Originally Posted by Stefan

It was really not a surprise when River learned that Levi would not counter a spell with a jinx or curse. He has a nephew who shared the same principle, in fact, he opted not to join the duelling club because he thought that it could get disastrous on so many levels, even if it was just practice. River had argued with him that it was the same with his Kendo training, but Jace was pretty stubborn about it. His Ravenclaw nephew would spew all sensible arguments with him, and River would just simply nod and accept his excuse. It was troublesome to be honest, considering that River highly valued the experience it would bring Jace. "You don't have to limit yourself with jinx and the like to strike back. True, you can use your environment for defence, but sometimes...the situation will call for it to ultimately stop your opponent." River grinned at the young man, and nodded his head. "Don't be afraid to explore it, though. It's best that you know a thing or two about jinxes and curses...learn what it can and can't do. It just might what you need to survive a situation." Because in reality, the real world is a bad place filled with bad people.

River kept his eyes on the boy as he took another sip of his tea, and got curious about his thoughts. He was an OWL student a long time ago, and he did stress out on the smallest details of his revisions. He remembered not having proper sleep for a whole term...not even remembering if he actually slept on his bed and not in a library chair, table, or floor. But if there was one thing he'd learned from his OWL and NEWT years, it was to keep track of his priorities. "My priorities may differ slightly from yours, but remember that my answers were based on my learnings from experiences when I was your age," he said putting his cup down, and clasped his hands in front of him, leaning forward. "I'd suggest that you make a list. What are the subjects you think you should ace, subjects that you think will give you a good support in your endeavour, and subjects you don't mind failing. From that list, make a timetable of how much time you should spend on each. You also have to consider your aptitude for these subjects. If you're average in...say, Transfiguration, then perhaps you should spend more time revising for that subject instead of say...Potions." River paused and grinned at the student. "Also, don't forget to take deep, calming breaths...and do short walks to clear your thoughts."

He took note of Levi's tie, but he didn't mind it. OWL year was hell year, and River perfectly understood the young man. "Just do your best in your exams and you will be fine, Master Kenning. Keep in mind that there should be no regrets in the end, no matter what the outcome is." River didn't want to be very optimistic about things because there are times when failures must happen, and it becomes a milestone of some sort. The Healer man wanted Levi to keep things real for himself and not obsess over OWLs like his life depended on it.