O.W.L.s

The castle grounds were gleaming in the sunlight as though freshly painted; the cloudless sky smiled at itself in the smoothly sparkling lake, the satin-green lawns rippled occasionally in a gentle breeze: June had arrived, but to the fifth years this meant only one thing: Their O.W.L.s were upon them at last.

Their teachers were no longer setting them homework; lessons were devoted to reviewing those topics their teachers thought most likely to come up in the exams. The purposeful, feverish atmosphere drove nearly everything but the O.W.L.s from Chris' mind except for the reason behind Jason's Room of Requirement visits. But she had no time to discuss it with Ginny, Luna and Colin. Ginny was mostly spending her free times after studying with the Professors for advice or clarification on subjects (at least that's what she said to Chris, Luna and Colin). Colin was spending a lot of time muttering to himself about different subjects and Luna was attending study groups with other Ravenclaw as it was some kind of Ravenclaw tradition before O.W.L.s. 

Though, they were not the only person acting oddly as the O.W.L.s drew steadily nearer. A flourishing black-market trade in aids to concentration, mental agility, and wakefulness had sprung up among the fifth and seventh years. Alex and Colin's other roommates were much tempted by the bottle of Baruffio's Brain Elixir offered to them by Ravenclaw sixth year Eddie Carmichael, who swore it was solely responsible for the nine "Outstanding" O.W.L.s he had gained the previous summer and was offering the whole pint for a mere twelve Galleons. But before they could close the deal, Ginny had confiscated the bottle from Carmichael and poured the contents down a toilet and Chris had warned him (in her way with fists and kicks) that he should not sell fake things for his profit.

"But we wanted to buy that!" said Alex.

"Don't be stupid," Ginny snarled. "It would have given you nasty food poisoning, that's all."

"Yeah, considering they are just doxy droppings," said Chris.

"What?" Alex looked shocked and his friends and his faces made clear that they had no more desire for brain stimulants.

They received their examination schedules and details of the procedure for O.W.L.s during their next Transfiguration lesson.

"As you can see," Professor McGonagall told the class while they copied down the dates and times of their exams from the blackboard, "your O.W.L.s are spread over two successive weeks. You will sit the theory exams in the mornings and the practice in the afternoons. Your practical Astronomy examination will, of course, take place at night. Now, I must warn you that the most stringent Anti-Cheating Charms have been applied to your examination papers. Auto-Answer Quills are banned from the examination hall, as are Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, and Self-Correcting Ink. Every year, I am afraid to say, seems to harbour at least one student who thinks that he or she can get around the Wizarding Examinations Authority's rules. I can only hope that it is nobody in Gryffindor."

"Professor," said Danielle, her hand in the air, "when will we find out our results?"

"An owl will be sent to you sometime in July," said Professor McGonagall.

"Excellent," said Ryan Hathaway in an audible whisper, "so we don't have to worry about it till the holidays . . ."

Chris imagined sitting in her bedroom in Grimmauld Place in six weeks' time, waiting for her O.W.L. results.

Their first exam, Theory of Charms, was scheduled for Monday morning. Sunday afternoon, Colin was reading two years of Charms notes with his fingers in his ears, his lips moving soundlessly; Alex was lying flat on his back on the floor, reciting the definition of a Substantive Charm, while Elijah checked it against The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5; and Danielle and Lauren, who were practising basic locomotion charms, were making their pencil cases race each other around the edge of the table. Ginny had gone to collect a book from the library to cross-examine something. Chris stood up, closing her last-minute revision notes.

"I am hungry," she said waving her hand in front of Colin. "I will get something from the kitchen. Do you want anything?"

"Yeah," Colin replied without looking up.

On the way out, Chris smiled and waved at Harry, Ron and Hermione who were clustered near the fireplace. Hermione had told Harry and Ron off for disturbing Chris, Colin and Ginny before exams so now they were not sitting with them while they studied. 

For last few days, Chris was intentionally walking the long way through the corridor of Room of Requirement whenever she left Gryffindor tower, hoping to catch Jason and discover somehow what he was up to. Well, till today there was no clue but still, Chris made her usual detour along the seventh-floor corridor. She had almost crossed the corridor when a scream and a crash stopped her in her tracks.

"How — dare — you — aaaaargh!"

Chris spun around and saw Professor Trelawney sprawled upon the floor, her head covered in one of her many shawls, a pack of dirty-looking playing cards and several sherry bottles lying beside her, one broken.

"Professor —"

Chris hurried forward and helped Professor Trelawney to her feet. Some of her glittering beads had become entangled with her glasses. She hiccuped loudly, patted her hair, and pulled herself up on Chris' helping arm.

"What happened, Professor?"

"You may well ask!" she said shrilly. "I was strolling along, brooding upon certain dark portents I happen to have glimpsed . . ."

Chris started to pick up Professor Trelawney's things from the floor as she continued her muttering.

"Here, Professor," Chris said handing Trelawney the bottles and the deck of cards. 

But as Chris pulled her hand back she drew a card with her. Professor Trelawney noticed it and all of her vague mutterings stopped. She looked awfully delighted.

"It's a sign," she said in her misty voice. "What is it? What is it?" 

"Er —" Chris turned the card around. "Six of spades."

"Six of spades: a long and hard journey," said Trelawney dramatically. "Very long journey and very soon it'll begin but — this —"

"Long journey? Soon?" Chris frowned. "But Professor, I have two more years left before I leave school. Where will I go before that? It isn't some kind of spiritual journey, is it?"

But Professor Trelawney wasn't listening, she was shuffling her cards hastily.

"Christina, pick three cards," she said holding the cards out. 

"I don't know Professor —"

"Quick! Quick!"

Chris sighed and chose three cards. Trelawney flipped them over and spoke, "Queen of spades: Ambition and cleverness. Nine of spades: Trapped. Ten of spades: Violence."

"What's up with me and all the spades?" asked Chris. "And what all this means? How am I supposed to go on a long journey if I am going to be trapped?"

"Sometimes the cards don't show the entire future but a glimpse of it," said Professor Trelawney, though she looked equally confused. "And future works in its own way. It doesn't bother —" She abruptly stopped. "Dear, dear, I almost forgot — I should go. Christina, you are always been a good student. So I will advise you to be careful. All this year the cards have been telling me only one thing clearly, calamity. Disaster. Coming nearer all the time . . ."

And saying that she scurried away leaving a stunned Chris in the deserted corridor.

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To be continued. . .