An active, character-driven Hogwarts experience set in the early 2000s. Unique items, plots, and features. Non-canon; this isn't Harry Potter's story, it's ours.
June had finally arrived; that dreaded time of year which caused a tense and subdued atmosphere throughout the entire school. Exam period. There was no avoiding it now, and no further time to prepare -- apart from those panic-cramming during breakfast. While a few young Gryffindors complained about the Anti-Cheating quills students would be using during exams.
One thing everyone learned very quickly this morning was not to touch anyone in 5th year or older. In fact, don't even speak unprompted to an OWL or NEWT student. Some of them were fixated on cramming, others seemed to border on madness -- hair a mess, muttering notes to themselves, and forgetting the purpose of their cutlery in the process.
The staff were easily the most relaxed in the entire hall. In fact, Professor Snape almost seemed peaceful for once. Professor Hathmore alternated between trying to eat his breakfast, and answering a few questions for a small group of NEWT students gathered by him -- parchment and quills in hand.
Professor Rivera was outside the hall, over by the Grand Staircase -- comforting a sobbing 3rd year Hufflepuff who clutched his Care of Magical Creatures textbook for dear life. Having overheard that was going on, Madam Pomfrey left her seat and hurried to offer support as well. She had a potion satchel with her, for those needing a Pepperup or Soothing draught.
It was a strange time in the Great Hall. Chatter was at an all-time low, and the air felt thicker than normal from the sheer anxiety or dread of its students. The only plus was the weather that shone down on them, clear and crisp -- though warmer than ideal; a definite hint of summer's arrival.
--
Exam Day
All 1st to 4th years take their exams today. 5th years have Ordinary Wizarding Levels (O.W.Ls), while 6th and 7th years have Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests (N.E.W.Ts) -- which decide their future.
Exams determine your end-of-year bonuses, academic rankings, and of course it all goes into their Career File. You have exactly1 RL week (and 3 hours), starting right now, to submit your completed exam to be graded. If you did not receive a PM including the instructions and link, please alert the Admin immediately.
Further information about this RPG day / period, as well as wrapping things up for the summer. Please read, as it's important:
The "Classes" section of our archive has been locked and shall remain so now that exams have begun. This RPG day is not split into Morning / Afternoon; we simply refer to it as "Day". This is our final RP'ed day of the term this year; For #25 and #26 we only have a few meal threads, then heading home on the train left to RP before the summer officially begins. If there's anything you want to do or RP, #24 is the time to do it.
The Story Quest outcome is tonight (#24), which also includes the End of Exams dinner.
Recommendations for #24:
Exchange your collectables -- these items expire on #26, and will be removed from your inventory. If you gain any additional ones between now and the end of Breakfast #26, you may still quickly trade them in.
Skill Rooms -- keys may be awarded during the summer. Using as many as you can now allows for extra room, to avoid potentially missing out on new ones. It also helps start the new term fresh.
Harvest your plants -- these expire at the end of this RPG day and the Student Greenhouse is cleared out; if you haven't harvested by then, you lose them. No new needs may be planted.
Drink Ginger Tonics / Pumpkin Juices -- for the same reason as the Skill Room keys. You can simply incorporate the action into a thread throughout this RPG day. (Remember to use the mod buttons).
Check the AQ Runes Section -- claim any Runes you've earned, as some milestones may be reset and you'll lose progress.
All other features are no longer available, starting this #24 -- until school term begins anew. This includes anything modded; quests, duelling, potion-making, ingredient hunting, Niffler sandpit, pet bonding, or otherwise. Only Skill Rooms are permitted.
You're welcome to mention exams in your RPing, and of course prepare for them during this Breakfast, but exam-taking is not required to RP; we go straight from Breakfast to post-exams Free Time.
If you have ANY questions, feel free to ask our staff in Discord.
Post by Jonathan King on Nov 29, 2022 21:45:55 GMT 10
Joe felt rather sick to his stomach and he poked his porridge with little to bo enthusiasm. He should have just taken some fruit for breakfast today.
He had been pretty calm and unworried leading up to this day but it suddenly dawned on him that today was exam day and that he could have studied more.
He was especially anxious about Potions, not putting it past Snape to ask them trick questions to make them fail.
On his way into the hall he had been asked by one of his classmates what the difference between chopping and slicing was and his mind had completely blanked.
He just wanted the day to be over already.
Joe closed his eyes and forced himself into a daydream about riding his broom, racing Toby while Ryan cheered from the ground and threw his juggling balls for them to catch.
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Nov 29, 2022 21:49:32 GMT 10
Sitting at her house table, MJ gave Joe a quick nod and smile in lieu of saying good morning. She grabbed a bap and sliced it open, buttering both sides and then piled in slices of bacon.
A bacon bap on a big day was tradition in her family and MJ saw no reason to skip it. She added both red and brown sauce and poured herself a glass of milk. She went over her revision in her head as she took small bites.
This was the first time she was having big exams at school. MJ knew they mattered, even as a first year, and she longed to do well in them. She stared at nothing while she ate, clearly stuck in her own thoughts.
Post by Martha Twiggs on Nov 29, 2022 21:57:14 GMT 10
Martha had gone to bed early and woken up on time for breakfast and yet she still felt out of sorts.
Sitting at the Hufflepuff table, she was in a world of her own, her nose stuck in some notes for last minute revision. She felt prepared and unprepared at the same time and her stomach was knotting. This wasn't a great feeling at all. Hopefully her sister was fairing better...
She poked at her breakfast every so often, slowing eating her bowl of wheat cereal biscuits and sliced banana. Normally it would perk her right up - one of her favourite things to eat for breakfast - but it seemed nothing was working this morning.
Maybe she wasn't going to settle until everything was done and dusted. Under the table, her leg bounced.
Post by Thorne Perry on Nov 29, 2022 22:11:32 GMT 10
Thorne had never had to sit exams before. While a tiny fraction of him was excited - as always - to try something new, a much larger part was screaming that there was absolutely no way he’d studied enough and he was going to fail everything and have to repeat year one while all his friends moved on.
Looking around at the tables, he was relieved to see that at least he wasn’t the only one, going by the expressions.
He took a bowl of oatmeal and dumped a generous amount of honey into it, stirring it absently until it was all mixed in. He even gave Martha a small smile, but didn’t say anything. She was likely far more stressed, after all.
At least after this it would all be over.
‘This,’ of course, being several hours of tests…
Ugh.
Last Edit: Nov 29, 2022 22:51:02 GMT 10 by Thorne Perry
Saoirse arrived at the Great Hall feeling somewhat bleary and slow. She felt her reactions were slower, and it took her some time to respond to smiles or greetings. After not studying at all the entire year, she had attempted to fit it all into her head after the careers fair. It had not gone well.
She sat at the Gryffindor table and nibbled at some plain toast, foregoing her usual protein. Saoirse wasn't sure if she could stomach any meat today. Her robes were wrinkled and probably needed a wash, her hair up in a messy ponytail. Amazingly, she wasn't the worst looking one there. Some of the older students looked like they'd been run over by a steamroller.
Saoirse put her forearms on the table and laid her head down on them, closing her eyes.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Nov 29, 2022 22:54:27 GMT 10
Lindsey had read over her notes one last time last night. If she wasn't ready for her exams, she was going to be in trouble, but she felt confident that everything would be okay. Brushing back a little hair behind her ear, she had put most of her hair into a tight braid to keep it controlled. The moment she entered the Great Hall, she could feel the absolutely awful and she swallowed back some nerves.
The appearance of many Fifth Years was rather... Well, it wasn't a good sight and she went to her house table giving them plenty of room. She sat and placed on her plate a few items that would give her plenty of energy for the day. Her own exams weighted on her, but she tried not to think about them while she ate.
Besides, she had done all the studying and note taking she could. At this point, it was just about doing the exam.
Last Edit: Nov 30, 2022 0:09:12 GMT 10 by Lindsey Bryce
Kassia prided herself on looking excellent regardless of the day or mood. Someone died? She would still put on makeup. Broken her arm? Kassia would demand someone do her hair for her while lying in the hospital bed. She even put on makeup just when taking the trash to the curb at home.
Somehow, exams were the hardest when it came to personal appearance. Curling her eyelashes and skin care had been fine. But doing her hair had nearly reduced her to tears. Eventually she'd given up and clipped it back. The sight of it simply pulled back was enough to make Kassia want to pass away.
She had donned her robes, for once doing nothing to personalize them. They hung over her slim frame like a potato sack over a malnourished donkey. Kassia was reduced to looking like a peasant. She had stared at herself in the mirror, contemplating setting the exam halls on fire.
Eventually, her rumbling belly had forced her to the Great Hall. Kassia had not slept, which was usual for her before exams. Often she stayed up the entire night. And no matter how aggressively she had dunked her face in cold water or applied cream under her eyes, the dark bags were inherently obvious.
She sat at the Slytherin table, feeling like she was full of lava but encapsulated in ice at the same time. Like a volcano in Antarctica. She nibbled at her yoghurt, staring straight ahead, just daring anyone to try speaking to her. The next person to say something would have their entire appearance torn apart verbally.
Charlotte had spent the whole night reading over notes and pamphlets from the Career Day. It was a good break between cramming for the exams. She was sure she had heard others doing the same, though a few first years in their dorms had gone to sleep early. Charlotte didn't want to let her family down and she woke up with a nervous jitter in her stomach.
Arriving at Breakfast made her even more nervous, but she moved straight to her house table and sat with MJ, which was also not far from Jonathan King.
Charlotte didn't feel like chattering herself or maybe it was she was too nervous to start any type of conversation. She managed to take some fruit though and eat it, though it was more of nibbling like a rabbit.
Amelia yawned as she went into the Great Hall. What time had she finally gotten to bed? She had no idea, but it felt like she was in a cloud of sleep still. She had wanted to stay in the bed, but others had beckoned her out, told her she had no choice. Well, they weren't completely wrong... She didn't have much of a choice. Exams were today and if she knew anything, Breakfast would be needed.
Was it acceptable to drink coffee as a fifth year? Amelia wasn't even sure, but she had heard that muggles drank it all the time from a few muggleborn students. Maybe she should make it a habit.
Rubbing the back of her neck, she found her normal place in the hall, put some fruit into a bowl and looked at some of her notes again. It was gonna be important, she knew that. But she wished they had spread out the exams a little more.
Those desperate for some last-minute studying were quite annoyed, either because the owls meant it was nearly time to pack up and head to exams -- or for disturbing their textbooks, parchment, or overall concentration. A few poor owls were even ignored or shooed away, just trying to deliver the mail or Daily Prophet.
The still, anxious atmosphere briefly shifted when the newspaper made its rounds. Some cheered or started babbling away with their friends, as excitement for the summer grew. Several NEWT students up and left the hall in sheer frustration, conceding to camp out in the corridor or on the staircase for their final bit of revision.
But it was in short supply. Before long, it was time to gather their things and leave the Great Hall. NEWT students headed to an entirely different part of the castle -- many looking as if they marched to the gallows. Heads of Houses wished their students luck on their exams as also left the area.
A few students remained a little longer, as exams weren't immediate. Those rushing off to get to them did so more out of nervousness or were simply worried they might somehow get lost and be late. Or worse, run into Peeves along the way.
~ Breakfast ended ~
*I'm aware of the typo. It'll be fixed at a later date; pretend it's fine.
If you're anything like me, I bet you're too nervous to eat. Try, though. A few pieces of fruit, and plenty of water or juice, will go a long way today. Trust me.
OWLs suck. I'm not going to lie to you on that one. But you've got this. Your mother and I believe in you, buddy. You've studied hard; you know this stuff. So just remember to breathe, and try not to overthink it. Focus on the questions in front of you, and tune out everything else. If someone finishes before you, don't worry. It doesn't mean anything.
You're amazing, Jax. I'm allowed to say that because I'm your dad. And you are. You have such a bright future ahead of you and I wish I could be there to see it. So you go take your OWLs today, and you give it your absolute best. Good luck!
From: Dad
The letter was clearly written in his mother's handwriting, though a little different -- as if copied word-for-word from something else, and in a bit of a rush.
The fluffy, ashen owl it came with plopped at his elbow, exhausted from her hasty job visiting each of the Ashworth children. She eyed him with wide eyes, hopeful for a little treat to regain her strength and celebrate a job well done. --
Gilbert reminded us that it's exam day at Hogwarts. Make sure you get top grades in your Ordinary Wizarding Levels or there will be consequences.
I'm writing to remind you that the end of term is no time to be slacking or breaking routine, unless for the betterment of your progress. As such, and be sure to pass this along to your siblings as well, I want each of you to go to bed early tonight. Have dinner before everyone else, then just go to bed.
You need your sleep. It's important, after a big day like this. The summer is going to be very busy, so rest up while you can. Do as I say.
From:fa Mr Doren --
To: @kassia
As promised, I believe you now understand what we discussed yesterday?
The event we've invited you to is the Quidditch World Cup. We shall send along tickets (for yourself and your guardian) over the summer; the Daily Prophet has you covered. You'll still need to arrange your own means of getting there, the camping, etc.
We look forward to seeing you in the Box.
From: Burt Oatmark Lead Writer for the Daily Prophet (Education / Law Changes Division)
[OOC] for clarification: Kassia will receive Box tickets, which are the best in the entire stadium. And typically for the wealthy or highly-influential -- often including the Minister of Magic himself. This is common knowledge, for anyone who knows anything about the World Cup.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Nov 30, 2022 1:40:17 GMT 10
Grace hadn't stayed up too late studying for exams. She was more worried that she was going to fall asleep during them, and she thought she had studied enough that she was fine. Still, it was a bit of a shock to her how disheveled everyone seemed to be, like it was the end of the world. Maybe she would get like that as an older student. She hoped not.
Her hair in its braid on her shoulder, Grace went to breakfast hoping to go over a few last-minute worries with Saoirse and Alice. Her philosophy was that if she didn't know it at this point, she probably wasn't going to magically figure it out, but it still couldn't hurt to check that she had the right thoughts in her head.
She found Saoirse asleep, which made sense. She was pretty sure that Saoirse had spent most of the post-Career fair time studying, maybe even after Grace went to sleep. She decided to let her sleep for just a little bit.
She got mail wishing her good luck on her first set of exams at Hogwarts, as well as confirmation that Saoirse could come over during the summer. Nice! Still, she let Saoirse get some rest. It was proper terrifying to see everyone so worried about exams. Maybe she should be a little more worried? Next year, she would definitely spend more time studying.
Post by Elizabeth Doren on Nov 30, 2022 1:50:29 GMT 10
Elizabeth tried to convince herself that she was prepared, but the more she thought about it the more she worried that there was something she missed and that it would be an integral part of her OWLs. After visiting all the booths at the career fair, she had learned how important they were, not to mention that she was expected to do as well as she had in the past.
She hoped she was able to manage it. She decided that a healthy breakfast was the best start to her day and placed food on her plate as she normally would.
Glancing around, she was glad that she looked a bit more put-together than the others. Oddly, for her, at least, her tie was not perfectly straight, and horror of horrors, there was a hair or two out of place. Elizabeth quickly fixed them. She needed some dignity, after all, if the rest of her class wouldn't have it.
A third year bumped elbows with Elizabeth, and she sent her a withering glare. This was her breakfast, she was fine, she was absolutely in no way shape or form worried.
The arrival of owl post made her jump. She pulled out her Care of Magical Creatures textbook and looked over it, not realizing for a second that there was an owl for her. She was confused. She hadn't sent anything to her parents recently.
She opened the letter and her father's insistence that she do well on her exams did not make her feel any better.
Go to bed early? It was an odd instruction, but one that was easy enough to follow. She would have to remind William and Charlotte.
First up was Charlotte, Elizabeth thought, because her exams surely wouldn't be as difficult as William's and she wanted her sister to remember this instruction. Besides, Elizabeth wouldn't be in her common room to make sure that she had followed it. She approached the Ravenclaw table and looked at her younger sister.
"Charlotte." Elizabeth said, hopefully drawing her sister's attention. "Father wants us to go to bed early tonight. Eat dinner before the others, and then head up to your dorm."
She looked at her sister, waiting for an acknowledgement or something along those lines.
Post by Martha Twiggs on Nov 30, 2022 7:20:37 GMT 10
Martha almost scowled when the owls arrived and added chaos to the breakfast - one landed near her notes and nibbled at the paper to get her attention. Looking up, Martha realized a letter had been delivered to her. She offered the owl a small piece of bacon from the platter in thanks and reached for the letter.
She recognized the handwriting immediately and didn't waste time in opening the envelope. It was a short but sweet message from both her parents and Martha smiled to herself as she read it over and over.
Then she decided to tuck it into her pocket as a good luck charm for the day ahead.
Looking over at the Gryffindor table, she looked for her twin and wondered if Amelia had got a good-luck message too. Of course, she would, since their parents were attentive like that. Martha didn't bother with checking the Daily Prophet and simply put it in her book bag. If she felt up to it, she'd read it later.
For now, however, she wanted to get to her first examination on time. Martha finished up her breakfast, did some breathing exercises and gathered her things to leave. On her way out, she walked by Thorne and gave him a small smile.
Hopefully he wouldn't be too worried about his own exams.
[OOC: Exit]
Last Edit: Nov 30, 2022 7:56:59 GMT 10 by Martha Twiggs
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Nov 30, 2022 7:27:01 GMT 10
The worry about doing well in her exams was momentarily forgotten when the owls arrived to deliver mail and copies of the Daily Prophet. One landed at her place and MJ thanked the owl, unrolling the paper to read the headline.
Seeing the news about the Quidditch World Cup sent a thrill of excitement through MJ until she deflated. There was no way for her to attend. She came from a muggle family and, while she would spend some of the summer with Orla, her friend didn't seem the Quidditch sort. It was hard to imagine Orla going to the World Cup.
Maybe there was a way to see it, on television (did magical people have those?) or maybe listen on the radio? Sometimes her great Auntie liked to listen to the horse races on their radio out in the garden when the weather was good. MJ frowned in thought, reading the information and then scanning the bottom titles too.
Aurors killed in an explosion? Yikes. She didn't know who the Black Family were and it was a bit late for exam prep information but maybe there would be some last minute tips she would find useful. Instead, she check out the Quidditch information on page twenty-nine... Or she would, once she was done with her exams.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get a move on." MJ sighed, her bacon bap long gone. She finished off her apple juice.
"Good luck for your exams." MJ said to both Charlotte and Joe, nodding to both before she rose from her seat.
She was going to go to the first exam and meet her fate.
[OOC: Exit]
Last Edit: Nov 30, 2022 7:28:46 GMT 10 by MJ Birdwhistle
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