Chapter 642: Results
Chapter 642: Results
After a moment of silence in honor of the brave Sacrifice Hit Wizards, Fred lifted his head. "Hey, everyone! This is what our work is all about. The magic items we create help more warriors return home safely."
"Yes, you're right", Liam nodded, and the others in the room began to shake off their somber mood. "We need to produce more magic items to bridge the gap between us and those Dark Wizards. Alright, let's take a look at what we've made this week—"
Over the next few minutes, Liam and the others showcased some of their recent creations. Since returning from the Ferren World, they had gained new insights into magic item creation and produced several items that combined elements from both worlds. For example, a metal baton that could cast Grease five times was included in the next batch of new releases.
"Sometimes we have to balance effects with costs", Liam said to Hermione as they walked back to Hogwarts Castle. "The Spider Bomb, for instance, can be sold for one Galleon and two Sickles because only elite users would buy it, so they don't mind the price as long as the item is good. However, most products aren't like that. We first consider the popularization rate and then the quality."
"It's like that joke I read online from the Cullen Family", Hermione said. "The U.S. Army usually selects the cheapest items among the bids, not necessarily the best quality ones."
"Our Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore aren't as ruthless as the American Department of Defense", Liam smiled. "But the price of magic items is closely tied to the rarity of their raw materials and the complexity of their creation. Sometimes, to arm more people quickly, we have to compromise on quality, but it's better than having no magic items at all."
After discussing the current situation, Liam and the others returned to Hogwarts Castle. However, when they reached the corridor outside the Gryffindor Common Room, they saw several Seventh Year students pacing nervously.
"Oh, I almost forgot", Hermione said, realizing what was happening. "Today is the day our N.E.W.T. exam results come out. We should have checked our results before heading to Hogsmeade."
"How did the results come out so quickly?" Liam asked, puzzled, as the Common Room door opened. "Our O.W.L. results took a month to come out last time. Why did this exam only take a week to grade?"
"I'm not sure, maybe the professors responsible for grading are more efficient in these circumstances?" Hermione speculated, though she didn't sound very convinced.
"No, those professors aren't that diligent. The results came out quickly this time purely because it's only the N.E.W.T. exams, and the number of students taking them is much lower than before", Ginny chimed in, having overheard their conversation. "Plus, most people did terribly, so grading a bunch of papers with D or T grades was quick work."
"A lot of people got D or T grades?" Hermione asked, surprised. "Surely the students' levels aren't that bad."
"Your 'students' are different from the ones I know", Ginny shook her head. "Harry got Ds in two subjects but an O in Defense Against the Dark Arts. My brother did much worse, getting a T in Transfiguration."
"That's not my fault", Ron said as he walked over. "I heard someone say that our professors were among those grading the exams this time, so they were much stricter than before."
"Much stricter?" Liam was taken aback for a moment before he realized how different this exam was from previous ones. Most of the students who chose to take this exam would be heading to the battlefield after graduation. Therefore, the professors naturally graded with the strictest standards to ensure that everyone had the necessary skills to handle various dangerous situations.
"Yeah, let's see how much you scored", Harry said, walking over and handing over the letter in his hand. "Your letters were delivered with ours. I think those owls must have been pretty tired."
"I'll take a look." Liam took his letter and opened the envelope. The report card was a small square piece of parchment. When he unfolded it, Liam saw that his scores were all Outstanding, just as he had expected.
"Liam, what are your scores?" Hermione asked after checking her own report card.
"All Os", Liam said, waving his report card at Hermione. "What about you?"
"Same as you", Hermione replied, waving her report card as well. "All Os."
"Oh, this is just—" Harry looked dejected. "If I had done as well as you, I wouldn't have to stay at Hogwarts and watch others fight."
"Don't talk nonsense, Harry", Ginny said from the side. "Participating in the battle requires qualifications. If someone isn't skilled enough, they won't be able to help and might even become a burden."
"Alright, you have a point", Harry said, forcing a smile at Ginny.
"Besides, not everyone needs to be on the front lines to contribute to this war", Liam added. "In this war, we need everyone to make their contribution in their own roles, whether in the rear or on the front lines. For example, you, Harry. What you're doing now is just as important as the Champions who face the Dark Lord and Death Eaters head-on."
"I—oh, right." Harry suddenly realized. "But is that thing really that important?"
"Of course, that magic is extremely important", Liam nodded. "Even if you don't believe me, you should believe Professor Dumbledore!"
Harry nodded, about to say something, when Colin Creevey suddenly entered the Common Room and pinned a parchment to the notice board.
"From 8 to 12 tomorrow morning, all students who passed the N.E.W.T. exams need to go to their House Head's office to discuss graduation and post-graduation plans. Don't miss this time", Ron read out the notice, then turned around and said loudly, "By the way, how many of us in Gryffindor passed the exam?"
The atmosphere in the Common Room suddenly turned somber. Several Seventh Year students glared at Ron.
"Alright, I shouldn't have asked that", Ron said, shrinking back from the notice board and speaking quietly to Harry and the others. "It seems everyone didn't do too well this time."
It wasn't until bedtime that Liam found out that only he and Hermione had passed the exam in Gryffindor. This meant they would have plenty of time to talk with Professor Mcgonagall in the morning.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
