By the end of the holiday, most of the side effects from Lys's substandard potion had faded.
However, with exams looming, even though the side effects were gone, Lys remained irritable and couldn't relax.
She rummaged through her belongings and pulled out the mead Professor Slughorn had given her, along with the whiskey she'd purchased at the Hog's Head Inn. She even entertained the idea of having a sip to calm her nerves, just like her mother used to. After all, she was of legal drinking age now... probably.
But she resisted. After the OWLs, she could let loose a little, couldn't she?
After a frantic period of revision, whether or not the young witches and wizards had managed to cram all the knowledge into their heads...
Whether they could confidently distinguish between a Bubotuber and a hedgehog...
Or successfully brew a passable potion...
In any case, the exams had begun.
Before the exams, there was a mandatory check-in process. All the candidates from the same year and examination hall gathered in one classroom to wait.
Lys, taller than all her classmates by at least a head, stood in the room, her height allowing her to see the top of everyone's heads as they waited for instructions from the Ministry of Magic exam officials.
A group of Hufflepuffs huddled together, chattering about potential exam questions. Ernie Macmillan was still handing out candies to his classmates. He naturally offered one to Lys, who took it and popped it into her mouth. She needed something to calm her nerves.
Until—
"Miss Lys Black, please proceed to the corridor for the check-in process."
Lys practically bolted out of the classroom. In the corridor, two tables were set up where Professor Flitwick and the exam officials were stationed. The check-in process was conducted there.
The first table was for wand inspection. Lys placed her wand on the inspection platform. The wizard in charge scanned it from end to end with his wand, frowned, and scanned it again. His colleague couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Is there an issue?"
"Well, it's... a bit off. The wand's reaction is somewhat sluggish. Is this an Ollivander's wand?"
Lys replied, "No, my mother gave it to me. She said it's from Northern Europe."
The wizard nodded. "An heirloom, I see. Understandable. I suggest you take your wand to Ollivander's during the holiday for a check-up."
Professor Flitwick asked, "Will it affect her performance in the exams?"
"It shouldn't be a problem. After all, the young witch is already familiar with this wand. It's her best option for now," the official said while filling out the identification form.
Nodding, Professor Flitwick took the form and corrected Lys's gender in the "Identification Confirmation" section. "She's a girl," he noted before signing his name.
At the second table, the requirements were stricter. They checked for magical potions like Felix Felicis and Wit-Sharpening Potion and confiscated all of Lys's alchemical items.
The box on the table was packed full: badges, gloves, necklaces, wand holsters, and even cloak fasteners. Eventually, Lys simply placed her entire cloak on the table, including her hair tie.
The official pointed to "Crunch," the snake on Lys's shoulder. "Miss, your snake—"
Seeing Lys's reluctance to leave her snake behind, Flitwick gestured to the table in front of him. "Hand it over to me. As long as it doesn't bite me, I won't bite it. You can rest assured—I am, after all, a dueling champion!" Reluctantly, Lys agreed.
She cast a Binding Charm on her hair, tying it at the nape of her neck. Finally, she passed the inspection and waited outside the examination hall in a dark green shirt.
"Professor, I'm a bit nervous," she confessed.
Hearing this, Flitwick's expression became indescribable. "Relax, child. There's no need to be nervous. You must know, the examiners inside probably can't even match your skills..."
The official staring at the box of alchemical items shot an incredulous look in their direction.
When Lys completed the regular exams, she prepared herself during the practical test and cast a Runes-based spell that the examiners had never seen in their lives. With her powerful magic and exquisite control, she left everyone in awe before walking out of the exam room, satisfied.
"Professor, you were right. There's no need to be nervous." Lys donned her cloak, tied up her hair with a spell, and confidently carried Crunch as she strode out of the examination area.
The written exams were all over, but the practical exams were almost daily, as the seventh years were also taking their exams.
Back in the dormitory, Lys stared anxiously at the crystal ball. During today's Charms exam, Lys realized that the difficulty level of the OWLs was incredibly low for her.
But this didn't include Divination. No matter how much magic she poured into the crystal ball or how much she threatened to have Crunch swallow it, all it ever displayed was a swirling fog.
Was she really going to end up with nine Os (Outstanding) and one T (Troll)?
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