POV: Nordi Exile

At 30th of July, Snape, Orion, and Nordi apparated at the Hogsmeade Train Station, all dressed in their formal, black, semi-leather Death Eaters' robes.

'I forgot about Flitwick mending the damn wards!' Nordi muttered. 'Now we have to walk such a long way.'

'As soon as you are done with the exams, you can take them down. They are no longer needed. You will leave only the one preventing Muggles from seeing the castle.' Snape replied.

'Yes, Professor.'

CRACK! Amycus and Alecto appeared by their side.

'Hey! I didn't know you were coming along!' Nordi smiled.

'I also didn't, however, Severus suggested us dropping by and meeting the rest of the faculty.' Alecto said.

'Our new colleagues.' Amycus added. 'Wonder how we will get along.'

As they made their way up the hill, Severus warned the Carrow siblings against the wards, and suggested them to conceal their Magical Aura for a while. Alecto and Amycus did as they were told, but nevertheless winced in pain as they crossed the ward.

'Professor, who will be at the examination committee? Are Amycus and Alecto going to grade us, too?' Nordi asked.

'No, Exile. Although the standard examination committee for NEWTs consists of a large number of teachers, it's not the case during a resit. There aren't usually a lot of students having to resit their exams, so the number of teachers is adequately smaller. Today only four Professors are going to grade you. Myself, Professor Mcgonagall, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout.'

'Oh... Pity you're the only one from our side, sir.'

'Don't expect any special treatment during the exams only because we are on the same side, Exile.'

'I wouldn't even have to ask for one, sir! I'm prepared. Orion, on the other hand...'

He turned his head towards his former guardian and gave him an amused look.

'Piss off, Nordi.'

Unlike Nordi, Orion was very uptight about the exams. He's never had a chance to take them during his school years, because he got involved in the First Wizarding War and never returned to Hogwarts after his fifth year. Therefore, he was over ten years older than most of the examinees and didn't feel too comfortable; Nordi tried to cheer him up by cracking jokes.

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When the five Death Eaters stepped into the Great Hall, eyes of everybody focused on them.

Eight seventh-years students, who had been unsuccessful during their first approach to NEWT exams, were already gathered in the hall, as well as the rest of the examination committee. Mcgonagall, Flitwick and Sprout sat at the Head Table, watching the newly arrived men with a mixture of worry and disgust.

'I sense a heated exchange of views.' Amycus whispered to Nordi, who smirked and almost burst into laughter.

The five men in black battle robes came by gracefully to the Head Table. Mcgonagall visibly paled and clenched her lips even tighter than usual.

Snape nodded curtsy to the three teachers.

'Good morning, Professors .' he said. 'Firstly, let me introduce you to your new colleagues. '

'Mr Amycus Carrow will teach Applied Dark Arts. His sister, Miss Alecto Carrow, will cover Muggle Studies. Mr Black here will teach History of Magic, and Mr Exile will cover Combative Dark Arts.'

Mcgonagall had a look like she was about to get sick. She gave all four new teachers hostile looks, but Nordi and Orion were to be eyed especially viciously.

'Those two Exiles cannot become teachers, Severus.' she declared. 'They had never passed their NEWTs.'

'That is what they are for here today.' Snape answered. 'They will take their exams together with the students who are here to resit them.'

Mcgonagall, Sprout and Flitwich exchanged looks; it wasn't against the school status, moreover- even if it was- now Snape was the one to set the rules. There was nothing they could do; maybe except for giving Snape an earful- what Pomona Sprout decided to do.

'I really don't understand how could you have been made a Headmaster. How could you introduce Death Eaters into our school, handing them over our children to teach. How could you came up with the new subjects that Hogwarts have never been teaching throughout the history! Combative Dark Arts!' Sprout spat out the name of the class like it was a swearword.

'I want to inform you, Pomona' Snape started calmly. 'that if you disagree with the changes that are about to happen at Hogwarts, such as new faculty , new curriculum or the new set of rules, you are free to put your quit notice on my desk anytime. As you may or may not know, I have been suggested to let you stay at Hogwarts by the Board of Governors. Nevertheless, if you decide to disagree with the new order and leave the job, there is more than enough competent individuals in our ranks, who can replace you as a Herbology teacher.'

Pomona looked at him angrily, but soon lowered her eyes.

'If that is all, my dear colleagues, I suggest to let the exams start. Amycus, Alecto, you may want to make your way to your new staff quarters upstairs and make yourselves comfortable. I will get a house elf to guide you there.'

As soon as the Carrows left, Snape took his place at the Head Table and Orion and Nordi sat among the examinees. Flitwick levitated a piece of parchment to each students. The exams were still held in accordance with the old curriculum and the first one was Charms theory.

Unlike the standard NEWTs procedure, which involved the exams taking place throughout the entire week- each day one theoretical and one practical- the resits were all squeezed into one. Keeping that in mind, Orion and Nordi were ones of the few who had to sit all of the NEWTs that day. The majority of present students had to approach only one of two exams, which they had failed earlier that year. The written tests for Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology and Defense against Dark Arts took place one after another, with only fifteen minutes break between each. They had only an hour time to complete each test, but Nordi nevertheless was each time done way before the time-up, and amused himself for the remaining time by making stupid faces to the nervous, sweating Orion.

After they were done with written tests , the time for Practicals came. They lined up in front of the Great Hall, waiting for their names to be called. In order not to call each person for each subject separately , a person called inside was about to approach the Practicals in all the subjects they needed at one go.

As Orion was stepping in when his name was called, he was so sweaty like if someone has poured a bucket of water all over him. Nevertheless, he came back after a little over one hour, grinning with satisfaction- he was sure he had passed everything.

Nordi was the last one to be examined. It was already about sunset when he was entering the Great Hall; a golden-orange light was filling the room.

He stood upright in front of the Head Table. As he saw the disgusted looks from Mcgonagall and Sprout, he couldn't help but smirk.

'Alright, Mr Exile.' Snape started. 'We shall start with a Potions Practical exam. I will ask you to choose correct ingredients from the dresser in front of you, and brew a Pepper-up Potion.'

Nordi grinned; Pepper up Potion-an equivalent of a caffeinated drink- has been his food replacement since his youngest years. He was able to brew it even in his sleep.

The next exam was Transfiguration; Mcgonagall asked him to turn a desk into a dog and back (he remembered with a nostalgia his first Transfiguration class two years before, when he had turned all desks into piglets). Flitwick demanded a Cleansing Spell and a Shape Changing Spell, and Sprout showed him a bunch of small plants in pots to recognize.

The last exam was DADA- a subject nonexistent in the new curriculum. Snape looked up at him.

'Mr Exile, I will conjure a training dummie for you to demonstrate defensive and offensive spells you have learned. The dummie is one of the more durable ones, your assignment is to tear it to shreds. You may proceed with the accordance with the... new curriculum, if you wish.'

Nordi exposed his teeth in a grin. He knew what Snape has meant by that : You can use as many Dark spells as you wish.

Mcgonagall, Flitwick and Sprout stared in disbelief, as Nordi bombarded the dummie with the most powerful curses he knew. He used a combination of Blasting Curse, Cutting Curse, a lightening and a variation of well-aimed Fiendfyre. The dummie was one of the advanced ones- it was able to shield itself or repel a curse, but with Nordi's crazy-paced treatment it didn't have enough time to react. Soon it laid on the ground torn into pieces.

'Very well, Mr Exile. Now, please, wait outside for your exams results.' Snape said, vanishing the remains of the dummie from the ground.

Nordi stepped outside and waited together with Orion and eight seventeen-year-olds for the results. When Flitwick finally came by and handed the sheets with grades over to them, he saw with satisfaction that, even the hostility the three Professors had towards him, did not prevent him from receiving straight "O's".