Chapter 766: N.E.W.T.s
Chapter 766: N.E.W.T.s
Ever since the Quidditch final, Kyle had been secretly observing Connor, worried that she had agreed reluctantly and still harbored resentment.
However, after two whole weeks of her acting completely normal, almost indistinguishable from her usual self, Kyle finally set his mind at ease and focused on preparing for what was to come.
On an ordinary evening in mid-June, everyone was sitting in the Great Hall, enjoying their dinner and discussing their holiday plans.
Suddenly, the door opened, and several elderly wizards strolled in, accompanied by Dumbledore. They were chatting and laughing as they entered.
Leading the group was Professor Griselda Marchbanks, followed by Dumbledore and Professor Tofty.
They were all familiar faces, and anyone who had gone through O.W.Ls knew who they were and what their presence at Hogwarts meant.
Final exams.
"Why is it so early this year!" Ron exclaimed, tugging at his hair in disbelief as he sat at the Gryffindor table. "I thought the exams were next week. Did I lose a week of my memory?"
Harry, sitting beside him, also had his mouth agape in shock.
He hadn't finished revising all the courses yet... Well, to be honest, he had barely started revising, and now the exams were suddenly upon them?
"You haven't lost any time," Hermione reassured them, speaking up at that moment. "They're here for the N.E.W.T. exams."
"N.E.W.T.s?" Ron blinked.
"Yes," Hermione confirmed. "Only the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s require officials from the Wizarding Examinations Authority to oversee them. For all other grades, the professors here at Hogwarts proctor the exams."
"So, we're not at the exam period yet, then?" Ron breathed a sigh of relief.
Hermione shot him a sideways glance. "If you keep procrastinating like before, it won't matter how long you delay it. You might as well take the exams tomorrow."
"Now, now, Hermione, I've already started revising," Ron defended himself, holding up a book. "See, I just borrowed this from the library at lunch."
"Yes, and you haven't even opened it yet," Hermione retorted with a cold smile.
Similar conversations were taking place all around the Great Hall as everyone suddenly realized that exam week had arrived at Hogwarts.
And as the most stringent and tedious exam in the wizarding world, the N.E.W.T.s would span an entire week, longer than the exams for other grades.
Kyle had already known this from the previous year, and Cedric had even shared some exam tips with him.
In a nutshell, don't panic, don't mess up your spell incantations, and you'll be fine.
Sounded simple enough.
...
The next day, the N.E.W.T. exams officially commenced.
The castle became noticeably quieter than usual, with professors standing guard at several key corridors, causing everyone who passed by to instinctively lower their voices under the professors' stern gazes.
The first day was a written exam.
Kyle had never experienced such strict examination procedures. There were only ten seventh-year students in each classroom, yet there were three professors proctoring the exam.
In addition, a large mirror had been installed in the exam room.
A magic-detecting mirror, capable of accurately sensing magical reactions in the surroundings and thus determining whether anyone had brought magical items into the exam room.
As soon as a girl entered the classroom, the mirror emitted a buzzing sound, which only stopped after Professor Tofty removed a butterfly hair clip from her hair.
The girl was so startled that she stood there, not knowing what to do.
Until Professor Tofty finished inspecting the hair clip.
"A metamorphic hair clip, capable only of changing hairstyles. It's not a cheating device, so it's fine," he said, waving his hand.
The seventh-year girl finally snapped out of her daze and hurriedly took her seat.
Kyle followed her into the room and noticed that there was now a tall mirror facing the entrance, its height spanning the entire wall.
A Revealing Mirror, similar in effect to the real waterfall in Gringotts, though not quite as efficient. Nonetheless, it was a bane for Polyjuice Potion users, as anyone attempting to impersonate another person for the exam would be exposed in the mirror.
On the lectern beside it sat a teapot, from which white smoke was billowing.
Kyle took a sniff. He detected the scents of Mandrake and Venomous Tentacula powder, mixed with a few other herbs.
If he wasn't mistaken, it was some sort of calming potion, though he wasn't sure of its specific use.
At first, he thought it was to detect Befuddlement Draught or Felix Felicis, but he soon realized that there were dedicated professors checking students for signs of potion ingestion.
Professor Marchbanks, to be precise.
As a veteran professor who had worked at the Examinations Authority for nearly a century, Griselda Marchbanks had extensive knowledge of potions, rivaling even that of Snape and Slughorn.
With just a glance, she spotted a Ravenclaw seventh-year boy who had ingested a potion.
Although he hadn't drunk a Befuddlement Draught, the potion he had taken was one that helped him maintain his calm. Nonetheless, such behavior was not permitted.
Fortunately, Professor Marchbanks did not directly disqualify him from the exam. Instead, she made him stand at the classroom door until the potion's effects wore off before allowing him to enter.
However, judging by the relieved expression on the boy's face, it seemed likely that he would make it in time.
Kyle didn't find this surprising. Every exam had a few individuals who liked to push the boundaries, adopting a 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' mentality, but they always left themselves a way out.
After all, according to the Examination Law, only those who had consumed the Wake-Up Draught or Felix Felicis would have their exam results directly invalidated. The penalties for other magical potions were generally not that severe.
This was a more or less acknowledged loophole.
However, this was a matter for the Wizarding Examinations Authority, and Kyle didn't feel the need to get involved.
He entered the classroom and took his seat. What was usually a classroom for ten people now only had nine. There were already prepared sheets of parchment, quills, and ink on the desks, and students were not allowed to bring anything else in with them.
Professor Marchbanks continued to patrol the classroom for a few more rounds before finally leaving for another area.
Twenty minutes later, the exam began.
The morning sun shone through the windows, casting a warm glow on the students. Kyle, who had finished his paper early, struggled to stay awake until the end of the exam. As soon as it was over, he was the first to hand in his paper and leave the room.
Coincidentally, the sixth-year students had just finished their class as well. On his way to the Entrance Hall, he ran into a group of Gryffindors on their way down the stairs.
Among them were Hermione, Ron, and Harry.
"Kyle!" Hermione called out from a distance, waving her hand.
She hurried over and asked anxiously, "How did it go? Was the N.E.W.T. exam harder than the usual end-of-term exams?"
"Hmm... probably," Kyle replied after a moment's thought.
"Probably?" Ron echoed, "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, I can't really tell the difference," Kyle shrugged, "It's like asking whether you think the Lumos spell or the Levitation spell is harder."
"They're both pretty simple," Ron blurted out.
These two spells were basic spells taught in the first year, so they were naturally not very challenging for a sixth-year student like him.
However, he quickly added, "If I had to choose, I'd say the Levitation spell is slightly more difficult."
"I'd agree with that," Kyle nodded, "To be honest, I do think the N.E.W.T.s are harder overall."
This time, Ron understood what he meant, but he wished he hadn't. This was the first time he'd heard someone describe the daunting end-of-term exams with the word "Lumos."
It was infuriating... For a moment, he had the urge to slam the book he was holding into Kyle's nonchalant face.
But due to certain objectives, he had to suppress this impulse and continue the conversation, gritting his teeth as he did so.
"So, any tips?" Ron asked eagerly, "For the N.E.W.T. exams, I mean. How can we get high scores?"
This was something he desperately wanted to know. As a sixth-year student, Ron had just realized how close the N.E.W.T. exams were.
Harry and Hermione, standing beside him, also pricked up their ears, listening intently.
"Tips?" Kyle thought for a moment, "Just don't panic, don't write your answers in the wrong places, and you'll be fine."
Ron froze for a moment. "That's it?"
Don't panic... Was there any difference between that and not saying anything at all? Did he think Ron didn't know that panicking during an exam was a bad idea?
"Well... also, don't try to be too clever," Kyle continued, "I know you guys might have Felix Felicis, but remember, don't use it for the N.E.W.T.s, or your results will be invalidated.
And don't think that it's no big deal to repeat a year and just take the exam again next year... If you're caught cheating like that, it's as good as being expelled, and you won't get a single qualification."
"We would never cheat," Hermione immediately replied, and Harry and Ron nodded in agreement.
"That's good to hear," Kyle said.
"But even if someone did use Felix Felicis, they wouldn't be able to prove it, right?" Ron whispered, "I mean, it's a luck potion, and getting caught cheating isn't very lucky, is it?"
"Why would you think that?" Kyle glanced at him, "Felix Felicis is just another name for the luck potion. Its actual effect is to help you make more favorable choices, it's not undetectable.
Let me put it this way, if someone drank Felix Felicis before an exam, they would most likely decide not to take the exam at all... After all, compared to having all your exam results invalidated, missing one exam doesn't seem like bad luck at all."
"Is that so?" Ron blinked.
"Of course," Kyle said, "Otherwise, why would there be a rule prohibiting the use of luck potions in major sporting events and exams? If it truly couldn't be detected, there would be no need for such a rule."
As they spoke, the group reached the ground floor, and seeing Connor waiting at the Great Hall entrance, Kyle immediately left Harry and the others behind and walked over to her.
"What's the exam for this afternoon?" he asked.
"Didn't you see the schedule when you walked out?" Connor said, "This afternoon is the same exam, but it's the turn of Gryffindor and Slytherin. Our second exam isn't until tomorrow."
Of course, this was only the case for subjects with large numbers of students. For subjects with few students, like Ancient Runes, the entire cohort could finish their exams in one morning.
Lunch was sumptuous, but Kyle noticed that there were a few missing students from the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables, all of whom were seventh-years.
It seemed they were dining elsewhere to be separated from those who had already finished their exams, to prevent any leakage of exam questions.
In that case, taking the exams earlier seemed to have its perks, as they wouldn't be subjected to such restrictions.
After lunch, the two returned to the common room.
Ever since the morning, a tense atmosphere had permeated the room, with every seventh-year student poring over their textbooks, preparing for the upcoming exams.
Under such tension, the younger students naturally yielded the best spots and kept their voices low when speaking or walking.
Time always passed quickly during exams, and a week later, all the written exams were over. Alongside the other grades in the school, the N.E.W.T.s entered the second phase—practical spellcasting.
"Don't be nervous, child."
Kyle stood in the empty classroom, facing three different professors. Griselda Marchbanks sat in the middle, with a wizard from the Wizarding Examinations Authority on her left and Professor McGonagall, representing the school, on her right.
Normally, Dumbledore would be sitting in that spot, but he was nowhere to be found, so his place was taken by Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress.
However, the Wizarding Examinations Authority could understand the situation, given the current circumstances surrounding Dumbledore. It was only natural that he couldn't stay at the school for long, and Professor McGonagall was a suitable replacement.
"The first question for this practical exam is to cast a freezing spell." Professor Marchbanks pointed to a cup of water in front of her. "You need to freeze it as quickly as possible. I'm sure that won't be a problem for you."
Kyle waved his wand.
The next second, the water in the cup froze into ice.
"Oh, well done." Professor Marchbanks smiled. "I knew you wouldn't have any issues. Now, for the next question, you will cast a combination of spells. You need to treat us as enemies and set up defensive fortifications around us to repel our attacks.
"Normally, you would have five minutes, but for you... how about two minutes? We will attack after two minutes and grade you based on how long you hold us off."
"No problem." Kyle readily agreed.
It had to be said that this exam question was quite fitting, given that after graduation, they would be facing Death Eaters, and self-defense would be a significant challenge.
Although Kyle's forte was a different form of self-preservation, those methods were useless under the current circumstances.
Kyle took a slow breath, and his wand moved nimbly.
The ground around the three professors immediately turned into a muddy swamp, and then the ground began to rise, eventually forming a solid wall that reached the ceiling.
To be honest, this level of spellcasting wasn't particularly impressive. Professor Marchbanks cast a spell at the wall, creating only a minor, insignificant dent.
She then conjured a dummy, which immediately sank into the swamp.
"Hmm, good." Professor Marchbanks nodded in satisfaction.
The swamp restricted movement, and the wall blocked attacks. It was a simple yet effective strategy.
More importantly, Kyle accomplished this without taking too much time and seemed to do so with ease, as if he were merely taking an exam.
But that was enough.
"All right, that's enough." Professor Marchbanks said.
The wall collapsed, and the swamp turned back into solid flooring.
"Impressive."
After Kyle left the room, Professor Marchbanks turned to Professor McGonagall and said, "So, Albus wasn't exaggerating. This boy truly defeated Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf, and two Death Eaters on his own?"
"Of course, it's true." Professor McGonagall seemed to be in high spirits, smiling as she spoke. "Why would Headmaster Dumbledore lie about something like that?
"And I was there when Kyle dealt with the werewolf."
"Remarkable." Professor Marchbanks murmured, "Ever since six years ago, I've been looking forward to personally overseeing this child's N.E.W.T.s, but now it seems that process was rather redundant.
"I still remember Albus's graduation exam. He could have done better but chose to be lazy and only did what was required."
"Perhaps they felt that this was sufficient." Professor McGonagall said.
In truth, she was quite curious about the details of Dumbledore's exam, but she didn't feel it appropriate to ask.
"Yes, it's just an exam, after all. There's no need to go overboard." Professor Marchbanks smiled.
She picked up her quill and marked a large 'O' next to Kyle's name.
(End of Chapter)
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