My School Life At Hogwarts Chapter 1105: The N.E.W.T.s - Novel Cool

Chapter 1105: The N.E.W.T.s

Chapter 1105: The N.E.W.T.s

The resurrection of Voldemort and the Ministry of Magic scandal had completely blown up in the British magical community, sparking an uproar with voices demanding Fudge's resignation.

However, the events did not affect Hogwarts, and everyone remained focused on the upcoming end-of-term exams. The entire castle was enveloped in a tense atmosphere as students crammed in the library, common rooms, and the Room of Requirement. Albert even opened up the activity room of the Wizarding Card Club, lending it to his acquaintances. It seemed like most seventh-year students outside of Slytherin had gathered to join in the studying frenzy.

"You really don't feel nervous at all, do you?" Lee Jordan said, his tone laced with envy. The guy in front of him was blatantly treating the N.E.W.T.s as a non-issue.

"Can't you see that I'm reviewing too?" Albert tapped his finger on the notebook in front of him. He was going over the so-called key points, reinforcing his memory to avoid any mishaps in the written exams.

Unlike the O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels), the N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests) did not test basic knowledge but focused on the skills and knowledge acquired in the sixth and seventh years. Aside from the foundational written exams, the tests demanded a high level of practical ability from the candidates.

"Why don't you share some of the key points with us? Maybe we can get better scores," Lee Jordan spoke up, voicing the thoughts of the majority of the students. This was the primary reason for their presence—they were hoping that Albert would spare some time to guide them on the exam focus areas.

After all, his supplementary lessons on Dark Arts Defense had benefited them immensely.

"Key points? The professors have already covered them in class," Albert replied, raising his eyebrows.

"So, which ones do you think are the most important?" Angelina pressed further.

"The Silencing Charm. It's almost certainly going to come up."

Noticing the crowd that had gathered, Albert closed his notebook, realizing that Lee Jordan had steered the conversation in this direction. He casually began to explain the focus areas of the N.E.W.T.s in recent years.

"Whether it's the practical exam for Charms or the practical exam for Defense Against the Dark Arts, they will both involve the Silencing Charm. To achieve high scores in these two subjects, you must be proficient in casting spells without uttering incantations."

"The Silencing Charm isn't easy to perform," Angelina mumbled.

"The examiners will be watching your lips. If there are obvious signs of whispering, your scores won't be too impressive," Albert warned. He knew that many students tended to cut corners during practice, quietly mouthing the spells to pretend that they had mastered the Silencing Charm.

Everyone was clear about the true difficulty of the Silencing Charm. It wasn't enough to cast a single spell silently to be considered proficient. Hence, only a handful of students truly possessed this skill.

This was the real challenge of the N.E.W.T.s.

As for the written exams, as long as one put in sufficient effort, achieving a decent score wasn't too difficult.

"For Potions, the N.E.W.T. exam usually involves creating an antidote," Albert continued. "You'll be required to analyze a poison and then brew the corresponding antidote."

"That's not easy."

"Creating antidotes is arguably the most challenging and nerve-wracking aspect of Potions. The difficulty varies depending on the complexity of the poison provided by the examiner," Albert nodded in agreement.

"Of course, they might also ask you to brew other complex potions, but I think that's relatively easier. As long as you practice diligently, you should be able to achieve satisfactory results," he added.

"I don't think there's any simple potion in 'Advanced Potion-Making,'" Alicia chimed in, echoing the thoughts of many.

Indeed, many witches and wizards struggled to brew satisfactory potions, and some even dared not drink their own concoctions. The N.E.W.T.-level potions were notoriously challenging to brew.

"That's why antidotes are often featured in the exams. The difficulty can be adjusted based on the complexity of the poison provided," Albert explained.

"What about Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Lee Jordan was more concerned about this subject, as it was the only one in which he stood a chance of achieving a high score.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts will focus more on the Silencing Charm, curse-breaking, and how to defend against creatures like Inferi or ghosts," Albert replied.

"That sounds tough, especially with the Silencing Charm involved."

"The real challenge lies in having to break an unknown curse or dark charm while using the Silencing Charm. It could also involve..." Albert continued, dissecting the potential exam questions. However, many things that seemed simple to him were undoubtedly challenging for most students.

The N.E.W.T.s were significantly more difficult than the O.W.L.s. If one hadn't paid attention in class and lacked a solid foundation, it would be challenging to pass the upcoming practical exams, especially since this term had been disrupted by Umbridge. The professors hadn't enforced strict standards, leading to a general lack of diligence among the students.

Nevertheless, hearing Albert's insights on the exam topics was a boon for them, as it allowed for more targeted revision.

"If I'd known earlier, I would have dropped out with Fred and George," Lee Jordan grumbled. "I feel like I'm doomed for the N.E.W.T.s."

"Not many students achieve high scores in the N.E.W.T.s. As long as you pass, you'll get the qualification," Hannah reassured him.

"But there's a big difference between 'Acceptable,' 'Exceeds Expectations,' and 'Outstanding' in the certificate," Cedric pointed out. He was one of the more relaxed students in the group, aside from Albert and Katrina. "Many desirable positions require at least a few 'Es'."

"You're not talking about becoming an Auror, are you?" Lee Jordan interjected. "Joining the Ministry of Magic as an Auror right now would be signing up to be cannon fodder."

"Let's forget about being an Auror. As for joining the Ministry, we'll see how things go," Cedric shrugged.

"For other positions in the Ministry, you'd need connections. Otherwise, you won't land a good role," Albert advised.

"Things aren't looking too peaceful at the Ministry these days."

"I know. Gabriel mentioned it to me," Cedric said with a smile. "To be honest, I'm quite interested in becoming the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts."

"You want to kick out Professor McGonagall?"

"I can wait until she retires and then apply."

"You have a shot. Professor McGonagall won't be teaching Transfiguration for much longer," Albert agreed. "You can talk to her about this. With a few years of experience, you should be fine. Just make sure you get an 'Outstanding' in your N.E.W.T. for Transfiguration. That will boost your chances for the position."

"Really?" Cedric asked in surprise. "Is Professor McGonagall planning to retire?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Albert smiled.

"Oh, damn it."

"What about you, Albert?"

"I haven't decided yet, but I'm definitely not joining the Ministry.

Albert did not hide his disdain for the Ministry of Magic as he replied, "Perhaps I'll write a few books, hmm, and I also plan to travel the world. In any case, the pile of prize money I earned earlier will last me quite a few years, so I don't need to worry about work for the time being."

"That's really enviable!"

"What about you, Katrina?"

"After graduation, I might partner with someone to open a beauty shop. We'll see how it goes," Katrina glanced at Albert and replied calmly.

Perhaps it was because they had just reviewed the so-called key points, but everyone was in a good mood and chatted about their future career plans.

Some of the pure-blood girls intended to marry right after graduation and didn't worry about their future at all. Some pure-blood wizards came from wealthy families or had connections in the Ministry of Magic, so they planned to find a job there after graduating.

The ones who had it the toughest were the wizards from Muggle families. Their families couldn't provide any help, so they had to fend for themselves in the unfamiliar world of magic and strive for a good job.

Working for the Ministry of Magic used to be a good option, and at the very least, they could take on the Muggle-Liason jobs that many wizards looked down upon. However, with Voldemort's resurrection and the Ministry being embroiled in scandal, taking a job there now carried a lot of risk.

"What about you, Shannon?" a Hufflepuff boy asked.

Shannon was the top student among the Muggle-born wizards in their year, aside from Albert.

"If possible, I'd like to try becoming a Healer. I've heard that the pay is good," Shannon mumbled.

Among all the professions, Aurors and Healers had the highest requirements for N.E.W.T. grades, but they were also well-respected and high-paying positions in the wizarding world.

"This position has the same requirements as an Auror. You need to achieve at least an 'E' in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts," Albert explained.

"Yeah, I'm not as confident as you, Albert," Shannon said.

"It's a good position. You should definitely give it a shot. With your abilities, you should be able to manage it," Albert nodded.

"The Healers at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries do earn a good salary, but they're always busy," Katrina added. She knew more about Healers than most students, as she had once considered becoming one herself, but... she had temporarily given up on that idea.

Time flew faster than they expected, and soon it was exam season again. The fifth-year students were about to take their O.W.L.s, and the seventh-years were preparing for their N.E.W.T.s.

Unlike the fifth-years, the seventh-years didn't take their exams in the Great Hall. Instead, they were in a more spacious classroom, likely because there weren't as many students taking the N.E.W.T.s.

Many Hogwarts students didn't take a large number of N.E.W.T. subjects. Most advanced classes only had a dozen or so students, like Ancient Runes, which had only a handful of students. On the other hand, Defense Against the Dark Arts had the most students, thanks largely to Albert's supplementary lessons.

"Long time no see, Mr. Anderson," Professor Marchbanks greeted Albert warmly. "I heard you gave Umbridge a good dressing-down."

"She went too far," Albert replied innocently.

"It's hard to believe someone like her could hold a high position in the Ministry of Magic," Professor Tofty agreed, sharing his displeasure with Umbridge.

"Well, she's done for now," Professor Marchbanks said with a smile. "The situation has blown up, and the Ministry is being forced to hold a trial for her."

"Are they going to use Veritaserum to question her about those charges?"

"That's the plan," Professor Marchbanks said. "The Ministry wants to get to the bottom of this, too. Umbridge's actions have put them in a very passive position, and they've been receiving howler letters from many students' parents."

"I suppose you don't really need to take the exams, but let's begin anyway!" Professor Tofty said with a laugh.

As Albert had expected, the practical exam for Charms involved using nonverbal spells to cast three spells out of five (chosen at random). Albert waved his wand and swiftly cast all five spells.

He turned a cup of water into vinegar, cast the Alohomora charm on a small box...

Aside from the nonverbal spells, there were seven other tasks, and usually, you only needed to complete two additional tasks chosen by drawing lots.

However, Professors Marchbanks and Tofty had Albert perform all the tasks and then gave him an 'Outstanding' grade as a privilege for being a prodigy.

"How did it go?"

After asking this question, Lee Jordan suddenly patted his head and said, "I just asked a stupid question, didn't I?"

"Definitely 'Outstanding'," Shannon replied without hesitation. "I got stuck on the nonverbal spells. There was one spell I hadn't practiced, so I had to whisper it. But I think the examiner noticed."

"Don't worry. They usually don't deduct too many points, and the final score is a combination of your practical and written exam results," Albert consoled her.

However, if one couldn't cast nonverbal spells, they would likely miss out on an 'Outstanding' grade, as points were deducted quite harshly for that.

"I feel like this is so unfair. There are barely any wizards in the whole world who can do what you do," Lee Jordan complained. "Most wizards either whisper or mouth the spells, so why should they get penalized for slightly moving their lips?"

"There actually is a difference. The speed at which we cast spells is related to our ability to cast nonverbal spells," Albert explained.

"Are you sure?" Cedric looked at Albert doubtfully. "I feel like nonverbal spells are slower and require more concentration."

"That's because you're not proficient enough yet," Albert said to Lee Jordan. "Remember the Hover Charm? All you need is to have the thought or silently say the spell in your mind."

"That's right. That's how it works," Lee Jordan said to Cedric. "I think you shouldn't worry too much about this. Discussing it with Albert is just asking for trouble since he's not like the rest of us."

"You're right," Cedric agreed.

"Let me share some good news with you all," Albert said, changing the subject.

"What good news?"

"The Ministry of Magic will be holding a trial to officially judge Umbridge soon," Albert announced.

"How do you know that?"

"Professor Marchbanks told me."

"You guys were chatting during the exam?"

"No, it was before the exam."

"Do you think the Ministry will be biased in Umbridge's favor?" Harry asked, popping up out of nowhere.

"I don't know," Albert shook his head. "But I don't think so. Umbridge's reputation is already in tatters, and the Ministry has no reason to favor her."

"You should check your crystal ball from time to time to make sure that woman doesn't get away with it," Harry suggested.

(End of Chapter)

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