Chapter 766: N.E.W.T.
Chapter 766: N.E.W.T.
Kyle had been secretly observing Cona ever since the Quidditch final, concerned that she might agree outwardly but harbor resentment within.
However, for two consecutive weeks, Cona behaved entirely normally, almost indistinguishable from her usual self, which finally put Kyle's mind at ease, allowing him to focus on the tasks ahead.
Mid-June, on an ordinary evening, everyone was in the Great Hall, having dinner and discussing their holiday plans.
Suddenly, the door was opened from the outside, and several elderly wizards, accompanied by Dumbledore, entered, chatting and laughing.
Leading the way was Professor Marchbanks, followed by Dumbledore and Professor Toffy Di...
They were all familiar faces, and anyone who had experienced the O.W.L.s knew who they were and understood the significance of their presence at Hogwarts.
End-of-Year Exams.
"Why are they so early this year!" At the Gryffindor table, Ron tugged at his hair in disbelief, "Aren't the exams next week? Or did I lose a week's worth of memories?"
Harry was also standing nearby, mouth agape.
He hadn't finished reviewing all the subjects yet... Well, to be precise, he had just started preparing for the exams, and now they were happening so suddenly?
"You haven't lost any time," Hermione spoke up at the right moment, "They're here for the N.E.W.T. exams."
"N.E.W.T.?" Ron blinked.
"That's right," Hermione said, "Only the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s require the presence of officials from the Wizarding Examinations Authority; for all other grades, the professors themselves proctor the exams."
"So, we're not at the exam time yet, right?" Ron breathed a sigh of relief.
Hermione glanced at him, "If you keep wasting time like before, it doesn't matter how long you delay it, you might as well take the exam tomorrow."
"Don't say that, Hermione, I've already started revising," Ron said, taking out a book, "Look, I just borrowed this from the library at lunch."
"Yes, and you haven't even opened it yet," Hermione scoffed.
Conversations like this were happening in other parts of the Great Hall as well.
It was at this moment that everyone suddenly realized that Hogwarts had entered exam week.
The N.E.W.T.s, the most stringent and complex exams in the wizarding world, would take an extra week compared to other grades.
Kyle had learned this the previous year, and Cedric had even shared his exam experiences with him.
In short, it was about... not getting nervous and not mispronouncing spells, and you'd pass.
It sounded simple enough.
...
The next day, the N.E.W.T. exams officially began.
The castle became quieter than usual, with professors standing guard at several key corridors, and everyone who passed by instinctively lowering their voices under the professors' stern gazes.
The first day was a written exam.
Kyle had never experienced such strict supervision; there were only ten seventh-year students in each classroom, but three professors were proctoring.
Additionally, a large Scrying Mirror was set up in the exam room.
The Scrying Mirror could accurately detect magical reactions in the surroundings, thus determining if anyone had brought magical items into the room.
As soon as a female student entered the classroom, the mirror emitted a buzzing sound, which only stopped after Professor Toffy Di removed a butterfly hair clip from her head.
The girl was so scared that she stood there, not knowing what to do.
Until Professor Toffy Di finished inspecting the hair clip.
"A Transfigured hair clip, only for decorative purposes, no problem, not for cheating."
He waved his hand, and the seventh-year girl finally reacted and hurried inside.
Kyle followed her in.
He noticed that there was an additional mirror as tall as the wall opposite the entrance.
A Revealing Mirror, similar to Gringotts' True Waterfall, though not as efficient, was still a bane for Polyjuice Potion; anyone attempting to impersonate someone else for the exam would reveal their true form in the mirror.
On the adjacent podium was a teapot emitting white smoke.
Kyle sniffed; it had the scent of Mandrake and Venomous Tentacles Powder, mixed with other herbs.
If he wasn't mistaken, this should be a calming potion, but Kyle wasn't sure of its specific use yet.
Initially, he thought it was for checking Baruffio's Brain Elixir and Felix Felicis, but soon he discovered that there was a dedicated professor checking for students' use of potions.
Professor Marchbanks.
As a professor who had worked in the Examinations Authority for nearly a century, Professor Marchbanks had extensive knowledge of potions, rivaling even Snape and Slughorn.
With just a glance, she spotted a Ravenclaw seventh-year boy who had consumed a special potion.
Although it wasn't Baruffio's Brain Elixir, but a potion that helped maintain calm, such behavior was still not allowed.
Fortunately, Professor Marchbanks didn't directly disqualify him but made him stand at the classroom entrance until the potion's effects wore off.
As for how long he had to wait, there wasn't enough time left for the exam. They could only tell by how much he had drunk.
If he had drunk less, there was still a chance to answer the questions. But if he had drunk too much, and the potion's effects hadn't worn off by the end of the exam, then this written test would be invalidated.
However, from the relieved expression on the boy's face, it seemed he would make it in time.
Kyle didn't find this strange, as there were always people like this during exams. They would try their luck, but also leave themselves a way out.
According to the Exam Law, only those who had taken the Baruffio's Brain-Elixir and Felix Felicis would have their exam results directly invalidated. The penalties for other potions were generally not severe.
This was a more or less significant flaw.
But this was the business of the Wizard Examination Administration Bureau, and Kyle didn't bother to meddle in it.
He entered the classroom and sat down. What was originally a classroom for ten people now had only nine. On the desks were pre-prepared parchment, quills, and ink. Students were not allowed to bring anything into the exam room).
Professor Marchbanks patrolled the classroom a few times before leaving for another location.
Twenty minutes later, the exam began.
The morning sun shone through the windows, casting a warm glow on the students, making Kyle feel a little sleepy.
Having finished the exam early, he waited until the end and was the first to hand in his paper and leave the classroom.
Just then, the sixth-year students were also finishing their class.
Among them were Hermione, Ron, and Harry.
"Kyle!" Hermione called out from a distance, waving her hand.
She ran over and asked anxiously, "How do you feel? Is the N.E.W.T. exam harder than the usual end-of-year exams?"
Kyle pondered for a moment before replying, "I guess so..."
"What do you mean by that?" Ron asked, puzzled.
"I can't quite tell," Kyle shrugged, "To put it this way, which do you think is harder, the Lighting Charm or the Levitation Charm?"
"Both are pretty easy," Ron replied without hesitation.
These two spells were basic spells from their first year, so they posed no challenge for a sixth-year student like him.
But he quickly added, "If I had to say, the Levitation Charm is slightly harder."
"I agree," Kyle said, spreading his hands, "To be serious, the N.E.W.T. exams are indeed more challenging."
This time, Ron understood, but he wished he hadn't heard it. This was the first time he had encountered someone describing the daunting end-of-year exams as "the Lighting Charm."
It was so infuriating... For a moment, he felt an urge to slam the book in his hand onto Kyle's indifferent face.
But for certain reasons, he had to suppress this impulse and patiently continue asking.
"So, any tips?" Ron asked eagerly, "How can we get high scores in the N.E.W.T. exams?"
This was what he desperately wanted to know now. As a sixth-year student, Ron was feeling for the first time how close the N.E.W.T. exams were.
Harry and Hermione, standing beside him, also perked up their ears, listening intently.
"Tips?" Kyle thought for a moment, "Just don't get nervous, don't write your answers in the wrong places, and you'll pass."
Ron was taken aback. "That's it?"
Don't get nervous... Was that any different from saying nothing? Didn't he know that you shouldn't get nervous during exams?
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"Well..." Kyle continued, "And don't try to be too clever. I know you might have Felix Felicis, but remember, never use it during the N.E.W.T. exams. Otherwise, your results will be invalidated."
"It's not like we'd resort to cheating," Hermione interjected, and Harry and Ron nodded in agreement.
"Good," Kyle said.
"But even if someone did use Felix Felicis, they wouldn't be able to detect it, right?" Ron muttered under his breath, "After all, it's a lucky potion. Getting caught cheating can't be considered lucky, can it?"
"Why do you think that?" Kyle glanced at him, "Felix Felicis is just another name for the potion. Its true effect is to help you make more favorable choices, not to make it undetectable."
"To put it this way, if someone took Felix Felicis before the exam, they probably wouldn't want to take the exam at all..." Kyle explained, "After all, compared to having all your results invalidated, missing just one exam is quite lucky."
"Is that so?" Ron blinked.
"Of course," Kyle said, "Otherwise, why do you think it's forbidden to use Felix Felicis in major sporting events and exams? If it truly can't be detected, why bother with such a rule?"
As they spoke, they reached the first floor and saw Cona waiting at the Great Hall entrance. Kyle immediately left Harry and the others behind and walked over to her.
"What's the afternoon exam about?" he asked.
"Didn't you see the schedule when you left?" Cona replied, "It's still this exam in the afternoon, but the participants will be Gryffindor and Slytherin. Our second exam is tomorrow."
"Oh, I forgot." Kyle scratched his head.
Due to the strict invigilation, there weren't many professors and props available, so only one N.E.W.T. subject was tested each day, with all seventh-year students divided into different batches.
Of course, this was only the case for subjects with a large number of students. For subjects like Ancient Runes, with few students, the entire exam could be completed in the morning.
The lunch was sumptuous, but Kyle noticed that there were fewer students at the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables, and they were all seventh-year students.
It seemed that they were having their meals elsewhere, separated from the students who had already finished their exams to prevent any leakage of exam questions.
In this case, taking the exams first had its advantages, at least they weren't restricted.
After lunch, the two returned to the common room.
Since the morning, the common room had been filled with a tense atmosphere, as every seventh-year student was flipping through their textbooks, preparing for the next day's exam.
Even the younger students were considerate, giving up the best spots and lowering their voices when speaking and walking.
Time during exams always passed quickly, and a week later, all the written exams were over. With the end-of-year exams for the other grades, the N.E.W.T.s entered the second phase... Curse Application.
"Don't be nervous, child."
Kyle stood in the empty classroom, facing three different professors. Professor Marchbanks sat in the middle, with a Wizard Examination Administration official on her left and Professor McGonagall, representing the school, on her right.
Under normal circumstances, Dumbledore would be sitting in this position, but he was nowhere to be found, so Deputy Headmistress McGonagall had to step in.
However, the Wizard Examination Administration understood this situation. After all, given the current situation, it was impossible for Dumbledore to stay at the school for long. Having Professor McGonagall as a substitute was the same.
"The first question in this Curse exam is to freeze this water." Professor Marchbanks pointed to the cup of water in front of them, "You need to freeze it as quickly as possible. I think it shouldn't be a problem for you."
Kyle waved his wand.
The next second, the water in the cup turned into ice.
"Oh, well done." Professor Marchbanks said with a smile, "I knew you wouldn't have any issues. Now, for the next question, it's a comprehensive curse. You need to treat us as enemies and set up defensive fortifications around us to protect against our attacks."
"The normal time limit is five minutes, but for you... how about two minutes? After two minutes, we'll launch an attack, and we'll score you based on how long you can withstand it."
"No problem." Kyle readily agreed.
It had to be said that this exam question was quite fitting. After all, upon graduation, they would be facing Death Eaters, and self-defense would become their biggest challenge.
Although Kyle was most skilled in another form of self-defense, the current situation was special, and none of those methods could be used.
Kyle took a slow breath, and his wand moved swiftly.
The ground around the three professors immediately turned into a muddy swamp, and then it started to rise, eventually forming a solid wall of earth that reached the ceiling.
To be honest, this wasn't particularly impressive. Professor Marchbanks tentatively cast a curse on the wall, but it only created a small, harmless pit.
Then she summoned a dummy, which sank into the swamp as soon as it landed.
"Hmm, not bad." Professor Marchbanks nodded in satisfaction.
The swamp restricted movement, and the wall blocked attacks. It was simple but highly effective.
More importantly, Kyle didn't take too much time to complete this, and he seemed to be handling it with ease, as if he was just going through the motions for the exam.
But this was enough.
"No problem, you can stop." Professor Marchbanks said.
The wall of earth descended, and the swamp turned back into a hard floor.
"Impressive."
After Kyle left the room, Professor Marchbanks turned to Professor McGonagall and said, "So, everything Albus said was true. This child single-handedly dealt with Fenrir Greyback and two Death Eaters?"
"Of course, it's true." Professor McGonagall seemed to be in a good mood, smiling as she said, "There's no reason for Headmaster Dumbledore to lie about something like this, is there?"
"And I was right there when Kyle dealt with the werewolf."
"Remarkable." Professor Marchbanks said softly, "Ever since six years ago, I've been looking forward to personally hosting this child's N.E.W.T. exam, but now it seems like this process might be a bit redundant."
"I still remember Albus' graduation exam. He could have done better, but he chose to be lazy and only met the required standard."
"Perhaps they feel this is sufficient." Professor McGonagall said.
In truth, she was curious about the details of Dumbledore's exam, but she felt awkward asking.
"Yes, it's just an exam. There's no need to go all out." Professor Marchbanks said with a smile.
She picked up her quill and marked a big tick next to Kyle's name.
(End of Chapter)
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