Petunia Evans & A Witch

The O.W.L.s were less stressful than Petunia had imagined. She was confident, as she always turned in her homework, read and reread the materials, and practiced the spells diligently. She remained calm and managed not to panic during the exam. The Charms exam was relatively easy, although she missed a few questions. Petunia was terrible at remembering historical dates, but she successfully performed all the spells in the practical section. The most stressful part was seeing other students having meltdowns and being escorted out of the hall.

The Transfiguration exam was decent: she got half the questions right and performed slightly above mediocre in the practical test. She successfully transfigured a beautiful, highly detailed cabinet, but her peacock had a wooden texture and didn't move. She didn't mind much, as she planned to drop the subject anyway, though she hoped to receive an 'A.'

In Herbology, she aced all the questions in the theoretical test, and the practical exam was the most tranquil and relaxing one she had ever taken. The only annoyance was dealing with plants trying to touch her.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts test posed some difficulty in the theoretical part, despite her intensive studying. The poor quality of teaching in previous years was still a disadvantage. However, she performed much better in the practical exam, successfully casting all her defensive and counter-spells. Petunia felt grateful for Aster's notes, which had been incredibly helpful. Judging by the examiner's expression, she knew she had done well.

On Friday, she sat for the Ancient Runes exam. The theoretical section required translating a text written in runic language, which was challenging. Petunia had to review her work three times before submitting it. In the practical test, she had to draw a cooling rune and a heating rune with precision.

The Potions exam was scheduled for Monday, and all four of them were reviewing for it together.

"I thought you weren't planning to take Potions next year?" Pandora asked.

"I'm not, but I need to score at least an 'A' on this exam," Petunia replied, complaining about having to study for subjects she didn't even want to pursue. "History of Magic is useless! Our professor is literally a ghost who bores us to death."

"If you're not going to study, don't distract those of us who are," Eloise snapped irritably. Her friends didn't take offense; they knew she was anxious about the tests.

On Monday, they took the Potions exam. Eloise's ramblings turned out to be helpful, as Petunia remembered most of the content. She focused completely on preparing a Potion of Peace, which was highly complex. Any mistake in temperature or ingredient measurements could ruin it. Amid various accidents in the hall—green sparks and dark gray vapors everywhere—Petunia carefully followed the instructions to the letter. To her pride, she submitted a vial with a color close to turquoise. Eloise's mood improved significantly after finishing the exams she cared about most.

The remaining exams were less stressful. Petunia felt relieved when she completed the last test. The Astronomy exam, held at night, was challenging due to the late hour. The final test, History of Magic, was disregarded by most students.

Afterward, the celebration began. Younger students were sent to bed while the older ones partied late into the night. Pandora and Xenophilius disappeared at some point, and Petunia had a good idea of what they were up to. To her surprise, she saw Eloise kissing the Ravenclaw Quidditch team's keeper—whose name she couldn't recall and would need to ask Gwen. Shortly after, Gwen dragged her to dance, and the party only ended when the Head Boy reluctantly shut it down.

The next morning, most students were yawning at breakfast. Her friends teased Eloise about the boy, making her blush as red as a tomato.

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The Conversation Under the Tree

"So, what do you think about elective subjects?" Lily asked as the three of them sat under a tree near the castle. Petunia had transfigured a towel and cushions for their comfort.

"Well, it depends on your skills and whether you actually want to study or just take an easy subject," Petunia replied.

The two looked at her curiously.

"Take Divination, for example. Few people have a real talent for it, but most students choose it simply because they don't want to study. Personally, I never liked Care of Magical Creatures, but I didn't want Divination, Arithmancy, or Muggle Studies either. They wouldn't teach me anything useful. Care of Magical Creatures, on the other hand, helped with Potions, so it was worth it."

"Arithmancy is useful for Potions, but I'm torn between Runes and Care of Magical Creatures," Severus commented.

"If you want to pursue a career in Potions, Care of Magical Creatures will be more helpful—many ingredients come from magical creatures," Petunia advised. "What about you, Lily?"

"I'm taking Arithmancy too, but I don't want to deal with creatures. I don't trust the professor," Lili said. Petunia silently agreed. "I've always loved your rune books. Could you recommend some for me?"

The three of them grew excited. Even though they couldn't use magic during the holidays, Lily seemed more enthusiastic than Severus, who found it dull to reread the same books over and over during the summer.

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