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Chapter 806: The End
Chapter 806: The End
Gelsa Marchbank had lived a long life and was still a respected elder of the Wizengamot. In the wizarding world, the older one became, the more respect they garnered, and Professor Marchbank's connections and influence were almost on par with those of Professor Dumbledore.
This exam provided Albert with the perfect opportunity to validate his identity as a Seer.
Seers or Prophets held a very high status in the wizarding world, and Albert, with his unique ability, needed the title to boost his reputation and elevate his standing, reducing potential obstacles he might face in the future.
Reputation was something that needed careful cultivation.
Whether it was connections or prestige, Professor Marchbank, a good friend of Albert's, was currently the best option to help him in this regard.
Letting her witness his abilities firsthand would simplify things going forward.
After reuniting with Fred, George, and Lee Jordan in the common room, the trio couldn't help but complain to Albert, "We really don't know why we chose such a stupid subject. It belongs in the trash, that's where it should've stayed."
"Because Divination lets you slack off," Albert teased, poking them in the waist.
"Ahem, regardless, at least we can drop it now," Lee Jordan coughed lightly, taking the lead to chat about their Divination exam experience.
He didn't know how to read palms at all, so he had to wing it during the exam.
In fact, many students did the same.
Divination?
No, that was just a charlatan's trick, wasn't it?
Even Professor Trelawney was widely regarded as a fraud, and students taught by a fraudulent professor were naturally not going to be earnest students themselves.
"That one..."
"...Professor Marchbank," Albert added.
"Yes, Professor Marchbank. She's quite old, I suspect she might even be older than Professor Dumbledore. So, I..." George grabbed Lee Jordan's palm and said solemnly, "You have a long life ahead, but it's nearing its end. According to your life line, you probably have about five years left."
Lee Jordan withdrew his hand and retorted, "Do you even know which line is the life line?"
"Of course I do," George looked at Lee Jordan doubtfully, "It's this one. Don't tell me you can't even understand this!"
"The one above is clearly the life line, the one you're pointing at is the wisdom line," Fred corrected him.
"Which one?" Lee Jordan turned to Albert, who was petting a cat beside him, as he found neither Fred nor George reliable on this matter.
"Fred's pointing at the line of affection, and George, that's the wisdom line," Albert corrected them helplessly, "The one near the thumb is the life line. The longer the life line, the longer the lifespan is usually indicated."
Lee Jordan burst out laughing and slapped Fred and George's shoulders, "You have the nerve to make fun of me when you're just as clueless!"
"I never expected to pass anyway," Fred said with a grin.
"Let's flip through the star charts," Lee Jordan sighed, "I don't want to feel so miserable tonight. I feel like a complete idiot."
"Don't be sad, you're an idiot to begin with."
"Shut up, aren't you the same?" Lee Jordan glared at the grinning Fred and asked, "Are you planning to give up on the practical Astronomy exam tonight?"
"Of course not, why would I?" Fred put his arm around Albert's shoulder, "I'll just stand next to Albert and copy his work. You don't mind, do you?"
"If you have the skills to do that."
Albert was skeptical of Fred's ability to cheat. The observatory wasn't that big, there were two invigilators present, the lighting at night wasn't great, and trying to sneak a peek at someone else's star chart was a challenging task.
"To be honest, even if I let you copy, I doubt you'd succeed."
"Hahaha!"
George and Lee Jordan laughed raucously.
"Can't you say something nice? I feel like even if I succeeded, you'd say I failed," Fred muttered, intending to browse through the star charts later to fill in something on the exam paper.
In truth, they had all attended Astronomy classes diligently, they just hadn't bothered much with the homework.
At eleven o'clock, a large group of examinees arrived at the top of the Astronomy Tower. The area had been enlarged by the Imperturbable Charm to accommodate everyone.
Perhaps it was their lucky day, as the sky above was clear of clouds, perfect for stargazing.
The silvery moonlight bathed the tower, making it convenient for them to fill out their star charts or cheat if they so desired.
Fred indeed had no intention of giving up on cheating, as he had already set up his telescope next to Albert's.
Well, Albert felt that the area was particularly crowded, and it seemed that quite a few people had the same idea as Fred.
As everyone found a spot to set up their telescopes and waited for the examiners to distribute the exam papers, a sudden voice rang out.
"What are you all crowding here for?"
Professor Tofty, who was in charge of distributing the exam papers, asked the students around Albert to move away.
"Everyone should work on their papers independently. Don't attempt to cheat, or you will be disqualified immediately if caught."
After Professor Marchbank announced the start of the exam, everyone began filling out the blank star charts in front of them.
Albert looked at the circular star chart, similar to a map, and brought his eye close to the telescope, adjusting the focus to observe Venus. Based on the actual starry sky, he accurately recorded the positions of the stars and planets on the star chart.
This felt a bit like drawing a map, only this time it was a star chart.
Professors Marchbank and Tofty sat in armchairs on one side of the Astronomy Tower, overseeing the exam hall. They often stood up and walked among the students to prevent any cheating attempts.
They were quite conscientious, considering it was already eleven o'clock at night, and staying up late was a challenging task for the two elderly professors.
At this moment, the top of the Astronomy Tower was dead silent, and everyone could clearly hear the rustling of parchment and the rapid scratching of many quills.
As long as one had paid attention in class and done the homework diligently, filling out the blank star chart wasn't too difficult. Albert carefully checked his work, confirmed it was error-free, and then yawned out of boredom, waiting for the exam to end.
Next to him, Fred kept trying to sneak a peek at his star chart, but Professor Marchbank's presence nearby prevented him from succeeding, and his frustrated expression made Albert want to laugh.
Time passed slowly, and the castle gradually fell silent. When Professor Tofty announced that only twenty minutes were left in the exam, most students had already finished filling out their star charts and were doing a final check.
"Damn, I was so close."
Even as the exam ended, Fred still hadn't succeeded in his cheating endeavor. He glared at Albert with a resentful look, "If it weren't for your big mouth, I would've almost passed. It's all your fault."
"You don't care about your Astronomy grade anyway," Albert yawned and covered his mouth, "Let's head back and rest. We have the last exam, Magical History, tomorrow afternoon. Once it's over, we can throw a celebration party."
The decision to hold the Magical History written exam in the afternoon was likely made to allow the two examiners to get some rest, as staying up late would be taxing for the elderly professors. Additionally, holding the exam in the afternoon would give students who stayed up late for the Astronomy exam time to rest and ensure they wouldn't be drowsy during the exam.
The day after, Albert slept in, claiming that he needed to give himself a good rest.
There was no need to cram for this exam; a quick review of the previous exam papers, skimming through the supposed key points, would suffice.
As for delving into Isabella's notes, which were several feet thick—well, Albert didn't want to go insane.
However, someone else was already close to losing it.
Alice was sitting by the window in the common room, her hands in her hair as she pored over the two-and-a-half-foot-thick stack of Magical History notes she had borrowed from Albert.
"Knowing that this subject is useless, I still studied hard for it. I feel like such a fool," she said to Angelina.
"Just remember the key points. Unless you're aiming for a high score," Angelina replied, glancing around at the others in the room and lowering her voice. "I, for one, am content to just pass. As long as I get the certificate, I'm happy."
With the exception of Albert and Sana, the others were simply aiming to pass Magical History. With past exam papers from previous years, passing was hardly an issue, as most of the key points had already been highlighted.
At 2 p.m. on that afternoon, the fifth-year students filed into the Great Hall to face their final O.W.L.S. exam.
The Magical History exam papers were already placed face down on their desks, awaiting their attention.
Everyone felt relatively relaxed, as they had treated this exam rather nonchalantly.
Even if they failed miserably at Magical History, it would only mar their O.W.L.S. results slightly. Aside from a few individuals who were aiming for Outstanding in all twelve subjects, not many truly cared about this particular class. Moreover, there were no advanced classes for Magical History, nor were there any students eager to take supplementary lessons for this subject.
To be honest, Magical History was Albert's most despised subject. It was inherently boring, requiring a lot of memorization, and the exam questions often pertained to topics he found dull and uninteresting.
For example, question three: In your opinion, did the Wand Ban instigate or contribute to better control of the fairy riots in the 18th century? Oh, for heaven's sake! This was the attitude across Europe, or perhaps the entire world.
The wizards' refusal to grant fairies the right to carry wands was nothing but oppression. One of the reasons for the fairy riots was the wizards' attempt to seize control of Gringotts.
Of course, the fairies themselves were not innocent creatures. Those cunning little beings liked to tamper with their own history, which was equally detestable.
In Albert's opinion, the conflict between the two races was purely a matter of racial tensions and conflicting interests. There was no room for notions of nobility.
Then there was question ten: Why did the wizards of Liechtenstein refuse to join the International Confederation of Wizards?
The first president of the International Confederation of Wizards was Pierre Bonaccord, and as soon as he took office, he tried to convince other countries to ban the hunting of giants and grant giants their rightful rights. However, Liechtenstein had been harassed by evil and cruel mountain giant tribes, and there had been large-scale conflicts between the two parties. Naturally, they would not listen to Pierre Bonaccord.
Whether Pierre Bonaccord was trying to build a virtuous image for himself or was genuinely a sanctimonious do-gooder, he certainly lacked a brain. Perhaps there were a handful of giants in the world who were kind, but the vast majority of them were absolutely nothing like the benevolent, friendly creatures he made them out to be. As a result, most countries did not take him seriously, and he did not last long in his position as president.
In fact, most politicians were of this ilk. They were merely representatives who had been elected, and many lacked the capability to govern effectively, hence the introduction of numerous laughable bills.
It took Albert quite some time to finish the Magical History exam paper, and he wondered if others would even be able to finish in time.
Nonetheless, the O.W.L.S. exams were finally over, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
As soon as they stepped out of the Great Hall, their surroundings erupted with loud whoops and hollers as the fifth-year students vented the stress of the O.W.L.S. exams.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan greeted Albert cheerfully, discussing their plans for an all-night celebration party in the common room, now that the exams were over for all grades.
And so, the raucous exam-ending revelry commenced.
Melodious music blared from the record player, and an abundance of candies rained down amidst the cheers, filling the air with sweetness. Butterbeer flowed into cups, and tables groaned under the weight of delicious food. Students chatted about amusing topics or watched their peers dance with abandon.
"It's finally over," Percy said as he sat down next to Albert with a plate of food. "The O.W.L.S. exams were probably a breeze for you."
"I should be able to get Outstanding in all twelve subjects. But it feels like it's just for show; it's not that useful," Albert replied confidently, having high expectations for his results after the exams.
"That sounds like something you would say," Percy acknowledged.
"How did your O.W.L.S. go?" Hermione suddenly appeared out of nowhere, as usual.
"It wasn't too difficult. Mostly basic knowledge. If it were you, I'm sure you'd get Outstanding with ease as well. Divination might be a bit tricky, though," Albert said with a smile.
Albert turned to Percy and asked, "By the way, how did you get an Outstanding in Divination?"
"It's simple. Just memorize the stuff in the divination books, and then apply it when needed. Aside from you, there hasn't been a real seer in that class, so we just have to rely on the book knowledge. As long as you do that well, getting an Outstanding isn't too hard," Percy explained.
"That's it?" Hermione exclaimed, her eyes wide.
"What else?" Percy retorted. "If we didn't do that, everyone would fail."
"But... what's the point of the subject, then?" Hermione asked, perplexed.
"Of course, it has a point. Haven't we just witnessed it with Albert? That's the significance of Divination," Percy said, pointing at Albert.
"Would you like to dance to the next song?" Sana asked, approaching Albert.
Albert did not refuse. He took Sana's hand and danced to the gentle music.
Not far from them, Fred and Angelina danced with more exuberance, while Lee Jordan twirled Alice, and George danced with Katie. As the enchanting music played on, more and more students joined in.
"Would you like to dance to this song again?" Sana asked. "I really like this tune."
"No, I think I'll sit down and eat something," Albert politely declined. He sat down next to Hermione and picked up Tom, who had been sitting at her feet, placing him on the adjacent seat. Noticing Harry's glum expression, he casually asked, "What's wrong with him?"
"Dumbledore won't let Harry move in with Black," Ron replied through a mouthful of chicken leg, answering for Hermione.
"I'm sure the headmaster has his reasons. You should communicate with him properly," Albert advised as he picked up a plate and helped himself to some food. Tom, sitting on the neighboring seat, eyed Albert's plate greedily.
"You just had dinner. If you eat any more, you'll really turn into a fat pig-cat," Albert chided.
I had originally intended to write just one long chapter for the exams, but I ended up dragging it out quite a bit.
(End of Chapter)
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