I sit by the forbidden forest, smiling up at the sun. There's a certain calmness to being 1/4 of the way there. It's nice, it feels like you're getting something out of your life.

"I totally failed," Stan says, falling next to me.

I smile at him, giving him a hug.

"You can make up for it during the rest!" I say.

"When did you become positive?!" Stan asks.

"You had two exams, right, Stan?" I ask.

"Yeah. Charms and potions," Stan says.

"Same. But hey. Which did you fail?" I ask.

"Potions," Stan says.

"How bad?" I ask.

"I said Draught of Living Death was blue before turning red," Stan says.

"WHAT?" I ask.

"I shouldn't have gone with my instinct but there was a practical part and I thought I would fuck it so I went quickly about the paper. But BLUE," Stan says.

"That pretty bad," I say.

"Only when you don't think about the fact my potion exploded and burned the back of Baahir's robes," Stan says.

"I'm sorry but... how did you fuck it up that badly, Stan?" I ask.

"I don't know! I just, panicked. Although Meagan was kind enough to tell me some Slytherin had tampered with my bottle of... what was it? I forgot. But yeah, the professor might let me go again with a different potion. So I might not fail... she did, however, very loudly declare to me that I'm in the potion tutoring program next year. I mean, fine, sure," Stan says.

I smile.

"Hey! Wendy, Kenny and I are tutors for it! Might get one of us," I say.

"Wait. It isn't the teacher tutoring?" Stan asks.

"No, she doesn't have the time," I say.

Stan let's out a breath.

"Thank heavens! I think she hates me!" He says.

"Stan, come on, she doesn't hate anyone. She's just not a social person," I say.

"Draught of Living Death is blue, right? And turns clean?" Nichole asks.

"WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK IT'S BLUE? YOU'VE SEEN IT, IT'S LILAC," I say.

"Guess, who aced their first day of tests?" Kenny asks.

"Oh could it be you?" Stan asks, mockingly.

He suddenly realises his tone.

"OH GOD! I'm so sorry, Kenny! I didn't mean to be rude! That wasn't nice of me! I just got annoyed when I'm not good at anything and everyone else is just soaring through the tests like they're nothing," Stan says.

"Hey, don't worry about it, it's normal to be annoyed," Kenny says.

"But Stan, I'm sure you aced charms!" I say.

He sighs.

"I sure fucking hope so. I haven't been this stressed... ever," he says.

"Oh you'll be happy when fifth year and seventh year come around. They make your career," I say.

Stan literally screams. I didn't take him for the type to get so stressed over such a little thing... i guess he is.

"Do you think I will know what I want to do in 4 more years?" Stan asks.

He's about to cry.

"How the hell am I supposed to know that bullshit?" Stan asks.

"Second year, you choose your two classes you take for the rest of your life from 3rd year upwards. It's all a choice that effects the rest of your life," Wendy says, casually leaning against a tree.

"Don't tell him that!" I yell at her.

"What can I do? I'm a Slytherin! I've got to torture our little boy a little," Wendy says.

"Wait. What kind of classes?" Stan asks.

"Well, runes, divination, muggle studies, care of magical creatures-," Wendy starts listing.

"Care of what now?" Stan asks.

"Care of magical creatures," I say.

He straightens up.

"That's a thing?" He asks.

"Yeah, sure is. I don't see why people would want to do it though," I say.

"Why wouldn't you want to do it, Kyle? That sounds fucking awesome!" Stan says.

His mood goes from angry to sad to happy way too fast for me to know it's his actual emotions at play. Like. I'm certain he doesn't fake it but the fact he'll be so emotional and then emotionless is fucking scary.

"Because there are thestrals in the later years," Wendy says.

"But thestrals are so damn cool!" Stan says.

"Stan... how would you see them?" I ask.

"My grandmother died in front of me when I was maybe four. Well, almost. You know hospitals are fucking terrible. My grandfather and I went with her and I think I fell asleep for a long time before my grandfather told me to 'come and say goodbye'. That is how I learned about death actually, I would see them," Stan says.

"Wow," Wendy says.

Stan laughs.

"My granny was pretty darn old. So yeah, I wasn't surprised. But there is a small regret, I wasn't very close to either of them, closer to my grandfather. My granny was always so distant from me but apparently, at a later date, I've heard stories that I was closest to her out of her kids or grandkids. I learned to talk because of her, so, apparently it's pretty fine, we were close. But certain part of me regrets not being as close as I could have been," Stan says.

"Have any of you others seen someone die?" Wendy asks.

I rise my hand.

"My grandpa's corpse not long after he died and I actually saw my granny die," I say.

"Many many times," Kenny says.

"Oh. How?" Wendy asks.

"I... erm. I didn't really know who they were, I just saw it," Kenny says.

Something tells me he's lying about that one to be honest.

"I mean... have you?" Stan asks.

"I will pretty soon," Wendy says.

"May I ask who?" I ask.

"My mum. She's been going through a sort of cancer the healers have only slowed. This rate she'll die 3rd or fourth year. If she gets worse, I can leave school to see her one last time. It's rather sad really," Wendy says.

"I'm so sorry," I say.