::::::-------------
Chapter Eighteen: Exams and Results
::::::-------------
After the pressure of O.W.L.'s, teachers didn't usually put emphasis on sixth-year Christmas tests, but focused on preparing students for N.E.W.T.'s. All the same, Christmas exams made everyone nervous, especially Neville. Though perhaps it wasn't the threat of tests that caused anxiety, but the fact that O.W.L. results came out on the last day of term.
Transfiguration involved an example of Switching Spells and an essay on Animagi. Charms was easy - Cheering Charms and the spells for Summoning and Banishing. In Potions, Harry and Hermione had to concoct Draught of Living Death, but added too much wormwood as Snape passed. They were, of course, exempt from Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Herbology incorporated some tricky dentistry on a Venomous Tentacula.
The rest of term surged by in a whirl of Hogsmeade trips, visits to Ron and quiet walks on the grounds. Two days before the beginning of the holidays, Ron was deemed to be fully recovered and left the hospital wing. He joined the lovebirds for breakfast.
"Ron!" screamed Hermione when she caught sight of him entering the Great Hall. The pair leapt out of their seats to greet him.
Soon they were all tucking into some truly fantastic dishes. "Why," said Harry through a mouthful of bacon, "is the food here so good?"
Hermione scowled briefly, mumbled something about slavery, and pushed some more toast into her mouth. Just then the post arrived. Today, however, there were at least a hundred more owls than normal. "O.W.L. results," breathed Neville.
"But they're not due till tomorrow!" cried Ron, hastily swallowing his egg. Sure enough, an official-looking barn owl swooped down to each and every sixth-year in the Great Hall and dropped a thick parchment envelope onto their plates.
Confused looks were exchanged across the tables. Many heads turned towards the Staff Table. Dumbledore smiled and stood up. He clapped his hands for attention. The Hall fell silent. "It appears," he beamed, "that the O.W.L. results have arrived prematurely. Please, feel free to open them!"
The sound of many envelopes ripping filled the air. There were shouts of delight, groans of disgust, and in some cases, tears of disappointment. With a shaking hand, Harry opened the envelope. It held a single sheet of parchment, which said:
H O G W A R T S - S C H O O L - O F - W I T C H C R A F T - A N D - W I Z A R D R Y
MR HARRY JAMES POTTER
ASTRONOMY: A
CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES: E
CHARMS: E
DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS: O
DIVINATION: A
HERBOLOGY: E
POTIONS: O
TRANSFIGURATION: O
Harry stared at the second-last one. He had achieved an Outstanding in Potions. Not possible. He glanced at Ron and Hermione. Ron was looking crestfallen but satisfied, as though he had got no more than expected. Hermione was positively glowing with self-pride.
"All O's then, Hermione?" said Ron gloomily.
"No," was the perky reply, but her face fell slightly. "I only got an E in Astronomy."
"Wonder why," said Harry in mock speculation. Halfway through their Astronomy exam, Ministry employees had attacked Hagrid. Professor McGonagall had stepped in and almost died as a result. "You, Ron?"
Ron sighed. "A, A, E, E, A, A, A, E."
"You mum'll be pleased," said Hermione, though as she had taken different subjects she didn't know the order in which Harry and Ron's marks were given.
"Why's that?" Ron snapped. "I didn't get a single O."
"So?" said Harry. "You passed them all, at least. How many did Fred and George get? Three, was it?"
"Can't remember," sulked Ron. "What did YOU get?"
"A, E, E, O-"
"Defence Against the Dark Arts," interrupted Ron.
"- A, E, O, O."
Ron let out a splutter of disbelief. "What were those last three?"
"E, O, O," repeated Harry.
"Let me see that," and Ron pulled the paper out of Harry's hands. The amusement on his face turned to a mix of admiration and shock. "I don't believe it!" he crowed, checking the sheet for the third time. "YOU got an O in Potions! Of all people, HARRY POTTER got an OUTSTANDING in POTIONS!"
Ron was speaking so loudly that people from the other tables were turning to look at them. Harry and Hermione blushed furiously; Ron was totally oblivious. They caught Snape glaring at Harry, looking murderous.
"Yes, Mr Weasley," said Dumbledore gently but audibly, with another smile on his face. "We have established that your friend passed his Potions O.W.L."
Blood rushed to Ron's face so vigorously that one could have mistaken it for a fireball. Most people laughed. Trying to change the subject, Harry leaned across Dennis Creevey to talk to Neville.
"What'd you get?" he asked. Neville's face was glowing as much as Hermione's.
"I failed Astronomy," he said happily, "Got a P in that, but I got A's in Divination and Transfiguration, O's in Herbology and Defence Against the Dark Arts and I got E's in all the rest."
"That great, Neville!" Harry grinned, then divulged his marks. It transpired that the Gryffindor's had earned mainly E's, with plenty of Outstandings in Defence Against the Dark Arts and a lot of A's in Astronomy.
Ron spent the whole day in a moderately bad mood. "Out of the Hospital Wing for half an hour and already I've got someone else telling me that I'm rubbish!"
Chapter Eighteen: Exams and Results
::::::-------------
After the pressure of O.W.L.'s, teachers didn't usually put emphasis on sixth-year Christmas tests, but focused on preparing students for N.E.W.T.'s. All the same, Christmas exams made everyone nervous, especially Neville. Though perhaps it wasn't the threat of tests that caused anxiety, but the fact that O.W.L. results came out on the last day of term.
Transfiguration involved an example of Switching Spells and an essay on Animagi. Charms was easy - Cheering Charms and the spells for Summoning and Banishing. In Potions, Harry and Hermione had to concoct Draught of Living Death, but added too much wormwood as Snape passed. They were, of course, exempt from Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Herbology incorporated some tricky dentistry on a Venomous Tentacula.
The rest of term surged by in a whirl of Hogsmeade trips, visits to Ron and quiet walks on the grounds. Two days before the beginning of the holidays, Ron was deemed to be fully recovered and left the hospital wing. He joined the lovebirds for breakfast.
"Ron!" screamed Hermione when she caught sight of him entering the Great Hall. The pair leapt out of their seats to greet him.
Soon they were all tucking into some truly fantastic dishes. "Why," said Harry through a mouthful of bacon, "is the food here so good?"
Hermione scowled briefly, mumbled something about slavery, and pushed some more toast into her mouth. Just then the post arrived. Today, however, there were at least a hundred more owls than normal. "O.W.L. results," breathed Neville.
"But they're not due till tomorrow!" cried Ron, hastily swallowing his egg. Sure enough, an official-looking barn owl swooped down to each and every sixth-year in the Great Hall and dropped a thick parchment envelope onto their plates.
Confused looks were exchanged across the tables. Many heads turned towards the Staff Table. Dumbledore smiled and stood up. He clapped his hands for attention. The Hall fell silent. "It appears," he beamed, "that the O.W.L. results have arrived prematurely. Please, feel free to open them!"
The sound of many envelopes ripping filled the air. There were shouts of delight, groans of disgust, and in some cases, tears of disappointment. With a shaking hand, Harry opened the envelope. It held a single sheet of parchment, which said:
H O G W A R T S - S C H O O L - O F - W I T C H C R A F T - A N D - W I Z A R D R Y
MR HARRY JAMES POTTER
ASTRONOMY: A
CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES: E
CHARMS: E
DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS: O
DIVINATION: A
HERBOLOGY: E
POTIONS: O
TRANSFIGURATION: O
Harry stared at the second-last one. He had achieved an Outstanding in Potions. Not possible. He glanced at Ron and Hermione. Ron was looking crestfallen but satisfied, as though he had got no more than expected. Hermione was positively glowing with self-pride.
"All O's then, Hermione?" said Ron gloomily.
"No," was the perky reply, but her face fell slightly. "I only got an E in Astronomy."
"Wonder why," said Harry in mock speculation. Halfway through their Astronomy exam, Ministry employees had attacked Hagrid. Professor McGonagall had stepped in and almost died as a result. "You, Ron?"
Ron sighed. "A, A, E, E, A, A, A, E."
"You mum'll be pleased," said Hermione, though as she had taken different subjects she didn't know the order in which Harry and Ron's marks were given.
"Why's that?" Ron snapped. "I didn't get a single O."
"So?" said Harry. "You passed them all, at least. How many did Fred and George get? Three, was it?"
"Can't remember," sulked Ron. "What did YOU get?"
"A, E, E, O-"
"Defence Against the Dark Arts," interrupted Ron.
"- A, E, O, O."
Ron let out a splutter of disbelief. "What were those last three?"
"E, O, O," repeated Harry.
"Let me see that," and Ron pulled the paper out of Harry's hands. The amusement on his face turned to a mix of admiration and shock. "I don't believe it!" he crowed, checking the sheet for the third time. "YOU got an O in Potions! Of all people, HARRY POTTER got an OUTSTANDING in POTIONS!"
Ron was speaking so loudly that people from the other tables were turning to look at them. Harry and Hermione blushed furiously; Ron was totally oblivious. They caught Snape glaring at Harry, looking murderous.
"Yes, Mr Weasley," said Dumbledore gently but audibly, with another smile on his face. "We have established that your friend passed his Potions O.W.L."
Blood rushed to Ron's face so vigorously that one could have mistaken it for a fireball. Most people laughed. Trying to change the subject, Harry leaned across Dennis Creevey to talk to Neville.
"What'd you get?" he asked. Neville's face was glowing as much as Hermione's.
"I failed Astronomy," he said happily, "Got a P in that, but I got A's in Divination and Transfiguration, O's in Herbology and Defence Against the Dark Arts and I got E's in all the rest."
"That great, Neville!" Harry grinned, then divulged his marks. It transpired that the Gryffindor's had earned mainly E's, with plenty of Outstandings in Defence Against the Dark Arts and a lot of A's in Astronomy.
Ron spent the whole day in a moderately bad mood. "Out of the Hospital Wing for half an hour and already I've got someone else telling me that I'm rubbish!"