CHAPTER 13

~O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts ~

The next day, news about Professor Kasender being an Animagus, Professor Kasender dying, finding Peter Pettigrew and Harry's defeat of Lord Voldemort had spread throughout the whole wizarding world. Every time Harry walked to classes, murmurs and uncomfortable whispers followed him unpleasantly. He was getting quite used to this of course—it happened every year. But that didn't mean he liked it.

Professor Dumbledore, just as he had done the previous year, had once again asked the whole school not to badger Harry to tell them about the night's events. He was very grateful for this, of course. It was a most dreadful feeling, having to retell everything especially him seeing his parents—it still made Harry miserable to think that he had seen them and would probably not see them ever again.

Every night, Harry had terrible dreams--dreams about his mother and father. He would see them in his sleep, just as he had seen them the night Lord Voldemort vanished. Terrible scenes played again and again in Harry's mind like an awful movie. Scenes that he really didn't want to think about these days. For the time has come when fifth year students have to take their O.W.Ls—Ordinary Wizarding Levels.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and along with the other fifth year students were regularly found either in the library, reading thick volumes to help them with their upcoming tests; or otherwise, in their Common Rooms, pouring over thick rolls of parchment, covered in writing.

Fred and George Weasley were also found working, which was most unusual. Most of the times, they were playing pranks, setting off Dr Filibuster's No Heat, Wet Start Fireworks and causing loud noises. Seventh year students had to take N.E.W.Ts—Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests. These were very important as the results determined their grades for their whole seven years of school which helped them get the right professions.

"How are we s'posed to remember all these?" complained Ron one evening, reading the ingredients for the Energy Potion—there were about thirty things listed. "This is the twentieth time I'm reading it and I still keep forgetting the main ingredient!"

"It's called memorising, Ron," said Hermione, running her frustrated hands through her bushy brown hair.

~~~

Several, busy days passed and Harry woke up one morning to find that it was the day all fifth year students had been preparing hard for—they were taking their O.W.L.s today.

He got up, pulled the hangings of his four-poster apart and noticed that Ron had just woken up too.

"Morning," he said groggily. "What time do we take the test?"

"At about eleven thirty, I think," replied Harry.

This only gave them a few hours to cram in some last-minute studying.

"Might as well get up and have breakfast," said Ron getting up from his bed and rubbing his eyes. "so we can read some more of those blasted books."

                  And together they walked down to the Common Room after getting dressed. There, they found Hermione hungrily munching on a piece of toast and reading a very thick book. Next to her were five more piles of books she had borrowed from the library.

                  "Morning," she said shortly.

                  "Morning," Harry and Ron replied together.

                  After breakfast, the pair of them decided to go back to the library. Half an hour later, they emerged from it, carrying a tottering stack of volumes they had found useful. For hours and hours, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat at the same table, reading, taking down notes…

                  Eventually, eleven thirty came.

                  Then came a magically magnified voice: "Will all fifth and seventh year students make their way up to the Great Hall, please. Immediately. Your O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts are about to take place." It was Professor McGonagall's voice.

                  "Better get a move on, then," said Hermione.

                  The Great Hall looked different. There was still the thousand candles floating in mid-air and the four, long house tables. But instead of usual golden goblets and plates, a thousand pieces of parchment, quills and ink bottles lay on top of the wooden tables.

                  Professor McGonagall spoke from the staff table, "You shall take your seats at your own house table. You will have your own pieces of parchment, your own anti-cheating quill and your own ink bottle," she said, peering at them all. "Once everyone has seated themselves and are ready, I will start the time. You have approximately two hours to complete your O.W.L.s. and N.E.W.Ts. I wish you luck."

                  Everyone scuttled around, trying to grab their own equipment. Soon, everyone was sitting down, looking nervous and there was a stiff sort of quietness around the Great Hall. Harry looked up once again at the staff table and saw that Professor McGonagall was now holding up an enormous hourglass which contained very fine, golden sand.

                  "When you're ready," she said. "Now, you may start." She turned the massive hourglass upside-down. Tearing his eyes away from those glittering, golden sand, Harry saw that the parchment which he owned was revealing questions. He picked up his quill and started to answer them,  one by one.

                  Every time he  had finished answering one, the question would vanish and up comes a new one. A long, one and a half hours passed and the only sound that can be heard was the faint scratching of quills upon parchment. Harry was onto his third last question:

                  Who was the founder of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures and when were they born?

                  Harry scribbled: Treony Pouligh—May 12, 1623.

                  The question vanished along with his answer. Two more questions followed and finally he was finished. Just as he had put down his anti-cheating quill, the test paper rolled itself up and erupted into flames. Harry caught himself just in time before he yelled out. He thought that this was supposed to happen. Looking around, he was right. Parchments here and there were bursting into flames and crumbling into ashes.

                  When everyone had finished, they started to walk out of the Great Hall, feeling tired but happy. Their O.W.Ls were finished…they didn't have to worry about anything any more!

                  "That was quite easy, wasn't it?" said Hermione, catching up to Harry and Ron. "I didn't even need to study the extra seven books I read!"