The weeks flew by like pages caught in the wind, and by early June, the air at Hogwarts was heavy with anticipation. It was exam week.
The castle buzzed with tension as students carried armfuls of books and parchments, reciting incantations under their breath. For first-years like Louis, Cho, and Evangeline—and for Charles, now facing his third-year finals—it was the most important academic week of the year.
Monday began with Transfiguration. The Great Hall had been transformed into an assessment chamber, desks spread out and McGonagall prowling like a hawk.
Louis sat at the front, calm and composed. "Wand out," McGonagall called. "Please transfigure the matchstick into a silver needle."
The room filled with focused silence. Cho muttered her spell and grinned as her needle gleamed in the candlelight. Evangeline, hands trembling, created a slightly bent one, and Charles—testing his more advanced skill—transfigured a beetle into a button with a complex twist.
Louis's matchstick shimmered and folded into a perfect silver needle, sharp and smooth.
"Excellent work, Mr. De Versailles," McGonagall said, not even sounding surprised.
The rest of the day was a blur of essay writing, revision, and collective stress. In the Ravenclaw common room, Cho let out a groan.
"I swear I almost turned the needle into a toothpick."
"You did great," Evangeline reassured her. "Yours was better than mine."
"You're both doing fine," Louis added. "Let's focus on tomorrow—Charms."
Tuesday's Charms exam with Professor Flitwick was a balance of theory and practical. They had to write on charm stability and perform several core spells.
Louis's Lumos spell lit up the entire bench. His Levitation charm was so smooth it made the professor chuckle.
"I think you've been practicing," Flitwick remarked.
"Every evening, sir," Louis replied with a smile.
Cho, precise and elegant, also impressed, while Evangeline struggled slightly with the Banishing charm but managed to recover with a strong Finite Incantatem.
"Solid work," Flitwick nodded at the end.
Wednesday came with Potions, held in the dungeons. The air was heavy with fumes and tension. Snape circled the classroom, eyeing cauldrons with disdain.
"Today, a Sleeping Draught," he instructed. "One mistake, and you'll put the examiner to sleep… or worse."
Louis's hands moved with surgical precision, his potion shimmering with the telltale blue swirl. Snape passed behind him, glanced in, and gave a curt nod.
"Acceptable."
From Snape, that was practically praise.
Cho's potion was nearly identical, while Evangeline added her lavender too soon and needed to stir twice as long to compensate. Charles, down the corridor in the third-year lab, brewed a Confusing Concoction with steady confidence.
By Thursday, it was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Garland was unusually excited.
"You'll face a series of magical obstacles—jelly-legs jinx, shield charm deflection, and a basic Boggart handling."
Louis performed flawlessly, his reflexes sharp and his spells imbued with refined mana. The Boggart shifted into a dark figure—perhaps a fear of helplessness—but he calmly disarmed it with a laugh.
"Bravo, Mr. De Versailles. Very few first-years show such poise."
Cho, confident, struck her targets with clean, practiced spells. Evangeline hesitated at the Boggart but overcame it. Charles, in a more complex setting, earned praise for his use of advanced shield charms.
Friday's exam was History of Magic. Less magical, more mental endurance.
"Describe the Goblin Rebellions of the 17th century," read one question.
Louis's quill flew across the parchment. Cho and Evangeline exchanged glances, both groaning quietly.
"I always forget which one happened in 1612," Cho whispered after the exam.
"The one with the butterbeer ban," Louis said with a grin.
"That's so unfairly memorable," Evangeline muttered.
Saturday afternoon, as tradition dictated, the students were free to breathe. In the Room of Requirement, the group gathered around with butterbeer and sweets to debrief.
"I think I melted half my cauldron in Potions," Evangeline said.
"But you fixed it. That counts," Charles replied, ruffling her hair.
"I messed up that Banishing charm," Cho admitted. "But I nailed the theory questions."
"You did great overall," Louis said. "Your wandwork in Defense was sharper than mine."
"I doubt that," she laughed.
Charles sipped his butterbeer. "I passed all mine too. Snape even practically said I might qualify for advanced potion studies next year."
"Congratulations!" they all said at once.
Louis leaned back, satisfied. He had received Outstanding marks in every subject. It had been confirmed that morning on his results parchment.
"I got all O's," he announced casually.
The room went quiet.
Cho stared. "Wait, what? All of them?"
Louis nodded. "Even in History."
Evangeline blinked. "You're not even human."
Charles clapped him on the shoulder. "Proud of you, little genius."
Though no one was truly surprised—Louis had shown potential from the start—it changed things. Students throughout the castle, who had once only remembered him for the prank on Evangeline, now whispered his name with a different tone. Respect.
That evening, Louis sat by the window in the common room, writing to his parents.
"Dear Mother and Father,
My exams went incredibly well. I achieved Outstanding in every subject. The months of study, mana refinement, and endless writing have paid off. Thank you for your support. I miss you both, and I hope to see you soon._"
He folded the letter and tied it to the leg of the family's owl.