see if the examiner agrees.

You?

Re: Order Only: Private Message to Sally-Anne

[alt_justin]

Of course you did, old girl. Expected no less. I say, good form!

-Justin

Re: Order Only: Private Message to Sally-Anne

[alt_justin]

Oh, my exam went well enough. Though at present I don't think I could tell you anything from the written portion this morning.

As for the practical...I think the examiners had already been told something about me, what. Everything they requested was relatively simple, as if they'd gone back to the beginning of our 6th-year. Or further, really. I can't make up my mind whether they were making it elementary on purpose because they've heard that I'm an assumptive candidate to receive the Mark, or because they know I'm in favour with Professor Dolohov, or if they mean to claim I can't perform any of the more complicated spells.

At any rate, it went jolly well smoothly, as far as that goes.

I say, did Ron have a similar experience, do you know? Has he come and found you yet?

-Justin

Re: Order Only: Private Message to Sally-Anne

[alt_sally_anne]

It would make sense for them to want to ensure you did well, so as not to embarrass the Headmaster.

Mine was quite difficult, but that was fine. I was pretty sure the examiner was impressed, and I'm pretty sure I got everything right on the written, or close enough, anyway.

I haven't seen Ron yet. I assume he's still waiting his turn.

Re: Order Only: Private Message to Sally-Anne

[alt_sally_anne]

Though he might have been sent off somewhere to do something for someone, seeing as he's one of the handful of students allowed to keep his wand right now.

I'm waiting for him and Pansy in the library, since they can't really complain about us being in the library, can they? Even if we are sitting together.

Re: Order Only: Private Message to Sally-Anne

[alt_justin]

Yes, he was still waiting when they called me in, but I thought he might have been next or shortly after me, at any rate. There were only about eight of us left when I went in.

Brilliant, I'll join you, shall I? Hydra's just gone in to her Defence lesson.

I say, if anyone gets shirty with us, we can simply tell them you needed a steady wand hand.

-J

Re: Order Only: Private Message to Sally-Anne

[alt_sally_anne]

You must have been intercepted by someone who needed you to help them with their hair or clean some stain out of their shirt or some such. (You know what I was missing last night? Being able to warm up my bed before I get into it. It's May, it's not even that cold out, but ugh, cold sheets are the worst.)

Ron's here. He said most of his Charms practical was straight out of Auror training but THEN they gave him a charm that's actually a rather complex household charm you use to properly clean a rug. Like from your floor. Not an everyday charm for that, but the one you'd use if you'd hauled your rug outside and really wanted to blow loose every last bit of debris from it.

He knew it cold, of course. As IF one of Mrs Weasley's children wouldn't know every possible cleaning charm.

He thinks he got nearly everything right on the written, even if he quit writing long before the two of us did.

Order Only

[alt_justin]

Charms, finished.

(I say, that moment when the examiner called out Daphne's name! At least they didn't make that mistake again. I hope they go through the other lists to avoid shocking us all week.)

-Justin

Re: Order Only

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah, that was lovely.

Having to give back my wand after the practical was lovely, too.

Re: Order Only

[alt_justin]

Yes, quite right.

Ron, Hydra and I all have ours. Perhaps they'll tire of collecting them by week's end.

-Justin

Re: Order Only

[alt_sally_anne]

Well, at least Ron isn't stuck defenseless in the same dorm room as Finnigan. And with the three of you, there's an Order member with a wand in every House except Ravenclaw.

[alt_linus]

Well said, Finch-Fletchley, well said indeed.

Private message to Ron

[alt_sally_anne]

Do you realise that neither of us have any NEWTs tomorrow?

It's a shame they aren't likely to let us out of the castle for a nice stroll around the grounds. And strolling around the school means telling Enforcers where you're going. But maybe we can find somewhere quiet?

Order Only: Private message to Ron

[alt_sally_anne]

I mean. I feel a little guilty thinking about this when two people have died? But I think that's part of why I really want to have some time with you.

Re: Order Only: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

I want to have some time with you, too, but I think it's more to do with the fact that it's been since... Thursday?

I mean, that's way too long for someone my age to go without, y'know. That's something you study in Healer's training, isn't it? I hear it's very healthy to release pent up wotsit regularly, and it's bad for you to have long dry spells in between.

I'm certain I read somewhere that it helps with exam anxiety and puts you in the right frame of mind to be able to do your best. That was in one of those pamphlets from the Ministry, actually, and obviously they've done the studies to know what's best for us.

Re: Order Only: Private message to Ron

[alt_sally_anne]

I'm pretty sure I heard it's good for your occlumency, too. Or maybe it's that if you're being interviewed by a legilimens and don't know how to occlude, that's what you can start thinking about to keep them from seeing any of the stuff you don't want them to see.

I can't wait until we're done with school.

Re: Order Only: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

No bloody kidding I can't wait.

Sorry to leave you hanging, but I got pulled away to go sort out a big row between Chadwick, Fellsworthy, Inderwick, Kelpington and McLaggen over things that'd gone missing from their trunks. They were all accusing each other, and Kelpington and McLaggen had the inner compartments of their trunks locked, and I’m the only one around who could unlock them because Finnigan’s buggered off to the library or somewhere.

And naturally it wasn’t that simple, was it? Because, of course, they’d blood-locked them and had to be the ones to do the counter, only would my wand work well for either of them? Of course, not. Seriously. I’ve never been so glad I wasn’t made Prefect.

Anywiz, whatever all they’d lost, it wasn’t hiding in Kelps or McLaggen’s trunks, so now they’re all bent about the enforcers having nicked their things. Not contraband stuff, either.

Sorry. What were we talking about? How much we want this term to be over? Oi.


Oh, yeah. And how much I want to snog you if we can just find a quiet corner tomorrow with no enforcers lurking in it.

Re: Order Only: Private message to Ron

[alt_sally_anne]

I wonder if the Enforcers actually took things or if they just put them back in such a way that they can't find them now? I was in the room when they searched my trunk, so if they'd pocketed anything I'd probably have seen.

Anyway, that sounds like an absolutely delightful way to spend an evening. Figures Finnigan was nowhere to be found.

Are you going to rent a flat with Justin again this summer or are you thinking of just staying with your Mum so you don't have to cook when you're doing Auror training?

Pansy wants me to stay with her and I like staying with her but I don't like living somewhere I can't go outside after 9 in the evening. So I don't know. In the short term, though -- that's where I'm going when we're done here.

Re: Order Only: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

I'm going back to the Burrow at first, because, well, I won't know if I've got in to the programme until exam results come out. Or until the Aurors get my results, which I hear can happen before they get set out officially to everyone. Anywiz, the thing is, I won't know what I can afford until I know if I've got accepted.

But supposing I do, then I was planning to ask if you'd want to get a place together. Only, I was going to ask nicely, but I reckon that was dumb, thinking I should wait. Would you want to? It wouldn't have to be in New London if you didn't want. I mean, it's easy enough to Floo to the Ministry from wherever we'd live.

I don't know about Justin, but I think he wants to work out how to live with Hydra, y'know? No idea if they'll really do that. I mean, he and I haven't talked about it--just, that's the idea I've got from some of the things he's said that weren't specifically about her.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

Yeah,

I was thinking about going to the library after breakfast--well, I was thinking, actually of going as late breakfast as possible so I could get a little extra sleep in, but y'know--after that I was thinking of going to the library. Anywiz, you could happen to meet me there and then we could see. I mean, I reckon the library will get crowded before too long, so we might have to find another, quieter place to go. But the Enforcers will probably understand that not everyone can fit in the library at once, right?

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_sally_anne]

Given that you're hopefully going to be an Auror yourself I would think you'd have some insight into what Enforcers are likely to understand?

Anyway yeah there will be loads of people in the library given how many people aren't in either Divination or Arithmancy, not to mention History of Magic. (Astronomy's got a few more. But still. It's not like today, with Charms.)

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_sally_anne]

Leaving to revise elsewhere would certainly be a public service! Community-spirited.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

See? That's me! Community-spirited. Trained to help with crowd-control.