Chapter 58: Final Exam

As June arrived, the most dreaded time for students had finally come—final exams cast their shadow over all of Hogwarts.

The last-minute crash course Eda had organized for the twins ended the night before the exams began. What started as a study session for just Fred and George gradually turned into a full gathering of their friends.

Lee Jordan had been forcibly dragged into the study group on the third day by the twins. Initially, Fred and George had only sought comfort from him, but when he jokingly teased them, they decided to pull him into the misery.

Since they weren't enjoying themselves, Lee Jordan wouldn't be allowed to either. After all, what are friends for if not to share in both good times and bad.. especially bad times?

Under the pressure from Eda, Lee, already dark-skinned, seemed to grow even darker as his spirits dwindled. This continued until Angelina and Alicia joined, bringing some relief.

As the exams approached, the two girls began to feel a bit anxious too. Since Eda was already helping the twins revise, they decided to join in as well. With more people in the group, Eda found it easier to manage everything. 

Angelina and Alicia were better students than the three boys and didn't need as much guidance. In fact, they even helped Eda lighten the load.

The first exam for the first years was Charms.

In the morning, they had a written test in a large lecture hall, with students from all four houses seated together, one house per column, filling the entire room.

When the test papers were handed out, Eda first skimmed through the entire exam.

There weren't any particularly difficult questions. The topics she had emphasized with Fred and George were well-represented on the test.

The exam focused on spells, wand movements, and their effects. Eda answered quickly, and while others were still hunched over their parchment, chewing on their quills, she had already finished and even had time to double-check her answers.

Before leaving, Eda made sure to check on the twins. If they didn't do well on this exam, she was ready to make each of them drink a whole bottle of a brain-enhancing potion.

After turning in her written exam, Eda moved to the small classroom next door for the practical Charms exam, where Professor Flitwick was the examiner.

Professor Flitwick first asked Eda to perform the Levitation Charm, followed by using the Severing Charm to cut a small wooden block, and finally, the Repairing Charm to restore the cut block.

Eda executed the spells flawlessly, her smooth and precise performance bringing a smile to Professor Flitwick's face.

He waved his hand and awarded her full marks. As long as her written exam didn't fall short, she was assured an "O" in Charms for her final grade.

In the afternoon, the students returned to the same classroom for their History of Magic exam, which was a written test only.

Despite often dozing off or doing other classwork during History of Magic, Eda was still very good at it. She had read a lot of history books, which were far more interesting than Professor Binns' lectures.

In the evening, the students still didn't get a break as they had to head to the Astronomy Tower for their Astronomy exam.

Professor Sinistra asked them to draw the night's star chart and label as many important stars as they could; the more names they wrote, the higher their score would be.

Eda wasn't about to miss out on such an opportunity.

After drawing the star chart, she wrote down every star name she could fit until there was no space left. When she turned in her exam, Professor Sinistra felt a bit overwhelmed looking at the densely written star chart.

Professor Sinistra wanted to grab Eda by the collar and ask how she managed to write all those names in such a limited space.

With the end of the Astronomy exam, the first-year students finally got a chance to rest. The remaining exams could wait until tomorrow.

The next day, there were two more exams to take: Herbology in the morning and Transfiguration in the afternoon, both involving written and practical components. The difference was that the practical part of Herbology took place in the greenhouse.

Written exams were never a problem for Eda; she had been through far more grueling tests than those at Hogwarts.

Her only concern was the practical part of Herbology, and sure enough, she made a mistake in the greenhouse, accidentally damaging the roots of a plant, spilling its sap all over the place. The chances of getting an "O" in that subject were likely gone.

For the Transfiguration practical, Professor McGonagall decided to increase the difficulty for Eda. While the other students were transfiguring inanimate objects, Eda was given a live mouse to transfigure.

Eda first turned the mouse into an exquisite snuffbox, then into a goblet, skillfully completing the advanced task.

Professor McGonagall nodded in approval, clearly satisfied with Eda's transfiguration skills, especially since the snuffbox and goblet closely resembled the ones McGonagall herself had transformed during a demonstration at the orphanage—a detail Eda had remembered all this time.

On the third day, they had only one exam left: Potions.

With Flying being a required course but not requiring an exam, and the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam canceled, they were just one step away from freedom!

The morning written exam was easy for Eda, but she was worried about the twins since the topics she had predicted for them to study didn't appear on the test.

They would have to rely entirely on their own knowledge.

The afternoon practical was conducted together, with each student required to brew a Swelling Solution. The final grade would depend on the potion's quality and, of course, Professor Snape's subjective evaluation.

Once the Potions exam was over, the twins were finally free. Classes were done, exams were finished, and they no longer had to endure Eda's rigorous study sessions. They could now enjoy themselves to their heart's content until the results came in.

The twins and Lee Jordan were happily running around on the grass outside the castle, while the three girls walked together, discussing the exam answers.

Angelina and Alicia were mainly the ones comparing answers, with Eda pointing out any mistakes they made.

Eda never understood this behavior—once the exams were over, and with no need to estimate grades for Hogwarts' finals, what was the point of comparing answers? 

'If you realize you made a lot of mistakes, how could you possibly enjoy the days ahead?'

Just look at the three "unleashed wild dogs" on the grass ahead—they didn't care at all about how they did in the exams, perfectly embodying the carefree attitude.

"I feel like I did terribly. I messed up so much in Potions and Transfiguration. This holiday is going to be a disaster for me," Alicia said, looking worried after comparing answers.

"Same here. I'll probably pass, but my grades won't be great," Angelina added, sharing the same concern.

A familiar feeling washed over Eda.

Their reactions reminded her of those top students who always claimed they did poorly after exams, only to end up with the best grades, leaving everyone else gritting their teeth in frustration.

"How did you do, Eda? Do you think you'll get first place?" Angelina asked.

Eda hesitated for a moment. She considered imitating those top students and downplaying her performance, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. In the end, she chose to be honest.

"Except for Herbology, I should have all Os. Herbology might just be an A," Eda replied.

Being straightforward is key—if you did well, you did well; if not, then so be it.

There's no point in putting on a false front with your friends, it's just pointless!

The only grade Eda was unsure about was Herbology. She wasn't sure how many points Professor Sprout might deduct. If Professor Sprout was lenient, maybe Eda could even get an "Exceeds Expectations."?

"I'm so jealous! If I could get grades like that, my parents would definitely reward me, and my allowance would definitely double!" Alicia said with envy.

"If I did that well, I could get a new broom next term, and my chances of joining the house team would be much higher," Angelina added, equally envious.

Eda laughed and said, "I'm jealous of you guys too! Your broomsticks behave so well in your hands, but in mine, they're only good for sweeping the floor."

"Good thing there's no flying exam, or you'd definitely have a T on your report card!" Angelina teased.

"T? Are you saying Eda's a troll?" the twins, who had just run back, shouted.

"So, you two want to know what it feels like to be knocked out by a troll?" Eda threatened, pretending to be angry.

The twins quickly ran off again, laughing as they shouted, "Catch us if you can, and we'll…"

"You two better stop right there! I'll make you pay today!" Eda yelled, chasing after them.

In the sunlight, the three of them ran and chased each other across the grass.

And so, the first year at Hogwarts came to a close on this beautiful afternoon.

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