Chapter 42: Finals Week

As they walked through the portal, Arin took a deep breath, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness for the upcoming week of finals. He turned to Azazelith, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, we've got this," he said, taking her hand in his.

Azazelith smiled back, feeling grateful for his support. "Thanks, Arin. I couldn't have made it this far without you."

As they arrived at their first class, Arin kissed Azazelith on the forehead before heading to his seat. Luke and Kira went to their class together, chatting and laughing along the way. Sam headed to her class, feeling a bit anxious but determined to do her best.

Professor Sylas starts the class by explaining the Magical Beasts Final Exam to the students, including Arin and Azazelith. He lists the four parts of the exam, each with their respective point values.

In Part 1, they are required to identify 10 different magical creatures by name, appearance, and characteristics. Each identification is worth 10 points, totaling 100 points for this part of the exam.

Part 2 focuses on handling and care. They are to choose one magical creature from a list provided and explain how to handle and care for it. This section is worth 20 points.

Part 3 is about defense. The students are tasked with describing their plan of action to defend themselves and neutralize a dangerous magical creature. This part of the exam is worth 30 points.

Finally, in Part 4, students are to work in teams of two to handle and care for a magical creature that has been randomly assigned to them. Their score will be based on how well they handle the creature and their ability to answer any questions the professor has about it. This part of the exam is worth 50 points.

In addition, there is a bonus section where they can provide a detailed report on a mythical creature of their choice, which is worth 10 bonus points.

Arin and Azazelith listen intently to the professor's instructions, taking notes and mentally preparing for the exam. They know that this will be a challenging test.

Arin and Azazelith had been studying hard for the Magical Beasts final, and were ready to put their knowledge to the test.

Part 1: Identification The first part of the exam involved identifying 10 different magical creatures by name, appearance, and characteristics. Arin and Azazelith were both able to correctly identify all 10 creatures, earning a total of 100 points.

Part 2: Handling and Care For the second part of the exam, Arin and Azazelith had to choose one magical creature from the list provided and explain how to handle and care for it. They chose the Hippogriff, and gave a detailed explanation on how to approach and handle the creature without causing it harm, as well as its dietary and habitat needs. They received a perfect score of 20 points.

Part 3: Defense The third part of the exam involved facing a dangerous magical creature and describing their plan of action to defend themselves and neutralize the creature. They were given a scenario where they were being attacked by a Chimera, and they came up with a plan that involved distracting the Chimera with a shiny object while one of them used a water-based spell to put out the fire coming from its lion head, while the other used a freezing spell to immobilize the goat and snake heads. They earned 30 points for their detailed plan.

Part 4: Practical Application For the final part of the exam, Arin and Azazelith were paired up and assigned a Sphinx to handle and care for. They worked together seamlessly, demonstrating their knowledge of the creature's needs and behavior, and were able to answer all of Professor Sylas's questions about the Sphinx. They received a perfect score of 50 points.

Bonus: For the bonus point report, they chose to research the Phoenix, and provided a detailed report on its history, appearance, and characteristics, earning 10 bonus points.

Overall, Arin and Azazelith did an outstanding job on the Magical Beasts final exam, earning a total of 200 points each.

After their first final it was time for lunch the group got together and talked about how they did during the mornings finals.

Arin said, "The magical beast final wasn't too bad. I think we did pretty well, but I'm a little nervous about the practical application part of it."

Azazelith nodded and said, "Yeah, handling and caring for the creature was okay, but I hope we were able to answer all of Professor Sylas's questions about it."

Luke said, "I thought the history of magic final was interesting, but there were definitely some challenging questions. I'm just hoping I remembered everything we learned in class."

Kira added, "I agree. I feel like I studied enough, but there were still a few things that caught me off guard."

Sam said, "I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling a little nervous. But I'm sure we all did great. We've been studying for weeks now."

Arin smiled and said, "Yeah, you're right. We've got this."

Arin, Azazelith, Kira, Luke, and Sam discussed their afternoon finals over lunch.

Arin: "I have the History of Magic final this afternoon. It shouldn't be too bad, I feel pretty confident about it."

Azazelith: "I have Magic Items and Creation. I think I'm prepared, but I'm still a bit nervous."

Kira: "I have the same final as Azazelith, and I feel pretty good about it. We studied a lot for this one."

Sam: "I have Magical Combat and Theory. I'm a bit nervous about the practical part, but I think I can handle the theory questions."

Luke: "I'm also taking Magical Combat and Theory. I'm more nervous about the theory questions, but I feel pretty good about the practical part."

They finished their lunch and headed off to their respective classes for their afternoon finals.

Arin entered the History of Magic final exam room, feeling confident but a bit nervous. He knew that Professor Alistair was a tough grader, so he had studied hard for this final. He opened the test booklet and began to read the questions.

History of Magic Final Exam

Part 1: Multiple Choice

Answer 10 multiple choice questions about important events and figures in the history of magic. (10 points each)

The first section was multiple choice questions about important events and figures in the history of magic. Arin read the questions carefully and answered them all to the best of his ability.

Part 2: Essay

Choose one of the following essay prompts and write a essay of at least 500 words.

The Influence of Magic on Politics and Warfare - Discuss the role of magic in shaping the political landscape and strategies of warfare in the history of magic.

The Contributions of Alchemy to the Development of Magic - Analyze the impact of alchemy on the development of magic and its various applications throughout history.

The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts - Examine the rise and fall of the dark arts and its impact on society and the practice of magic.

(50 points)

Next was the essay section, and he chose to write about the Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts. Arin had always been fascinated by the dark arts and their impact on society, so he felt confident about his choice. He wrote a well-researched essay, analyzing the causes of the rise and fall of the dark arts and their impact on society and the practice of magic.

Part 3: Magical Artifacts

Identify and describe the historical significance and function of three different magical artifacts from different time periods. (20 points each)

The third section was about magical artifacts. Arin identified and described the historical significance and function of three different magical artifacts from different time periods.

Part 4: The Schools of Magic

Explain the unique approach to practicing magic for two different schools of magic. (30 points each)

The final section was about the schools of magic. Arin explained the unique approach to practicing magic for two different schools of magic, the School of Elemental Magic and the School of Necromancy.

Bonus:

Choose a historical event or figure in the history of magic and provide a detailed report on their impact on the field. (10 bonus points)

Arin also decides to answer the bonus question and writes a detailed report on the Mage's War that created the Magical Wasteland in the country to the south five hundred years ago. He describes how the war started between two powerful wizarding families who were fighting for control of the magical resources in the region. As the war escalated, other factions joined in, each with their own agenda, and soon the entire country was embroiled in the conflict.

The magical power unleashed during the war was so immense that it caused a catastrophic explosion, creating the Magical Wasteland that exists to this day. Arin delves into the political and social ramifications of the war, including the displacement of entire populations and the rise of new factions and groups in the aftermath.

He ends his report with a reflection on the importance of understanding the mistakes made during the Mage's War and how it serves as a cautionary tale for future generations to avoid repeating such a tragedy.

Arin feels confident in his answers and turns in his exam

Total possible points: 200 / Arins Score: 180

The rest of their group went to their Afternoon classes as well.

Azazelith and Kira worked well together and were able to successfully craft their assigned magic item. They felt confident about the multiple choice section of the exam, and were pleased with their performance on the practical application portion. They felt they could have done better on the bonus question, but overall felt good about the exam.

Luke and Sam were nervous about the practical application portion of the exam, but felt confident in their knowledge of the multiple choice section and theory portion. They were able to successfully demonstrate the assigned technique, and felt they did well on the analysis portion of the exam. They felt they could have done better on the bonus question, but were overall satisfied with their performance.

The first day of finals week had come to an end, and the group was relieved to have the first set of exams behind them. They headed back to the Main Complex, where Arin and Azazelith shared a room and Luke and Kira had recently started to do the same.

Arin and Azazelith collapsed onto their bed, relieved to have finished their History of Magic final. Azazelith couldn't help but be nervous about their score, but Arin reassured her that she had done well.

Meanwhile, Luke and Kira were in their room discussing their Magic Combat and Theory final. Kira felt confident about how she did, having excelled in the practical portion of the exam. Luke, on the other hand, felt like he struggled with the theoretical portion and was unsure how he did.

As they all settled in for the night, they promised to support each other throughout the rest of finals week and to study hard for their remaining exams.