Lester was a little relieved that she didn't lean on it too much; she was just talking about what O.W.L.s he actually needed to take at the N.E.W.T. level, and he was relieved. An exhale escaped him as an audible sound of relief before he even really got a chance to engage with what she was saying.
She was right, was the thing. He needed to focus on five. Maybe six. Then he would make it to sixth year, and — things would be hard but they wouldn't be impossible, and — he wouldn't really need to worry about exams again until seventh year. (This was not entirely true, but he could pretend it was at the moment, with his legs dangling over the edge of the dock.)
"You're right," he said, after a beat, "It's just five, right? Maybe six. I can do that."
She was right, was the thing. He needed to focus on five. Maybe six. Then he would make it to sixth year, and — things would be hard but they wouldn't be impossible, and — he wouldn't really need to worry about exams again until seventh year. (This was not entirely true, but he could pretend it was at the moment, with his legs dangling over the edge of the dock.)
"You're right," he said, after a beat, "It's just five, right? Maybe six. I can do that."
![[Image: AklbdKY.png]](https://i.imgur.com/AklbdKY.png)
set by Fallin!