O.W.L.s

[Deamon]

"Stupid owls," Leiko Barclay muttered under her breath as she pulled a copy of her potions book out. "Stupid Slughorn." Leiko loved Hogwarts; loved the way the walls concealed so many secrets, loved the way the food appeared magically (even though she knew where it came from). She loved it all. Leiko briefly reflected on the fact that she had been in a Muggle school until she turned eleven, and all she learned was how to add!

Being a fifth year meant Ordinary Wizarding Level exams, and Leiko was looking forward to them with some anxiety. She still wasn't sure what she wanted to do after Hogwarts. Quidditch was the only thing Leiko could see herself doing, and it was a known fact she was a tough Chaser.

"Moonstones, and their properties to potion making," Leiko muttered. She couldn't be distracted by her favorite sport right now. Leiko began flipping through her book, already writing without looking at the paper. The fact that she listened in Slughorn's last class, unlike some of the other students, gave her a head start, as he talked about moonstones for a good while.

Leiko looked around and realized she wasn't alone. Fellow fifth years were bent over their own books from various subjects; second years were experimenting with a large, white box. As Leiko watched, one of them began to bleed badly from the nose and she had to smile. A group of third years were talking animatedly about their first Hogsmeade trip. Leiko looked back at the fellow fifth years. Was one of them looking at her? Leiko hurriedly returned to her essay, writing quickly to finish the paragraph she was on.

[Inky]

Ornella was studying also; on the edge of a group of girls in her year. A few of them were friedns, but none considerably close to her. She sighed; She was bored with this already and she had only just started... 'How to delfect deadly spells1 Wasn't quite doing it for her right now. She looked about her wearily, taking in what the others were doing - There were those silly little second years over there, and a third years in the corner... over by the window she could spot a one or two seventh years, she was sure... And there was another Fifth year. Wait a second... she was looking right at her. She looked away hasitly, in case the other girl thought she was staring.

[Deamon]

All concentration gone from Potions, Leiko threw down her book and stared moodily into the fire. She bit her lip and threw a cautionary glance at the gang of fifth years. Yes, that one girl... who was she?... was looking at her.

Ornella, Leiko thought. She smiled tentatively at the girl. Leiko knew she was on the Hufflepuff team, like herself, and was the Keeper. Leiko was one of the youngest Captains ever appointed. She smiled and approached Nelly, somewhat cautiously. Her team thought her shyness was going to get them, but they were surprised.

"Hi, Nelly," Leiko said, sounding slightly too fake. She smiled.

[Inky]

Nelly looked up to see Leiko standing by her, and smiled politely. Her quidditch Captain was very shy it seemed, but friendly all the same. "Hey, Leiko, Hows it going?" she was a little wary, but generally, Nelly didn't make friends too often. She wondered vaguely if Leiko would be an exception.

[Deamon]

"Oh, you know, the usual essays and stuff," Leiko said vaguely. She smiled and took an empty seat near Nelly. "These owls are starting to get rather boring. It's all the same lectures..." Leiko trailed off. She sighed, pulled a scratch piece of paper from her pocket, and looked at the diagram she made. For a second, she was lost in planning her next plan for Quidditch.

[Inky]

"Yeah, I totally agree... I mean It was hard in history of magic before, but now..." Nelly also trsiled off, but rolled her eyes to show what she mean. She looked over to Leiko's Diagram, and asked: "That for the next quidditch match? When's our next practice?"

[Deamon]

"Oh, I dunno yet... It's been hard to get the Pitch booked, since the Slytherins and Gryffindors keep booking it. I've been tempted to see if we can't do a joint practice or something... with the Gryffindors you know..." Leiko trailed off, poked the diagram with her wand, and watched the figures squirm about. "Do you think the rest would be willing? I think we play them after they play Slytherin, so..."

[Inky]

Nelly nodded - "Yeah the Gryffindors, yeah, but they might not be so willing if e're going to play them after... They'll think that we're trying to steal thier moves! Which in a way, we would..." She pondered this... It was a good plan, if they could get them to agree.

[Deamon]

"I... I know, but it's been so hard to get the Pitch right now... a-and would probably be the only way... maybe we could hold a meeting at a meal or something?" Leiko suggested. She tapped the parchment again and the figures stopped moving. With a sigh, she shoved it into her pocket. "Well, I think I'll head to bed... maybe get a bit of studying done or something."

[Inky]

"Sure, sure - try and organize something for the weekend maybe? hopefully not the same time as hogsmeade, but if it has to be..." She looked over at Leiko - "G'night then, I suppose I best get on with this too!" she waved her wand around wildy, accidently making the book levitate and flop back down to earth again with a thud, breaking its cover off of it. "Oh..." she said, " Maybe I'll have to fix it before I can read it huh?" she laughed.

[Deamon]

"Yeah, that's usually a good idea," Leiko said with a nervous laugh. She didn't admit that most of her more expensive spell books were second hand. She had done her best to patch them up. "Well... I'll see yah later, I guess. If you see the others, wanna tell them to meet me in the common room on Saturday?" She waited for a reply before heading to bed, thinking longingly only of sleep but knowing the mound of homework would keep her up.

[Inky]

"Yeah, I'll make sure to," she smiled back. "Night" she said again, and began poking about her book, muttering incantions under her breath whilst prodding it with her wand...